Jump to content

Ecozones of Canada: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Content deleted Content added
Line 32: Line 32:
In 2014, the [[Canadian Council on Ecological Areas]] (CCEA) published a new ecological framework designed to supplant the ecological framework established by the [[Commission for Environmental Cooperation|CEC]] in 1995. The goal of this news framework is to reconcile differences in ecozone definitions between the CEC and the framework used by provincial and territorial governments.<ref>{{Cite web|last=admin|date=2014-05-22|title=Ecozones Introduction {{!}} CCEA-CCAE|url=https://ccea-ccae.org/ecozones-introduction/|access-date=2020-11-08|website=ccea-ccae.org|language=en-US}}</ref>
In 2014, the [[Canadian Council on Ecological Areas]] (CCEA) published a new ecological framework designed to supplant the ecological framework established by the [[Commission for Environmental Cooperation|CEC]] in 1995. The goal of this news framework is to reconcile differences in ecozone definitions between the CEC and the framework used by provincial and territorial governments.<ref>{{Cite web|last=admin|date=2014-05-22|title=Ecozones Introduction {{!}} CCEA-CCAE|url=https://ccea-ccae.org/ecozones-introduction/|access-date=2020-11-08|website=ccea-ccae.org|language=en-US}}</ref>


The new framework adjusts the borders of the original 15 [[Terrestrial ecoregion|terrestrial ecozones]], identifies 3 new terrestrial ecozones - the Atlantic Highlands, Semi-Arid Plateaus, and Tundra Cordillera - and utilizes the 13 marine bioregions defined by [[Fisheries and Oceans Canada]] as the 13 marine ecozones of Canada.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=2014|title=Ecozones of Canada / Écozones du Canada|url=http://www.ccea.org/Downloads/shapefiles/CA_ecozones_1M_v5_final_map%20v20140213.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20151009085928/http://www.ccea.org/Downloads/shapefiles/CA_ecozones_1M_v5_final_map%20v20140213.pdf|archive-date=2015-10-09|access-date=2020-11-07|website=Canadian Council on Ecological Areas}}</ref><ref name=ECC2019/> As of 2020, the CCEA framework has only been partially adopted by Canadian government.
The new framework adjusts the borders of the original 15 [[Terrestrial ecoregion|terrestrial ecozones]], identifies 3 new terrestrial ecozones - the Atlantic Highlands, Semi-Arid Plateaus, and Tundra Cordillera - and utilizes the 13 marine bioregions defined by [[Fisheries and Oceans Canada]] as the 13 marine ecozones of Canada.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=2014|title=Ecozones of Canada / Écozones du Canada|url=http://www.ccea.org/Downloads/shapefiles/CA_ecozones_1M_v5_final_map%20v20140213.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20151009085928/http://www.ccea.org/Downloads/shapefiles/CA_ecozones_1M_v5_final_map%20v20140213.pdf|archive-date=2015-10-09|access-date=2020-11-07|website=Canadian Council on Ecological Areas}}</ref> As of 2020, the CCEA framework has only been partially adopted by Canadian government.<ref name=ECC2019/>


==Terrestrial ecozones==
==Terrestrial ecozones==

Revision as of 05:35, 8 November 2020

File:Proportion of area conserved, by ecozone, Canada, 2019.png
Ecozones of Canada by percent area conserved, 2019

Environment and Climate Change Canada identifies 18 terrestrial ecozones, 12 marine ecozones, and one freshwater ecozone which contain geographically distinct assemblages of natural communities and species.[1] These ecozones are further subdivided into 215 "ecoregions" which exhibit regional ecological characteristics distinct from neighbouring ecoregions.[1]

History

Establishment

On January 1, 1994, the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) was established by Canada, Mexico and the United States to implement the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Environment Canada coordinated with the CEC to establish an international environmental framework from which conservation measures could be effectively coordinated. This resulted in the creation of the ecozones of Canada, which corresponding with the Level I ecoregions designated by the Environmental Protection Agency of the United States. The extent of these ecozones were finalized in 1995 and managed by Statistics Canada as the Conservation Areas Reporting and Tracking System.[2]

CEC framework

Original extent of Canada's terrestrial ecozones and ecoprovinces

The system consisted of 15 terrestrial ecozones and 5 marine ecozones, each one representing an ecologically similar collection of ecosystems. These ecozones were further subdivided into 53 "ecoprovinces" which featured constituent physiographic forms, faunal and floral realms, hydrological systems and soils that were inter-related. Ecoprovinces were further subdivided into 194 "ecoregions" which exhibited regional ecological characteristics distinct from neighbouring ecoregions, though there are typically gradual gradations between them.[2]

An ecodistrict is a portion of one ecoregion having a unique collection of landforms, fauna, flora, soils, geological composition, and water features.[2] Originally, 1031 ecodistricts were defined, but ten were later removed, leaving 1021 current districts. Further subdivisions include ecosections, ecosites, and the smallest unit, ecoelements.[3]

CCEA framework

In 2014, the Canadian Council on Ecological Areas (CCEA) published a new ecological framework designed to supplant the ecological framework established by the CEC in 1995. The goal of this news framework is to reconcile differences in ecozone definitions between the CEC and the framework used by provincial and territorial governments.[4]

The new framework adjusts the borders of the original 15 terrestrial ecozones, identifies 3 new terrestrial ecozones - the Atlantic Highlands, Semi-Arid Plateaus, and Tundra Cordillera - and utilizes the 13 marine bioregions defined by Fisheries and Oceans Canada as the 13 marine ecozones of Canada.[5] As of 2020, the CCEA framework has only been partially adopted by Canadian government.[1]

Terrestrial ecozones

Canada is divided into 18 terrestrial ecozones covering a total area of 9,891,584 km2 (3,819,162 sq mi).[1]

Ecozone Area (km²)[1] Percent total area Percent protected (2019)[1]
Arctic Cordillera 233,619 2.4 22.5
Northern Arctic 1,481,481 15.0 7.1
Southern Arctic 957,139 9.7 17.1
Taiga Plains 554,013 5.6 10.9
Taiga Shield 1,322,786 13.4 10.0
Boreal Shield 1,897,364 19.2 9.9
Atlantic Maritime 110,590 1.1 8.5
Mixedwood Plains 116,206 1.2 2.0
Boreal Plains 779,471 7.9 8.7
Prairies 465,990 4.7 6.0
Montane Cordillera 437,761 4.4 18.8
Pacific Maritime 216,942 2.2 24.2
Boreal Cordillera 557,937 5.6 17.3
Taiga Cordillera 231,161 2.3 9.3
Hudson Plains 350,693 3.5 12.5
Tundra Cordillera 28,980 0.3 24.6
Atlantic Highlands 93,017 0.9 4.1
Semi-Arid Plateaus 56,434 0.6 9.4
Total 9,891,584 100.0 11.3

Marine ecozones

Canada is divided into 12 marine ecozones covering a total area of 5,747,004 km2 (2,218,931 sq mi).[1]

Ecozone Area (km²)[1] Percent protected (2019)[1]
Strait of Georgia 8,969 0.2
Southern Shelf 28,158 0.5
Offshore Pacific 315,724 5.5
Northern Shelf 101,663 1.8
Arctic Basin 752,053 13.1
Western Arctic 539,807 9.4
Arctic Archipelago 268,792 4.7
Eastern Arctic 782,636 13.6
Hudson Bay Complex 1,244,670 21.7
Newfoundland-Labrador Shelves 1,041,588 18.1
Scotian Shelf 416,296 7.2
Gulf of Saint Lawrence 246,648 4.3
Total 5,747,004

Freshwater ecozones

Canada features only one freshwater ecozone covering a total area of 88,250 km2 (34,070 sq mi).[1]

Ecozone Area (km²)[1] Percent protected (2019)[1]
Great Lakes 88,250 13.5

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Canada, Environment and Climate Change (2010-02-09). "Canada's conserved areas". aem. Retrieved 2020-11-07.
  2. ^ a b c I. B. Marshall and P. H. Schut (1999). "A NATIONAL ECOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK FOR CANADA, Overview". Environment Canada and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Retrieved January 23, 2012.
  3. ^ "Human Activity and the Environment: Annual Statistics". Statistics Canada. 2006. Archived from the original on November 4, 2008. Retrieved January 23, 2012. From the broadest to the smallest, the hierarchical classification consists of seven levels of generalization: ecozones, ecoprovinces, ecoregions, ecodistricts, ecosections, ecosites and ecoelements.
  4. ^ admin (2014-05-22). "Ecozones Introduction | CCEA-CCAE". ccea-ccae.org. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
  5. ^ "Ecozones of Canada / Écozones du Canada" (PDF). Canadian Council on Ecological Areas. 2014. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2015-10-09. Retrieved 2020-11-07.