Ecozones of Canada
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]
Original structure
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]
Reorganization
In 2014, the Canadian Council on Ecological Areas (CCEA) published a new ecological framework designed to supplant the ecological framework established in 1995. The goal was to redefine the country's ecozones to better align them with those defined by provincial and territorial governments across Canada.[4][5]
In 2018, the Conservation Areas Reporting and Tracking System was converted to the Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database and brought formally within Environment and Climate Change Canada. This resulted in the reorganization of Canada's ecozones into 18 terrestrial ecozones, 12 marine ecozones, and 1 freshwater ecozone. These ecozones are further subdivided into 215 "ecoregions" defined in accordance with provincial and territorial governments, and are unique from those defined by the CEC in 1995.[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
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ admin (2014-05-22). "Ecozones Introduction | CCEA-CCAE". ccea-ccae.org. Retrieved 2020-11-08.
- ^ "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.
External links
- Ecological Land Classification Description by Statistics Canada, 2017
- Ecological Land Classification Structure by Statistics Canada, 2017
- Terrestrial Ecozones and Ecoregions of Canada map by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Environment Canada, 1995
- Ecozones: The Ecological Framework of Canada
- Canada's Ecozones from the Canadian Biodiversity Project at McGill University's Redpath Museum
