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This article is about
WWF classifications. For an alternate classification system, see
Ecozones of Canada .
Terrestrial ecoregions of Canada
The following is a list of ecoregions in Canada as identified by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).
Terrestrial ecoregions [ edit ]
The terrestrial ecoregions of Canada are all within the Nearctic realm , which includes most of North America . The Nearctic, together with Eurasia's Palearctic realm , constitutes the Holarctic realm of the Northern Hemisphere .[ 1]
British Columbia is the most biodiverse province with 18 ecoregions across 4 biomes. By contrast, Prince Edward Island is the least biodiverse with just one ecoregion - the Gulf of St. Lawrence lowland forests - encompassing the entire province.
Biome
Ecoregion
Province/Territory
Boreal forests/taiga
Central Canadian Shield forests
Ontario , Quebec
Boreal forests/taiga
Eastern Canadian forests
New Brunswick , Newfoundland and Labrador , Nova Scotia , Quebec
Boreal forests/taiga
Eastern Canadian Shield taiga
Newfoundland and Labrador , Quebec
Boreal forests/taiga
Interior Alaska–Yukon lowland taiga
Yukon
Boreal forests/taiga
Mid-Continental Canadian forests
Alberta , Manitoba , Northwest Territories , Saskatchewan
Boreal forests/taiga
Midwestern Canadian Shield forests
Alberta , Manitoba , Ontario , Saskatchewan
Boreal forests/taiga
Muskwa–Slave Lake forests
Alberta , British Columbia , Northwest Territories
Boreal forests/taiga
Newfoundland Highland forests
Newfoundland and Labrador
Boreal forests/taiga
Northern Canadian Shield taiga
Alberta , Manitoba , Northwest Territories , Nunavut , Saskatchewan
Boreal forests/taiga
Northern Cordillera forests
British Columbia , Northwest Territories , Yukon
Boreal forests/taiga
Northwest Territories taiga
Northwest Territories , Yukon
Boreal forests/taiga
South Avalon–Burin oceanic barrens
Newfoundland and Labrador
Boreal forests/taiga
Southern Hudson Bay taiga
Manitoba , Ontario , Quebec
Boreal forests/taiga
Yukon Interior dry forests
British Columbia , Yukon
Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests
Eastern forest–boreal transition
Ontario , Quebec
Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests
Eastern Great Lakes lowland forests
Ontario , Quebec
Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests
Gulf of St. Lawrence lowland forests
New Brunswick , Nova Scotia , Prince Edward Island , Quebec
Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests
New England–Acadian forests
New Brunswick , Nova Scotia , Quebec
Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests
Southern Great Lakes forests
Ontario
Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests
Western Great Lakes forests
Manitoba , Ontario
Temperate coniferous forests
Alberta Mountain forests
Alberta , British Columbia
Temperate coniferous forests
Alberta–British Columbia foothills forests
Alberta , British Columbia
Temperate coniferous forests
British Columbia mainland coastal forests
British Columbia
Temperate coniferous forests
Cascade Mountains leeward forests
British Columbia
Temperate coniferous forests
Central British Columbia Mountain forests
British Columbia
Temperate coniferous forests
Central Pacific coastal forests
British Columbia
Temperate coniferous forests
Fraser Plateau and Basin complex
British Columbia
Temperate coniferous forests
Haida Gwaii forests
British Columbia
Temperate coniferous forests
North Central Rockies forests
Alberta , British Columbia
Temperate coniferous forests
Northern transitional alpine forests
British Columbia
Temperate coniferous forests
Okanagan dry forests
British Columbia
Temperate coniferous forests
Puget lowland forests
British Columbia
Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Canadian aspen forests and parklands
Alberta , British Columbia , Manitoba , Saskatchewan
Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Montana valley and foothill grasslands
Alberta
Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Northern mixed grasslands
Manitoba , Saskatchewan
Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Northern short grasslands
Alberta , Saskatchewan
Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Northern tall grasslands
Manitoba
Tundra
Alaska–St. Elias Range tundra
British Columbia , Yukon
Tundra
Arctic coastal tundra
Northwest Territories , Yukon
Tundra
Baffin coastal tundra
Nunavut
Tundra
Brooks–British Range tundra
Northwest Territories , Yukon
Tundra
Davis Highlands tundra
Nunavut
Tundra
High Arctic tundra
Northwest Territories , Nunavut
Tundra
Interior Yukon–Alaska alpine tundra
Yukon
Tundra
Low Arctic tundra
Manitoba , Northwest Territories , Nunavut , Quebec
Tundra
Middle Arctic tundra
Northwest Territories , Nunavut , Quebec
Tundra
Ogilvie–MacKenzie alpine tundra
Northwest Territories , Yukon
Tundra
Pacific Coastal Mountain icefields and tundra
British Columbia , Yukon
Tundra
Torngat Mountain tundra
Newfoundland and Labrador , Quebec
Canada is unique among countries in that it borders three marine realms : the Arctic , Temperate Northern Atlantic , and Temperate Northern Pacific . These realms can be further subdivided into three marine biomes and fifteen marine ecoregions based upon biological distinctiveness.[ 2]
Quebec is the only province that borders both the Arctic and Temperate Northern Atlantic realms.
Biome
Ecoregion
Province/Territory
Arctic
Baffin Bay -Davis Strait
Nunavut
Arctic
Beaufort - Amundsen - Viscount Melville - Queen Maud
Northwest Territories , Nunavut
Arctic
Beaufort Sea continental coast and shelf
Northwest Territories , Yukon
Arctic
High Arctic Archipelago
Northwest Territories , Nunavut
Arctic
Hudson Complex
Manitoba , Nunavut , Ontario , Quebec
Arctic
Lancaster Sound
Nunavut
Arctic
Northern Grand Banks - Southern Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador
Arctic
Northern Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador , Nunavut
Cold temperate northeast Pacific
North American Pacific Fjordland
British Columbia
Cold temperate northeast Pacific
Oregon, Washington, Vancouver coast and shelf
British Columbia
Cold temperate northeast Pacific
Puget Trough/Georgia Basin
British Columbia
Cold temperate northwest Atlantic
Gulf of Maine - Bay of Fundy
New Brunswick , Nova Scotia
Cold temperate northwest Atlantic
Gulf of St. Lawrence - Eastern Scotian Shelf
New Brunswick , Newfoundland and Labrador , Nova Scotia , Prince Edward Island , Quebec
Cold temperate northwest Atlantic
Scotian Shelf
Nova Scotia
Cold temperate northwest Atlantic
Southern Grand Banks - South Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador
^ Ricketts, Taylor H; Eric Dinerstein; David M. Olson; Colby J. Loucks; et al. (1999). Terrestrial Ecoregions of North America: a Conservation Assessment. Island Press; Washington, DC.
^ SPALDING, MARK D.; FOX, HELEN E.; ALLEN, GERALD R.; DAVIDSON, NICK; FERDAÑA, ZACH A.; FINLAYSON, MAX; HALPERN, BENJAMIN S.; JORGE, MIGUEL A.; LOMBANA, AL; LOURIE, SARA A.; MARTIN, KIRSTEN D. (2007). "Marine Ecoregions of the World: A Bioregionalization of Coastal and Shelf Areas" . BioScience . 57 (7): 573–583. doi :10.1641/b570707 . ISSN 0006-3568 .