| Boreal Shield | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Ecology | |
| Borders | |
| Geography | |
| Area | 1,937,517 km2 (748,079 sq mi) |
| Country | Canada |
| Provinces | |
| Climate type | Humid continental and subarctic |
The Boreal Shield Ecozone, as defined by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), is the largest ecozone in Canada. Covering 1.8 million square kilometres it covers almost 20% of Canada's landmass, stretching from northern Saskatchewan to Newfoundland. [1]
The retreat of the Laurentide Ice Sheet left a landscape of broadly rolling uplands and lowlands with precambrian granitic bedrock outcrops. [2] [3] Few clear drainage channels were left in the rocky sediments deposited by the glacier resulting in a deranged drainage pattern. [4] The numerous wetlands and lakes formed give this ecozone a unique character. [5] Water features in this ecozone contain 22% of Canada's freshwater surface area. [1]
Soil types vary widely across the region in response to the wide range of climate and soil components present. [2] Cryosols are found in the most northerly areas wherever there is permafrost. [2] [6] Accumulation of organic matter, particularly peat, results in organic soils in much of the area. [2] [6] Brunisols occur in the north and west of the region where coarse to medium sediments are found. [2] In these soils, soil formation is ongoing and will eventually result in either podzols or luvisols. [6] In the south and east, podzols are found under forests growing primarily on sand in cold conditions. [2] [6] Gleysols are found where poor drainage has resulted in depleted oxygen. [6] Luvisols are present where forests overlay clay deposits. [6] These two soil types occur across the region wherever these conditions occur. [2]
This ecozone can be further subdivided into six ecoprovinces: [7]
Each province continues to work on defining subregions within the larger national ecozone and ecoprovince system. [8]
The Alberta Natural Subregion - Natural Regions (2006) found within this ecozone are: [9]
The Manitoba Ecoregions within this ecozone are: [10]
The Saskatchewan Ecoregions within this ecozone are: [11]
The regional climate has long, cold winters and short summers, conditions which are moderated in coastal regions. [2] Summers in the east are warmer than those in the west of the region. [2] The mean annual temperature ranges from -4 °C in northern Saskatchewan to 5.5 °C in Newfoundland. [2] Precipitation increases from west to east. [2]
The region is widely forested with white and black spruce, balsam fir and jack pine. Deciduous trees are more common in the south, with white birch, trembling aspen and balsam poplar. There are also yellow birch and sugar maple to the east. In areas of muskeg there are stands of black spruce or tamarack. There are frequent forest fires. [1]
Being largely wild and remote, this ecozone is rich in wildlife, including woodland caribou, moose, wolf, black bear, raccoon, marten, fisher, striped skunk, lynx, bobcat and eastern chipmunk. Common birds include Boreal owl, great horned owl, blue jay, white- sparrow and evening grosbeak. Lakes contain brook char, lake trout, northern pike, perch, and walleye. [2]
Off the northern and eastern coasts, aquatic mammals include grey seal, harp seal, hooded seal, ringed seal, sperm whale, orca, Atlantic pilot whale, fin whale, blue whale, northern right whale, bowhead whale, and humpback whale. [12]
Fire suppression, insect control, clear-cutting and single-species tree farming are widespread in accessible areas. These practices may, over the long term, reduce the diversity of both plant and animal species and increase the forest's vulnerability to disease. [5]
Many Shield lakes and soils are extremely sensitive to changes in pH. Acid rain from local sources and from the long-range transport of airborne pollutants has already taken an ominous toll. It may be weakening the general vigour and growth rate of trees, as well as of aquatic species, in sensitive areas. [5]
Under 3% of the ecozone's total land space forbids industrial activities of any kind; this land space is therefore designated as protected. Another 5% of the ecozone's land space is also considered protected, though not as strictly; activities such as mining or forestry may be tolerable in such areas. The Boreal Shield is the largest ecozone in Canada, however, compared to other ecozones, it exhibits among the smallest shares of land that have been deemed protected. Because the region is abundant in forest land, it is subject to extensive forestry practices. [13]
In order to strengthen public dialogue and engagement on matters concerned with protected areas within the ecozone, land allocation programs have been adopted in Ontario and Saskatchewan. The programs consist of local and regional-level advisory groups that serve to help select and manage conservation areas in these provinces. [13]
A number of protected areas have been established to protect representative and/or significant portions of this ecozone. These include Georgian Bay Islands National Park, Gros Morne National Park, La Mauricie National Park, Mealy Mountains National Park Reserve, Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve, Pukaskwa National Park, and Terra Nova National Park.
Canada has 20 major ecosystems—ecozones, comprising 15 terrestrial units and 5 marine units. These ecozones are further subdivided into 53 ecoprovinces, 194 ecoregions, and 1,027 ecodistricts. These form the country's ecological land classification within the Ecological Land Classification framework adopted in 2017. They represent areas of the Earth's surface representative of large and very generalized ecological units characterized by interactive and adjusting biotic and abiotic factors.
The Taiga Shield Ecozone, as defined by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), is an ecozone which stretches across Canada's subarctic region. Some regions exhibit exposed Precambrian bedrock of the Canadian Shield, the oldest of the world's geological formations. The world's oldest rocks, dating to four billion years, are found in the Canadian Shield north of Great Slave Lake.
The Boreal Plains Ecozone, as defined by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), is a terrestrial ecozone in the western Canadian provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. It also has minor extensions into northeastern British Columbia and south-central Northwest Territories. The region extends over 779,471 km2, of which 58,981 km2 is conserved.
Birch Mountains Wildland Provincial Park is a wildland provincial park in northern Alberta, Canada. The park was established on 20 December 2000 with an area of 144,505 hectares. On 14 May 2018, the park was enlarged slightly to an area of 145,969 hectares. The park is contained in the Lower Athabasca Region Land Use Framework finalized in 2012. It contains a free roaming wood bison herd. The park is named for the Birch Mountains that are partially contained within the boundaries of the park.
Kazan Wildland Provincial Park is a wildland provincial park in northern Alberta, Canada. It was established on 14 May 2018 and is a large park with an area of 659,397 hectares (2,546 sq mi). As of January 2023, Kazan is the largest park under Alberta provincial authority. The park was initiated by and is contained in the Lower Athabasca Regional Plan Land Use Framework in August 2012. Two smaller parks, La Butte Creek and Colin-Cornwall Lakes Wildland Provincial Parks, were disestablished and incorporated into Kazan.
Dillon River Wildland Provincial Park is a wildland provincial park in northern Alberta, Canada. It was established on 14 May 2018 and has an area of 191,545 hectares. The Government of Alberta announced the park's creation through its approval of the Lower Athabasca Regional Plan Land Use Framework in August 2012.
Hubert Lake Wildland Provincial Park is a wildland provincial park in central Alberta, Canada. The park was established on 4 October 2000 and has an area of 9,665.46 hectares. The park is included in the Upper Athabasca Region Land Use Framework.
Castle Wildland Provincial Park is a wildland provincial park in southern Alberta, Canada. The designation of the park was established on 20 January 2017, with an effective date of 16 February 2017. The designation involved the protection of 79,678 hectares of land. The park is included in the South Saskatchewan Region Land Use Framework. The park, along with Castle Provincial Park, is managed under the Castle Management Plan. The park takes its name from the region including the Castle River and Castle Peak of Windsor Mountain. Despite the name, it is not associated with Castle Mountain which is in Banff National Park.
Birch Island Provincial Park is a remote provincial park located on Lake Winnipegosis in Manitoba, Canada. The park is bordered on its western boundary by the Swan-Pelican Provincial Forest and on its eastern side by Chitek Lake Anishinaabe Provincial Park.
Bell Lake Provincial Park is a provincial park on the north shore of Bell Lake in the Porcupine Provincial Forest, Manitoba, Canada. It is 4 hectares in size. It was designated as a provincial park in 1974.
Armit Meadows Ecological Reserve is an ecological reserve located in Porcupine Provincial Forest, Manitoba, Canada. It was established in 2015 under the Manitoba Ecological Reserves Act. It is 2.63 square kilometres (1.02 sq mi) in size.
Birch River Wildland Provincial Park is a wildland provincial park in northern Alberta, Canada. It was established on 14 May 2018 and covers 331,832 hectares (1,281.2 sq mi).The park is contained in the Lower Athabasca Region Land Use Framework finalized in 2012. The park is named for the Birch River that flows through it.
Brazeau Canyon Wildland Provincial Park is a wildland provincial park in Yellowhead County, central Alberta, Canada. The park has an area of 5,039.32 hectares and was created on 20 December 2000. The park is named for the valley in which flows the Brazeau River.
Grizzly Ridge Wildland Provincial Park is a wildland provincial park in northern Alberta, Canada. The park was established on 14 April 1999 and has an area of 10,706.07 hectares. The park is included in the Upper Athabasca Region Land Use Framework.
La Biche River Wildland Provincial Park is a wildland provincial park in northern Alberta, Canada. The park was established on 6 June 2000 and had an area of 16,843.975 hectares. It was expanded on 8 August 2001 to an area of 17,545.251 hectares. The park is included in the Upper Athabasca Region Land Use Framework.
Lesser Slave Lake Wildland Provincial Park is a wildland provincial park in central Alberta, Canada. The park was established on 7 February 2001 and has an area of 3,581.450 hectares. The park is included in the Upper Athabasca Region Land Use Framework.
Otter-Orloff Lakes Wildland Provincial Park is a wildland provincial park in northern Alberta, Canada. The park was established on 15 December 2000 and has an area of 6,948 hectares. The park is included in the Upper Athabasca Region Land Use Framework. The park surrounds Orloff Lake and Otter Lake is named for the two lakes contained within the park.
Rock Lake–Solomon Creek Wildland Provincial Park is a wildland provincial park in west-central Alberta, Canada. The park was established on 20 December 2000 and has an area of 34,682.9 hectares. The park is included in the Upper Athabasca Region Land Use Framework. The park is named for the local lake and creek within the boundaries of the park.
Whitehorse Wildland Provincial Park is a wildland provincial park in west-central Alberta, Canada. The park was established on 26 August 1998 and had an area of 17,439.886 hectares. On 23 July 2002, the area was changed slightly to 17,325.54 ha. The park is included in the Upper Athabasca Region Land Use Framework. The park is named for the creek within the boundaries of the park.
This level of generalization is well suited for national scale reporting. In the last 20 years, all Provinces and Territories have refined and automated their respective regional ecological framework. It is important, then, to provide a current national perspective which accurately reflects current regional efforts. ... Detailed ecological information remains with jurisdictions.
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