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functional regions a functional region is a region defined by use often developed around a centre or focal point a park can be considered a region canada s oldest national park is banff located in alberta climate vegetation and soil regions are defined by natural forces these three types of regions usually have the same boundaries climate is defined as the average of all weather conditions over an entire year whereas weather is a condition of the atmosphere on a day-by-day basis the climatic conditions of a region affect the types of vegetation that can grow there and the soils that develop in canada two of the largest vegetation regions are the coniferous forest and the deciduous forest coniferous trees have cones and often needle-like leaves examples of coniferous trees are pine spruce and cedar in canada evergreens trees with needle-like foliage/leaves softwoods seeds are produced in the cones main purpose of needle leaves is to preserve moisture during winter ideal wood for pulp and paper this industry is wiping out the natural forest and replanting must be done to replace it flourish in canada because of cold moist climate deciduous trees shed their leaves annually in the fall examples of deciduous trees are maple oak walnut birch and poplar in canada grow in area s with hot summers short winters abundant precipitation long growing season and fertile soil very few areas of true deciduous forest remain because people have cleared the land for farms or urban development loose leaves in winter to preserve moisture hardwoods in spring new buds appear and leaves eventually re-grow ecozones

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regions can have one main characteristic in common such as vegetation or population regions can also have more than one defining factor when regions combine natural features and human activity in a particular area we create a region called an ecozone canada has fifteen distinct land-based ecozones and five marine-based ecozones niagara falls is an example of an ecozone combining the natural wonder of the falls with the tourist draw of human activity niagara falls is located in the mixed-wood plain ecozone maps of canada s ecozones follow with a description of each zone maps obtained from http www.ec.gc.ca/soer-ree/english/vignettes/marine/marine.cfm http www.spaceforspecies.ca/resources/ecozone/canada

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a cbcdedeab

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following information from http www.canadianbiodiversity.mcgill.ca/english/ecozones a ­ pacific marine this ecozone begins at the british columbia coast protected by the alaskan peninsula from cold arctic waters the temperature of the ocean off of the pacific coast varies remarkably little both across the ecozone at any one time and over the year ice is very rarely found here and then only seasonally in the north the rivers and fjords of the west coast bring nutrients to the waters and a major upwelling near the southern end of vancouver island provides the nutrients for an extremely rich and diverse ocean community many aquatic mammals swim in these waters including sea otter northern fur seal northern sea lion longsnout dolphin right whale dolphin pacific white-sided dolphin pacific harbor porpoise dall s porpoise orca sperm whale gray whale fin whale minke whale blue whale blue whale and pacific right whale a characteristic bird of prey over the waters is the osprey many shorebirds and seabirds are found here including rhinoceros auklet brandt s cormorants and all manner of gulls puffins petrels murres and more fish that can be found here include coastrange sculpin pacific herring halibut steelhead dolly varden several species including pacific lamprey river lamprey green sturgeon white sturgeon pink salmon chum salmon coho salmon and sockeye salmon live in the ocean but enter freshwater to spawn this ecozone provides many benefits to the population that borders it through fishing shipping tourism and water recreation unfortunately these activities have damaged the ecosystem through over-fishing pollution and habitat destruction b ­ artic archipelago marine the waters of this marine ecozone include hudson bay and encompass most of the water surrounding the islands of nunavut and northwest territories this is the ecozone that saw so many attempts to find the northwest passage to the pacific ocean long cold winters and short cool summers make this a cold ecozone winter temperatures on the surface average -30ºc and july only sees an average temperature of 10ºc shores are often scoured by the packs of ice that drift in the brief summer given their northern location it is not surprising that the waters of this ecozone are often covered in ice during winter the ice forms a solid sheet and one can freely walk from island to island the brief summer allows the ice to melt and break up although it still exists in floating sheets average water depths range from 150 to 500 metres only some of the mammals here spend much time out of the water such as the polar bear walrus ringed seal bearded seal and harp seal beluga narwhal orca and bowhead whale are present in the water birds in the area can only take advantage of area of open water during the brief summer they include tundra swans arctic terns northern fulmars black guillemot and various loons ducks geese gulls jaegers and alcids arctic cod arctic char arctic cisco arctic lamprey pink salmon and chum salmon are some common species of fish found in the ecozone the mostly inuit population has a largely subsistence lifestyle although mineral and fossil fuel exploration may have large effects in the future waters in james bay are affected by hydroelectric projects and will be more affected by population growth in the lands around the southern part of this ecozone.

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c ­ artic basin marine this ecozone is found to the west of the northwest territories archipelago when people think about the arctic this is the region that they are likely thinking of the arctic basin is extremely dry receiving only 100 to 200mm or precipitation per year average winter temperatures are a bitterly cold -35ºc and mean summer temperatures only rise to 5ºc its extreme northern position creates winter nights and summer days that are longer than in any other canadian ecozone this section of the arctic ocean is permanently frozen and rotates slowly around roughly the north pole in a counter-clockwise fashion the waters here do not mix well because of ice cover and feeble tides nine-tenths of this ecozone is comprised of ice floating on the frigid arctic ocean and only a miniscule portion is solid land islands of ice kilometres long and up to two metres thick are common here below the ice the ocean floor is found at an average depth of 3600 metres although the lomonosov ridge near the north pole reaches up to a kilometre below the ocean s surface there is some animal life at the edges of the ice packs but otherwise everything is under the ocean s surface some of the species found here include the walrus polar bear beluga narwhal bearded seals harp seal harbour seal ringed seal bowhead whale ivory gull and some migratory birds as there is virtually no land here there is no permanent population scientific and petroleum exploration are the two major activities d ­ northwest atlantic marine this ecozone begins in the gulf of st lawrence and continues north along the labrador coast to the south-eastern end of baffin island where it moves offshore extending almost to ellesmere island it extends from the gulf of st lawrence along the northern coast of quebec and the eastern coast of baffin island almost to greenland and ellesmere island cold waters from the labrador current meet warmer waters from the gulf stream and the st lawrence river which also adds fresh water to the salty ocean currents winter brings ice to much of this area the st lawrence river freezes over and icebergs are plentiful in the northern regions tides in the north may be up to 12 metres high tides in ungava bay rival those of the bay of fundy fjords cliffs and bald rock that are found here are the result of grinding glaciers during the last ice age 10 000 years ago the continental shelf means that the maximum depth never much exceeds 300 metres aquatic mammals found here include humpback whales atlantic right whale bowhead whale blue whale beluga fin whales minke whales sei whales blue whale orca sperm whale poroises longsnout dolphin whitebeak dolphin bearded seal and harp seal gannet razorbill thick-billed murre black guillemot northern fulmar and common ringed plover are just a few of the bird species to be found here the atlantic tomcod is one of the predators here preying on such species as rainbow smelt and mummichog some of the species that live in the ocean but enter freshwater to spawn are sea lamprey atlantic sturgeon alewife atlantic salmon arctic char and american eel in the northern section of this ecozone human activity is largely subsistence activities and commercial fishing the southern section is the gulf of st lawrence and must deal with the pollution of that river including agricultural runoff municipal sewage and industrial pollution.

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e ­ atlantic marine farther out to sea than the northwest atlantic marine ecozone this ecozone only touches land at the southern coast of new brunswick and nova scotia and the eastern coast of nova scotia and newfoundland winds coming from the land to the west and the warm gulf stream from the south both make the atlantic marine ecozone more temperate than it would otherwise be dense fog banks form where the cold northern labrador current meets the gulf stream off of newfoundland late winter and early spring brings icebergs to the grand banks and the newfoundland coast and the northern part of the ecozone is known as iceberg alley by sailors the bay of fundy features the largest tides in the world the difference between high and low tide topping 15 metres most of the ecozone is thousands of metres deep although the famous grand banks off of newfoundland average only 150 metres over large areas marine mammals such as harbour seal grey seal harbour porpoise atlantic harbour porpoise longsnout dolphin orca atlantic beaked whale northern bottlenose whale blue whale fin whale pilot whale beluga minke whale blue whale atlantic right whale sperm whale and humpback whale are found living in or migrating through the area many of the bird species live on the water all year only coming onto land to breed such as the northern fulmar greater shearwater dovekie common murre and thickbilled murre leach s storm petrel arctic tern eider various kittiwakes puffins cormorants and gulls are common birds found here common fish species in the area include atlantic tomcod mummichog redfish herring silver hake greenland halibut turbot and the dangerously over-fished northern cod several fish such as the sea lamprey atlantic sturgeon alewife atlantic salmon and american eel live most of their lives in the ocean but enter freshwater to spawn other invertebrates include the large shallow areas of the ecozone provide habitat for a surprising number of barnacles sea stars sponges clams and jellyfish the grand banks lie here off the newfoundland coast when european explorers first came here four centuries ago they claimed that the fish were so dense that they would slow ships since then fishing has been so intense that fish stocks have plummeted and canada actually banned cod fishing in 1992 to prevent the commercial extinction of cod today fishing has turned to other species and the offshore oil and gas fields hold hope for the region s battered economy.

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15 terrestrial ecozones in canada abcdefghijklmno taiga cordillera boreal cordillera pacific maritime montane cordillera boreal plain taiga plain prairie taiga shield boreal shield hudson plain mixed wood plain atlantic maritime southern arctic northern arctic arctic cordillera nbaocdeefghijklm

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following information from http www.spaceforspecies.ca/resources/ecozone/canada a -taiga cordillera this is an area of steep mountains wild rivers and cascading waterfalls it encompasses a patchwork of habitats with arctic tundra of lichens and sedges in its northern reaches alpine tundra with stunted shrubs at higher elevations extensive wetlands to the northwest and open woodlands of spruce and birch to the south this diversity allows it to support a great variety of wildlife dall s sheep woodland caribou mountain goats grizzly bears and wolverines are some of the area s mammal species the internationally recognized wetlands of old crow s flats are vital to thousands of canada geese canvasback ducks and other waterfowl b boreal cordillera this ecozone which covers northern british columbia and southern yukon is made up of mountains valleys and lowlands winters are long and cold while summers are short and warm with the moderating effect of the pacific ocean the mean annual temperature ranges from 1º to 5.5º c permafrost is widespread in alpine and northern areas leading to limited vegetation consisting mainly of shrubs moss and lichen in the valleys and lowlands forests of white spruce with some pine and aspen trees dominate typical mammals of this ecozone include moose mountain goats and arctic ground squirrels rock ptarmigan spruce grouse red-breasted nuthatches and boreal chickadees are some of the more characteristic bird species c pacific maritime this ecozone of mountains fjords and valleys consists of the pacific coast of mainland british columbia and southwestern yukon and the marine islands of british columbia with the warmest and wettest climate found in canada this ecozone supports a rich and diverse collection of ecosystems in the lower coastal areas are found the majestic temperate rainforests famous for their huge and ancient trees in these areas you will find western hemlock red cedar sitka spruce and douglas fir in southern areas in areas of increased elevation mountain hemlock dominates the forests the last remnants of the highly endangered garry oak ecosystem are found in the gulf islands and saanich peninsula black-tailed deer mountain lions elk wolves and otters are some of the mammals typical of this ecozone the american black oystercatcher chestnut-backed chickadee and tufted pigeon are birds found only in this region the ocean is home to a rich diversity of marine life including northern sea lions harbour seals beaked whales and sea otters.

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d montane cordillera this ecozone covers much of british columbia and the southwestern portion of alberta it is an area of great diversity with grasslands sagebrush coniferous forests and tundra which vary from dry to wet and hot to cold the dry southern interior is characterized by sagebrush and rabbitbrush but the grasslands have all but disappeared forests of ponderosa and lodgepole pine populate lower slopes and rolling plains with western hemlock and red cedar dominating the wetter areas at higher elevations the forests turn to spruce and fir trees with lodgepole pine in drier areas while the vegetation of the alpine areas are limited to lichens herbs and shrubs due to the variety of habitats there is also a large assortment of wildlife species alpine areas support mountain goats willow ptarmigan and rosy finch forested areas are home to species such as marten wolverine fisher and pileated woodpeckers northern flickers common poorwill and yellow-pine chipmunks are some of the wildlife that inhabit the parklands of ponderosa pine the dry southern grassland regions support short-horned lizards and burrowing owls grizzly and black bears mule deer and elk are other characteristic mammals of this ecozone e boreal plains this ecozone covers much of alberta and the middle areas of saskatchewan and manitoba the area is one of plains and valleys winters are cold averaging ­17.5º to ­11º c and summers fairly warm much of it is forested with a majority of spruce balsam fir and jack pine broadleaf trees such as aspen and poplar become more common in areas transitional to the prairie ecozone fire plays an important role in shaping the landscape widespread human activity such as logging mining and agriculture has lead to shrinking wildlife habitat resulting in a number of native species most notably the whooping crane becoming threatened or endangered other wildlife native to this area are timber wolves black bears lynx and muskrat local birds include the american redstart boreal owl and canada warbler f taiga plains the vast majority of this ecozone lies in the northwest territories with a portion covering northeast british columbia and northern alberta it is an area of plains which encompasses the mackenzie canada s largest river and the peace-athabaska delta a globally significant wetland winters are long and cold with snow and ice for six to eight months followed by short cool summers with permafrost underlying much of the area the soil s productivity is diminished so that plants that have adapted to these poor conditions are able to dominate it slow-growing open forests consist of black spruce along with species such as jack pine tamarack and paper birch shrubs are plentiful and include labrador tea cranberries blueberries and willows lichens and mosses form most of the groundcover common mammals include woodland caribou marten and the world s largest herd of wood bison bird species include the red-throated loon fox sparrow hawk owl and northern shrike.

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g prairie as the breadbasket of canada this zone is dominated by flat plains with the majority being transformed by agriculture the grassland areas of this zone consist of tall-grass mixed-grass and short-grass prairie seventy-five to over 90 of these ecosystems have been lost the natural vegetation includes spear and blue grama grass sagebrush and in the drier areas prickly pear cactus to the north aspen parkland with trembling aspen and balsam poplar forms the transition zone to the boreal forest also under threat in this zone are the millions of small wetland areas critical to the well-being of north america s waterfowl the loss of much of this area s natural habitat has resulted in a disproportionate number of threatened and endangered species of wildlife such as the burrowing owl mountain plover and swift fox other wildlife native to this area includes mule deer badgers northern pocket gophers ferruginous hawks and brown thrashers h taiga shield one of canada s largest ecozones the taiga shield covers areas east and west of hudson bay in the northwest territories alberta saskatchewan manitoba quebec and labrador the area experiences short cool summers and long cold winters with low to moderate precipitation millions of lakes and wetlands govern the landscape attracting thousands of waterfowl in the spring much of the forest is open and trees often stunted due to the widespread permafrost and cold temperatures black spruce and jack pine dominate though trees such as trembling aspen and white birch can be found on upland sites fire plays a key role in shaping the landscape and diversifying the available wildlife habitat arctic fox snowshoe hare weasel and moose are some of the mammals of this zone birds found here include the red-throated loon arctic tern and gray-cheeked thrush walrus and seals can be found enjoying the marine coasts i boreal shield this zone covers a roughly u-shaped area from alberta to newfoundland making it the largest ecozone in canada it experiences short warm summers and long cold winters that are moderated somewhat in the atlantic coastal regions and along the great lakes forests are the predominate cover and consist mostly of spruce balsam fir and jack pine poplar trembling aspen and paper birch are some of the broadleaf trees which can be found in the more southern areas of the zone along with the various pines white-tailed deer black bear wolves raccoons and bobcats are some of the mammals associated with the boreal shield the numerous freshwater lakes attract masses of waterfowl each spring including buffleheads and ring-necked ducks other local birds include great horned owls evening grosbeaks and whitethroated sparrows.

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j hudson plains ­ this ecozone in northern ontario and parts of manitoba and quebec is an area of wetlands this fact combined with the generally cool climate means that vegetation is somewhat limited the northern part of the ecozone is largely treeless though areas farther south are able to support open forest wet areas produce sedges moss and lichen while more southern wet locations can also maintain some willow tamarack and black spruce higher and drier locations are slightly more productive with shrubs such as crowberry and blueberry to the north with the addition of white spruce in the more southern areas the extensive wetlands of the hudson plains attract millions of migratory waterfowl such as snow geese canada geese and king eider ducks mammals found here include moose and black bear though smaller mammals such as muskrats and weasels are more common k mixed wood plains smallest of canada s terrestrial ecozones this area is fertile with rolling hills enjoying a mild climate and abundant precipitation due to these blessings this area despite its small size houses almost half of canada s population though originally forested most of the natural habitat has been lost to agriculture and development so that it is now home to over half of canada s species at risk the few remaining fragments of original forest boast canada s largest diversity of tree species including white and red pine oak elm maple and birch the carolinian forest to the south one of our most vulnerable ecosystems has even greater diversity including such rarities as tulip tree red mulberry and cucumber-tree white-tailed deer black bears and other larger mammals native to the area s forests are rapidly dwindling in number as their habitat disappears whitefish sturgeon and other aquatic species have also suffered due to the degradation of their habitat through pollution siltation and invasion by zebra mussels and other alien species however some wildlife such as raccoons black squirrels and groundhogs have been able to adapt and even thrive in the face of man-made changes l atlantic maritime the provinces of new brunswick nova scotia and prince edward island along with the gaspé and southeastern regions of quebec make up this ecozone it experiences a cool moist climate due to the strong influence of the atlantic ocean mean annual temperatures are 3.5º to 6.5ºc with precipitation levels of 900 to 1500 mm per year three quarters of this ecozone is forested although most of this is at least secondary growth due to losses to forestry and agriculture the forests are generally a mix of deciduous species such as maple beech and birch and coniferous species such as spruce and balsam fir blueberries willow and pin cherry are some of the more common shrub species while wildflowers include lady slipper star flower and wild lupines characteristic mammals include the white-tailed deer and bobcat the rich marine areas of this zone support a rich diversity of life including northern bottlenosed whales atlantic puffins and scallops.

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m southern arctic the northwest territories and nunavut encompass most of this ecozone with a much smaller portion to the east of hudson s bay in quebec and a slice in the northern portion of the yukon this area experiences long cold winters and short cool summers with a mean annual temperature of ­ 11ºc and only 200 500 mm of annual precipitation the harsh climate and yearround presence of permafrost do not create an environment conducive to tree growth therefore lichens sedges and low shrubs such as labrador tea and dwarf birch dominate the area typical mammals of the ecozone include brown lemmings arctic ground squirrels and large numbers of both woodland and barren-ground caribou this ecozone is an important breeding and nesting ground for many migratory birds including red-throated loons snowy owls and snow buntings n northern arctic this large ecozone covers most of the arctic islands northeastern district of keewatin and northern quebec the northern arctic is one of the largest arctic ecosystems globally and the coldest and driest part of canada mean annual temperatures range between ­17ºc in the northern parts and ­11º c in northern quebec winters are long and dark with snow usually remaining on the ground for 10 months of the year due to the harsh climate plant life is limited to sparse areas of mostly moss and lichen with some stunted shrubs arctic poppy moss campion and mountain avens are characteristic plants polar bears and muskoxen are characteristic species while peary caribou are found only in the high arctic islands in the spring migratory birds such as brant and eider ducks arrive for the breeding season the ocean is home to walrus narwhal and beluga whale o arctic cordillera ­ this ecozone is a mountainous area of ice and rock due to the cold dry climate harsh winds and limited soil plant life is scarce it tends to be found huddled in small more favourable pockets in sheltered areas and south-facing slopes purple saxifrage bilberry and mountain sorrel are some of the hardy species which can be found in these localized areas animal life is also limited except in the rich marine environment which supports important populations of polar bears seals and whales the warmer coastal areas welcome crowds of seabirds including little ringed plover and black-legged kittiwake among others go to assignment 13 in your student workbook.

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