Ecological Framework

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Abstract

Fifteen ecozones make up terrestrial Canada, and five make up the marine waters bordering Canada. Canada’s 15 terrestrial ecozones can be subdivided into 53 ecoprovinces, which can be further broken into 194 ecoregions. Ecozones are useful for general national reporting and for placing Canada’s ecosystem diversity in a North American or global context. Ecoprovinces are useful units at an intermediate scale for national and regional planning and reporting purposes. Ecoregions are a useful ecosystem scale for national, provincial, and regional planning and reporting purposes. Regardless of the level in the hierarchy, each unit is distinguished from others by its unique mosaic of plants, wildlife, climate, landforms, and human activities.

To many Canadians, ecozone names will conjure up distinct images of the country - for example the Prairies, Boreal, Taiga, Arctic and Cordilleran ecozones bring to mind particular features such as mountains, plains, treed and treeless regions, distinct from one another in one or more of their characteristic features.

Canada is comprised of 20 ecozones. Fifteen ecozones make up terrestrial Canada and five make up the marine waters bordering Canada. Ecozones are useful for general national reporting and for placing Canada’s ecosystem diversity in a North American or global context. Canada’s 15 terrestrial ecozones can be subdivided into 53 ecoprovinces. Ecoprovinces are useful units at an intermediate scale for national and regional planning and reporting purposes. Finally, Canada’s 53 terrestrial ecoprovinces can be further broken down into 194 ecoregions. Ecoregions are a useful ecosystem scale for national, provincial and regional planning and reporting purposes. Most maps in this module present the information at the ecoregion level of detail.