Boreal Plains Ecozone (CEC) explained

Boreal Plains
Border1:Boreal Cordillera
Border2:Boreal Shield
Border3:Montane Cordillera
Border4:Prairies
Border5:Taiga Plains
Border6:Taiga Shield
Area:737,287
Country:Canada
State1:Alberta
State2:British Columbia
State3:Manitoba
State4:Northwest Territories
State5:Saskatchewan
Region Type:Provinces
Climate:Humid continental and subarctic

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.[1] [2] The region extends over 779,471 km2, of which 58,981 km2 is conserved (7.6 percent).[3]

Wood Buffalo National Park, the largest national park in Canada, and Whooping Crane Summer Range, the only nesting and breeding area for the critically endangered whooping crane, are both located in the northern portion of this ecozone.[4]

Industry in this ecozone once consisted primarily of forestry and agriculture, but in 1967 Great Canadian Oil Sands Limited began extracting bitumen from the Athabasca oil sands. Operations there have expanded significantly since 2003, and the oil sands are becoming an increasingly significant economic factor in the region.

Geography

Overlaying a bedrock of Cretaceous shale and Tertiary sediments are thick deposits of soil that form a flat terrain in the Interior Plains.[5] It borders the Montane Cordillera to the west, closely following the border between Alberta and British Columbia. To its south is the Prairies ecozone for its entire extent, while to the north are the Taiga Plains, with its northeastern periphery adjacent to the Taiga Shield. 20 sub-region are located within the ecoregion.[6]

Covering 650000km2, it is a region of subdued relief with few lakes. However, meltwater from glacial retreat between 11,000 and 8,000 years ago resulted in extensive deltas and dunes, forming Lake Winnipegosis at the eastern end of this zone.[7] It is a remnant of Lake Agassiz, a large glacial lake. Most rivers originate in the Rocky Mountains, flowing eastward through the zone.

Oil, Forestry, and agriculture are the largest industries. The region is nearly covered by timber, about 84% of the region,[8] The Athabasca oil sands area around 141000km2 of land. Agriculture takes place mainly in the Peace River Country in Alberta and British Columbia. This can employ up to 20% of the land area, though it is typically less than that. Large communities include, Fort St. John, Grande Prairie, Fort McMurray, Hayriver, La Ronge, and The Pas.

Ecoprovinces

This ecozone can be further subdivided into three ecoprovinces:[9]

Climate

Lying east of the Rocky Mountains, the region experiences low precipitation, averaging annually, with in the west and in the east. However, this is greater than the rate of evaporation by over in the south, and in the north and at the foothills of the Rockies. The excess moisture promotes the development of wetlands and peat bogs, which account for between 25–50% of the ecozone's area.[10]

Summers are moderately warm, with mean July temperatures of 13to, whereas winters may be very cold, with mean January temperatures of NaNto.

EcoRegions

Each province continues to work on defining subregions within the largernational ecozone system.[11]

The Alberta Natural Subregion – Natural Regions (2006) found within this ecozone are:[12]

The Manitoba Ecoregions within this ecozone are:[13]

The Saskatchewan Ecoregions within this ecozone are:[14]

Protected areas

A number of protected areas have been established to protect representative and/or significant portions of this ecozone. These include:

Alberta

Manitoba

Saskatchewan

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Terrestrial Ecozones of Canada. Teacher Resource Centre. Parks Canada. 2016-05-14.
  2. Web site: Ecozones – Maps (2014). Canadian Council on Ecological Areas (CCEA). 12 August 2017.
  3. Web site: Canada . Environment and Climate Change . Canada's conserved areas - Canada.ca . www.canada.ca . 9 February 2010 . 26 October 2018 . en.
  4. Web site: Wood Buffalo National Park. indicators-map.canada.ca . Government of Canada . 26 October 2018 . en.
  5. Web site: Boreal Plains. Canada's Ecozones, Canadian Biodiversity project. Bernhardt. Torsten. McGill University, Redpath Museum. 2008-02-03. https://web.archive.org/web/20080125221003/http://canadianbiodiversity.mcgill.ca/english/ecozones/borealplains/borealplains.htm. 2008-01-25. dead.
  6. Web site: Ecoregions. Ecological Framework of Canada. 14 May 2016.
  7. Web site: Landforms and Climate of the Boreal Plains Ecozone. Boreal Plains Ecozone. Environment Canada. 2016-05-14.
  8. Web site: Boreal Heartland. Boreal Plains Ecozone. Environment Canada. 2016-05-14.
  9. Web site: Secretariat. Treasury Board of Canada. National Ecological Framework for Canada - Open Government Portal. 2020-11-07. open.canada.ca.
  10. Web site: Boreal Plains. Forest Ecozones of Canada. 10 July 2013. Natural Resources Canada. 2016-05-14.
  11. Web site: Ecozones Introduction. Canadian Council on Ecological Areas (CCEA). 12 August 2017. 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..
  12. Web site: Natural Regions and Subregions of Alberta – Alberta Parks. Alberta Parks. 12 August 2017.
  13. Technical Bulletin 98–9E. Smith. R.E.. Veldhuis. H.. Mills. G.F.. Eilers. R.G.. Fraser. W.R.. Lelyk . G.W.. Terrestrial Ecozones, Ecoregions, and Ecodistricts of Manitoba An Ecological Stratification of Manitoba's Natural Landscapes. 1998. Land Resource Unit, Brandon Research Centre, Research Branch, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Winnipeg, Manitoba. 170. 12 August 2017.
  14. Web site: Saskatchewan's Ecoregions. Saskatchewan Conservation Data Center. 12 August 2017.
  15. Web site: Cross Lake Provincial Park. Parks Alberta. 12 August 2017.
  16. Web site: Dunvegan Provincial Park. Parks Alberta. 12 August 2017.
  17. Web site: Executive Summary – 2011 Elk Island National Park management plan. 31 January 2017 . Parks Canada. 12 August 2017. The park's purpose is to protect a representative portion of the Southern Boreal Plains and Plateaux Natural Region... .
  18. Web site: Lakeland Provincial Park. Parks Alberta. 12 August 2017.
  19. Web site: Thunder Lake Provincial Park. Parks Alberta. 12 August 2017.
  20. Web site: Wood Buffalo National Park. Parks Canada. 12 August 2017. Today, it protects an outstanding and representative example of Canada's Northern Boreal Plains..
  21. Web site: Birds Hill Provincial Park. indicators-map.canada.ca . Government of Canada . 26 October 2018 . en.
  22. Web site: Brokenhead Wetland Ecological Reserve. indicators-map.canada.ca . Government of Canada . 26 October 2018 . en.
  23. Web site: Clearwater Lake Provincial Park. indicators-map.canada.ca . Government of Canada . 26 October 2018 . en.
  24. Web site: Chitek Lake Anishinaabe Provincial Park . indicators-map.canada.ca . Government of Canada . 26 October 2018 . en.
  25. Web site: Duck Mountain Provincial Park. indicators-map.canada.ca . Government of Canada . 26 October 2018 . en.
  26. Web site: Dog Lake Wildlife Management Area. indicators-map.canada.ca . Government of Canada . 26 October 2018 . en.
  27. Web site: Elk Island Provincial Park. indicators-map.canada.ca . Government of Canada . 26 October 2018 . en.
  28. Web site: Fisher Bay Provincial Park/App/Detail?id=08460002014&GoCTemplateCulture=en-CA . Government of Canada . 26 October 2018 . en.
  29. Web site: Grand Island Provincial Park. indicators-map.canada.ca . Government of Canada . 26 October 2018 . en.
  30. Web site: Interactive indicator maps. indicators-map.canada.ca . Government of Canada . 10 January 2021 . en.
  31. Web site: Palsa Hazel Ecological Reserve / Grass River Provincial Park. indicators-map.canada.ca . Government of Canada . 26 October 2018 . en.
  32. Web site: Hecla / Grindstone Provincial Park. indicators-map.canada.ca . Government of Canada . 26 October 2018 . en.
  33. Web site: Hilbre Wildlife Management Area. indicators-map.canada.ca . Government of Canada . 26 October 2018 . en.
  34. Web site: Kinwow Bay Provincial Park. indicators-map.canada.ca . Government of Canada . 26 October 2018 . en.
  35. Web site: Little Birch Wildlife Management Area. indicators-map.canada.ca . Government of Canada . 26 October 2018 . en.
  36. Web site: Little Limestone Lake Provincial Park. indicators-map.canada.ca . Government of Canada . 26 October 2018 . en.
  37. Web site: Long Point Ecological Reserve. indicators-map.canada.ca . Government of Canada . 26 October 2018 . en.
  38. Web site: Mars Hill Wildlife Management Area. indicators-map.canada.ca . Government of Canada . 26 October 2018 . en.
  39. Web site: Narcisse Wildlife Management Area. indicators-map.canada.ca . Government of Canada . 26 October 2018 . en.
  40. Web site: Peonan Point Wildlife Management Area. indicators-map.canada.ca . Government of Canada . 26 October 2018 . en.
  41. Web site: Proulx Lake Wildlife Management Area. indicators-map.canada.ca . Government of Canada . 26 October 2018 . en.
  42. Web site: Red Deer Lake Wildlife Management Area. indicators-map.canada.ca . Government of Canada . 26 October 2018 . en.
  43. Web site: Reindeer Island Ecological Reserve. indicators-map.canada.ca . Government of Canada . 26 October 2018 . en.
  44. Web site: St. Malo Wildlife Management Area. indicators-map.canada.ca . Government of Canada . 26 October 2018 . en.
  45. Web site: Ste. Anne Bog Ecological Reserve. indicators-map.canada.ca . Government of Canada . 26 October 2018 . en.
  46. Web site: Sleeve Lake Wildlife Management Area. indicators-map.canada.ca . Government of Canada . 26 October 2018 . en.
  47. Web site: Stuartburn Wildlife Management Area. indicators-map.canada.ca . Government of Canada . 26 October 2018 . en.
  48. Web site: Rat River Wildlife Management Area. indicators-map.canada.ca . Government of Canada . 26 October 2018 . en.
  49. Web site: Riding Mountain National Park of Canada and Riding Mountain Park East Gate Registration Complex National Historic Site of Canada Management Plan 2007. Parks Canada. 12 August 2017. RMNPC was established in 1929 to contribute to this network of national parks by: Protecting an area representative of the southern boreal plains and plateaux natural region of Canada;.
  50. Web site: Sturgeon Bay Provincial Park. indicators-map.canada.ca . Government of Canada . 26 October 2018 . en.
  51. Web site: Walter Cook Caves Ecological Reserve. indicators-map.canada.ca . Government of Canada . 26 October 2018 . en.
  52. Web site: Watson P. Davidson Wildlife Management Area. indicators-map.canada.ca . Government of Canada . 26 October 2018 . en.
  53. Web site: Gauthier, Lorena Patino. David A.. Conservation Areas. The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan. Canadian Plains Research Center, University of Regina. 12 August 2017.
  54. Web site: Prince Albert National Park DRAFT Management Plan 2017. Parks Canada. 12 August 2017. The park is in a transition zone from the Great Plains to aspen parkland to mixed wood boreal forest, representing the Southern Boreal Plains and Plateaux natural region..

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