| Newfoundland Highland forests | |
| Country: | Canada |
| State: | Newfoundland and Labrador |
| Region Type: | Provinces |
| Border: | Eastern Canadian forests |
| Conservation: | Relatively Stable/Intact[1] |
| Biogeographic Realm: | Nearctic |
| Area: | 486918 |
| Biome: | Boreal forests/taiga |
| Map: | Newfoundland Highland forests map.svg |
| Map Size: | 250px |
The Newfoundland Highland forests are a taiga ecoregion located on the island of Newfoundland in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.[2] It has a total area of 4,031,999 acres (1,631,692 hectares).[3]
The terrain of this region is mostly between 300 and 700 meters above sea level. It is characterized by steep, rugged Palaeozoic and Precambrian rock, commonly bare or ridged.[2]
The winters are snowy and cold, and the summers are cool. The region receives between 1,000 and 1,400 millimeters mean annual precipitation.[2]
Mean annual temperature: 4 °CMean summer temperature range: 11.5 °C to 12 °CMean winter temperature range: -3.5 °C to -4 °C.
| Type | Units | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Min Temp | °F | 10.2 | 7.8 | 14.9 | 26.4 | 34.7 | 43.6 | 51.7 | 51.6 | 44.9 | 35.8 | 27.2 | 18.3 | 1991–2009 | |
| Mean Temp | °F | 17.1 | 15.4 | 22.4 | 33.8 | 43.4 | 52.9 | 60.3 | 59.7 | 51.9 | 41.6 | 32.4 | 23.3 | 1974–2009 | |
| Max Temp | °F | 24.9 | 24.1 | 30.9 | 40.9 | 52.4 | 62.6 | 69.7 | 69 | 60.8 | 48.8 | 38.8 | 30.5 | 1994–2009 | |
| Frost | Days | 31 | 28.2 | 31 | 30 | 28.3 | 14.9 | 1.7 | 3.4 | 11 | 27.9 | 30 | 31 | 1901–2009 | |
| Wet | Days | 24.2 | 17.5 | 15.2 | 12.5 | 13.9 | 13.8 | 13.8 | 13.9 | 17.5 | 19 | 20.4 | 23.7 | 1901–2009 | |
| Precipitation | in | 5.3 | 3.6 | 3.3 | 2.7 | 2.9 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.9 | 5 | 5 | 1901–2009 |
The region contains boreal forests with dwarf black spruce (Picea mariana) and balsam fir (Abies balsamea), dwarf kalmia (Kalmia polifolia), and various mosses. Various mixed evergreen and deciduous shrubs can be found in exposed areas.
The Arctic hare (Lepus arcticus) is found in this region. It is their southernmost limit to their range.
Other species include:
The region is threatened by an increase in harvest of wood for lumber and the pulp and paper industry. Higher elevations are mostly threatened by mining interests and granite quarrying. Further threats come from high all-terrain vehicle traffic, which affect some areas.[2]
80 to 90 percent of the region is considered to be intact. Large areas of the region are protected. These are:
Comprising upper elevations, and located in western Newfoundland, this area contains 1,942 km2. of protected land.
Also located in western Newfoundland, this area contains 19 km2 of protected land.[5]
Located in southwestern Newfoundland, this protected area is 34.97 km2.[6]