Table 1
Biophysical characteristics of terrestrial ecozones

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Ecozone code Terrestrial ecozone Land area (km2) Landforms Vegetation and productivity Surface materials and soils Climate and oceanographic characteristics
1 Arctic Cordillera 234,708 Mountains Mainly unvegetated; some shrub-herb tundra Ice; snow; colluvium; rock; cryosols1 Extremely cold; dry; continuous permafrost
2 Northern Arctic 1,371,340 Plains; hills Herb-lichen tundra Moraine; rock; marine; cryosols1 Very cold; dry; continuous permafrost
3 Southern Arctic 702,542 Plains; hills Shrub-herb tundra Moraine; rock; marine; cryosols1 Cold; dry; continuous permafrost
4 Taiga Plains 569,363 Plains; some foothills Open to closed mixed evergreen-deciduous forest Organic; moraine; lacustrine; cryosols1; brunisols2 Cold; semiarid to moist; discontinuous permafrost
5 Taiga Shield 1,122,504 Plains; some hills Open evergreen-deciduous trees; some lichen-shrub tundra Canadian Shield rock; moraine; cryosols1; brunisols2 Cold; moist to semi-arid; discontinuous permafrost
6 Boreal Shield 1,640,949 Plains; some hills Evergreen forest; mixed evergreen-deciduous forest Canadian Shield rock; moraine; lacustrine; podzols3; brunisols2 Cold; moist
7 Atlantic Maritime 192,017 Hills and coastal plains Mixed deciduous-evergreen forest stands Moraine; colluvium; marine; brunisols2; podzols3; luvisols4 Cool; wet
8 Mixed Wood Plains 107,017 Plains; some hills Mixed deciduous-evergreen forest Moraine; marine; rock; luvisols4; brunisols2 Cool to mild; moist
9 Boreal Plains 668,664 Plains; some foothills Mixed evergreen-deciduous forest Moraine; lacustrine; organic; luvisols4; brunisols2 Cold; moist
10 Prairies 443,159 Plains; some hills Grass; scattered deciduous forest (aspen parkland) Moraine; lacustrine; chernozems5 Cold; semiarid
11 Taiga Cordillera 264,213 Mountains Shrub-herb-moss-lichen tundra Colluvium; moraine; rock; cryosols1; gleysols6 Very cold winters; cool summers; minimal precipitation
12 Boreal Cordillera 459,864 Mountains; some hills Largely evergreen forest; some tundra; open woodland Colluvium; moraine; rock; podzols3; cryosols1 Moderately cold; moist
13 Pacific Maritime 196,200 Mountains; minor coastal plains Coastal evergreen forest Colluvium; moraine; rock; podzols3; brunisols2 Mild; temperate; very wet to cold alpine
14 Montane Cordillera 474,753 Mountains; interior plains Evergreen forest; alpine tundra; interior grassland Moraine; colluvium; rock; luvisols4; brunisols2 Moderately cold; moist to arid
15 Hudson Plains 359,546 Plains Wetlands; some herb-moss-lichen tundra; evergreen forest Organic; marine; cryosols1 Cold to mild; semiarid; discontinuous permafrost
Notes
 1.  Cryosols are frozen soils.
2.  Brunisols are soils with minimal weathering.
3.  Podzols are acid and well-weathered soils.
4.  Luvisols are temperate-region soils with clay-rich sublayers.
5.  Chernozems are organically rich, relatively fertile grassland soils.
6.  Gleysols are soils developed under wet conditions and characterized by reduced iron and other elements.
km2= square kilometres
Sources: Environment Canada, 1996, The State of Canada's Environment Part II: Canadian Ecozones, (accessed June 3, 2008).
Wiken, E.B. et al., 1996, A Perspective on Canada's Ecosystems: An Overview of the Terrestrial and Marine Ecozones, Canadian Council on Ecological Areas, Occasional paper, No.14.