Tundra

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Ecoregion Data

Ecoregion Level 1

2 - Tundra
Region
North America Canada USA Alaska Quebec Newfoundland Nunavut Northwest Territories Yukon
Child Ecoregions
Northern Arctic Alaska Tundra Brooks Range Tundra Southern Arctic
Geography
Baffin Island Victoria Island Ellesmere Island Banks Island Devon Island Axel Heiberg Island Melville Island Prince of Wales Island Somerset Island Southampton Island King William Island Byam Martin Island Cornwall Island Bathurst Island Prince Patrick Island Eglinton Island Ellef Ringnes Island Lougheed Island Bylot Island Meighen Island Graham Island Cornwallis Island Coburg Island Devonshire Island Amund Ringnes Island Buckingham Island Cornwallis South Island North Kent Island Boothia Peninsula Island Griffith Island Little Cornwall Island North Devon Island Bathurst South Island Ellesmere South Island Mackenzie King Island Bell Island Baillie Island Alexander Island Thor Island Patterson Island Bruce Island Beechey Island Russell Island Hanson Island Wilmot Island Des Voeux Island Barrow Island Lowther Island Table Island Seymour Island Coats Island Qikiqtarjuaq Akpatok Island Akulivik Island Port Harvey Island Prince Charles Island Prince Leopold Island Toker Island Dundas Island Somerset South Island Becher Island
Hydrography
Baffin Island Victoria Island Ellesmere Island Banks Island Devon Island Axel Heiberg Island Melville Island Prince of Wales Island Somerset Island Southampton Island King William Island Byam Martin Island Cornwall Island Bathurst Island Prince Patrick Island Eglinton Island Ellef Ringnes Island Lougheed Island Bylot Island Meighen Island Graham Island Cornwallis Island Coburg Island Devonshire Island Amund Ringnes Island Buckingham Island Cornwallis South Island North Kent Island Boothia Peninsula Island Griffith Island Little Cornwall Island North Devon Island Bathurst South Island Ellesmere South Island Mackenzie King Island Bell Island Baillie Island Alexander Island Thor Island Patterson Island Bruce Island Beechey Island Russell Island Hanson Island Wilmot Island Des Voeux Island Barrow Island Lowther Island Table Island Seymour Island Coats Island Qikiqtarjuaq Akpatok Island Akulivik Island Port Harvey Island Prince Charles Island Prince Leopold Island Toker Island Dundas Island Somerset South Island Becher Island

Description

    This is the largest Arctic level I ecological region on the continent. It covers northern Alaska,

Yukon, the Arctic islands of Canada, portions of the mainland of the Northwest Territories, and northern Québec. The region has a reputation of being a desolate, cold, dry and desert-like set- ting but in reality, the landscape is diverse, ranging from vast grassland-like plains to stark, bold mesas; from ice covered lakes to snow-free uplands; and the climate ranges from long, dark, cold winters to short, cool summers with long periods of daylight. Spring and summer bring a sudden greening of the landscape. This ecological region is sparsely populated with 26,000 peo- ple. Major activities include hunting, fishing and trapping.

Physical Setting

    The Arctic islands circumscribe a variety of oceanic conditions. In the far north, the waters are ice-

fast, even through the summer periods. Towards the south, open waters are more common in the summer, but pack ice usually persists offshore. The permafrost is continuous and may extend to depths of several hundred metres. Mostly underlain by Precambrian granitic bedrock with some areas of flat-lying Palaeozoic and Mesozoic sedimentary bedrock, the terrain consists largely of broadly rolling uplands and lowlands. Much of it is mantled by discontinuous shallow and deep morainal deposits, except near the coasts, where fine-textured marine sediments occur. Strung out across the landscape are long, sinuous eskers, reaching lengths of 100 km in places. The undulat- ing landscape is studded with innumerable lakes and wetlands in the Canadian Shield section of the ecological region. Soils are frozen, with a shallow and wet thaw layer in the summer.

Biological Setting

    This ecological region represents a major area of transition between the Taiga forest to the south

and the treeless Arctic tundra to the north. It is characterized by dwarf shrubs that decrease in size moving north, with very low and flattened plants being most characteristic of the northern and central locales. Major river valleys support scattered clumps of stunted spruce trees. Typical shrubs include dwarf birch, willows, and heath species commonly mixed with various herbs and lichens. Wetlands are common in the low-lying areas, mainly supporting sedge and moss covers. A wide variety of mammals thrive in this ecological region. The region includes the major sum- mer range and calving grounds for Canada’s largest caribou herds, the barren ground caribou in the west and the woodland caribou in the east. The Peary caribou are found only in the high Arctic islands. Other mammals include grizzly bear, musk ox, Arctic fox, Arctic hare, polar bear, wolf, moose, Arctic ground squirrel and lemming. The area is also a major breeding and nesting ground for a variety of migratory birds. Representative species include snow, Brant and Canada geese; yellow-billed, Arctic, and red-throated loons; whistling swans; oldsquaw ducks; gyrfalcons; willow and rock ptarmigan; red-necked phalarope; parasitic jaeger; snowy owls; hoary redpoll and snow bunting. In the adjacent marine environment, typical species include walrus, seal, beluga whale and narwhal. In the summer months, California gray whales migrate here to feed.