Canadian Natural Regions 

A country as large as Canada - over 7,400 kilometres (4,600 mi) from east coast to west coast - is naturally going to have a large range of natural habitat regions, or eco-systems.

Ecosystems are characterized chiefly by their vegetation, and each has its own set of plant life forms. The dominant plant in a forest is the tree, whether it's in an evergreen rainforest in British Columbia or a maple tree in the eastern deciduous forest; in the tundra it's a dwarf shrub and in the prairie it's grasses.  A variety of plants and animals in each ecosystem have taken the same evolutionary path. 

Life in each ecosystem is a delicately balanced, interconnected web. Each element of the web is intertwined with all others, and for a healthy ecosystem, all elements must be present. If a top predator like the wolf or cougar is removed, the population of plant eaters explodes, eating all the vegetation. If drought or disease eliminates the plant life, the plant eaters will leave or die, followed by the predators. Take out one single element, and the result is a dead ecosystem, unable to support any life.

The world's wild species are perched on the edge of an abyss. Habitat loss, pollution, poaching, climate change and introduced species are just a few of the threats affecting the survival of our wildlife, from tiny shrews to giant sequoias. The balance of life is tipping, and we need to pay attention.

The following pages are meant to give you a snapshot of life in each ecosystem. Where they are, how they function and how wild species have adapted will give you a clear picture of their delicate balance. Regular updates on factors upsetting that balance will tell you the rest of the story, so check back often

We're working on these as fast as we can, and hope to have all of them written soon!

Boreal Forest

Arctic Tundra

Eastern deciduous forests

Great Plains

Desert

Rocky Mountains

Pacific Coast

Atlantic Coast