Wildlife of Canada
[16] British Columbia has a multitude of smaller biomes, including: a subalpine forest which extends into Alberta, a temperate rainforest along the coast, a semi arid desert located in the Okanagan Valley and alpine tundra in the higher mountainous regions.
[18] The Canadian Arctic tundra is the second-largest vegetation region in the country consisting of dwarf shrubs, sedges and grasses, mosses and lichens.
[22] Canada is home to about twenty five percent (134.6 million ha) of the world's wetlands that support a vast array of local ecosystems.
The Mackenzie, including its tributaries is over 4,200 square kilometres (1,600 sq mi) in length and lies within the second largest drainage basin of North America, while the St. Lawrence 3,058 square kilometres (1,181 sq mi) in length, drains the world's largest system of freshwater lakes.
[25] The Great Lakes region is home to the black bear, Virginia opossum, red squirrels, North American beaver, and striped skunks; birds include eastern bluebird, red-winged blackbird, robin, wood thrush, woodpecker, oriole, bobolink, crow, hawk, bittern, heron, black duck, and loon.
The boreal forest region contains moose, caribou, Canadian lynx, timber wolf, marten, porcupine, snowshoe rabbit, and chipmunk.
[26] The Pacific ecozone is home to the Cascade mountain goat, mountain beaver, a vast variety of mice, and puget striped skunk; birds include northern pygmy-owl, band-tailed pigeon, black swift, northern flicker, crow, rufous-sided towhee, and black brant.
Salt-water fish including the Atlantic cod, Pacific salmon, hake, haddock and halibut; alongside crustaceans such as lobster, snow crab and shrimp are the primary commercial species.
[27] Walleye (AKA pickerel), northern pike, rainbow trout, largemouth bass and the black crappie are common fresh-water fish species found throughout the country.
Many of North America's migratory birds, including songbirds, waterfowl and shorebirds, take up residence in Canada during the spring and summer.
[30] According to Environment and Climate Change Canada, the nation hosts approximately 17,000 identified species of trees, flowers, herbs, ferns, mosses and other flora.
[35] The Great Lakes region flora includes white pine, hemlock and red maples, yellow birch, and beech trees.
[37] Other native plants seen across Canada include; American ginseng, trillium cernuum, red bearberry, bog Labrador tea, purple prairie clover, sand cherry, Pallas' wallflower, little evening primrose, showy orchis and common eelgrass.
[46] The Great Lakes region (Laurentia bioregion) is home to nearly 200 invasive species, making it one of Canada's most heavily affected ecosystems.
[48] Invasive species such as the sea lamprey, zebra mussels, European green crab, the mountain pine beetle, round goby, Asian long-horned beetle, emerald ash borer, didymo, spongy moth, and Asian carp have altered local habitats and caused essential ecosystems to decline or fail,[49] driving native species towards extinction.
[50] The most invasive flora species are the purple loosestrife, yellow iris, dog-strangling vine, knapweed, and leafy spurge.
According to Environment and Climate Change Canada, in 2004 the estimated annual lost revenue caused by the top 16 invasive species was between $13 and $35 billion.
[53] Some regions within Canada's largest conserved areas are heavily commercialized featuring grand buildings such as the Banff Springs Hotel and Chateau Lake Louise.
[69] Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area is the world's largest freshwater protected area spanning roughly 10,000 square kilometres (3,900 sq mi) of lakebed, its overlaying freshwater, and associated shoreline on 60 square kilometres (23 sq mi) of islands and mainland's.
Canadian provinces and territories have a variety of official fauna, flora and organic matter based on the biodiversity of the area.
