Southern Hudson Bay taiga

For the landform covering the same general region, see Hudson Bay Lowland.
Southern Hudson Bay taiga
Black spruce forest in Wapusk National Park, Manitoba. Note the presence of polar bear dens.
Extent of the Southern Hudson Bay taiga ecoregion
Ecology
RealmNearctic
BiomeBoreal forests/taiga
Borders
List
Bird species180
Mammal species45
Geography
Area373,735 km2 (144,300 sq mi)
CountryCanada
Province
Elevation120 m asl
Coordinates53°56′35″N 85°23′24″W / 53.943°N 85.390°W / 53.943; -85.390
Climate typeHumid continental and subarctic
Conservation
Conservation statusRelatively Stable/Intact
Habitat loss1%[1]
Protected9.32%[1]
Hudson Plain
Black Spruce (Picea mariana) forest typical of this ecozone
Ecology
Borders
Geography
Area373,718 km2 (144,293 sq mi)
CountryCanada
Provinces
Climate typeSubarctic

The Southern Hudson Bay taiga is a terrestrial ecoregion, as classified by the World Wildlife Fund, which extends along the southern coast of Hudson Bay and resides within the larger taiga biome. The region is nearly coterminous with the Hudson Plain, a Level I ecoregion of North America as designated by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) in its North American Environmental Atlas.

Entirely located in Canada, the Southern Hudson Bay taiga covers an area of approximately 373,735 square kilometres (144,300 sq mi) and crosses the provinces of Manitoba, Ontario, and the western portion of Quebec.[2] Various islands in James Bay which belong to Nunavut are also considered to be part of the ecoregion. It includes the largest continuous wetland in the world.[3] It covers nearly a quarter of Ontario's landmass, and 3.6% of Canada's total area,[4][5]

Its historical prominence is due to the harshness endured by pioneer explorers who established fortifications for Hudson's Bay Company, and as a result of regional wars between France and Britain.[5] Today, it is primarily noted for the well-known Polar Bear Provincial Park, and to a lesser extent Wapusk National Park, as well as its vast wetlands which are used by migratory birds.

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference WWFRep was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Olson, D. M, E. Dinerstein; et al. (2001). "Terrestrial Ecoregions of the World: A New Map of Life on Earth". BioScience. 51 (11): 933–938. doi:10.1641/0006-3568(2001)051[0933:TEOTWA]2.0.CO;2.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ Bernhardt, Torsten. "Hudson Plains". Canada's Ecozones, Canadian Biodiversity project. McGill University, Redpath Museum. Archived from the original on 2008-02-04. Retrieved 2008-02-01.
  4. ^ "The State of Canada's Environment — 1996". Environment Canada. Retrieved 2008-02-01.[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ a b "The Wetlands". Hudson Plains Ecozone. Environment Canada. Archived from the original on 2007-08-04. Retrieved 2008-02-01.