Low Arctic tundra
{{Short description|Tundra ecoregion of Canada}}
{{Infobox ecoregion
|name = Canadian Low Arctic tundra
|image = Thelon river oasis.jpg
|image_size = 300
|image_alt =
|caption = Thelon Wildlife Sanctuary
|map = Low Arctic tundra map.svg
|map_size = 300
|map_alt = Ecoregion territory (in green)
|map_caption = Ecoregion territory (in green)
|ecozone = Nearctic
|biome = Tundra
|animals =
|bird_species =
|border1 = Arctic coastal tundra
|border2 = Eastern Canadian Shield taiga
|border3 = Middle Arctic tundra
|border4 = Northern Canadian Shield taiga
|border5 = Northwest Territories taiga
|border6 = Southern Hudson Bay taiga
|area = 798399
|country = Canada
|state1 = Manitoba
|state2 = Northwest Territories
|state3 = Nunavut
|state4 = Quebec
|region_type = Province/Territory
|elevation =
|coordinates = {{coord|66.25|N|102.25|W|display=title,inline}}
|geology =
|seas =
|rivers =
|climate = Polar and subarctic
|soil =
|conservation =
|global200 =
|habitat_loss =
|habitat_loss_ref =
|protected =
|protected_ref =
}}
The Canadian Low Arctic Tundra ecoregion covers a rolling landscape of shrubby tundra vegetation along the northern edge of the mainland Canada along the border of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, and a small portion in Quebec on the northeast coast of Hudson Bay.{{cite web|title=Low Arctic tundra|url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/ecoregions/na1114|publisher=World Wildlife Federation|language=en|access-date=March 21, 2020}}{{cite web|title=Map of Ecoregions 2017|url=https://ecoregions2017.appspot.com/|publisher=Resolve, using WWF data|language=en|access-date=September 14, 2019}}{{cite web|title=Low Arctic tundra|url=https://dopa-explorer.jrc.ec.europa.eu/ecoregion/51114|publisher=Digital Observatory for Protected Areas|language=en|access-date=August 1, 2020}}{{cite web|title=Low Arctic tundra|url=https://editors.eol.org/eoearth/wiki/Low_Arctic_tundra|publisher=The Encyclopedia of Earth|language=en|access-date=August 28, 2020}}https://www.oneearth.org/ecoregions/canadian-low-arctic-tundra/ The region is important for large herds of caribou and other large mammals, and for large nesting colonies of birds such as snow geese. The region is mostly intact, with 95% remaining intact.
Location and description
The ecoregions stretch for {{convert|3100|km|mi}} across the northern tier of mainland Canada. The northwestern end is at the Mackenzie River Delta, stretching east across the plains north of Great Bear Lake, the Nunavut mainland, Southampton Island, the Ottawa Islands, and a portion of northern Quebec. Mean elevation is {{convert|229|m|ft}}, with a high point of {{convert|854|m|ft}}.
Most of the terrain is flat or rolling lowlands on thin soil over the Precambrian granite bedrock, with many outcrops. A notable feature of the region is long, winding eskers of glacial gravel, some reaching 100 km in length. Permafrost is continuous, except for some areas of discontinuous permafrost in the Ottawa Islands.
Climate
The climate of the ecoregion is Subarctic climate, without dry season (Köppen climate classification Subarctic climate (Dfc)). This climate is characterized by mild summers (only 1-3 months above {{convert|10|°C|1}}) and cold, snowy winters (coldest month below {{convert|-3|°C|1}}).{{cite web|first1=M. |last1=Kottek |first2=J. |last2=Grieser |first3=C. |last3=Beck |first4=B. |last4=Rudolf |first5=F. |last5=Rubel |date=2006 |title=World Map of Koppen-Geiger Climate Classification Updated|url=http://koeppen-geiger.vu-wien.ac.at/pdf/Paper_2006.pdf|publisher=Gebrüder Borntraeger 2006|language=en|access-date=September 14, 2019}}{{cite web|title=Dataset - Koppen climate classifications|url=https://datacatalog.worldbank.org/dataset/world-maps-k%C3%B6ppen-geiger-climate-classification|publisher=World Bank|language=en|access-date=September 14, 2019}} Average precipitation ranges from 200 mm/year in the northwest to 500 mm/year in Quebec.
Flora and fauna
File:Arctic Cotton at Arviat, Hudson's Bay, Nunavut.jpg near Arviat, Nunavut]]
The ecoregion is a transition zone between the taiga forests to the south, and the treeless arctic tundra to the north. 50% of the territory is herbaceous cover, 18% moss and lichen, 6% shrubs, and about 1% tree cover in protected areas and along river courses. The region can support limited subalpine forests of black spruce (Picea mariana, tamarack (Larix laricina), white spruce (Picea glauca), dwarf birch (Betula nana), and willow (Salix spp.) There are extensive wetlands in the low areas.
Many mammal species are adapted to live in this environment. In the west there are herds of barren-ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus ssp. arcticus), with collective total 1.5 million individuals. Woodland caribou are found in the east. Other notable mammals include polar bears (Ursus maritimus) on the coasts, grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) and black bear (Ursus americanus) in Quebec, and wolf (Canis lupus), moose (Alces alces), Arctic ground squirrel (Urocitellus parryii), and brown lemming (Lemmus sibiricus).
The region is important for large nesting colonies of snow geese (Anser caerulescens), Ross's goose (Anser rossii) and many other migratory birds.
Protected areas
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{commons category inline}}