Ecozones

Largest of Canada’s terrestrial ecozones, the Boreal Shield is one vast ecozone stretching from northern Alberta to Newfoundland’s eastern coast. It superimposes a mantle of evergreens over much of the Canadian Shield, imperfectly hiding a rugged landscape still showing the scars of glacial assault and retreat. Pukaskwa National Park on Lake Superior’s northeastern shore sums up many of this region’s essentials: rocky headlands, sand and cobble beaches, a dense forest of spruce and fir, rock-ringed lakes, and rolling rivers. Beaver and loons, ubiquitous denizens of the Shield, thrive here. Other typical wildlife include rare woodland caribou, moose, wolf, and black bear.