Biogeoclimatic zones of British Columbia
Encyclopedia
Biogeoclimatic zones of British Columbia are a classification system ciosed by the British Columbia Ministry of Forests for the Canadian
province's many different ecosystems. The classification system exists independently of other ecoregion
systems, one created by the World Wildlife Fund and the other in use by Environment Canada
, which is based on one created by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation
(CEC) and also in use by the American
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The system of biogeoclimatic zones was partly created for the purpose of managing the forestry resource, but is also in use by the British Columbia Ministry of Environment and other provincial agencies. A biogeoclimatic zone is defined as "a geographic area having similar patterns of energy flow,vegetation and soils as a result of a broadly homogenous macroclimate."
The biogeoclimatic zones of British Columbia are:
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
province's many different ecosystems. The classification system exists independently of other ecoregion
Ecoregion
An ecoregion , sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than an ecozone and larger than an ecosystem. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and contain characteristic, geographically distinct assemblages of natural...
systems, one created by the World Wildlife Fund and the other in use by Environment Canada
Environment Canada
Environment Canada , legally incorporated as the Department of the Environment under the Department of the Environment Act Environment Canada (EC) (French: Environnement Canada), legally incorporated as the Department of the Environment under the Department of the Environment Act Environment...
, which is based on one created by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation
Commission for Environmental Cooperation
The Commission for Environmental Cooperation was established by Canada, Mexico, and the United States to implement the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation , the environmental side accord to the North American Free Trade Agreement...
(CEC) and also in use by the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The system of biogeoclimatic zones was partly created for the purpose of managing the forestry resource, but is also in use by the British Columbia Ministry of Environment and other provincial agencies. A biogeoclimatic zone is defined as "a geographic area having similar patterns of energy flow,vegetation and soils as a result of a broadly homogenous macroclimate."
The biogeoclimatic zones of British Columbia are:
External links
- BC Forest Information website, interactive & scaleable map of biogeoclimatic zones
- Web Atlas: Biogeographic Zones of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University Geography Dept.