Canada’s Boreal Forests

The boreal forest is Canada’s largest ecosystem. It stretches about 3,000 miles (5,000 kilometers) across the country. Most of the trees in the boreal forest are coniferous, but some are deciduous. The biome also features many wetlands and lakes.

Boreal forests are home to caribou, wolverines, black bears, moose, coyotes, beavers, snowshoe hares, and wood bison. Wood bison are the biggest land mammals in North America. A third of the birds in North America migrate to the boreal forest to breed. People also rely on these ecosystems. Boreal ecosystems provide timber (wood), minerals, and foods like herbs and berries. The trees and wetlands of the boreal forest help the whole planet. They clean our air, filter our water, and keep the planet’s climate from getting too warm.

Wildfires and tree-eating insects sometimes destroy trees in the boreal forest. This helps the ecosystem by allowing new trees to grow. However, climate change makes fires and insect attacks more harmful. To keep forests healthy, people must work to stop climate change, pollution, and habitat destruction.

A bull moose is one of many animals that live in the boreal forest in northern Alberta, Canada. View Larger Image

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