Canada's flora and fauna

Canada’s flora and fauna

By Dr. Kyle Muller

Canada is a country located north of the American continent and its special geographical position houses a variety of flora and fauna adapted to the special conditions of the country. Continue reading this ecology article to know what are the characteristics of the Flora and the fauna of Canada and how they interact with their surroundings.

Characteristics of Canada’s flora and fauna

Canada is located towards one of the poles, so its flora and fauna are mainly associated with cold climates. Glaciers, snowy peaks and rivers can be found with floating icebergs. Next, we will detail some of the characteristics of the Canada’s plants and animals:

  • Is the third largest ice field in the world: specifically on Mount Logan, where organisms have been able to adapt to such conditions.
  • Has Large mountainous chains: Mount Logan being also the highest with 5,949 meters high. These mountains provide protection for multiple animals. Therefore, one of the characteristics of Canada’s flora and fauna is that they are naturally protected.
  • Has COLINDANCE WITH THREE Oceans: To the east with the Atlantic Ocean, to the north with the Arctic Ocean and to the west with the Pacific Ocean.
  • It has one Great aquatic diversity: These aquatic ecosystems contain a great diversity of marine animals. They also have numerous rivers, lakes and waterfalls, which provide ecosystems for both aquatic animals and terrestrial animals and vegetation that depend on these bodies of water. We recommend that you take a look at this article on what is the importance of ecosystems.
  • Great cultural importance of Canadian biodiversity: The rich biodiversity of Canada was the ideological basis for its pre -Columbian cultures. Around the flora and fauna myths, rituals, spiritual guides and even morals were created.
  • The Thermal springs are one of the ecosystem peculiarities from Canada: such as those of the Nahanni Park or in the rivers of the rock mountains, which have created special vegetation, composed of mosses and vascular plants, with associated fauna. This is how flora and fauna is cataloged as unique.

Now we will review in detail what the Flora and Fauna of Canada is, with some examples of the most characteristic species of this country.

Flora of Canada

Although there are areas with very long winters, as in the Kluane National Park, the vegetation is very rich and has managed to prosper. Abyss, coniferous, willow and alpine forests abound. There are also primal temperate wet forests with fir trees, pรญceas and cedros. Some of Canada’s most emblematic plant species are the following.

Big Cedar Tree (Pricata Thuja)

This tree is a copy of cedar that has broken a record for its great Size of 20 meters in diameter. He is 1,000 years old and was split in the middle of his original size 60 meters high due to lightning. The species is typical of rain forests of temperate climate.

Discover the types of forests that exist in this other ecology article that we suggest.

Sitka pรญcea (Sitchensis pica)

It is one of the largest conifers in the world. Canada has the largest sitea pรญcea in the world that measures 96 meters high. For this large size it is Used for wood, paper and even its leaves are used for basketry.

We leave you this other post about coniferous forests: characteristics, flora and fauna.

Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)

It has a wide range of distribution in terms of height: it can range from sea level to mountains of 2 thousand meters. It is also one of the highest conifers and is one of the trees more marketed as Christmas tree.

Rock rose (Octopetala dryas)

It is a delicate Arctic flower that grows when snow melts. In Canada it is located in the mountains of the central area and is associated with rocky areas. Its fruits are an important part of the feeding of small rodents and alpine birds.

Maple (Acer spp.)

The red maple sheet is the icon that appears on the Canadian flag. From its sap, the famous Maple honey is produced, which only produced in Canada is the original. The pre -Columbian natives already knew how to produce this sugar. There are several species of maple, but the ideal to manufacture the syrup is Acer Saccharum.

Flora and fauna from Canada - Flora de Canada

Flora and fauna from Canada -

Canada fauna

In the cold areas of Canada, birds abound, with more than 100 different species. Cervids are also frequent. Cold areas tend to be larger than those of warm areas. This can be seen in the iconic fauna of this country. Here we show you some examples.

Bison (Bison bison)

The last bison have been protected in the Wood Buffalo Park, where the white crane is also being protected. This is the place with more free bison that exists, with 2,500 copies. Each bison can measure three meters high and weigh up to a ton.

Gray whale (Ershichtius robustus)

These whales They are migratory animals. They feed on the North Pacific in Canada and see themselves up to twice a year on the coast of Olympic. When it is time to appear they go down to Baja California in Mexico and California in the United States.

Perhaps you may also be interested in what are the animals that migrate and why. Find out in this ecology article that we propose.

Grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis)

The favorite food of the gray bear is the salmon and usually congregate in the Rivers of Canada when the salmon migrates to spawn. They eat as much as possible to be able to hibernate quietly when the winter arrives.

Find out what animals hibernate and why, here.

Caribu (Rangifer tarandus)

Also known as reindeer, this animal lives in cold tundras. They have antlers, their fur is very thick to protect themselves from cold and large hooves. They are also migratory, since When Nieva change habitat.

If you want to know more about the tundra: characteristics, flora and fauna, do not hesitate to take a look at this post of ecology, we recommend you.

Red wolf (Canis Rufus Gregoryi)

It is a subspecies of the wolf and lives from Mexico to Canada, so some call it a Canadian red wolf. They are smaller than the common wolves, their fur varies in color and only those that inhabit to the south have reddish shades. Unfortunately they are in serious danger of extinction.

Canada's Flora and Fauna - Canada's Fauna

Flora and fauna from Canada -

If you want to read more articles similar to Canada’s flora and faunawe recommend that you enter our biodiversity category.

Literature
  • SG AIKEN, MJ Dallwitz, LL Conseul, et al. (2011). Flora of the Canadian Archipelago: Dryas Integrifolia Vahl. Available at: https://nature.ca/aflora/data/www/rodrin.htm
  • National Geographic. (2015). World Heritage: Canada and the United States. Spain: Editec.
  • Olympic Peninsula. (2021). TI have big cedar tree – one of Olympic National Park’s Hidden Gems. Available at: https://olympicpeninsula.org/the-big-cedar-cee-one-Of-olympic-National-parks-chidden-gems/
  • National Geographic. (2020). Forest reindeer. Available at: https://www.nationalgeographic.es/animales/caribu
Kyle Muller
About the author
Dr. Kyle Muller
Dr. Kyle Mueller is a Research Analyst at the Harris County Juvenile Probation Department in Houston, Texas. He earned his Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from Texas State University in 2019, where his dissertation was supervised by Dr. Scott Bowman. Dr. Mueller's research focuses on juvenile justice policies and evidence-based interventions aimed at reducing recidivism among youth offenders. His work has been instrumental in shaping data-driven strategies within the juvenile justice system, emphasizing rehabilitation and community engagement.
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