Boreal Plains Ecozone (CEC)

Overlaying a bedrock of Cretaceous shale and Tertiary sediments are thick deposits of soil that form a flat terrain in the Interior Plains. It borders the Montane Cordillera to the west, closely following the border between Alberta and British Columbia. To its south is the Prairies ecozone for its entire extent, while to the north are the Taiga Plains, with its northeastern periphery adjacent to the Taiga Shield. 20 sub-region are located within the ecoregion. Covering , it is a region of subdued relief with few lakes. However, meltwater from glacial retreat between 11,000 and 8,000 years ago resulted in extensive deltas and dunes, forming Lake Winnipegosis at the eastern end of this zone. • Boreal Foothills • Central Boreal Plains • Eastern Boreal Plains ==Climate==

Lying east of the Rocky Mountains, the region experiences low precipitation, averaging annually, with in the west and in the east. However, this is greater than the rate of evaporation by over in the south, and in the north and at the foothills of the Rockies. The excess moisture promotes the development of wetlands and peat bogs, which account for between 25–50% of the ecozone's area.{{cite web Summers are moderately warm, with mean July temperatures of , whereas winters may be very cold, with mean January temperatures of . ==EcoRegions==

Each province continues to work on defining subregions within the larger national ecozone system. The Alberta Natural Subregion – Natural Regions (2006) found within this ecozone are: • Peace River Parkland – Parkland • Dry Mixedwood – Boreal Forest • Central Mixedwood – Boreal Forest • Peace-Athabasca Delta – Boreal Forest The Manitoba Ecoregions within this ecozone are: • Mid-Boreal Lowland Ecoregion • Boreal Transition Ecoregion • Mid-Boreal Uplands Ecoregion • Interlake Plain Ecoregion The Saskatchewan Ecoregions within this ecozone are: • Mid-Boreal Upland • Mid-Boreal Lowland • Boreal Transition ==Protected areas==

A number of protected areas have been established to protect representative and/or significant portions of this ecozone. These include: Alberta • Cross Lake Provincial Park • Dunvegan Provincial Park • Elk Island National Park • Lakeland Provincial Park • Thunder Lake Provincial Park • Wood Buffalo National Park including the Whooping Crane Summer Range Manitoba • Birch Island Provincial Park • Brokenhead Wetland Ecological Reserve • Clearwater Lake Provincial Park • Chitek Lake Anishinaabe Provincial Park • Duck Mountain Provincial Park • Dog Lake Wildlife Management Area • Elk Island Provincial Park • Fisher Bay Provincial Park • Grand Island Provincial Park • Goose Islands Provincial Park • Grass River Provincial Park • Hecla-Grindstone Provincial Park • Hilbre Wildlife Management Area • Kinwow Bay Provincial Park • Little Birch Wildlife Management Area • Little Limestone Lake Provincial Park • Long Point Ecological Reserve • Mars Hill Wildlife Management Area • Narcisse Wildlife Management Area • Palsa Hazel Ecological Reserve • Proulx Lake Wildlife Management Area • Red Deer Lake Wildlife Management Area • Reindeer Island Ecological Reserve • St. Malo Wildlife Management Area • Ste. Anne Bog Ecological Reserve • Sleeve Lake Wildlife Management Area • Stuartburn Wildlife Management Area • Rat River Wildlife Management Area • Riding Mountain National Park • Sturgeon Bay Provincial Park • Walter Cook Caves Ecological Reserve • Watson P. Davidson Wildlife Management Area Saskatchewan • Duck Mountain Provincial Park • Greenwater Lake Provincial Park ==References==