Ecoregion Classification System

ECOREGION CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM was developed by Dennis Demarchi and adopted by the BC Wildlife Branch of the Ministry of Environment in 1985 as a framework for systematic descriptions of ecosystems in BC. The classification is based on CLIMATE and landforms and is used to stratify the complexities of our terrestrial and marine ecosystems into discrete geographical units at 5 levels: ecodomain, ecodivision (both of which are very broad and place BC globally), ecoprovinces, ecoregions and ecosections (which are progressively more detailed and narrow in scope). They describe areas of similar climate, physiography, oceanography, hydrology, vegetation and wildlife potential. As an indication of the tremendous diversity in the province, there are only 4 ecodomains in N America, all of which occur in BC (Cool Oceanic, Humid Temperate, Dry and Polar). The province has 7 ecodivisions, 10 ecoprovinces, 46 ecoregions and 116 ecosections. The Ecoregion Classification System is used jointly with the BIOGEOCLIMATIC ZONE classification system at the ecoregion and ecosection levels to further describe smaller-scale sites. Together they are powerful tools that help describe the diversity of BC.

Ecodivision
Sub-Arctic Pacific
Northeast Pacific
Humid Maritime and Highland
Coast and Mountains
Georgia Depression
Humid Continental
Highlands Central Interior

Ecoprovince
Sub-Boreal Interior
Southern Interior Mountains
Semi-Arid Steppe
Southern Interior
Boreal
Boreal Plains
Sub-Arctic
Taiga Plains
Sub-Arctic Highlands
Northern Boreal Mountains

by Maggie Paquet
Reading: Dennis A. Demarchi, An Introduction to the Ecoregions of British Columbia, 1996.