| Alberta–British Columbia foothill forests | |
|---|---|
 Forests ofCrimson Lake Provincial Park,Alberta | |
 Alberta–British Columbia foothills forests highlighted | |
| Ecology | |
| Realm | Nearctic |
| Biome | Temperate coniferous forests |
| Borders | |
| Bird species | 182[1] |
| Mammal species | 61[1] |
| Geography | |
| Area | 120,500 km2 (46,500 sq mi) |
| Country | Canada |
| States | |
| Climate type | Humid continental (Dfb) andsubarctic (Dfc) |
| Conservation | |
| Conservation status | Critical/Endangered |
| Habitat loss | 5.0598%[1] |
| Protected | 47%[1] |
TheAlberta–British Columbia foothills forests are atemperate coniferous forestsecoregion ofWestern Canada, as defined by theWorld Wildlife Fund (WWF) categorization system.[2] This ecoregion borders Canada'staiga and contains a mix ofsubarctic forest andtemperate forest species as a result. This makes the region anecotone region, or a region that acts as a buffer between two otherbiomes.
This ecoregion covers two separate areas: the rolling foothills of theRocky Mountains of Alberta and further west a smaller area of the hills and valleys of centralBritish Columbia. TheClear Hills in the north of the region are steeper.[3]
Average annual temperature vary from −0.5 to 2 °C (31 to 36 °F) with the summer temperatures around 14 °C (57 °F) dropping in winter to −17.5 °C (0 °F) in the north and −10 °C (14 °F) in the south.
The forests are a mixture dominated bylodgepole pine (Pinus contorta),jack pine (Pinus banksiana), trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides),black spruce (Picea mariana), and white spruce (Picea glauca). Other trees include balsam poplar (populus balsamifera), paper birch (Betula papyrifera), balsam fir (Abies balsamifera) and tamarack (Larix laricina).
These foothills are home to the largest populations ofmoose (Alces alces) in North America. Other mammals includesnowshoe hare (Lepus americanus),beaver (Castor canadensis),muskrat (Ondatra zibethica),wolf (Canis lupus) and two subspecies ofblack bear the cinnamon bear (Ursus americanus cinnamomum) of the Rocky Mountains and the eastern black bear (Ursus americanus americanus) of the CanadianTaiga.
Birds of the area includesandhill cranes (Grus canadensis),ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus),spruce grouse (Falcipennis canadensis) and large numbers of waterbirds andNew World warblers (Parulidae).
These forests have been extensively altered by human activity, especially clearance for planting.
Media related toAlberta-British Columbia Foothills Forests Ecoregion at Wikimedia Commons55°00′00″N120°00′00″W / 55.0000°N 120.0000°W /55.0000; -120.0000