Industry in this ecozone once consisted primarily offorestry andagriculture, but in 1967Great Canadian Oil Sands Limited began extracting bitumen from theAthabasca oil sands. Operations there have expanded significantly since 2003, and theoil sands are becoming an increasingly significant economic factor in the region.
Overlaying abedrock ofCretaceous shale andTertiary sediments are thick deposits ofsoil that form a flat terrain in theInterior Plains.[6] It borders theMontane Cordillera to the west, closely following the border between Alberta and British Columbia. To its south is thePrairies ecozone for its entire extent, while to the north are theTaiga Plains, with its northeastern periphery adjacent to theTaiga Shield. 20 sub-region are located within the ecoregion.[7]
Covering 650,000 square kilometres (250,000 sq mi), 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 extensivedeltas anddunes, formingLake Winnipegosis at the eastern end of this zone.[8] It is a remnant ofLake Agassiz, a large glacial lake.[8] Most rivers originate in theRocky Mountains, flowing eastward through the zone.[8]
Oil, Forestry, and agriculture are the largest industries. The region is nearly covered bytimber, about 84% of the region,[9] TheAthabasca oil sands area around 141,000 square kilometres (54,000 sq mi) of land. Agriculture takes place mainly in thePeace River Country in Alberta and British Columbia. This can employ up to 20% of the land area, though it is typically less than that. Large communities include,Fort St. John,Grande Prairie,Fort McMurray,Hayriver,La Ronge, andThe Pas.
Lying east of the Rocky Mountains, the region experiences lowprecipitation, averaging 450 millimetres (18 in) annually,[8] with 300 millimetres (12 in) in the west and 650 millimetres (26 in) in the east. However, this is greater than the rate ofevaporation by over 100 millimetres (3.9 in) in the south, and 300 millimetres (12 in) in the north and at thefoothills of the Rockies. The excess moisture promotes the development ofwetlands andpeat bogs, which account for between 25–50% of the ecozone's area.[11]
Summers are moderately warm, with mean July temperatures of 13 to 15 °C (55 to 59 °F), whereas winters may be very cold, with mean January temperatures of −17.5 to −11 °C (0.5 to 12.2 °F).[11]
^"Ecozones Introduction". Canadian Council on Ecological Areas (CCEA). Retrieved12 August 2017.This level of generalization is well suited for national scale reporting. In the last 20 years, all Provinces and Territories have refined and automated their respective regional ecological framework. It is important, then, to provide a current national perspective which accurately reflects current regional efforts. ... Detailed ecological information remains with jurisdictions.
^"Wood Buffalo National Park". Parks Canada. Retrieved12 August 2017.Today, it protects an outstanding and representative example of Canada's Northern Boreal Plains.
^abcdGauthier, Lorena Patino, David A."Conservation Areas".The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan. Canadian Plains Research Center, University of Regina. Retrieved12 August 2017.
^"Prince Albert National Park DRAFT Management Plan 2017". Parks Canada. Retrieved12 August 2017.The park is in a transition zone from the Great Plains to aspen parkland to mixed wood boreal forest, representing the Southern Boreal Plains and Plateaux natural region.
