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Government of Yukon > Departments > Energy, Mines and Resources > Oil and Gas > Biophysical Information

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Biophysical Information

This page contains biophysical information on the Yukon including a Yukon overview, links to maps and spatial data, and regional information on the North Yukon, South-East Yukon and the Whitehorse Trough oil and gas basins.

Biophysical Descriptions - Yukon overview

In addition, you can download these files:

Maps and Spatial Data Links - find links related to each of the following topics.

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Biophysical Descriptions – North Yukon

North Yukon Ecozones and Ecoregions
The North Yukon Oil and Gas Region is extraordinarily complex, encompassing three ecoregions and nine ecozones.

  • Southern Arctic Ecozone 706 KB
    The Southern Arctic Ecozone is located in the far north. It is the only Yukon ecoregion that has both a southern arctic ecosystem and a marine coastline.

    Yukon Coastal Plain Ecoregion     574 KB
    This area is home to populations of muskoxen, polar bear and Arctic fox and is the summer range of the Porcupine Caribou Herd. During the last Ice Age, much of the land was glaciated by the Laurentide ice sheet.


  • Taiga Cordillera Ecozone 2.7 MB
    This ecozone includes the British-Richardson Mountains, Old Crow Basin, Old Crow Flats, North Ogilvie Mountains, Eagle Plains and Mackenzie Mountains.

    British-Richardson Mountains Ecoregion     487 KB
    This ecoregion contains the largest extent of unglaciated mountain ranges in Canada. Examples of periglacial landforms are found within the area. The northernmost section consists of phosphate minerals and the vegetation cover is made up of diverse ecosystems and habitats. The Yukon portion of the Porcupine Caribou Herd calving grounds and other migration routes are found in this ecoregion.

    Old Crow Basin Ecoregion     367 KB
    This large physiographic basin was unglaciated during the Pleistocene and many of the lower elevations were submerged under glacial Lake Old Crow. This lake formed because the Laurentide ice sheet blocked the previous drainage system and changed the direction of the Porcupine River. The spring and fall migration routes of the Porcupine Caribou Herd fall in this region.

    Old Crow Flats Ecoregion     429 KB
    The extent of this ecoregion is defined by analysing lake bottom sediments deposited by a glacial lake that formed at the end of the last Ice Age. The climate is strongly continental with warm summers and long, cold winters and the most abundant waterfowl population within the Taiga Cordillera Ecozone in Canada reside here.

    North Ogilvie Mountains Ecoregion     385 KB
    In this region, the mountains are made of sedimentary rock with unvegetated summits and rubble covered slopes. These mountains are separated by broad valleys. This ecoregion was largely ice-free during the most recent glacial event, but there is evidence of older glaciations. Periglacial landforms are common. The area provides wintering grounds for the Porcupine Caribou Herd and is home to the Ogilvie Mountain lemming.

    Eagle Plains Ecoregion     475 KB
    This is an intermontane basin of modest relief underlain by Devonian through Cretaceous sedimentary rocks. The ecoregion drains into both the Yukon and Mackenzie River systems. Much of the area escaped glaciation, but is now underlain by continuous permafrost and periglacial features are common. This area has one of the lowest levels of mammalian diversity in the Taiga Cordillera Ecozone because habitat diversity for many species is limited.

    Mackenzie Mountains Ecoregion     524 KB
    Sedimentary rock underlies much of this ecoregion. These rocks range in age from the Early Proterozoic to Middle Jurassic. In Canada, exposed sedimentary records of this duration (1.6 billion years) are rare. The landscape also consists of landforms associated with multiple glaciations and periglacial weathering. This transition from the boreal in the south to the taiga in the north takes place in this area. The Yukon portion of the ecoregion is home to some of the largest woodland caribou herds in the territory.

  • Taiga Plain Ecozone 1 MB
    The Taiga Plain Ecozone includes the Peel River Plateau and the Fort McPherson Plain.

    Peel River Plateau Ecoregion 407 KB
    This is the only ecoregion in the Yukon with landscapes shaped almost entirely as a result of the movement of the Laurentide ice sheet. The rapid northward draining of pro-glacial lakes about 10,500 years ago created several canyons where Peel River tributaries, such as the Snake, Caribou, Trail and Road rivers downcut into the plateau. Most species of large Yukon mammals occur, but only the polar representatives of most small mammals inhabit the ecoregion. The extensive wetlands and the broad Peel River valley support considerable bird life.

    Fort McPherson Plain Ecoregion 345 KB
    Only a small portion of low relief, low elevation occurs within the Yukon. This ecoregion includes the only part of the territory that lies on the floor of the Mackenzie Valley. Perennially frozen peatlands are extensive, covering over 25 per cent of the area. The mean annual runoff is extremely low because of the very low relief. The mean seasonal and summer stream flows of rivers are the lowest per unit area among all the Yukon ecoregions.

Source: Smith, C.A.S., Meikle, J.C. and Roots,C.F. (editors), 2004. Ecoregions of the Yukon Territory - Biophysical Properties of Yukon Landscapes. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, PARC Technical Bulletin 04-01, Summerland, British Columbia, pages 61 to 148.

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Biophysical Descriptions – South-East Yukon

South-East Yukon Ecozones and Ecoregions
The Southeast Yukon Oil and Gas Region includes both the Boreal Cordillera Ecozone and the Taiga Plain Ecozone.

  • Boreal Cordillera Ecozone 4.4 MB
    This ecozone is an extension of the boreal forest zone that stretches across the continent from the Atlantic coast. It is modified within the cordillera by strong gradients of elevation, temperature and precipitation over short distances. Two ecoregions are found within this oil and gas region, the Liard Basin and the Hyland Highland.

    Hyland Highland Ecoregion 475 KB
    During the Late Pleistocene, glaciers blanketed much of this ecoregion leaving it with fine-textured morainal and well defined, sandy, gravelly glaciofluvial deposits. Most of the ecoregion drains into the Liard River through south flowing tributary rivers. Permafrost is relatively rare and thermal springs and associated vegetation are found. The area is dominated by coniferous forests and home to moose, black bear, grizzly bear, and woodland caribou. 

    Liard Basin Ecoregion 442 KB
    The Liard Basin Ecoregion consists of low hills seperated by broad plains surrounded by mountains and plateaus. The low elevation, moderate precipitation and relatively long, warm summers result in vigorous forest growth, most notably in the floodplains of the Liard, Meister, Frances, Hyland and Coal rivers. The extensive boreal forest provides prime habitat for moose, marten, snowshoe hare and lynx. Thousands of sandhill cranes migrate through the region each spring and fall, following the Frances and Liard valleys.

  • Taiga Plain Ecozone 1 MB
    The Taiga Plain Ecozone is represented in the Yukon by portions of three ecoregions, the Muskwa Plateau Ecoregion in the extreme southeast of Yukon and the Peel River Plateau and Fort McPherson Plain ecoregions in the northeast. All three of these regions essentially lie east of the main ranges of the Western Cordilleran and have climatic and physiographic conditions that are distinctly different from the rest of the Yukon, although the Muskwa Plateau Ecoregion is ecologically more representative of boreal than taiga (subarctic) conditions.

    Muskwa Plateau Ecoregion 333 KB
    The Muskwa Plateau is centred in northern British Columbia/Alberta and extends into the extreme southeast corner of the Yukon. It is the only representation in the Yukon of northern boreal conditions east of the Cordillera. A low frequency of forest fires results in a distinct forest composition. This is augmented by the meeting of four major vegetation domains, resulting in a unique assemblage of plant species.

Source: Smith, C.A.S., Meikle, J.C. and Roots,C.F. (editors), 2004. Ecoregions of the Yukon Territory - Biophysical Properties of Yukon Landscapes. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, PARC Technical Bulletin 04-01, Summerland, British Columbia, pages 89 to 256.

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Biophysical Descriptions – Whitehorse Trough

Whitehorse Trough Ecozones and Ecoregions
The Whitehorse Trough Ecozone is found entirely within the Boreal Cordillera Ecozone. This area consists of the Yukon Plateau - Central, Yukon Southern, Yukon Stikine Highlands and the Boreal Mountains and Plateau ecoregions.

  • Boreal Cordillera Ecozone 4.3 MB
    The Boreal Cordillera Ecozone is an extension of the boreal forest zone that spans across the continent from the Atlantic coast. It is modified within the Cordillera by strong gradients of elevation, temperature and precipitation over short distances. Most of the ecozone experiences a rapid increase in stream flow discharge in May due to snowmelt, with high flow continuing for a few weeks maintained by summer rainfall. Because it is south of the continuous permafrost zone, there is more ground water flow than in the Taiga Cordillera Ecozone and ground water discharge generally continues throughout winter. The Pacific maritime influence moderates temperatures over most of the ecozone.

    Yukon Plateau – Central Ecoregion 566 KB
    The western portions of the Yukon Plateau-Central ecoregion are very dry with annual precipitation amounts of only 250 to 275 millimetres. The south-facing slopes support extensive grassland communities and wetlands associated with the Tintina Trench flyway, such as Reid Lakes and the Needle Rock complex, provide important migratory and nesting habitat for waterfowl. Very frequent forest fires maintain vast areas of relatively young aspen and lodgepole pine forests.

    Yukon Southern Lakes Ecoregion 556 KB
    Broad valleys and large lakes characterize the Yukon Southern Lakes Ecoregion. Set within the rain shadow of the St. Elias Mountains, this area has a dry and cool climate. It lies in a sporadic discontinuous permafrost zone, where permafrost underlies less than one quarter of the landscape. Soils tend to be alkaline and wetlands (mainly fens) are typically dominated by marl formation. This ecoregion supports the highest mammalian diversity in the Yukon, with representatives of at least 50 of the 60 species known to occur at present.

    Yukon Stikine Highlands Ecoregion 354 KB
    The Yukon Stikine Highlands Ecoregion is heavily influenced by Pacific maritime weather systems, producing relatively moderate temperatures and enough precipitation to support scattered alpine glaciers. Forest vegetation does not experience the temperature and moisture stresses common elsewhere in southwestern Yukon. Adapted to steep terrain and high snowfall, mountain goats reach their highest Yukon population densities here.

    Boreal Mountains and Plateau Ecoregion 263 KB
    The Boreal Mountains and Plateaus Ecoregion, centred in northern British Columbia, extends into only two small areas in southern Yukon. In these, the landscape and biota differ little from the highlands of the neighbouring Yukon Southern Lakes Ecoregion. Wetlands and subalpine forest support a diverse bird population, particularly during spring and fall.

Source: Smith, C.A.S., Meikle, J.C. and Roots,C.F. (editors), 2004. Ecoregions of the Yukon Territory - Biophysical Properties of Yukon Landscapes. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, PARC Technical Bulletin 04-01, Summerland, British Columbia, pages 187 to 240.

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Nothing in the Yukon Government Best Management Practices (BMPs) information site or web portal and associated documents, brochures, maps, references, etc, shall be construed as waiving compliance with regulatory requirements imposed by law. Download a copy of the full disclaimer... 14 KB

 

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