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 Alberta covers over 661,000 square kilometres, about seven percent of the land mass of Canada. Most of the province (65%) is forested. Most of the remaining unforested portion is associated with agriculture (31%) and some other minor land uses (4%).
There are six natural regions, based largely on geography and vegetation. Starting in the north, they include the expansive boreal forest and Canadian Shield, with aspen parkland in central Alberta, and open grasslands in the south. Along the western border of the province, the mountains and foothills form two more distinct regions.
Many factors affect the ecosystems that live and grow on Alberta's landscape. Each natural region supports a wide variety of land uses and activities. Forestry and mining are significant activities in the boreal forest. Agriculture is common in the parkland and grassland regions. Mining and tourism are important in Alberta's mountain and foothill regions. Urban and industrial lands are expanding in locations throughout the province.
How we manage our land resources and our land-based activities greatly affects Alberta's environmental quality. Check out the environmental indicators for land to better understand how Alberta's land-based ecosystems are managed.
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