Fireweed - Government of Yukon photo 141 140 139 138 137 136 135 Old Crow Flats - John Meikle, Government of Yukon photo T r a i l g Mackenzie River Delta r British Mountains R ve Ri Ivvavik National Park B e r h g rt a v e R b Ri Fi b a I B T Landscape Types k I Welcome ee S Cr The North Yukon Planning Region contains Mountain Blow River Upland North Yukon Planning Region H r Anke Barn Range Y U K O N TERRIT OR Y ow M Bl a diversity of physical environments, ranging Scale: 1:600,000 O 10 0 10 20 30 40 50 Ti U ± k mb Kilometres ee N Cr er from rolling plateaus to high mountains to Timber Creek T Yukon Albers Projection, NAD83 Mount A Fitton I LEGEND k N as Vuntut National Park ee UPLAND ECOSYSTEMS RIPARIAN ECOSYSTEMS Cr extensive basins. The biophysical setting om S Cr ee Richardson Mountains High Elevation Riparian - exposed Th k North High elevation rock/exposed Riparian - herb High elevation sparsely vegetated Riparian - shrub provides the backdrop for the cultural x High elevation herb Riparian - mixedwood Fo C r High elevation shrub Riparian - coniAkfer lavik o w High elevation coniferous forest Riparian - wetland landscape and human land uses - people k O l d ac Low Elevation WETLAND ECOSYSTEMS Bl O L D R Low elevation exposed/sparsely vegetated Wetland - herb Wet herb (plateau, valley) Wetland - shrub are a part of the ecology of North Yukon. I Wet shrub (plateau, valley) Wetland - forest R) C Wet mixedwood forest (plateau, valley) AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS C R O W k Wet coniferous forest (plateau, valley) ee H Open water Cr R i Moist herb (plateau, valley) 68 (ANW Ck 68 v e A Yukon ecodistrict e er Moist shrub (plateau, valley) ff r Old Crow FlaSctsha Wetlands F L A T S R Moist mixedwood forest (plateMauou, ntvalley) North Yukon Planning Region r Goodenough v e Moist coniferous forest (plateau, valley) Park/protected area efug Ri D n R o Old Crow Flats s Mesic herb (plateau, valley) Major road/highway n h o fe S Special Management AreaJ Mesic shrub (plateau, valley) Seasonal road Mesic mixedwood forest (plateau, valley) International boundary ldli ON Mesic coniferous forest (plateau, valley) Interprovincial boundary Wi r l l Driftwood River O e v L Ri na D k Mount Ra t io Schaeffer R C d Cree o W i v R o Symmetry e a Bell River r w te Mountain O t M Nat f r s W Ck i r r ic Ba D R O ct A Old Crow Range N Ar u G U o Ri b Old Crow v e E ! r r i R a N C I y V r r E E Be T ll R PIN R e Fort McPherson Bluefish Wetlands B ! RCU A R PO E ! e Choho I ut V k Lapierre House Hill ! I Rampart House ee Ch Mason N Cr Hill R r J oh S v e n La Lord Creek so Ri n ) SA y rd ghwa Lone Lo Hi (U Mountain Ck RRITORY Whitefish Wetlands L Fishing Branch landscape, Government of Yukon photo sh fi O E K A Sharp l T E ue d Nuko E Mountain Bl C P r n ON o w ALAS Tr R o Cr o u W t ee c k i k n YUK t Keele Range e E r a North Yukon Planning Region g R l IE S OR 67 o TE RRIT e R NO RT H W E S T a 67 d YUK ON T E RR I TORY K E E L E Pin e Cr R ee E Platea R A N G E R i k V David Lord I v e Johnson Creek R r Range C Richardson Foothills o d S y c h West a e f f R e r i v e r Mount Rover Peel Plateau North C r ee Ni’iinlii’njik Cr k E (Fishing Branch Wilderness Preserve) ee k Mount IN Joyal Fishing Branch River P Kit k U e e r C C B r ce a OR Fishing Branch Bear Cave n an c P Ch Cr Mountain h ah ee y Ecological Reserve k V Whitestone Village ! Dr i f ti n g ! Eagle Plains k Richardson Foothills Chance Creek e e r C East g Sn shin ow Fi Kandik River er st Canyon Creek r mp C v e r De e Aitch ek Ri Hill Fishing Branch Habitat Protection Richardson Mountains Whitestone River South Mount Area on Burgess n y 66 Ri Ca ver 66 R VE Mount RI Huley e ton Nahoni Range es r PE hit v e EL Tatonduk Mountains W Ri r v e Upper Peel River Ri r ne e R Mi n o t vi e s nd il k r N A H O N I g c O e Wi a i v l R R A N G E B art Hungry H Lake 141 140 139 138 137 136 135 Figure 2: Regional biophysical units of the North Yukon Planning Region Figure 1: Regional terrain mapping Regional Ecosystems Regional Ecological Setting Watersheds The planning region is generally defined by the Porcupine River watershed, a major sub-basin of the Yukon River. Ecosystems can be described at a range of scales: Major Features: The hydrologic regime is Northern, with very low winter flows and Ecoregions and Ecodistricts (1:1M - 1:250K) ● Continuous permafrost dramatic variation in summer flow. The North Yukon Planning Region occurs within the Taiga ● Unglaciated for at least 200,000 years (Beringia) Wildfire plays a large role in determining Cordillera Ecozone and includes six Ecoregions. Each ● Region hosts the largest wetland complexes in Yukon Natural Disturbances the pattern, type and age composition of vegetation. Fire-induced Ecoregion can be further divided into Ecodistricts. ● Coldest average winter and annual temperatures in Yukon changes to permafrost conditions may have effects on terrain Ecodistricts are similar land units that form logical regional Ecozone: stability and water quality. planning units. ● Taiga Cordillera Average mean temperature increases of Bioclimate Zones & Regional Terrain (1:250K - 1:100K) Climate Change Ecoregions: 0.2-0.6oC per decade are predicted for North Yukon. These Bioclimate zones describe how vegetation responds to local ● Old Crow Flats warming effects are anticipated to influence permafrost conditions, climatic influences. The majority of the region is forested ● Old Crow Basin vegetation dynamics and the rate and extent of wildfire. and occurs within the Taiga Wooded Bioclimate zone. ● Eagle Plains Higher elevations and the northern portion of the region are ● North Ogilvie Mountains shrub dominated and occur within the Taiga Shrub ● Davidson Mountains Bioclimate Zone. The highest elevations contain Alpine ● British Richardson Mountains environments, and are bare rock or sparsely vegetated. Arctic Wildflowers Arctic Wildflowers Terrain mapping describes landforms and physical Climate: processes (figure 1). ● 300-400mm annual precipitation (Old Crow Flats driest) Biophysical Units (1:250K - 1:100K) ● -8 to -12oC annual average temperature Biophysical units incorporate Bioclimate Zones, Regional (Old Crow Flats coldest, -40oC average January temp.) Terrain and vegetation conditions. Biophysical units form the basis for a range of planning and management interpretations. A detailed biophysical map has been prepared for the entire planning region (figure 2). This is the first regional biophysical map to be prepared in Yukon. Porcupine River - Government of Yukon photo Yukon Porcupine River - Government of © North Yukon Planning Commission, April 2006 .