Table 22.1. Area (1000 ha) of forest land by IUCN1 category, ownership and terrestrial ecozone in Canada.
Terrestrial ecozone IUCN category Ownership Total
Federal Provincial Territorial Municipal Indigenous Private Other2
Taiga Plains NA 1.23 7 328.42 21 705.12 270.88 2 750.94 9.77 24.78 32 091.13
Ib 0.00 259.09 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 259.09
II 671.32 75.29 258.80 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.36 1 005.76
III 0.00 0.00 92.55 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 92.55
V 0.00 0.00 1.31 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1.31
Other 0.00 0.00 151.32 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 151.32
Subtotal 672.55 7 662.80 22 209.10 270.88 2 750.94 9.77 25.14 33 601.17
Taiga Shield NA 170.25 37 110.53 6 220.45 57.05 1 374.09 112.81 119.47 45 164.64
Ib 0.00 559.64 43.38 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 603.02
II 0.00 437.61 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 < 0.01 437.61
III 0.00 52.46 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.23 52.69
V 0.00 34.92 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 34.92
Subtotal 170.25 38 195.15 6 263.83 57.05 1 374.09 112.81 119.70 46 292.89
Boreal Shield NA 121.46 114 021.43 0.00 249.28 667.70 7 324.45 60.39 122 444.72
Ia 0.00 204.04 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 204.04
Ib 0.00 2 209.93 0.00 0.00 0.00 7.81 < 0.01 2 217.74
II 335.24 4 404.79 0.00 0.00 0.00 9.26 28.62 4 777.91
III 0.00 1 439.63 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 2.58 1 442.22
IV 0.00 66.89 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.02 0.00 66.91
VI 0.00 82.87 0.00 0.00 0.00 1.33 0.00 84.21
Other 0.00 36.98 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 36.98
Subtotal 456.70 122 466.57 0.00 249.28 667.70 7 342.87 91.60 131 274.72
Atlantic Maritime NA 66.79 6 629.40 0.00 203.47 0.12 8 685.22 3.23 15 588.23
Ia 14.68 22.42 0.00 0.00 0.00 9.88 0.00 46.98
Ib 0.00 108.48 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 108.48
II 160.48 249.14 0.00 < 0.01 0.00 0.26 < 0.01 409.88
III 0.00 10.79 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 10.79
IV 0.00 114.45 0.00 0.00 0.00 16.85 0.00 131.30
Subtotal 241.94 7 134.69 0.00 203.47 0.12 8 712.21 3.23 16 295.67
Mixedwood Plains NA 5.80 112.15 0.00 0.15 60.54 2 939.66 3.29 3 121.59
Ia 2.23 11.32 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.16 0.00 13.72
II 5.33 14.20 0.00 0.00 0.00 1.36 0.00 20.89
IV 0.00 9.78 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 9.78
VI 0.00 0.60 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.60
Other 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 2.47 0.18 2.65
Subtotal 13.37 148.06 0.00 0.15 60.54 2 943.65 3.47 3 169.23
Boreal Plains NA 435.39 32 489.22 379.93 49.45 399.63 502.82 649.83 34 906.27
Ia 0.00 63.15 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 63.15
Ib 0.00 752.75 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 752.75
II 1 954.42 669.49 0.54 0.00 0.00 0.04 0.55 2 625.05
III 0.00 9.43 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 9.43
IV 0.00 67.01 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 8.90 75.91
V 0.00 9.31 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1.55 10.86
VI 0.00 6.12 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 5.11 11.23
Subtotal 2 389.82 34 066.48 380.47 49.45 399.63 502.86 665.95 38 454.65
Prairies NA 10.81 178.83 0.00 39.67 81.89 347.46 406.16 1 064.82
II 0.00 76.64 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.62 77.26
III 0.00 1.45 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1.45
IV 0.00 16.54 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.17 5.03 21.73
V 0.00 21.06 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.09 21.14
VI 0.01 4.68 0.00 0.00 0.00 6.43 0.26 11.38
Subtotal 10.82 299.20 0.00 39.67 81.89 354.06 412.15 1 197.79
Taiga Cordillera NA 0.16 0.00 5 799.31 0.00 414.53 0.00 3.79 6 217.79
Ib 0.00 0.00 105.09 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 105.09
II 11.01 0.00 41.37 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 52.37
III 0.00 0.00 8.91 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 8.91
IV 0.00 0.00 50.37 0.00 0.03 0.00 0.00 50.39
V 0.00 0.00 5.21 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 5.21
Other 0.00 0.00 3.12 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 3.12
Subtotal 11.17 0.00 6 013.37 0.00 414.56 0.00 3.79 6 442.88
Boreal Cordillera NA 0.97 6 601.24 9 895.15 59.89 937.43 10.67 33.03 17 538.37
Ib 0.10 1 040.37 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 < 0.01 1 040.47
II 62.86 285.16 50.28 0.00 0.09 0.00 0.00 398.39
IV 0.00 16.79 122.44 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 139.23
Subtotal 63.93 7 943.55 10 067.88 59.89 937.52 10.67 33.03 19 116.46
Pacific Maritime NA 10.02 8 396.46 0.00 0.00 15.52 803.46 60.96 9 286.41
Ia 0.00 2.02 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1.95 3.97
Ib 0.00 212.78 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 212.78
II 202.15 1 017.67 0.00 0.00 0.09 12.33 0.13 1 232.37
III 0.00 1.29 0.00 0.00 0.00 7.27 0.00 8.55
IV 0.00 0.01 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.01
Subtotal 212.17 9 630.23 0.00 0.00 15.61 823.06 63.04 10 744.10
Montane Cordillera NA 53.44 25 670.12 0.00 0.00 32.97 826.14 15.01 26 597.68
Ia 0.00 12.11 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 12.11
Ib 0.00 1 139.63 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.38 0.02 1 140.03
II 1 004.37 2 328.94 0.00 0.00 0.00 2.74 0.04 3 336.09
III 0.00 3.46 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 3.46
IV 0.00 29.31 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 29.31
VI 0.00 9.79 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 9.79
Subtotal 1 057.81 29 193.35 0.00 0.00 32.97 829.26 15.08 31 128.47
Hudson Plains NA 0.00 9 415.68 0.00 0.31 66.70 23.99 6.37 9 513.04
Ia 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 13.12 13.12
Ib 0.00 184.91 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 184.91
II 96.62 39.16 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.34 136.13
III 0.00 10.14 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.39 10.53
Subtotal 96.62 9 649.89 0.00 0.31 66.70 23.99 20.23 9 857.73
Canada NA 876.32 247 953.49 43 999.95 930.14 6 802.06 21 586.44 1 386.29 323 534.71
Ia 16.91 315.06 0.00 0.00 0.00 10.04 15.07 357.09
Ib 0.10 6 467.58 148.46 0.00 0.00 8.18 0.03 6 624.35
II 4 503.80 9 598.08 350.99 < 0.01 0.17 25.99 30.68 14 509.71
III 0.00 1 528.65 101.47 0.00 0.00 7.27 3.21 1 640.59
IV 0.00 320.77 172.81 0.00 0.03 17.04 13.93 524.58
V 0.00 65.29 6.52 0.00 0.00 0.00 1.64 73.45
VI 0.01 104.06 0.00 0.00 0.00 7.76 5.37 117.21
Other 0.00 36.98 154.44 0.00 0.00 2.47 0.18 194.06
Total 5 397.14 266 389.96 44 934.64 930.15 6 802.26 21 665.21 1 456.40 347 575.76
Source: Canada's National Forest Inventory, revised 2006 baseline (Version 3, December 2013) (http://nfi.nfis.org)
Note: The Arctic ecozones (Arctic Cordillera, Northern Arctic, Southern Arctic), and the Taiga Plains and Hudson Plains ecozones located in Nunavut, are not inventoried. These non-inventoried areas total 262,189.89 thousand ha.
1 IUCN: International Union for Conservation of Nature (http://www.iucn.org). Data obtained from the Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD) (https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/national-wildlife-areas/protected-conserved-areas-database.html).
2 Missing, unknown or other ownerships.
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) category
IUCN Category Description
NA Not protected
Ia Protected area managed mainly for science
Ib Protected area managed mainly for wilderness protection
II Protected area managed mainly for ecosystem protection and recreation
III Protected area managed mainly for conservation of specific natural features
IV Protected area managed mainly for conservation through management intervention
V Protected area managed mainly for landscape/seascape protection and recreation
VI Protected area managed mainly for the sustainable use of natural resources
Other Protected with missing or unknown category