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 176.21 9 068.72 19 752.95 176.36 2 852.73 11.88 70.96 32 109.79
IB - 244.45 630.62 - 0.85 - 0.00 875.92
II 1 005.54 137.41 823.80 - - - 0.20 1 966.96
VI 109.27 - 176.21 - 24.26 - - 309.74
OTHER - - 575.16 - 18.94 - 0.02 594.12
Subtotal 1 291.02 9 450.58 21 958.75 176.36 2 896.77 11.88 71.18 35 856.53
Taiga Shield NA 152.71 35 278.08 7 354.20 39.39 1 606.88 90.53 99.15 44 620.94
IB - 1 163.30 39.58 - 15.99 - 0.00 1 218.86
II - 2 407.42 - - - <0.01 4.86 2 412.28
Subtotal 152.71 38 848.80 7 393.78 39.39 1 622.87 90.54 104.00 48 252.08
Boreal Shield NA 122.14 111 175.54 - 297.14 753.71 7 445.59 1 124.61 120 918.74
IA - 105.32 - - - <0.01 0.00 105.33
IB 36.69 2 877.03 - - - 7.65 <0.01 2 921.36
II 347.48 6 313.70 - - 0.00 8.06 118.32 6 787.56
III - 29.70 - - - 1.45 - 31.15
IV <0.01 833.34 - - - 0.25 0.00 833.59
VI 5.31 0.38 - - - - - 5.69
OTHER - 744.99 - - - 3.74 - 748.73
Subtotal 511.62 122 080.00 - 297.14 753.71 7 466.73 1 242.94 132 352.15
Atlantic Maritime NA 59.36 6 670.91 - 176.50 0.12 8 725.95 10.39 15 643.23
IA 14.66 50.97 - - - 5.47 0.00 71.10
IB - 245.78 - - - 12.20 0.00 257.99
II 144.73 480.68 - <0.01 - 0.87 0.21 626.49
III - 22.85 - - - 0.35 0.30 23.51
IV - 26.64 - - - 13.80 0.01 40.45
VI - 17.71 - - - <0.01 - 17.71
OTHER - 3.94 - - - 3.80 0.04 7.78
Subtotal 218.75 7 519.48 - 176.50 0.12 8 762.45 10.95 16 688.25
Mixedwood Plains NA 5.79 183.46 - 0.14 70.53 3 046.18 2.72 3 308.83
IA 2.12 11.34 - - - 6.94 0.00 20.41
II 15.79 14.72 - - - 14.96 0.00 45.48
III - - - - - 0.06 - 0.06
IV 0.00 2.24 - - - 35.61 0.17 38.02
VI - - - - - 0.31 - 0.31
OTHER - - - - - 10.65 - 10.65
Subtotal 23.71 211.76 - 0.14 70.53 3 114.73 2.89 3 423.76
Boreal Plains NA 7.72 36 572.31 790.53 57.52 435.37 2 014.98 111.09 39 989.52
IA - 96.53 - - - - 0.00 96.53
IB 31.14 704.12 - - - - 0.00 735.26
II 2 308.45 758.00 0.00 - - - <0.01 3 066.45
III - 46.75 - - - - 0.00 46.75
IV - 87.40 - 0.00 - 18.63 - 106.03
V - 8.56 - - - - - 8.56
VI - - - - - - 0.00 0.00
OTHER - 131.80 - - - - - 131.80
Subtotal 2 347.32 38 405.47 790.53 57.52 435.37 2 033.61 111.09 44 180.91
Prairies NA 0.63 293.46 - 38.62 69.67 935.90 2.09 1 340.36
IB - 0.00 - - - 0.02 - 0.02
II - 137.16 - - - 0.38 0.44 137.98
III - 2.68 - - - 0.01 - 2.70
IV - 20.13 - - - 6.98 - 27.10
VI - - - - - <0.01 - <0.01
OTHER - 22.39 - - - - 0.00 22.39
Subtotal 0.63 475.81 - 38.62 69.67 943.30 2.53 1 530.55
Taiga Cordillera NA 0.03 - 5 248.45 - 369.48 - 1.15 5 619.11
IB - - 170.60 - - - - 170.60
II 53.43 - 376.58 - - - 0.03 430.04
III - - 8.81 - - - - 8.81
IV - - 30.68 - 22.67 - 0.00 53.35
OTHER - - 404.40 - 4.33 - 0.00 408.73
Subtotal 53.46 - 6 239.52 - 396.48 - 1.18 6 690.64
Boreal Cordillera NA 3.69 7 220.33 10 598.10 47.33 1 072.58 12.71 23.43 18 978.17
IB - 848.44 - - - - - 848.44
II 109.83 1 168.01 203.92 - - - 14.44 1 496.20
IV - 31.18 97.07 - - - 0.00 128.25
Subtotal 113.52 9 267.96 10 899.09 47.33 1 072.58 12.71 37.87 21 451.06
Pacific Maritime NA 28.38 8 274.12 - 88.62 200.10 818.76 124.28 9 534.27
IA - 6.66 - - - - - 6.66
IB - 426.56 - - - - - 426.56
II 157.42 1 591.90 - - 0.01 7.59 0.00 1 756.91
III - 43.59 - - - 0.55 - 44.14
IV - - - - - 4.64 - 4.64
Subtotal 185.80 10 342.84 - 88.62 200.11 831.54 124.28 11 773.19
Montane Cordillera NA 53.93 28 183.96 - 51.09 139.55 1 170.79 550.00 30 149.32
IA - 38.35 - - - - - 38.35
IB - 787.05 - - - - 0.00 787.05
II 1 086.90 2 973.95 - - - 12.30 0.14 4 073.29
III - 22.53 - - - - - 22.53
IV - 35.66 - - - 79.06 - 114.72
OTHER - 42.76 - - - - - 42.76
Subtotal 1 140.83 32 084.26 - 51.09 139.55 1 262.15 550.14 35 228.03
Hudson Plains NA - 10 185.17 - 0.35 61.36 18.64 668.61 10 934.13
IB - 385.46 - - - - 10.50 395.96
II 99.37 136.63 - - - - 26.10 262.10
IV - - - - - - 0.01 0.01
Subtotal 99.37 10 707.27 - 0.35 61.36 18.64 705.21 11 592.21
Canada NA 610.59 253 106.06 43 744.23 973.07 7 632.07 24 291.91 2 788.48 333 146.41
IA 16.78 309.18 - - - 12.42 0.00 338.38
IB 67.83 7 682.19 840.80 - 16.84 19.87 10.50 8 638.04
II 5 328.95 16 119.58 1 404.30 <0.01 0.01 44.16 164.73 23 061.74
III - 168.10 8.81 - - 2.43 0.30 179.65
IV <0.01 1 036.58 127.75 0.00 22.67 158.97 0.18 1 346.15
V - 8.56 - - - - - 8.56
VI 114.58 18.09 176.21 - 24.26 0.31 0.00 333.46
OTHER - 945.88 979.56 - 23.27 18.19 0.06 1 966.96
Subtotal 6 138.74 279 394.24 47 281.67 973.07 7 719.11 24 548.26 2 964.26 369 019.35
Source: Canada's National Forest Inventory, combined remeasured (2007-2017) and projected (2006-2017 with NFI projection system) data< (Version 3, November 2023) (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