Table 9.1. Area (1000 ha) of forest land by IUCN1 category, age class and terrestrial ecozone in Canada.
Terrestrial ecozone IUCN category Age (years) Total
1-20 21-40 41-60 61-80 81-100 101-120 121-140 141-160 161-180 181-200 201+ Other2
Taiga Plains NA 946.05 1 641.18 2 547.64 3 771.25 3 851.64 16 543.28 1 444.41 761.10 297.52 43.85 73.14 188.72 32 109.79
IB 29.46 34.58 55.35 140.49 133.67 475.15 7.17 0.04 - - - 0.00 875.92
II 10.06 67.84 137.64 297.65 271.61 1 151.21 11.45 9.90 0.56 9.04 0.01 - 1 966.96
VI 18.77 7.63 45.81 37.11 24.70 174.14 1.11 0.46 - - - - 309.74
OTHER 2.57 11.53 56.41 31.28 11.28 481.06 - - - - - - 594.12
Subtotal 1 006.90 1 762.75 2 842.85 4 277.77 4 292.90 18 824.85 1 464.15 771.50 298.08 52.89 73.15 188.72 35 856.53
Taiga Shield NA 737.79 1 762.17 2 813.93 1 942.08 4 637.69 7 569.75 13 800.32 6 912.05 31.29 39.33 562.57 3 811.97 44 620.94
IB 25.82 53.19 100.61 56.66 13.60 36.61 673.90 1.20 - - - 257.28 1 218.86
II 0.02 56.80 88.40 69.33 375.65 460.04 862.14 229.19 1.92 2.86 5.05 260.88 2 412.28
Subtotal 763.63 1 872.16 3 002.95 2 068.07 5 026.93 8 066.40 15 336.36 7 142.43 33.21 42.20 567.62 4 330.13 48 252.08
Boreal Shield NA 10 390.81 18 613.65 20 500.48 21 502.26 22 358.71 10 164.26 9 501.10 1 388.22 351.69 44.27 20.12 6 083.16 120 918.74
IA 0.56 9.14 42.64 18.04 17.15 1.63 16.02 0.15 - - - 0.00 105.33
IB 291.74 548.39 506.03 701.49 427.21 232.26 79.66 36.47 8.33 0.43 - 89.34 2 921.36
II 212.08 938.48 1 295.26 1 382.52 1 395.75 813.13 584.90 75.01 4.33 3.58 0.52 81.99 6 787.56
III 0.13 0.82 6.47 7.68 15.96 - 0.03 - - - - 0.06 31.15
IV 9.32 43.74 139.36 193.58 296.27 10.17 103.44 5.47 - - - 32.23 833.59
VI 2.06 0.16 0.83 2.50 - 0.13 - - - - - 0.02 5.69
OTHER 37.33 186.99 194.22 137.51 92.82 76.55 19.58 3.22 - - - 0.50 748.73
Subtotal 10 944.04 20 341.37 22 685.29 23 945.58 24 603.88 11 298.15 10 304.75 1 508.54 364.36 48.27 20.64 6 287.29 132 352.15
Atlantic Maritime NA 2 327.72 3 038.99 3 113.83 3 556.51 2 045.67 784.08 79.21 23.72 1.79 0.59 0.21 670.90 15 643.23
IA 1.75 10.11 8.69 23.80 25.29 1.19 0.28 - - - - <0.01 71.10
IB 1.03 12.10 81.36 102.68 46.98 11.60 - - - - - 2.24 257.99
II 18.65 120.33 114.26 155.96 167.00 29.50 14.57 2.16 - - - 4.06 626.49
III 0.39 6.94 4.80 4.57 0.01 6.80 - - - - - - 23.51
IV 0.77 4.49 15.30 8.94 7.08 1.24 - 0.08 - - - 2.55 40.45
VI 0.10 0.41 6.50 10.11 0.41 0.07 - - - - - 0.12 17.71
OTHER 0.18 3.57 2.40 0.69 0.34 - - - - - - 0.59 7.78
Subtotal 2 350.59 3 196.94 3 347.14 3 863.26 2 292.77 834.49 94.06 25.96 1.79 0.59 0.21 680.47 16 688.25
Mixedwood Plains NA 136.08 476.18 1 126.77 836.84 440.73 94.26 21.94 8.24 1.20 - - 166.60 3 308.83
IA 0.26 1.38 5.58 5.74 7.05 - - - - - - 0.41 20.41
II 0.37 5.28 13.89 16.51 3.99 2.04 2.82 0.58 - - - - 45.48
III - - - 0.03 - 0.04 - - - - - - 0.06
IV <0.01 8.86 6.15 15.14 5.55 - 2.03 - - - - 0.30 38.02
VI 0.31 - <0.01 - - - - - - - - - 0.31
OTHER 0.93 0.73 3.66 - 4.88 - - - - - - 0.46 10.65
Subtotal 137.94 492.42 1 156.05 874.25 462.20 96.33 26.78 8.83 1.20 - - 167.76 3 423.76
Boreal Plains NA 2 865.39 4 082.39 5 262.58 10 547.87 7 222.02 4 692.32 2 485.14 922.28 347.50 70.27 65.23 1 426.51 39 989.52
IA - 37.90 4.37 20.00 26.01 5.70 2.56 - - - - - 96.53
IB 40.35 59.59 120.55 281.79 151.48 47.37 12.02 7.86 7.22 - 7.04 - 735.26
II 68.25 340.78 668.32 972.39 499.53 337.58 97.10 40.95 18.73 8.64 12.61 1.58 3 066.45
III - 6.66 8.38 2.43 11.04 14.89 3.33 - - - - - 46.75
IV 13.39 17.00 24.49 24.79 14.64 10.77 0.22 0.34 - - - 0.39 106.03
V 0.16 - 2.11 0.60 - 3.34 2.36 - - - - - 8.56
VI - - - 0.00 - - - - - - - - 0.00
OTHER 1.33 0.01 17.05 34.50 38.24 31.71 7.35 1.34 - 0.26 - - 131.80
Subtotal 2 988.88 4 544.34 6 107.84 11 884.36 7 962.97 5 143.68 2 610.07 972.78 373.45 79.18 84.89 1 428.48 44 180.91
Prairies NA 262.16 619.38 157.95 33.30 9.07 2.72 <0.01 2.42 - - - 253.35 1 340.36
IB 0.02 - - - - - - - - - - - 0.02
II 37.66 41.03 32.98 5.12 10.06 10.15 0.97 - - - - - 137.98
III 2.53 0.17 - - - - - - - - - <0.01 2.70
IV 8.09 16.81 2.03 0.09 - - - - - - - 0.09 27.10
VI <0.01 0.00 - - - - - - - - - - <0.01
OTHER - - 0.65 2.55 - - - - - - - 19.19 22.39
Subtotal 310.47 677.38 193.60 41.06 19.14 12.87 0.98 2.42 - - - 272.63 1 530.55
Taiga Cordillera NA 36.55 199.29 697.15 706.68 557.82 270.57 2 903.62 122.56 45.93 1.79 - 77.16 5 619.11
IB - 25.24 20.94 30.32 7.57 0.99 85.54 - - - - - 170.60
II - 11.00 5.02 13.41 30.95 17.37 352.29 - - - - - 430.04
III - - - - 0.01 - 8.80 - - - - - 8.81
IV - 0.53 23.34 13.02 - - 16.45 - - - - - 53.35
OTHER 2.10 23.37 20.31 23.99 18.06 16.71 304.20 - - - - - 408.73
Subtotal 38.64 259.42 766.77 787.42 614.42 305.64 3 670.89 122.56 45.93 1.79 - 77.16 6 690.64
Boreal Cordillera NA 255.40 742.37 2 390.97 2 694.82 2 728.47 3 802.44 2 075.50 1 419.58 843.18 220.52 1 607.92 196.99 18 978.17
IB 2.46 6.66 25.40 93.32 75.13 95.03 80.74 75.08 99.49 2.75 292.38 - 848.44
II - 33.28 115.49 74.88 83.52 134.38 410.82 117.21 82.99 34.52 409.10 - 1 496.20
IV - 1.59 0.89 11.56 4.43 13.66 26.59 12.77 3.39 0.16 15.00 38.21 128.25
Subtotal 257.86 783.91 2 532.74 2 874.58 2 891.55 4 045.51 2 593.66 1 624.65 1 029.05 257.96 2 324.40 235.20 21 451.06
Pacific Maritime NA 451.83 709.56 744.43 579.77 432.86 366.51 266.91 181.21 192.68 201.88 5 141.40 265.22 9 534.27
IA - - - 0.12 - - 0.77 - 1.76 - 4.02 - 6.66
IB 0.97 11.71 3.17 7.33 8.19 5.06 16.08 15.31 5.37 37.51 315.86 - 426.56
II 0.66 26.04 65.01 28.26 48.80 58.88 32.70 71.22 73.12 72.31 1 279.13 0.79 1 756.91
III - - 2.20 - - 2.52 7.58 - 0.08 - 31.75 - 44.14
IV 0.00 - 1.60 - 2.79 0.06 - - - - 0.18 - 4.64
Subtotal 453.46 747.32 816.42 615.48 492.63 433.04 324.04 267.74 273.00 311.71 6 772.34 266.00 11 773.19
Montane Cordillera NA 2 115.72 2 245.91 1 180.21 1 543.36 3 186.99 3 209.37 3 347.84 2 774.10 1 655.60 1 313.56 5 415.28 2 161.39 30 149.32
IA - 0.02 - - - 0.69 30.67 3.27 3.70 - - - 38.35
IB 2.75 5.50 58.65 100.51 131.78 107.65 69.30 34.33 20.47 30.88 225.22 0.01 787.05
II 4.10 42.90 68.95 206.13 508.81 487.61 617.38 658.32 349.70 203.55 875.21 50.64 4 073.29
III 12.60 0.11 - 4.05 - 2.32 3.41 - - - 0.05 - 22.53
IV - 2.06 4.08 19.94 26.59 14.32 4.70 1.93 3.33 - 37.74 0.04 114.72
OTHER 5.96 9.19 15.76 7.48 1.31 3.05 - - - - - - 42.76
Subtotal 2 141.12 2 305.69 1 327.66 1 881.47 3 855.49 3 825.00 4 073.30 3 471.94 2 032.80 1 547.99 6 553.49 2 212.07 35 228.03
Hudson Plains NA 55.50 1 018.58 1 566.64 975.15 719.71 3 207.94 2 555.59 328.44 7.83 0.25 - 498.52 10 934.13
IB 1.51 55.05 84.09 17.24 12.75 80.08 105.52 18.59 - - - 21.14 395.96
II 11.13 18.98 22.19 40.01 8.26 26.91 66.26 6.53 0.36 - - 61.49 262.10
IV - - - - - 0.01 - - - - - - 0.01
Subtotal 68.13 1 092.61 1 672.91 1 032.40 740.72 3 314.93 2 727.36 353.55 8.19 0.25 - 581.15 11 592.21
Canada NA 20 581.00 35 149.65 42 102.57 48 689.90 48 191.38 50 707.51 38 481.60 14 843.91 3 776.21 1 936.31 12 885.88 15 800.51 333 146.41
IA 2.57 58.55 61.27 67.69 75.50 9.22 50.30 3.42 5.46 - 4.02 0.41 338.38
IB 396.10 812.01 1 056.16 1 531.82 1 008.37 1 091.81 1 129.93 188.88 140.88 71.58 840.50 370.00 8 638.04
II 362.97 1 702.75 2 627.42 3 262.16 3 403.93 3 528.79 3 053.39 1 211.07 531.71 334.50 2 581.63 461.42 23 061.74
III 15.64 14.70 21.85 18.75 27.03 26.57 23.16 - 0.08 - 31.80 0.06 179.65
IV 31.58 95.08 217.24 287.05 357.35 50.23 153.43 20.59 6.72 0.16 52.91 73.81 1 346.15
V 0.16 - 2.11 0.60 - 3.34 2.36 - - - - - 8.56
VI 21.23 8.20 53.14 49.73 25.11 174.35 1.11 0.46 - - - 0.13 333.46
OTHER 50.40 235.38 310.46 238.00 166.94 609.08 331.13 4.57 - 0.26 - 20.74 1 966.96
Subtotal 21 461.65 38 076.32 46 452.22 54 145.69 53 255.60 56 200.89 43 226.40 16 272.90 4 461.06 2 342.81 16 396.74 16 727.07 369 019.35
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 or unknown age class.
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