State or province

Northwest Territories, Canada: 9 ecoregions. Each with its climate now and toward 2050, and its conservation tier.

Nine ecoregions reach the Northwest Territories, split between tundra and taiga. The Canadian Low Arctic tundra, Canadian Middle Arctic Tundra and Canadian High Arctic tundra cover the north and the islands, with the Ogilvie-MacKenzie alpine tundra and Brooks-British Range tundra in the western mountains. The Northwest Territories taiga, Muskwa-Slave Lake taiga, Northern Canadian Shield taiga and Watson Highlands taiga hold the forested south. None is in the Nature Imperiled tier, which reflects how little of this ground has been converted. Growing anything here means working with permafrost, a very short season and long summer daylight that partly compensates for it. The southern taiga around Great Slave Lake is where cultivation is most practical.