Near the Baezaeko river, British Columbia, Canada Photograph by The Blackwater Company   Western North America: Western Canada Temperate Coniferous Forests   52,900 square miles (137,100 square kilometers) -- slightly larger than Arkansas Critical/Endangered

· Where the Caribou Roam
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Where the Caribou Roam

Woodland caribou prefer to overwinter in secluded, sheltered forests. A perfect place is the Fraser Plateau and Basin Complex in the central interior of British Columbia. Among forests of lodgepole pine, spruce, and aspen trees, a large herd of 1,500 caribou seeks shelter from harsh winters.

Special Features

In this ecoregion, the plateaus and rolling plains of north-central British Columbia provide a beautiful backdrop for the Fraser River and its tributaries. The ecoregion contains western North America's southernmost stable herd of woodland caribou, large concentrations of bighorn sheep, and the largest concentration of breeding pairs of Barrow's goldeneye and bufflehead ducks in North America.

	During the mating season, male bighorn sheep butt each other with their horns as a way to determine dominance. The animals may charge each other at speeds of 50 to 70 miles (80 to 112 km) per hour.

Wild Side

In forests of lodgepole pine, spruce and aspen trees, thousands of woodland caribou seek shelter from winter winds and snow. In the summer they splash in ponds or climb to breezy hilltops to escape the swarms of biting insects. They stay alert as wolves and black bears come to stalk newborn calves. On the higher slopes, bighorn sheep prepare for battle. The powerful bulls charge toward each other and crash with a loud bang that can be heard miles away. Blue, spruce, and ruffed grouse call the forests home, while sandhill cranes roam the northernmost reaches of dry grasslands in North America.

Cause for Concern

Only about 25 percent of this ecoregion remains as natural habitat, so conservationists and scientists are alarmed at the rapidly expanding logging practices that threaten the area. It is estimated that between 15 and 20 percent of the remaining forests are scheduled for cutting within the next 20 years. This will result in additional habitat fragmentation. Wetlands in the region have already been seriously damaged by agricultural development, hydroelectric impoundments, pulpwood harvesting, and livestock grazing.

For more information on this ecoregion, go to the World Wildlife Fund Scientific Report.