Kusawa, Yukon Territory, Canada Photograph by J. Peepre   Northern North America: Northwestern Canada Boreal Forests/Taiga   24,100 square miles (62,400 square kilometers) -- nearly the same size as West Virginia Vulnerable

· Rolling Hills and Broad Valleys
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
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Rolling Hills and Broad Valleys

This ecoregion is named after the Yukon River, which cuts through the area. The Yukon Plateau consists of many rolling hills and raised flat areas separated by deep, wide valleys.

Special Features

This ecoregion has a cold, semiarid climate, with an average annual temperature of 27° F (-3° C) but a winter average of only -2° F (-19° C). Each year the area receives 9 inches (22.5 cm) to 16 inches (40 cm) of precipitation, with more falling in the northwest since the southern part of the region lies in the rain shadow of the St. Elias Mountains.

	The backward curving horns of Dall's sheep continue to grow throughout their lives. The sheep, especially the males, can be aged by the growth rings on their horns. During the mating season, males compete for females by fighting each other with their large and heavy horns. The sound of the horns hitting each other can be heard miles away.

Wild Side

Many herbivores, such as moose, caribou, mountain goats, and hares, depend on the grasses and other plants found here for food. Predators including coyotes, wolves, grizzly and black bears, and golden eagles also thrive here. White and black spruce and lodgepole pine are common trees in this area. Growing at the highest elevations are scrub birch, willow, alpine fir, mountain avens, dwarf shrubs, forbs, grasses, and lichens.

Cause for Concern

Approximately 75 percent of the ecoregion remains intact, but threats to biodiversity are increasing rapidly. Most of the people who live in the Yukon Territory dwell within this ecoregion. Urban growth around Whitehorse, along with timber harvesting and mining activities represent dangers to the ecoregion. The major highways of the area are concentrated here, too, posing a threat to the wildlife. Animals that migrate, including woodland caribou and Dall's sheep, are especially disturbed by roads, which pose a barrier to their movement.

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