Newfoundland Highland forests

Taiga ecoregion of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

Newfoundland Highland forests
Highland forests of the Long Range Mountains in Gros Morne National Park

Ecology
Realm	Nearctic
Biome	Boreal forests/taiga
Borders	Eastern Canadian forests
Geography
Area	486,918 km (188,000 sq mi)
Country	Canada
Provinces	Newfoundland and Labrador
Conservation
Conservation status	Relatively Stable/Intact

The Newfoundland Highland forests are a taiga ecoregion located on the island of Newfoundland in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It has a total area of 4,031,999 acres (1,631,692 hectares).

Terrain

The terrain of this region is mostly between 300 and 700 meters above sea level. It is characterized by steep, rugged Palaeozoic and Precambrian rock, commonly bare or ridged.

Climate

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The winters are snowy and cold, and the summers are cool. The region receives between 1,000 and 1,400 millimeters mean annual precipitation.

Mean annual temperature: 4 °C Mean summer temperature range: 11.5 °C to 12 °C Mean winter temperature range: -3.5 °C to -4 °C.

Type	Units	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Period
Min Temp	°F	10.2	7.8	14.9	26.4	34.7	43.6	51.7	51.6	44.9	35.8	27.2	18.3	1991–2009
Mean Temp	°F	17.1	15.4	22.4	33.8	43.4	52.9	60.3	59.7	51.9	41.6	32.4	23.3	1974–2009
Max Temp	°F	24.9	24.1	30.9	40.9	52.4	62.6	69.7	69	60.8	48.8	38.8	30.5	1994–2009
Frost	Days	31	28.2	31	30	28.3	14.9	1.7	3.4	11	27.9	30	31	1901–2009
Wet	Days	24.2	17.5	15.2	12.5	13.9	13.8	13.8	13.9	17.5	19	20.4	23.7	1901–2009
Precipitation	in	5.3	3.6	3.3	2.7	2.9	3.6	3.8	4.1	4.2	4.9	5	5	1901–2009

Flora and fauna

The region contains boreal forests with dwarf black spruce (Picea mariana) and balsam fir (Abies balsamea), dwarf kalmia (Kalmia polifolia), and various mosses. Various mixed evergreen and deciduous shrubs can be found in exposed areas.

The Arctic hare (Lepus arcticus) is found in this region. It is their southernmost limit to their range.

Other species include:

Canada goose (Branta canadensis)
Great horned owl (Bubo virginianus)
Brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater)
Snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus)
Caribou (Rangifer tarandus)
Red fox (Vulpes vulpes)
Newfoundland pine marten (Martes americana atrata)

Conservation

The region is threatened by an increase in harvest of wood for lumber and the pulp and paper industry. Higher elevations are mostly threatened by mining interests and granite quarrying. Further threats come from high all-terrain vehicle traffic, which affect some areas.

80 to 90 percent of the region is considered to be intact. Large areas of the region are protected. These are:

Gros Morne National Park: Comprising upper elevations, and located in western Newfoundland, this area contains 1,942 km. of protected land.
King George IV Ecological Reserve: Also located in western Newfoundland, this area contains 19 km of protected land.
Barachois Pond Provincial Park: Located in southwestern Newfoundland, this protected area is 34.97 km.

References

"Newfoundland Highland forests | Ecoregions | WWF". World Wildlife Fund. Retrieved 2020-11-13.
^ "Newfoundland Highland forests". Eoearth.org. Retrieved 2012-08-10.
"Ecoregion : Newfoundland Highland forests". Global Species. Retrieved 2012-08-10.
^ World Wildlife Fund, ed. (2001). "Newfoundland Highland forests". WildWorld Ecoregion Profile. National Geographic Society. Archived from the original on 2010-03-08. Retrieved 2012-08-10.
"Climate Data for Latitude 49.25 Longitude -57.75". Global Species. 2011-07-28. Retrieved 2012-08-10.
"King George IV Ecological Reserve". Department of Environment and Climate Change. Retrieved 2017-04-03.
Terrestrial ecoregions of North America: a conservation assessment, Taylor H. Ricketts, p.379

External links

55°00′00″N 70°00′00″W / 55.0000°N 70.0000°W / 55.0000; -70.0000

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