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Internationally, various systemsexist to delineate natural regionsbased on ecological factors. InOntario, the Ministry of NaturalResources (MNR) defines ecologicalunits on the basis of bedrock, climate(temperature, precipitation), phys-iography (soils, slope, aspect) andcorresponding vegetation, creatingan Ecological Land Classification(ELC) system. This classification ofthe landscape enables planners andecologists to organize ecologicalinformation into logical integratedunits to enable landscape planningand monitoring.

Ontario’s ELC system is foundedon Angus Hills’ Site Regions andDistricts, first adopted in the 1950s.Since then, MNR has continued todevelop and refine the province’s

ecological divisions, enhancing theircompatibility with national and con-tinental classification systems. TheELC hierarchy and associated prod-ucts are multi-scale and extend frombroad provincial level down to veryfine-scale vegetation and substratelevels. Ontario’s ELC systempresently is composed of three upperlevel nested ecological units: eco-zones, ecoregions and ecodistricts(Fig. 1) and two non-nested finerscale units, ecosites and ecoelements.

The Ontario ELC system appliesto many areas of provincial businessincluding protected area identifica-tion, wildlife habitat definition andforest management planning. Thelower levels of the hierarchy(ecosites, ecoelements) are particu-larly relevant to land use planning at

the municipal level. As outlined insection 2.1 of the 2005 ProvincialPolicy Statement (PPS), municipali-ties must protect natural features andareas. The ELC system providesmethodologies for identifying andmapping these areas in a form that isuseful for land-use planning.

The broader units of the ELChierarchy are most applicable toprovincial and regional planning,while finer units are used for detailedresource management applications.This factsheet will familiarize youwith the broader ELC units that maybe relevant to provincial and munici-pal land-use planning initiatives incentral and southern Ontario: eco-zones, ecoregions and ecodistricts.

How Ontario’s ELC System is Used

The classification units used in the ELC system exist at a variety of scales. The system has been developed to permit arange of analyses. Noted below are examples of how the ELC system’s broadest classification units are used.

While municipal planning typically occurs at a scale even more detailed than ecodistricts, the use of ecodistricts inplanning promotes coordinated, integrated and comprehensive planning for ecosystems across municipal boundaries.For example, MNR’s Natural Spaces program has been developing an approach for identifying natural heritage sys-tems at a landscape scale based on ecodistricts, which could be used to support coordinated land use planning.

Ecological Land Classification

EcozoneUses: National and coarse-scaleprovincial reporting such as analysesof climate, demographics and water-sheds

EcoregionUses: Determining the level of sig-nificance or status of wetland classesand certain other natural heritagefeatures (e.g., old growth forest), set-ting targets for Wilderness Classprovincial parks, State of the Forestreporting and studying natural dis-turbance regimes

EcodistrictUses: Assessing biodiversity levels,defining seed zones, mappingecosystem types and setting targetsfor the identification of natural her-itage systems

Ecological Land Classification PrimerCentral and Southern Ontario

March 2007

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7E−2

7E−1

7E−5

7E−6

7E−4

7E−3

OntarioShield

MixedwoodPlains

Ecoregions of Central and Southern Ontario

Georgian BayEcoregion 5E

Lake Simcoe−RideauEcoregion 6E

Lake Erie−Lake OntarioEcoregion 7E

Example of Ecodistricts using the Lake Erie−Lake Ontario Ecoregion

Hudson BayLowlands

Characteristics Defining Ecozones:Major bedrock zonation

Characteristics Defining Ecoregions:Regional climatic regimes

Characteristics Defining Ecodistricts:Subregional patterns of bedrock,surface geology and topographythat influence vegetation

Ecozones of OntarioEcozones of Ontario

Ecoregions of Central and Southern Ontario

Example of Ecodistricts using the Lake Erie-Lake Ontario Ecoregion

Fig. 1: Ecozones, ecoregions and ecodistricts are defined by the characteristics noted, and are nested units in

Ontario’s Ecological Land Classification system. The Mixedwood Plains Ecozone, for example, contains two ecore-

gions (Lake Simcoe - Rideau and Lake Erie- Lake Ontario) which are themselves divided into numerous ecodistricts

as shown by the illustration of Lake Erie-Lake Ontario ecodistricts.

Ecological Land Classification Primer 2

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Ecozones are very large areasdefined by a distinctive bedrockdomain. The characteristic bedrockdomain, in concert with long-termcontinental climatic patterns, has amajor influence on the ecosystemprocesses and biota occurring there.Ecozones form the broadest units ofOntario’s ELC system, and theyreflect environmental variation at acontinental scale. From north tosouth, Ontario’s three ecozones are:Hudson Bay Lowlands, OntarioShield and Mixedwood Plains.

Central Ontario’s Shield Ecozone

The Ontario Shield Ecozoneoccupies approximately 60% of theland base in Ontario, and extendsfrom the contact zone with theHudson Bay Lowlands to the lime-stone that underlies the MixedwoodPlains Ecozone. With the exceptionof local inliers and Eastern Ontario’scomplex Frontenac Axis, the OntarioShield ecozone encompasses all ofthe Precambrian bedrock found inthe province. For the purposes of the2005 PPS, the limit of the CanadianShield extends into the MixedwoodPlains ecozone. Please refer to Fig. 1in the 2005 PPS.

Coniferous forests composed ofBlack Spruce, Balsam Fir, Jack Pineand Tamarack dominate the north andcentral parts of the Ontario Shield.Fire, insects and wind are the domi-nant forces of change in these forests.Moving southward, mixed forests anddeciduous forests of tolerant hard-woods (e.g., Sugar Maple and Beech)

are more frequent. The composition,structure and dynamics of theseecosystems are determined throughsmall gaps created by individual treefall (gap-phase dynamics). Wetlands,including peatlands are abundant inthis ecozone.

The forests and wetlands of theOntario Shield support a moderatediversity of wildlife as a result of thecombination of northern and south-ern habitat elements. WoodlandCaribou is found in the northernreaches of the ecozone, while White-tailed deer is abundant in the south.Moose, Black Bear, Gray Wolf,Canada Lynx, American Marten, RedSquirrel, Wood Frog, Barred Owl,Boreal Owl, Gray Jay, PileatedWoodpecker, Blackburnian Warblerand White-throated Sparrow inhabitthe Shield’s forest ecosystems.Aquatic habitats of the Shield containspecies such as Northern Pike,Walleye and Lake Trout.

Southern Ontario’s Mixedwood

Plains Ecozone

Ontario’s southernmost ecozone,occupying less than 10% of theprovince, is defined by the limestoneand dolostone bedrock that occurssouth of the Precambrian Shield.This ecozone is bounded in the southand west by Lake Huron, Lake Erie,Lake Ontario and the St. LawrenceRiver. The predominant type of nat-ural disturbance in forest ecosystemsis gap-phase dynamics, althoughmajor wind events and insect out-breaks can cause more extensive

disturbance. In wetland systems,beavers are a major force of change.

Vegetation is diverse, despite theconversion of many natural lands foragriculture and urban development.Mixed forests of deciduous andconiferous trees occur, as well asareas dominated by deciduous treespecies as in Carolinian forests. Twoglobally imperilled ecosystems occurin the ecozone: tallgrass prairie andlimestone barrens called ‘alvars’.Wetlands are numerous in certainareas, although many have beendrained. Plants and wildlife in thisecozone are among the most diversein Canada, but they face significantchallenges due, in large part, to habi-tat loss and fragmentation.

Characteristic wildlife in this eco-zone include White-tailed Deer, RedFox, Coyote, Raccoon, Striped Skunk,Eastern Gray Squirrel, Great BlueHeron, Red-tailed Hawk, Black-capped Chickadee, Wood Thrush,Yellow Warbler, Painted Turtle, Red-backed Salamander and SmallmouthBass. Alien invasive species are anincreasing threat to native species inthis ecozone.

Ecozones Ecozones

Ecological Land Classification Primer 3

5E Characteristic Trees and Wildlife:

EcoregionsAn ecoregion is defined by a

characteristic range and pattern inclimatic variables including tempera-ture, precipitation and humidity. Theclimate within an ecoregion has aprofound influence on the vegetationtypes, soil formation, other ecosys-tem processes and biota associatedwith the ecoregion. Nine ecoregionsare nested within the Ontario ShieldEcozone, with Ecoregion 5E occur-ring in central Ontario. Twoecoregions are nested withinSouthern Ontario’s MixedwoodPlains Ecozone.

The Georgian Bay Ecoregion islocated in south-central Ontario,extending southeast from LakeSuperior to the central portion of theOttawa River valley in the east. Thecomplex Precambrian bedrock is fre-quently exposed, creating the ruggedlandscape associated with the region.Where bedrock is not visible, it iscovered with ground moraine (till) ofvariable depth. The ecoregion isdominated by mixed forests. Lakesand rivers cover over 10% of the sur-face area of the ecoregion. Wetlandsare relatively rare and represent only2.5% of the total land cover.

The vegetation in Ecoregion 5E isrepresentative of the Great Lakes –St. Lawrence Forest Region. It ischaracterized by a mixture of north-ern and southern species. Thedeciduous forests of this ecoregionproduce the spectacular colours thatOntarians witness each fall.

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Ontario Shield Ecozone: Georgian Bay Ecoregion (5E)

Georgian Bay Ecoregion (5E) Ahmic Harbour, Parry Sound area.

Photo credit: P. Kor

Ecoregions

• Eastern White Pine

• Red Pine

• Eastern Hemlock

• Yellow Birch

• Sugar Maple

• Black Spruce

• Common Loon

• Ruffed Grouse

• Common Raven

• Fisher

• Black Bear

• Eastern Wolf

• Moose

• Beaver

• River Otter

• Painted Turtle

• Brook Trout

5E

Ecological Land Classification Primer 4

6E Characteristic Trees and Wildlife:

The Lake Simcoe – RideauEcoregion extends southward from aline connecting Lake Huron in thewest to the Ottawa River in the east.The underlying bedrock is primarilydolostone and limestone. Manyareas along the northern fringe ofthis ecoregion are characterized byextensive bare bedrock plains. Alvarspecies are present on some of theselimestone plains. Conversely, theremainder of the ecoregion is draped

with thick deposits of glacial andpost-glacial sediments in the form ofmassive moraines (Oak Ridges) andbroad till sheets. The NiagaraEscarpment, most of which isincluded in the Lake Simcoe - RideauEcoregion, provides an exception tothe otherwise relatively flat land-scape. Wetlands and water bodiescomprise 5% and 4% of the area,respectively.

The ecoregion also falls withinthe Great-Lakes St. Lawrence ForestRegion, with a greater diversity ofsouthern species than the GeorgianBay Ecoregion. Currently, 57% of theecoregion exists as agricultural land,with deciduous and mixed forestscovering a majority of the remainingnatural landscape.

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Mixedwood Plains Ecozone: Lake Simcoe - Rideau Ecoregion (6E)

• Sugar Maple

• American Beech

• White Ash

• Eastern Hemlock

• White Cedar

• Black Ash

• White-tailed Deer

• Groundhog

• Hairy-tailed Mole

• Little Brown Bat

• Wood Duck

• Eastern Towhee

• Northern Cardinal

• Bullfrog

• Spring Peeper

• MuskellungeLake Simcoe - Rideau Ecoregion (6E) Baltimore Creek ANSI, Port Hope area.

Photo credit: P. Kor

EcoregionsEcoregions 6E

Ecological Land Classification Primer 5

Bounded by the southern GreatLakes, the Lake Erie-Lake OntarioEcoregion, also called the CarolinianForest Ecoregion, is the southernmostecoregion in the province. The lime-stone bedrock in this ecoregion israrely exposed except along thesouthern portion of the NiagaraEscarpment. Rather, till plains anddeep, fine grained sediments fromglacial and post-glacial lakes blanketthe sedimentary bedrock, imparting avery flat relief to much of the ecore-gion. Wetlands and water are foundon less than 2% of the ecoregion.

The Lake Erie-Lake OntarioEcoregion is contained within theDeciduous Forest Region and has thegreatest diversity of species inCanada. It is estimated that almost400 bird species, 2,200 species ofherbaceous plants and 70 species oftrees are found here. DistinctiveCarolinian tree species include TulipTree, Sycamore, Kentucky Coffee-tree, and the endangered CucumberTree and Butternut. The ecoregionalso supports the most extensiveremnants of tall grass prairie vegeta-tion in the province. The animal

species in this ecoregion includemany that are at risk or provinciallyrare, including Spiny Softshell Turtle,Smallmouth Salamander, Karner Bluebutterfly, American Badger andAcadian Flycatcher. The area is theprovince's most developed ecologicalregion, with 78% and 7% of the landarea converted to agriculture and tosub/urban land-uses, respectively.

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Mixedwood Plains Ecozone: Lake Erie - Lake Ontario Ecoregion (7E)

7E Characteristic Trees and Wildlife:

Lake Erie - Lake Ontario Ecoregion (7E) Burlington area.

Photo credit: B. Crins

• Sugar Maple

• American Beech

• White Ash

• Eastern Hemlock

• Easter White Pine

• Striped Skunk

• White-tailed Deer

• Raccoon

• Green Heron

• Wild Turkey

• Red-bellied Woodpecker

• Eastern Kingbird

• American Toad

• Eastern Garter Snake

• Painted Turtle

• Yellow Perch

• Channel Catfish

EcoregionsEcoregions 7E

Ecological Land Classification Primer 6

Alien Invasive Species: An 'invasivespecies' is non-native (or alien) tothe ecosystem under considera-tion and its introduction causes oris likely to cause economic orenvironmental harm or harm tohuman health.

Alvar: Naturally open areas of thinsoil over essentially flat limestoneor marble rock with trees absentor not forming a continuouscanopy and characterized by dis-tinctive flora and fauna. Alvarsare globally rare ecosystems.

Frontenac Axis: The southern exten-sion of the Precambrian Shield ineastern Ontario, extending fromnear Gananoque and Brockvillealong the St. Lawrence River tonear Westport. Areas of tilted andalternating layers of erosion-resistant igneous rocks and moreeasily eroded marbles result in atopography of ridges and valleys.The rock ridges have thin sandysoils that support sparse forestcover, while the intervening val-leys sustain many forests,wetlands and lakes.

Inlier: An area or group of rocks sur-rounded by rocks of younger age.

Limestone, Dolostone: Basic, cal-cium-rich sedimentary rocksmany of which have tiny frag-ments or impressions of fossilanimal shells embedded in them.

Moraine: Mound or ridge ofunsorted glacial material, mostlytill, deposited by direct action ofglacier ice.

Outlier: An area or group of rockssurrounded by rocks of older age.

Precambrian Shield: The largestmass of exposed Precambrianrock on earth, centred on HudsonBay and extending for 8 millionkm2 over Canada from the GreatLakes to the Canadian Arctic andinto Greenland. The rock is theoldest type known, and wasformed between 3.8 billion and544 million years ago.

Tallgrass prairie: Natural grasslandswith a great diversity of grasses,wildflowers and animal life main-tained by fire. Tallgrass prairie is aglobally imperilled ecosystem andone of the most endangeredecosystems in Canada.

Till: Glacial deposits laid down bythe ice with little or no transporta-tion or sorting by water.

Nested within an ecoregion,ecodistricts are defined by a charac-teristic set of physiographic features,including bedrock and/or surficialgeological features and topography.These features play a major role indetermining the vegetation of anecodistrict. They affect successionalpathways, patterns of species associa-tion and habitats. In addition tophysiography, local climatic patterns,

such as lake-effect snowfall areas,may characterize ecodistricts.

Ecodistricts are distributedwithin central and southern Ontario’secoregions as follows:• Georgian Bay Ecoregion (5E):

11 ecodistricts• Lake Simcoe - Rideau Ecoregion

(6E): 16 ecodistricts • Lake Erie – Lake Ontario

Ecoregion (7E): 6 ecodistricts

For more information on specificecodistricts, please contact your localMNR office. To access maps ofOntario’s Ecological LandClassification system including eco-zones, ecoregions and ecodistricts,please contact Land InformationOntario (LIO) athttp://www.lio.mnr.gov.on.ca/ or705-755-1878, or the Ecological LandClassification Program at (705) 946-7478.

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Ecodistricts

Glossary

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Ecodistricts

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Chapman, L. J. and D. F. Putnam.1984. The Physiography ofSouthern Ontario. (Third Edition).Ontario Geological Survey. SpecialVolume 2. 270 pp.

Crins, W. J. 2002. The Ecozones,Ecoregions, and Ecodistricts ofOntario. [map] Prepared for theEcological Land ClassificationWorking Group. Ontario Ministryof Natural Resources,Peterborough, Ontario.

Crins, W. J., P. A. Gray, and P. W. C.Uhlig. 2007. The Ecosystems ofOntario, Part 1: Ecozones andEcoregions. Ontario Ministry ofNatural Resources, Peterborough.

Crins, W. J., P. A. Gray, and P. W. C.Uhlig. 2007. The Ecosystems ofOntario, Part 2: Ecodistricts.Ontario Ministry of NaturalResources, Peterborough.

Henson, B.L. and K.E. Brodribb.2005. Great Lakes ConservationBlueprint for TerrestrialBiodiversity. Volume 2:Ecodistrict Summaries. NatureConservancy of Canada andOntario Ministry of NaturalResources. 334pp.

Hills, G. A. 1959. A Ready Referenceto the Description of the Land ofOntario and its Productivity.Preliminary Report. OntarioDepartment of Lands and Forests,Division of Research, Maple. 142 pp.

Ontario Ministry of NaturalResources, Ecological LandClassification for SouthernOntario: First Approximation andIts Applications. Lee, H.,Bakowsky, W., Riley, J.L., Bowles,J., Puddister, M., Uhlig, P.,McMurray, S. SCSS Field GuideFG-02, September 1998.

Riley, J. L. and P. Mohr. 1994. Thenatural heritage of southernOntario’s settled landscapes.Ontario Ministry of NaturalResources, Southern Region,Aurora. 78pp.

Rowe, J. C. 1972. Forest Regions ofCanada. Canadian ForestryService Publication 1300. 172 pp.

Wiken, E. B., D. Gauthier, I. Marshall,K. Lawton, and H. Hirvonen.1996. A Perspective on Canada’sEcosystems: An Overview of theTerrestrial and Marine Ecozones.Canadian Council on EcologicalAreas (CCEA) Occasional Papers1996, No. 14. 95 pp.

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Selected ReferencesSelected References

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ISBN 978-1-4249-4066-0 PDF

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