Setting

This ecoregion, which covers much of the southern Yukon

Yukon

Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....

 and a very small portion of northwestern British Columbia

British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

, is mainly located on the Yukon Plateau

Yukon Plateau

The Yukon Plateau is a plateau comprising much of the central and southern Yukon Territory and the far northern part of British Columbia, Canada between Tagish Lake and the Cassiar Mountains and north of the Nakina River....

, which consists of rolling hills, plateaus and deeply cut, broad valleys. The area has a dry subarctic climate

Subarctic climate

The subarctic climate is a climate characterized by long, usually very cold winters, and short, cool to mild summers. It is found on large landmasses, away from the moderating effects of an ocean, generally at latitudes from 50° to 70°N poleward of the humid continental climates...

, with summer temperatures averaging around 11 °C (51.8 °F), and winter temperatures averaging from -16.5 °C to -19 °C. Precipitation is low, averaging between 225-400 mm (8.9-15.7 in), with higher elevation areas and areas to the north-east receiving greater precipitation.

Flora

Black spruce (Picea mariana) and white spruce (Picea glauca) are the two most common trees, with lodgepole pine

Lodgepole Pine

Lodgepole Pine, Pinus contorta, also known as Shore Pine, is a common tree in western North America. Like all pines, it is evergreen.-Subspecies:...

 (Pinus contorta subsp. latifolia) being found in very dry or burnt sites. South-facing, low elevation slopes are often characterised by grassland communities. Dwarf birch

Dwarf Birch

Betula nana is a species of birch in the family Betulaceae, found mainly in the tundra of the Arctic region.-Description:...

, willow

Willow

Willows, sallows, and osiers form the genus Salix, around 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...

 and subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa) are found the subalpine zone below the tree line, while the alpine zone above supports a sparse vegetative cover consisting of mountain avens, dwarf shrub

Shrub

A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...

s, forb

Forb

A forb is a herbaceous flowering plant that is not a graminoid . The term is used in biology and in vegetation ecology, especially in relation to grasslands and understory.-Etymology:...

s, grass

Grass

Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...

es and lichen

Lichen

Lichens are composite organisms consisting of a symbiotic organism composed of a fungus with a photosynthetic partner , usually either a green alga or cyanobacterium...

.

Fauna

Mammals of this ecoregion include caribou

Reindeer

The reindeer , also known as the caribou in North America, is a deer from the Arctic and Subarctic, including both resident and migratory populations. While overall widespread and numerous, some of its subspecies are rare and one has already gone extinct.Reindeer vary considerably in color and size...

 (Rangifer tarandus), moose

Moose

The moose or Eurasian elk is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic configuration...

 (Alces alces), mountain goat

Mountain goat

The Mountain Goat , also known as the Rocky Mountain Goat, is a large-hoofed mammal found only in North America. Despite its vernacular name, it is not a member of Capra, the genus of true goats...

 (Oreamnus americanus), Dall sheep

Dall Sheep

The Dall sheep , Ovis dalli, is a species of sheep native to northwestern North America, ranging from white to slate brown in color and having curved yellowish brown horns...

 (Ovis dalli), grizzly bear

Grizzly Bear

The grizzly bear , also known as the silvertip bear, the grizzly, or the North American brown bear, is a subspecies of brown bear that generally lives in the uplands of western North America...

 (Ursos arctos horriblus), black bear

American black bear

The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...

 (Ursus americanus), gray wolf

Gray Wolf

The gray wolf , also known as the wolf, is the largest extant wild member of the Canidae family...

 (Canis lupus), coyote

Coyote

The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...

 (Canis latrans), beaver (Castor canadensis) and hare

Hare

Hares and jackrabbits are leporids belonging to the genus Lepus. Hares less than one year old are called leverets. Four species commonly known as types of hare are classified outside of Lepus: the hispid hare , and three species known as red rock hares .Hares are very fast-moving...

. Avian species include the common raven

Common Raven

The Common Raven , also known as the Northern Raven, is a large, all-black passerine bird. Found across the northern hemisphere, it is the most widely distributed of all corvids...

 (Corvus corax), ptarmigan and golden eagle

Golden Eagle

The Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas...

(Aquila chryaetos).

Threats and preservation

This ecoregion is well preserved, with an estimated 75% intact. Uplands are better preserved than valley bottoms, wherein most of the development in this ecoregion has taken place. There are no large protected areas in this ecoregion, but smaller areas are the Charlie Cole Creek Ecological Reserve and the Nisutlin River Delta National Wildlife Area. Timber harvesting, mining and a state-sponsored wolf kill are the greatest threats to the region's ecological integrity.