Pacific Maritime Ecozone (CEC)

The name of the comparable ecozones in the United States, where Level II ecoregions correspond to the international term "ecozone", are the Marine West Coast Forest and the Northwestern Forested Mountains ecoregions. In the floristic province system, the region is described as part of the Rocky Mountain Floristic Region.

Also in use is a system of biogeoclimatic zones defined and used by the British Columbia government, which defines the same area as the Coastal Western Hemlock zone, though a small portion flanking the Strait of Georgia comprises the Coastal Douglas-fir zone. In the different ecoregion system established by the World Wildlife Fund, the region corresponds to the Pacific temperate rain forests ecoregion, sub-ecoregions of which are the Haida Gwaii ecoregion, Vancouver Island ecoregion, and British Columbia mainland coastal forests ecoregions.

Geography

This ecozone is the most diverse in Canada, and perhaps the world. Its northern inland extent is primarily alpine tundra, whereas the picturesque northern coast features numerous fjords and valleys, with massive glaciers common in the mountains. To the south, the small flatland of the Fraser Valley is located at the southern end of the Coast Mountains, noted for temperate rainforests. In its marine areas are notable undersea kelp forests.

Lying on the Pacific Ring of Fire, it exhibits many hot springs.

Ecoprovinces

This ecozone can be further subdivided into three ecoprovinces:

• Georgia Depression
• Northern Coastal Mountains
• Southern Coastal Mountains