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Alberta contains more than half of the Prairie Boreal Transition Zone (57%); 6% lies in British Columbia, 21% in Saskatchewan and 16% in Manitoba.Conservation Champions
Talisman Energy partners with DUC in building field stations and conducting Project Webfoot wetland tours for Grade 5 students in Hinton, Edson and Grande Prairie.Boreal Transition Zone 
Not quite forest, not quite prairie, the boreal transition zone (BTZ) comprises more than 34 million hectares from the eastern slopes of the Rockies across north-central Alberta and Saskatchewan and into western Manitoba.
The unique habitat has abundant wetlands, and is a mix of trees, shrubs and water that you won’t find anywhere else in Canada. This region is characterized by large stands of deciduous and coniferous forests, rolling grasslands, and diverse and abundant wetlands. Recent evidence strongl suggests that this area is of significant importance to waterfowl. Wetlands in this region are under increasing pressure from urban development, and the expansion of agriculture, oil and gas and forestry.
DUC has been working in the Boreal Transition Zone for over 50 years. Work is continuing in partnership with landowners, industry and government in order to improve and sustain wildlife habitat in this zone.
Boreal Transition Zone Wildlife Facts
- Over 4.1 million ducks flock to this region annually
- Home to numerous shorebirds and colonial water birds
- Important habitat for species of special concern including Whooping Cranes and Woodland Caribou
To help better understand the impact of increased industrial and agricultural pressures, DUC has been conducting waterfowl surveys in the region since 2000. Four years of survey data have provided a better foundation for DUC program delivery and sparked a renewed interest on this landscape.
