Hudson Plains Ecozone+ evidence for key findings summary / : Sommaire des éléments probants relativement aux constatations clés pour l'écozone+ des plaines hudsoniennes

You are asked to: • Exercise due diligence in ensuring the accuracy of the materials reproduced; • Indicate both the complete title of the materials reproduced, as well as the author organization; and • Indicate that the reproduction is a copy of an official work that is published by the Canadian Councils of Resource Ministers and that the reproduction has not been produced in affiliation with or [...] The boreal forests of the Hudson Plains Ecozone+ form an important part of the largest intact tract of forest in Canada, which is also considered one of the largest intact forests remaining in the world.17 However, the Hudson Plains Ecozone+ has a lower proportion and density of forest than many other forested ecozones+ in Canada.9, 18 Owing to widespread wet edaphic conditions, forests there are [...] Monitoring is mostly limited to these hydroelectric developments, while the remoteness of most of the area’s hundreds of rivers/streams and tens of thousands of small lakes and ponds precludes a comprehensive survey of their component fish communities.14, 45 Portions of the Hudson Plains Ecozone+ are, however, recognized as supporting among the highest diversity of freshwater fish species in Canad [...] Diversion of water from the Churchill River to the Nelson River is noteworthy, as it reduced the flow of the Churchill River into Hudson Bay by about 40%.53 The recent (2009) diversion of 72% of the mean annual flow of the Rupert River north to the La Grande hydroelectric complex35 is likewise noteworthy (though lateral flow from tributaries increases the flow at the river mouth to ~48%). [...] Overall, river channel fragmentation and/or flow regulation have strongly affected the Churchill and Nelson river systems in Manitoba, the Moose River system in Ontario, and the Eastmain and Rupert river systems in Quebec.35, 54 The Albany River in Ontario and Nottaway River in Quebec are systems that are considered moderately affected.54 The hydroelectric developments in and around the ecozone+ (