Home
Map
Browse Map
Explore away
Explore Map Collection
Check out our basemaps
Print a Map
Plus
Generate a high-quality PDF
Field Guide
Field Guide
Discover local flora, fauna, geology, and more
Local Flora & Fauna
Learn the ecology of your area
Local Geology
Learn the geologic formation at your feet
Get Started
or
Sign In
Welcome
Sign up to start exploring the one-of-a-kind Natural Atlas Topo map
Continue with Apple
Or
Sign up with Email
Already have an account?
Sign In
MAP
Topo
Waterfalls
Rock Formations
Campgrounds
Trails
Boat Launches
National Parks
State Parks
Scenic Spots
Measure
You must upgrade to measure routes
Start Free Trial
0 ft
Max
0 ft
Copyright
© Natural Atlas
| Roads, Buildings
© OSM Contributors
|
Data Sources
Topo
Ecoregions
Public Lands
...
BASEMAPS
Default Weather
Temperature
Smoke
...
WEATHER
Boundary Lakes and Hills
Ecoregion
in
MN
Print Map
Generate High-Quality PDF
This ecoregion is well known for its many lakes and rivers and undisturbed landscape, providing innumerable canoe and kayak and camping recreation opportunities. Comprising a large area in northeastern Minnesota adjacent to a similar landscape in Ontario, the ecoregion is an extension of the Archaen and Proterozoic bedrocks of the Canadian Shield with scoured bedrock uplands covered by a thin layer of less developed forest Udept soils. The ecoregion has the highest single elevation in Minnesota (about 700 m) and a large area of high elevation in the eastern part of the ecoregion; the terrain is rolling to undulating with some steep slopes. The presettlement vegetation was jack pine, white and red pine, spruce, fir, birch and aspen forest. Mixed deciduous and evergreen forest and many lakes cover the ecoregion today. The ecoregion hosts Voyageurs National Park in the northwest and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) over much of the rest of the northern half of the ecoregion. BWCAW covers about 36% of the ecoregion. Heinselman’s book (1966) has described the BWCAW in great detail: the history and current status of climate, fire, logging, and human culture, as well as that of the vegetation, fauna, landscape ecology, and the legislation covering the area. Fire was an important component of the structure of the BWCAW over time until logging and fire suppression began in the 20th Century. This ecoregion has the highest number of lakes among all Level IV regions. About 55% of this ecoregion was mixed, evergreen, and deciduous forest, 25% wetlands, 15% open water in 2013.
—
EPA
Taxonomy
Classified As
Ecoregion
Search
Search the outdoors
Map
Plans
Field Guide
Community
My Profile
My Trips
0
My Field Notes
0
Notifications
More