Beaver Hills Biosphere Reserve

UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, inscribed 2016, in Canada. Located in Alberta in western Canada, this morainic landscape has characteristic boreal-zone features, including abundant wetlands, shallow lakes and rock formations, developed during the progressive retreat of glaciers about 12,000 years ago. Today, the biosphere comprises land modified by agriculture, mixed wood forests, grasslands and wetlands. The diversity of forest and upland habitats provides optimal conditions for bison, deer, elk and moose, supports diverse and abundant waterfowl, and sustains an abundant beaver population. Thirty-six plants and six plant communities within the moraine are considered sensitive due to limited distribution in the province.