Human Activities in Ecosystems - Mining Sites

In Canada, mines are most heavily concentrated in the Mixedwood Plains, Boreal Shield, Prairie, and Montane Cordillera ecozones. Mines require accessibility, and are therefore strongly correlated with transportation routes. While most mines are designed as closed systems, occasionally water pollution results from problems in the mining, or milling processes, and aquatic ecosystems can be affected. The map shows the number of mines per ecoregion.