Parts of British Columbia look like Norway; other parts look like
California/Afghanistan/Mongolia (dry hills); there are also areas that
look like Italian Alps.

I would like to be able to identify areas in North America "Looking
Like" specific regions in Europe.  In my research on the web, I found
the following info (terms that one can use to scientifically define
the term "looks like"):

Ecoprovince is defined as an area of similar climate, physiography,
wildlife, and consistent relief.

Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification (BEC) is an hierarchical
system that uses climate, soil and characteristic vegetation to group
ecosystems at various levels, including regionally, locally and
chronologically
http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hre/becweb/aboutbec/aboutbec.htm

The government of British Columbia (Canada) is providing maps
identifying various biogeoclimatic zones and ecoprovinces.  However,
it seems that this terminology is used only in British Columbia.  I
could not find a World map of biogeoclimatic zones and ecoprovinces.

Are there other scientific terms that have a Similar Meaning to
"biogeoclimatic zone" and "ecoprovince"?  If so, please give me a link
where I can find free maps that essentially make up a map of World
biogeoclimatic zones/ecoprovinces.

Thank you!

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Clarification of Question by billbauer-ga on 27 Dec 2005 23:56 PST

"Biome" seems like another term.  "Biomes are the various regions of
our planet which can best be distinguished by their climate, fauna and
flora. "
The map on http://www.worldbiomes.com/biomes_map.htm is a start, but I
was looking for something more detailed, such as maps on
http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hre/becweb/papermap/FieldMapsIndex.htm  [click on
"DKA - Kamloops" link on that page for an example of a map with the
level of detail (i.e., variety of zones, and not just broad
classifications such as "Rainforest", or "Tundra") that I am looking
for].

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Request for Question Clarification by pafalafa-ga on 28 Dec 2005 15:43 PST

Hello Bill,

There are maps at all levels of details that show
biological/ecological/ geographic zones across North America, such as
this one here:


http://www.fao.org/documents/show_cdr.asp?url_file=/DOCREP/004/Y1997E/y1997e12.htm


or this one:


http://www.uen.org/utahlink/tours/tourFames.cgi?tour_id=14051


Have a look, and let me know if these are the sorts of things you're
looking for, and if so, what additional information you would like to
make for a complete answer.

Thanks,

pafalafa-ga

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Clarification of Question by billbauer-ga on 28 Dec 2005 15:46 PST

I found a good resource at
http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/maps/interactivemaps.html

Is there anything even better out there?

---

Clarification of Question by billbauer-ga on 28 Dec 2005 15:48 PST

pafalafa, I just noticed your comment.  I will have to answer it in a
couple of hours.

---

Clarification of Question by billbauer-ga on 28 Dec 2005 17:36 PST

Thank you for looking into my question.  

In my clarification on 27 Dec 2005 23:56 PST, I mentioned that I was
not looking for maps of broad zones such as "Tundra".
http://www.uen.org/utahlink/tours/tourFames.cgi?tour_id=14051
seems to have only 12 zones, one of which is "Tundra".

http://www.fao.org/documents/show_cdr.asp?url_file=/DOCREP/004/Y1997E/y1997e12.htm
is better, however, it is still too broad.  It identifies only 2 zones
in the southern and central British Columbia - Temperate Desert, and
Temperate mountain system.  However, the whole reason for my question
was the amazing variety of landscapes in British Columbia!  I wanted
to identify the many European places these landscapes resemble.

The map on http://map.ngdc.noaa.gov/website/ged/fvv/viewer.htm [to
which there is a link on
http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/maps/interactivemaps.html that is found in my
clarification on 28 Dec 2005 15:46 PST] is good, however, once again
it labels south-central British Columbia as (only) two classes -
semidesert and mountain vegetation.

In my clarification on 27 Dec 2005 23:56 PST, I described the level of
detail [i.e. the number of "sub-zones" identified on a map] that I was
looking for by giving the following example:
"maps on
http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hre/becweb/papermap/FieldMapsIndex.htm  [click on
"DKA - Kamloops" link on that page for an example of a map with the
level of detail that I am looking for"

If you look at the "DKA - Kamloops" map, you will see that it takes a
tiny region in British Columbia and maps dozens of different zones
such as "bunch grass" and "ponderosa pine".

So basically, to clarify my question - I am looking for World maps of
the sub-zones displayed on maps on
http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hre/becweb/papermap/FieldMapsIndex.htm, for example 
the "DKA - Kamloops" map.  In other words, I would like to find other
places around the world where the the subzones visible on the "DKA -
Kamloops" map occur.

Thank you!