Beringia was a land bridge that connected Asia and North America during the last mass glacial period.

The landmass remained ice-free during that period and spanned from modern Siberia to Alaska, Yukon and the MacKenzie river in Northwest Territories. It holds significance because it facilitated the migration and exchange of many plants and animals between the continents, many of whose evolutionary links remain today. As such, the Yukon South Beringia is home to some of the oldest landscapes in the country and multiple, unique and rare species find a home here.

The Canadian Encyclopedia, Article: Beringia

Why is Yukon South Beringia so Unique?

A Re-occuring land bridge

The Bering Land Bridge has come and gone numerous times starting in the beginning of the Cenozoic Era (about 68 million years ago). Many species have been isolated much longer than those in the Galapagos Islands, which is only about 100,000 years old.

Ice age conditions

For most of that time (about 80%) the region has been dominated by ice age conditions (cold and dry but not glaciated). Yukon species for the most part are well adapted to the cold, and not as much to warm temperatures – although there have been warm periods.

That is how some species have their closest relatives in Russia but are not found in Alaska (rare), whilst others are spread from Russia through to the Yukon.

one of THE least explored areas in north america

Typically, people think of scientists going to the rainforests of Brazil or other exotic places to discover new species; however, Yukon is one of the least explored areas in North America for many species groups. We still have a lot to learn and there are many new species to be discovered here (although few vertebrates).

Home to Canada’s Richest native biodiversity

The Yukon South Beringia Priority Place has some of Canada’s richest native biodiversity and has species found nowhere else on earth. Some of these species we share with Alaska, whilst others are Amphiberingian (ie., also occur in Russia and sometimes the NWT). Many of these species shared the land with the mammoths, and some are likely much older.

Yukon South Beringia Priority Place

Yukon South Beringia was selected as a Priority Place for species at risk conservation due to its geologic and glacial history that resulted in the region being a home to a variety of unique and endemic species, some of which are rare or at risk.

“Yukon South Beringia” is defined as the southern portion of Beringia in Yukon—an area that remained ice-free during past glacial (cold) periods—and south of the North Yukon land use planning region. Yukon South Beringia also encompasses small isolated lowland grasslands, salt flats, and dune ecosystems found south of the glacial limit, which now contain remnant populations of endemic Beringian species. In all, Yukon South Beringia is approximately 89,000 square kilometres, stretching from the Ogilvie Mountains in the north, south to Dezadeash Lake and Carcross.

The region overlaps the traditional territories of 11 Yukon First Nations:

Carcross/Tagish First Nation
Champagne and Aishihik First Nations
First Nation of Na-Cho Nyäk Dun
Little Salmon/Carmacks First Nation
Kluane First Nation
Kwanlin Dün First Nation
Selkirk First Nation
Ta’an Kwächa’än Council
Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in
Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation
White River First Nation

All but one have modern land claim agreements, and many have Settlement Lands identified in the region. Yukon South Beringia also overlaps the majority of the Dawson Land Use Planning region as well as portions of the Northern Tutchone, North Yukon, White River, Kluane and Whitehorse planning regions. Land use planning for North Yukon is complete and land use planning for Dawson is currently underway.

The principal land uses occurring within Yukon South Beringia include mining (hard rock and placer), hunting and fishing, tourism, and agriculture. The region also overlaps with the communities of Dawson City, Stewart Crossing, Pelly Crossing, and to a lesser extent, Whitehorse and Carcross.

Why Here?

High Biodiversity

Active Mining & Exploration, Hunting, Fishing and Tourism Activities

27 Species at Risk

Globally Unique Species

Overlaps with Dawson Land-Use Planning Area

Key Threats

Climate Change

Biodiversity & Habitat Loss

Exploration & Development

Our Priorities

Riparian Systems

Riparian systems make up a crucial transitional zone between water and land which connect multiple biomes and ecosystems to support thriving plant and aquatic/terrestrial animal communities. These zones play an important role in maintaining water quality, regulating microclimates, supporting diverse food webs, and stabilizing landscapes. However, they are are among the most vulnerable on Earth due to their location within the landscape and popularity for human activity.
Beringian Steppe

The Beringian Steppe is a semi-arid ecoregion that includes bluffs and dry meadows. It is characterized by grassland plains (other than those occurring near rivers and lakes) and a dry and temperate climate, which supports short grasses and/or shrubs but no trees. The Beringian steppe would have supported a productive ecosystem of ice-age animals and plants, unlike the Arctic Tundra of today, where few mammals can survive.
Ancestral Stewardship

Species have intrinsic value and therefore, the right to persist. Humans have a responsibility for the persistence of species as our actions have an impact on the ecosystems in which we co-exist. As original stewards of the land and waters, Indigenous Peoples of the Yukon hold a vital ancestral role in conservation and species protection, which is grounded in Indigenous laws and advanced practices and recognizes the interrelations between all living and non-living things.