Yukon Wildlife Key Area Polygons Derived From Local Interviews

250,000 Wildlife Key Areas (WKAs) are GIS polygons identifying locations used by wildlife for critical seasonal functions. The Government of Yukon created this inventory by interpreting wildlife observations and interviews with locals, with updates occurring periodically.

Use Cases

• Overlay WKA polygons with land-use planning maps to identify potential habitat conflicts for conservation zoning.
• Analyze spatial distribution of WKA polygons to model seasonal wildlife movement corridors across the Yukon.
• Use WKA polygon boundaries as a base layer for field surveys targeting specific taxa or populations mentioned in the source criteria.

Strengths

• Contains 250,000 distinct geographic polygons representing Wildlife Key Areas.
• Polygon boundaries are derived from multiple sources including local interviews and GIS interpretation of wildlife surveys.
• Maintained by the authoritative Government of Yukon with a last update in March 2026.

Limitations

• WKAs are based on observed wildlife locations, not comprehensive habitat assessment, potentially missing important sites.
• Updates occur only periodically, so boundaries and designations may not reflect the most current information.
• The dataset does not include the only sites important for wildlife, as other important areas fall outside the program's scope.

Provenance

Source

Government of Yukon, WKA Inventory Program.

Collection Method

Polygons derived from interviews with locals and GIS interpretation of wildlife/habitat surveys following taxon-specific criteria.

Time Range

null

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03 25.

Geography

Yukon, Canada.