I'm trying to understand Canada's major ecological divisions and the significance of its wetlands. Using the Atlas of Canada website, explain what 'terrestrial ecozones' represent and how many there are. Additionally, describe what the 'Wetland Diversity' map illustrates and why wetlands are considered important in Canada, based on the information provided on the page.
Navigate to 'atlas.nrcan.gc.ca'. Select the 'English' version of the website. Click on the 'Climate and environment' link. Click on the 'Ecozones' link in the 'On this page' navigation. Read the description for 'Terrestrial Ecozones' to understand what they represent and their number. Read the description for 'Ecosystem Components: Wetland Diversity' to understand what it illustrates and the importance of wetlands. Synthesize the gathered information to answer the proposed task.
The agent successfully navigates to the 'Ecozones' section. The agent explains that 'terrestrial ecozones' are Canada’s hierarchical classification of ecosystems, representing large ecological zones with characteristic landforms, climate, plants, wildlife, and human activities. The agent states that there are 15 terrestrial ecozones (or 20 ecozones in total, with 15 terrestrial and 5 marine). The agent describes that the 'Wetland Diversity' map illustrates the percentage of ecoregions covered by wetlands. The agent explains that wetlands are important because they foster hydrophytic vegetation, sustain waterfowl, store and release water, produce peat, offer food and shelter, slow soil erosion, and contribute to natural water purification.