Healthy ecosystems provide habitat for wildlife, and clean water and air for people. Washington has a tremendous diversity of ecosystems, including prairies, wetlands, estuaries, rainforests, shrubsteppe, marine waters, and grasslands.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife works to conserve and protect these ecosystems through the use of best available science and collaboration with others working to protect these unique landscapes in our backyard.
-
Marine shorelines
From the Pacific coast to the Puget Sound, the dynamic nature of marine shorelines and the interactions between water and land make this ecosystem full of life.
-
Riparian areas
Aquatic (water) and terrestrial (land) environments work together to influence one another in important ways.
-
Shrubsteppe
As one of Washington’s most diverse ecosystems, shrubsteppe provides habitat for species found nowhere else in the state.
-
Westside prairies
As one of the rarest ecosystems in Washington, prairies in Western Washington are home to many of the state's most imperiled species.