This report argues that Canada needs a national ecological community classification that would include all types of biotic communities. The report first provides background on classification science, ecological terminology, and the groups & principles of different ecosystem classifications. It then reviews various approaches to classification of vegetation communities and the ecological classification systems that have been already developed in Canada. The final section discusses the development of a standard national ecological community classification for Canada, proposes a structure of the Canadian Classification of Ecological Communities, and evaluates options for development of a Canadian National Vegetation Classification based on the International Classification of Ecological Communities system.