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Ecozones of Canada

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Ecozones of Canada Unit 3 Part 1 Pgs. 100- 109 • An introduction to Ecozones • - 15 terrestrial , or land regions. • - 5 marine ,or ocean regions. 1 Activity 1.Look at the map on p. 100 of your text. (a)What is the name of the ecozone you live in? (b)What image comes to mind when you think about that ecozone? 2 Ecozones 3 1. Ecozones • Marine • Terrestrial – Pacific – Arctic Cordillera – Arctic Archipelago – Northern Arctic – Arctic Basin – Southern Arctic – Northwest Atlantic – Taiga Plains – Atlantic – Taiga Shield – Taiga Cordillera – Hudson Plains – Boreal Plains – Boreal Shield – Boreal Cordillera – Pacific Maritime – Montane Cordillera – Prairies – Atlantic Maritime – Mixedwood Plains 4 2. Glossary Terms • Define the 2 terms below using the glossary. • Ecozones • Biodiversity 5 3.What is an Ecozone? • Ecozones are multifactor regions that are based upon a combination of natural and human characteristics. 6 4.The Characteristics of an Ecozone pg.102 • Landscape – Geology – Landforms – Climate – Soil – Water • Natural Vegetation • Wildlife • People 7 5. People Affect Ecozones p.104 • People can affect nature in significant ways. • Human activity often accelerates the pace of change in the environment, which causes stress on the environment. This can lead to serious and sometimes irreversible damage • Examples of damage: – Smoggy air, polluted water, disappearing forests and animals, collapse of fisheries. 8 6. Biodiversity pg.105 • Ecozones vary in shape and size which leads to them varying in biodiversity. • - Biodiversity means that there is a large variety of living things contained in each ecozone. 9 • Complete Handout #1 10 7.Where we live - Glossary Words (p.106) • Use the glossary to define the following terms: • Habitat • Ecology • Terrestrial Ecozone • Marine Ecozone • Boundary • Transition Zone 11 • Ecozones are vast in size, and so contain many smaller ecosystems. – Wet lands and local forests, are examples of ecosystems within ecozones. • Boundary lines for ecozones are marked by the location of transition zones, where characteristics blend from one ecozone to the next. 12 • Ecozones represents the habitat of distinct communities of plants and animals. • They give you a broad picture of how natural and human features interact in different parts of Canada. • Marine Ecozones – Ocean regions • Terrestrial Ecozones – Land regions 13 • Complete Handout #2 14 8.Terrestrial Ecozones that we will study • Boreal Shield • Mixwood Plains • Prairie • Montane Cordillera • Southern Arctic 15 9.Marine Ecosystem we will study • Atlantic Marine Ecozone 16 • Complete In Class Assignment #1 17 Unit 3 Part 2 • Canada’s Ecozones Pgs. 110-149. 18 1. Boreal Shield 19 The Boreal Shield – The Big Wild pgs. 110-121 • - The Boreal Shield contains two important natural features : the rocky Canadian shield and the coniferous northern forest. • - It’s referred to as the Big Wild and in some places is 1000 kilometres wide. • - Many aboriginal communities call this area home . • - It contains steep rocky hills, dense forest , thousands of lakes and swampy wetlands called muskegs. 20 Define the Glossary Terms! • Muskeg • Taiga • Timberland 21 The Boreal Shield • The Boreal Shield is a combination of two important natural features: – The rocky Canadian Shield – The coniferous northern forest • The Boreal Shield is a huge ecozone, in some places stretching over 1000 kilometres wide. • It as been called the Amazon of the North 22 Landscape • The Boreal Shield has a very distinct look. This is due mostly to glaciers that scraped the land and exposed the granite bedrock, leaving behind thin soils and many depressions. • These depression fill with water creating bogs, swamps and lakes. 23 Natural Vegetation • The natural vegetation of the Boreal Shield is well adapted to cold winters and short, hot summers and just enough precipitation to support a dense forest. 24 Natural Vegetation • Black Spruce and balsam fir are used in high quantity for the pulp and paper mills. • Hardy deciduous trees like birch and poplar are found on the southern edges of the region. • Lichens and shrubs are also found in this area. 25 • Complete Handout #3 26 People • About 4 million people live in the Boreal Shield • Mines and mills are major resources in this ecozone. • Remote hunting and fishing lodges create a prosperous tourism industry. 27 People • Many Aboriginal peoples live in the Boreal Shield • Some maintain their traditions of hunting and fishing while others work in resources, businesses, construction or tourism. 28 People • In Newfoundland and Labrador, fishing formed the basis of the economy. • However, recent overfishing has led to the collapse of major fish stocks, which have impaired many coastal fishing communities. 29 Threats • Logging, mining, the building of oil and gas pipelines, and hydroelectric development all threaten the ecozone. • Forestry industry – Clear-cutting methods leave few trees behind in logging areas – Only a few tree species are being replanted. 30 • Handout #4 31 Threats • Roads – Road building through the ecozone force sediment buildup in streams and rivers – Road separate animal habitats, leaving them vulnerable – Road access brings more motorized vehicles into an area leading to more pollution, risk of fire and an overall negative impact on the wildlife. 32 Activate your Learning! • Page 121 • Q.1 and 4 33 2.Montane Cordillera pgs.122-127 34 Define the Glossary Words! • Orographic precipitation • Windward • Alpine tundra • Leeward • Mountain pine beetle 35 Montane Cordillera Landscape • This eco zone lies mostly in British Columbia, with 10% in Alberta • It consists of rows of mountains separated by wide valleys and plateaus (areas of elevated, flat land) • The montane cordillera is a land of exceptional natural history 36 Montane Cordillera Natural Vegetation • Natural vegetation varies greatly in the Montane Cordillera. This depends upon the location on mountains or in valleys • Why does vegetation vary? – Orographic precipitation 37 Page 123 (fig. 3.22) 38 Orographic Precipitation Windward Slopes of Mountains • These slopes are located on the west side of the mountain ranges where wind brings moisture from the Pacific. • Most precipitation is found on the windward side of mountains, so the lower parts of windward slopes are dense with coniferous forests (spruce, pine). 39 Orographic Precipitation Near the Top of the Mountain • The mountain top is too cold and windswept for trees to grow, so alpine tundra vegetation grows here (moss, lichen, and grasses). • Mountain Peaks – Have permanent ice. 40 Orographic Precipitation The leeward side of Mountains • This side of the mountain is more protected and therefore does not receive much precipitation. • Grasses and sagebrush grow in valleys of these regions. 41 Orographic Precipitation 42 Wildlife • Big horned sheep • Mountain goats • Grizzly Bear • White tailed deer • Mink 43 People • Forestry – Coniferous forests of the lower and middle slopes are a great resource for logging companies. • Tourism – Hiking, mountain climbing, hunting, fishing, etc. 44 People • Farming – Climate and soil conditions in valleys provide ideal conditions for fruit farming and vineyards 45 People • Mining – Coal deposits in ancient sedimentary rock provides a great resource for mining companies • Cattle Ranching – Grasslands on interior plateaus are perfect for cattle ranching 46 Threats • Logging – Logging, replanting and maintaining forest cover is essential for sustaining wildlife habitats – Urban growth, industrialization, agriculture and tourism are encroaching on grasslands and increasing pressure on water supplies. 47 Threats • The Mountain Pine Beetle – Kills trees by eating holes in the inner bark, laying eggs there. – This leaves a mass of dying red trees, costing the provincial economy millions of dollars – Both B.C and Alberta are burning forests in an attempt to contain and kill the pest. 48 Geolab Challenge • Page 126 Complete Handout #5 • Solving A Climate Mystery 49 3.The Prairie Ecozone pgs. 128-137 50 Define the Glossary Words! • Potholes • Slough • Drought • Badlands • Grasslands • Shelterbelt • Windbreak • Chinook 51 Landscape • The Prairie land is very distinct • From above, the land appears flat. However, a closer view reveals depressions in the soil (potholes) that are left behind by glaciers. • Many depressions have become wetlands which support a variety of plant life and wildlife 52 Landscape • Other aspects of the Prairie landscape include: – River valleys – Hills and eroded badlands (an unusual landscape created by the erosion of soft sedimentary rock.) – Gently rolling grasslands • A mixture of different grasslands – Impressions of the Prairie Ecozone (p128) 53 Landscape • The Prairies are a continental climate. This is because: – They are located in the centre of the continent. – The Rocky Mountains to the west act as barriers against rain bearing winds. – Dry arctic masses move in from the north, making the winters long and cold. – They are far from the moderating effects of bodies of water. 54 Vegetation • Wet and rich nutrient filled areas give way to fertile soil • Tall grasses grow in wet areas, while shorter grasses grow in drier areas. • Drought resistant plants such as sagebrush and short grasses grown in drier areas. • 90% of the Prairie landscape is used for agriculture. 55 Disappearing Grasslands • Less that half of the prairie's original wetlands, potholes and sloughs remain. • Many have been drained and cleared for farming and urban development. • This development has led
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