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Natural Vegetation
Ontario
What is Natural Vegetation?
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Natural Vegetation refers to plants that grow without
human interference.
A regions vegetation is determined by its climate and
soil.
Plants must have moisture and heat for survival. The
relative amounts affect what type of plats grow.
Canada has 7 natural vegetation regions that are
composed of 3 types of natural vegetation: Tundra,
Forest and Grassland
Of the 3 forest vegetation covers the most.
Natural Vegetation Diagram
Canada's Vegetation Regions
Vegetation
Region
Types of
Natural
Vegetation
Tundra
shrubs,
mosses,
lichens, small cold- short
flowers
growing season
Boreal and
Taiga Forest
Mixed Forest
Deciduous
Forest
Grassland
Cordilleran
Vegetation
West Coast
Forest
Bare further
north
gradually
becoming all
Coniferous
trees the
mixing point
from tundra
to forests
Both
Deciduous
and
Coniferous
Only in South
West Ontario,
only
deciduous
trees, Maple,
beech,
hickory, ash,
and black
walnut
Moss, ShortGrass, Long
Grass and
Parkland
The
vegetation
varies
depending
from each
part of the
cordilleran:
Grasses,
Shrubs,
Meadows of
Flowers,
Trees
lush forest,
fir, Sitka
spruce, red
cedar, and
western
hemlock. A
temperate
rainforest
Temperature
Characteristics
Precipitation
Characteristics
very little
precipitation
most areas less
than 400mm
Cold
Mid
Precipitation
Mid
Temperature
Mid
Precipitation
High
Mid
Precipitation
Large Range
from very cold
to very hot
very dry
Warm,
temperatures
but warmer at
base of
mountains than
at the top
More rain of the
windward side
of the mountain
and less on the
leeward as it is
in a rain
shadow
High
heavy rainfall
all year
Ontario's Vegetation Regions
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Of the 7 Ontario has 4 of
Canada's vegetation regions.
The Largest Boreal and
Taiga
The smallest a little stretch
of Tundra along the
southern shore of Hudson's
Bay
The Deciduous Forest in
Southern Ontario is the only
one in Canada.
Mixed forest runs through
the middle of the province.
Deciduous Forest
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Is located in Southwest Ontario and is
the only deciduous forest in Canada
The majority of the trees are: Maple,
Beech, Hickory, Ash and Black
Walnut.
The summers are long and hot and the
winters mild.
Precipitation is Plentiful
These conditions are ideal because the
trees need at least 5 months of warm
weather to store sap for the winter.
The soil is among the most fertile in
Canada.
Unfortunately due to great
development and farming much of the
forest has been cleared.
Mixed Forest(St.Lawrence
Forest)
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In Ontario runs through South East
area up to around Thunder Bay.
Consists of coniferous and deciduous
trees.
Varieties such as: Spruce, fir, pine
cedar, hemlock, maple, beech, ash,
oak and birch.
The mixed forest is a transition zone
between the boreal forest to the North
and the Deciduous forest to the south.
The climate is ideal for Coniferous
and with warm summers the
Deciduous trees can also flourish.
Precipitation is same as in the
Deciduous Forest.
Since there is such a variety of trees
the topsoil created from the leaves is
deep grey-brown and is rich in
minerals.
Boreal and Taiga Forest
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To the north of the Mixed forest is the
Boreal and Taiga forest which divides
the forests from the Tundra.
It is separated from the Tundra by the
tree line, North of the tree line it is
too cold for trees to grow.
The denseness of the Boreal forest
expands from north to south.
In the north there are barely any trees,
in the southern region it gradually
meets the warmer climate allowing
for the mixed forest.
There is very little precipitation.
The temperature is too cold for
Deciduous trees to grow.
Since coniferous trees don’t drop
many needles the topsoil is very thin
and there is little nutrients.
Tundra
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The most northern Vegetation
Region in Ontario.
It is located above the tree line.
Trees don’t grow here because its
too cold and dry.
Most of the Tundra is covered by
permafrost.
In the short summer the top meter
or so thaw.
This allows for the growth of
small shrubs, mosses and lichens.
The lack of vegetation limits the
variety of wildlife.