Download Introduction to ecozones. What are ecozones?

Unit 3 Part 1 Pgs. 100109
• 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
–
–
–
–
–
Pacific
Arctic Archipelago
Arctic Basin
Northwest Atlantic
Atlantic
• Terrestrial
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Arctic Cordillera
Northern Arctic
Southern Arctic
Taiga Plains
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
to the disappearance of
many of the wildlife in the
area.
• Human activities, such a
building dams for irrigation,
hydroelectricity and flood
control, have forever
changed the river systems
of the prairies.
56
Grasslands (p.134)
57
Wildlife
• Plain bison were once
plentiful in the prairie
ecozone.
• Overhunting in the late
1800’s drastically
decreased their
numbers, virtually
wiping them out
• Today, plain bison are
protected in national
parks, where their
numbers are growing
58
Wildlife
• An abnormally large
number of animals have
disappeared from this
ecozone. Many are
extinct, extirpated,
endangered or
threatened because of
habitat loss.
• This includes:
– The grizzly bear
(disappeared from area)
– The swift fox
(disappeared from area)
– The peregrine falcon
(endangered in the area)
– Whooping crane
(endangered in the area)
59
Humans
• The gently rolling land
of the prairies is
suitable for food
production
• The grasslands have
fertile soil and a long
enough growing season
for a variety of crops.
• The rivers can be
dammed for irrigation
and hydroelectricity
• Oil and gas deposits in
sedimentary rock are
excellent for the mining
industries.
60
Threats
• Modern farmers have
almost wiped out
keystone species in the
area (swift fox, prairie
dogs) much like early
settlers almost wiped out
the bison population.
• Extensive agriculture
uses land and destroys
wildlife habitats
• Farming overworks the
soil and reduces
nutrients
• Wastes from farms and
urban areas pollutes the
waters.
61
Threats
• Oil and gas development
creates pollution and
contributes to
greenhouse gas
emissions, which
eventually changes the
climate.
• Dams and reservoirs built
for power, flood control
and irrigation alter rivers
and wildlife habitats.
• Conservation efforts and
government regulations
aim to restore some
wildlife and grasslands.
62
• Complete Handout #6
Crossword Puzzle
63
• Students complete Handout #7
• Activate Your Learning
64
4. Mixedwood Plains
pgs.138 -149
65
Define the Glossary words
Escarpment
Dolomite
Caprock
Differential
Erosion
• Aggregates
•
•
•
•
66
Landscape
• The Niagara Escarpment is
a 725-kilometre-long cliff.
• Winds along western shore
of Lake Ontario, up to the
tip of Bruce peninsula.
• Considered the backbone
of this ecozone.
• Declared a UNESCO
(United Nations
Educational, Scientific,
and Cultural Organization)
World Biosphere Reserve,
making it an
internationally recognized
ecosystem.
67
• When the glaciers
melted at the end of
the Ice Age, sand
and gravel settled on
sedimentary rock in
the area.
• The rock layers at
the bottom of the
cliff (shale and
sandstone) are softer
than the rock layers
on the top of the cliff
(dolomite limestone).
68
Case Study
• Read the Case study “The Holes in
The Niagara Escarpment” pgs.
140-143
• Complete Handout # 8
69
Vegetation
•
•
•
•
•
because so many people live in this
small ecozone, much of the natural
vegetation is gone.
there are some heavily forested
areas along some lakeshores.
Agriculture, logging, and city
growth have wiped out much of the
forests (only 10% of Southern
Ontario’s original forests remain)
More than 90% of the wetlands in
the area have been converted to
farmland or urban areas.
Before the farmland and urban
sprawl took over, the area had a
mix of coniferous (pines and
hemlocks) as well as deciduous
(maple, oak, and elm) trees.
70
Wildlife
• Like the forests, much of
the wildlife of this ecozone
has been pushed out
because their homes (the
trees) have been chopped
down.
• Some species that remain
include white-tailed deer,
foxes and squirrels.
• Other species (coyotes,
raccoons, mice, and
groundhogs) have adapted
to city life but the people
living there aren’t too happy
with that.
71
People
• smallest ecozone in
Canada (9% of total
land area of Canada)
but has the most
people (60% of the
country’s population
live here).
• more than half the
top quality
agriculture in Canada
is in this ecozone.
• Many fruits and
vegetables grown
there.
72
People
• Industrial
Heartland – many
products (designer
clothes, cars,
furniture, food) are
manufactured here.
• The many banks
and corporations
around the western
shore of Lake
Ontario has led to
the nickname The
Golden Horseshoe.
73
People
• Lots of tourism –
Niagara Falls, CN
Tower, Royal
Ontario Museum.
• Sports – baseball,
hockey, football,
and basketball
franchises.
• Lots of cottage
areas.
74
People
• More than 100 people
per square kilometre.
• 12.8 million people in
Ontario – 90% of
them in the
Mixedwood Plains
• 8 million people in
Quebec – 80% of
them in Montreal,
Quebec City, and
Trois Rivieres, all
found in Mixedwood
Plains
75
Threats
• quarries on the
Niagara Escarpment –
holes are being
blasted into the rock.
• expanding urban
areas threatening
forests and wildlife
• people breathe in
smog caused by cars,
factories, and
thermal-electricity
plants.
76
5. Southern Arctic
77
Landscape
• a lot of this ecozone is
made up of piles of
sand and gravel left
over by glaciers that
melted 8500 years ago.
• Now there are lots of
moraines (mounds of
dirt) and eskers (long
ridges of sand).
• The glaciers tore up
the land, leaving many
holes that were filled
with the melting ice. As
a result, there are lots
of lakes and ponds
found here.
78
Landscape
• There’s a lot of
permafrost
(permanently
frozen ground) in
this ecozone,
often just a few
centimetres
below the
surface. Although
there is little
precipitation,
moisture gets
caught just under
the surface.
79
Vegetation
• The treeline is found
along the southern part
of the Southern Arctic.
The trees get much
smaller and eventually
disappear above this
line.
• As a result, there aren’t
many large plants in the
area. Mostly shrubs and,
in the summer, berries.
• The cold air and dry
winds make it difficult
for taller trees to grow.
80
Wildlife
• Due to the cold most
of the year, the
number of species
found in the Southern
Arctic drops the
further north you go.
• Caribou, foxes,
bears, moose, and
hawks are some of
the animals and birds
you can expect to
find. Close to a
million caribou
migrate south each
year.
81
People
• The Inuit make up
80% of the
population of the
Southern Arctic.
• There are less
than 10,000
people in this
ecozone, spread
out over 17
communities.
82
Threats
• The area is very rich in
minerals and oil and
gas. This means a lot of
the land is being
destroyed to exploit
these resources.
• Global warming is also
having negative effects
on the area, causing
much warmer than
normal temperatures.
Wildlife and vegetation
in the area, not being
used to the warmer
weather, are migrating
or dying.
83
6. Atlantic Marine
Ecozone
84
Landscape
• This ecozone
only touches
land at the
southern coast
of New
Brunswick and
Nova Scotia and
the eastern
coast of Nova
Scotia and
Newfoundland.
85
Landscape
• Winds from land to
the west meets the
warm Gulf stream,
making the ecozone
more temperate
than it would
otherwise be.
• Dense fog forms
when the warm gulf
stream meet the
cold Labrador
current.
86
Landscape
• The Bay of
Fundy features
the largest tide
in the world.
– The difference
between high
and low tide can
go as far as 15
metres in the
difference.
87
Vegetation
• Phytoplankton :
microscopic
plant like
organisms. They
are the base of
the marine food
web.
• Seaweed and
kelp are also
found throughout
the region
88
Vegetation
Tidal Marshes
• Extensive salt marshes
occur particularly in
New Brunswick, Nova
Scotia, and Prince
Edward Island but less
frequently in
Newfoundland.
Examples of vegetation
in this area are:
– Saltmarsh Cord grass
– Wild Barley
– Sea lavender
89
Wildlife
• The Grand Banks
are among the most
biologically
productive marine
areas in the world
– Labrador Current +
Gulf Stream
– Shallows of the
continental shelf
prepare ideal feeding
grounds and
spawning conditions.
90
Wildlife
• Animals and fish such
as the northern cod,
herring, grey seals,
harbour porpoises,
puffins and gulls live in
this ecozone.
• There are also a
number of bottom
dwellers in the Atlantic:
– Barnacles, sea stars,
lobsters
91
People
The people of Atlantic
Marine significantly
depend on the ecozone for
their livelihood.
• Fishing
– Lobster, shrimp, crab
• Aquaculture
– Experiments in scallop,
salmon and cod farming
– Mussel farming
• Offshore Oil and Gas
– Hibernia, Terra Nova oil
and gas fields, reserves in
Nova Scotia
92
Threats
• Overfishing
– Canadian and
foreign fishing
have driven
down
commercial cod
populations to a
serious level.
93
Unit 3 Part 3 pgs. 150-153
•Protecting
Canada’s Natural
Places
94
• 1. The United Nations has suggested
that each country in the world should
protect 12% of its total land area.
• Define the following terms:
• A. stakeholder
• B. stewardship
• C. natural corridor
95
• 2. Three ways to protect our
natural spaces are:
• A. private land stewardship
• B. effective land use
• C. education
96
• In Class Assignment – From My
Ecozone to Yours
• Handout # 9
97