Download Canada*s Natural Regions

Canada’s Natural Regions
Natural Regions
8 Regions of Canada
Natural Regions
• A natural region is a basic geographic unit.
- distinguished by its common natural features of
geography, geology, and climate.
• The natural environment of Canada is made up
of larger biomes containing smaller ecosystems
- Each has its own type of vegetation and animal
species
The Delicate Balance
• All of the elements of a
ecosystem are dependent
upon each other
• Alerting one part of the
system or introducing
something new will set off
a chain reaction
- EX. Draining a wetland has a
dramatic impact on the plants
and animals that exist in the
habitat
Subarctic
• climate is characterized
by cold winters and cool
summers.
• Precipitation mostly in
the form of snow.
• Vegetation : dwarf shrubs
and mosses which all
grow relatively close to
the ground
• Wildlife: lemming, the
snowy owl, and caribou
Tundra
• Characterized by
permafrost, short
summers with almost
continuous daylight and
long winters
• low annual precipitation
• unstable, wet soil
conditions
• Vegetation: various sized
shrubs and mosses
• Wildlife: polar bears,
walruses, and arctic foxes
Open Woodland
• Summers are short with
prolonged periods of daylight.
Winters are the reverse.
• Temperatures are cool to cold.
• low precipitation
• Vegetation: the tree line and
contains scattered evergreen
trees, shrubs, and grass
• Wildlife: beavers, caribou,
moose, wolf, snowshoe hare,
arctic fox, black and grizzly
bears
Coniferous Forests
• Cold winters and short, warm
summers.
• Varied annual growth season,
and soils are not very fertile
• Trees such as spruce, fir, and
pine are most common, and
the area is prone to
widespread fires.
• Wildlife includes moose, wolf,
white-tailed deer, black bear,
and other fur bearing animals.
Also includes hawks, eagles,
and various wild ducks
Coast and Interior Forests
• Some of Canada's warmest
weather.
• Precipitation increases as you
reach the coastline
• Vegetation: Primarily a
coniferous forest region, but
interior valleys contain short
grass and plants adaptable to
desert conditions
• Wildlife: black-tailed deer, black
and grizzly bears, cougar, fish,
raccoon
Mixed Forests
• Warm summers and cool
winters.
• Precipitation is highly
changeable because it is along
one of the North American
storm tracks
• Vegetation: mixed forest
include birch, pine, maple, oak
and ash. Deciduous trees are
more common in the south
• Smaller mammals such as
black and grey squirrels,
raccoons, skunks. Bird species
such as the blue jay and redheaded woodpecker
Parkland
• A transition zone between
the dry southern prairies
and the coniferous forests
• Summers are warm and
relatively short. Winters are
cold and long.
• Dry climate due to the
Rockies
• Long grasses and clumps of
Aspen and Cottonwood
trees
• Wildlife from both the
Coniferous forests and the
grasslands found here
Grasslands
• Summers are warm and relatively
short. Winters are cold and long.
• The prairies receive little moisture
and experience periodic droughts.
• Area of short grasses and not
enough moisture for trees
• Wildlife: white-tailed deer, coyote,
badger, whitetail jack rabbit,
gophers and the prairie dog
• Birds hawk, greater prairie
chicken, burrowing owl
- A major breeding and nesting area
for waterfowl