Download Chapter 5 Canadian Geography

Canadian Geography
Ch 5 Northern
Character
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1. Canada’s climate is classified as
nordic – which is a climate in the
northern latitudes in which
summers are short and mild and
winters are long and cold.
2. Natural Vegetation
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Is the plant life that grows without
interference from people.
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Natural vegetation is determined by the
climate and soil.
3. Soils consist of four main parts:
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A. Minerals – are created when rock is
broken down over periods of time .
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The rock particles form sand, silt and clay.
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These soils contain nutrients needed by
plants to grow.
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B. Humus- is the decayed remains of plant
and animal life , bacteria breaks down this
organic matter, releasing nutrients into the
soil.
C. Air – is a necessary element of soil
because plants need air around their roots to
grow.
D. Water- is needed for growth as well as for
the process of weathering.
4. Soil
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A. Weathering- is the means by which rocks
and other matter are broken down over time.
Root growth
exfoliation
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B. Leaching- occurs in areas where there is
a great deal of precipitation . As the water
moves down through the soil, it carries away
the soils nutrients thus it’s not able to support
plant life.
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C. Capillary Action- occurs in areas of very
dry climate.
- Moisture from the soil is drawn upward.
- The water carries with it dissolved salts and
minerals which are left behind in the topsoil
as the water evaporates.
- This creates a thick topsoil rich in minerals.
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Note: Put fig 5.2 pg. 69 in your notebook.
5. Soil Profile
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Soil forms layers called – horizons. There
are four recognized layers or horizons.
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- A horizon or topsoil- is usually dark in
colour and is rich in organic matter (humus).
This is the zone where leaching occurs.
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B Horizon or subsoil- is lighter in colour and
it is a combination of organic matter and
minerals.
C Horizon or parent material- contains
minerals from the bedrock and glacial
deposits.
D Horizon or bedrock- this is the solid
underlying rock from which soil is formed.
6. Six (6) Soils and Natural Vegetation
Regions
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A. Arctic Tundra – found in the northern
most parts of Canada. Only short rooted
plants , lichens and bushes grow here.
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Most of the region is above the treeline
(area where trees don’t grow)
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Arctic Tundra
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Permafrost – is permanently frozen ground
that does not thaw during the summer time .
Only the top meter of the ground called the
active layer , thaws during the short
summer.
This allows for a brief growing season of six
to eight weeks.
B. Boreal Forest
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Is the largest vegetation zone in Canada.
It is generally cold and wet and a lot of leaching
occurs in this area.
Only coniferous and evergreens with there long roots
are able to grow easily here.
The soil in this area is greyish in colour and isn’t very
fertile.
Trees such as spruce , pine , larch, white birch and
poplar are found in this region.
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Boreal Forest
Animationhttp://www.wildlandsleague.org/bigwil
d/slideshow.html
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C. Temperate Rainforest
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Climate is mild throughout the year, with abundant
precipitation.
Climate is ideal for dense coniferous forests of red
cedars, sitka spruce and famous douglas fir.
The topsoil in the coastal regions is deep grey
podzol which supports extensive vegetation.
On the mountain slopes the soil is thin and supports
less vegetation
Temperate Rainforest
 Sitka spruce
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Douglas Fir
D. Short – grass Prairie
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The growing season is warm and dry and
only short grasses and vegetation with short
roots , such as cactus and sagebrush grow
here.
Because of the lack of vegetation , the soil
lacks humus and thus is called brown
grassland.
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Short – grass Prairie
E. Long – grass Prairie
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Summers are warm and with reasonable
precipitation makes it ideal for agriculture.
Deep rooted tall grasses grow well in this
area and the soil is rich in humus.
The dark brown or black grassland soil is
called chernozem , which is Russian for
“black earth”.
This area supports Canada’s grain industry.
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Long –grass Prairie
Sea of Grass
F. Mixed Forest
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Climate is warm in summer and cool in winter .
In southern regions, deciduous trees like giant
maples and oak grow while in the east and north
there is a mixture of deciduous and coniferous.
Topsoil is deep and rich with minerals and humus.
This produces a brown or grey-brown podzol soil
and when fertilizers are added makes the soil
excellent for crops.
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Mixed Forest
7. The Human Impacts of Climate
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Cold climates limit the areas where people
choose to live .
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Most Canadians live within 300 km of our
southern border.
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Comfort Temperature- In Canada the
comfort temperature is considered 20
degrees C.
Temperatures below 20 degrees C are
considered a deficit while temperatures
above 20 degrees C are a surplus.
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Divergence Bar Graph – is a graph showing
plus and minus values for a particular period.
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8. The Geography of Skiing
Vertical drop- is the difference between the
top of the hill and the bottom.
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Gradient- is the measurement of how much
a slope drops over a given distance .
It is usually stated as a ratio , such as 1 in 5.
This means that the slope will drop 1 m over
a horizontal distance of 5 m.
Gradient is calculated by dividing the vertical
distance by the horizontal distance, or the
rise by the run.