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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.

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2. Natural Vegetation

Is the plant life that grows without interference from people.

Natural vegetation is determined by the climate and soil.

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3. Soils consist of four main parts:

A. Minerals – are created when rock is broken down over periods of time .

The rock particles form sand, silt and clay.

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.

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4. Soil

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.

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5. Soil Profile

Soil forms layers called – horizons. There are four recognized layers or horizons.

- 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.

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6. Six (6) Soils and Natural Vegetation Regions

A. Arctic Tundra – found in the northern most parts of Canada. Only short rooted plants , lichens and bushes grow here.

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.

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B. Boreal Forest

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/bigwild/slideshow.html

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C. Temperate Rainforest

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

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Temperate Rainforest Sitka spruce Douglas Fir

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D. Short – grass Prairie

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

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E. Long – grass Prairie

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

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F. Mixed Forest

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

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7. The Human Impacts of Climate

Cold climates limit the areas where people choose to live .

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.

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.