Lab 1: Beaver Creek Conservation Area Field Trip

Question 1

Why is Beaver Creek atypical?

Answer 1

Man prairie streams are located in old glacial melt water channels and in this respect Beaver creek is atypical as it is responsible for the development of its valley and therefore represents a post-glacial geographic feature.

Question 2

What caused the low irregular hills?

Answer 2

Product of direct deposition by the glacier as it melted.

Question 3

Where is the highest elevation in saskatoon?

Answer 3

Beaver creek at 615m ASL

Question 4

What are Ice ages?

Answer 4

are long periods in time where mean global temperature is lower than normal and fluctuates causing continetal ice sheets to grow and then shrink cyclically over tens or hundreds of thousands of years.

Question 5

Glacial Periods are?

Answer 5

Periods in an ice age where mean global temperature is low enough to allow continental ice sheets to grow.

Question 6

Inter glacial Periods are?

Answer 6

higher temperatures causing ice sheets to melt and retreat.

Question 7

Glacial Till is?

Answer 7

During the glaciers reatreat the glacier deposited a great deal of mineral material; clay, silt, sand, gravel and rock which had been incorporated into the ice during the glacier’s advance.

Question 8

What place represents he highest elevation in Saskatchewan and central plain of North America?

Answer 8

Cypress hills

Question 9

Where is the phenomenom of slumping common?

Answer 9

is common in rivers which flow through unconsolidated material.

Question 10

What is the composition of the land form sediment?

Answer 10

first 7 m is deltaic sand, followed by 25 m of silt clay. beneath this is compacted glacial till. So this represents about 32 meters of lake and river sediments resting on glacial deposits.

Question 11

What is the difference between the north and south faceing slopes?

Answer 11

Difference in moisture. The slopes which face south receive more direct sunlight while slopes facing north are much more shadier. So although they may receive same amount of rainfall the south facing slop loses more of its water to evaporation. (up to 40%)

Question 12

What does IBP stand for?

Answer 12

International biological Program.

Question 13

Define theoretical Ecology:

Answer 13

Patterns we can see in nature

Question 14

Define applied ecology:

Answer 14

Uses the info from theoretical ecology and apply it to solve questions and problems.

Question 15

What are 3 disciplines in ecology?

Answer 15

1. ) Eco-system management ex.) foresters.
2. ) Landscape ecologists
3. ) Conservation biology: enhancing or developing conservation of species and land

Question 16

What is restoration ecology?

Answer 16

Restore damaged or extrapolated habitats.

Question 17

What are the 3 types of prairies:

Answer 17

1. ) short grass prairies
2. ) Mid or mixed grass prairies
3. ) Tall Grass prairie

Question 18

Types of short grass prairies:

Answer 18

Blue Grama Grass.
Spear Grass (50% grass cover, awn tail of spear grass, the seeds actually plants itself, drills themselves into the ground. 

June Grass:

Question 19

Hydric Ecosystem:

Answer 19

water in excess to what the plant needs to survive. ex.) swamp

Question 20

Mesic ecosystem:

Answer 20

Has a water balance. Has just enough water for the plant.

Question 21

Zeric ecosystem:

Answer 21

Dry. Water shortage. Plant growth limited by water.

Question 22

Where is short grass praies found in? what ecosystem?

Answer 22

found in low mezic or high zeric ecosystems.

Question 23

What plays a role apart in water balance in ecosystems?

Answer 23

1. ) rainfall
2. ) Evaporation
3. ) Soil type

Question 24

is tall grass prairie easy or hard to restore?

Answer 24

easy

Question 25

is mixed grass prairie easy to restore?

Answer 25

takes a little longer to restore! But can be done!

Question 26

Can short grass prairie be restored?

Answer 26

Has never been a successful restoration of short grass prairie.

Question 27

what adapatation does short grass prarie have to maintain water since it lives in a zeric site.

Answer 27

Stays low to ground because winds drys it out.

Question 28

What is a Forb?

Answer 28

Any plant that isnt a grass and does not have a wooden stem.

Question 29

Where do cottonwood poplars grow?

Answer 29

Flood planes

Question 30

Where do aspen poplar or tremblind aspen grow?

Answer 30

On flat dry surface.

Question 31

Where do balsalm poplar grow?

Answer 31

where water goes though soil. Sepage area.

Question 32

Why are cottonwood poplars not being re born?

Answer 32

They need flooding to seed in and since dams controls flooding they are not being re-born.

Question 33

What degree incline is the potters clay at level of river?

Answer 33

2 degrees.

Question 34

What rate is it slumping?

Answer 34

1.25 m a year.

Question 35

How does slumping happen?

Answer 35

The bottom 6 meters of lacustrine sediments are saturated. This layer of saturated silty clay has little load bearing strength and quite slippery. As a result large sections break free from the bank and begin to slide and settle towards the river when the river erodes the tow of bank. The first block removes support for the bank behind it and a second block breaks free and begins to slump. This process continues.

Question 36

How did the river help form the valley?

Answer 36

It carried the sand the silt and the clay leaving the gravol behind and then when it got to the lakes the velocity of the water slowed which allowed the sand to drop and settle at the bottom, or the edge of the lakes, and then once winter came and the lake froze over the silt and the clay was able to settle. because the water was no longer turbid.

Question 37

How did the glacial help form the lands Glacial Lakes:

Answer 37

Glacial acted like a dam which caused water to pool, which in part flattened out the prairies but also caused local depression and some of the lakes were permanent. The glacial retreating also flattened a lot of lands.