Lecture 3: Vegetation and Soil Flashcards
Is most of the vegetation in Canada natural?
No, was introduced through human activity like agriculture
What is a deciduous forrest?
Forest of trees that lose their leaves in winter
Where are broadleaf and Carolinian forests?
Broadleaf - Southern Ontario
Carolinian - Windsor lake erie area
What is a Grassland?
dry areas with lots of grass in which the length varies with moisture level
What is a coniferous forest?
Forst composed of evergreen trees
Where are grasslands found?
Prairie provinces
How do plants grow in tundra
- reproduce via runners
- shallow root systems due to underlying permafrost
What is a xerophyte?
A plant that has waxy leaves that reduce moisture loss
What is Krumholz?
A plant that grows in a sideways formation because harsh dry winds desiccate the upper part of the plant
What are the 3 types of zonal permafrost?
Continuous
discontinous permafrost
sporadic permafrost
How does permafrost form?
When the mean annual temperature of the soil is below 0
Where is Cryosolic soil found?
Territorial North
Where is Podzolic soil found?
Canadian Shield
Where is Luvisolic soil found?
Southern Ontario
Where is Chernozemic soil found?
Prairie Provinces
Where is Mountain Complex soil found?
Cordillera
What is Cryosolic soil?
Found when mean annual temperature is below 0
What is Podzolic soil?
- light grey
- found in cool, moist areas
- found in Boreal forest
- moisture easily percolates down
What is Luvisolic soil?
- commonly found in humid places associated with deciduous vegitation (SW ONT)
- High ammount of organic content bc of leaves dropping
- warm weather leads to quick decomposition adding to richness of soil
What is Chernozemic soil?
- found in dry areas in grasslands
What is Palliser’s Triangle?
- dry area in prairies unsuitable for farming
- popular for ranching animals
- farmers here require gov aid to survive long droughts
What is the Continental divide?
the rocky mountains seperate which ocean rivers drain into
What are drainaige basins inputs and outputs?
Inputs: precipitation, snowmelt
Outputs: rivers, evaporation
Why does global warming cause more rain
Air masses over oceans have greater capacity to hold water
What is frontal precipitation?
When warm air mass rises above a cool air mass
What is Orographic precipitation
Air masses forced to rise over mountains
What is rain shadow effect
Calgary sun thing
