Natural resources Flashcards
what percent of coniferous forest does Canada have?
68%
what percent of deciduous forest does Canada have?
22%
what percent of mix forest does Canada have?
15%
what is the largest type of forest in Canada?
boreal forest
which type of wood is boreal forests mostly made of?
coniferous (softwood)
In the boreal forests how does the climate affect the growth of the trees
the trees grow slowly
What are boreal forest trees used for?
pulp and paper
How are trees affected in the taiga forest by climate?
the trees are quite small due to the climate and the permafrost
what type of trees are in the taiga forests?
mostly coniferous trees with some deciduous
Because of the small growth in trees in the taiga forests it makes the trees inaccessible for…..
logging
What is Canada’s most productive forest?
West Coast Forest
How does the Climate affect the trees in the West Coast forests?
the abundance of rain and moderate temperatures allow for trees to grow large
What types of trees are in the south, North in the mixed forests?
coniferous In the north, and deciduous in the south
Where does Canada’s maple syrup come from
the mixed forests
softwoods are…..
coniferous trees
hardwoods are….
deciduous trees
softwood are used for?
pulp&paper products, shingles,
examples of softwood are?
fir, pine, spruce, cedar
hardwoods are used for?
construction, flooring, and furniture
examples of hardwood are?
oak, maple, birch, walnut,
What are commercial forests?
Have trees that are used for industrial use, also can be harvested efficiently-both in time and money
What are non-commercial forests?
are forests that are unlikely to be cut down for industrial use
What is clear cutting?
The removal of all trees suitable for logging in an area. the leftover stumps, brushwood, and weeds are removed by prescribed burning.
advantages of clear-cutting
cheapest, most efficient
disadvantages of clear-cutting
replanted by man, severe, erosion, habitat loss
what percentage of forest removal is done by clear-cutting?
88%
what is seed tree cutting?
the removal of all but few trees in an area. these trees create seeds that grow into new trees
What is selective cutting? (high grading)
The removal of small patches of large trees to a create space for smaller trees to grow
advantage of selective cutting?
certain species do better
disadvantage of selective cutting?
too time consuming
What is shelterwood cutting?
The removal of all trees in rows. This way of cutting is used for trees that need shade to grow.
What is patch-logging?
The removal of trees in a checkerboard pattern, where only the “black patches” are clear cut.
What are the advantages of patch-logging?
naturally reforested
What are the disadvantages of patch-logging?
higher costs due to extra roads
what is deforestation?
complete clearing of tree formations without reforestation
what are two way of reforestation?
natural regeneration and artificial regeneration
what is the AAC
Annual allowable cut, the yearly amount of trees that can be cut down without damaging the ability of the forest to regrow.
what is a mineral?
a naturally occurring, pure, non-living substance found in the rocks of the earth.
what are the three categories of minerals?
metallic, industrial, and fossil fuels.
what are fossil fuel minerals?
remnants of biotic material.
what is an ore mixture?
minerals mixed with another compound or mineral
what does ore contain that makes mining profitable?
metallic minerals
how are minerals located?
1) a magnometer generates a magnetic field that ore responds to
2) once a spot is located geologists drill core samples
3) using that method they can locate the edges of the reserve.
what do satellites do in mining
give satellite images that give geologists clues about the surface features of the area.
they also create thermal images which various minerals respond to.
where are most mines located?
remote areas ( deserted, not urban)
when the ore body is near the surface what type of mining might be chosen?
strip mining or open-pit mining.
when the ore body is deep beneath the surface what type of mining might be chosen?
underground mining or shaft mining.
with increasing technology what does it enable us to do?
gives us the ability to extract deposits more efficiently
what happens in strip mining?
the overburden is removed, ore is shovelled onto trucks or conveyor belts, the ore is removed for processing
how is open pit mining similar to strip mining?
the overburden is still removed but extends downward rather than outward
what happens in open-pit mining?
overburden is removed, explosives blast apart the ore, the ore is put onto tracks and trucked out of the mine for processing
what is the largest open-pit mine?
Bingham canyon mine, more than 1.2km deep and 4km wide
what happens in underground/shaft mining?
a shaft is sunk into the earth at the edges of the ore body, levels (horizontal tunnels) are dug into the ore, the rock in the levels is blasted apart, the leftover rubble (muck) is transported to an ore pass where is falls into a crusher where it is crushed, it is then funnelled down another ore pass into a skip where it is brought up to the surface for processing.
before metallic mineral becomes useful it needs to be….
purified
what is miling?
it separates the mineral from the majority of the waste, processing the ore into concentrates
what is smelting?
involves heating the remainder of the mineral until the metals separate from the concentrates
what is produced after mineral processing
waste material called tailings
what is tailings a mixture of?
water, chemicals, and rock particles
how much of the world’s cesium does Manitoba contain
2/3
what is hydroelectric power?
harness the natural flow of water in rivers and processes it into the electricity that powers our homes and cities
how is hydro renewable
its energy harvested from natural resources that can be replaced naturally at a rate that is sustainable
how is hydro clean?
it produces no air pollutants and gives off very low greenhouse gas emissions
how is hydro reliable
companies look at past records of water flow and levels in the area to ensure that, even at the record lows, there will be enough water to generate electricity at any given location
what are the two factors that determine the amount of energy produced?
volume of water
speed of water flow
what is crude oil also known as?
petroleum
what is petroleum made of?
liquid made up of hydrocarbons with some organic compounds, and small amounts of metals.
1 barrel of oil is how many litres?
160L
what are oil sands a mixture of?
sand, clay, water, and bitumen
how are oil sands mined
81% in-situ
19% open pit
bitumen is extremely _____
viscous
in order for bitumen to flow it must….
be diluted or heated
bitumen contains what impurities?
nitrogen, sulphur, and metals
what is conventional extracting also called
fracking
T/F conventional works in oil sands
false
what are three ways of extracting oil and gas
conventional, open pit (mining method), and in-situ
what is conventional oil?
oil that is in liquid form and can be brought to the surface without additional pressure being put on it.
when is in-situ used?
used when oil sands are deeper than 75m
what happens in steam assisted gravity drainage
two wells are drilled, one higher than the other. steam is pushed into the top of the well, which increases the temperature of the bitumen which causes it to flow into the lower well where it can be pumped out
what is hydraulic fracturing
water, sand, and chemicals are pumped down into the ground to create cracks, the sand ensures that the cracks stay open. the water is then pumped out and oil or gas can be extracted
how is the release of gases into the air controlled?
gas flaring
what happens in gas flaring
burns gas and releases water and C02
