W3 Physical Geography of Canada Flashcards
Natural Vegetation Zones in Canada
- Most of the vegetation we see today in Canada is not _____
- It has been introduced though human activity, such as _____
- Major natural vegetation zones in Canada (f,g,p,t)
Natural Vegetation Zones in Canada
- Most of the vegetation we see today in Canada is not natural
- It has been introduced though human activity, such as agriculture
- Major natural vegetation zones in Canada (forests, grasslands (prairies, tundra)
What are the four natural vegetation zones?
CG DT
think of CG (gang name) is DT (down town) to grow some weed
Coniferous Forests
Grasslands
Deciduous Forests
Tundra
Coniferous Forests
π²
πͺ‘
B
M
C
(believe me coniferous)
- Composed of evergreen trees
- Sometimes called needleleaf forests
Example. Boreal forest (Canadian shield)
Example. Montane forest (Interior of B.C) (interio=middle and starts with M)
Example. Coastal rain forest (Coast of B.C)
Grasslands
π΅
π§΄π
ONLY π
- Found in relatively dry areas
- The length of the grass varies with moisture content
- Only found in the prairie provinces
Deciduous Forests
π
B
C
- (they decide to loose their leaves) Composed of trees that lose their leaves each winter
Example. Broadleaf forest (most of southern Ontario)
Example. Carolinian forest (southern half of southern Ontario)
-think of carolina panthers located south of ON
Tundra
ποΈ
πββοΈ->πͺ΄
π
ππ
βοΈ
- Composed of small plants that survive in harsh climates
- These plants reproduce by runners
ββ-Runners are offshoots of the main plant - Found in the arctic and alpine areas
- These plants have shallow root systems due to the underlying permafrost
Adaptive Vegetation
X
K
Xerophyte:
Xerophyte:
π―οΈ
-lots of species in the ____ are xerophyte
exam
a plant that has waxy leaves which reduce moisture loss
ββββLots of species in the tundra are xerophytes
Krumholz:
exam
a plant that grows in a sideways formation because harsh dry winds desiccate the upper part of the
plant
(think of r as shape of plant growing sideways and Kentucky (K) is where the wind came from
Vertical and Latitudinal Zonation
- As you go up a mountain you see a latitude pattern
Permafrost in Canada
-Permafrost can be AZ
-Permafrost can be alpine or zonal
Permafrost forms where..
Permafrost forms where..the mean annual temperature of the soil is below 0*C
Discontinuous permafrost may form in
π
sloped areas with a northerly aspect
t (slope) n(northerly aspect)
Aspect
π§
fill in the blank
the direction that a slope faces
The line separating continuous and discontinuous permafrost roughly follows the ____ line
The line separating continuous and discontinuous permafrost roughly follows the tree line
- This tree line has moved________ by approximately ___km over the past __ years
- This tree line has moved northward by approximately 100km over the past 50 years
Three types of permafrost:
CDS
Continuous permafrost
Discontinuous permafrost
Sporadic
- Continuous permafrost β
β at least 80% of the ground is permanently frozen
- Discontinuous permafrost
β 30%-80% of the ground is permanently frozen
- Sporadic permafrost
-less than 30% of the ground is permanently frozen
Types of permafrost
Talik:
fill in the blank
permafrost free zone beneath a lake
-think of ta liking the ice under lake
open talik (permafrost under connected to the lake)
closed talik (permafrost under not connected to lake
through talik (no permafrost underneath)
ποΈ
The melting of a permafrost can cause roads to buckle and building to fracture
- Utilities and pipelines must be built above ground on permafrost areas and many buildings are on _____
- This is because heat from buildings can heat the ___ and cause melting which leads to the
building falling in
- Utilities and pipelines must be built above ground on permafrost areas and many buildings are on stilts (to keep them still)
- This is because heat from buildings can heat the soil and cause melting which leads to the
building falling in