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Soil and Natural Vegetation
CGC1DFri, Feb 28, 2014
Soil Soil is a naturally occurring, unconsolidated or loose
material on the surface of the earth, capable of supporting life
Soil is made up of four components (MOMA): Minerals- come from a parent material (rock), provides
nutrients to plants Organic Material/ Bacteria- decaying materials release
nutrients Moisture- dissolves nutrients, decays organic materials Air- roots need air pockets. Created by worms, insects,
and small animals that burrow in the soil
Copy the
Rich in organic materialsDark brown/ black
Mineral and organic laterlighter brown
Where soil is “made”
Soil Profile
Plants need moisture and heat in order to survive
Natural vegetation refers to those plants that grow without any human interference.
There are 3 main types of natural vegetation in Canada: tundra, forest, and grassland.
Canada is divided into 7 natural vegetation regions:
Natural Vegetation
Alberta
Nunavut
Manitoba Quebec
Ontario
Northwest Territories
Canada
YukonTerritory
Tundra
Boreal Forest
Grassland
Parkland
West Coast Forest
Broad-leaved Forest
Mixed Forest
Cordilleran Vegetation
Vegetation Regions
N
Deciduous Forest
Far North- above the treeline
shrubs, mosses, lichens, small flowers
Cold, short growing season
Very little precipitation (<400 mm)
Thin soils, permafrost.
Tundra
to the south of the Tundra Mostly Coniferous (needle-bearing) trees Longer growing season than Tundra More precipitation than Tundra Grey, shallow, acidic soil.
Boreal and Taiga Forest
Transition zone between Boreal and Deciduous forests
Both deciduous and coniferous trees Active lumber industry Warm summers, cool winters Regular, abundant precipitation Deep, grey-brown topsoil, rich in
minerals Well suited to farming Disappearing in the southern
region due to farming, transportation routes, and urbanization.
Mixed Forest
A very small region in Canada Found in SW Ontario Has mostly been cleared for farming and
urban development Long, hot summers, mild winters, lots of rain Hardwood trees: maple, beech, ash Dark brown topsoil rich in minerals, most
fertile soils in Eastern Canada.
Deciduous Forest
climate is too dry for most species of trees to survive
Some trees along river valleys Native grasses everywhere Short-grass prairie: driest areas to the south,
unsuitable for most crops. Used for grazing cattle.
Long-grass prairie: increased precipitation, rich black soil
Parkland: transition zone between prairie and boreal forest.
Grasslands
Short Grass PrairieLong Grass Prairie
Parkland
This region has a wide range of soils, temperatures, rainfall, and elevations
Varies from large coniferous forests in wetter locations to grasses and cacti in drier regions.
Cordilleran Vegetation
Lush rainforests Douglas fir, Sitka spruce,
red cedar Heavy rainfall Mild climate.
West Coast Forest
Ecozones An ecozone is an area of the earth’s surface
that has a unique combination of plants, wildlife, climate, landforms, and human activities.
If you were to overlay or combine the climate, landforms, soil (and vegetation) regions of Canada, you would see patterns emerge resulting in Canada’s 15 terrestrial (land) ecozones
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