Flora & Fauna of Southern Ontario - Lecture 3

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering the key concepts related to the flora and fauna of Southern Ontario, specifically focusing on forest types, soil classifications, and notable species.

Forest

A land area not predominantly under agricultural or urban use, spanning an area greater than 0.5 ha, with trees taller than 5 m and tree canopy cover of more than 10%.

Dry Deciduous Forest

Forests that lose most of their leaves during dry periods, classified as a broad category of forests in North America.

Tropical Humid Forest

Warm and wet rainforest-type environments that are classified as a broad category of forests in North America.

Conifer Forests

Forests made up of coniferous trees, which generally do not seasonally lose their leaves, with exceptions like larches.

Temperate Deciduous Forest

Broadleaf forests that lose their leaves in winter, classified as a broad category of forests in North America.

South West Ontario falls into this category

Koppen Climate Classification

what do 1, 2 and 3 stand for and what letters relate to SW ON

A global method of classification for climatic regions, using a system of two to three letter codes based on temperature and precipitation.

1. temp. (a-e)

2. precip. (f-t)

3. max/ min temps, wet/hot desert (a-k)

South west ON = dfa

Luvisols def and what forest

Moderately leached soils with a subsurface horizon of clay accumulation, typically found in temperate forests and fertile for agriculture.

Temperate deciduous forest

Podzols def and what forest

Acidic soils under coniferous forests that exhibit intense leaching of nutrients, causing organic material and minerals to be removed from the surface.

Temperate deciduous & conifer forests

Nearctic Temperate Mixed Forest

A forest region characterized by a dense canopy of trees (15-20m), significant precipitation from snow and rainfall (750-1250mm), and long cold winters.

Eastern Hemlock

Fire prone, shade tolerant

Often preferred by deer

create acidic envi.

Black Cherry

Shade tolerant when young

Seeds dispersed through birds

Sweet White Violet

Attracts pollinators

Tolerant to deer browsing

Hemlock Woolly Adelgid

life cycles

Invasive bug targeting Hemlock

American Beech

18-28m tall

shade tolerant

susceptible to fire

Eastern White pine

22-30m; long lived

fire dependent; outcompetes hardwoods after fire

yellow birch

18-30m tall

wind pollinated

ostrich fern

wetlands

rhizome

Mayapple

forest edge

spring ephemeral

Fauna of Nearctic temperate mixed forest

American Porcupine, Star-nosed Mole, Least weasel, Snowshoe Hare

dark eyed junco, brown creeper, black throated green warbler, scarlet tanager