Geography Unit 2 Test: Part Two

Natural vegetation

A community of plants that grows without human planting or interference and develops naturally based on climate soil and latitude

Why natural vegetation is cleared

Most natural vegetation in Canada has been removed for farming urban development and resource extraction such as logging and mining

What happens when farms are abandoned

Natural vegetation takes many years to return because soil structure nutrients and native species must rebuild slowly

Number of vegetation regions in Canada

Canada has 7 major vegetation regions each shaped by climate soil and latitude

Tundra vegetation

Vegetation found in the Arctic where winters are extremely long and cold summers are very short and permafrost prevents deep roots mostly mosses and lichens

Most common tundra plants

Lichen and moss which can survive cold temperatures thin soil and short growing seasons

How tundra plants survive

They grow flower and produce seeds very quickly during the short summer and stay low to the ground to avoid wind damage

Taiga

The transition zone south of the tundra with slightly warmer temperatures longer summers and more moisture allowing more plant growth

Largest vegetation region in Canada

The Boreal and Taiga Forest region which covers most of northern Canada

Characteristics of Boreal and Taiga region

Region dominated by coniferous trees with shallow humus grey acidic soil long cold winters and short warm summers

Coniferous tree

A tree with needles and cones that does not lose its leaves needles contain antifreeze and reduce water loss

Deciduous tree

A tree that loses its leaves in winter and stores sap in its roots to survive cold temperatures

Mixed forest

A forest region containing both coniferous and deciduous trees due to moderate climate conditions

Use of coniferous trees

Used mainly for paper pulp and softwood lumber

Use of deciduous trees

Used for furniture flooring and hardwood products

Largest trees in Canada

Douglas firs which grow on the West Coast due to mild temperatures and heavy rainfall

Why West Coast Forest has huge trees

The climate is warm wet and mild year round with long growing seasons allowing trees to grow extremely tall

Why trees do not grow in southern prairies

The climate is too dry and trees require more water than is available

Why grass survives in prairies

Grass has long roots that reach deep water and requires less moisture than trees

Mountain vegetation changes

As altitude increases temperature decreases and soil becomes thinner causing vegetation to become smaller and less diverse

Canada’s tree line

The boundary where temperatures are too cold for trees to grow above it only tundra vegetation survives

Four soil textures

The four main soil textures are loamy clay silt and sandy

Clay soil

Soil with tightly packed particles that holds water well and is considered healthy for plant growth

Sandy soil

Soil with large particles that does not hold water well and lacks nutrients

How vegetation affects soil

Vegetation adds humus and organic material as it decays improving soil fertility and preventing erosion

How soil affects vegetation

Soil quality determines what plants can grow fertile soil supports larger and more diverse vegetation

How vegetation affects climate

Vegetation absorbs carbon dioxide releases oxygen and releases moisture through transpiration influencing temperature and precipitation

Two things needed for farming

Good soil and freshwater are essential for agriculture

Ancient farming civilizations

Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilizations developed around fertile land and water sources

River Egyptian civilization grew around

The Nile River and its fertile delta supported farming and population growth

Why Sahara has few people

Poor sandy soil and extremely dry climate make farming difficult

Percent of Egypt population near Nile

About 90 percent of Egypt population lives within 20 km of the Nile River or its delta

Toronto originally

Toronto began as a farming centre before urban development

Number of soil regions in Canada

Canada has 4 major soil regions

M O M A

The four components of soil Minerals Organic material Moisture and Air

Minerals in soil

Minerals come from broken rock called parent material and provide nutrients for plants

Parent material

Broken rock that forms the mineral base of soil

Role of bacteria in soil

Bacteria break down dead plants and animals to form humus which adds nutrients and moisture

Humus

Decaying organic material that provides nutrients moisture and improves soil structure

Role of moisture in soil

Water dissolves nutrients so plants can absorb them and helps break down rock and organic matter

Role of air in soil

Air pockets allow plant roots to breathe and are created by worms and insects

Soil profile

A vertical cross section of soil showing layers from surface to bedrock

O Horizon

The top layer made of organic material such as decomposing plants and animals

A Horizon

Topsoil rich in humus dark and fertile takes hundreds of years to form

B Horizon

Subsoil made mostly of minerals with some organic material

C Horizon

Layer of parent material made of broken rock fragments

R Horizon

The solid bedrock layer beneath all other soil layers

Leaching

Occurs in wet climates when water moves downward through soil dissolving nutrients and carrying them deeper

Capillary action

The upward or downward movement of water through soil

Calcification

Occurs in dry climates when water evaporates upward leaving nutrients at the surface

Extreme calcification

Can cause so many minerals to accumulate that the soil becomes salty and toxic to plants

Most common soil in Canada

Podzolic soils which form in wet climates and have a pale leached layer

Podzolic soils

Soils with a pale layer caused by leaching common in wet climates and generally less fertile

Richest soils in Canada

Chernozem also called black soil found in the southern prairies

Why chernozem is fertile

Dead grass forms humus giving the soil a dark colour and high fertility

Why most of Canada has poor soil

High precipitation causes leaching which removes nutrients from the topsoil

Why Arctic soils are infertile

Thin stony soils with little humus due to cold temperatures and limited vegetation

Mountain soils

Soils in mountain regions vary greatly depending on elevation slope and climate

Difference between leaching and calcification

Leaching moves nutrients downward in wet climates calcification moves nutrients upward in dry climates

Characteristics of chernozem

Dark rich fertile soil found in the prairies ideal for farming

Connection between leaching and podzolic soils

Leaching removes nutrients from the topsoil creating the pale layer typical of podzolic soils

Soil and civilizations

Great civilizations formed where soil and water supported farming such as Egypt and Mesopotamia

Healthy soil composition

Healthy soil is about 45 percent minerals 25 percent water 25 percent air and 5 percent organic material

Topsoil description

Topsoil is made of humus and living organisms and is essential for plant growth

Leaching description

Leaching is the removal of nutrients from soil by downward moving water

Subsoil description

Subsoil contains accumulated minerals and some organic material

Parent material description

Parent material is weathered rock that forms the base of soil

Glacier

A massive slow moving river of ice formed from compacted layers of snow that deform and flow due to gravity

Glaciation

The long term process of snow accumulating compacting and forming glaciers

How glaciers form

Glaciers form when climate is cold and snowfall does not melt layers compress into dense ice over thousands of years

How glaciers move

Glaciers slowly deform and flow downhill due to gravity and internal melting and refreezing

Crevasse

A deep crack in a glacier caused by stress as the ice moves

Kettle hole

A depression formed when a block of ice breaks off a glacier and melts often becoming a lake

Moraine

A ridge or deposit of rocks left behind by a glacier often fertile and important for water filtration

Drumlin

A teardrop shaped hill formed by glacial movement pushing sediments into streamlined shapes

Esker

A long winding ridge formed by meltwater streams flowing under a glacier

Kame

A mound of sediment deposited on top of a glacier and left behind when the glacier melts

Five things glaciers do

Glaciers pick up rocks carve land deposit material create meltwater landforms and form kettle lakes and icebergs

Mountain glacier

A glacier found in mountain valleys that flows downhill

Continental glacier

A massive glacier covering large areas of land such as those in Antarctica and Greenland

Ice field

A smaller continental glacier example is the Columbia Icefield in the Rocky Mountains

Great Lakes formation

The Great Lakes were carved out by continental glaciers during the last Ice Age

Areas shaped by glaciation

Almost all of Canada was glaciated the Shield was scraped bare the Plains gained fertile sediments and the Great Lakes were carved

Glacier description

A glacier is a massive slow moving river of ice that shapes the land as it moves

How glaciers shape land

Glaciers scrape smooth carve and deposit material creating many landforms

Differences between alpine and continental glaciers

Alpine glaciers are small and found in mountains continental glaciers are huge and spread outward in all directions

Red line on climate graph

The red line represents temperature throughout the year

Blue bars on climate graph

The blue bars represent monthly precipitation

Green shading on climate graph

The green shading shows the growing season when temperatures are above 6 degrees

Black line on climate graph

The black line marks the freezing point at 0 degrees

Green line on climate graph

The green line marks 6 degrees the threshold for plant growth

Climate graph requirements

A climate graph needs a title temperature scale precipitation scale months freezing line and growing season shading

Yearly average temperature

Calculated by adding all monthly temperatures and dividing by 12

Temperature range

Calculated by subtracting the coldest month from the warmest month

Total precipitation

Calculated by adding all monthly precipitation values

Growing season

The number of months where temperature is above 6 degrees

Convectional precipitation

Occurs when hot ground heats air causing it to rise cool condense and fall as heavy rain

Frontal precipitation

Occurs when cold air forces warm air upward causing long periods of steady rain

Vancouver climate

Pacific maritime climate with mild temperatures and high precipitation

Regina climate

Prairie continental climate with hot summers and cold winters