1.5

Interrelationships Between Physical and Human Systems

  • Unit Codes: B2.1, B2.2; A1.2,4,5,6,7,9, A2.1,2

One Earth

Why Should We Save the World?

Learning Goals

  • By the end of this lesson, students will:
    • Understand how Canada’s physical features (e.g., mountains, rivers, forests, soils, climate) support different human activities and communities.
    • Analyze how these interrelationships shape tourism, settlement, resource use, and Indigenous ways of life.
    • Explain how human activities (e.g., farming, mining, forestry, dam building, urban growth) can change physical processes and affect natural events.
    • Apply geographic thinking (i.e., patterns/trends, interrelationships, spatial significance, perspective) to real Canadian case studies.

Success Criteria

  • I can…
    • Identify how Canada’s landforms, climate, and resources shape human activities.
    • Explain how human activities change the land and natural systems.
    • Provide examples of both positive and negative impacts.
    • Use geographic terms and concepts to support my ideas.

Minds ON

  • Visual Reference: Gif by Corine Gash

Physical Features Influencing Human Activity

  • Ski Resort in the Rockies:
    • Influencing Features:
    • Mountainous landforms (steep slopes, high elevation)
    • Cold winter climate with heavy snowfall
    • Impacts:
    • Provides natural slopes for skiing and snowboarding.
    • Ensures long winters with reliable snow for tourism.
    • Creates an economy and community built around recreation and tourism (hotels, restaurants, guiding services).
    • Summary: Mountains + snow → ski resort + tourism industry.

Human Activity Changing the Environment Over Time

  • Environmental Changes From Human Activity in the Rockies:
    • Tourism Development:
    • Building ski resorts, hotels, and roads fragment habitats.
    • Deforestation and Land Clearing:
    • Leads to soil erosion and landslides.
    • Water Use:
    • Artificial snow production reduces local water supplies.
    • Wildlife Disruption:
    • Affects migration routes and feeding patterns of animals.
    • Climate Impact:
    • Increased traffic and energy usage leads to greenhouse gas emissions, which may shorten ski seasons in the long run.

Physical Features Influencing Human Activity

  • Fishing Village in Newfoundland:
    • Influencing Features:
    • Atlantic Ocean coastline with rich fishing grounds (especially the Grand Banks).
    • Cold ocean currents mixing nutrients, creating ideal conditions for large fish populations (e.g., cod).

Human Activity Changing the Environment Over Time

  • Environmental Changes From Human Activity in Newfoundland:
    • Overfishing can reduce fish stocks and threaten species.
    • Fishing Infrastructure:
    • Wharfs, boats, processing plants can pollute water.
    • Coastal Development:
    • Damages sensitive marine habitats.
    • Climate Change:
    • Warming waters, partly due to human activities, may shift fish populations away from the coast.
    • Summary: Ocean resources support fishing communities, but overfishing and development can harm marine life and coastal ecosystems.

Physical Features Influencing Human Activity

  • Deforested Slope in British Columbia:
    • Influencing Features:
    • Dense forests supporting the forestry and logging industry.
    • Steep slopes and mountain landscapes attracting tourism and recreation (hiking, skiing).
    • Wet coastal climate fostering rapid tree growth, making BC ideal for timber production.
    • Summary: Mountain slopes + rich forests + heavy rainfall → forestry, recreation, and resource-based communities.

Environmental Impact of Deforestation

  • Consequences of Deforestation:
    • When large areas of forest are cut down (e.g., for logging or ski resorts in BC), the absence of tree roots leads to:
    • Unstable slopes, resulting in soil erosion and potential landslides during heavy rain or snowmelt.

Dams: Altered Drainage & Aquatic Habitats

  • Building Dams:
    • Changes river flow dynamics (e.g., for hydroelectricity on the Columbia River).
    • Impacts include flooding large areas upstream, reducing water flow downstream, trapping sediments, and disrupting fish migration and aquatic ecosystems.

Environmental Impact of Dams

  • Assessment of Dams:
    • Inquire into the REAL Cost of dam projects across various environmental impacts.

Human Activities and Their Environmental Impact in Canada

  • Mean Human Footprint Score Analysis:
    • Scores from various pressures included in the Canadian human footprint metrics indicate:
    • Roads, crop land, population density, forestry, built environments, pasture land, navigable waterways, railways, dams and reservoirs, night lights, oil and gas, and mines contribute to environmental degradation.
    • Comparison of 'Canadian human footprint' to 'Global, Canada'.

Physical Features Influencing Human Activity

  • Prairies:
    • Influencing Features:
    • Flat land (plains) facilitating large farming machinery use.
    • Fertile soil (chernozem/black soil) ideal for growing crops like wheat and canola.
    • Continental climate (warm summers) supporting crop growth.
    • Summary: Features foster large-scale agriculture and wheat farming.

Human Activity Changing the Environment Over Time (Prairies)

  • Environmental Changes From Agriculture:
    • Soil Erosion:
    • Over-ploughing or bare soil allows wind and water to erode topsoil.
    • Soil Degradation:
    • Farming without crop rotation reduces soil fertility.
    • Water Depletion:
    • Irrigation practices lower groundwater levels.
    • Habitat Loss:
    • Converting natural grasslands to farmland reduces biodiversity.
    • Summary: Farming depends on fertile, flat land, but intensive practices can lead to suboptimal environmental outcomes.

Agricultural Practices and Their Ecological Effects

  • Soil Erosion Description:
    • Over-ploughing, overgrazing, and leaving soil bare—common in Prairie provinces—wear away topsoil.
    • Protective vegetation absence leads to erosion from wind and water.

Roads & Seismic Lines: Habitat Fragmentation

  • Environmental Outcome:
    • Cutting straight lines for highways or seismic lines fragments wildlife habitat.
    • Challenges wildlife migration, hunting, or reproduction (e.g., woodland caribou in northern Ontario/Quebec).

Overview of Physical Features, Human Activity, and Environmental Impact

  • Environmental Changes Through Development:
    • Dams, roads, deforestation, urbanization, agriculture, climate change, water abstraction, biodiversity loss, pollution, and aggregate extraction contribute to significant ecological strain.

Physical Features and Human Activities by Regions

1. Rockies (Western Cordillera)
  • Physical Features: Steep mountains, heavy snowfall, forested slopes, fast-flowing rivers.
  • Human Activities: Ski resorts and tourism, forestry/logging, hydroelectric power.
  • Environmental Changes: Deforestation → erosion and landslides; Roads fragment habitat; Dams alter flow and migration; Tourism increases pollution.
2. Atlantic Region (Appalachians)
  • Physical Features: Coastal waters (Grand Banks), rolling mountains, dense forests.
  • Human Activities: Commercial fishing, forestry, coastal communities, shipping.
  • Environmental Changes: Overfishing → cod stock collapse; Logging → erosion; Coastal development → marine ecosystem damage.
3. Canadian Shield
  • Physical Features: Rocky terrain, thousands of lakes/rivers, rich mineral deposits.
  • Human Activities: Mining (nickel, gold, copper), hydroelectricity, tourism.
  • Environmental Changes: Mining → landscape scarring; Dams → flooding; Recreational pressure → pollution.
4. Prairie Provinces
  • Physical Features: Flat plains, fertile chernozem soil, warm summers.
  • Human Activities: Wheat and canola farming, cattle ranching, oil and gas extraction.
  • Environmental Changes: Soil erosion from wind; Habitat loss; Water depletion; Greenhouse gas emissions.
5. Arctic Region
  • Physical Features: Permafrost, tundra vegetation, cold climate, sea ice.
  • Human Activities: Indigenous hunting and fishing, mining, winter roads.
  • Environmental Changes: Climate change → melting permafrost; Shorter ice seasons; Habitat disruption from mining/roads.

Human Impacts on Landscapes

Application of Skills

  • Career Exploration: Regions of Canada for careers such as wheat farmer, logger, forestry technician, gold miner, greenhouse designer, rafting guide, Coast Guard member, coastal engineer, ship builder, cartographer.

Consolidation

  • Exit Ticket: Interconnections in Canada:
    • Choose a region discussed (Rockies, Canadian Shield, Appalachians, or Northern Ontario).
    1. Identify one physical feature of the region.
    2. Explain one human activity it supports.
    3. Describe one way human activity has changed the physical environment over time.

Islamic Perspective on Interrelationships Between Physical and Human Systems

  • Humans as Stewards (Khilāfah):

    • In Islam, humans are deemed trustees (khalifah) responsible for protecting Allah’s creation.
    • Reference: Qur’an 35:39 states, “It is He who has made you successors (khalifah) upon the earth.”
    • Activities such as tourism and agriculture must be conducted responsibly, avoiding waste or destruction.

  • Balance (Mīzān) in Creation:

    • The Qur’an emphasizes balance in the natural world.
    • Overexploitation disrupts this balance, as stated in Qur’an 55:7–8 about maintaining the balance.

  • Avoiding Waste (Isrāf):

    • Islam warns against extravagance and wastefulness, equating overconsumption and pollution with wastage, referencing: “Indeed, the wasteful are brothers of the devils…” (Qur’an 17:27).

  • Rights of All Creation:

    • Islam advocates for the rights of animals, plants, and rivers.
    • The Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم taught about caring for animals, fair water use, and tree planting as acts of charity (sadaqah jariyah).

  • Application to the Lesson:

    • Ski Resorts / Tourism (Rockies): Should be developed sustainably to protect mountains and wildlife.
    • Fishing Villages (Newfoundland): Overfishing contradicts Islamic principles of balance.
    • Mining (Sudbury/Ring of Fire): Must be managed to prevent ecosystem harm and unjust displacement of communities.
    • Human Alterations (Dams/Deforestation): Need careful evaluation considering both human needs and environmental stewardship.