Natural Vegetation

1. Natural Vegetation Sara Jones, Mariam Soliman and Emily Kocsis

2. Table of Contents • What is Natural Vegetation • Mixed Forest- the Maritimes • Mixed Forest- P.E.I • Mixed Forest- Nova Scotia and New Brunswick • Boreal and Taiga Forests • Boreal and Taiga Forests- Newfoundland • The Tundra • Bibliography

3. What is Natural Vegetation • Natural Vegetation are plants that would grow in an area in the absence of human influence • Different types of natural vegetation grow in different climates and soil conditions • Atlantic Canada has three different vegetation regions: Tundra Boreal and Taiga forests Mixed Forests

4. Mixed Forest- the Maritimes • The Maritimes provinces of Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick’s vegetation region is Mixed Forest • South of boreal forest contains coniferous and deciduous trees like Spruce, Cedar, Pine, Oak, Hemlock and birch. • Excellent Resource for lumbering industry • Mixed Forests are transition zones between Deciduous forests and Boreal forests • Soils in mixed forest regions serve well for farming because of the different kinds of leaves creating humus, and a grey-brown topsoil, rich in minerals • Precipitation is high in this region and is appropriate for both deciduous and coniferous trees

5. Mixed Forest- P.E.I • P.E.I: gently rolling lowland, but in the middle of the province is a small hilly section • Squares of small wooded areas, patches of yellow grain and fields of potatoes blanket the island • Heavy logging in 1800’s resulted in loss of P.E.I’s thick forests, but woodlands of maples, spruces and white birches thrive once again • Provincial Tree- Northern Red Oak • Wildflowers bloom from May through October

6. Mixed Forest- Nova Scotia and New Brunswick • Nova Scotia: • About 1.5 of the 5 million Christmas trees sold North America are cut in Nova Scotia • Provincial tree- Red Spruce • Provincial flower- mayflower • New Brunswick: • Thick forests, western half of the province is the Appalachian upland, where there are thick forests • Spruce, Fir, Pine, Maple and Poplar cover the upland • Trees cover 90% of the province and is an important natural resource

7. Boreal and Taiga Forests • Largest vegetation region in Canada and is south of the Tundra separated by the tree line • Coniferous trees are found in the Boreal and taiga forests and not the Tundra because there is a longer growing season and greater precipitation • Coniferous trees are never bare, although they lose some needles • Since they do not lose many needles, the humus is shallow and the topsoil is a grey colour and acidic because of the needles • Leeching occurs in Boreal and Taiga Forests • White and black spruce, balsam fir, and pine grow in forest because they do not require long growing seasons and can overcome the cold temperatures • The northern area of the forests is known as Taiga forests, while more southern areas of the forest are known as Boreal forests

8. Boreal and Taiga Forests- Newfoundland • Newfoundland: • Over half of Newfoundland and Labrador are covered with trees • Spruce, and fir are most abundant, while birch is common as well • Forests of spruce and balsam, fir and birch cover 40% of the island of Newfoundland, and 20% of Labrador • Newfoundland and Labrador experience long harsh winters, and trees in the region rarely grow thick or tall

9. The Tundra • Tundra is the most northerly vegetation region • Northern Labrador is Tundra • Tundra is located above the tree line meaning that there are no trees grown in the tundra because the climate lacks much precipitation and the climate is too cold • The majority of the tundra has permafrost • Shrubs, mosses and lichens grow during the short growing season

10. Bibliography • Campbell, Kumari. "New Brunswick." Minneapolis, Minnesota: Lerner Publications Company, 1996. • Campbell, Kumari. "Prince Edward Island.Minneapolis, Minnesota: Lerner Publications Company, 1996. • Clarke, Bruce, Wallace, John K. Making Connections. Scarborough, Ontario: Prentice Hall Ginn Ontario, 1999. • Jackson, Lawrence. "Newfoundland & Labrador.Minneapolis, Minnesota: Lerner Publications Company, 1995.