Soil & Natural Vegetation of Canada

1. Soil & Natural Vegetation of Canada

2. Soil Regions of Canada

3. Soil Base • True soil has four components • Minerals • Bacteria & Organic Material • Air • Moisture

4. Minerals • Come from rock which is known as parent material • Become part of soil when rockis broken down byweathering • Minerals are nutrients andare needed for growth(for example calcium,phosphorous and potassium)

5. Bacteria and Organic Materials • Bacteria breaks down dead plants and animals (organic material) • Decaying organic material forms humus which provides nutrients and moisture for plants • It is what gives soil its dark colour

6. The above pictures were taken from 50cm above the ground in a deciduous forest near Paris, France. They demonstrate the decomposition of leaves over several weeks into humus. The Creation of Humus

7. Air • Plants need it around their roots • Decaying material (humus) is loose and has many air pockets • Air spaces are also created by worms, insects and small animals which tunnel and burrow in the soil

8. Moisture • Water dissolves nutrients inthe soil which the plants absorb through their roots • Half the volume of high quality soil is composedof water and air

9. Review: Soil Base • True soil has four components • Minerals • Bacteria & Organic Material • Air • Moisture

10. Climate, Soil & Vegetation Feedback Climate can affect vegetation, how? Vegetation can affect soil, how? Soil can affect vegetation, how? Vegetation can affect climate, how?

11. Soil Profiles • Soil profiles break down the different layers of soil into horizons • Horizon A - Topsoil • Upper layer, closest to surface, rich in organic material, dark brown or black in colour • Horizon B – Subsoil • Combined mineral and organic layer, lighter brown in colour • Horizon C – Parent Material • Mineral materials from which soil is made, usually bedrock or glacial deposits

12. “Leached” & “Calcified” Profiles • Leached Soil:high level of precipitation which dissolves nutrients and washes them away

13. “Leached” & “Calcified” Profiles • Calcified Soil: occurs in dry areas where water in topsoil is evaporated and water from below is drawn up to replace it leaving behind the minerals

14. “Leached” & “Calcified” Profiles • Leached Soil:high level of precipitation which dissolves nutrients and washes them away • Calcified Soil: occurs in dry areas where water in topsoil is evaporated and water from below is drawn up to replace it leaving behind the minerals

15. Canada’s Vegetation Regions

16. Vegetation Regions • Are determined by a combination of climate and soils • Natural vegetation are the plants that grow without human interference • There are seven natural vegetation regions in Canada • While these regions are separated by lines, the change between zones is gradual and are called transition zones

17. Present Day Use of our Vegetation Regions • Southern Canada has very little natural vegetation left due to farming, forestry, and urbanization • Coniferous trees of boreal forest feed the pulp and paper, and lumber industry • Deciduous trees provide the raw materials for furniture • West coasts massive trees provide lumber for Canadaand export • Much of Canada’s beef comes from short grass regions

18. Could these questions be a portend of things to come? • Page 170 • 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9

19. Tundra • Located in the far north above the tree line • Most of tundra is under permafrost which only has about a metre of “active layer” • Marked by a very short growing season

20. Boreal and Taiga Forest • Largest region in Canada, it is south of the tundra • Coniferous trees dominate and result in shallow humus layer and grey soil • Hardy deciduous trees grow in the southern portion

21. Mixed Forest • Located south of the boreal forest in eastern Canada are forests of both coniferous and deciduous trees • The variety of trees allows for the lumber industry to thrive • Humus layer is thick andrich in minerals

22. Deciduous Forest • Contained only in southwestern Ontario and only a small portion remains due to agriculture and urban development • Trees that grow here need at least five months of warm weather to store up energy (sap) in their roots and trunk to survive the winter • Soil has more humus and is less acidic

23. Grasslands • Also known as prairies of southern Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta • Too dry for mosttrees, but somegrow in river valleys • Three sub-regions • Short grass prairie:driest area, drought resistant short grasses, sagebrush andcactus

24. Prairie Sub-regions • Long-grass prairie • Increased precipitation = taller grasses • Grains and oil seeds grown here die in the fall producing a lot of humus • Optimal rainfall to keep minerals within easy reach of roots

25. Prairie Sub-regions • Parkland • Lies between warm dry grasslands and cooler, wetter boreal forest • Coniferous trees more common in north while deciduous trees dominate the south

26. Cordilleran Vegetation • Temperatures are warmer in valleys than in the mountains (altitude), which affects vegetation • Rainfall on westside is heavier,on east soilssimilar to prairiegrassland

27. West Coast Forest • Lush forests grow due to heavy rainfall and mild temperatures • Heavy rainfall causes minerals to leach deep into soil

28. Extra slides to follow…