Curriculum Outcome 2.0

– Students are expected to explain human- environmental interactions within ecozones.

2.1 explain the concept of ecozones

2.2 identify and describe human – environmental interactions in selected ecozones

2.3 respond to issues influencing human- environmental interactions in selected

ecozones

Marine EcozonesTerrestrial Ecozones

Ecozones of Canada

As we progress, keep the following questions in mind:

What are the main features of each?How is each similar to and different from

another? Why might all ecozones be equally

important?

• Canada has 15 terrestrial ecozones.• We also have 5 marine ecozones.

• Ecoprovince is a more specific subdivision of an ecozone.• Ecoregion is a subdivision of an ecoprovince.• Ecodistrict is the smallest and most detailed subdivision.

C Ea cn oa zd oa’ ns e s

15 Terrestrial Arctic Cordillera Northern Arctic Southern Arctic Taiga Plains Taiga Shield Taiga Cordillera Hudson Plains Boreal Plains Boreal Shield Boreal

Cordillera Pacific Maritime Montane

Cordillera Prairies Atlantic

Maritime Mixedwood

Plains

5 MarinePacificArctic

ArchipelagoArctic BasinNorthwest

AtlanticAtlantic

Ecozones are multi-factor regions and can be described in terms of natural features ( e.g. land forms, water forms, climate, soil, vegetation, wildlife) and sometimes include human features(e.g. infrastructure)

Ecozones have boundaries and transitional areas.

EcozonesAtlantic Marine

- Characterized by deep water with the exception of the Grand Banks and Scotian Shelf- Iceberg Alley- Fishing-Oil & gas exploration and development

Mixed Wood Plains http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07hqvsSKc48&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active

- Golden Horseshoe, Industrial Heartland and Big City Country- Smallest ecozone with largest population- Biggest cities in Canada- Niagara Escarpment & Falls- Cyclonic Storms & Tornadoes- Aggregate Mining question #2 page 149

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Prairieshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45vLE7uT0xE&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active

- Known as Big Sky Country or Canada’s Bread Basket- Flattest ecozone- Continental position- Convectional thunderstorms and hail- Endangered species- Terms include badlands, grasslands, hoodoo, windbreaks or shelterbelts, chinook

Questions pages 136-137 (discussion)

Boreal Shield http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PORLNuEZJfI&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active

- Known as the Big Wild, Singing Forest, Amazon of the North- Largest Ecozone ... Across the country- Intact wilderness- Dense forests- Wildlife- Natural resources Activity page 121

Montane Cordillera http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZuyhdATgC4&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active- Known as Wild West Country or Big High Country

- Most mountainous zone- Mountain ranges- Rain shadows- Most physical diversity- Oragraphic precipitation, alpine tundra, mountain pine beetle

Activity #3 page 126

Southern Arctic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKeheMtBfD8&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active- Known as the Barren-lands

- Harsh climate and terrain- Intense soil frost action- Large mammals roam including caribou, musk ox and moose- Sprawling shrublands, wet sedge meadows, and cold, clear lakeshttp://www.ecozones.ca/english/zone/SouthernArctic/index.html

(a) What is the name of the ecozone you live in?

(b) What images come to mind when you think about that ecozone?

Activity

Characteristics of Ecozones

GeologyClimateLandformsSoilWildlifeNatural VegetationHumansWater

Terms to Know!Biodiversity – the diversity of life on Earth.Ecology – the study of the interactions

between living things and non-living things.Habitat – the space where a species or

community live.Boundaries – the line that separates one

ecozone from another.Transition Zone – boundary where one

ecozone blends into another.

Curriculum Outcome 2.0

– Students are expected to explain human- environmental interactions within ecozones.

2.1 explain the concept of ecozones

2.2 identify and describe human – environmental interactions in selected ecozones

2.3 respond to issues influencing human- environmental interactions in selected ecozones

People Affect EcozonesPeople affect nature and

can affect

it in different ways. This is

why ecozones include humans

and their activities.

Humans are accelerating the

pace of change in ecozones

Humans cause serious

and sometimes irreversible damage.

(smoggy air, polluted water,

disappearing forests and animals,

collapse of fisheries)

BiodiversitySome ecozones have many more different

species of plants and animals living within them than others

Some places in ecozones such as wetlands are “hot spots” of biodiversity. Besides being beautiful,

fascinating, a source of medicinal substances, and essential for healthy ecosystem function, we are canaries in the environmental coal mine. We are sensitive to pollution and climate change. and our numbers are declining at

extinction rates. Until people are dying at the same rate, I worry nothing will alter your behaviors.

How do humans use their finite resources to meet their needs and wants?

How do ecozones influence human activity?

How does human activity affect ecozones ?

Resource use

Settlement

Communication

Transportation

recreation

other