8 physical regions

1. By Chantel Hamilton 8 Physical Regions Canadian Shield Interior Plains Intermountain Region Arctic Plains Appalachian Region Coastal Plains Western Cordillera St. Law R.

2. Topography Vegetation Climate Economic Activities Environmental Concerns A rolling landscape, created mainly by glaciation Flat plains are broken by deep rivers & hills Flat plains slowly begin to rise into the Canadian Shield & Appalachians Has very fertile soils & used to be heavily treed Once had Canada`s largest broad-leafed forests It`s soil & climate allowed maple, beech, hickory &black walnut trees to thrive Other places in the region, the vegetation was mixed forest of both deciduous & coniferous Essentially a humid “continental climate” Humid because of the present lakes Great Lakes tend to cool the temperature during the summer and warm the surrounding areas in winter Agriculture; dairy & meat production for locals became dominant agriculture Commercial & sports fisheries; about 65 million pounds of fish are harvested from lakes each year The Great Lakes provide a popular tourist attraction. Continues to experience ongoing biological, physical and chemical stresses New alien speices New chemical contaminants and the impact of climate change Great Lakes- St. Lawrence Lowlands Great Lakes & St. Lawrence R. - Blue St. Lawrence R.

3. Topography Vegetation Climate Economic Activity Enviromental Concerns Glaciers removed almost all of the soil Average elevation of the shield is about 100 meters above sea level in the North Areas around Hudson Bay & James Bay are lowland areas covered in clay Boreal Forest covers most of the shield Some deciduous trees, such as popular & which birch are also present North of the tree-line, no trees are able to grow because of little participation Varies through out the vast area covered by the Canadian Shield Further north, the winters become longer & colder. Summers are short & cool 5 major recreational activities; boating, dogsled riding, fishing, hunting & cross country skiing Bird conservation Acid rain Canadian Shield Canadian Shield

4. Topography Vegetation Climate Economic Activities Environmental Concerns Northern Boundary of the Central Lowland is formed by the Canadian Shield, Great Lakes & the St. Lawrence R. The plains are gently rolling, gradually sloping down from west to east To the north of the Prairies, the Interior Plains continue to the Arctic Ocean Central Lowland east of the Mississippi was originally covered with mixed deciduous trees & scattered evergreens Natural Vegetation of the Canadian Prairies were also grasslands, trees only grew in the river valley's Northern portion of the Interior plains, boreal forest grows, gradually becoming tundra towards the Arctic ocean Has a continental climate Affected by its location in the heart of the continent A climate of extremes, has long, hot summers and cold winters with little participation Father north winters become colder & longer Summers are shorter and cool mining (the plains) Agriculture; livestock & vegetable To many trees being cut down Farm soils seeping into the ground To much landfill Interior plains Interior Plains

5. Topography Vegetation Climate Economic Activity Environmental concerns The streams &rivers of the plateus never reach the sea Other areas of the region, some rivers do find away to the ocean There are portions of the region that can be made productive by irrigation Ranges between sparse grasslands to plants that can survive in semi-desert or desert conditions Higher areas are covered in thin pine forest Affected by it`s location & by its elevation Winters can be cool & wet or hot & dry depending on the region Winters are short, warm & have very little participation northern portions of the region also lack precipitation Rapidly changing High speed rail systems connecting cities Freight rail & high ways Major seaports & their landslide intermodal connections to distribution centers Many bird habitats are being destroyed by human actions Up to 11 bird species are endangered Because of the dry air, forest fires can be a problam The intermountain region Intermountain Region

6. Topography Vegetation Climate Economic Activity Environmental Concerns Most of the Arctic near the ocean is very flat Mountains of the far north were formed by folding & are presently covered by glaciers Very few life forms, beyond lichen, can grow on the mountains of the Arctic Trees cannot grow in the tundra because the climate is to cold & dry Only a small amount of thawing occurs during the summer Small shrubs, mosses & lichens are the only things that can grow Very severe Climate because it is so far from the equator Winter lasts for 10 months, summer is very short and not very warm Because of lack of precipitation the Arctic is actually a desert Mining for mineral resources Commercial fishing Drilling for oil & natural gases Climate change by global warming Changes to birds/animals because of climate change Arctic Plains Arctic Plains

7. Topography Vegetation Climate Economic Activity Environmental Concerns Made up of many different mountain ranges They are old mountains formed about 300 million years ago Makes them relatively low as mountain ranges go Erosion has reduced their once sharp ragged peaks rolling into mountains and hills Also contains fertile plateaus & river valleys Originally was heavily forested with mixed coniferous & deciduous trees Could survive in the poor & unproductive mountain soil & flourish on the plateaus & in the river valleys, where soil is much more productive Affected by two ocean currents The Labrador current brings cold water south from the Arctic & causes freezing during winter months The Gulf Stream brings warm water north from the Caribbean & along the coast of North America Where the two currents meet is an ideal breeding ground for fish Once highly dependent on mining, forestry, agriculture & chemical industries Rivers provide transportation Coal extraction process Mountain top removal for mining Appalachian Region Appalachian Region

8. Topography Vegetation Climate Economic Activity Environmental Concerns An average elevation of 200 meters above sea level Surface is mostly flat or gently rolling Contains many swamps & marshes Hudson Bay can be navigated as far inland as Albany An important feature of the Gulf Coastal Plain is the Mississippi Delta, where the Mississippi empties into the Gulf of Mexico Soils are mostly very sandy Natural vegetation adapted to sandy soil & in some areas (Mexico) lush jungles developed Original vegetation of the area was pine forests Varies greatly In North, it is characterized by cold & snowy winters and hot, humid summers Southern portions have a sub-tropical climate with mild to warm winters Also subject to hurricanes between late summer and early winter Agriculture Tourist attraction in the Orlando area Forestry Urban sprawl Air quality Climate change Coastal Plains Coastal Plains

9. Topography Vegetation Climate Economic Activity Environmental Concerns Comprised of new mountains More the twice as high as the Appalachian Mountains Many different mountain ranges Rocky mountain on the east from the continental divide Varies enormously from one side of a mountain to the other The giant sequoia the largest tree in the world grows near Yosemite At the very tops of the mountains, vegetation becomes similar to that of a tundra South, the great evergreens no longer grow since rain fall is less. West coast has a maritime climate It varies from north-south-west coast is moist & mild Parts of it are among the wettest regions on Earth Winters are usually above freezing Summers are cooler than in the interior of the continent Windward slopes are wetter then leeward slopes Often really dry from the rain-shadow effect Strong economic activity Different industries such as fisheries, forestry & agriculture Petroleum & mining Logging & oil exploration Harmful metals being released in streams Wild life habitat is gone from clear-cutting Western Cordillera Western Cordillera

10. Topography , Vegetation & Climate for all 8 regions Cranny, Michael. Crossroad: A Meeting of Nations. 1998. 165-185. Print. Great Lakes- Economic Activity & Environmental Concerns "About Our Great Lakes-Economy." glerl . N.p .. Web. 17 Feb 2014. <http://www.glerl.noaa.gov/pr/ourlakes/economy.html>. " Environmental Canada." Government of Canada. N.p ., 5 Jul 2013. Web. 17 Feb 2014. <http://www.ec.gc.ca/grandslacs-greatlakes/default.asp?lang=En&n=70283230-1>. Canadian Shield- Economic Activity & Environmental Concerns "Environment Canada." Government of Canada. N.p ., 17 Jul 2013. Web. 17 Feb 2014. <http://www.ec.gc.ca/air/default.asp?lang=En&n=AA1521C2-1>. " Environment Canada." Government of Canada. N.p ., 22 Aug 2011. Web. 17 Feb 2014. <http://www.ec.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=En&n=ECD35C36&xsl=idolsearchguirenderer,result&xml=ECD35C36-D5D1-418F-A292-6AC0FC9F697F&searchoffset=1&searchfunction=basicsearch&language=En&gcwu-srch=Canadian Shield&gcwu-srch-submit =Search>. The Interior Plains- Economic Activity & Environmental Concerns "Economic Activities." The Interior Plains. N.p .. Web. 17 Feb 2014. <http://interiorplains.weebly.com/economic-activities.html>. . Environmental Protections. N.p ., 8 Jan 2011. Web. 17 Feb 2014. <http://environmental-protections.info/environmental-issues/what-environmental-issues-effect-the-interior-plains-of-canada>. Intermountain Region- Economic Activity & Environmental Concerns "The Intermountain MPOs." . N.p .. Web. 17 Feb 2014. <http://www.azmag.gov/archive/intermountainWeb/aboutUs.html>. " Answers." WikiAnswers . Answers. Corperation . Web. 17 Feb 2014. <http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_environmental_concerns_of_the_Intermountain_Region>. Arctic Plains- Economic Activity & Environmental Concerns . Intergovernal Panel on Climate Change. N.p ., n.d. Web. 17 Feb 2014. <https://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/wg2/en/ch15s15-7-2.html>. Williams , Tim. Parlament of Canada. N.p ., 24 Oct 2008. Web. 17 Feb 2014. <http://www.parl.gc.ca/content/lop/researchpublications/prb0804-e.htm>. Appalachian Region- Economic Activity & Environmental Concerns "The Appalachian Region." Appalachian Regional Commision . N.p .. Web. 17 Feb 2014. <http://www.arc.gov/appalachian_region/TheAppalachianRegion.asp>. . Grist. Grist Staff, 17 Feb 2006. Web. 17 Feb 2014. <http://grist.org/article/reece/>. Coastal Plains- Economic Activity & Environmental Concerns . Ask.Com . N.p ., n.d. Web. 17 Feb 2014. <http://www.ask.com/answers/43443121/what-is-an-economic-activity-in-the-coastal-plains>. . Texas Legacy Project. David, Todd, n.d. Web. 14 Feb 2014. Western Cordillera- Economic Activity & Environmental Concerns Lee, Bruce. "Yahoo Voices." The Western Cordillera Region of Western Canada. N.p ., 11 Feb 2011. Web. 14 Feb 2014. <http://m.voices.yahoo.com/the-western-cordillera-region-western-canada-7813884.html>. Eardley , Armand J. Encyclopeadia Britannica. N.p ., 24 Jan 2013. Web. 14 Feb 2014. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/506418/Rocky-Mountains/39936/Environmental-concerns >. Map Territorial Evolution of North America. N.d. Photograph. WikipediaWeb. 14 Feb 2014. < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Territorial_evolution_of_North_America_since_1763 >. bibliography