Introduction
Name: _
What are Ecozones?
KEY
1. (a) From the map on page 100-101, in what ecozone do we live here in the
Northeastern Avalon? Boreal Sheild
(b) Read pages 102-105 on your own (or read with them as intro)
(c) Write the definition of ecozone and biodiversity
Ecozone: a region based on a combination of natural and human characteristics
that are similar throughout
Biodiversity: the diversity of species of life on earth
(d) Think of all the things that make our ecozone flourish (landforms, waterforms,
climate, soil, human infrastructure, vegetation and wildlife). Outline the benefits
and challenges of living in this ecozone.
benefits of living in our ecozone
Small population: less pressure on natural
environment (less pollution, or loss of
habitat)
Access to natural world (hunt, fish, cabins
country, berry picking etc)
Vast natural resource potential (oil, fish,
minerals, timber)
Near Atlantic marine zone; oil and fishery
Tourism (cultural, history, ecotourism)
challenges of living in our ecozone
Climate:
Fog: disruption of services (eg air
travel)
Storms, high waves - no ferries,
delays
Poor soil (farming difficult) – limited to
certain spots (acidic podzol, thin, infertile
due to poor humus layer)
Short growing season (farming difficult)
Small spread out population; infrastructure
and services spread out – costs more, less
available
Island: most things are imported – reliance
on outside world (ferry interruptions?)
Water supply – lots of rivers and lakes
(aquifers)
Questions for homework
P105 Activate your learning #1, 3, 4, 5 in your notebooks
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2. Read the section indicated and fill in the blanks with the important terminology or
concept.
Where we live, p. 106
Why is the term ecozone used to describe geographic regions? Eco comes from the
word oikos meaning “home” or “household”. So the word ecozone indicates the natural
environment that is the habitat, or home of distinct communities of plants and animals.
That includes the natural environment-our home.
Ecology is the study of interaction of living things (biotic) with one another and with
non-living (abiotic) parts of the environment. Abiotic elements of the environment
include the energy from the sun and the rocks that make up the landforms. Ecologists
tend to focus on the structure of ecosystems and how individual species of plants and
animals are interrelated. Both geographers and ecologists study ecosystems and
ecozone regions. Read the word power on bottom of page 106. A terrestrial ecozone is
a land region which a marine ecozone is an ocean one.
Drawing the line-Ecozone boundaries, p. 108
How do we decide to draw the boundaries of each ecozone, that is, separate one region
from another? The process begins by collecting data from university students,
geographers, and other scientists working “out in the field”. This data is combined with
information collected from aerial photos and satellite images. If you were working in the
field collecting data about your ecozone, your certainly would not see any boundary
lines. You would notice, however, gradual changes in the combination of climate,
natural vegetation, and wildlife from one place to another. Boundary lines actually mark
the location of a transition zone where the characteristics of one ecozone gradually blend
into the in the next.
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Marine Ecozones, p. 108
The main focus of our study of Canada’s geography is terrestrial ecozones. However,
marine ecozones are just as big in size and just as complex in interactions. Marine
ecozones are very fragile environmentally. They are easily disturbed by oil spills,
overfishing, polluted runoff from cities and changing ocean temperatures due to global
warming.
Exploring Canada’s Distinct Ecozones, p. 108
Ecozones are a useful way for you to gain a better understanding of your environment.
They help you learn more about the nature and diversity of the natural environment in
which you live. A key challenge facing Canadians in your lifetime will be how to protect
ecozones on which we all depend. You could spend a lifetime out in the field learning
about just one ecozone and still have more to discover. The chart in figure 3.7 gives
you a quick overview of the four ecozones that are the focus of this unit.
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3. Refer to page 109 figure 3.7, and put the words in the correct category (4 for each)
Boreal Shield
Mixedwood plains
Amazon of the north
Industrial Heartland
Biggest ecozone
Smallest ecozone
Wildlife
Intact wilderness
Biggest cities in
Canada
Niagara
escarpment/Falls
Prairie
Canada’s
breadbasket
Montane Cordillera
Wild west country
Flattest ecozone
Most mountainous
ecozone
Continental positin
Rainshadows
Convectional
thunderstorms
Most physically
diverse
Amazon of the north
intact wilderness
biggest cities in Canada
most mountainous ecozone
biggest ecozone
most physically diverse
Canada’s breadbasket
Niagara escarpment/Falls
continental position
rain shadows
convectional precipitation
smallest ecozone
flattest ecozone
wild west country
industrial heartland
wildlife
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