Natural Environments of North America That means what the land and stuff is like in the United States and Canada Natural Environments of North America

Section 1 Objectives ●Identify the major landform regions of the United States and Canada. ●Locate the rivers and lakes found in the region.

3 Facts about Landforms of North America US and Canada make up 80% of the continent Both countries contain all major landforms The eastern half of the continent is older than the western This is seen by eroded mountains, rolling hills, & flat lands in the east, with steep mountains, active volcanoes, and deep canyons

Give definitions for each Barrier Islands Piedmont Fall Line Deposits of sand in shallow water by ocean currents Area at or near the foot of a mountain region Natural boundary between 2 landform regions with different elevations marked by rapids & water falls

Information on the East and Interior of North America Appalachians were created by a collision between North America and Africa 300 million years ago Between the Rocky Mountains and Appalachian Mountains lies the Great Plains that drain water into the Mississippi River Canadian Shield is an arc of ancient rock that has little soil for farming due to glacial sheering, but contains many mineral resources

Locate the following: Great Basin California Death Valley Sierra Nevada Mnt Range Cascade Mnt Range

Define and locate Basin Hot Spot Definition  Lowland area surrounded by mountains Location  Great Basin and Death Valley Definition  a place where magma wells up to the surface from earth’s mantle Location  Hawaiian Islands, Alevitian Islands (AK)

How did glaciers create lakes & rivers in this region? Continental ice sheets widened & deepened basins that filled with water as the ice melted

Section 2 Objectives ●Identify the climate types found in the United States and Canada. ●Name the major biomes of the region and describe where they are found.

List the climates found in North America and give an example of each. Tropical Wet/Dry Southern tip of Florida Humid Subtropical Southeast US Humid Continental New England Semiarid Great Plains Arid Arizona Marine West Coast Washington state

List the climates found in North America and give an example of each. Mediterranean Southern part of California Tropical Humid Eastern Hawaii Tundra Southern Alaska Subarctic Northern Alaska

What are natural hazards? Definition  Events in the physical environment that can destroy human life and property Ex. Floods, Hail, Lightening & Tornadoes

What type of plant and animal life do each of these areas have? Southeastern US Pacific Coast Southwestern US Temperate forest biome/ Deer & Raccoon Redwood forest/ Black bear, eagle, and salmon Semiarid & Arid biome/ Coyotes, hawks, jack rabbit

What type of plant and animal life do each of these areas have? Northern North America Southern Fl & Hawaii Eastern Hawaii Boreal forest (Spruce & Pine)/ Elk, caribou, moose, & wolf Tropical biomes (Palm tree)/ alligators, lizards, & migratory birds Tropical rain forest/ Toucan, shellfish, & reptiles

Section 3 Objectives ●Describe the farming, forest, and water resources of the United States and Canada. ●Analyze the region’s supply of energy and mineral resources.

Only 3% of the total population participate What is different about farming in North America than the rest of the world? Only 3% of the total population participate All occupants are feed while having a surplus North America has a wide variety of climates and soils, allowing for a wide variety of plants to be grown.

What are alluvial soils? Location? Where Soils deposited by streams, mountain run off & rivers. Mississippi Valley California Central Valley Imperial Valley Rio Grande Valley

Facts about North America’s forests. Both the U.S. and Canada are leading exporters and producers of forest products Japan an the U.S. get newsprint from Canada About 1/3 of the U.S. is forested. Major commercial farms are located in Southeast and Pacific Northwest.

T/F Pollution has greatly affected the fishing industry in North America. True. It has decreased numbers and size of fish as well as changing the location they can be found.

What energy resources are abundant in North America? Location? Coal – U.S. has about 25% of the world’s coal reserve -Appalachian Mnts, Rocky Mnts, Interior Plain, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia Oil is in abundance, however we use more than we produce -Texas and Alaska. New deposits found in the Gulf of Mexico Mineral Resources – Metals - Canadian Shield

Why are wetlands such an important resource? These are habitats for marine life and wildlife Water resources are natural protection against erosion and pollution Provide recreational destinations for many families.