Its a dirty job, but someone has to do it! Canada's Soil and Natural Vegetation Connections Chapter 14 pg

4 Components of Soil #1 Minerals Loose minerals (rocks) that have been deposited by glaciers, wind or a river Weathering: process when rocks are broken down into smaller particles, nutrients necessary for plant growth e.g. Calcium, phosphorous, potassium

4 Components of Soil #2 Bacteria & Organic Materials Plants and animals die (decompose) Bacteria breaks down matter, releasing nutrients Humus: is formed, which gives soil a dark colour

4 Components of Soil #3 Air Plants need air around their roots to grow Air pockets are created by worms, insects and small animals

4 Components of Soil #4 Moisture Water dissolves the nutrients (rocks, bacteria), which can then be taken up by the plants Also helps with the decaying of bacteria and erosion of rocks into minerals

4 Components of Soil

Soil Horizons

Leaching Wet climates or areas of intense irrigation Nutrients are dissolved by water and transported from Topsoil (A Horizon) down to the Subsoil (B Horizon)

Calcification Dry climates Salts and minerals drawn upward by ground water as it is pulled to the surface by evaporation

Vegetation

Natural Vegetation: Plants that grow without any human interference (Different types of natural veg. grow in response to different climatic and soil conditions)

Vegetation There are three main types of natural vegetation in Canada: 1. Tundra 2. Forest 3. Grassland Which one is is found on the prairies?

Prairies Vegetation Grasslands: Located in the Southern part of ________, __________, __________? Where are all the trees? Why?

Prairie Vegetation (Grasslands)

3 Sub-regions: 1. Short Grass Prairie: the warmest and driest area of the prairies, limited vegetation growth 2. Long Grass Prairie: area of increased precipitation, encourages growth of long grasses. Creates rich black soil (Humus) 3. Parkland: long grass prairie, dotted with clumps of trees. Increased precipitation.