1. Unit 3: Food from the Land
Soil & Vegetation
Unit 3: Food from the Land

2. Vegetation Zones
A regions vegetation is determined by its climate & soils.
Different types of vegetation require different combinations of climate and vegetation to grow.
Areas with different types of natural vegetation are classified as different vegetation zones.
Natural Vegetation: plants that grow in a region without any human interference

3. Vegetation Zones
Geographers have identified 7 natural vegetation regions across Canada:
Tundra
West Coast Forest
Cordilleran Vegetation
Boreal & Taiga Forest
Grassland
Mixed Forest
Deciduous Forest

4. Vegetation Zones
Transition zones exist between two different vegetation regions and represent an area where one region’s gradually changes into those of the next.
Some transition zones are so large they can be considered regions themselves
Ex: Mixed Forest Region

5. Soil Soil consists of 4 main parts: Minerals Water
45-49% of soil volume
The texture of a soil is based on the percentage of sand, silt, and clay found in that soil.
Water
2-50% of soil volume
The capacity of a soil to hold water is largely dependent on soil texture.

6. Soil Gases 2-50% of soil volume
Organic Material
1-5% of soil volume
derived from dead plants and animals
has a high capacity to hold onto and/or provide the essential elements for plant growth
Gases
2-50% of soil volume
Oxygen is essential for root respiration
Carbon Dioxide and Nitrogen also are important for other plant functions

7. Soil

8. Soil Profile
Topsoil
Subsoil
Bedrock

9. Grasslands Location: Southern parts of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta
Characteristics
Dry Climate
Long Growing Season
Deep intertwined root
systems store moisture

10. Grasslands Short Grass Prairie: Driest Area of of Southern SK & AB
Drought resistant short grasses, cactus and brush
Warm, dry climate
Limited Moisture
High evaporation & Limited Rain = calcified soil
Not Suitable for Agriculture

11. Grasslands Long Grass Prairie: Surrounding the Short Grass Prairie
Ideal for growing grains & oil seeds
Large amounts of humus produced by dying grass
Rich black soil
Richest soil in Canada and produces best grains in world.

12. Grasslands
Parkland:
Between warm grasslands and the cooler boreal forest.
Transition zone: clumps of long grass prairie dotted with tree clumps
Coniferous trees to the north
Deciduous tress in the southern regions

13. Manitoban Soils Most prominent soil in MB: Chernozems (52%)
2nd most prominent: Gleysols (21%)
3rd most prominent: Organic Soils (7%)
Copy this in notes

14. Manitoban Soils
Using this images along with your Manitoba Agricultural Regions Map, complete the Soils Assignment.

15. Soil
Humus: the organic component of soil, formed by the decomposition of leaves and other plant material by soil microorganisms.
Topsoil: is the upper, outermost layer of soil. It has the highest concentration of organic material and microorganisms
Loam: a soil with roughly equal proportions of sand, silt, and clay.

16. Definitions
Leached Soil: The removal of water and essential elements from the top horizon of soil where they are useful.
Calcified Soil: Calcified soil has a large amount of calcium in it, either from natural or human processes.
Usually it refers to soil that has too much calcium to be useful
Ex: pH is too high.

17. Tundra The tundra is the most northerly vegetation region
It is located above the tree line, which marks the northern boundary of tree growth
Trees do not grow in the tundra because the climate is too cold and dry
Most of the tundra has permafrost, or permanently frozen ground
Only the top metre or so of permafrost, known as the active layer, thaws during the short summer

18. Tundra Small shrubs and mosses grow close to the ground in summer
Very short growing season, so plants bloom & seed quickly.
There is very little humus in the tundra’s soil
The lack of vegetation limits wildlife

19. Boreal And Taiga Forest
To the south of the tundra is the Boreal and Taiga Forest
It is the largest vegetation region in Canada
It is separated from the tundra by the tree line
Has a longer growing season and more precipitation than the tundra
Coniferous trees, or evergreens, lost some needles throughout the year but are never bare

20. Boreal & Taiga Forest
Needles of the coniferous trees make the soil very acidic.
The lack of humus, combined with the high acidity, and the leaching effect of water make these wet-climate soils infertile and unsuitable for agriculture

21. Mixed Forest
South of the boreal forest in eastern Canada is a mixed forest of coniferous and deciduous trees
Soils in mixed forest regions are suitable for farming
Today, little of the forest remains in the southern part of the region because of farming, lumbering, urban development and transportation routes.

22. Mixed Forest
The mixed forest is a transition zone between the boreal forest to the north and the deciduous forest to the south
The regular, abundant precipitation in this region is suitable for both deciduous and coniferous trees

23. Deciduous Forest
The only deciduous forest in Canada is found in southwestern Ontario
Only small remnants of this forest remain since most of it has been cleared for farming and urban development
The summers in southwestern Ontario are long and hot, the winters relatively mild and the precipitation plentiful

24. Deciduous Forest
Growing season of this region is approximately 5 months.
The soils of this region are less acidic & have more humus.
They are the most fertile soils of eastern Canada

25. Grasslands
The grasslands, or the prairies, are located in the southern part of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta
The climate here is too dry for most species of trees to survive
Grass is suited to this dry climate

26. Grasslands
The deep intertwined root system of the grass absorbs and stores moisture, and holds the soil in place
The grasslands consist of three sub-regions:
Short-grass prairie – found in warm, very dry locations
Long-grass prairie - found in warm, dry locations
Parkland – a transition zone of long-grass prairie dotted with clumps of trees

27. Cordilleran Vegetation
In the Cordillera, temperatures are warmer in the valley than high in the mountains
The rainfall on the west side of the mountain is more likely to be heavier than on the east side
As a result, Cordilleran vegetation varies greatly
Irrigation is required for agriculture

28. Cordilleran Vegetation
Vegetation changes as altitude increases
Forests of coniferous trees grow on lower slopes where precipitation is heavier
Above the tree line are only meadows of flowers and shrubs, on the very highest slopes no vegetation can survive

29. West Coast Forest
Along the West Coast of Canada grow lush forests of Douglas fir and red cedar
The heavy rainfall plus the mild climate of the coastal region provide excellent growing conditions for the trees of this temperate rainforest

30. West Coast Forest
Trees more than 1m in diameter and over 50m in height are common
The lush vegetation provides a lot of plant material to make humus but the high rainfall leaches minerals deep into the soil

31. Questions To Answer:
Describe the four components that make up a true soil?
2.      How is topsoil formed?
3.      How long has it taken to form topsoil in Canada?
4.      Why does topsoil differ in thickness in different parts of Canada?
5.      Explain the difference between leaching and calcification.
6.      In your own words, explain the term natural vegetation.
7.      There are two classes of trees. Which one can survive a harsher climate? Why?