Natural Vegetation

Sara Jones, Mariam Soliman and Emily Kocsis

Table of Contents

 What is Natural Vegetation  Mixed Forest- the Maritimes  Mixed Forest- P.E.I

 Mixed Forest- Nova Scotia and New Brunswick  Boreal and Taiga Forests  Boreal and Taiga Forests- Newfoundland  The Tundra  Bibliography

What is Natural Vegetation

   Natural Vegetation are plants that would grow in an area in the absence of human influence Different types of natural vegetation grow in different climates and soil conditions Atlantic Canada has three different vegetation regions: Tundra Boreal and Taiga forests Mixed Forests

Mixed Forest- the Maritimes

      The Maritimes provinces of Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick’s vegetation region is

Mixed Forest

South of boreal forest contains coniferous and deciduous trees like Spruce, Cedar, Pine, Oak, Hemlock and birch.

Excellent Resource for lumbering industry Mixed Forests are transition zones between Deciduous forests and Boreal forests Soils in mixed forest regions serve well for farming because of the different kinds of leaves creating humus, and a grey-brown topsoil, rich in minerals Precipitation is high in this region and is appropriate for both deciduous and coniferous trees

Mixed Forest- P.E.I

    

P.E.I:

gently rolling lowland, but in the middle of the province is a small hilly section Squares of small wooded areas, patches of yellow grain and fields of potatoes blanket the island Heavy logging in 1800’s resulted in loss of P.E.I’s thick forests, but woodlands of maples, spruces and white birches thrive once again Provincial Tree- Northern Red Oak Wildflowers bloom from May through October

       

Mixed Forest- Nova Scotia and New Brunswick

Nova Scotia:

About 1.5 of the 5 million Christmas trees sold North America are cut in Nova Scotia Provincial tree- Red Spruce Provincial flower- mayflower

New Brunswick:

Thick forests, western half of the province is the Appalachian upland, where there are thick forests Spruce, Fir, Pine, Maple and Poplar cover the upland Trees cover 90% of the province and is an important natural resource

Boreal and Taiga Forests

       Largest vegetation region in Canada and is south of the Tundra separated by the tree line Coniferous trees are found in the Boreal and taiga forests and not the Tundra because there is a longer growing season and greater precipitation Coniferous trees are never bare, although they lose some needles Since they do not lose many needles, the humus is shallow and the topsoil is a grey colour and acidic because of the needles Leeching occurs in Boreal and Taiga Forests White and black spruce, balsam fir, and pine grow in forest because they do not require long growing seasons and can overcome the cold temperatures The northern area of the forests is known as Taiga forests, while more southern areas of the forest are known as Boreal forests

Boreal and Taiga Forests Newfoundland

    

Newfoundland:

Over half of Newfoundland and Labrador are covered with trees Spruce, and fir are most abundant, while birch is common as well Forests of spruce and balsam, fir and birch cover 40% of the island of Newfoundland, and 20% of Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador experience long harsh winters, and trees in the region rarely grow thick or tall

The Tundra

     Tundra is the most northerly vegetation region Northern Labrador is Tundra Tundra is located above the tree line meaning that there are no trees grown in the tundra because the climate lacks much precipitation and the climate is too cold The majority of the tundra has permafrost Shrubs, mosses and lichens grow during the short growing season

Bibliography

 Campbell, Kumari. "New Brunswick." Minneapolis, Minnesota: Lerner Publications Company, 1996.

 Campbell, Kumari. "Prince Edward Island.Minneapolis, Minnesota: Lerner Publications Company, 1996.

 Clarke, Bruce, Wallace, John K. Making Connections. Scarborough, Ontario: Prentice Hall Ginn Ontario, 1999.

 Jackson, Lawrence. "Newfoundland & Labrador.Minneapolis, Minnesota: Lerner Publications Company, 1995.