Describe the different Ecosystems and Biomes of the province ­ Saskatchewan has 4 ecozones. ­ Taiga shield ecozone, boreal shield ecozone, boreal plain ecozone, and prairie ecozone. ­ Selwyn Lake Upland and Tazin Lake Upland make up the Taiga shield. Taiga shield ecozone ­ Stretches across part of Canada’s subarctic north. ­ Taiga means northern edge of boreal forest ­ One of the biggest ecozones in Canada ­ Taiga shield is sparsely populated with 60% people who are First Nations ­ The climate is cool short summers and winters that are extremely cold and long. Boreal shield ecozone ­ The largest ecozone in Canada ­ Covers from Alberta to Newfoundland ­ The climate is mild winters and very average summers throughout the idea. ­ ­ Animals that live in this ecozone are caribou, moose, lynx, bobcat, wolf, muskrat, coyote, marten. ­ The current population in this ecozone is 3 million people. Boreal plain ecozone ­ The ecozone are mostly covered with forests. ­ Fire are very common in this ecozone and most of the species have adapted to it. ­ Many animals like the lynx, wolf, elk, deer, muskrat live in this ecozone ­ There are many dominant species such as black spruce, white spruce, and much more. Prairie ecozone ­ Majority of land is cultivated and used for farming ­ Glacial Till landscape ­ Rich black and brown soil ­ Main crop is cereal ­ The white­tailed deer is the most prominent species ­ The only population in Canada of black­tailed prairie lives in Saskatchewan Selwyn Lake Upland ­ The Selwyn Lake Upland bedrock is covered by sandy glacial deposits. ­ Perennially frozen soils are most common here than anywhere else. ­ Trees are shorter and the forests are more open. ­ Black spruce is very common in this region ­ Wildlife populations are relatively sparse ­ Most noticeable species are moose, black bear, timber wolf, arctic wolf, wolverine, and snowshoe hare. ­ Barren­ground caribou migrate from the Northwest Territories into this region during most winters. ­ Some birds are Harris’s sparrow, tree sparrow, gray­cheeked thrush and pine grosbeak. Tazin Lake Upland ­ This ecoregion has numerous small lakes , many of which are linked by fast­flowing streams that form regional drainage patterns. ­ Most of the ecoregion drains north into the Great Slave lake. ­ The aquatic systems support cold water fish such as lake trout, northern pike, walleye, and whitefish. ­ Animals such as black bear, wolverine, timber wolf, and scattered populations of moose inhabit this place. Athabasca Plain ­ Landscapes in this ecoregion appear less rugged than elsewhere on the Shield. ­ This is because due largely to the flat­lying sandstone bedrock and the almost continuous cover of sandy glacial deposits. ­ Lakes and wetlands are also less common. ­ Both the populations and the diversity of wildlife are low compared to elsewhere on the Shield. ­ Local populations of moose, black bear, and timber wolf are the most prominent. ­ Arctic fox and caribou are sometimes found in the region during winter. ­ Some birds in this region are the white­winged crossbill, Cape May warbler, blackpoll warbler, and Bohemian waxwing. Churchill River Upland ­ This ecoregion is characterized by a mix of bedrock outcrops, glacial deposits, wetlands and lakes. ­ Local relief rarely exceeds 25 metres, but the landscape gives the impression of roughness and even ruggedness, particularly where bedrock outcrops are prevalent ­ Lakes make up 40% of the area ­
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Most of the soils are sandy and support low stands of black spruce and jack pine. Clay soils are very common in the eastern part of the area due to it supporting the white spruce and aspen. The low­lying peatland areas are often frozen. Wildlife populations are higher than elsewhere on the Shield with moose, woodland, caribou, black bear, and timberwolf. These animals are the most commonly seen. Churchill River system contains the second highest concentration of nesting bald eagles in North America. Other birds include Connecticut warbler, northern three­toed woodpecker, osprey and red breasted merganser. Mid­Boreal Upland ­ Most of the ecoregion is characterized by loamy, gray soils, although near the Shield the soils are sandy and often poorly drained ­ Located in central and western Saskatchewan south of the Shield. ­ The forests are taller here than on the Shield ­ Wildlife populations are high with moose, woodland caribou, mule deer, white­tailed deer, elk, black bear, timber wolf and beaver are the most common in this land. ­ Fish populations include northern pike, walleye, whitefish, some perch and scattered populations of lake trout. Mid­Boreal Lowland ­ This lands elevations is less than 400 metres, relatively flat, low­lying ecoregion and is mostly made up of wetland. ­ To the north, peatlands are common with black spruce and tamarack prevalent in that area. ­ Sandy glacial deposits and limestone outcrops occur there. ­ To the south lies the floodplain of the Saskatchewan River featuring river channels and levees. ­ Levees is an embankment built to prevent the overflow of rivers. ­ The levees are a productive habitat for the wildlife in this region. ­ The wildlife is lower than the Mid­Boreal Upland. ­ The most conspicuous species include moose and woodland caribou. ­ The floodplain and marshes form a unique habitat for waterfowl and muskrat habitat. ­ Some bird species in this region include loon, Canada warbler, ruby­crowned kinglet and white­breasted nuthatch. Boreal Transition ­ This ecoregion is made up of a mix of forest and farmland. ­ The south is made of a boreal forest where as in the north, is more dominant in agriculture. ­ Black and dark gray soils are common in this region ­ These soils are the most fertile and productive in the province. ­ They produce wide range of crops which include feed grains, cereals, and oilseeds. ­ Wildlife populations are diverse with white­tailed deer, moose, black bear and elk being the most common. ­ Some birds in the region are the gray jay, boreal chickadee, black and white warbler, and great­crested flycatcher. Aspen Parkland ­ Majority of the land is grassland ­ Glacial till landscapes ­ White­tailed deer is the most prominent wildlife species ­ The soil and climate make it very favourable for farming multiple crops Moist Mixed Grassland: ­ Semi­arid moisture and dark brown soil ­ glacial till landscape ­ small aspen groves are found around sloughs and is the main characteristic of the landscape ­ Agriculture dominates the landscape and cereal is the main crop Mixed Grassland: ­ Driest part of the province ­ Wheatgrass and speargrass is the main prominent forms of grasslands ­ Only population of black­tailed prairie dog in Canada lives here ­ Cereal is the main crop ­ Half of the land is used to farm Cypress Upland: ­ A plateau that rises 1300 metres ­ No form of glaciation ­ Black and dark gray soils are found ­ Very unique diversity of flora Climographs (Cities La Ronge, Prince Albert, Saskatoon) Energy resources and Minerals ­ Natural Gas ­ Is the third largest natural gas producing province in Canada. ­ Oil ­ Saskatchewan is the second largest oil producing province in Canada ­ For mining, they have uranium, coal, potash, and sodium sulphate. ­ Has one of the richest uranium deposits in the world ­ One of the world’s largest uranium producers. ­ 3rd largest producer of coal in Canada ­ Largest potash producer in the world ­ Sodium sulphate found in southern parts of Saskatchewan Economic Activity ­ In the past, Saskatchewan’s economy was based on agriculture. ­ However, diversification has resulted in agriculture, fishing, forestry, and hunting. ­ Saskatchewan’s grows a large portion of Canada’s grain ­ Wheat is the most common crop in Saskatchewan ­ Grains like canola, flax, rye, oats, peas, lentils, canary seed, and barley are produced ­ Mining is also a major industry in the province. ­ Saskatchewan is the largest exporter of potash and uranium ­ In the northern part of the province, forestry is also common. ­ Oil and natural gas production is important part of Saskatchewan’s economy ­ Only Alberta passes Saskatchewan in oil and natural gas production Environment Issues ­ Global Warming ­ high greenhouse gas emissions rate ­ It’s because their very reliant on coal, fossil fuels and natural gas ­ Acid rain (caused by oil sands) ­ Mining minerals and oils ­ The harmful chemicals and methods used to mine destroys the environment Solutions to the Environmental Issues ­ Promote biking, buses, and subways (reduce admission prices) ­ Reducing the amount of waste (Promote more recycling plans and fees for poor disposal of waste) ­ Reduce the amount of sulphur dioxide and nitrous oxide in oil sand productions ­
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Promote the usage of solar panels (reduce prices of buying and installation) Have regulations and fees that whoever harms the environment while mining, will have a penalty fee, or a suspension from mining Increase taxes on minerals (to lower interest in buying minerals, thus lowering mining excavations) Works Cited ­ www.environment.gov.sk.ca/gogreen ­ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saskatchewan ­ http://www.biodiversity.sk.ca/eco.htm ­ http://www.regina.climatemps.com/graph.php ­ www.wikipedia.org ­ http://www.aitc.sk.ca/saskschools/sask/mining.html ­ http://www.prince­albert.climatemps.com/prince­albert­climograph.gif ­ http://www.saskatoon.climatemps.com/saskatoon­climate­graph.gif ­ http://www.la­ronge.climatemps.com/la­ronge­climograph.gif ­ http://www.buzzle.com/articles/how­does­mining­affect­the­environment.html ­ http://econet.ca/issues/mining/whatyoucando.html ­ http://canadianbiodiversity.mcgill.ca/english/ecozones/borealshield/borealshield.htm