Canadian+Biomes

=Canadian Biomes=
 * ==Canada has **__4 major biomes__**:==

1) Tundra

 * northernmost biome
 * cold desert (therefore it supports only a small number of organisms)
 * receives very little precipitation (10-12 cm per year)
 * extremely short growing season
 * plants must be able to grow quickly, flower and seed all before winter returns
 * must deal with PERMAFROST, a layer of soil that never thaws
 * just above the permafrost layer is another layer of soil called the ACTIVE LAYER, which thaws in summer to permit uptake of water and nutrients by plant roots
 * large trees cannot grow on the tundra
 * in the northernmost parts (where the active layer is VERY thin), lichens and moss dominate

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2) Northern Coniferous Forest

 * aka "Boreal Forest" or "Taiga"
 * makes up 80% of all forested areas in Canada, and is found in every province
 * dominated by CONIFERS (evergreens)
 * trees with needle shaped leaves
 * well adapted, because:
 * needle-like leaves have small surface area and therefore lose little moisture in winter
 * waxy cuticle covers needles further reducing water loss and protecting against frost
 * pyramid shape and flexibility of branches will hold the crushing weight of snowfall
 * they lose needles slowly throughout the year, when the growing season begins they are ready to photosynthesize
 * the climate is harsh with rapid temperature changes
 * this means there is more precipitation (50 cm per year)
 * the soil thaws every summer which means theer is no permafrost layer in the soil (plants with deeper root systems are able to grow)
 * higher temperatures mean plant and animal matter decomposes much faster! (This makes the soil more rich for growing plants!)
 * soil is also more acidic because the conifer needles also decay and they produce acids (Only some plants can thrive in acidic soil!)

3) Temperate Deciduous Forest

 * this biome is dominated by HARDWOOD TREES (ex: oak, maple)
 * the broad leaves allow maximum light exposure, for photosynthesis
 * the average tree can have more than 100,000 leaves, wich have enough area to cover a tennis court!
 * higher temperatures allow faster decomposition (soil is very rich!)
 * more light reaches forest floor = more plants!
 * more plants = more abundant and diverse animals!
 * there is a lot of rainfall (up to 100 cm per year!)

4) Grasslands

 * annual rainfall is between 25 and 75 cm per year
 * not enough rain for large trees to grow!
 * has the most fertile soil in the world!
 * much of the grassland biome is devoted to growing grains like wheat, corn and barley
 * longer growing season than any of Canada's other biomes!
 * grasses once supported herds of migrating bison

=Wednesday, April 11th, 2012 On either the computer or by hand, create a 1 page poster comparing and contrasting Canada's 4 biomes. You should have at least 5 pieces of information about each (1 of which is something Ms. Harris didn't tell you!). You may include LOTS of pictures (from internet or hand-drawn) and LOTS of colour!=