Geography
 |
| A map showing all of the geographic regions of Canada |
 |
| A map showing the latitude and longitude of Canada |
The Hudson Bay Lowlands were formed by glaciation about 7500 years ago during the Pleistocene Epoch. A huge glacier pressed down an area of the Canadian Shield, and when the ice receded, the ocean flooded the area which we now know as Hudson Bay. An interesting fact about this region is that the land that was pushed down is slowly coming back up at a rate of about 90cm every century. At this rate, Hudson Bay will be gone in about 11100 years. The land itself is made up of mostly bedrock, most of which still has glacial sediments on it. Close to the coast of Hudson Bay, the land is very swampy, filled with muskegs, muddy flats, and hundreds of small ponds.
Climate
For most of the year, the temperatures are very cold, ranging from 5 degrees Celsius to -20 degrees Celsius. However, in July and August the temperature can reach up to 10 or 15 degrees Celsius. This region receives a moderate amount of precipitation, ranging from 400mm to 900mm per year.
For most of the year, the temperatures are very cold, ranging from 5 degrees Celsius to -20 degrees Celsius. However, in July and August the temperature can reach up to 10 or 15 degrees Celsius. This region receives a moderate amount of precipitation, ranging from 400mm to 900mm per year.
 |
| Climograph of Moosonee, ON |
 |
| Climograph of Fort Albany, ON |
 |
| Climograph of Kingston, ON |
Most of the soil in this region comes from two sources, lake-bottom deposits and sea-bottom deposits. Because of its origin, the soil is very wet and full of organic matter - ideal for wetlands and marshes. However, as you go farther inland, the soil gets thinner and drier and is more suitable for boreal forests. The climate in the Hudson Bay Lowlands is quite cool, mainly because of the ice on the Hudson Bay, which prevents the air from warming. The reason why Summers can get warmer is because of the ice on the bay melting, allowing the air to warm. For a long time, the Hudson's Bay Lowlands have avoided the effects of climate change, especially global warming, but that has recently changed. The area has not warmed enough yet to do any damage to the environment, only about 3 degrees Celsius in the past 25 years, but this could eventually harm the region. If the ice on Hudson Bay melts, it could not only raise the temperature of the whole region, but also potentially flood the area directly around the bay.
Flora And Fauna
Because of the acidic soil in the wetlands section of this region, not many big plants grow in that area. Mosses and sedges are the most prominent species of plants in that area. In drier places, lichens, herbs, and small shrubs make up the plant population. In the Northern edges of the region, there are black spruce, willow, and larch trees. Plant adaptations in this region include chemicals to ward off predators, not dropping their leaves to save energy, and having needles instead of leaves to reduce moisture loss.
 |
| An aerial view of the Central Hudson's Bay Lowlands |
The Hudson Bay Lowlands are the ideal habitat for the nesting and rearing of waterfowl, resulting in millions of birds, especially Canada Geese, migrating here in the Summer. Other animals that live in this region are moose, black bear, marten, and arctic fox. In the North, there are polar bears, walruses, seals, and whales. An interesting fact about the polar bears in this region is that they build Summer dens to get out of the heat. Some examples of animal adaptations in this region are changing fur colours with the seasons to avoid predators, migrating away in the Winter, and hibernating.
 |
| Canada geese in the Hudson's Bay Lowlands |
Human Geography
The Hudson Bay Lowlands have a population of only about 8750 people. This is because it is a very small region, only about 353 364 square kilometres of Canada's total land area of 9 985 000 square kilometres, and because much of the region is covered in marshes and muskegs, making it relatively inhabitable. There are almost no major cities in this region because of this. Some cities in the area include Kingston, Fort Albany, Moosonee, and Churchill. When Canada was being settled, people mainly came to this area because it was near the Hudson Bay, providing an easy route for exporting goods to Britain. Now, however, since the area doesn't really have any important resources like timber or minerals, save the deposits mined by INCO, not many people live here anymore. The humans here mainly rely on hunting, fishing, and tourism for food and income.
The Hudson Bay Lowlands have a population of only about 8750 people. This is because it is a very small region, only about 353 364 square kilometres of Canada's total land area of 9 985 000 square kilometres, and because much of the region is covered in marshes and muskegs, making it relatively inhabitable. There are almost no major cities in this region because of this. Some cities in the area include Kingston, Fort Albany, Moosonee, and Churchill. When Canada was being settled, people mainly came to this area because it was near the Hudson Bay, providing an easy route for exporting goods to Britain. Now, however, since the area doesn't really have any important resources like timber or minerals, save the deposits mined by INCO, not many people live here anymore. The humans here mainly rely on hunting, fishing, and tourism for food and income.
 |
| A hunter in the Hudson Bay Lowlands |
Economy
In the past, the economy of this region was based around the fur trade, mostly because this is where the HBC was centered. Another past industry was forestry, especially in the form of pulp and paper, and this industry is still prominent today. The hydroelectric industry is also prominent in this region because of its many rivers and lakes. However, bigger hydroelectric developments have flooded nearby watersheds, threatening the way of life for many aboriginal peoples. In 1902, the International Nickel Company, INCO, was created and mined the deposits of nickel, silver, and copper in the Sudbury Basin. INCO also built smelters in Sudbury, ON, and Thompson, MB, and exported its good all around the world. Today, INCO has expanded into a global corporation. The Shield region still exports minerals and metals around the world. However, when a mine closes, the town around it usually dies down, so some towns, such as Sudbury, have developed recreation, tourism, and retirement facilities in order to keep themselves going.
In the past, the economy of this region was based around the fur trade, mostly because this is where the HBC was centered. Another past industry was forestry, especially in the form of pulp and paper, and this industry is still prominent today. The hydroelectric industry is also prominent in this region because of its many rivers and lakes. However, bigger hydroelectric developments have flooded nearby watersheds, threatening the way of life for many aboriginal peoples. In 1902, the International Nickel Company, INCO, was created and mined the deposits of nickel, silver, and copper in the Sudbury Basin. INCO also built smelters in Sudbury, ON, and Thompson, MB, and exported its good all around the world. Today, INCO has expanded into a global corporation. The Shield region still exports minerals and metals around the world. However, when a mine closes, the town around it usually dies down, so some towns, such as Sudbury, have developed recreation, tourism, and retirement facilities in order to keep themselves going.
 |
| The INCO smelter in Thompson, MB |
Environmental Concerns
As mentioned earlier, an environmental concern in this region is global warming. The ice on the Hudson Bay is melting faster, and though it is not yet enough to damage the environment, it threatens the life of the polar bears in the region. The main prey of the polar bears are ringed and bearded seals, and the bears can only reach them by going on the ice covering the bay. If the ice melts faster, they will not be able to get to the seals and will have no food. The bears already have to spend time in the Summer with no food, and in the last 30 years that time has increased by three weeks. Since the 1980s, the average body weight of the polar bears has dropped by 60 pounds and over 300 have died. If this continues, it is estimated that the polar bears in this region will have died out by 2040, or maybe even sooner. Humans have influenced this problem by releasing unbelievable amounts of carbon dioxide into the air through coal and gas emissions. Some solutions to stop global warming would be boosting energy efficiency, removing as much coal emission as possible, promoting renewable energy, and using more environmentally friendly gasses, such as natural gas. rather than fossil fuels. As these are similar to what is being proposed to stop air pollution in the arctic, there are also similar problems presented. For example, replacing CFCs would help improve the ozone layer, but would cause other problems with climate change, and electric cars would reduce carbon dioxide emissions, but would cause problems with the disposal of lead batteries and the emissions from the power stations. I think that the best solution to global warming is to do everything we can, no matter how small, to reduce carbon dioxide and energy emissions, such as cleaning our air filters, turning appliances off instead of leaving them on standby, using less hot water, or recycling everything we can.
As mentioned earlier, an environmental concern in this region is global warming. The ice on the Hudson Bay is melting faster, and though it is not yet enough to damage the environment, it threatens the life of the polar bears in the region. The main prey of the polar bears are ringed and bearded seals, and the bears can only reach them by going on the ice covering the bay. If the ice melts faster, they will not be able to get to the seals and will have no food. The bears already have to spend time in the Summer with no food, and in the last 30 years that time has increased by three weeks. Since the 1980s, the average body weight of the polar bears has dropped by 60 pounds and over 300 have died. If this continues, it is estimated that the polar bears in this region will have died out by 2040, or maybe even sooner. Humans have influenced this problem by releasing unbelievable amounts of carbon dioxide into the air through coal and gas emissions. Some solutions to stop global warming would be boosting energy efficiency, removing as much coal emission as possible, promoting renewable energy, and using more environmentally friendly gasses, such as natural gas. rather than fossil fuels. As these are similar to what is being proposed to stop air pollution in the arctic, there are also similar problems presented. For example, replacing CFCs would help improve the ozone layer, but would cause other problems with climate change, and electric cars would reduce carbon dioxide emissions, but would cause problems with the disposal of lead batteries and the emissions from the power stations. I think that the best solution to global warming is to do everything we can, no matter how small, to reduce carbon dioxide and energy emissions, such as cleaning our air filters, turning appliances off instead of leaving them on standby, using less hot water, or recycling everything we can.
Comparison To Another Location
The Hudson Bay Lowlands are located in the Boreal Forest biome; another place in a Borel Forest biome is Russia. Although not all of Russia is made up of Boreal Forests, or Taiga as it is known in Russia, most of it is. Plants and animals that live in Russia are spruce trees, fir trees, deciduous trees, lichens, elk, bobcats, and snowshoe hares. The snowshoe hare has adapted to the environment by changing its fur colour in the Summer and Winter to avoid predators and having big paws to help run over the snow, lichen has adapted by having no roots, the birds have adapted by migrating South for the Winter, and the trees have adapted by growing needles instead of leaves to conserve heat and minimize water loss. The first humans that lived here hunted animals for food and used the hides to keep warm. The climate of the Taiga is very similar than that of the Boreal Forest in a sense that the Summers are short, the Winters are long, and it is below 0 degrees Celsius for over half the year. One difference in the climate is that Russia receives much less precipitation than the Shield Region does.
The biggest industry in the Russian Taiga is forestry, as it supplies both the country and the rest of the world with timber. The wood is used to build homes and schools, and is also used to make paper and cardboard.
The Hudson Bay Lowlands are located in the Boreal Forest biome; another place in a Borel Forest biome is Russia. Although not all of Russia is made up of Boreal Forests, or Taiga as it is known in Russia, most of it is. Plants and animals that live in Russia are spruce trees, fir trees, deciduous trees, lichens, elk, bobcats, and snowshoe hares. The snowshoe hare has adapted to the environment by changing its fur colour in the Summer and Winter to avoid predators and having big paws to help run over the snow, lichen has adapted by having no roots, the birds have adapted by migrating South for the Winter, and the trees have adapted by growing needles instead of leaves to conserve heat and minimize water loss. The first humans that lived here hunted animals for food and used the hides to keep warm. The climate of the Taiga is very similar than that of the Boreal Forest in a sense that the Summers are short, the Winters are long, and it is below 0 degrees Celsius for over half the year. One difference in the climate is that Russia receives much less precipitation than the Shield Region does.
 |
| Climograph of Yakutsk, Russia |
The biggest industry in the Russian Taiga is forestry, as it supplies both the country and the rest of the world with timber. The wood is used to build homes and schools, and is also used to make paper and cardboard.
No comments:
Post a Comment