Cordillera/British Columbia

Geography

A map showing all of the geographic regions of Canada

A map showing the latitude and longitude of Canada

The Cordillera was formed when two tectonic plates crashed into each other, lifting sections into the air and creating mountains. Pressure from these plates also formed valleys, trenches, and plateaus. Erosion from rivers and glaciers further further sculpted the landscape. In the East, the rocks in the Cordillera are mostly sedimentary rocks that have been twisted and folded. In the interior and Vancouver Island, the rocks are mostly sedimentary and volcanic rocks. In the West, there are igneous and metamorphic rocks. A unique feature of the Cordillera is the gentle rolling of the inland plateaus. This land feature was formed by glaciation, erosion, and lava flows from volcanoes that used to be active in the area. What makes the Cordillera different from other regions is its mountainous, irregular terrain and its great variety of climates, soils, and vegetation.

Climate

Because of the varying climates of the Cordillera, there are different levels of temperature and precipitation depending on where you are. In the Northern Cordillera, temperatures range from -22 degrees Celsius in the Winter to 8 degrees Celsius in the Summer. The North get about 250mm to 300mm of precipitation each year. In the central Cordillera, the average temperatures are -18 degrees Celsius in the Winter and 10 degrees Celsius in the Summer. The West/Central Cordillera gets about 300mm of precipitation each year, while the East/Central Cordillera can get up to 1500mm. The South Cordillera can receive anywhere from 300mm to 1500mm of precipitation each year, and the West Coast can get up to 4000mm. The average Summer temperature in the South is 19.5 degrees Celsius, and the average Winter temperature is -12.5 degrees Celsius.

Climograph for Kamloops, BC

Climograph for Peace River, BC

Climograph for Prince Rupert, BC

As with the temperature and precipitation, there are also different types of soil in the Cordillera. For example, in the mountains, the soil is very rocky and acidic, making it difficult for anything to grow, which is why mostly lichens and mosses grow in these areas. The soil in the plains are more nutritious, making it easier for things to grow there. Mostly grasses and grassland vegetation are grown in this area. In the Central Cordillera, the soil is very rich, allowing much vegetation of varying types to grow. In the Western Cordillera, there is a rainforest because of the mountains on the coast. There is not as much rain in the Interior because of the rainshadow cast by the mountains. The climate in the Cordillera is caused by Easterly moving air masses. These air masses cause the cold Winters and the hot Summers. The type of climate change that will affect this region the most is global warming. It will cause the snow on the tops of tall mountains to melt, which could rise the sea level, potentially threatening coastal communities and other wetlands.   

Flora And Fauna

The Cordillera has many types of plant life, mostly because of the amount of different climates the region possesses. Plants in the Cordillera region include black spruce, white spruce, sedges, lichens, large-flowering plants, and mosses. Lichens, mosses, and sedges have adapted to their environment by being able to grow on the rocks of the mountains. Flowering plants have adapted by having large flowers to both attract insect pollinators during the short growing season and to get as much sunlight as possible.

A forest in the Cordillera region, showing many different kinds of plant life

The Cordillera has just as much diversity in its animal life as its plant life, with many kinds of animals roaming the lands. Some of the animals in this region are: Dall's sheep, mountain goats, wolverines, grizzly bears, golden eagles, and cougars. The Dall's sheep and mountain goats have adapted to their region by having hooves like suction cups to help them climb steep mountains. The cougar, which hunts these two animals, is also good at climbing. The grizzly bears of the region have adapted by developing omnivorous habits, meaning they eat both plants and animals, making it easier for them to get enough food to survive.

A grizzly bear and its cub in the Cordillera region

Human Geography

The total population of the Cordillera is about 4 123 200 people, most of them residing in the Vancouver area. In the North, the population of the Cordillera is very small and spread out, numbering only about 400 people. However, as you go South, the population gets much denser and higher, with cities like Vancouver having over 1 000 000 people. Other major cities in the Cordillera include Kamloops, Kelowna, Prince George, and Abbotsford. Humans use the natural resources of this area mainly for forestry, mining, and farming. For example, cattle grazing is a big industry in the South, as are forestry and mining. However, a downside to this is that the rising population of the South means that more resources are needed, which results in the depletion of natural resources in the Cordillera. 

A group of First Nations people who live in the Cordillera region

 

Economy

In the 1800s, the economy of the Cordillera was built around forestry. BC shipped wood all over the world, and still does to to this day. Today, the biggest industry in the Cordillera is still forestry, and other industries include agriculture, mining, and fisheries. By the mid-90s, $1 500 000 000 worth of forestry products had been exported from Canada. About 30 000 people are employed in forestry-related jobs in BC. The forestry industry has risen and fallen with the economy, but now, however, people are focusing more on the trees themselves rather than the money, wanting to make sure that trees will always be a resource for Canada. There have been some disputes, especially about the cutting of old-growth forests, but Canada has been doing relatively well in preserving the forests, passing numerous Acts to help sustain the forests of BC.

An example of forestry in BC

The fisheries, however, are not doing so good. The backbone of the fishing industry are the salmon: sockeye, pink, coho, chum, and spring. The salmon of BC have been overfished to the point of near extinction. For example, the Snake River Chinook run was about 1 500 000 salmon in the 1800s and only 2500 today. In addition to overfishing, logging, mining, road building, dam building, and urban sprawl have all affected the salmon's spawning areas. In an effort to help sustain the salmon, Canada cut its commercial salmon fishing fleet in half in 1996. Other attempts at sustainability include licence buyback scheme, which is the government purchasing back the fishing licences it has sold, and fish farming, which is the raising of salmon in a controlled environment.

An example of commercial salmon fishing in BC

Agriculture has long been practiced in BC, and even though only 10% of its land is suitable for it, this industry is more stable than forestry and fisheries. While it is still vulnerable to periods of crisis, and is not as major as the two aforementioned industries, the agriculture industry is an overall very stable industry in the sense that farms are not going to disappear any time soon. In fact, farming in BC is fast becoming more of a big business than a little family business. The most prosperous farming places in BC are the Fraser and Okanagan Valleys. The only big problem in the agriculture industry was in the 1960s and 1970s, when more and more people were moving into the farmland and industrializing it, shrinking the already small amount of farmland in BC. As a solution to this issue, 4 700 000 hectares of land were reserved for agriculture purposes only.

Two farmers harvesting their carrots

Finally, mining is also a big industry in the Cordillera. Gold, copper, lead, and zinc are all mined in BC. The unprocessed minerals that are mined are exported all around the world. The average lifespan of a mine in BC is about 25 years. Although most mines in BC are underground, open-pit mines are also becoming popular, as they are safer than underground mines and require fewer workers. A downside to open-pit mining is that is can be very harmful to the environment by leaving behind waste from the mine, polluting nearby rivers and streams, and polluting the air. The government was tried to help lessen the effects of these problems by ensuring that the area of the mine is left in a healthy state and trying to cut down acid rock drainage, which occurs which the rock left over in a mine is exposed to air, which in turn makes sulphuric acid.

An open-pit mine in the Cordillera region

Environmental Concerns

An environmental concern in the Cordillera region is the diminished supply of wild salmon. As mentioned earlier, salmon have been overfished for years, as well as having their spawning grounds contaminated by urbanization and other industrial projects. Humans, especially those of European descent, have influenced this problem because they are the ones who started overfishing and harming the fish's habitats. Since salmon are a keystone species in BC, if they were to be fished to extinction, it would greatly damage the ecosystem. Some solutions that have been suggested to solve this problem are salmon farming, limiting fishing, both commercial and sport, and restoration of the spawning grounds of the salmon. However, some of these solutions have also presented new problems. For example, farmed salmon can hurt the wild salmon population even more by spreading diseases that are limited to the farms to wild salmon. Although this can only happen if a fish escapes from the fish farm, still poses a concern. Also, some First Nations Peoples have been angered by the limited fishing rule because they are guaranteed right to fish whenever and however they want. This has led to many disputes between the First Nations and the government. I believe the best way to solve this problem is to educate everyone we can about this issue, so people will understand why they can only catch a certain number of fish or only fish in certain places. This could stop people from complaining about the limits and maybe even convince to people who go over to stop.

Comparison To Another Location

Most of the Cordillera region is boreal forest, with only the west coast being a temperate rainforest. Another boreal forest biome outside of Canada is the Russian Taiga region. Much of the same plants and animals live there, and in turn have the same adaptations, such as thick fur to keep warm and shallow roots to grow in thin soil. 

A climograph of Moscow, Russia

Like the Cordillera, the major economic industry in the Russian Taiga is forestry. Many people in the are rely on forestry, specifically timber forestry, and some types of agriculture to get what they need to survive. Many traditions in the area are also involved with the forest, so it is vital that it remains maintained.