Information on climate change impacts can be used to provide answers to some of these questions. Source for obtaining Natural Resources Canada's publication on climate change is available under Course Materials. Two web addresses for the same publication are provided below. They are big documents hence you must not print all – just print or even read sections that cover your questions!
QUESTIONS
- The Arctic North of Canada is an important geographical region in this country due to its potential for mining, tourism, arctic studies, and strategic location in the arctic zone. The region is characterized by permafrost conditions that influence its roles in Canada. These are however changing leading to permafrost degradation. Describe how this region could be both positively and negatively affected by permafrost degradation
- Various glacial landforms such as fjords have developed in the Arctic region of Canada over millions of years. Glacial ice has however been melting over the last few decades due to global warming hence its impact as an erosional tool has been on the decline. In which ways will decrease glacial erosion affect the development of both erosional and depositional landforms in the Arctic region
- Increasing precipitation and rising temperatures are two major climatic variables that influence the development of soils. Assess the impact of these two climatic variables on two aspects of soil development. These are
• Soil formation
• Soil erosion - The seas, lakes, and rivers are important habitats of fish and other aquatic living organisms. How will habitats of such organisms such as the Great Lakes of Canada be affected by
• increased temperatures
• Changes in water levels - Midlatitude Grasslands and Boreal Forests are two major terrestrial ecosystems in Canada.
• Describe the location of the two biomes in Canada i.e. where in Canada can these two biomes be found?
• Discuss four main differences between these two biomes
• Discuss which human activities that have modified the composition and diversity of vegetation in either the Midlatitude Grassland or Boreal forests