Landform Region Inquiry

Where it is?

Western Cordillera

The Western Cordilleras are located on the West Coast of Canada in British Columbia. There are 3 regions, the Eastern Mountains, the Interior Plateaus, and Coast Mountains.

Interior Plains

Western Canada and the prairies
surrounding Alberta, Manitoba, NWT,
and Saskatchewan

Appalachians

Eastern Canada surrounding
New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI
and New Foundland and Labrador

How does living here provide advantages/ disadvantage?

Western Cordillera

Some of the advantages to the Western Cordilleras are the
easy access to fish and shipping docks being a coastal region, Some disadvantages are the cold climate and mountain ranges for restricted building

Interior Plains

Advantages, Farming, Oil Mines, and mineral mines
Disadvantages, Lack of communities

Appalachians

Advantages, Coal Mining, Fishing, Tourism
Disadvantages, living in the “hollows” accessible by one lane roads, school, work and medical are harder to access

What is the climate like?

Western Cordillera

The winters are usually above freezing so there is not usually much snow fall. The summers in this region are cool, but the temperature varies greatly because of the mountains. Locations only a few kilometers apart may have very different temperatures and precipitation patterns

Interior Plains

Long cold winters and short, hot summers
the precipitation in the interior plains is between
300 mm and 500 mm on average

Appalachians

Average of 10C up north and 18C down south

How does the climate affect vegetation?

Western Cordillera

The climate here is very complex due to elevation and mountains that block air flow. On the ground lush healthy plants grow due to lots of rainfall. However because of the icy cold weather on the mountains very few trees can survive. The higher the elevation the less vegetation.

Interior Plains

up North is Tundra, which is treeless area where the ground is always frozen, in the Prairies there are tall grasses and even some that can grow to the height of a person

Appalachians

Longer growing seasons, increasing water temperatures, increased heat frequently, increased evapotranspiration by vegetation and in streams

What types of soil is found there?

Western Cordillera

There are many different types of soil found here because of the differences in climates between locations, but the most popular is podzol soils, which are acidic and don't have humus. But since it rains alot plants can grow in the area

Interior Plains

The soil is deep and able to produce an
abundant amount of crops/vegetation

Appalachians

the soil is rich, the soil is “loamy”, and a mixture between clay, silt, and sand, the soil is “acidic”, has a drained and brown color

How fertile is the soil?

Western Cordillera

The soil is fertile due to the heavy rainfall and mountain moisture. But the soil gets worse as you go up the mountain due to the cold icy mountains

Interior Plains

The Interior plains are full of deep fertile soil

Appalachians

Mountain soil is very fertile because it takes all the run off from the mountain like organic deposits, and river deposits and collects in the valley

What kinds of trees grow?

Western Cordillera

Most of the trees that grow there are Douglas Fir, Lodgepole Pin, Alpine Fir, Western Red Cedar, Western Hemlock, Sitka Spruce, and Trembling Aspen

Interior Plains

Deciduous, Boreal, Columbia, and grassland

Appalachians

Sugar maple, Beech, Eastern Hemlock, Eastern White Pine, Acer spicatum and etc

How does the vegetation affect the environment

Western Cordillera

The vast forest provide great habitats for many different species. But the mountains prevent interior forests to see the ocean as a water source and food source

Interior Plains

The fields have food for wild life as well as habitats for them as well

Appalachians

The environment isn’t affected by the vegetation, the trees can survive in the poorest quality soil, when they live by rivers the soil is much richer making the trees there healthier

What is the Population

Western Cordillera

The population of the Cordilleras is estimated to be around 4 850 000 as of today

Interior Plains

Estimated around 4,811,893

Appalachians

There is a population of 25 million people in the Appalachian Mountains

How does this region fit peoples needs

Western Cordillera

This place has many mountains rivers and grasslands but also has an ocean. This place has some great views of the mountains and the ocean. Two main cities are Vancouver and Victoria

Interior Plains

There is lots of flat land for farming
and building of communities, lots of health care/hospitals
and a normal amount of schools

Appalachians

There are no hospitals in the Canadian region, no health care, one school in Newfoundland called “Appalachia High School”

What kinds of jobs are available?

Western Cordillera

Some jobs include, lumber, fishing, coal and petroleum mining

Interior Plains

Some of the occupations are farming, forestry, mining, and the oil and gas industries

Appalachians

Coal mining, fishing, and lumber

How are the prices of living affected?

Western Cordillera

In British Columbia a four person family monthly costs about 2,000C$. Also has a cost of living index of 74.5

Interior Plains

In the Interior Plains it costs about 2,090C$
for a four-person family monthly.

Appalachians

In the Appalachians it costs about 4,050C$ for a four-person family monthly. Also has a cost of living index of 79.8.

What species of animals live here?

Western Cordillera

Some species include Mountain Goat, Moose, Caribou, Deer are common.Rocky Mountain Elk, Bighorn Sheep, Stone Sheep are less frequently found. Grizzly Bears and Black Bears are the most common large mammals.

Interior Plains

Mule deer, Pronghorn, Brown bear,
Gray wolf, Elk

Appalachians

White-tailed deer, American black bear, beaver,
squirrel, raccoon

How was the Landform region created

Western Cordillera

The Western Cordillera formed when the Pacific and the North American plates collided. The Pacific plate subducted under the North American plate which caused folding, creating the Rockies, Columbia and Coast Mountains

Interior Plains

Sediments being compressed over the
years turned into land

Appalachians

Formed from plate collision and folding
with the European plate and North American plate