von Kayla Lawrence-Ogbeide vor 5 Tagen
109
Exploring Canadian Geography
von Kayla Lawrence-Ogbeide vor 5 Tagen
109
Biodiversity is often described at three levels: genetic diversity, species diversity, and ecosystem diversity.
Genetic diversity refers to the variation in genes within a species. Species diversity refers to the number of different species in a region. Ecosystem diversity refers to the variety of ecosystems in a region.
Biodiversity, the variety of life on Earth, is crucial for maintaining healthy ecosystems and supporting human well-being.
It provides essential ecosystem services, supports food security, and contributes to the resilience of ecosystems. Without biodiversity, the environment could not provide us with the resources we need to survive, such as food, clean water, and medicines.
The WWF’s Living Planet Report 2024 shows that global wildlife populations have declined by 73% on average since 1970. Regions like Latin America and freshwater ecosystems have seen the steepest drops, with some species nearing extinction.
The main causes are habitat destruction (especially from agriculture), overexploitation, invasive species, and climate change. These declines are warning signs that Earth’s ecosystems are approaching dangerous tipping points.
The report urges urgent, system-wide changes in how we produce food, use energy, and manage money to restore nature and prevent further loss.
The main drivers of biodiversity loss are human activities, specifically habitat destruction, climate change, pollution, overexploitation of species, and invasive species.
These threats are often interconnected and driven by human activities.
When we destroy habitats through deforestation or building cities, we leave fewer places for animals and plants to live. Climate change is also a big problem because it changes the environment too quickly for many species to survive.
Pollution, like plastics and chemicals, harms ecosystems, while overfishing and hunting put pressure on species, making it hard for them to recover. Lastly, invasive species brought by humans outcompete native species and disrupt natural ecosystems.
Direct and indirect drivers represent different levels of impact on environmental changes.
Direct drivers, such as land use change, pollution, and invasive species, have a direct and measurable effect on ecosystems. Their impact can be identified and measured accurately.
Indirect drivers operate more diffusely, often by altering one or more direct drivers. Examples are demographic, economic, and socio-political factors. Their impact is established through their effect on direct drivers.
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions originate from both natural and human-related sources.
Natural sources include plant respiration and decomposition, as well as ocean release of gases like water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide.
Human-related sources primarily stem from burning fossil fuels, agriculture, deforestation, waste management, industrial processes, and the use of industrial chemicals.
The greenhouse gas effect is a natural process that keeps the Earth's surface warm enough for life to thrive.
It's caused by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which trap outgoing heat radiation from the Earth, preventing it from escaping into space.
As the planet warms, it emits heat (infrared radiation) back into the atmosphere.
Human activities, such as burning fossil fuels, have increased the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, leading to a stronger greenhouse effect and global warming.
GHGs are atmospheric gases that trap heat, contributing to the greenhouse effect and global warming.
These gases, like carbon dioxide and methane, allow sunlight to pass through the atmosphere and warm the Earth's surface, but they prevent some of that heat from escaping back into space.
Some main greenhouse gases are Carbon Dioxide (CO2), and Methane (CH4).
Demography is the study of human populations using rates and numbers such as migration rates (immigration and emigration), population growth rates, mortality rates, birth rates, death rates, etc.
Elderly in a population need special infrastructure and care: nursing homes, retirement homes, supported living, and staff-- nurses, geriatric doctors, psw (personal support workers).
Canada’s population is aging rapidly, and in 20 years, nearly one in four Canadians will be 65 or older. This shift is due to fewer babies being born and more people living longer.
Increased life expectancy means more seniors will need healthcare and support. Experts warn that the country’s healthcare and housing systems may not be ready to handle this change.
They suggest that we need to plan now to ensure that seniors have the care and services they need in the future.
Migrations are something studied in demography. In this article, many people are protesting in Los Angeles. It is related to immigration because Trump sent soldiers to help with immigration raids. Some of the protests turned into fights.
California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, says the troops weren’t allowed and plans to sue the government. This has caused a big argument across the country about immigration and whether the president should be allowed to send troops without permission.
Historically
From this video, I learned that in 1960, there was a huge gap in wealth between the west and the rest of the world. From 1960 to 2010, the world population doubled.
The distance from the very poorest to the very richest is wider than ever.
By 2050, the 2 billion people in the poorest countries are going to turn into 4 billion. The poorest have to get out of poverty, for the birth rates to come down.
From this video, I learned that in 1800 most of the countries in the world had a low lifespan and a low income. As a result of the Industrial Revolution, some of the countries moved up in lifespan and income.
Countries like Europe moved up, but other countries held by colonization like Africa didn't move up.
In 1948, I think there is a strong relationship from the graph and there is a big gap between the countries. Some countries are becoming very wealthy and have higher lifespans while other countries still have low lifespans.
From 2009, all the countries moved up in the lifespan and a lot of the countries moved up in income. The total gap increased a lot. Some countries got left behind while others became wealthier. They condensed 120,000 numbers from 200 countries, showing 400 years.
Population Growth Rate is the rate at which a country's population is growing or shrinking. You need to use birth rates- death rates and immigration rates- emigration rates.
Hoodoos are naturally shaped rock formations, often resembling spires or pillars, that result from erosion. They are commonly found in areas with alternating layers of soft and hard rock, where the softer layers erode away, leaving the harder rock standing tall.
Hoodoos can be found in many places, including the badlands of Alberta, Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah, and Yoho National Park in British Columbia.
A delta is a landform created at the mouth of a river where it flows into a larger body of water, like an ocean or lake.
The river's flow slows down, causing it to deposit the sediment it carries, which builds up over time to form the characteristic triangular shape.
Deltas are often fertile areas, rich in nutrients, making them important for agriculture and supporting diverse ecosystems.
Some well-known examples of deltas include the Nile River delta, the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta, and the Mississippi River delta.
A hazard, which is a potential source of harm, becomes a disaster when it interacts with a vulnerable population and causes significant negative consequences that exceed the community's ability to cope.
Essentially, a hazard is the threat, while a disaster is the event that results from the hazard impacting a vulnerable population. It's the combination of the hazard and the vulnerability of the affected population that determines whether a disaster occurs and the severity of its impact.
For example, an earthquake in an unpopulated area is a hazard, but it's not a disaster. However, the same earthquake striking a densely populated city with inadequate infrastructure can be a devastating disaster.
Smoke from Canadian fires reaches Europe: EU climate monitor
Smoke from the Canadian Wildfires has reached all the way to Europe.
There are hazardous gases, such as carbon monoxide, in wildfire smoke. Particulate matter (ex., pieces of ash) are very bad if you breathe them in.
Most of the smoke traveled high in the air, but some of it made the skies in Europe look hazy. These wildfires are spreading quickly because of hot, dry weather and strong winds, which are made worse by climate change. They're making air quality worse in many places.
Regina steps up to help northern Saskatchewan wildfire evacuees.
Thousands of people have been evacuated due to the wildfires.
The Red Cross, the University and the City are all setting up temporary shelters where people (evacuees) can stay.
The article talks about how Regina is helping people evacuated by wildfires in Northern Saskatchewan. Thousands of people have had to leave their homes, and Regina quickly opened spaces like the REAL District and the University of Regina to help.
The number of evacuees grew quickly, from 55 to over 700 in just one day. The city, the Red Cross, and the university are all working together to provide food and shelter. It shows how communities can come together in tough times to help those in need.
The key to reducing the impact of natural disasters the three P's - Preparation, Prediction, and Prevention.
Here are some examples of the three P's:
Preparation:
Prediction:
Prevention:
The Innuitian Mountains are located in the far northern region of Canada, specifically within Nunavut and the Northwest Territories.
The Innuitian Mountains are characterized by a harsh, cold climate, barren landscapes, and a lack of trees.
They are known for their harsh, cold climate and the presence of various mineral and fossil fuel resources.
There are various leisure activities like snowshoeing, hiking, and hunting. Indigenous populations like the Inuit people also engage in traditional games and cultural activities.
The Appalachian Mountains are a mountain range in eastern North America.
The Appalachian Mountains are a diverse and biodiverse region, characterized by long, broad ridges, steep slopes, deep gorges, and wide valleys.
They are known for their rich ecosystems, diverse landscapes, and unique cultural heritage.
In the Appalachian Mountains, there are different economic activities like mining, tourism, agriculture, and fishing.
There are various Indigenous Populations like the Beothuk, the Mi'kmaq, and the Innu.
The Hudson Bay Lowlands and Arctic Lowlands are situated in eastern and northern Canada.
The Hudson Bay and Arctic Lowlands are characterized by flat, low-lying terrain, extensive wetlands, and the presence of permafrost.
The Hudson Bay Lowlands are known for their swampy forests and transitional vegetation.
In the Arctic Lands, there are various economic activities such as hunting, fishing, glacial tourism, and mining.
There are various Indigenous populations like the Inuit and the Inuvialuit peoples.
The Great Lakes–St. Lawrence Lowlands is located in eastern Canada, specifically in southern Ontario.
The Great Lakes–St. Lawrence Lowlands is a region characterized by fertile, rolling landscape formed by glacial activity, including glacial lake bottoms and shorelines, till plains, and moraines.
It has a humid continental climate, characterized by hot summers, cold winters, and a long growing season.
There are various leisure activities, such as sport fishing, diving, camping, and canoeing.
There are also different Indigenous populations like the Ojibwe, the Iroquois, and the Huron.
The Canadian Shield is a vast region covering a significant portion of eastern and central Canada. It is characterized by its rugged, rocky landscape shaped by ancient Precambrian rocks.
Its primary features include rocky terrain, numerous lakes and rivers, and a generally thin layer of soil.
There are different leisure activities like hunting, fishing, and camping.
There are Indigenous populations like the Cree, Anishinaabeg, and Metis.
The Interior Plains Region is characterized by rolling grasslands, fertile soils, and various natural resources.
The Interior Plains experiences a continental climate with very hot summers and cold winters.
There are economic activities such as agriculture, mining and forestry.
There are also different Indigenous populations like the Cree, the Dakota and the Lakota.
The Western Cordillera is located in most of British Columbia and Yukon. It primarily consists of mountain ranges.
There are different Indigenous communities in the Western Cordillera like the Nootka and the Haida.
There are also different animals like black bear, grizzly bear, wolf, cougar, etc.
What is The Ring of Fire?
I learned that it is a horseshoe-shaped zone encircling the Pacific Ocean, characterized by frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity.
The Ring of Fire is the location of most of the world's earthquakes and volcanoes. It's a boundary where tectonic plates collide, creating subduction zones, where one plate dives beneath another, leading to volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.
The Ring of Fire also spans four continents, South America, North America, Asia and Oceania.
Weathering:
I learned that weathering is the breakdown of rocks into smaller pieces by natural forces. There are three types of weathering:
Erosion:
I learned that erosion is a geological process in which materials from the Earth are transported by natural forces. The main ways in which earthen materials are moved around the globe are through:
Plate tectonics is the idea that the Earth's crust is broken into plates and the plates are moving on magma within the Earth.
The Earth is composed of three main layers:
There are different types of Plate Boundaries :
Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
It's a concept that balances economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental protection. The goal is to ensure that current generations can improve their lives without negatively impacting the ability of future generations to do the same.
The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, are a set of 17 interconnected goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015 to achieve a more sustainable future for all by 2030.
These goals address global challenges like poverty, hunger, inequality, climate change, and environmental degradation, calling for action from all countries to promote prosperity while protecting the planet.
Natural resources are things we get from the Earth to use in our daily lives. They can be renewable, meaning they can be replaced naturally, like trees and water.
Some are non-renewable, which means they take a very long time to form and can run out, like coal and oil. Resources can also be exhaustible, which means if we use too much, they might disappear.
Finally, inexhaustible resources are ones that won’t run out no matter how much we use them, like sunlight and wind.
Bill 5 is legislation that speeds up building and development projects by allowing some rules to be ignored. It is related to mining and endangered species because it lets companies skip environmental protections that keep animals and plants safe.
The bill also reduces how much Indigenous groups and local communities can have a say in these projects. Many people worry this will harm the environment and hurt Indigenous rights. Because of this, a lot of groups are against Bill 5 and want it changed.
When I explored the mining watch Canada site, I learned that MiningWatch Canada is a group that watches over mining projects to make sure they are fair and safe.
They help protect the environment and support Indigenous communities whose land may be affected by mining. The group also makes sure mining companies follow the rules and don’t harm people or nature.
They speak up when something goes wrong and try to change laws to make mining safer. Overall, MiningWatch works to make sure mining is done in a responsible and fair way.
For these assignments, we used ArcGIS and Google My Maps.
ArcGIS is a powerful tool used by professionals and even students for detailed mapping, data analysis, and managing geographic information.
Google My Maps is a simpler, user-friendly tool mainly for personal or light professional use, great for creating and sharing basic custom maps.
A good map is clear, informative, and easy to understand. It effectively communicates information by using appropriate symbology, color schemes, and a well-designed legend.
It also includes essential elements like a title, scale, and north arrow, and maintains a sense of scale and realistic representation of geographic features.
It should have a clear title, informative subtitles, and concise text.
