Hudson Plains Ecozone

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Hudson Plains Ecozone

• By Deanna Pizzo

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Table of Contents

• Location
• Climate
• Geology and Geography
• Vegetation
• Animals
• Soils
• Humans
• Climate Graph
• Hudson Plains Hill shade map and slope map
• Fly Through
• Arc scene photo
• Bibliography

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Location
Manitoba

• The Hudson plains stretch from Manitoba to Quebec
  along the southern eastern edge of Hudson Bay.

Quebec
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Climate

• Canada contains a quarter of the world's
  wetlands, and the Hudson Plains ecozone's poor
  drainage has resulted in the largest continuous
  wetlands in the world.
• Hudson's Bay moderates the temperature in
  summer, but the ice that covers it in winter
  prevents most of this average summer
  temperatures are 11C, but in winter the average
  temperature is -18C.
• Precipitation ranges from 400mm in the northwest
  to 800mm in the southeast.
• It has short cool summers and severely cold
  winters.

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Legend 1. Summer Sky 2. Ocean and sea ice 3.
Bridges and wetlands 4. Small lake/ponds 5.
Bog/fen 6. Coastal river
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Geology and Geography

• The terrain here is flat, and the poor drainage
  encourages the creation of wetlands and bogs.
  Palaeozoic and Proterozoic sedimentary bedrock
  slopes gradually towards Hudson Bay.

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Vegetation

• Vegetation here follows two basic patterns. The
  first ranges from north to south in the north,
  the terrain is treeless tundra, but in the more
  southern taiga trees appear, getting thicker as
  you move south.
• The second pattern follows altitude. The drainage
  here is poor, so the trees are only found at the
  drier higher altitudes, while the lower altitudes
  lack trees.
• Some characteristic tree species are black
  spruce, white spruce, and tamarack.
• Other plants include eriacaceous shrubs, cotton
  grass, sphagnum moss, northern Labrador tea, and
  Lapland rosebay.

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• Legend
• 1. Black Spruce
• 2. Spruce Bog
• 3. Dead Black Spruce
• 4. Sedges, mosses, linchens
• 5. Rushes, horsetail

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Animals

• The assortment of animals is highest in summer,
  when migrating birds appear in huge numbers to
  breed.
• The region is more famous for its biting insect
  population, which takes advantage of the poor
  drainage to breed in huge numbers.
• A single hectare is estimated to be able to
  produce ten million black flies, and other biting
  insects.

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• Legend
• 1.Canada Geese
• 2.Lesser Snow Geese
• 3.Northern Pintail
• 4.Tundra Swan
• 5.Atlantic Brant
• 6.Willow Ptarmigan
• 7.Mallard
• 8.Semipalmated Sandpiper
• 9.Green-winged Teal
• 10.Woodland Caribou
• 11.Polar Bear
• 12.Black Bear
• 13.Beaver
• 14.Otter
• 15.Moose Antler

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Soils

• The mineral soils that cover much of the area are
  finely-textured silt and clay deposited by both
  marine and glacial processes. Outcrops of the
  underlying sandstone and shale are rare.
• Since glaciation, the flat terrain, impervious
  soil and poor drainage have promoted the
  development of wetlands throughout the plains.
  Web-like or polygon patterns in organic soils are
  typical of northern wetlands.
• In this soil there is very little moisture and
  minerals because of the poor drainage. There is
  no topsoil so it is not very good for agriculture
  and definitely not loam.

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• The map above is a map of soils for different
  regions. If you look closely the Hudson Plains is
  mainly covered by the light blue and brown. That
  means it is made up of Brunisoic, and Cryscilic.

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Humans

• A lack of timber and minerals means that tourism
  and other activities basically explain why there
  is only 10 000 people who live here make their
  living.

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• Legend
• 1. Tourism
• 2. Hunting, Trapping and Fishing

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Climate Graph
The average precipitation is 649.7 mm per year.
The average temperature is -1.12C.
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Hudson Plains Slope and the Hillshade
Basically both maps are showing you the elevation
of the land, like how high or low it is. By
analyzing each map I picked up that just like it
is known for it has a rather flat terrain.
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Here is a quick recording of the Hudson Plains
Region
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Hudson Plains Arc Scene
In the previous slide I showed you a quick view
of the Hudson plains region. While travelling
through you could see that it is a rather bump
terrain. Although this is not entirely true, the
Hudson plains is knows for its flat terrain. It
is a pretty dry region also so not very good for
agriculture.
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Bibliography

• http//www.parkwardens.com/zone8/1.html
• http//www.ec.gc.ca/soer-ree/English/Vignettes/Ter
  restrial/hp/default.cfm
• http//canadianbiodiversity.mcgill.ca/english/ecoz
  ones/hudsonplains/hudsonplains.htm