3+Boreal+Cordillera

// __**Boreal Cordillera**__ // This is my explanation of the Boreal Cordillera Ecozone. It will include facts like:
 * Location
 * Landforms
 * Climate
 * Vegetation and Soil
 * Human Factors

//**__Location__**//

First of all, the location. This particular ecozone is located the northwest part of canada. It covers most of the Yukon Territory and the northern part of BC. It is fully engulfed by the Western Cordillera Landform Region, inside the Cordilleran Climate Region, and surrounded by the Cordilleran Vegetation Region. All of these factors, if you know about all these other regions, help you to understand this ecozone's climate (precipitation, continental, maritime), vegetation (trees, grasses, soil), and physical features (mountains, large water bodies, plains).

//**__Landforms__**//

This Ecozone is located in the Western Cordillera Landform region. It is filled by mountain ranges with extensive plateaus. Separating these ranges are wide valleys and lowlands. All these landscapes have been modified by forces such as glaciation and erosion. All the mountains were made when the Pacific Plate subducted under the North American Plate, creating a convergent plate boundary and a subduction zone, due to the Juan De Fuca Plate being in the same area.

Something to note is that the mountain ranges run in a north-south direction. This makes it hard to build highways and railways, which run in a east-west direction, for they can only use the small passes and gaps between the ranges that are low enough to allow them to be built.

//**__Climate And Weather__**// In this ecozone, climate changes depending on where you are. The average annual temperature for the Boreal Cordillera is about 3.2 °C. Average annual precipitation in the valleys is around 300mm, while in the interior ranges to the east, it gets about 1000mm annually.

Latitude has an affect because this ecozone is up north, making it colder. The ocean currents to the west coming from the pacific ocean are warm ocean currents, causing temperatures to be a little warmer. Winds can affect some parts of this area greatly and some not so much. The windward side of mountains will get the full force of winds while the leeward side of the mountain will have most of the wind blocked by the mountain itself. Elevation affects the valleys and mountains. The valleys will be warmer as you go down since they are getting closer to sea level. Mountains will be colder as you go up because they are getting farther from sea level. Relief is a big part of this ecozone. Orographic precipitation happens a lot when the winds hit the windward side of a mountain and are forced to move up, eventually hitting it's dew point and making it rain. The leeward side of the mountain will get significantly less precipitation due to this relief. The Pacific Ocean is located right beside this ecozone, so it has a bit of a moderating affect on most of the zone. All of these factors create the climate of the Boreal Cordillera.


 * //__Vegetation And Soil__//**

The vegetation in this Ecozone varies greatly. This is because of the elevation difference between the valleys and mountains. This vegetation area is like a mix of all the other vegetation regions into one. It has coniferous and deciduous trees, but mostly coniferous because it is up north. Some tree species found here are paper birch, white spruce and subalpine fir. It has grasslands (short grass, long grass, and parkland) on south facing slopes and forest vegetation on north facing slopes. As you move up the mountain, the vegetation changes depending on what can survive the climate. It goes from mixed forest, to coniferous forest, to parkland, to grasslands, and finally to tundra one you get to the top. It's funny how shrubs and even cacti can be found in the same area as coniferous and deciduous trees.

The soils here also vary, depending on the climate. Richer, darker soils can be found closer to sea level, causing lots of vegetation to be able to grow. As you move higher in elevation, the soil slowly becomes lighter and less useful, resulting in less vegetation being allowed to grow. Permafrost is common up in the mountains. All these factors create the climate of the Boreal Cordillera.

__//**Human Factors**//__

Not many people live in this Ecozone, only about 31 000. But the mountains there are very beautiful. So many people travel to western Canada to marvel at the various mountain ranges. This is one the the human activities found in the Boreal Cordillera. There are also forests in this ecozone, so forestry is another activity. We need paper so we (and other countries) depend on those forests. Also due to large forests, hunting is another activity there, for there will be plenty of animal life in the forests. The Boreal Cordillera is rich in mineral resources, so mining is a big activity there around rocky areas. Lastly, there are areas with rich soils, so some agriculture is present in this Ecozone. All of these factors have changed the Ecozone to what we want it to be.

__//**Conclusion**//__

This is a basic summary of the Boreal Cordillera. If you want to go into further detail, you can visit the sites in the bibliography. There are many beautiful things in this Ecozone, but all of us have to protect it. Otherwise, we may not have it anymore, and we will only regret not doing anything now.

__//**Bibliography**//__

__Research__
 * Clark, Bruce, John K. Wallace, and Kim Earle.Making Connections, Canada's Geography . 2nd ed. Pearson Education, 2006. 559.
 * @http://www.pc.gc.ca/apprendre-learn/prof/itm2-crp-trc/pdf/ecozone05_e.pdf
 * @http://www.emr.gov.yk.ca/oilandgas/pdf/bmp_boreal_cordillera_ecozone.pdf
 * @http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/maps/environment/forest/forestcanada/forestedecozones/1
 * @http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/maps/environment/forest/forestcanada/terrestrialecozones/1
 * @http://www.crd.bc.ca/watersheds/protection/geology-processes/globaloceancurrents.htm

__Pictures__
 * http://azael100.tripod.com/id2.html
 * http://www.parkwardens.com/maps_relief/relief5.jpg
 * www.**parkwardens **.com/zone5/1.html
 * http://www.parkwardens.com/zone5/animals/side_1.jpg
 * http://www.naturestocklibrary.com/Travel/Ecotourism-Photos/peopleDSC0580/117790088_NgBiP-L-2.jpg

Website created by Nicholas Nagribianko, article made by Galen Fernandes.