2+Atlantic+Maritime

__Atlantic Mari____time__  The Atlantic Maritime includes the provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and the Gaspe Peninsula; the eastern region of Quebec. This ecozone is the easternmost zone in Canada, located on the Atlantic Ocean. The Atlantic Maritime ecozone is the second smallest of th e ecozones with an area of 192 017 km².

__ Landform Region __ The Atlantic Maritime Ecozone is within the landform region of the Appalachian Mountain Region. This landform region was formed during the Paleozoic era, when the North American plate collided with Europe and Northern Africa plates when Panga ea was forming. The Appalachians are made up of Sedimentary rock. The Appalachians stretch as far south as and as far North as Newfoundland. The mountains of this region used to be jagged, but because of erosion the mountains have now turned to gently rolling hills and valleys where as the younger Western Cordillera Mountains haven’t experienced nearly as much erosion. Glaciation had a big impact on this landform region, when glaciers were present they compressed the mountains, and melted to form “drowned coastlines”. Drowned Coastlines are a result of the glaciers also, the coastlines were flooded by the oceans. Thus these deep, long bays served as harbours for freighters, and some even promoted permanent settlements. Sand Dunes along the Atlantic coast of this zone are common also, along with rough coastal islands.  __ Rocks and Minerals __ The Atlantic Maritime is in the province of the Appalachian Orogen. Sedimentary rocks are most common in this ecozone because of the Appalachian mountains. When the Appalachians were forming layers of sediment were uplifted. The Sedimentary rock has deposits of non metallic minerals such as coal, natural gas, potash, and oil. In total, the Atlantic Maritime produces about 175 000 barrels of oil per day. Specific types of sedimentary rock include sandstone, shale, limestone, and quartzite.These non metallic minerals are mainly used to power/fuel mechanical machines (cars, factories, etc.). There are also sections of this ecozone where igneous and metamorphic rock exist, this is because of a volcano from Pangaea. Igneous and metamorphic rocks mean that there are certain areas where metallic minerals are abundant such as zinc, copper, iron, silver, gold, gypsum, salt, lead and granite. These metallic minerals have many uses, for example copper is used in electrical wiring, lead is used in batteries and for building electronics. __Vegetation and Soil__ The Atlantic Maritime Ecozone is rankedthird for the most forested ecozone, it has 76% of its land covered withforests. These forests are divided into three regions: Boreal, Great Lakes-StLawrence, and Acadian. The Boreal region is associated with spruce and fir. Red Pine, Eastern White Pine, Yellow Birch, and Eastern Hemlock are all relatively small Great Lakes-St. Lawrence region of NorthernNew Brunswick. Acadian Forests cover 44% of the ecozone, and these Acadian Forests are a mixture of coniferous and deciduous species. All three regions have numbers of lakes and wetlands through them. These regions have wet-climate soils, therefor they are able to support bigger deciduous and coniferous forests. __ Climate and climograph __  The Atlantic Ocean (nearness to large bodies of water) influences the climate of this ecozone greatly, therefor this is a maritime climate. Since water cools and heats much faster than land, warmer winters and cooler summers are a result of the ocean. The average winter temperature is -5°C while summers average around 14°C, and winters are usually long and summers are short. The interior of this ecozone has slightly cooler winters and warmer summers. Farmers in this zone have about 180 to 210 days of growing. Along with ecozones, there are also climate zones and the Atlantic Maritime falls into 2 climate zones; South Laurentian, and Atlantic. The nearness to the Atlantic Ocean also influences the amount of precipitation this zone especially on the coastal regions. Inland, you are likely to receive approximately 1000 mm of precipitation, while on the coast this number increase to approximately 1500 mm. Cyclonic or Frontal precipitation is most common in this ecozone, and this type of precipitation is account for 15-20 thunderstorm days annually. Factors affecting climate in this region include: Latitude, ocean currents, winds and air masses, and nearness to large bodies of water. The latitude of the region ranges from 44°N to 49°N, meaning the suns rays will be dispersed over a larger amount of area compared to a location closer to the equator. Ocean currents also affect this zone because there is a warm ocean current (Gulf stream) moving northerly. The air masses in this zone come from both the gulf of mexico in the winter and the north of Canada, and this moderates temperatures. Air masses formed over the Atlantic ocean contain a lot of, which is turned into precipitation over the Atlantic Maritime. Temperature range= 24°C __Tourism__ The Atlantic Maritime ecozone is a great tourist destination because of all it has to offer. Fishing in the maritime is great, because of the Gulf of st. lawrence, the st. Lawrence, the Atlantic ocean, the Bay of Fundy, and lots of lakes and rivers. Fishing is one of this ecozones main industries. Whale watching is a very popular activity, when whales are migrating. Light houses on the coasts of the land are fun to explore and a historical sight to see. With hundreds and hundreds of protected areas, provincial parks, and national parks you are bound to find one to suit your needs. Great scenery in the Gaspe Peninsula and many more destinations are available. Historic sites, monuments, and statues are available in every province in this ecozone (forts, etc) media type="youtube" key="NTbJhNuCLR8?version=3" height="360" width="640" __Fun Facts__
 * The only large carnivores in the area are the black bear, the lynx, and the bob cat
 * The four species of snakes in the region are harmless to humans – maritime garter snake, smooth green snake, redbelly snake, and ringneck snake
 * The region is known for its lobster, crab, and shrimp fisheries, clams and scallops
 * PEI is famous for its potatoes
 * Half the population lives in rural areas, which is way more than the national average

__Ecozone's Future__ The future of the Atlantic Maritime ecozone is very dependent on natural resources for the up keep of its economy. Logging, fishing, tourism, mining, and farming are its biggest industries, but since the resources that they produce are in such demand they are likely to disappear in the future. Stats show that Nova Scotia's main exports are Lobster (shellfish), natural gas, tires, and paper and these resources all come from the main industries, which are bound to become depleted in the future. This would lead to an economic struggle; jobs would be lost. Tourism is an exception to this because the tourism industry can still thrive, while the other industries downfall.

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