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

Location

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

Manitoba

Quebec

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 11˚C, but in winter the average temperature is -18˚C.

• 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

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.

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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

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 GraphMonths Precipitation TemperatureJanuary 33.9 -20.7February 22.7 -18.4March 31.7 -11.7April 39 -2.4May 53.7 6.2June 71.1 11.9July 101.3 15.4August 75.8 14.4September 90 9.4October 73.3 3.4November 54.3 -4.7December 34.7 -16.3

Moosonee (Hudson Planes)

050

100150200250300350400

JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJuly

AugustSeptember

OctoberNovember December

Months

Precipitation (mm)-50-40-30-20-100102030

Temperature ˚C

The average precipitation is 649.7 mm per year. The average temperature is -1.12˚C.

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.

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.

Bibliography

• http://www.parkwardens.com/zone8/1.html• http://www.ec.gc.ca/soer-ree/English/Vignette

s/Terrestrial/hp/default.cfm• http://canadianbiodiversity.mcgill.ca/english/e

cozones/hudsonplains/hudsonplains.htm