Geological factors
A long-lasting beautiful scenery with fresh air to fill your lungs. The Boreal Shield gives you an opportunity to experience the real beauty of Canada.
landforms/geology
The western part of the ecozone is made up of low rolling hills and plains. These flat lands serve the purpose of agriculture, while most of the Eastern part is dedicated towards forest land. The ecozone expands from northern Alberta to central Saskatchewan to mid Ontario to the central east side of Quebec and the whole of Newfoundland. As it is part of the Canadian Shield, it is a part of the Precambrian granite, making it the historical land of Canada. It can be said that the structure of the ecozone must have been with big mountains (the Canadian Shield) but soon they turned into softer rolling hills as overtime the mountains eroded away. Lakes have been formed as glaciers have passed through this area many times making large deep spaces which are then accumulated with more melted glaciers. The Boreal Shield has a few water bodies that supply water to places in the ecozone. The main water suppliers to name are the Great lakes like Lake superior, Lake Huron and Lake Winnipeg, the St. Lawrence river and the Atlantic ocean.
rOckS
The Boreal Shield contains a variety of rocks, but the most popular rock on which the shield is based on is igneous and metamorphic rock. The western part of the Boreal Shield has a lot of fossils and valuable materials such as lead, gold, copper, zinc & nickel found underground.
climate
The Boreal Shield has longer & colder winters as opposed to summers through out the year. The average temperature in winter is about -20 degrees Celsius in the west & the average temperature in summer is about 13 - 17 degrees Celsius, about the same in the whole ecozone. As the Eastern part of the Boreal Shield is more close to the Atlantic ocean, that part has the moderating effect which makes the temperature of the region cooler or warmer than the continental region. The Boreal Shield climate can range from cold winters to warm or hot summers. Due to proximity to water, the Eastern part of the ecozone experiences more precipitation. For example, parts of Newfoundland & Labrador get 1600 mm of rain per year but the Western part of the ecozone gets less amount of rain ranging from 400 - 1000 mm per year. Smaller amounts of water also affect the temperature and precipitation. There is more atmospheric pressure in the west and less in the east as it is close to the Atlantic Ocean.
vegetation
Although the climate in the western part of the ecozone is very cold with a short period for growing season, a lot of vegetation survives in this ecozone. The Western part of the ecozone is used mostly for the agriculture, while the Eastern part is used for forestry lands. There is a transition between coniferous forests and deciduous trees. The Northern part of the ecozone is where you will find coniferous trees and the Southern part is where you will find a warmer climate and deciduous trees. This is due to the fact that deciduous trees only survive in warmer temperatures whereas coniferous can easily survive in colder and harsher environments. White spruce, black spruce, balsam, fir, tamarack, white pine, poplar and many more trees can be found with many types of smaller plants such as blueberry trees, rosemary, shrubs, mosses and more scattered around.
wildlife
There is an abundance of wild life in this region. Though having a cold climate, birds, reptiles, mammals, amphibians and fish all love to live here. As the land is full of vegetation, herbivores such as woodland caribou, white tailed deer & moose feed on them. Common carnivores such as black bears, coyotes, wolf, lynx, marten, mink reside here. Small animals include raccoons, skunks, beavers, red squirrels, snowshoe hare, woodchuck, arctic hare and more. Marine species include the grey seals, harp seals, orca whales, atlantic pilot whale, blue whale, hump back whale and more. Bird species include the boreal owl, great horned owl, bald eagle, blue jay , pleated wood pecker, and more. Reptile and amphibian species include yellow spotted salamanders, mink frog, wood frog, painted turtle, leopard frog, common snapping turtle, red belly snake, maritime garden snake and more.