Geography
Climate
The region of the cordillera is covered by Boreal forest which is filled with coniferous tree, ( cone shaped trees with no leaves).
Precipitation is higher on the east side with up to 150 mm on some slopes, bu t because of thee trees much water slides off leaving the forest relatively dry around two third's of the precipitation that fall is in the form of snow rather than rain. The varying climates of the Cordillera cause different temperature and precipitation depending on what side you are on or how high up you are. In the Northern Cordillera region, temperatures range from -22 Celsius in the Winter and positive 8 Celsius in the Summer. Northern cordillera area has about 250 mm to 300 mm of precipitation annually. Central Cordillera, the average temperatures are -18 Celsius in the Winter and positive 10 Celsius in the Summer. The West/Central Cordillera gets about 300 mm of precipitation each year, but in the Eastern side can get up to 1500 mm. South Cordillera region can get around 250 mm to 1500 mm of precipitation each year. The West side can about 4000 mm.
Precipitation is higher on the east side with up to 150 mm on some slopes, bu t because of thee trees much water slides off leaving the forest relatively dry around two third's of the precipitation that fall is in the form of snow rather than rain. The varying climates of the Cordillera cause different temperature and precipitation depending on what side you are on or how high up you are. In the Northern Cordillera region, temperatures range from -22 Celsius in the Winter and positive 8 Celsius in the Summer. Northern cordillera area has about 250 mm to 300 mm of precipitation annually. Central Cordillera, the average temperatures are -18 Celsius in the Winter and positive 10 Celsius in the Summer. The West/Central Cordillera gets about 300 mm of precipitation each year, but in the Eastern side can get up to 1500 mm. South Cordillera region can get around 250 mm to 1500 mm of precipitation each year. The West side can about 4000 mm.
There are different types of soil in the Cordillera. In the mountains, the soil is more acid , making it difficult for anything to grow, lichens and mosses grow well in these areas. The soil in the valleys have more nutrients, making it easier for things to grow. In the Central Cordillera soil is very rich with nutrients, allowing various types of vegetation to grow. On the western side there is a rain forest because of the excessive amount of precipitation form the coast. Because of the mountains a rain-shadow is cast, there fore blocking a lot of potential rain. Global warming is the environmental change that will effect this region the most. It will cause the snow on the tops mountains to melt, which could rise the sea level, potentially endangering coastal communities and/ or wetlands.
Flora and Fauna
In the Cordillera there are many types of vegetation, this is because of the many different temperatures and rates of precipitation. Flora includes lichen, sedges and mosses which have adapted to the environment by being able to grow on the rocks and in unconventional conditions. Others are the back, spruce, white spruce, paper birch, alpine fir, lodge-pole pine, trembling aspen, balsam poplar, water birch, Alaska paper birch, blue-green willow and Bebb willow. Fauna in the cordillera region is also very diverse, with several kinds of animals. Animals in this region are: Grizzly bears, golden eagles, cougars, black bears, mountain goats, caribou, the Dall's sheep and bison. Mountain goats have adapted to the cordillera region by developing suction cup like hooves to help climb steep inclines and slopes. The grizzly bears have evolved to be omnivorous, making it much easier for them to find food which they need a lot of due to their long hibernation.
Human Geography
The population of the Cordillera is around 4 123 200, with the majority in Vancouver. In the Northern cordillera the population is much smaller than the rest with only around 400 people. As you move southern the population increases and gets more dense. Major cities along the Cordillera are Kelowna, Vernon, Prince George, kamloops, Abbotsford and Vancouver. Humans use the land industry in forestry, mining, and farming.
Economy
In British Columbia, there are several major exports. Logging is by far the most successful, raking in nearly 6 million dollars in 2015 alone. coal and solid fuel, copper ore, chemical wood pulp, and natural Gas follow, respectively. fishing, mining, quarrying, and oil and gas are other major exports, and have been for many years. Logging, mining, fishing, and agriculture are also past exports of British Columbia. Gold, zinc, silver, and lead are the the past and present exports of the Yukon, which is ranked 12th out of the 13 provinces and territories for international exports.
Environmental Concerns
The most noticeable environmental concern in the Western Cordillera is deforestation due to logging. Due to the lack of logging regulations in the early 1800's, most trees were cut down for lumber, disrupting the ecosystem in the forests. However, Agriculture surprisingly accounts for 41% of deforestation, as of 2010, followed by oil and gas at 24%.
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Agriculture- 43%
Oil and Gas- 24%
Other(construction, golf courses, ski hills, etc.)-12%
Municipal- 10%
Forestry- 8%
Mining- 5%
Oil and Gas- 24%
Other(construction, golf courses, ski hills, etc.)-12%
Municipal- 10%
Forestry- 8%
Mining- 5%
There are three ways to ease the stress due to put on the environment: raising public awareness, replanting, and cutting back on how many trees are cut down annually. By doing this, we can regrow our forests and take care of them in a way that wasn't done in the past.The Canadian public has said that the government is not doing enough to help maintain the forests, while the government is saying that they are doing everything possible to keep our forests in check. The result of this is a back and forth battle between the two parties on what should be done. I think that the best way to solve the problem is using the land we have already changed for agriculture and not using anymore.
Compared Location
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Krasnoyarsk, Russia is of similar climate to that of the cordillera as well as a Taiga forests. Krasnoyarsk mostly thrives in industry, mainly mining for which they hold 80% of the counties nickle, 75% of its cobalt, 70% of its copper, 16% of its coal and 105 of its gold"..