1 of 18

Biodiversity

Canadian Biomes

2 of 18

Biodiversity in Canada

3 of 18

Biomes

System

Surrounding

Open System

Closed System

Sustainable System

4 of 18

Abiotic Factors Defining Biomes

Latitude

Altitude

Temperature

Precipitation

Topography

Climatograph

5 of 18

Temperature and Precipitation over Year

Saskatoon

6 of 18

Kamloops

Saskatoon

7 of 18

The Snowy Owl

-What adaptations does the owl have for climate (colour of feathers)

-What breeding adaptations (shallow hole in ground)

-What is major food source?

One of the heaviest of North American owls, the Snowy Owl Bubo scandiacus stands nearly half a metre tall, with a wingspan of almost 1.5 m. As is the case with most diurnal birds of prey—those that are active during the day—the female is larger and heavier than the male. The average weight of the female is 2.3 kg compared to 1.8 kg for the male.��Adult males may be almost pure white in colour. Adult females are darker, their white feathers barred with dark brown. First-year birds of both sexes are more darkly marked than their adult counterparts. Immature males resemble adult females, and immature females are heavily barred and may appear dark grey when seen from a distance. The light coloration of Snowy Owls provides camouflage when the owls are perched on snow, but this advantage is lost in summer. As spring approaches and the ground becomes bare, Snowy Owls move to sit on patches of snow or ice. No one knows whether they do this to camouflage themselves or whether they are merely keeping insects away or staying cool.��A dense layer of down, overlaid with thick feathering, insulates the Snowy Owl’s entire body, including the legs and toes, and enables the bird to maintain a body temperature of 38 to 40°C, even when the air temperature reaches -50°C. In strong wind, Snowy Owls may seek shelter by crouching on the ground behind a windbreak, such as a pile of stones, snowdrift, or bale of hay.

http://www.hww.ca/en/wildlife/birds/snowy-owl.html

8 of 18

Tundra

9 of 18

The Muskox

Ancestors of the muskox have survived since the Pleistocene Era, 10,000 years ago. With the retreat of the glacial ice, they spread through Northern Canada and Greenland, then westward into Alaska. Populations were strong since most people in the area harvested more caribou and fish for food than muskox.

By the 1900s, muskox populations in Canada had dropped significantly due to an increased interest in the trade of hides, hunting with guns, and several icy and harsh winters. In 1917, the Canadian government put the muskox under protection in the hopes of saving nearly extinct herds. In 1927, the Thelon Game Sanctuary was established to protect muskox on the tundra main land.

In the 1950s, muskox numbers dipped to a dangerous low of approximately 1,000 animals. To give the herds a chance to repopulate, even local residents stopped harvesting muskox. By the early 1970s, the number of muskox had increased significantly and the herds were once again viable.

Today, there are over 100,000 wild muskox roaming the mainland tundra and Arctic Islands of the NWT and Nunavut. In the winter they roam in isolated herds of approximately 75 animals. During mating season 15 to 20 cows will herd with one bull.

These herds are so successful that the number of grizzlies and wolves looking for food are increasing as well. For this reason, muskox have increased their range, roaming near the Northern communities in the area.

http://www.nunavutmuskox.ca/

10 of 18

Boreal Forest

11 of 18

Boreal Owl

12 of 18

Cedar Waxwing

13 of 18

Boreal Forest

14 of 18

Deciduous Forest

15 of 18

Grassland

16 of 18

The Swift Fox

17 of 18

The Swift Fox

Why is biodiversity important enough for people to want to bring back the Swift Fox?

18 of 18

The Canadian 5 toed sloth