Cordillera
Geography
The Cordillera region is located in Western Canad and includes most of British Columbia and the Yukon. The coordinates for theses mountain range are from the Pacific Ocean (130 degrees West) over to Alberta (115 Degrees West). It also ranges from the Canadian Border at the (49th degrees North) all the way North to the Yukon (70th degree North).
The Cordillera were formed when the North American and Pacific Plates collided, which caused faulting, folding, and volcanic activity creating this region. The collision caused the mountain chains of British Columbia and the cordillera to be a region.
The Cordillera region is located in Western Canad and includes most of British Columbia and the Yukon. The coordinates for theses mountain range are from the Pacific Ocean (130 degrees West) over to Alberta (115 Degrees West). It also ranges from the Canadian Border at the (49th degrees North) all the way North to the Yukon (70th degree North).
The Cordillera were formed when the North American and Pacific Plates collided, which caused faulting, folding, and volcanic activity creating this region. The collision caused the mountain chains of British Columbia and the cordillera to be a region.
Climate
Temperature and Precipitation
The climate region of the Coastal region is Cities like Vancouver, have moderate mild temperatures during the winter months and the cold water keep the coastal temperatures cool in the summer. There are very few frost days and temperatures ranges all year from 0 to 20 degrees. This region has more precipitation which is from 20 mm in the summer to up to 180 mm each month in the winter .
The Climate Region of the Interior in cities like Kamloops, the temperatures range from -20 to 35 degrees in the summer (see chart). The eastern side of the mountains in the interior receive less precipitation. The Okanagan Valley can receive as little as 250 mm per year. This region receives as little as 5 mm to 20 mm each month.
The Climate Region of the Northern region like Fort St. Johns, the temperature ranges from -20 to 20 degrees (see chart). The amount of precipitation is from 20 - 74 mm of rain each year.
The Climate Region of cities in the Rocky Mountains, the temperature ranges from -5 to 22 degrees in the summer. The amount of precipitation is from 21 to 60 mm of rain each month.
Kamloops B.C climate graph
Fort St. Johns climate graph
Banff Climate Graph
Soil Profile.
The Western Cordillera has all different types of soil, due to the changing climate. Most of the soil in the is region is very rich and fertile and greatly contributes to the amounts and types of vegetation. About 3% of BC is suitable for agriculture and these areas are the flood plains, and delta.
Causal Climate Factors and Impact of Climate Change.
Climate change will have an impact on the biodiversity of BC. As more people burn fossil feuls, and more forests are cleared, there is more green house gases going into the atmosphere. With this, it is causing the temperature to increase. This therefore causes the water temperature to increase as well which is affecting the salmon run and changing the biodiversity of the waters and oceans. Also, climate change is causing some regions to have drier and longer summers like the Kamloops regions.
Flora and Fauna of the Region
There is a variety of flora and fauna in the Cordillera Region due to the wetter coast, drier interior and mountainous regions. The flora vegetation includes ponderosa pines, douglas fir, lodge pole pines and many grasses in the interior. The fauna in this regions include bears, wolves, deer, moose, rabbits, eagles and many more. They all have there own ways of surviving in the winter and the summer. For example, bears hibernating in the winter months, and hunting prey and eating berries in the spring and summer months.
Human Geography
Settlement Patterns and Major Cities
Over the years people have settled in the valleys along the river regions of British Columbia. 60% of the population have settled in the lower mainland in Cities like Vancouver and Victoria where the land is flatter and the soil if fertile and rich for farming. The mouth of the Fraser River is there which has provided fishing and water for the communities. In the interior, people have settled in areas like Kamloops and the Kelowna because of the lakes and rivers. In the Northern Region, people have settled in regions where the resources are based such as Prince George, Prince Rupert, Fort St. Johns. Each of these towns have larger mining and forestry industries and export a lot to the world markets.
Economy of Regions
Past In the past, the economy of the region was mainly based off few things. One of the main industries was logging, there was lots of logging and clear cuts done and that was a major industry. Another was fishing, with big nets and boats they could catch amazing amounts of fish! There was also agricultural, farming brought money then and so did mining and fossil fuels.
Present 60 % of BC is forested and BC exports a lot of wood for pulp and paper production. Lumber is exported and used to build homes.
There are many minerals in the mountains for BC such as lead, gold, silver, copper and iron. There are mined and exported for making pipes, electornics. In t he north, petroleum and natural gas are mined and used as fuel for cars and machines and also to heat houses. BC has one of the larges poetention for electir power generation with the rivers that flow over the steep mountains.
Environmental Concern
The warming of the rivers is causing more disease pressures and increase oxygen levels in the rivers. This is causing a decline in the salmon population during the annual fall run. This will affect humans and animals because whoever has to rely on salmon will have a lack of food etc. In addition with the warmer temperatures, the river levels are decreasing causing difficulty in fish being able to move upstream to spam.
Comparison to Another Location outside Canada
I am comparing Banff, Alberta to Yellow Stone Park. Both regions are in the mountains and tourism is a big part of their economy. The weather between Banff and Yellowstone are very similar. Temperatures range from -15 to +25 degrees. Monthly precipitation ranges from 27 to 60 mm of rain each month.
References
http://westerncordilleralandformregion.blogspot.ca/2012/10/how-western-cordillera-was-formed.html
https://www.google.ca/search?q=cordillera+map&espv=2&biw=1920&bih=955&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj1_fvlkZLNAhXDQY8KHcKYB7UQ_AUIBigB#imgrc=zGsxh3GaanrnDM%3A
https://www.google.ca/search?q=cordillera+climate+graphs&espv=2&biw=1920&bih=955&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj7jrjnlZLNAhUO6WMKHZ0iBrcQ_AUIBigB#imgrc=kvrduUCZSvZELM%3A
https://www.google.ca/search?q=cordillera+climate+graphs&espv=2&biw=1920&bih=955&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj7jrjnlZLNAhUO6WMKHZ0iBrcQ_AUIBigB#imgrc=byrxo_MHuz7XsM%3A
https://www.google.ca/search?q=cordillera+climate+graphs&espv=2&biw=1920&bih=955&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj7jrjnlZLNAhUO6WMKHZ0iBrcQ_AUIBigB#imgrc=AEHAPn2mEQSt3M%3A
http://ecozones.ca/english/zone/MontaneCordillera/land.html
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/geological-regions/#h3_jump_2
http://www.forrex.org/sites/default/files/forrex_series/FS23.pdf
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/british-columbia/
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/british-columbia/
http://www.fort-st-john.climatemps.com/fort-st-john-climate-graph.gif
https://www.biv.com/article/2015/7/blob-and-slime-stymie-bc-fish-returns/
http://geography.ridley.on.ca/CGC1D/Students/BC1Project/Climate.html
http://www.fort-st-john.climatemps.com/graph.php
http://www.banffta.climatemps.com/
http://www.mapsofworld.com/lat_long/maps/canada-lat-long.jpg
http://westerncordilleralandformregion.blogspot.ca/2012/10/how-western-cordillera-was-formed.html
https://www.google.ca/search?q=cordillera+map&espv=2&biw=1920&bih=955&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj1_fvlkZLNAhXDQY8KHcKYB7UQ_AUIBigB#imgrc=zGsxh3GaanrnDM%3A
https://www.google.ca/search?q=cordillera+climate+graphs&espv=2&biw=1920&bih=955&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj7jrjnlZLNAhUO6WMKHZ0iBrcQ_AUIBigB#imgrc=kvrduUCZSvZELM%3A
https://www.google.ca/search?q=cordillera+climate+graphs&espv=2&biw=1920&bih=955&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj7jrjnlZLNAhUO6WMKHZ0iBrcQ_AUIBigB#imgrc=byrxo_MHuz7XsM%3A
https://www.google.ca/search?q=cordillera+climate+graphs&espv=2&biw=1920&bih=955&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj7jrjnlZLNAhUO6WMKHZ0iBrcQ_AUIBigB#imgrc=AEHAPn2mEQSt3M%3A
http://ecozones.ca/english/zone/MontaneCordillera/land.html
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/geological-regions/#h3_jump_2
http://www.forrex.org/sites/default/files/forrex_series/FS23.pdf
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/british-columbia/
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/british-columbia/
http://www.fort-st-john.climatemps.com/fort-st-john-climate-graph.gif
https://www.biv.com/article/2015/7/blob-and-slime-stymie-bc-fish-returns/
http://geography.ridley.on.ca/CGC1D/Students/BC1Project/Climate.html
http://www.fort-st-john.climatemps.com/graph.php
http://www.banffta.climatemps.com/
http://www.mapsofworld.com/lat_long/maps/canada-lat-long.jpg