The Montane Cordillera Ecozone

The Montane Cordillera Ecozone

Location

• British Columbia (Southern Pacific Coast Mountains) and Southwestern Alberta (The Rocky Mountains)
• Covers an area of about 405000 square kilometers
• Includes many national parks such as Banff and Jasper

Food Web

Map

Douglas Fir Tree

(producer)

Abiotic Factors: Soil Conditions

• The mountains are made up of faulted, folded and uplifted sedimentary rock.
• Plains covered by glacial moraines (glacial debris such as rock and soil) contribute to soil conditions.
• Mountainous regions have relatively poor, shallow and acidic soil, preventing most vegetation growth.
• The shallower areas (plains) have richer topsoil and allow for plant growth. Specifically, the northern plains have soil suitable for forest life and the inland plains have soil suitable for grasslands.
• The terrain also consists of precious mineral and metals.

Abiotic Factors: Physiographical Features

• Mountain ranges surrounding interior plateaus and valleys
• Foothills at the foot of the mountain range
• Includes lush meadow/spruce grove habitats called krummholz
• Aquatic systems like rivers (Fraser and Columbia Rivers), small lakes, and deep lakes also present

Biotic Factors: Mammals

• Herbivores include ungulates such as woodland caribou, deer, mountain goat, bighorn sheep and elk. Smaller herbivores include squirrel, marmot and rabbit.
• Carnivores are mostly bears like black bears and grizzly bears, but can also include lynx, wolves and bobcat. Smaller carnivores include coyote, red fox, muskrat and badger.
• Mammals have thick coats to keep them alive in the winter. Some mammals, like rabbits, change their coat colors throughout the year to adapt to their environment.

Biotic Factors: Other Animals

• Amphibians and Reptiles:
• There are many species of frogs and small snakes in the ecosystem.
• These animals are cold-blooded, allowing them to survive in their environments.
• Fish:
• Peamouth and lake whitefish are among the species of fish.

Species at Risk

Biotic Factors: Animals - Birds

• Seven mammal species are considered to be at risk
• Ten bird species are considered to be either at risk or threatened
• Another four birds - the mountain plover, sage thrasher, burrowing owl, and peregrine falcon - are considered to be endangered

Solar Radiation

• This ecozone is home to a diverse range of birds as well.
• Birds of prey include sub-species of owls and hawks.
• Songbirds include magpies and finches.
• Many seabirds are found in the ecozone as it is very close to the ocean.
• Birds of prey are adapted with hunting skills and specialized talons.
• Most birds have beaks that are adapted to best suit their primary food source.

• Length of day:
• Winter: 8AM to 4PM
• Spring: 6AM to 8:30PM
• Summer: 5AM to 9PM
• Fall: 7AM to 5PM
• Solar radiation and weather contribute to the melting of ice caps on top of the mountains during summertime

Water Availability

Bibliography:

• Western side of mountains annual precipitation: 1200 to 1500mm precipitation because of orographic precipitation.
• South East: 300mm
• North East: 500 to 800mm because of the dry air that makes its way over the mountains
• Wetlands and small lakes are scattered throughout ecozone
• There are also large, deep lakes and river ecosystems

• http://canadianbiodiversity.mcgill.ca/english/ecozones/montanecordillera/montanecordillera.htm
• http://ecozones.ca/english/zone/MontaneCordillera/index.html
• http://ecozone-experts.wikispaces.com/Montane+Cordillera+2
• http://cfs-scf.nrcan-rncan.gc.ca/publications?id=24905
• http://wayback.archive-it.org/2217/20101208160540/http://www.abheritage.ca/abnature/map.htm
• http://ecozones.ca/english/zone/TaigaCordillera/plants.html
• http://montcordillera.webs.com/
• http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/433062/orographic-precipitation
• http://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/msese/earthsysflr/tundraP.html
• http://ecozones.ca/english/zone/MontaneCordillera/wildlife.html

Climbing Moss

Biotic Factors: Small Plant Life

• Lichen sedges, mosses, antelope-brush, sagebrush.
• These species of plant life can grow in many environments because their adaptations are flexible. Moss-like plants thrive by growing close to the ground.

Biotic Factors: Trees

• Coniferous trees include fir (alpine fir in the north, white and black fir in the south), lodgepole pine, engelmann spruce and western hemlock.
• Coniferous trees have the adaptation to keep water in their needle-shaped leaves for long periods of time, allowing them to retain their leaves in the winter. Their needles and roots also make the soil surrounding them more acidic, lowering the amount of species who could potentially compete for a space in the soil.
• Deciduous trees include willow, shrub birch, balsam poplar, and paper birch.
• Deciduous trees shed their leaves when fall approaches. Soil in deciduous forests is also very fertile because it is in optimum pH and dead leaves and mulch contribute to soil nutrient levels.

Temperature

Precipitation

- North of ecozone average annual temperature: 0.5C.

- South of ecozone: 7.5C

o Seasonal averages:

o December-March: 6.3 C

o March-June: 10.3C

o June-September: 14.8C

o September-December: 10.0C

• Both mountain ranges experience relatively high precipitation levels because they experience orographic precipitation.
• Orographic precipitation: Air rises as it moves over mountains. Water vapor cools when it reaches a certain height and forms orographic clouds which are the source of precipitation.
• Coast Mountains:
• Western side: 1500mm average annual precipitation (a coastal climate as it is close to the Pacific Ocean)
• Eastern side: 500-800mm in the north east and 300mm in the south east (arid climate)
• Rocky Mountains:
• 1200mm average annual precipitation

Abiotic Factors: Climate

• Climate varies differently in each location of the ecozone. There are two mountain ranges which each have different climatic characteristics.
• The climate is controlled by air masses that move eastwards from the ocean.
• Mild, dry summers and wet winters

While being guided through this food web, you will find out more about the Montane Cordillera ecozone. Click through the presentation!