Natural Environments of North America

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Natural Environments of North America

• Preview
• Section 1 Physical Features
• Section 2 Climates and Biomes
• Section 3 Natural Resources
• Chapter Wrap-Up

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Section 1 Physical Features

• Read to Discover
• What are the major landform regions in the United
  States and Canada?
• What rivers and lakes are found in the region?

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Section 1 Physical Features
Question What are the various landform regions
of the United States and Canada?
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Section 1 Physical Features
Landform Regions of North America
Region
Location
Description
Along the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico
Long coastal plain, begins at sea level and
gradually rises
Gulf-Atlantic Coastal Plain
Upland region at the foot of the Appalachians
Piedmont
Alabama to New Jersey
Appalachian Highlands
Alabama to southeastern Canada
Several ranges, valleys, and ridges low, eroded
mountains
Interior Plains
Between Appalachians and Rocky Mountains
Rolling hills, many rivers and lakes, productive
soils
Interior Highlands
Old, eroded highlands
Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma
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Section 1 Physical Features
Landform Regions of North America
Region
Location
Description
Great Plains
South-central Canada to Texas and Mexico
High plains, subregion of interior plains
Canadian Shield
Ancient rock, heavily glaciated, little soil
Arctic Ocean to Atlantic coast
Rocky Mountains
New Mexico to Canada
Several high and rugged ranges
Intermountain Basins and Plateaus
High plateaus, deep canyons, isolated mountain
ranges, desert basins
Between Rockies and coastal mountain ranges
Pacific Mountains and Valleys
Along Pacific coast
Two mountain ranges separated by a series of
valleys
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Section 1 Physical Features

• Major landform regions of the United States and
  Canada generally stretch from north to south.
• Listed from east to west the regions are
• Gulf-Atlantic Coastal Plain Great Plains
• Piedmont Rocky Mountains
• Appalachian Highlands Intermountain Region
• Interior Plains Pacific Coast Region
• Canadian Shield Alaska and Hawaii

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Section 1 Physical Features
Bodies of Water

• Major river systems
• Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio Rivers
• St. Lawrence system
• Mackenzie River system
• Western rivers Colorado, Columbia, Fraser, Yukon
• Major lakes
• Great Lakes
• Northern Canada Athabasca, Great Slave, Great
  Bear

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Section 2 Climates and Biomes

• Read to Discover
• Which climate types are found in the United
  States and Canada?
• What are the major biomes of the region, and
  where are they found?

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Section 2 Climates and Biomes
Question What are the locations of the different
climate types in the United States and Canada?
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Section 2 Climates and Biomes
Climate Types of North America
Tropical Humid
Eastern Hawaii
Tropical Wet and Dry
Very tip of Florida, western Hawaii
Humid Subtropical
Southeast United States
Humid Continental
Northeast United States and southeastern Canada
Semiarid
Great Plains, western mountains
Arid
Areas east of Sierra Nevada and Cascades
Highland
Rocky Mountains
Marine West Coast
Southern Alaska through northern California
Mediterranean
Southern and central California
Subarctic
Northern Canada and Alaska
Tundra
Northern Alaska to Newfoundland and Quebec
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Section 2 Climates and Biomes
Biomes

• Temperate ForestSoutheastern U.S. and much of
  the U.S. and Canadian west
• Semiarid and DesertMuch of southwestern U.S.
• GrasslandInterior North America
• Boreal ForestAbout half of Canada and Alaska
• Arctic TundraNorthernmost region
• TropicalSouthern Florida and Hawaii

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Section 3 Natural Resources

• Read to Discover
• What farming, forest, and water resources are
  found in the United States and Canada?
• How rich is the region in energy and mineral
  resources?

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Section 3 Natural Resources
Question What natural resources can be found in
North America?
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Section 3 Natural Resources
Resources of North America
Energy
Minerals
Forest
Water
Agriculture

• Large forests and tree farms
• Lumber, newsprint, pulpwood, and other products
• Leading producers and exporters

• Allow for irrigation and hydro-electricity
  production
• Rich fisheries along coasts

• Large area
• Good climates for farming
• Fertile soils
• Provide enough food to feed population and leave
  a surplus

• Huge coal reserves
• Major oil producer, but still must import
• Rich in natural gas

• Nickel, zinc, uranium, lead, copper, gold, and
  silver in Canada
• Iron, copper, lead, zinc, gold, silver, and other
  minerals in United States

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Section 3 Natural Resources

• Farming
• Wide variety of soils and climates
• Abundant production of crops and livestock
• Forests
• Leading producers of wood and paper
• Major U.S. forests in southeast and northwest
• Water
• Plentiful supplies
• Irrigation and hydroelectric power
• Coastal waters rich in marine resources

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Section 3 Natural Resources

• Energy
• CoalGood supply in both U.S. and Canada U.S.
  has 25 percent of world total generally thick
  deposits located in unpopulated areas
• Oil and Natural GasAlso plentiful, but U.S. uses
  more oil than it produces

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Section 3 Natural Resources

• Minerals
• Canada is rich in mineralsespecially in the
  Canadian Shieldand produces nickel, zinc,
  uranium, lead, copper, gold, diamonds, and
  silver.
• The United States has valuable deposits of iron,
  copper, lead, zinc, gold, and silver.

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Chapter Wrap-Up Understanding the Main Ideas

• What physical process forms barrier islands?
  Where are they found in North America?
• What evidence of tectonic forces will you find in
  western areas of the United States and Canada?
• What can happen when different air masses come in
  contact with one another over the Great Plains?
• What major factors influence climates in the
  United States? How does nearness to the Great
  Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean influence the humid
  continental climate region of the northeastern
  United States?
• About 25 percent of the worlds reserves of which
  energy resource are found in the United States?