Go to the Atlas of Canada Web site located at atlas.gc.ca and click on the English button. Complete the following activities to help you become familiar with the Atlas as well as to draw conclusions based on the maps that you access. Each group of students can be assigned one of the three groups of questions, that follow, or each group can complete all three groups of questions

1. Go to the Explore Our Maps section in the menu on the left side of the page. Move your cursor over the Environment topic; this will cause a pop out menu to appear. Move your cursor over and click on Ecology. On the page that appears go to the Ecological Framework section and click on the link to the Terrestrial Ecozones Map.

a. There are 15 separate and identifiable terrestrial ecozones. Think of a synonym that could be used for the word terrestrial.

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b. Click the Get Info from Map tool above the map and then click on one of the ecozones. List the 7 categories which are used as descriptors for each ecozone in the table below. Spend several minutes reading the ecozone descriptors for each terrestrial ecozone. (You might want to make brief notes for each ecozones on a separate piece of paper.)

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c. Regroup the 15 terrestrial ecozones so that there are a maximum of only 8 zones. Rename your ecozones and write a very brief description of each of your simplified ecozones in the table below.

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New Terrestrial Ecozone Name

d. Briefly describe why you regrouped the ecozones as you did. What factors motivated your choices?

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2. Go to Explore Our Maps section and move your cursor over People & Society; this will cause a pop out menu to appear. Move your cursor over and click on Population. On the page that appears click on the link to the Population Density, 1996 Map.

a. In one sentence describe Canada’s population density with respect to how it is distributed.

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b. Refer to both the Terrestrial Ecozones Map, from section 1, and Population Density, 1996 Map. In which terrestrial ecozone(s) do most Canadians live? What aspects of the ecozone(s) make it favourable for human habitation?

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c. Write down the population density (persons per square kilometre) for the ecozone(s) you listed in the question above.

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3. Go to the Explore Our Maps section and move your cursor over Environment; this will cause a pop out menu to appear. Move your cursor over and click on Ecology. On the page that appears go to the Threats to the Ecosystem section and click on the link to the Species at Risk Map.

a. Think of one or a few words that could replace, but have the same meaning as the term species at risk.

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b. With reference to the map describe the distribution of the number of species at risk in Canada.

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c. According to the map, where in Canada are the most species at risk?

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d. For this question refer to all three maps: Terrestrial Ecozones Map, Population Density, 1996 Map and Species at Risk Map. Write a statement to summarize the relationship between terrestrial ecozones, population density and species at risk in Canada.

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e. Explain the relationship between terrestrial ecozones, population density and species at risk in Canada.

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