________________ CM . . . . Volume XVII Number 28. . . .March 25, 2011

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Arctic. (Canadian Ecozones).

Laura Pratt.
Calgary, AB: Weigl, 2011.
32 pp., pbk. & hc., $11.95 (pbk.), $25.70 (hc.).
ISBN 978-1-55388-632-7 (pbk.), ISBN 978-1-55388-631-0 (hc.).

Subject Headings:
Natural history-Canada, Northern-Juvenile literature.
Ecology-Canada, Northern-Juvenile literature.
Occupations-Canada, Northern-Juvenile literature.
Ecological zones-Canada, Northern-Juvenile literature.
Canada, Northern-Juvenile literature.

Grades 5-7 / Ages 10-12.

Review by Gail Hamilton.

***½ /4

   
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Cordilleras. (Canadian Ecozones).

Jessica Morrison.
Calgary, AB: Weigl, 2011.
32 pp., pbk. & hc., $11.95 (pbk.), $25.70 (hc.).
ISBN 978-1-55388-635-8(pbk.), ISBN 978-1-55388-634-1 (hc.).

Subject Headings:
Natural history-Canadian Cordillera-Juvenile literature.
Ecology-Canadian Cordillera-Juvenile literature.
Occupations-Canadian Cordillera-Juvenile literature.
Ecological zones-Canadian Cordillera-Juvenile literature.
Canadian Cordillera-Juvenile literature.

Grades 5-7 / Ages 10-12.

Review by Gail Hamilton.

***½ /4

   
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Maritimes. (Canadian Ecozones).

Jessica Morrison.
Calgary, AB: Weigl, 2011.
32 pp., pbk. & hc., $11.95 (pbk.), $25.70 (hc.).
ISBN 978-1-55388-638-9 (pbk.), ISBN 978-1-55388-637-2 (hc.).

Subject Headings:
Natural history-Maritime Provinces-Juvenile literature.
Ecology-Maritime Provinces-Juvenile literature.
Occupations-Maritime Provinces-Juvenile literature.
Ecological zones-Maritime Provinces-Juvenile literature.
Maritime provinces-Juvenile literature.

Grades 5-7 / Ages 10-12.

Review by Gail Hamilton.

***½ /4

   
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Plains. (Canadian Ecozones).

Laura Pratt.
Calgary, AB: Weigl, 2011.
32 pp., pbk. & hc., $11.95 (pbk.), $25.70 (hc.).
ISBN 978-1-55388-626-6 (pbk.), ISBN 978-1-55388-625-9 (hc.).

Subject Headings:
Natural history-Boreal Plains Ecozone-Juvenile literature.
Natural history-Mixedwood Plains Ecozone (Ont. and Québec)-Juvenile literature.
Ecology-Boreal Plains Ecozone-Juvenile literature.
Ecology-Mixedwood Plains Ecozone (Ont. and Québec)-Juvenile literature.
Occupations-Boreal Plains Ecozone-Juvenile literature.
Occupations-Mixedwood Plains Ecozone (Ont. and Québec)-Juvenile literature.
Boreal Plains Ecozone-Juvenile literature.
Mixedwood Plains Ecozone (Ont. and Québec)-Juvenile literature.

Grades 5-7 / Ages 10-12.

Review by Gail Hamilton.

***½ /4

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Shields. (Canadian Ecozones).

Sheelagh Matthews.
Calgary, AB: Weigl, 2011.
32 pp., pbk. & hc., $11.95 (pbk.), $25.70 (hc.).
ISBN 978-1-55388-629-7 (pbk.), ISBN 978-1-55388-628-0 (hc.).

Subject Headings:
Natural history-Canadian Shield-Juvenile literature.
Ecology-Canadian Shield-Juvenile literature.
Occupations-Canadian Shield-Juvenile literature.
Ecological zones-Canadian Shield-Juvenile literature.
Canadian Shield-Juvenile literature.

Grades 5-7 / Ages 10-12.

Review by Gail Hamilton.

***½ /4

   

excerpt:

Like reptiles, amphibians cannot regulate their temperature, so the Taiga Cordillera is too cold for them to live. More amphibians can be found in the southern cordillera ecozones, however. One of the most interesting amphibians is the wood frog. Wood frogs can form ice crystals within their own bodies as a way to survive through the winter. This process is called freeze tolerance. Basically, the frog allows its body to freeze over the winter months and then thaw when warmer weather returns. As a result, wood frogs are one of the few amphibians capable of surviving the cold climate of the Boreal Cordillera ecozone. (From Cordilleras.)

 

"Canadian Ecozones," a five-volume series, introduces readers to the country's many diverse environments. Ecozones are areas that share common characteristics, but they can be further broken down into smaller ecoregions that differ slightly. The books begin with an introduction, the first three paragraphs of which are identical in each title. Topics are similar throughout the series as well and include the geography (and the forces that shaped the land), climate, flora and fauna, and jobs related to the specific ecozone. Three jobs are featured along with the duties, education requirements, and interests of those who work in the field. One chapter is devoted to the ecological threats facing the ecozone while another discusses the technology that is in use in order to study a particular aspect of the area. An eco challenge asks 10 comprehension questions about the information in the book (answers are provided), and there is a simple experiment to try as well. The text is engaging and easy to comprehend. "Fascinating Facts" boxes provide additional information. (One minor flaw in the text is that there are a few chapters about plants and animals. These chapters contain similar information and have some of the same sub-headings. Why not simply combine them to avoid confusion and redundancy?) There are plenty of wonderful colour photos, diagrams and maps to enhance the text. Large maps show the featured ecozone and its ecoregions, and a smaller inset map shows where the area is located in relation to the rest of Canada's ecozones. A table of contents, a glossary, an index, and a short list of books and web sites for further study are provided.

      The Arctic covers 3.5 million square kilometers, 40% of Canada's landmass. It can further be divided into three main areas- the Arctic Cordillera, the Northern Arctic and the Southern Arctic. Much of the Arctic's surface water is frozen and most of the soil is permafrost. This ecozone includes landforms such as mountains, plains, plateaus, icefields, glaciers, moraines, komes and eskers. The plants and animals that inhabit this area have had to adapt to the harsh environment. They include ptarmigan, wolves, caribou, muskoxen, and plants such as mosses, lichens, dwarf willows and arctic cotton. In Arctic, readers will also learn about the threats to this fragile area, global warming being especially dangerous because the coldest places on Earth are the first to experience its effects. Other threats are oil spills, pollution from mining and acid rain. The work of climatologists, research scientists and environmental consultants is featured. Readers can try an experiment designed to show the insulating properties of materials.

      Cordillera is the Spanish word for "chain of mountains." The Taiga, the Montane and the Boreal Cordilleras make up the cordillera ecozone and cover parts of Alberta, British Columbia and the Yukon. This ecozone is characterized by mountains, plateaus, waterfalls and glacial lakes and rivers. In fact, the blue-green colour of Lake Louise is caused by rock flour that drains from glaciers that feed the lakes. It is interesting to note that seven of Canada's national parks are located in the Montane Cordillera. Much of the ecozone's plant life is coniferous trees because they have adapted well to heavy snow cover and retain moisture in their needles. Other plant adaptations include flowering plants' ability to produce large blossoms to attract pollinators during a short spring season. Cordilleras also highlights the work of geologists, conservation biologists and hiking guides, and discusses the destruction of habitats due to ecotourism, the building of structures and railways on the land, deforestation, and toxins from industry. Instructions are provided for an experiment that shows how mountains are formed.

      There are two maritime regions in Canada- the Pacific and the Atlantic- and, though they have similarities, they are also quite different. These areas, obviously, are greatly influenced by the oceans and are characterized by fjords, mountains, forests, peninsulas, beaches, islands, volcanic ridges and channels. The Pacific region has the wettest weather in Canada while the Atlantic area experiences more storms than any other Canadian ecozone. Due to the winds coming off the oceans, these are great areas in which to harness wind energy, a renewable resource. In Maritimes, readers will learn about wind farms and how wind turbines work. Other topics include native plant species, such as red cedar and Sitka spruce, and animals, such as sea turtles and pelagic birds, those birds that spend much of their time near water. Some of the environmental threats are ocean pollution, discarded bits of plastic that can choke or entangle animals, and invasive species of plants and animals, most of which arrive on boats. The work of a marine biologist, an environmental scientist and an ecologist is featured. Readers can make an anemometer out of common household materials in order to test wind speed.

      Much of central Canada is covered by plains, an extension of the Great Plains of North America. Sub-regions are the Boreal Plains, the Taiga Plains, the Prairie, the Mixedwood Plains and the Hudson Plains. Also known as "Canada's breadbasket" (Saskatchewan produces 60% of the country's wheat), the plains were formed by the retreating of glacial ice which flattened the land, and glacial deposits which created rolling hills. This ecozone is made up of mixed forests, grasslands, rivers and lakes, kettles, moraines and wetlands. In the sections devoted to plants and animals, Plains focuses on the many varieties of grasses that grow in this area and explains that grasses' incredible root systems enable them to thrive. There can be up to five kilometers of roots and root hairs which help the plant to remain anchored when grazing animals tug on them. Other topics in this title include the work of a farmer, a research biologist and a soil scientist, developments in soil science- critical in a farming area- such as new types of fertilizers and irrigation methods, and an experiment in which readers can try growing some wheat grass.

      Finally, Shields highlights the ecozone that covers nearly half of Canada and has some of the oldest Pre-Cambrian rock in the world, likely over four billion years old. Two zones make up the shield, the Taiga Shield, whose population is 60% Aboriginal, and the Boreal Shield, the largest ecozone in the country. Consisting mostly of coniferous forests, wetlands (bogs, fens, marshes and swamps), eskers and freshwater lakes, this ecozone is home to many waterfowl, shorebirds, songbirds, mammals and fish, and plants such as sedges, mosses, and black spruce. The climate of the Boreal Shield is influenced by Hudson Bay and the Atlantic Ocean and is wetter than the Taiga, which has a subarctic climate. Logging, human settlement and the construction of hydroelectric dams have had an effect on the ecosystem. This title also discusses the work of a forester, a wetland ecologist and a paleolimnologist, someone who studies past freshwater life and environments. In the section about technology, there is interesting information about remote satellite sensing, which enables scientists to see where specific types of trees grow or where fires are burning, and the use of radio telemetry, which tracks an animal's movements in order for scientists to learn about the animal's territory, migration patterns and activity. The experiment (growing bean seeds in different types of soils) will demonstrate to readers the best growing conditions for plants.

      Thorough and well-researched, the "Canadian Ecozones" series would make a welcome addition to the school library.

Recommended.

Gail Hamilton is a former teacher-librarian in Winnipeg, MB.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.
Published by
The Manitoba Library Association
ISSN 1201-9364
Hosted by the University of Manitoba.
 

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