Characteristics of Ontario

1. Characteristics of Ontario

2. Biomes

3. Plant Hardiness Conditions range from harsh (0a) to mild (8a) that plants can survive in Not all zones are found in Canada The zones are established by looking at minimum winter temperatures, how long there isn’t frost, amount of rainfall, maximum summer temperatures, depth of snow cover, amount of rainfall in January, maximum winds, and how plant survive

4. Plant Hardiness Continued These zones aren’t “perfect” and don’t take into account… How snow can insulate against cold temperatures How snow can protect the roots of hibernating plants Which means, some plants can withstand lower temperatures that the zones indicate. Example: Quebec City is located in zone 4 but has a reliable snow cover every year, making it possible to grow plants that would typically grow in zones 5 or 6.

5. Plant Hardiness Continued Other factors consider plant survival Extreme weather Local topography Human interventions (i.e. mulching) Some plants can survive in harsher zones but will not flower because there is not enough light in the day or they require vernalization (a specific duration of time at a low temperature)

6. Plant Hardiness Continued Another way of describing plant hardiness is looking at indicator species. The presence of these species in a certain area indicates the growth ranges (temperature) and environmental conditions for growth that are present in a particular area Each species is linked to a specific hardiness zone

7. Plant Hardiness Zones

8. Soil Zones • Cryosolic Soil • These soils occur in areas where there is permafrost (where the ground remains frozen for two or more consecutive years • Podzolic Soil • Soils found mostly in the Canadian Shield, contain lots of sand made from igneous rock • Luvisolic Soil • Dominant in forested areas, are loamy or clayey and are formed from sedimentary rocks

9. Climate Zones There are three zones in Ontario: Great Lakes St. Lawrence Lowlands (warm humid summers, cold winters, about 875mm of precipitation in a year) Subarctic – aka Boreal Climate (long cold winters, cool to mild summers, little precipitation – less than 380mm in a year) Arctic (long cold winters, short cold summers, little precipitation)