Human Activity in the Taiga Shield
The Taiga Shield is roughly populated by 340,000 people. 60% of this small population are Native Americans which includes the Métis, the Inuit, the Cree and the Dene. The most urban"areas in the ecozone are Uranium City, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Churchill Falls, Labrador City and of course, Yellowknife. The overall economy is based on hydroelectricity. This renewable source comes from Churchill Falls. There is also mining, forestry and tourism as they are all popular activities in the popular cities. Last year's gross domestic product was estimated at $1.1 billion. Also, in the shield are two of Canada's three largest hydro dams. Gas is also found and mined in the ecozone.
Urbanization in the Taiga Shield initially began because of the mining industry. The famous "gold rush" in 1991 was the largest so called "mineral rush" in Canada. Following the gold rush, diamonds were found in the Slave Geological Province in the Northwest Territories. Currently, Québec and Labrador are renowned for mining iron. in northern Saskatchewan, uranium is mined and in Yellowknife, gold is mined. Although, majority of the ecozone is urbanized, other aspects of human activity also create impact on the economy. These activities include rather traditional prospects, including hunting, fishing, and trapping.
As aforesaid, the sparse population of the shield is 340,000 are represented by the First Nations people. The Athapaskan-speakers population is normally found in the western portion of the Taiga Shield whereas Algonquin speakers are somewhat dispersed throughout the ecozone. Most of the human population is located in permanent settlements. The very first settlements were established in the eastern portion of the shield during the fur trading and whaling eras. Now, industry has taken power because rich mining and hydroelectric resources take up large areas therefore, previous settlements must have been destroyed. Since the aboriginals are traditional, they rely on hunting, fishing and trapping as a source of living because they believe that it's the natural way. The Taiga Shield faces rapid urbanization and despite the sudden changes, the boreal forests remain like a safe haven for much of the Taiga wildlife like moose, caribou and ducks . But the real question is, for how long will humans leave the forests untouched?
Urbanization in the Taiga Shield initially began because of the mining industry. The famous "gold rush" in 1991 was the largest so called "mineral rush" in Canada. Following the gold rush, diamonds were found in the Slave Geological Province in the Northwest Territories. Currently, Québec and Labrador are renowned for mining iron. in northern Saskatchewan, uranium is mined and in Yellowknife, gold is mined. Although, majority of the ecozone is urbanized, other aspects of human activity also create impact on the economy. These activities include rather traditional prospects, including hunting, fishing, and trapping.
As aforesaid, the sparse population of the shield is 340,000 are represented by the First Nations people. The Athapaskan-speakers population is normally found in the western portion of the Taiga Shield whereas Algonquin speakers are somewhat dispersed throughout the ecozone. Most of the human population is located in permanent settlements. The very first settlements were established in the eastern portion of the shield during the fur trading and whaling eras. Now, industry has taken power because rich mining and hydroelectric resources take up large areas therefore, previous settlements must have been destroyed. Since the aboriginals are traditional, they rely on hunting, fishing and trapping as a source of living because they believe that it's the natural way. The Taiga Shield faces rapid urbanization and despite the sudden changes, the boreal forests remain like a safe haven for much of the Taiga wildlife like moose, caribou and ducks . But the real question is, for how long will humans leave the forests untouched?