Resources of Alberta's Grasslands

This report is about the resources in Alberta's grasslands. The resources I am going to tell you about are soil, farming, gas, oil, coal and wheat.

Grain

Wheat is the most important grain crop. Alberta is the second biggest grower of wheat. Alberta is also a major producer of Barley. Some other crops grown in the grasslands region are rye, flax, and canola. Cereal grains like wheat and barley are used to feed livestock. Some other uses are baking, milling, and malting. Canola is an oil seed crop. It's a healthy resource used to make margarine, shortening, and salad oil that have low levels of saturated fatty acids. Growing grain is a renewable resource because the seeds can be planted year after year to produce more grain.

Coal

Coal mining is another important resource. The first coal mine in Alberta was opened in Lethbridge. The coal that was mined supplied the running of the Canadian Pacific Railway trains. Early settlers also used this coal. Alberta is the leading province in coal production. On the plains softer subituminous coals are mined. There are more soft coals than hard. There are two mining methods: surface and under ground. Coal is nonrenewable because ounce it is mined no more coal is available.

Oil

There are thousands of oil well sites and pipelines. To protect the environment the oil and gas sector uses equipment and techniques that don't disturb the prairie more than necessary. When drilling for oil usually there is a pocket of natural gas trapped on top of it. Both oil and natural gas have to be found and taken out of the same way and have to be processed. Before they drill for oil they have to do a seismic survey of the rock layers and drill an exploratory well. Oil is nonrenewable because when you use it can't be used again.

Gas

Natural gas is one of the most important sources of energy. It accounts for about 15 percent of the worlds total energy use. The first discovery of gas was at turners' valley in the early 1910s by an Okotoks farmer. Gas is a resource because Automobiles and lots of other stuff run on gas. The fuel gasses contain hydrogen and carbon. They were formed millions of years ago by rocks pressing down on decay of plants and animals. Gas is nonrenewable because when you take it out of the ground there is no more left.

Farming

Alberta produces the most cattle in Canada. This industry accounts for more than half of the provinces yearly farm income. Cattle ranching is important because it supplies beef and dairy products. Large ranches are found in the southern foothills and the grasslands of Palliser's Triangle, these two areas are typical cattle country. Hogs poultry and vegetables are also in the grassland areas of Alberta. Cows and other livestock are renewable because they have babies and their babies have babies and it keeps on going.

Soil

Alberta's black soil is among the most fertile soil in the world. This soil is located in the parklands, which is a mix of grassland and trees. Alberta's grasslands also has fertile brown soil. This soil is in the drier parts of the province. The soil is good for growing wheat and other grain crops. Soil is renewable because when something is planted you can plant it in the soil year after year.