The Palliser's Triangle denotes a steppe region located in Canada,
which is mostly semi-arid. The region was initially identified as
unfavorable for farming due to its unsuitable climate. The soil covering
this region appears black or dark brown, and is rich in nutrients. The
area lies in Canada's Prairie provinces, and its semi-arid conditions
initially made it challenging for farming activities.
History of the Palliser's Triangle
The
Palliser's Triangle is named in honor of John Palliser, who led a
survey expedition to the western region of Canada from 1857 to 1859.
Palliser described the area as roughly triangular, and determined it to
be unfavorable for farming. As he wrote the final report to be submitted
to the British government, Palliser suggested that the region was a
northern extension of the larger central desert of the United States. He
further described the area as either desert or semi-desert, with no
potential of successful settlement. After some years, a government
official named John Macoun suggested that the area would be fit for
growing wheat and he began to promote it to immigrant farmers. In the
20th century, settlers began trooping to the region and started farming.
However, early farmers struggled from the start.
Characteristics of the Palliser's Triangle
The
Palliser's Triangle is a mixed grassland ecoregion, and it possesses a
yearly annual water deficit of 524 mm. It has few wetlands and also few
indigenous tree species. The region's landscape ranges from the rolling
Missouri Coteau, glacial lake plains, to level ground. The town of
Leader, which is situated in the region, records a yearly precipitation
of 352 mm, while the yearly snowfall is 101 cm.
Ranching Activities in the Palliser's Triangle
For
many years the region was attractive to ranchers. The wettest period of
the year occurred during late spring and early summer, and it was the
time when plants most required precipitation. Cattle grazing was further
sustained by dry weather, sandy soil, and grassy land cover. Multiple
ranchers in the United States drove their herds north for them to graze
in the triangle. By 1912, most of the land had been overgrazed.
Farming Activities in the Palliser's Triangle
For
a period yields were fruitful, but inefficient agricultural practices
coupled with dry conditions made the area a Dust Bowl in the 1930s and
contributed to the Great Depression in Canada. However, a series of
rainy years and modern farming practices helped to reestablish the
region as a significant farming area. However, farming has been unstable
in the triangle. The region's northern edge has black soil, and
plantations around Saskatoon and Edmonton are notably recognized as good
crop land.
Fertile Belt
John Palliser, in the course of
his survey, came upon a fertile belt surrounding the area. Henry Hind
subsequently explored the belt in 1857 and suggested that the fertile
belt, which ran along the North Saskatchewan Valley, was bigger than
expected and it has enough rainfall to facilitate agriculture. Hind
suggested the largest impediment to the settlement would not be
geography, but rather lack of markets. The fertile belt was rich in
agricultural soil and would support flourishing settlements.
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