Final answer:
Many of the effects of the last Ice Age are still visible in Canada due to glacial deposition and erosion, which sculpted the landscape and affected soil development. The Little Ice Age was likely caused by volcanic eruptions and changes in Earth's orbit. Human activities have historically influenced climate and ecosystems, contributing to changes in the physical environment and species extinctions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The effects of the last Ice Age are still visible in Canada primarily because of glacial deposition and erosion. As glaciers advanced and retreated, they sculpted the landscape, carving out valleys and leaving behind various landforms such as drumlins, eskers, and moraines. Moreover, the process of glaciation affected soil development and topography. Glacial retreat also led to the creation of numerous lakes, which are a characteristic feature of the Canadian Shield and other regions in Canada.
During the Little Ice Age, a period of global cooling that occurred in the fourteenth century, factors like volcanic eruptions and changes in the earth's orbit are thought to have contributed to the cooling. The cooling effects resulted in significant changes such as later freezing and earlier thawing of northern hemisphere lakes, the retreat of glaciers, and effects on early human civilizations by affecting their migration patterns and survival strategies.
Modern-day climate change continues to impact the physical environment, with increasing glacial melt rates and rising global temperatures since the Industrial Revolution. Human activities, such as logging and other forms oenvironmental exploitation, have been additional factors throughout history that influenced climate and the ecosystem. In the past, these anthropogenic activities included overkilling by human hunters, which led to the extinction of various megafauna species.