Rare Plant Inventory Of The Eastern Edge Of The Lower Foothills Natural Subregion West Central Alberta

"Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, Fish & Wildlife, Alberta Conservation Association."

This document presents the climatic, physiographic, vegetation, soil, wildlife and land use attributes that characterize each natural region and subregion. It has been organized into four parts: part one outlines national region and subregion concepts, part two describes methods used to generate climate statistics, part three presents a comparative analysis of selected climate statistics to facilitate comparison of natural regions and subregions, and part four presents detailed climatic, vegetation, soils and physiographic descriptions for six natural regions and twenty-one natural subregions currently recognized in Alberta.

An ecological classification system was developed for Northern Alberta through the analysis of vegetation, soil, site, and forest productivity information. The hierarchical classification system has three levels - ecosite, ecosite phase and plant community type. Thirty-eight ecosites are described with further detail provided by subdivision into ecosite and ecosite phase and plant community type. A soil type classification system that describes 17 soil types was also developed. Management interpretations were made for drought, excess moisture, soil rutting hazard, soil compaction hazard, puddling hazard, soil erosion hazard, frost heave hazard, soil temperature limitations, vegetation competition, and windthrow hazard. Colour photos and drawings for 87 common plants of northern Alberta are presented.

This book was written to fulfil the need for a document to address the specifics of native revegetation that are not adequately covered by a guideline. It assists anyone in Alberta who has to plan native plant revegetation projects or carryout the revegetation. It provides specific information on native revegetation planning, information sources, final land-use considerations, salvaging or otherwise obtaining native plant materials, field operations (site preparation, seeding, planting, ensuring establishment success), management, monitoring, and assessment. Appendices include a glossary, a list of Websites & contacts for further information, a methodology for calculating seeding rates, and a table showing native plant species & their characteristics.

Rangelands comprise between 40 and 50 percent of all U.S. land and serve the nation both as productive areas for wildlife, recreational use, and livestock grazing and as watersheds. The health and management of rangelands have been matters for scientific inquiry and public debate since the 1880s, when reports of widespread range degradation and livestock losses led to the first attempts to inventory and classify rangelands. Scientists are now questioning the utility of current methods of rangeland classification and inventory, as well as the data available to determine whether rangelands are being degraded. These experts, who are using the same methods and data, have come to different conclusions. This book examines the scientific basis of methods used by federal agencies to inventory, classify, and monitor rangelands; it assesses the success of these methods; and it recommends improvements. The book's findings and recommendations are of interest to the public; scientists; ranchers; and local, state, and federal policymakers.