Natural Regions and Subregions of Alberta
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Natural Regions and Subregions of Alberta Natural Regions Committee 2006 NATURAL REGIONS AND SUBREGIONS OF ALBERTA Natural Regions Committee Compiled by D.J. Downing and W.W. Pettapiece ©2006, Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Alberta, as represented by the Minister of Environment. Pub # T/852 ISBN: 0-7785-4572-5 (printed) ISBN: 0-7785-4573-3 (online) Web Site: http://www.cd.gov.ab.ca/preserving/parks/anhic/Natural_region_report.asp For information about this document, contact: Information Centre Main Floor, 9920 108 Street Edmonton, Alberta Canada T5K 2M4 Phone: (780) 944-0313 Toll Free: 1-877-944-0313 FAX: (780) 427-4407 This report may be cited as: Natural Regions Committee 2006. Natural Regions and Subregions of Alberta. Compiled by D.J. Downing and W.W. Pettapiece. Government of Alberta. Pub. No. T/852. Acknowledgements The considerable contributions of the following people to this report and the accompanying map are acknowledged. Natural Regions Committee 2000-2006: x Chairperson: Harry Archibald (Environmental Policy Branch, Alberta Environment, Edmonton, AB) x Lorna Allen (Parks and Protected Areas, Alberta Community Development, Edmonton, AB) x Leonard Barnhardt (Forest Management Branch, Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, Edmonton, AB) x Tony Brierley (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Edmonton, AB) x Grant Klappstein (Forest Management Branch, Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, Edmonton, AB) x Tammy Kobliuk (Forest Management Branch, Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, Edmonton, AB) x Cam Lane (Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, Edmonton, AB) x Wayne Pettapiece (Agriculture and AgriFood Canada, Edmonton, AB [retired]) Compilers: x Dave Downing (Timberline Forest Inventory Consultants, Edmonton, AB) x Wayne Pettapiece (Pettapiece Pedology, Edmonton, AB) Final editing and publication assistance: Maja Laird (Royce Consulting) Additional Contributors: x Wayne Nordstrom (Parks and Protected Areas, Alberta Community Development, Edmonton, AB) prepared wildlife descriptions for each Natural Region. x Duke Hunter (Parks and Protected Areas, Alberta Community Development, Edmonton, AB) provided valuable digital mapping assistance. The Natural Regions Committee and the compilers thank those who took the time to review parts of the document, including: x Barry Adams (Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, Public Lands and Forests Division) — Grasslands Natural Region. x Angela Burkinshaw (Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, Public Lands and Forests Division) — Parkland Natural Region. x Robin Do (Government of Alberta, Restructuring and Government Efficiency, Edmonton, AB) — various Natural Regions. x Joyce Gould (Parks and Protected Areas, Alberta Community Development, Edmonton, AB) — Rocky Mountain Natural Region and plant species list. x Colin Stone (Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, Public Lands and Forests Division) — Parkland Natural Region. x Drajs Vujnovic (Parks and Protected Areas, Alberta Community Development, Edmonton, AB) — various Natural Regions. x Mike Willoughby (Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, Public Lands and Forests Division) — Parkland Natural Region. We also acknowledge other scientists who provided the conceptual and mapping framework upon which this version of Natural Regions builds: Peter Achuff, Keith Leggat, Wayne Pettapiece, Wayne Strong and Cliff Wallis. The photos are from several different sources. We appreciate the use of these photographs and extend our sincere thanks to each contributor. The name of each photographer is located after the photo caption. i Table of Contents PREFACE .......................................................................................................................iv PART 1. CONCEPTS, CLIMATES AND MAPPING SYSTEMS................................... 1 1.1 Concepts........................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Climates............................................................................................................ 2 1.3 Province-Wide Ecological Mapping Systems.................................................... 5 1.3.1 History ...............................................................................................................5 1.3.2 Revisions to the 1994 Alberta Natural Regions and Subregions Classification System...............................................................................................................5 1.3.3 Differences Between the 1994 and 2006 Classifications..................................7 PART 2. METHODS................................................................................................... 14 2.1 Process........................................................................................................... 14 2.2 Climate Analysis ............................................................................................. 14 2.3 Natural Region and Subregion Revisions....................................................... 15 PART 3. ALBERTA’S NATURAL REGIONS AND SUBREGIONS — A CLIMATIC AND BIOPHYSICAL OVERVIEW ................................................................ 21 3.1 How Natural Regions Are Climatically Related............................................... 21 3.2 Climatic Attributes of Natural Regions and Subregions.................................. 22 3.2.1 Temperature-Related Statistics.......................................................................22 3.2.2 Precipitation-Related Statistics........................................................................31 3.2.3 Climate–Vegetation Relationships ..................................................................32 3.3 Summary of Biophysical Characteristics......................................................... 40 PART 4. NATURAL REGIONS AND SUBREGIONS OF ALBERTA.......................... 45 4.1 Rocky Mountain Natural Region ..................................................................... 47 4.1.1 Alpine Natural Subregion ................................................................................52 4.1.2 Subalpine Natural Subregion ..........................................................................56 4.1.3 Montane Natural Subregion ............................................................................61 4.2 Foothills Natural Region ................................................................................. 67 4.2.1 Upper Foothills Natural Subregion ..................................................................71 4.2.2 Lower Foothills Natural Subregion ..................................................................76 4.3 Grassland Natural Region .............................................................................. 81 4.3.1 Dry Mixedgrass Natural Subregion .................................................................88 4.3.2 Mixedgrass Natural Subregion........................................................................92 4.3.3 Northern Fescue Natural Subregion ...............................................................96 4.3.4 Foothills Fescue Natural Subregion ..............................................................100 4.4 Parkland Natural Region............................................................................... 104 4.4.1 Foothills Parkland Natural Subregion............................................................109 4.4.2 Central Parkland Natural Subregion .............................................................113 4.4.3 Peace River Parkland Natural Subregion .....................................................117 4.4.3 Peace River Parkland Natural Subregion .....................................................118 4.5 Boreal Forest Natural Region ....................................................................... 122 4.5.1 Dry Mixedwood Natural Subregion ...............................................................131 4.5.2 Central Mixedwood Natural Subregion .........................................................136 4.5.3 Lower Boreal Highlands Natural Subregion..................................................140 ii 4.5.3 Lower Boreal Highlands Natural Subregion..................................................141 4.5.4 Upper Boreal Highlands Natural Subregion..................................................145 4.5.5 Athabasca Plain Natural Subregion ..............................................................149 4.5.6 Peace–Athabasca Delta Natural Subregion..................................................153 4.5.7 Northern Mixedwood Natural Subregion .......................................................157 4.5.8 Boreal Subarctic Natural Subregion..............................................................162 4.6 Canadian Shield Natural Region/Kazan Upland Natural Subregion............. 166 REFERENCES.................................................................................................................. 172 APPENDIX 1. PLANT SPECIES LIST.............................................................................. 178 APPENDIX 2. DETAILED CLIMATE STATISTICS .......................................................... 187 APPENDIX 3. GLOSSARY .............................................................................................. 220 APPENDIX 4. PROPORTIONS (%) OF LANDSCAPE ELEMENTS AND PARENT MATERIALS............................................................................................... 242 APPENDIX 5. PROPORTIONS (%) OF SOIL TYPES IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN AND FOOTHILLS NATURAL