Great Basin Naturalist Volume 36 Number 3 Article 1 9-30-1976 A taxonomic and ecologic study of the riverbottom forest on St. Mary River, Lee Creek, and Belly River in southwestern Alberta, Canada Robert K. Shaw Cardston, Alberta, Canada Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/gbn Recommended Citation Shaw, Robert K. (1976) "A taxonomic and ecologic study of the riverbottom forest on St. Mary River, Lee Creek, and Belly River in southwestern Alberta, Canada," Great Basin Naturalist: Vol. 36 : No. 3 , Article 1. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/gbn/vol36/iss3/1 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Western North American Naturalist Publications at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Great Basin Naturalist by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact
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[email protected]. The Great Basin Naturalist Published at Provo, Utah, by Brigham Young University Volume 36 September 30, 1976 No. 3 A TAXONOMIC AND ECOI.OGIC STUDY OF THE RIVERBOTTOM FOREST ON ST. MARY RIVER, LEE CREEK, AND BELLY RIVER IN SOUTHW^ESTERN ALBERTA, CANADA Robert K. Shawi Abstr.\ct. — The riverbottom forest community of St. Mary River. Lee Creek, and Belly River in southvvestern Alberta. Canada, is a unique ecological entity characterized by poplar species hav- ing their major Alberta distribution along these streams. Stands in the community are dominated by three tree species, six shrub species, and nine herb species. Establishment of the community is dependent on climate and substrate; destruction is the result of progressive lateral stream-flow erosion.