Field Guide to the Ecosites of Saskatchewan’s Provincial Forests M.S. McLaughlan, R.A. Wright, and R.D. Jiricka Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication McLaughlan, M.S. Field guide to the ecosites of Saskatchewan’s provincial forests/M.S. McLaughlan, R.A. Wright, R.D. Jiricka. Issued by: Forest Service. Available also on the Internet. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 978-1-926841-18-2 1. Forest site quality - Saskatchewan. 2. Forest ecology - Saskatchewan. I. Wright, Robert A. (Robert Alexander), 1955- II. Jiricka, R.D., 1953- III. Saskatchewan. Forest Service IV. Saskatchewan. Ministry of Environment. V. Title QH541.5 F6 M4 2010 577.3097124 C2010-905524-1 This publication may be obtained from: Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment Forest Service Box 3003 Prince Albert, Saskatchewan S6V 6G1 General Inquiries: [email protected] An electronic copy (in Adobe Acrobat portable document format - PDF) of this document is available from: http://www.environment.gov.sk.ca/forests Front cover photo: Pitcher-plant and small bog cranberry; two species common to Saskatchewan’s wetland ecosites. Back cover photo: Juniper hair-cap moss; a common upland moss found on dry or exposed sites. Abstract McLaughlan, M.S.; Wright, R.A.; Jiricka, R.D. 2010. Field guide to the ecosites of Saskatchewan’s provincial forests. Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment, Forest Service. Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. 343 pp. Abstract The forest ecosystems of Saskatchewan are represented at the site level with 81 ecosites that span Saskatchewan’s four ecozones: Taiga Shield, Boreal Shield, Boreal Plain and Prairi e. Field sampling provided the raw data upon which the ecosite classification was built. Nearly 1700 semi-permanent relevés were established in 69 of the province’s 80 forested ecodistricts. Each relevé provided information about the cover-abundance and growth form of each plant encountered, forest mensuration data, and soil and site characteristics. The ecosite classification provides summaries of the site attributes for each ecosite within the four ecozones; it also illustrates the relationship among the ecosites, within an eco- zone, through a two-way matrix of moisture and species richness values. This ecosystem classification facilitates better integration of forest management disci- plines by providing a common ecosystem language that forms an explicit operational framework for resource manage rs. Brief descriptions and ecological interpretations are also provided for each ecosite and usually include significant features and/or a statement about the possible successional trajectory for the ecosite in the absence and presence of disturbance. 5 Acknowledgements The building of a forest ecosystem classification system that spans eight ecoregions and is applicable to an area of 41 million hectares requires the talents and valued contribu- tions of a large number of people. The authors would like to thank the following people for the roles they played: Field Crew – These people traveled across the province and endured sleet, rain, hail, mosquitoes, blackflies, and numerous other discomforts to collect the detailed infor- mation upon which this classification was built. The field crew has included: Kathy Acton, Baosheng Fan, Vesna Nikolic, Dianne Allen, Verna Fedoruk, Jennifer Nuedorf, Brad Ashdown, Joe Gaudry, Wendy Numendahl, Angela Battiste, Donovan Gauthier, Brenda Parenteau, Krystal Bauer, Kathleen Gazey, Cory Pederson, Janet Bauman, Glenda Goertzen, Nadine Penney, Marcy Bast, Mike Goodyear, Brad Pinno, Floyd Bear, Genny Greif, Gigi Pittoello, Yvonne Benz, Dusty Guedo, Judy Postle, George Bihun, Diane Haydukewich, Mary Priznik, Michael Bock, Murray Hilderman, Shawn Regnier, Joachim Boehm, Brian Holmes, Tony Richmond, Roger Bonneau, Dick Honch, Derek Sattler, Lillith Brook, Heather Jones, Jason Sharpe, Corny Budd, Dwayne Keir, Barbel Schwab-Moe, Laena Buller, Kirsten Ketilson, Jody Sigmeth, Bob Busch, Bea Kobialko, Jim Smith, Ned Casey, Helena Lamb, Ted Snow, Dave Chaban, Jianwei Liu, Will Stafford, Joe Chernysh, Donna Lundquist, Wayne Strong, Sylvia Chipman, Pat MacKasey, Bernie Stronghouse, Hazel Cloak, Paul Maczek, Kietha Swenson, Valerie Coenen, Paul Mason, Kevin Szwaluk, James Daigneault, Rory McIntosh, Miodrag Tkalec, Howard DeLong, Stan McKenzie, Kristy Todd, Julie Deugau, Diane McLeod, Ken Van Rees, Steven Deugau, Joe Meehan, Michael Rushton, Carman Dodge, Darrell Misner, Louise Versteeg, Keith Dodge, Kelly Mooney, Karen Waters, Don Ens, Robert Moore, Selena Wong, and Karla Ens, Jason Nelson, Fritz Yungwirth. 6 Acknowledgements Technical Assistance – The specialized talents of these people varied from species identification, to analysis and management of data, to communications and publication services. These people include: Michael Bock, Andrea Busse, Bernie De Vries, James Case, Jennifer Doubt, James Ehnes, Lane Gelhorn, John Hudson, Will Stafford, and Nicole Williams. A special thank-you is extended to Colin McConnell whose pro- gramming expertise and good nature rescued us from several very challenging data management quagmires. Peer, Scientific & Editorial Review – The expertise of this group provided a review and evaluation of the concepts, approach, and presentation associated with the techni- cal elements of this document. They are: Lorna Allen, Ken Baldwin, Erin Banton, Rhys Beaulieu, Howard DeLong, Dave Downing, Wayne Gosselin, Paul Maczek, Alan Merkowsky, Val Nicholson, Gigi Pittoello, Gerry Racey, Rod Thompson, Bill Towill, and Jeff Thorpe. Other – These people provided opinion, input, photographs, or other assistance including support into the various processes involved in the development of the classi- fication and this publication. They include: Nelson Ackerman, Tim Loran, Bill Archibold, Sam McLaughlan, Al Arsenault, Jose Menezes, Sid B anting, Mo Miller, Angus Carr, Gary Neil, Henry Desjarlais, Randy Olsen, Alycia Evans, Martha O’Sullivan, Vicki Gauthier, Steve Porter, Wilf Goerwell, Darlene Radke, Jeff Gooliaff, Christine Simpson, Charlie Harper, J.R. Smith, Brendan Hemens, Tim Trotti er, Gerry Ivanochko, Bruce Walter, Darwin Janke, Deb Weedon, Mark Johnston, Paul Weedon, Alex Juorio, Al Willcocks, Jack Keel, Bob Wilson, Mike Kryzanowski, Floyd Wilson, Allan Lewis, Bob Wynes, and Dave Lindenas, Ken Yurach. Corey Linnen, 7 Table of Contents Abstract 5 Acknowledgements 6 1. About this Guide 12 1.1 Purpose 13 1.2 Project Objectives and Scope 14 1.3 Primary Users 15 2. Ecological Land Classification and Forest Ecosystem Classification 17 2.1 Hierarchy 18 2.2 Saskatchewan Context 20 3. Biophysical Context 23 3.1 Geographical Location and Area of Use 23 3.2 Geology and Surface Deposits 23 3.3 Topography and Soils 25 3.4 Climate 25 3.5 Vegetation 26 4. Development Process 28 4.1 Project Planning 28 4.2 Experimental Design 28 4.3 Stratification and Sampling 29 4.4 Data Management 31 4.5 Data Analysis 32 5. How to use the Guide 34 5.1 Keys 34 5.2 Wetland Key Calculations 40 5.3 Nested Format Keys 42 5.3.1 Taiga Shield 42 5.3.1.1 Taiga Shield Overview Key 42 5.3.1.2 Taiga Shield Terrestrial Ecosites Key 42 5.3.1.3 Taiga Shield Wetland Ecosites Key 43 5.3.2 Boreal Shield 44 5.3.2.1 Boreal Shield Overview Key 44 5.3.2.2 Boreal Shield Coniferous Ecosites Key 44 5.3.2.3 Boreal Shield Deciduous-Mixedwood Ecosites Key 45 5.3.2.4 Boreal Shield Sparsely Vegetated Ecosites Key 45 5.3.2.5 Boreal Shield Wetland Ecosites Key 46 8 Table of Contents 5.3.3 Boreal Plain 47 5.3.3.1 Boreal Plain Overview Key 47 5.3.3.2 Boreal Plain Coniferous Ecosites Key 47 5.3.3.3 Boreal Plain Deciduous Ecosites Key 48 5.3.3.4 Boreal Plain Mixedwood Ecosites Key 49 5.3.3.5 Boreal Plain Non-Forested Ecosites Key 49 5.3.3.6 Boreal Plain Wetland Ecosites Key 50 5.3.4 Prairie 51 5.3.4.1 Prairie Ecosites Key 51 5.4 Interpreting the Fact Sheets 52 5.5 Cautionary Notes & Limitations 63 6. Ecosite Fact Sheets 65 6.1 Taiga Shield Keys and Fact Sheets 65 6.2 Boreal Shield Keys and Fact Sheets 117 6.3 Boreal Plain Keys and Fact Sheets 201 6.4 Prairie Keys and Fact Sheets 293 7. Common and Scientific Names of Species Referred to in this Guide 325 8. Adjacent Jurisdiction Ecosite Synonyms 333 9. Glossary 335 10. Literature Cited 339 9 This manual is dedicated to the pioneer ecologists who led the way in understanding and classifying the forest ecosystems of Saskatchewan. They are: Stan Rowe, Alf Kabzems, Wayne Harris, Adam Kosowan, John Beckingham, Jeff Thorpe, and others. 1. AbouT ThiS GuidE About this Guide “Ecosystem management is place-based and the boundaries of the place of concern must be clearly and formally defined.” - Lackey (1998) Ecosystem-based management is a holistic approach that requires some detailed knowledge of landscapes and their variations. In forest and range ecology, an important element of that knowledge is the site. A good understanding of a site’s ecological conditi ons, the relationship amongst different sites, and the response of those sites to disturbance and time is an important aspect of resource management. (Slocombe 1993; Haufler et al. 1996). In terms of the sequence of actions and procedures required to implement ecosystem- based management, defining an ecosystem’s characteristics is often listed as the initial step (Slocombe 1998). Another requirement of ecosystem-based management includes integration of the various management efforts and disciplines that manage the resource. Forest ecosystem classification is aimed at providing a better understanding of ecosys- tems for a broad resource management audience (e.g., foresters, technicians, biologists). Classification of complex ecological systems is not new. As early as 350 B.C., Aristotle documented the process of classification or taxonomy of species on the basis of simi- larities and differences. Aristotle also realized that species and systems were not only single entities, but also part of something larger: “And of such as these, some are called not parts merely, but limbs or members. Such are those parts that, while entire in them- selves, have within themselves other diverse parts” (Aristotl e 350 B.C.).