The Parkland Ecoregion

A mosaic of intermingled grasslands and aspen poplar groves lies to the north and west of the prairies known as the Aspen Parkland ecoregion. It is known as a transition zone between the southern prairies and the northern boreal forest. This region receives somewhat higher precipitation (350 to 400 mm), especially during the summer months, and winter temperatures are colder, with higher and longer snow cover, coupled with less frequent chinook winds. 

This region is composed of several different soil types. Predominantly, it is located in the Dark Brown Chernozem soil zone, and transitions to the Black Chernozem soil zone to the north. While Chernozemic soils dominate especially on mesic sites, you will also find that Luvisolic soils are most common under trees, Regosols occur on some sandy sites, and Gleysols are found in subhygric areas. Solonetzic soils can also be found in this region, and are typically less productive. 

Its landscape is varied, from gently rolling to hilly (known locally as “knobs and kettles”) due to historical glaciation several thousands of years ago. Often the valley-bottoms contain wetlands, some saline, others freshwater. A large portion of this region is also known locally to be the “Prairie Pothole” region, due to this mosaic of various habitats.  

Aspen poplar (Populus tremuloides) groves are a typical feature, with occasional balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera), white spruce (Pinus ) and paper birch (Betula papyrifera). Common shrubs include saskatoon (Amelanchier alnifolia), buckbrush (Symphoricarpos occidentalis), roses (Rosa spp.), wolf willow (Elaeagnus commutata), wild cherries (Prunus spp.), and beaked hazelnut (Corylus cornuta). The herbaceous understory consists of bluejoint (Calamagrostis canadensis), awned wheatgrass (Agropyron trachycaulum var. unilaterale), Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis), wild sarsparilla (Aralia nudicaulis), asters (Aster spp.), goldenrods (Solidago spp.), wild vetch (Astragalus spp., and Hedysarum spp.), Solomon’s seal (Smilacina stellata), peavine (Lathyrus spp.), violets (Viola spp.), fairybells (Disporum trachycarpum), tall lungwort (Mertensia paniculata), and cow parsnip (Heracleum lanatum​). It should be of interest to note that the encroachment of aspen onto fescue grasslands is of concern to both ranchers and ecologists.

Wetlands are frequently surrounded by shrubby growth, primarily of willows (Salix spp.), and gooseberry (Ribes oxyacanthoides). Climax species of grasslands are dominated by plains rough fescue (Festuca hallii), as well as more minor species such as western porcupine grass (Stipa curtiseta), Hooker’s oat-grass (Helictotrichon hookerii), awned wheatgrass, and for the more drier areas of the parkland, blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis), junegrass (Koelaria macrantha), needle grasses (Stipa spp.), and wheatgrasses (Agropyron spp.). 

The Peace River district is a unique area of Alberta that bears a parkland ecoregion within, and is warmer and drier than the surrounding Boreal ecoregion, particularly at the latitude it is located. It also contains shrubby areas of saskatoons, wild cherries, and aspen groves, plus open grasslands, mesic sites including needlegrasses, junegrass, and wheatgrasses.

Sandy Regosolic sites tend to dominate with sand grass (Calamovilfa longifolia), while Solonetzic soils are primarily covered with Nuttall’s alkalie grass (Puccinellia nuttalliana), salt grass (Distichlis stricta), and alkali cord grass (Spartina gracilis).