AL. 300I-IOO c. O ECOLOGICAL LAND CLASSIFICATION OF POLICE OUTPOST PROVINCIAL PARK AND OUTPOST WETLANDS NATURAL AREA • s. c'r ’ -ir J /dlborra ENVIRONMENT Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2016 https://archive.org/details/ecologicallandcl00corn_0 ECOLOGICAL LAND CLASSIFICATION OF POLICE OUTPOST PROVINCIAL PARK AND OUTPOST WETLANDS NATURAL AREA Prepared by: Beth Cornish for Resource Data Division Alberta Environmental Protection Edmonton, Alberta January, 2001 lo viorr^'«i22Aja awA.i jAJiioojo^a .lAIDi^WOH^I T?O^WO TJIJCH ■ - • dVlA ISBN No. 0-7785-1463-3 Publication Number T/583 For copies, please contact: Alberta Environment Library 6*'' F loor 9920-108 Street Edmonton AB T5K2M4 (780) 422-7360 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Police Outpost Provincial Park and Outpost Wetlands Natural Area are situated about 30 km southwest of Cardston, Alberta, within the Foothills Parkland Natural Subregion (Achuff 1994). The Provincial Park consists of 223 ha of gently rolling land bordering Outpost Lake, and the Natural Area encompasses about 65 ha of land adjacent to Outpost Wetlands. The southern boundary of both protected areas is the Canada - U nited States international border. Many important natural features exist within the study area, including native fescue grasslands, an extensive wetland area, a d iverse assemblage of plant species, and several rare plants. In order to provide background data for management plans to help protect these resources, the Resource Data Division was requested to conduct a b iophysical inventory and ecological land classification in the study area. The specific objectives of the study were: 1 . To provide an ecological land classification and biophysical map of the study area, showing vegetation types matched to physical land units; 2. To classify and describe vegetation community types within the study area; 3. To identify and describe significant natural features in the study area. Based on vegetative composition and associated environmental (landscape, soil) conditions, sixteen vegetation community types were identified, including deciduous forest types, shrublands, native grasslands, disturbance communities, and wetlands. Deciduous forests consist of aspen {Populus tremuloides) or balsam poplar {P. balsamiferd), with a s hrub layer of varied composition, depending on soil moisture characteristics. The native grasslands are dominated by rough fescue {Festuca campestris), although Kentucky bluegrass {Poa pratensis) also forms a substantial proportion of the grass cover. Outpost Wetland represents a l arge expanse of emergent vegetation, supporting an interesting assemblage of wildlife. This is a d iverse and extensive marsh system, and a v ery valuable natural resource. The study area is noted for its rich flora, including a s ubstantial number of significant plant species. However, a n on-native species, smooth brome {Bromus inermis), which was historically planted as a f orage species, appears to be spreading. Smooth brome invasion appears to be most significant in the Natural Area. Several landscape complexes or major ecosystems of importance in the province’s protected areas planning system (Achuff 1994) are found in the study area. Important features include exposed and protected slopes associated with the rolling glacial till, the glaciofluvial outwash channel occupied by Outpost Wetland, several springs and intermittent streams, wet meadows, marshes and Outpost Lake. 1 avrruoaKH lisi fuoi:*» t’itfiifStt ant wrtA kitjisH &hti»ltaW t^xpiiO ba« fsloiilvw^l JBoqjtoO »3iIo^ liiiriaA) aoig^r^ti?^ ImnM hfi^iis^ aiittfw ^amdlA ^sos^^bmOM d Imu . . 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TOvawoB^ ,aai:>oqi ad QJ ei£^qq:& ^ujb^m muotd SoomZ .^^vibemqz ad M s u&aq^ a;jCT^ £ a a tetnfdq juatA laiiittM atfi tif 'fP ^ ^ .omifTiq 3*a.^fuvc»tq adi ni oontiWtmi To «at»J«’-:£Ods -ioisino 85>xai<^moo ^qsoolind Irrav^ •*!«;’ . r d esn/Jsol aaic vfaula adf m b audl m ( W^l audoA) morsxc |iSiuio/q daawttio knrtuDoiosIj} "idi Jflt laTOtls ^niiloi aA dliw baiJsiaoaSft gaqdi hai'jaJoiq toe t^oqj^a ‘/?ohaatn law ,«mEan3a irraymftjqjnf sgonqji lata^ rSminW tto0uO xH baiqimo ' - “:4 ^ -:^/UJ/;afq[Ji/0 fTOB m '^:s ,f'd ■ '■ < S *.i m //M ' ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I w ould like to thank Keith Ainsley, Resource Data Division, Alberta Environmental Protection, Edmonton, for assistance with the fieldwork. Thanks are also due to the following people who helped in various aspects of the project: Ian Sutherland and Steve Gaylor, Resource Data Division, Calgary, co-ordinated the project; From Resource Data Division, Edmonton: Bob Skoye created an initial digital orthophoto base map. Bob Sleep prepared the final digital orthophoto base map, Alan Benner completed the final cartography on this base, and Lucy Faferek digitized the final maps. John Rintoul, Alberta Natural Heritage information Centre, Parks and Protected Areas, Edmonton, provided significant features database records. DISCLAIMER Evaluation of the status of flora and fauna in the study area is based on 1996 definitions and categorized lists of species of concern (ANHIC 1996, COSEWIC 1996 and Alberta Environmental Protection 1996). However, these lists are periodically updated, based on new information or a c hange in species status. For example, some species which were considered relatively secure may now be included in more recent lists of species of concern. The information collected during this study was recorded on field plot forms which are stored at the Alberta Resource Data Division office in Edmonton. 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