RANGE PLANT COMMUNITY TYPES AND CARRYING CAPACITY GUIDE FOR THE LOWER FOOTHILLS SUBREGION /Aicita /diberia AGRlCULTURE,FOOD AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENT Public Lands Division Forest Management Division Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2017 with funding from University of Alberta Libraries https://archive.org/details/rangeplantcommun00lane_0 RANGE PLANT COMMUNITY TYPES AND CARRYING CAPACITY FOR THE LOWER FOOTHILLS SUBREGION OF ALBERTA Third Approximation 2000 Prepared by Cam T. Lane Michael G. Willoughby Michael J. Alexander and the Rangeland Health Assessment Project and Forest Rangeland Action Plan Teams ALBERTA ENVIRONMENT ALBERTA AGRICULTURE, LAND AND FOREST SERVICE FOOD AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT PUBLIC LANDS DIVISION Pub. No. T/532 ISBN. No. 0-7785-1167-7 For copies of this report contact: Michael Willoughby 9920 108 St, 9th Floor Edmonton, Alta. T5K2M4 (780)422-4598 e-mail: [email protected] or [email protected] FORWARD In January, 1999 a j oint Land and Forest Service (LFS) and Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (AFRD) project, called the Rangeland Health Assessment Project ‘ w as initiated. Its purpose is to coordinate the development of rangeland health assessment methods and ecological site descriptions for both forested and grassland dominated rangelands in the province and transfer the new technology (awareness, information and tools) to livestock producers, staff and other stakeholders. This project has given rise too two action plans: 1 .) P rairie Rangeland Action Plan (PRAP) and 2.) Forested Rangeland Action Plan (FRAP). This document “Range plant communities and carrying capacity for the Lower Foothills subregion of Alberta, Third Approximation” is a b eginning effort of the (FRAP)^ plan to organize existing range plant community information for the Lower Foothills subregions into an ecological framework in order to develop ecological site descriptions as outlined in the Alberta Rangeland Health Task Group, Terms of Reference (1999). This guide encompasses the work of Karen Sundquist (who worked on previous approximations) and incorporates the work done by Beckingham et.al (1996) and Archibald et. al ( 1996) on the forested ecosites of the Lower Foothills subregion. A special acknowlegement to Harry Archibald, Landscape Ecologist with Alberta Environment, Integrated Resource Management Division for assisting with the development of this guide and linking it w ith the ecosite field guides (Table la). As we collect new research information, the third approximation will evolve into a r ange ecosite field guide. One major outcome of the project will be to produce ecological base information which can be used to develop management tools for northern livestock producers, resource managers and other stakeholders of Alberta’s Boreal forests. This new knowledge will aide in the sustainable grazing of forested plant communities, and maintain the good health and proper fimctioning of these ecosystems. ’Rangeland Health Assessment, Task Group members: (AFRD, Public Lands) Barry Adams, Donna Lawrence, Gerry Ehlert and (Environment, LFS) Michael Alexander, Michael Willoughby ^Forested Range Action Plan members include: (AFRD, Public Lands) Gerry Ehlert, Frank Gazdag, Darren Labonte, Donna Lawrence, Colin Stone and (Environment, LFS) Angela Bogen, Cam Lane, Michael Willoughby. 1 Abstract The Green Area lands of the Lower Foothills Subregion are classic examples of multiple use land. They provide summer range for livestock, primary habitat for wildlife, productive watersheds, timber and recreational areas. Despite the importance of many of these communities for livestock grazing, there is very little information on forage production, carrying capacity and how they are influenced by grazing. This lack of information makes it v ery difficult to develop management prescriptions that address multiple use objectives. As a r esult "Carrying Capacity Guides" are being developed for each Natural and Subregion in the province to provide a f ramework that will easily group the vegetative community types. It is hoped that these guides will be used by field staff to assess carrying capacity and evaluate range condition on lands within each region. This guide represents the analysis of 1205 plots described in the Lower Foothills Subregion of Southern, North East Slopes and North West Boreal Forest regions during the summers of 1990- 1999. The 1205 plots represent 129 community types. These are split into: 1 5 c ommunity types a: Tame Grasslands 8 c ommunity types b: Native Grasslands 1 0 c ommunity types c: Native Shrublands 5 c ommunity types d: Grazed modified Native Grasslands and Shrublands 1 6 c ommunity types e: Aspen forest types 13 community types f: Balsam poplar - aspen forest types 4 c ommunity types g: Grazed modified Aspen forest types 12 community types h: Mixedwood forest types 1 community types i: Grazed modified Mixewood forest types 21 community types j: Conifer forest types 2 c ommunity types k: Grazed modified Conifer forest types 1 7 c ommunity types 1: Harvesting/bum modified forest types 5 c ommunity types m: Grazed modified Harvesting/Bum forest types The dominant plant species, canopy cover, environmental conditions, response to grazing, forage production and carrying capacity are outlined for each type. Total forage production sampling (shrubs, forbs, and graminoids) equals 585 sample plots. 11 Table of Contents Introduction 1 Climatic and Ecological Conditions of the Lower Foothills Subregion 2 Mapl : L ocation of the Lower Foothills Subregion 3 Methods 4 How to use the guide. 5 A. TAME PASTURES 24 al : Creeping Red Fescue -Timothy / C lover 30 a2: Timothy - K entucky Bluegrass / C lover 3 1 a3: Creeping Red Fescue - O rchardgrass / C lover 32 a4: Creeping Red Fescue - S lender wheatgrass / C lover 33 a5: Smooth Brome/ Clover 34 a6: Marsh Reed Grass/ Rose/ Strawberry - D andelion 35 a7: Hairy wildrye/Clover 36 a8: Kentucky Bluegrass/ Clover- Dandelion 37 a9: Kentucky Bluegrass- Timothy/ Caraway 38 alO: Kentucky Bluegrass- Timothy/ Tall Buttercup 39 al 1 : K entucky Bluegrass-Mountain ricegrass-Sedge 40 al2: Reed Canary Grass-Creeping Red Fescue / R ed Clover 41 al3: Meadow Foxtail - C reeping Red Fescue/ Alsike Clover 42 al4: Reed Canary Grass/ Water Parsnip 43 al5: Sedge- Timothy/ Horsetail 44 B. NATIVE GRASSLANDS 45 bl: Bearberry-juniper/sedge. 55 b2: Bearberry/parry’s oatgrass 56 b3: California oatgrass/bearberry 57 b4: Cowparsnip/veiny meadow rue 58 b5: Tufted hairgrass-slender wheatgrass/veiny meadow rue 59 b6: Sedge/veiny meadow rue 60 b7: Marsh reedgrass slough 61 b8: Water sedge meadow 62 C. NATIVE SHRUBLANDS 63 cl: Rose-blueberry/schreber’s moss 69 hi c2: Snowberry-saskatoon 70 c3: Hazelnut/wild sarsparilla 71 c4: Willow-bog birch/graceful sedge 72 c5: Willow/slender wheatgrass-fiinged brome 73 c6: Willow/marsh reedgrass 74 c7: Alder/marsh reedgrass 75 c8: Willow/horsetail 76 c9: Willow-alder/fem 77 clO: Willow-bog birch/water sedge 78 dl : K entucky bluegrass-timothy/veiny meadow rue 80 d2: Sedge-kentucky bluegrass/veiny meadow rue 8 1 d3: Alder/creeping red fescue/clover 82 d4: Hazelnut/cowparsnip/kentucky bluegrass 83 d5: Willow/kentucky bluegrass/clover 84 DECIDUOUS FOREST 85 E. ASPEN COMMUNITY TYPES 88 el: Aw/blueberry 95 e2: Aw/bearberry/fringed brome 96 e3: Aw/buffalo-berry 97 e4: Aw/saskatoon 98 e5: Aw/alder 99 D.GRAZeI6:N G Aw /MaOlDdeIrF/Im EarDs h G rReAedSgSraLsAsN-hDaSir y AwNilDd rSyeH RUBLANDS 100 e7: Aw/rose-low bush cranberry/tall forbs 79 101 e8: Aw/rose/twinflower 102 e9: Aw/snowberry 103 e 1 0 : A w/white meadowsweet 104 ell: Aw/hazelnut/wild sarsaparilla 105 el 2 : A w/bracted honeysuckle 106 el 3: Aw/thimbleberry 107 el 4: Aw/oak fern 108 el 5: Aw/willow 109 el 6: Aw/rose/horsetail 110 F. ASPEN-BALSAM POPLAR-PAPER BIRCH COMMUNITY TYPES 1 1 1 fl : Aw-B w-Pb/bracted honeysuckle/oak fern 117 f2: Pb- Aw/beaked hazelnut 118 D: Aw-Pb/marsh reedgrass 119 f4: Aw-Pb-Bw/rose/marsh reedgrass 120 f5: Pb/snowberry 121 f6: Aw-Pb/alder/marsh reedgrass 122 IV f7: Aw-Pb/alder-honeysuckle 123 fB: Aw-Bw/alder-honeysuckle 124 f9: Aw-Pb/river alder. 125 flO: Aw-Pb/dogwood 126 fl 1 : A w-Pb/cow parsnip 127 fl2: Pb-Aw/devil’s club 128 fl3: Pb/willow/horsetail 129 G. ASPEN GRAZED MODIFIED COMMUNITY TYPES 130 g 1 : A w/rose/hairy wild rye/clover 137 g2 : A w/rose/strawberry 138 g3 : A w/rose/clover 139 g4: Aw/kentucky bluegrass/clover 140 H. MIXED WOOD COMMUNITY TYPES 141 hi: Pb-Sw/chokecherry-bearberry 149 h2: Aw-Sw/buffaloberry-bearberry 150 h3: Pl-Sw-Aw/labrador tea/feathermoss 151 h4: Aw-Sw/buffalo-berry 152 h5: Aw-Pl/buffalo-berry 153 h6: Aw-Pl/alder 154 h7: Aw-Pb-Sw/Alder 155 h8 : PI- Aw/forb/marsh reedgrass 156 h9: Aw-Sw/rose/forb 157 hlO: Pl-Sw- Aw/rose/hairy wild rye 158 hi 1 : A w-Pl-Sw/snowberry 159 hi 2: Aw-Sw-Pb/bracted honeysuckle 160 L MIXED WOOD GRAZED MODIFIED COMMUNITY TYPES 161 il: Aw-Sw/clover 162 J. CONIFEROUS COMMUNITY TYPES 163 j 1 : P l/bearberry/hairy wild rye 1 73 j2: Pl/bog cranberry/hairy wild rye 174 j3: Sw/buffaloberry-bearberry 175 j4: Pl-Sb/labrador tea/feathermoss 176 j5: Pl-Sb/feathermoss 177 j6: Pl/labrador tea-bog cranberry 178 j 7 : P l/labrador tea-bearberry 179 j8:Pl/Alder 180 j 9 : P l/Fireweed 181 jlO: Pl-Sw/twinflower/moss 182 V j 1 1 : S w/buffalo-berry 1 83 jl2: Sw/moss 184 j 1 3: Se-Pl/cow parsnip 185 jl4: Sw/willow-bracted honeysuckle 186 jl5:Sw/alder 187 jl6: Sb-P 1/moss 188 jl7: Sw/horsetai 1/moss 189 j 1 8 : S b/labrador tea/horsetail/moss 190 j 1 9: Sb/labrador tea-bog cranberry/cloudberry 191 j20: Sb-Lt/sedge/moss 192 j21: Ltl^og birch/sedge/moss 193 K. CONIFEROUS GRAZED MODIFIED COMMUNITY TYPES 194 kl : P l/kentucky bluegrass/clover 1 95 k2: Sw/kentucky bluegrass/clover 196 L. FOREST CUTBLOCK COMMUNITY TYPES 197 11 : W hite grained mountain grass/bearberry/Pl-Aw 205 12: Aw/hairy wild rye/dwarf bilberry-labrador tea 206 13: Buffaloberry-bearberry/Sw 207 14: Pl/hairy wild rye/rose 208 15: Aw/marsh reedgrass/rose/fireweed 209 16 : R aspberry/marsh reedgrass/Aw 210 17: Hazelnut/Aw/wild sarsaparilla 211 18: Aw/willow/purple oatgrass/dwarf bilberry 212 19: Moss/marsh reedgrass 213 110: Aw/bracted honeysuckle/horsetail 214 111: Marsh reedgrass/Pb/wild raspberry/fireweed 215 112: Pb/green alder/marsh reedgrass 216 113: Marsh reedgrass/Bw- Aw/willow 217 114: Fireweed/green alder/Pl-Sw 218 115: Sw/willow/marsh reedgrass 219 116: Pl-Sb/labrador tea/horsetail/moss 220 117: Willow/hair-like sedge/Sw 221 M. GRAZED MODIFIED FOREST CUTBLOCK COMMUNITY TYPES 222 ml : A w-Pl/alder/clover/kentucky bluegrass 225 m2: Aw/buffalo-berry/clover 226 m3: Strawberry-clover/rose/marsh reedgrass 227 m4: Kentucky bluegrass/clover-dandelion 228 m5: Clover/timothy/buffalo-berry/Pl-Sw 229 VI