Aspen Parkland
As Aspen Parkland , or correspondingly Aspen Parkland region a is ecoregion in North America indicated, predominantly in the central Canada in the transition between Hochgras- prairie and boreal forest needle lies. It is therefore assigned to the forest steppe landscape type . It is named after the naturally occurring, loose groves of American quivering aspen ("Aspen") , which are interspersed in open grassland and give the landscape a park-like appearance. Today, however, the region is mainly used for agriculture. The Aspen Parkland Region is divided into two disjoint sub-areas. The smaller, most northerly, is located in the area of the Peace River in Alberta and protrudes a little into British Columbia , the second, much larger, stretches in an arc from central Alberta through central Saskatchewan and southwest Manitoba to the USA into it.
The region's climate is determined by short, warm summers (average temperature 15 ° C) and long, cold winters (average temperature −12.5 ° C) with a permanent snow cover. The average annual temperature is between 0.5 ° C and 2.5 ° C, the average rainfall in the year is 375–700 mm.
Characteristic elements of vegetation are stands of American quaking aspen with smaller proportions of balsam poplar and an undergrowth of shrubs and herbaceous plants. Types of climax vegetation are white spruce and balsam fir , but relatively rare due to forest fires. The Banks pine can also be found on drier locations with sandy soils . American white oak grows on drier locations with loamy black soils . Willows and various types of sedges , occasionally also black spruce and East American larch, can be found on waterlogged gley floors .
In the partly strongly glacial landscape there are numerous, wooded swamps and lakes, which offer valuable resting and breeding places especially for water birds. These include rhinoceros pelican , cormorants , various seagulls, such as the prairie gull that is typical of the region , and terns . Other breeding bird species are tailed grouse , collar grouse and hudson's elster . Typical mammals found here include elk , white-tailed deer , American black bear , wolf , coyote , red fox , spruce marten , American mink , Canadian beaver , snowshoe hare , eastern cottontail rabbit , northern pocket rat and Franklin ground squirrel .
Web links
- WWF-Ecoregion Canadian Aspen forests and parklands (NA0802) from WildFinder Terrestrial Ecoregions / WWF , accessed on March 17, 2013
- Aspen Parkland at Ecoregions of Canada , accessed February 13, 2012
- Canadian Aspen forests and parklands from Bioimages ( Vanderbilt University ), accessed February 13, 2012