Woodland encroachment impacts on forest/grassland ecotone soil, southwest Alberta, Canada

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dc.contributor.advisorGoldblum, David
dc.contributor.authorRadloff, Camelot
dc.contributor.committeememberFreeman, Andrea
dc.contributor.committeememberWilliams, Aaron
dc.date2022-06
dc.date.accessioned2022-04-19T16:27:45Z
dc.date.available2022-04-19T16:27:45Z
dc.date.issued2022-04
dc.description.abstractThis multi-method analysis measures vegetation dynamics within a grassland-woodland ecotone. The ecotone study site, Ann and Sandy Cross Conservation Area (ASCCA) is situated in the southern Alberta Foothills Fescue ecodistrict and Foothills Parkland ecodistrict. Canadian native grasslands are threatened by land conversion, invasion of introduced pasture grasses, and tree encroachment. The unmitigated range expansion of trembling aspen, an early succession tree species, is problematic due to the alteration of soil conditions, which displaces native grasslands. This has occurred elsewhere in prairie grasslands, where soils shift from Chernozem into Luvisol, showing the transition from grassland to forest vegetation. Four vegetation type identified at ASCCA (forest, plowed and unplowed grassland, and the transition zone). Each vegetation type had 10 sites representing subpopulations within the heterogeneous landscape. The objective was to determine soil characteristics for each vegetation types and evaluate whether transition sites are more similar to grassland or forest soils. The results found transition sites can provide baseline knowledge, used to better understand soil characteristic and vegetation change - especially at the grassland-forest boundary. Transition sites were similar to forests and plowed grasslands. Altered grassland landscapes (through the mechanism of plowing, fire suppression, and removal of important keystone grazers) are likely onset sites of future soil alteration due to the mismanagement of adjacent woody encroachment. Plowed grasslands with gentle slope angles were more conducive to soil alteration from tree encroachment. Grasses find refuge on steeper slopes, however, are vulnerable in plowed grasslands, and need critical attention in these areas. Presently, only 2 % native grassland remains at ASCCA (AGRA, 1997). If plowed grasslands continue to persist without disturbances to manage tree encroachment, soil alteration in these areas can lead to native grassland corridor loss.en_US
dc.identifier.citationRadloff, C. (2022). Woodland encroachment impacts on forest/grassland ecotone soil, southwest Alberta, Canada (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.en_US
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/39688
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1880/114559
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.publisher.facultyArtsen_US
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgaryen
dc.rightsUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.en_US
dc.subjectsoilen_US
dc.subjectdynamic soil propertiesen_US
dc.subjectplant-soil relationshipsen_US
dc.subjectforest-grasslanden_US
dc.subjectecotonesen_US
dc.subjectreference plant communitiesen_US
dc.subject.classificationGeographyen_US
dc.subject.classificationSoil Scienceen_US
dc.subject.classificationBotanyen_US
dc.subject.classificationEcologyen_US
dc.subject.classificationPaleoecologyen_US
dc.titleWoodland encroachment impacts on forest/grassland ecotone soil, southwest Alberta, Canadaen_US
dc.typemaster thesisen_US
thesis.degree.disciplineGeographyen_US
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgaryen_US
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science (MSc)en_US
ucalgary.item.requestcopyfalseen_US
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