Unit 1.4: Rangelands: Fescue Prairie Grasslands

What are the types of fescue prairie grasslands in grassland natural region and ecozone?

* Northern Fescue subregion, Foothills Fescue subregion
* Cypress Hills, Central Parkland subregion

What are fescue prairies important ranching and wildlife area?

* climax community
* Cures, provides forage
* Landowners protect and preserve this land

In Sask. part of Aspen Parkland ecoregion. How much remains?

What are the patch sizes?

* 5%
*

What is the cause of the patches being less than 65 ha?

Fragmentation

What are some threats of fescue prairie types in Alberta and Saskatchewan?

* Overgrazing
* Cultivation
* Settlement
* Lack of fire disturbance
* Invasive non native plants

What is a modified plant community type?

Any native plant community that now has 70% or greater of invasive (or non native) species

Is it possible to recover modified community types?

* No, it cannot recover, too competitive
* Can prevent from becoming a worse problem

What makes fescue prairies highly productive?

Large biomass in roots

Plains Rough Fescue characteristics

* decreaser
* Climax spp.
* C3 bunchgrass
* does not produce every year

Rough Fescue community characteristics

* C3 bunchgrass
* Most valued climax spp.
* Decreaser
* Does not produce seed every year

Western Blue Flag Iris charcteristics

* Rare in alberta
* evolved with fire and grazing
* Borders wetland and dry upland
* Threatened by smooth brome

What are complexes? Examples.

Areas that occur in the grasslands where __local soils, climate, and moisture conditions vary drastically__ from the norm

* valleys, saline, sandhills, wetlands

How many types of sand dunes are there?

5

What is a binder?

* Their root systems work from the edges to the middle
* Holds the sandy community together, plants usually have vigorous rhizomes, or large fibrous root systems

What plant community is a stabilized dune?

*Stipa/Bouteloua* type

What does the presence of woody plants tell us?

There is a high water table

Why are sandy complexes at risk?

They are being over protected, they will naturally move from wing but cannot with protective fencing, also need to be grazed

Ord’s Kangaroo Rat designation and facts

Western Spiderwort designation and facts (2)

* endangered
* Lives on sand dunes


* Grows solitary flowers, only has opportunity to be pollinated every two hours

Tiny crytanth designation and facts