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Alberta conservation information management system ecological community tracking list

Description

Natural ecological communities are defined as recurring assemblages of plant species; the species occurring together because they respond similarly to a variety of site attributes (Grossman et al... More ≫

Description

Natural ecological communities are defined as recurring assemblages of plant species; the species occurring together because they respond similarly to a variety of site attributes (Grossman et al 1994). The species that make up the assemblage often show an affinity or association with each other (Kent and Coker 1992). To develop an initial tracking list of natural ecological community elements, publications describing vegetation in Alberta were reviewed and discussions were held with knowledgeable individuals. Community types that have been described as 'unusual', 'uncommon', 'of limited extent' or 'encountered infrequently' by vegetation experts were considered for inclusion on the Ecological Community Tracking List. Community types that have been described as 'in decline' or 'threatened' by vegetation experts were also considered for inclusion. Only natural communities were considered. The assistance many individuals in developing this tracking and watch list is gratefully...

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Lepidoptera of a mixedwood quarter, 8 km NW of Winfield, Alberta, 1999-2011

Description

This report is of the Lepidoptera collected or observed by the author in a west-central Alberta area in the 13 year period from 1999 to 2011.

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Lepidoptera of East Arrowwood Coulee, Alberta

Description

The writer, now retired and living in Erskine, Alberta, has had a long-time interest in the natural flora and fauna of the province. In the spring of 2000, he commenced an examination of the moths... More ≫

Description

The writer, now retired and living in Erskine, Alberta, has had a long-time interest in the natural flora and fauna of the province. In the spring of 2000, he commenced an examination of the moths of south-central Alberta, the purpose of which was to document the species present in various natural areas. He is a member of the Alberta Lepidopterist’s Guild, the purpose of which is to encourage the study of Alberta’s moths and butterflies. There is still much to be learned about the distribution and status of lepidopteran (moth and butterfly) species in south-central Alberta. Baseline studies provide information that helps characterize those species associated with various ecoregions, in the present case Prairie; determine status designations (abundant, common, rare, endangered) of various species; and allow the examination of many other parameters, including phenology, dry vs. wet years, and outbreaks of various species such as forest tent caterpillars.

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Lepidoptera of a semi-urban residence in Erskine, Alberta, 2000-2011

Description

The present paper incorporates the information in last year’s report along with that gathered in 2011. It also includes a number of redeterminations and additions to the information in the earlier... More ≫

Description

The present paper incorporates the information in last year’s report along with that gathered in 2011. It also includes a number of redeterminations and additions to the information in the earlier reports Further, it follows the up-to-date order and taxonomy of Pohl et al. (2010), rather than that of Hodges et al. (1983). The author and his wife purchased the present 1.1 acre, 2 lot site in 1992. The property was developed and the house was built around 1978. The address of the house is Lot 5, Maple Close. The coordinates are 52.322, 112.883 and the elevation is 830 m. Erskine is a small village with a population of less than 500 individuals.

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Lepidoptera survey of the Peace River parkland subregion in Northwestern Alberta

Description

There is a small area Parkland Natural Region that is located in the northwest corner of Alberta along the banks of the Peace River. During 2005 and 2006 I began surveying Lepidoptera in this... More ≫

Description

There is a small area Parkland Natural Region that is located in the northwest corner of Alberta along the banks of the Peace River. During 2005 and 2006 I began surveying Lepidoptera in this area. The habitat targeted was the Peace River Parkland Subregion that consists of open grassland with aspen bluffs. The following is a list of 503 species representing 38 different families.

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Pigeon Lake Provincial Park rare lichen survey, October 14-18, 2008 : report

Description

A rare lichen survey was conducted in selected areas of Pigeon Lake Provincial Park (PLPP) from October 14 to 18, 2008. The main objective of the survey was to document the occurrence of rare... More ≫

Description

A rare lichen survey was conducted in selected areas of Pigeon Lake Provincial Park (PLPP) from October 14 to 18, 2008. The main objective of the survey was to document the occurrence of rare lichens and mitigate possible damage as a result of infrastructure upgrade activities, including the expansion of old camp stalls, creation of new camp stalls, shower buildings, a new boat launch and some additional tree and shrub clearings. The park is located approximately 25 km west of Wetaskiwin, Alberta and is accessed by Hwy 13. It falls within the Central Parkland, a subregion of the Parkland Natural Region of Alberta, characterized by aspen (Populus tremuloides) and balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera) stands (Kershaw et al. 2001). These stands form the main vegetation community of PLPP (Kershaw et al. 2001) and are typically known for not supporting high lichen numbers as it is often too dry.

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Collection of lepidoptera at Moose Lake Provincial Park in 2006

Description

Three factors were considered in selecting Moose Lake Provincial Park as a study area for collecting Lepidoptera in 2005. There is a wide diversity of habitats within the park. There was a lack of... More ≫

Description

Three factors were considered in selecting Moose Lake Provincial Park as a study area for collecting Lepidoptera in 2005. There is a wide diversity of habitats within the park. There was a lack of literature on Lepidoptera for the park. And the park is close to the Saskatchewan border. These three factors show clearly why there was a need to study Lepidoptera in the park, and why the odds of finding new species for the Province of Alberta would be likely. In 2006, the same factors were in play and results were much better. In 2005 many common species were collected that were also observed in 2006. Efforts were made to avoid collecting these same species. In 2006, 5 butterflies and 202 moth species were collected. Of the Lepidoptera collected, approximately ten need further analysis for complete identification. It is highly likely that two or more of these specimens will be identified as new species for the Province of Alberta. I would be very interested in seeing someone continue...

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Survey of the Lepidoptera fauna in Willmore Wilderness Park

Description

The purpose of the lepidoptera survey in Willmore WP was to provide an annotated summary of the species that occur within the park, including notes on such parameters as relative abundance,... More ≫

Description

The purpose of the lepidoptera survey in Willmore WP was to provide an annotated summary of the species that occur within the park, including notes on such parameters as relative abundance, distribution patterns, range extensions and any other relevant biological or behavioural information. This information will contribute towards an increased understanding of the species occurring in the park as well as in a broader context of Alberta.

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Survey of the Odonate fauna in Willmore Wilderness Park

Description

Willmore Wilderness Park is located in the northern portion of Alberta's Rocky Mountains just west of Grand Cache and north of Jasper National Park. Habitats suitable for odonates are found... More ≫

Description

Willmore Wilderness Park is located in the northern portion of Alberta's Rocky Mountains just west of Grand Cache and north of Jasper National Park. Habitats suitable for odonates are found throughout the park and include ponds, peatlands, subalpine lakes and streams. Over the past eight years odonate surveys were a part of the biophysical inventories conducted by Alberta Parks within some of its wildland parks. The western portion of Willmore Wilderness Park was surveyed in the summer of 2007 and the results are briefly presented in this report.

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A survey of the beetles (Coleoptera) in western portion of Willmore Wilderness Park

Description

Over 4000 beetles were collected of which 2060 were pinned and curated. Many more were discarded in the field as duplicates of very common species. Of the 2464 species of beetles reported in... More ≫

Description

Over 4000 beetles were collected of which 2060 were pinned and curated. Many more were discarded in the field as duplicates of very common species. Of the 2464 species of beetles reported in Alberta (Bousquet 1991), representatives of 36 families and 318 species were found in Willmore (includes Aleocharinae staphylinids where genus was not determined). Many additional families of beetles are expected to occur in the park. Appendix 1 contains detailed locality and collection data for the beetles collected in Willmore.

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