Publications

Spider records from Caribou Mountains Wildland Provincial Park

Description

There are numerous and important examples of the province’s biodiversity contained within Alberta’s protected areas (e.g., parks, wilderness areas, ecological reserves). Much of that biodiversity... More ≫

Description

There are numerous and important examples of the province’s biodiversity contained within Alberta’s protected areas (e.g., parks, wilderness areas, ecological reserves). Much of that biodiversity remains to be discovered, particularly that which relates to the invertebrate fauna. Spiders are in that category. In Canada there are approximately 1400 known spider species. The Biological Survey of Canada estimates that there are at most 1,500 spider species in the country. Holmberg and Buckle (2002) noted that there were 662 species in 23 families for Alberta and Saskatchewan combined. Within Alberta there are about 583 known spider species belonging to 24 families. That number will continue to grow as more information and data becomes available. The spider specimens that were collected in Caribou Mountains Wildland Provincial Park during this survey were the first for this rather remote area.

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Small patch communities of Caribou Mountains Wildland Provincial Park

Description

In July 2003 areas within Caribou Mountains Wildland Provincial Park (CMWPP) were surveyed to document small patch ecological communities. Small patch ecological communities add considerably to... More ≫

Description

In July 2003 areas within Caribou Mountains Wildland Provincial Park (CMWPP) were surveyed to document small patch ecological communities. Small patch ecological communities add considerably to the diversity of a site, harbouring flora and potentially fauna dependent on these specialized habitats. They are, however, often overlooked in vegetation studies because they are neither extensive nor common enough to be considered representative. The focus of this study was to look within the matrix of the representative ecological communities to find and document the small patch communities that may be significant in a provincial context.

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A preliminary survey of the beetles (Coleoptera) in Caribou Mountains Wildland Provincial Park

Description

Caribou Mountains Wildland Provincial Park, located in the north-central region of Alberta, is an area of Boreal Forest dominated by black spruce and bogs. Little is directly known of the flora... More ≫

Description

Caribou Mountains Wildland Provincial Park, located in the north-central region of Alberta, is an area of Boreal Forest dominated by black spruce and bogs. Little is directly known of the flora and fauna. This study is a glimpse at the beetle diversity found during a 2003 survey. Representatives of 44 families of beetles and 310 species were found in this survey. The beetle species examined clearly demonstrate a very strong boreal composition, but there are also elements of more northern regions and elements that are clearly cordilleran. Most collections of beetles were restricted to areas accessible from lake or river channels, and resulted in a collecting bias to warmer more temperate boreal type sites, missing cooler more arctic highlands.

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Survey of the odonate fauna in Caribou Mountains Wildland Park

Description

Caribou Mountains Wildland Park, within the Subarctic Subregion, was the focus of an odonate survey in the summer of 2003. The Subregion where this wildland park is located contains numerous... More ≫

Description

Caribou Mountains Wildland Park, within the Subarctic Subregion, was the focus of an odonate survey in the summer of 2003. The Subregion where this wildland park is located contains numerous muskeg ponds, streams and lake habitats. The purpose of the survey was to provide an annotated summary of some of the odonate species that occur in the park, including notes on such parameters as relative abundance, distribution patterns, range extensions and any other relevant biological or behavioral information. The information obtained contributes towards an increased understanding of the odonate fauna found within this wildland park but also within the broader context of Alberta.

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