Publications

Aquatic ecosystems : the Elbow river : an educational field study for Biology 20 students

Description

Welcome to Aquatic Ecosystems: The Elbow River, a field study designed for Bio 20 students. This is a curriculum-connected full-day study of the Elbow River with multidisciplinary post-activity... More ≫

Description

Welcome to Aquatic Ecosystems: The Elbow River, a field study designed for Bio 20 students. This is a curriculum-connected full-day study of the Elbow River with multidisciplinary post-activity support. The intent of this program is to provide a hands-on, engaging outdoor component, which will meet the needs of Biology 20 Unit B: Ecosystems and Population Change. This program is also written to achieve the mandate of the Alberta Government - Tourism, Parks, and Recreation and also addresses the four program goals of preservation, outdoor recreation, heritage appreciation, and heritage tourism. The field study is designed to focus on testing and studying the abiotic and biotic factors of the aquatic ecosystem. Students are challenged to predict and then discover what the factors are indicating. Students will have the opportunity to monitor the Elbow River from the pristine waters of Cobble Flats in Kananaskis Country all the way to the City of Calgary. Traveling by bus, students will...

Tags

Freshwater monitoring : a case study : an educational field study for Grade 8 and 9 students

Description

This is a curriculum-connected full-day study of the Elbow River with multidisciplinary preparatory and post-activity support. The intent of this program is to provide a hands-on, engaging outdoor... More ≫

Description

This is a curriculum-connected full-day study of the Elbow River with multidisciplinary preparatory and post-activity support. The intent of this program is to provide a hands-on, engaging outdoor component, which will meet the needs of grades 8, Unit E: Freshwater and Saltwater Systems and grade 9, Unit C: Environmental Chemistry. This program is also written to achieve the mandate of the Alberta Government - Tourism, Parks, and Recreation and also addresses the four program goals of preservation, outdoor recreation, heritage appreciation, and heritage tourism. The preparatory activities are designed to prepare students for an off-site visit to the Elbow River. The preparatory activities focus on introducing students to the watershed monitoring area, related vocabulary, to water testing procedures, and to the expectations of safe and appropriate student behaviour within a protected area. These activities also attempt to further students‟ ability to make predictions, and encourage...

Tags

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...

Tags

Assessing similarities between observed ecological communities

Description

This document presents how to assess similarities between observed ecological communities. An ecological community is defined as a distinct assemblage of plant species with similar total species... More ≫

Description

This document presents how to assess similarities between observed ecological communities. An ecological community is defined as a distinct assemblage of plant species with similar total species composition and vegetation structure that can often be associated with particular environmental conditions. Given the right conditions, it reoccurs predictably. Ecological communities can be separated into three major types: terrestrial, wetland, aquatic.

Tags

Lepidoptera of the Tolman Bridge Area, Alberta, 2000-2011

Description

Tolman Bridge, is located in the valley of the Red Deer River, 18 km (10 miles) east of the town of Trochu. The bridge and adjoining Park land are in the north half of section 14, range 22,... More ≫

Description

Tolman Bridge, is located in the valley of the Red Deer River, 18 km (10 miles) east of the town of Trochu. The bridge and adjoining Park land are in the north half of section 14, range 22, township 34, west of the Fourth Meridian. The coordinates at the bridge are 51.503N and 113.009W. The elevation ranges from around 600 m at the river to 800 m or so near the top of the river breaks. In a Natural Area Inspection Report dated 25 June 1982 and in the 1989 Trochu 82 P/14, 1:50,000 topographic map, the land southwest of the bridge was designated as the “Tolman Bridge Municipal Park” while that southeast of the bridge was referred to as the “Tolman Bridge Recreation Area”. In an Alberta, Department of the Environment, Parks and Protected Areas Division paper dated 9 May 2000, the areas on both sides of the river are included in “Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provincial Park”. Campgrounds are found in both areas and they are patrolled by a Conservation Officer stationed in Drumheller.

Tags

Moths of the Buffalo Lake Moraine Conservation Area

Description

Provincial Parks and other areas where natural vegetation is protected are of great value as the flora and fauna present in them is typical of what was in Alberta before widespread agricultural... More ≫

Description

Provincial Parks and other areas where natural vegetation is protected are of great value as the flora and fauna present in them is typical of what was in Alberta before widespread agricultural activities replaced them with flora and fauna that was reduced in numbers and made up of species that were associated with cultivated grains and hay crops. As a result, many of Alberta’s “rare and endangered” species are now found only, or mainly, in such protected areas.

Tags

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.

Tags

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.

Tags

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.

Tags

Lepidoptera of the Lowden Springs Conservation Area, Alberta, 2002-2011

Description

Three hundred and nineteen species of moths and 4 butterflies are reported from the Lowden Springs Conservation Area. Most collections were made at night and, therefore, butterflies and day-flying... More ≫

Description

Three hundred and nineteen species of moths and 4 butterflies are reported from the Lowden Springs Conservation Area. Most collections were made at night and, therefore, butterflies and day-flying moths are underrepresented. If all species in the undetermined categories were named, the actual total would be over 350. With further study and names on all of the undetermined specimens, the total would probably be close to 500 species of moths. To put things into perspective, Pohl et al (2010) document 2367 species of Lepidoptera for Alberta. It was especially encouraging to have a first for Alberta (Sparganothis directana) plus several discoveries of seldom encountered species, such as Xenotemna pallorana, Sciota fernaldi, Lipographis fenestrella, Escaria homogena, Heliothis phloxiphagus and Schinia meadi. The list of species would have been considerably greater if the area had additional habitats such as woods or a riverine community but, at the same time, it is quite interesting to...

Tags