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A Taxonomic And Ecologic Study Of The Riverbottom Forest On St. Mary River, Lee Creek, And Belly River In Southwestern Alberta, Canada, Robert K. Shaw
A Taxonomic And Ecologic Study Of The Riverbottom Forest On St. Mary River, Lee Creek, And Belly River In Southwestern Alberta, Canada, Robert K. Shaw
Great Basin Naturalist
The riverbottom forest community of St. Mary River, Lee Creek, and Belly River in southwestern Alberta, Canada, is a unique ecological entity characterized by poplar species having their major Alberta distribution along these streams. Stands in the community are dominated by three tree species, six shrub species, and nine herb species. Establishment of the community is dependent on climate and substrate; destruction is the result of progressive lateral stream-flow erosion. Soils are sandy loams above gravel, with pH values of 7.7 to 8.0 and soluble salt concentrations of 176 to 458 parts per million. Trees in mature stands averaged 23.0 …