Alberta’s wetlands are an important resource for its environmental, social and economic wellbeing. Like all ecosystems, Alberta’s wetlands are interconnected to the environment around it, meaning what happens here could have far-reaching effects.
In this blog, we’re going to explore the reasons why it's so important for all of us as a collective to keep Alberta’s wetlands healthy and intact. The Wetlands on the Prairies The prairie wetlands of Alberta, often called potholes, sloughs and marshes are found primarily in the settled areas of the province. They make up about 2 per cent of Alberta’s landscape, covering approximately 1.1 million hectares. Despite the fact that these wetlands have continued to support biodiversity, studies show that 64 per cent of Alberta’s wetlands in settled areas has been lost. The specific ecosystems of the prairie pothole and aspen parkland regions of Alberta have special significance. The Northern Leopard frog calls the wetlands home, it’s where they feed, breed and hibernate during the colder seasons. This is important because populations of the Northern Leopard frog have been greatly reduced in areas of Alberta. However, thanks to efforts to preserve the wetlands have made it possible for their local populations to rebuild. Heading further south to the Milk River and Cypress Hills regions in Alberta, several wetland and upland habitat conservation efforts are targeting landscapes important to the survival of the northern pintail duck. Northern pintail duck populations in Alberta have seen an approximately 71 per cent reduction in numbers since the early 1970s. The wetlands in Alberta are a vital element of their survival. The Wetlands in the boreal forest Also called peatlands, wetlands located in the boreal forest are extremely important. Peatlands can include bogs and fens, which resemble marsh-like wetlands. Peatlands are located in west central and northern areas of the province, covering 10,300,000 hectares or 16.3 per cent of Alberta’s land. Peatlands provide essential wildlife habitats and support hundreds of species of plants, including at-risk species. These ecosystems are productive breeding grounds for various species of birds and other mammals. In times of drought in the prairie region, these peatlands provide refuge for migratory birds, and although they don’t live there year-round, these wetlands provide them a place where they can survive these droughts. The importance of Alberta’s wetlands for wildlife and plantlife Wetlands play an important role in improving the quality and quantity of water supplies, as well as providing valuable wildlife habitats. These wetlands support birds and fish that predatory species rely on for their food supply. Several hawk species, foxes, coyotes – all utilize wetlands to find sources of food. There are two types of wetlands in Alberta: Peatlands include bogs and fens, which are characterized by their peat-based soil and exist in mostly forested northern areas of the province. Bogs are poorly drained and filled with mats of peat moss, which makes them acidic. They are typically surrounded by boreal forest black spruce and tamarack trees. Fens are a unique feature of the boreal region, they are a type of peatland that has some flowing water, which can cause patterns through the peat masses. They are far less acidic than bogs and can support different flora and fauna. Fens tend to be surrounded by sedges, grasses, shrubs and tamarack trees. Non-Peatlands Non-peatlands consist predominantly of marshes, ponds, swamps and shallow, open water. They are found primarily in the more settled parkland and prairie regions of the southern half of Alberta. Marshes (or sloughs) are open areas of slow-moving water dominated by plants like reeds, cattails and grasses. Ponds are shallow open water that typically don’t have obvious rates of flowing water and contain aquatic plants like duckweed and water lilies. Swamps are forested ponds with little water flow that are fed primarily by spring floods and melting snow. They are usually surrounded by shrubs and trees like willow, spruce and tamarack. Alberta wetlands need to be conserved to ensure that all life impacted by it can be preserved. For more information, see Alberta.ca on more about the province’s wetlands. Comments are closed.
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August 2022
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