Montane landscape heterogeneity and vegetation change in Jasper National Park, Alberta (1949--1997).

Eighty years of change: vegetation in the montane ecoregion of Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/x02-112 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 32 (11) ◽

pp. 2010-2021 ◽

Cited By ~ 48

Author(s):

Jeanine M Rhemtulla ◽

Ronald J Hall ◽

Eric S Higgs ◽

S Ellen Macdonald

Keyword(s):

National Park ◽

Vegetation Change ◽

Fire Regime ◽

Reference Conditions ◽

Habitat Diversity ◽

Climatic Conditions ◽

Aerial Photographs ◽

Contributing Factors ◽

Jasper National Park ◽

Closed Canopy

Repeat ground photographs (taken in 1915 and 1997) from a series of topographical survey stations and repeat aerial photographs (flown in 1949 and 1991) were analysed to assess changes in vegetation composition and distribution in the montane ecoregion of Jasper National Park, in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Canada. A quantitative approach for assessing relative vegetation change in repeat ground photographs was developed and tested. The results indicated a shift towards late-successional vegetation types and an increase in crown closure in coniferous stands. Grasslands, shrub, juvenile forest, and open forests decreased in extent, and closed-canopy forests became more prevalent. The majority of forest stands succeeded to dominance by coniferous species. Changes in vegetation patterns were likely largely attributable to shifts in the fire regime over the last century, although climatic conditions and human activity may also have been contributing factors. Implications of observed changes include decreased habitat diversity, increased possibility of insect outbreaks, and potential for future high-intensity fire events. Results of the study increase knowledge of historical reference conditions and may help to establish restoration goals for the montane ecoregion of the park.

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"Culturing Wilderness in Jasper National Park: Studies in Two Centuries of Human History in the Upper Athabasca River Watershed" edited by I. MacLaren 2007. [book review]

The Canadian Field-Naturalist ◽

10.22621/cfn.v122i3.594 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 122 (3) ◽

pp. 285

Author(s):

Cyndi M. Smith

Keyword(s):

National Park ◽

Human History ◽

Athabasca River ◽

River Watershed ◽

Jasper National Park

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Holocene palaeoenvironmental record preserved in a paraglacial alluvial fan, Sunwapta Pass, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada

CATENA ◽

10.1016/0341-8162(94)90004-3 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 22 (3) ◽

pp. 227-248 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Alwynne B. Beaudoin ◽

Roger H. King

Keyword(s):

National Park ◽

Alluvial Fan ◽

Jasper National Park

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Using discriminant function analysis to identify Holocene tephras based on magnetite composition: a case study from the Sunwapta Pass area, Jasper National Park

Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences ◽

10.1139/e86-082 ◽

1986 ◽

Vol 23 (6) ◽

pp. 804-812 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

A. B. Beaudoin ◽

R. H. King

Keyword(s):

National Parks ◽

Discriminant Function ◽

Discriminant Function Analysis ◽

National Park ◽

Function Analysis ◽

Classification Schemes ◽

Jasper National Park ◽

Multivariate Method ◽

Reference Samples

The magnetite composition from three sets of samples of Mazama, St. Helens set Y, and Bridge River tephras from Jasper and Banff national parks are used to test whether discriminant function analysis can unambiguously distinguish these tephras. The multivariate method is found to be very sensitive to the change in reference samples. St. Helens set Y tephra is clearly distinguished. However, discrimination between Mazama and Bridge River tephras is less distinct. A set of unknown tephras from the Sunwapta Pass area was used to test the classification schemes. Unknown tephras are assigned to different tephra types depending on which reference tephra set is used in the discriminant function analysis.

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Vegetation change (1988–2010) in Camdeboo National Park (South Africa), using fixed-point photo monitoring: The role of herbivory and climate

Koedoe ◽

10.4102/koedoe.v55i1.1127 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 55 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Mmoto L. Masubelele ◽

Michael T. Hoffman ◽

William Bond ◽

Peter Burdett

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Fixed Point ◽

National Parks ◽

Vegetation Cover ◽

National Park ◽

Vegetation Change ◽

Growth Form ◽

Annual Rainfall ◽

Management Interventions

Fixed-point photo monitoring supplemented by animal census data and climate monitoring potential has never been explored as a long-term monitoring tool for studying vegetation change in the arid and semi-arid national parks of South Africa. The long-term (1988–2010), fixed-point monitoring dataset developed for the Camdeboo National Park, therefore, provides an important opportunity to do this. Using a quantitative estimate of the change in vegetation and growth form cover in 1152 fixed-point photographs, as well as series of step-point vegetation surveys at each photo monitoring site, this study documented the extent of vegetation change in the park in response to key climate drivers, such as rainfall, as well as land use drivers such as herbivory by indigenous ungulates. We demonstrated the varied response of vegetation cover within three main growth forms (grasses, dwarf shrubs [< 1 m] and tall shrubs [> 1 m]) in three different vegetation units and landforms (slopes, plains, rivers) within the Camdeboo National Park since 1988. Sites within Albany Thicket and Dwarf Shrublands showed the least change in vegetation cover, whilst Azonal vegetation and Grassy Dwarf Shrublands were more dynamic. Abiotic factors such as drought and flooding, total annual rainfall and rainfall seasonality appeared to have the greatest influence on growth form cover as assessed from the fixed-point photographs. Herbivory appeared not to have had a noticeable impact on the vegetation of the Camdeboo National Park as far as could be determined from the rather coarse approach used in this analysis and herbivore densities remained relatively low over the study duration.Conservation implications: We provided an historical assessment of the pattern of vegetation and climatic trends that can help evaluate many of South African National Parks’ biodiversity monitoring programmes, especially relating to habitat change. It will help arid parks in assessing the trajectories of vegetation in response to herbivory, climate and management interventions.

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