Species distributional patterns in dune sand areas in the grasslands of Saskatchewan
Date
1962
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
ORCID
Type
Degree Level
Doctoral
Abstract
Dune sand areas present a complex and variable environment for
the growth of plants, especially where erosion or deposition has occurred.
The instability of the sand surface, along with other
physical conditions imposed by the sand particles (moisture relations,
hydrology, nutrient status, etc.), is restrictive in its effect on the
vegetation and permits the existence of only those species whose
adaptive capabilities allow the efficient utilization of the resources
of the habitat. This results in a diverse array of vegetation that is
often anomalous to that on surrounding finer-textured soils. This,
coupled with the severe economic threat posed by sand areas through
erosion, has promoted intensive research on dunes in many parts of the
world. Stabilization of dunes that are encroaching upon arable land
and the improvement of management practices in dune areas utilized
for grazing constitute a major portion of this research. Investigations
of this nature require an intimate knowledge of the interactions of
the vegetational components and their environment, information that
can be best utilized when quantitative measurements have been
made as to where a particular species grows, where it attains its
greatest success and what factors are responsible for its behavior.
The purpose of this study was to examine species distributions
on dune sand in an attempt to explain the interrelations between the
plants and their habitat. Although such information is available in
Saskatchewan for soils ranging in texture from clay to sandy loam,
there is none concerning dune sand vegetation. This study was
initiated in 1959 and continued through 1961. During this time,
quantitative data were collected, by various methods, in 101 stands
located in two major and two minor study areas selected as representative
of the overall dune vegetation in the grasslands of Saskatchewan.
One major study area was in the Dundurn sand dunes, approximately
15 miles south of Saskatoon, and the other in the Great Sand Hills,
particularly south of Sceptre, Lemsford and Portreeve. The minor study
areas, in which only a few stands were located, were near Elbow and
north of Webb in Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration
pastures (Fig. 1).
The areal extent of the two major study areas differs considerably, with the Great Sand Hills (Sceptre area) totalling
approximately 425 square miles, but the dunes near Dundurn cover
only 170 square miles. The areas exhibit characteristic dune
topography consisting of actively eroding and depositing areas along
with a variety of stabilized forms. It should be emphasized that the
study areas represent only a sample or the total dune environment and
that physiographical phenomena, vegetation and factorial gradients,
other than those to be described, may exist.
The techniques used in the interpretation of the data, although
not new in theory or practice, are being applied for the first time in
vegetation in the Canadian Mixed Prairie. It is hoped that, in
addition to the primary purpose expressed, the methods will aid future
researchers in quantitative studies concerning northern grassland
vegetation.
Description
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Citation
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Department
Plant Ecology
Program
Plant Ecology