The Canadian Rocky Mts. around Banff (near Calgary) emerge in a transition zone between the northern Prairies and the boreal forest. With the foothills > 1400 m, a bizarre rocky landscape contrasts with continuous conferous forests. The alpine vegetation is composed of a typical artic-alpine set of genera almost all well known also to the European botanist.

1 - Sharp escarpments emerge from boreal forest.

2 - The treeline at c. 2200 m.

3 - The fragmented conifer treeline ecotone with Pinus, Picea, Abies and Larix.

4 - Dryas octopetala, a common holarctic element, forms vegetation carpets on rock and scree. This Rosaceae species lives in symbiosis with N-fixing bacteria.

5 - Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (Ericaceae)

6 - Potentilla sp. (Rosaceae) - a late season flowering plant, here with early snow in September.

7 - Aster sp. (Asteraceae), another holarctic element, is represented by several species.

29 August 2011
© ALPECOLe 2002-2007