Effects of Hail Storms on Waterfowl Populations in Alberta, Canada: 1953

Abstract

The Alberta prairies and parklands form an important part of one of the greatest grain belts in the world, and of one of the greatest waterfowl producing areas in North America. These prairies are characterized by rich soils, gentle terrain, and a well distributed seasonal precipitation. As with growers of grain all over the world, the Alberta farmer must contend with age-old problems of excessive moisture in some years and drought in others, with frosts in spring or autumn and with damage by insects and rusts throughout the summer. Waterfowl populations are also subjected to, and their production influenced by, excesses or deficiencies of moisture, by late or early fall snows or periods of low temperature, by diseases and predation and the progress of the agricultural season in early spring. To these problems must be added another serious factor, of great importance to farmers and of growing concern to waterfowl biologists, the occurrence and the severity of summer hail storms. Due to the atmospheric conditions which make hail storms possible, it follows that this type of storm is most severe and most widespread in years when average precipitation is normal or above normal. The summer of 1953 was no exception. It became one of the most disastrous hail years in the history of the province of Alberta, the worst in fact since 1927.