Jasper National Park Research Articles

"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

"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

Whitebark pine and white pine blister rust in the Rocky Mountains of Canada and northern Montana

In 2003–2004, we examined 8031 whitebark pine ( Pinus albicaulis Engelm.) trees and 3812 seedling-establishment sites in 170 plots for mortality and incidence of white pine blister rust ( Cronartium ribicola A. Dietr.). We found blister rust in all but four plots (98%), and 57% of all trees assessed for blister rust were either already dead or showed signs of blister rust infection. Mean percentage of trees infected was highest in the southern Canada – United States border area (∼73%), decreasing to a low in the northern region of Banff National Park, Alberta (∼16%), and then rising (∼60%) in the northern end of the study area in Jasper National Park, Alberta. Stands with higher infection, mortality, and canopy kill of trees and higher presence of rust on seedlings tended to be located on the western side of the Continental Divide. In the eight stands in Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta, that had been previously assessed in 1996, infection levels increased from 43% to 71%, and mortality increased from 26% to 61%, whereas no change was apparent in Glacier National Park, Montana, stands. The impacts of high mortality and infection levels, high crown kill, and reduced regeneration potential, suggest that the long-term persistence of whitebark pine in the southern part of the study area is in jeopardy.

MUMMPIKIA GEN. NOV. AND THE ORIGIN OF CALCITIC‐SHELLED BRACHIOPODS

Abstract: Phosphatised limestone‐hosted and shale‐hosted specimens of the obolellid Mummpikia nuda gen. et comb. nov. and two further unidentified obolellids from the Early Cambrian Mural Formation (Jasper National Park, Canadian Rocky Mountains) provide novel insights into the shell microstructure of obolellids and the nature of their pedicle. The shell was penetrated by abundant canals of a sub‐μm diameter and the anterior tip of the delthyrium forms a projection into the body cavity that is penetrated by a thin canal. It is argued that both shell microstructure and posterior margin are linguliformean characters and that obolellids hold a position basal in the rhynchonelliform stem‐group.

Alberta's Resources Negotiations and Bannf and Jasper National Parks

The Government of Canada retained control of Crown lands and mineral and water rights in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba until 1930 when they were transferred to the three provincial governments as a result of agreements reached in 1929. In the case of Alberta, the agreement also settled the boundaries for Banff and Jasper national parks. The national parks discussions helped establish the principle that resource extraction would not take place in national parks anywhere in Canada. This paper examines the political background to the discussions over national parks and the process for setting the boundaries of these parks, with an emphasis on a report on park boundaries that addressed resource development and wildlife management in and near the parks, issues that parks administrators continue to face today.

Large-scale moraine deformation at the Athabasca Glacier, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada

In this paper the development of a large-scale gravitational deformation involving the eastern lateral moraine of the Athabasca Glacier in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada, is described. Interpretation and analysis of sequential aerial photographs indicates that a 540-m-wide segment of the eastern lateral moraine began to deform in the early 1950s; however, significant movement only began in the late 1960s. Since then, the moraine has undergone progressive gravitational deformation leading to a network of fractures, bulging, and the development of a large gap in the moraine crest. Geographic information system analysis of topographic changes between 1967 and 2006 indicates that the displaced volume of the moraine is approximately 9.0×10 5 m 3 . In the last 39 years, the moraine crest has displaced 55 m (1.4 m yr -1 ) down towards the glacier. The development of slope instability is linked to a combination of debuttressing from recent glacier recession, deformation of the moraine, as well as the movement of a large, mobile, debris-mantled slope impinging the upslope margin of the lateral moraine. This case study illustrates the importance of glacial conditioning and local geomorphological factors in creating conditions for large-scale moraine instability in recently deglacierized alpine basins.

A Facies Approach to the Stratigraphic Analysis of Late Wisconsinan Sediments in the Portal Creek Area, Jasper National Park, Alberta

Glacial diamictons described and sampled during regional stratigraphie studies in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada, are categorized using a facies approach. The classification scheme is based on objective field criteria but it is designed to ultimately aid in genetic interpretations of the described deposits which are required for meaningful stratigraphie correlations. The utility of the facies approach in solving stratigraphie problems is tested by the analysis of a complex sequence of glacial diamictons in the Portal Creek area. Genetic interpretations placed on the facies were supported by general agreement between theoretical and observed facies sequences, and proved useful in solving stratigraphie problems. Stratigraphic and provenance studies in the Portal Creek region reveal three major sediment packages of distinct provenance indicating that three separate glacial episodes may have occurred. However, an environment analysis of the deposits shows that the oldest two groups of sediment probably were deposited during the same episode. Changes in till provenance are believed to be the result of fluctuations in the dominance of two confluent glaciers originating in different valleys. The facies analysis supports the stratigraphie evidence that the third sedimentary package was deposited in a distinct glacial episode at a significantly later time than the underlying deposits. Although stratigraphie correlations with dated sediments are tentative, both glacial events recorded in the Portal Creek strati-graphic record are presumed to be Late Wisconsinan in age.

Using Picea/Pinus Ratios from the Wilcox Pass Core, Jasper National Park, Alberta, to Investigate Holocene Timberline Fluctuations

Holocene timberline fluctuations are investigated using Picea/Pinus ratios from the tephra and radiocarbon-dated Wilcox Pass Core (52°14'N, 117°13'W). Timberline elevations are calibrated by comparing Picea/Pinus ratios from the core with modern ratios obtained in surface samples of a transect from alpine vegetation in Wilcox Pass into subalpine forest in adjacent Sunwapta Pass. Ratios higher than present ratios from the site imply higher-than-present timberline elevation. The Picea/Pinus ratios imply higher-than-present timberline between ca. 6540-1480 yr BP, with a minimum about 4210 yr BP, while timberline was lower than present between ca. 1480 - 540 yr BP and increased in elevation after 540 yr BP. This record substantially agrees with other palaeoenvironmental records from the region. The main limitation on the technique is that it can only be applied since similar-to-present vegetation became established in the area. Hence, Piceal Pinus ratios from the Wilcox Pass core prior to ca. 6540 yr BP cannot readily be interpreted by this method.

Pleistocene Stratigraphy of the Athabasca River Valley Region, Rocky Mountains, Alberta

The Pleistocene stratigraphy of the central Canadian Rocky Mountains is described from a region where few studies of Late Quaternary deposits have been conducted. Six informal lithostratigraphic units are recognized from newly mapped exposures in Jasper National Park. The oldest deposits are interpreted as paleofan deposits (Unit 1) and they are overlain by glaciofluvial gravels and sands (Unit 2), glaciolacustrine sediments (Unit 3) and by a glacigenic diamicton sequence (Unit 4) that includes basal till, supraglacial deposits and ice-marginal debris flow sediments. Proximal glaciofluvial gravels, debris flow deposits and minor glaciolacustrine sediments (Unit 5) and paragiacial fan deposits and loess (Unit 6) cap the stratigraphic sequence. Limited chronologic control suggests that nonglacial fluvial and alluvial fan sedimentation began prior to 48 ka and continued throughout the Middle Wisconsinan. Braided stream deposits were accumulating in the Athabasca River valley near Jasper townsite about 29 ka. In the Late Wisconsinan, Rocky Mountain and Cordilleran glaciers advanced through the area, initially damming lakes in a number of Front Range tributary valleys. During déglaciation, ice-marginal glaciofluvial activity and paragiacial debris flows dominated sedimentation. Glacial lakes were limited in extent. A radiocarbon date on shells from one small ice-marginal lake indicates that glaciers were well in retreat by about 12 ka. Alpine glaciers in the region were at or near their present limits by 10 ka.

AN EARLY CAMBRIAN ORGANOPHOSPHATIC BRACHIOPOD WITH CALCITIC GRANULES

Abstract: The linguliform brachiopod Eoobolus from the Early Cambrian Mural Formation (Jasper National Park, Canadian Rocky Mountains) exhibits various calcitic features in its otherwise apatitic shell. It is argued here that the decomposition of the organic matter within the shell led to a microenvironment similar to those resulting in the phosphatization of soft tissues. This diagenetic regime encouraged the initial precipitation of apatite cements followed by calcite cements. By fully coating primary structures early apatite cements separate primary structures from the later precipitation of calcite cement. Round calcareous grains, about 3 µm in size, that occur in the centre of apatite botryoids must therefore represent original components of the shell. The equivalent pits of such calcareous granules are seen in the larval shells of many Palaeozoic linguliform brachiopods. This suggests that mixed organophosphatic‐calcareous shells were relatively common at that time but that they have been overlooked owing to the obliteration of original calcareous structures by traditional acid preparation methods for the extraction of phosphatic fossils. The Eoobolus shell structure is intermediate between purely organophosphatic and calcitic shells. Although one such genus is not sufficient to reconstruct the ancestral composition of the brachiopod shell, it provides a means of recognizing other transitional forms that are needed to understand fully the shift in shell mineralogy.

Wolves, elk, and aspen in the winter range of Jasper National Park, Canada

We undertook a retrospective study of aspen age structure in the winter range of Jasper National Park to assess potential trophic cascades in wolf–elk–aspen systems. We compiled historical wolf ( Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758) and elk ( Cervus elaphus Linnaeus, 1758) population data and, in 2005, sampled 42 trembling aspen ( Populus tremuloides Michx.) stands within the Palisades site along the Athabasca Valley near Jasper townsite and another 30 stands within the Willow Creek site in a relatively remote portion of the park. Results indicated that aspen recruitment (suckers or seedlings growing into tall saplings and trees) occurred at both sites in the early 1900s but decreased in the 1940s as elk numbers were reaching a maximum. Wolves were largely eliminated from the park in the mid-1900s, and aspen recruitment during that time ceased at both sites, apparently because of heavy browsing by elk. With recovery of wolf populations in the late 1960s and increasing predation risk, elk use of the Willow Creek site declined, and aspen recruitment resumed. However, at the Palisades site, an area of relatively low predation risk due to human use and developments, renewed aspen recruitment has not occurred. Results indicate that historical wolf or ungulate control programs and human developments influenced trophic cascades involving wolves, elk, and aspen in these winter ranges.

Rapid cold water formation and recrystallization of relict bryophyte tufa at the Fall Creek cold springs, Alberta, Canada

The Fall Creek Tufa is a relict, mid- to late-Holocene freshwater carbonate spring deposit that is formed almost entirely of calcite-encased Cratoneuron commutatum gametophytes. The spring is presently active, emitting 13 °C meteorically derived waters, but it is not precipitating calcite. Wood embedded in the youngest part of the tufa yielded a radiocarbon (14C) date of 310 ± 50 years BP. The oldest parts of the deposit could not be dated by radiocarbon methods because of a lack of embedded organics. The Fall Creek Tufa, however, probably began forming ~5000 years BP in response to the same wet climatic conditions that initiated calcite precipitation at Miette Hot Springs in Jasper National Park and the Cave and Basin Hot Springs in Banff National Park. The relict deposit is composed largely of calcite cements that were precipitated around the bryophytes, with lesser amounts of internal sediments. The tufa formed through a repeated four-stage developmental process that involved (I) encrustation, (II) encapsulation, (III) cavity occlusion, and (IV) diagenetic alteration. These stages were temporally and spatially variable. Although a young deposit, much of it has undergone extensive aggrading recrystallization, whereby crystal size has increased as adjacent calcite crystals were sutured together. Epifluorescence micro s copy shows that primary depositional fabrics were masked, but not destroyed, during recrystallization. Narrow ranges of δ18O (VPDB, Vienna Pee-Dee Belemnite standard) values (–18.4‰ to –17.7‰) and δ13C (VPDB) values (–1.2‰ to 0.5‰) indicate that the calcite was in isotopic equilibrium with the water that it precipitated from, and that diagenesis did not reset the stable oxygen and carbon isotopic compositions.

OCCURRENCE OF THE MILLIPED GENUS SCYTONOTUSC. L. KOCH, 1847 (POLYDESMIDA: POLYDESMIDAE)IN ALBERTA, CANADA

The milliped genus Scytonotus C. L. Koch, 1847, occupies four areas of North America, one east of the Central Plains and three west of the Continental Divide (one coastal and two in the interior) (Shelley 1993, Hoffman 1999, Shelley et al., 2005). The western coastal area extends along the Pacific from Yakutat Bay, Alaska, to Marin and San Joaquin counties, California, including all intervening offshore islands except the Queen Charlottes, British Columbia (BC). One interior area encompasses the Wasatch and Teton mountains, and associated ranges, in western Wyoming, eastern Idaho, and northern Utah, and the other centers on the Columbia River Valley and the Rocky and Selkirk Mountains from Revelstoke and Yoho National Parks, BC, to southeastern Washington, northern Idaho, and western Montana (Kevan 1983; Shelley 1990, 1993, 2002). Three species inhabit the last area, but only S. columbianus Chamberlin, 1920, occurs in BC, where it extends northward to the vicinity of Takkakaw Falls in Yoho. While recently perusing samples in the Virginia Museum of Natural History (VMNH), Martinsville, I discovered one with three unidentifiable females of Scytonotus from “Sta. 2,” 4,000', Jasper National Park, Alberta, the first record of the genus from this Canadian province. The specimens were collected on 2-4 October 1964 by the late D. R. Whitehead, an experienced arthropod field collector, so there is no reason to suspect a labeling error; Jasper is also where he routinely collected beetles in the course of doctoral program at the University of Alberta. The precise location of “Sta. 2” is unknown, but Dr. Whitehead sampled extensively in the vicinity of Mt. Edith Cavell, some 144 km (90 mi) NNW of the site in Yoho. “Sta. 2” may not have been here, but the southern boundary of Jasper Park is ca. 88 km (55 mi) NNW of the Yoho locality, and the northward generic range extension is probably between these distances because the part of the Park north of Jasper village and highway 16 is largely roadless and inaccessible. Males are necessary for a specific determination, but considering the magnitude of this extension and the fact that the locality lies east of the Divide, a formidable distribution barrier that runs along the border between BC & Alberta, the species seems more likely to be undescribed than S. columbianus. Canadian biologists should be aware of the possibility of an undescribed milliped species in Jasper, and if true, it will be the second that is known only from the Park, the other being Austrotyla borealis Shear, 1971 (Chordeumatida: Conotylidae), whose holotype and only known specimen was collected by Dr. Whitehead in 1967 at “Sta. 5,” precise location also unknown (Shear 1971; Shelley 1990, 2002; Hoffman 1999). Volume 118, Number 3, May and June 2007 319

Managing fire for woodland caribou in Jasper and Banff National Parks

Woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) populations in Jasper (JNP) and Banff National Parks (BNP) have declined since the 1970s, coincident with reduced fire activity in both parks, relative to historic levels. Some researchers have suggested that long periods without fire may cause habitat deterioration for woodland caribou, primarily by reducing available lichen forage. We examined winter habitat selection by woodland caribou at coarse and fine scales based on GPS-derived telemetry data and used models that included stand origin (decade), topography, and several stand structure variables that are related to time since fire, to explore relationships among caribou, lichen, and fire history. Based on the relationships illustrated by the models, we assessed how fire management could be applied to caribou conservation in JNP and BNP. At a coarse scale, caribou selected old forest (> 75 years) in landscapes that have likely experienced less frequent wildfire. While the abundance of Cladonia spp. influenced caribou use at fine scales, a preference for areas with older trees within stands was also significant. We conclude that short-term habitat protection for woodland caribou in JNP and BNP likely requires fire exclusion from caribou range.

Testing a glacial erosion rule using hang heights of hanging valleys, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada

In most models of glacial erosion, glacier sliding velocity is hypothesized to control rates of bedrock erosion. If this hypothesis is correct, then the elevation difference between hanging and trunk valley floors, the hang height, should be dictated by the relative sliding velocities of the glaciers that occupied these valleys. By considering sliding velocity to be proportional to balance velocity and using mass continuity, hang height is expressed in terms of glacier catchment areas, slopes, and widths, which can be estimated for past glaciers from the morphology of glacial valleys. These parameters were estimated for 46 hanging valleys and their trunk valleys in three adjacent regions of Jasper National Park. The variability in valley morphology can account for 55–85% of the hang height variability if erosion rate scales with balance velocity raised to a power of 1/3. This correspondence is in spite of spatial variations in glaciation duration, snow accumulation rates, and other variables that likely affected hang heights but cannot be readily estimated and so are not included in our formulation. Thus it appears that balance velocity, and by extension, sliding velocity if the two are proportional, may be a reasonable control variable for assessing erosion rate.

Response of Wolves to Corridor Restoration and Human Use Management

Corridor restoration is increasingly being used to connect habitat in mountainous areas where rugged topography and increasing human activity fragment habitat. Wolves ( Canis lupus) are a conservation priority because they avoid areas with high levels of human use and are ecologically important predators. We examined how corridor restoration through a golf course changes the distribution of wolves and their prey in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada. We followed and recorded wolf paths in the snow both within the corridor and in the surrounding landscape before and after a corridor was re-established. Track transects were used to estimate prey abundance and snow depths, and trail counters measured human activity. We compared resources on wolf paths to available movement routes using conditional logistic regression and also compared resources used by wolves before and after restoration. We addressed potential confounding effects of prey abundance, snow depths, and levels of human use by testing for changes in these variables. Prior to restoration, wolves traveled around the golf course and used the mountainside to connect valley-bottom habitat. Conversely, elk ( Cervus elaphus) densities were highest in the golf course. After restoration, wolves shifted most of their movement to the golf course corridor, whereas elk dispersed along the corridor and mountainside. When traveling through the study area, wolves selected for areas with high prey abundance, low elevations, and low levels of human activity. Corridor restoration increased the area of high quality habitat available to wolves and increased their access to elk and deer at low elevations. Our results corroborate other studies suggesting that wolves and elk quickly adapt to landscape changes and that corridor restoration can improve habitat quality and reduce habitat fragmentation.

ENSO AND PDO VARIABILITY AFFECT DROUGHT-INDUCED FIRE OCCURRENCE IN ROCKY MOUNTAIN SUBALPINE FORESTS

Understanding the effect of variation in climate on large-fire occurrence across broad geographic areas is central to effective fire hazard assessment. The El Niño– Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) affect winter temperature and precipitation regimes in western North America through mid-latitude teleconnections. This study examines relationships of ENSO and the PDO to drought-induced fire occurrence in subalpine forests of three study areas across the Rocky Mountains: Jasper National Park (JNP, northern Rockies), Yellowstone National Park (YNP, central Rockies) and Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP, southern Rockies) over the 1700–1975 period. Large-scale climatic anomalies captured by ENSO (NIÑO3) and PDO indices had differential effects on large-fire occurrence across the study areas. Superposed epoch analysis (SEA) showed that large fires in RMNP occurred during extreme La Niña years, while the PDO, although predominantly negative during fire years, did not depart significantly from the mean. In YNP and JNP, neither ENSO nor PDO indices were significantly different from the mean during large-fire years, although fires tended to occur during El Niño and positive PDO years. Constructive phases (years of combined warm [positive] or cool [negative] phases) of ENSO and the PDO were significantly associated with large-fire occurrence across the Rockies, even though these large-scale climatic anomalies were not significant when considered singly in SEAs. Combined warm phases (positive PDO during El Niño) co-occurred with large fires in the central and northern Rockies, while the combined cool phases (negative PDO during La Niña) appeared to promote large fires in the southern Rockies. Almost 70% of large fires in RMNP burned during La Niña events that coincided with a negative PDO, although these phases co-occurred during only 29% of the 1700– 1975 period. Spatial teleconnection patterns between drought, PDO and ENSO across western North America independently support the sign and strength of relationships between these climatic anomalies and subalpine fire occurrence along a broad north–south gradient of the Rockies. Forecasts of ENSO that are dependent on the expected PDO phase suggest promise for fire hazard prediction across the West.

Valuing ancient forest ecosystems: An analysis of backcountry hiking in Jasper National Park

This study examines backcountry visitors' preferences for truly ancient forest ecosystems. We find that visitors consider ancient forests a distinctly different ecosystem than mature, but younger forests dominated by the same tree types, and that the recreational value of forests continues to grow for several hundred years following a crown fire. By employing a random coefficients model of utility the analysis is able to provide measures of the variability in preferences for forest ecosystems across the population of users. The model also shows that site choice probabilities and welfare effects associated with ancient woodlands are sensitive to the mix of dominating tree types, and exhibit substantial fluctuation over trails.

A Picture and 1000 Words: Using Resident-Employed Photography to Understand Attachment to High Amenity Places

Research on attachment to high amenity places has usually focused on visitors, despite the fact that many of these settings also may hold permanent residents. Visitor employed photography (VEP) has been used to understand landscape elements that increase the quality of the recreational experience. Our research applies the techniques of VEP to analyze local elements that foster place attachment among permanent residents of high amenity areas. We provided single use cameras to 45 subjects in two communities located in and adjacent to Jasper National Park, Alberta, instructing them to take photos of elements that most attach them to their community. Our results reveal a complex relationship between ecological and sociocultural factors in attachment; these elements are not separate, but help define each other.

Influence of trampling-induced microtopography on growth of the soil crust bryophyteCeratodon purpureusin Jasper National Park

The growth of the moss Ceratodon purpureus (Hedw.) Brid. is enhanced by microtopography created by ungulates on silt-rich dune soils. Ungulates such as elk (Cervus elaphus) are important structural modifiers of the soil on the shore of Jasper Lake, Jasper National Park, Canada. Ungulates increase microtopography at the soil surface by creating hoof prints and small raised mounds from kicked-up soil. Experiments with artificial microtopography revealed that C. purpureus grew faster (1) inside artificial hoof prints, (2) in the shade of soil mounds and plastic barriers, and (3) on north-sloping soil, probably owing to provision of shelter from desiccation. A laboratory study of soil drying rates in the presence and absence of shelters supported this trend. Furthermore, patterns of moss height in naturally occurring hoof prints indicated that the response of moss to this microrelief is scale-dependent, with the strongest response occurring at the finest scale investigated. Finally, at larger spatial scales, moss cover did not decline with increasing hoof print density until 25% of the ground was covered by hoof prints. The incidental creation of microhabitat by ungulates seems to buffer C. purpureus from the negative crushing effects of trampling.Key words: Ceratodon purpureus, ecosystem engineering, facilitation, microtopography, soil crust, trampling.

Parasite Prevalence in Dark-eyed Juncos, <em>Junco hyemalis</em>, Breeding at Different Elevations

During the summer of 2001, Dark-eyed Juncos (Junco hyemalis) were captured within the lowest (1000 m above sea level) and highest (2000 m asl) elevation extremes of their breeding range in Jasper National Park, Alberta. Blood samples were taken to identify parasite genera, and to test for differences in parasite prevalence among elevations. The most common parasites at either elevation were Haemoproteus spp., Leucocytozoon spp., and Trypanosoma spp. A significantly higher proportion of low- compared to high-elevation birds was infected by at least one of these, supporting the prediction that high-elevation habitats may be refuges from parasites.