William A Gardner
Published Work
W
March
2015
Environment
Published Works
BACKGROUND
This work is part of the Southern Foothills Study (SFS) and builds on the previous report titled "The Changing Landscape of the Southern Alberta Foothills". The SFS was initiated by the Southern Alberta Land Trust Society (SALTS) in 2005 with the support of the ranching community of Southwestern Alberta. The purpose of the study was to investigate the ecological health of the foothills area. The work was a response to concerns by ecologists and ranchers that the native fescue grasslands were being lost and this would negatively impact traditional ranching as well as the quality of the foothills as a key watershed. The results of the study are based on the world-renowned work of Dr. Brad Stelfox and his ALCES model.
OTHER PUBLICATIONS
- Publication
Tales From the 2nd Lost Generation
- Publication
The Changing Landscape of the Southern Alberta Foothills
A Future Worth Protecting
The future health of the southern Alberta foothills ecosystem is in jeopardy and the most significant driver of the decline of the ecosystem and watershed is the increase in population. The question raised by this report is whether the adoption of improved practices by the people and businesses using the foothills will be sufficient to halt the ecological decline and improve the availability of ecosystem services.
The loss of ecosystem services has and will result in increased costs to society, especially in terms of water management. These increased costs will likely lead to a reduced standard of living for the people living in southern Alberta. This report explains in detail, using graphs, how the major human activities are affecting the foothills landscape.
This Publication is a pdf document and available FREE from: Author. |  |
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