UPLAND PLANT COMMUNITY CLASSIFICATION IN ELK-ISLAND-NATIONAL-PARK, ALBERTA, CANADA, USING DISTURBANCE HISTORY AND PHYSICAL SITE FACTORS

Our objective was to classify upland sites sampled from an area in and around Elk Island National Park, Alberta, Canada, into community type s and interpret them in terms of variation in environmental factors, i ncluding fire and wild ungulate herbivory. The vegetation from 36 site s was classified into 6 community types using TWINSPAN. These types co uld be effectively interpreted and explained with canonical correspond ence analysis ordination procedures. Based on a forward regression, to pography, ungulate use and prescribed burning related closely to the f irst two canonical axes, accounting for 47.2 and 21.1% of the species- environment relation among sites, respectively. Unique and meaningful combinations of environmental variables influenced community-type unde rstory composition and structure, as well as the characteristics of th e tree overstory. This information provided the basis for a preliminar y state and transition model of vegetation dynamics for these rangelan ds, which could be used to assist Park managers in manipulating plant communities within the landscape using ungulate removal and prescribed burning programs.