Waterton Biosphere Reserve
Waterton Biosphere Region is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve encompassing Waterton Lakes National Park in the extreme southwest of the province of Alberta, Canada. The region includes a section of the east slopes of the Rocky Mountains extending from the Continental Divide to the edge of the Canadian Great Plains to the east, including the Municipality of Pincher Creek and Cardston County. The Glacier [National Park (U.S.)|Glacier Biosphere Reserve and National Park] in Montana, USA is located to the south of the area.
The region is administered by Waterton Lakes National Park and the Waterton Biosphere Reserve Association.
Ecological characteristics
The steep environmental gradients from the Continental Divide to the prairies have created an unusually rich mosaic of habitats with their associated flora and fauna.The biosphere region covers native prairie grasslands, aspen grove forests, subalpine forests, alpine tundra and meadows, cliffs, lakes and freshwater wetlands as well as tame pasture and cropland in the prairies.
Prairie grasslands including Danthonia spp., Festuca scabrella and prairie Junegrass; aspen grove forests with quaking aspen, Amelanchier alnifolia and cow parsnip
Socio-economic characteristics
The region is also home to many vibrant communities – Pincher Creek, Cardston, Crowsnest Pass, Piikani and Kainai Reserves, and others – each with a rich and distinct cultural history, and reliance on a wide range of economic activities. In Waterton Biosphere Region, people are actively involved with ranching, farming, tourism and recreation, wind energy, mining, the oil and gas industry, and other natural resource-related activities.The Waterton Biosphere Reserve Association strives to achieve a balance between conserving biological diversity, promoting sustainable use of resources, and building the capacity of local residents, First Nations, and organizations to positively affect their communities and the environment.