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The Foothills Fescue Vegetation

The Foothills Fescue grasslands are dominated by Rough Fescue, Idaho Fescue, Parry's Oatgrass and Intermediate Oatgrass. Cypress Hills Associated grasses include Columbia Needle Grass and Cusick's Bluegrass. In the Cypress Hills, Parry's Oatgrass is rare while Slender Wheat Grass is more common. Shrubby Cinquefoil is a locally dominant shrub on rapidly drained sites along the foothills and on moist sites in the Cypress Hills, where it has increased with grazing pressure on the herbaceous species.

Prairie CrocusThis particular grassland subregion also has a greater variety and cover of forbs than does the Northern Fescue Subregion
Some dominant species include: Sticky Geranium, Prairie Crocus, Wooly Gromwell, Golden Bean, Prairie Sagewort, American Sweet Vetch, Low Larkspur, Heart-leaved Buttercup, Shooting Star, and Western Wild Parsley. Balsam-root is also characteristic of steep slopes of the foothills portion but is absent in the Cypress Hills.

Narrow-leaved Cottonwood woodlands occur on fluvial terraces of the Oldman, Belly, Waterton, and St. Mary's rivers. These are generally less extensive than those in the Mixedgrass Subregion.

Information provided by and printed with the permission of Alberta Community Development, Parks and Protected Areas.

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