ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURE
THE ELK VALLEY’ S FABULOUS FLORA AND FAUNA
Baneberry Flower
The Elk Valley’ s forests, riversides, and even local municipal parks abound with a rich and diverse display of native plants. Each ecosystem supports its own abundance of unique vegetation, where there are many environmental factors at play creating this mosaic of lifeforms. One of the primary contributing factors include differences in soils, sunlight and moisture. In this feature, local naturalist and guide, Terry Nelson, discusses the Elk Valley’ s biodiversity.
Envision the shaded understory of a forest with a thick enclosed canopy above: not much sunlight, but the cooler temperatures also allow for a more established moisture regime. It is here that you will find shade loving plants like ferns, lily of the valley, coral bells, wild ginger, and sarsaparilla. The riparian areas along our creeks and rivers present their own individuality. Large towering black cottonwoods and widely spaced Engelmann spruce provide habitat for many birds and other creatures, but also create a special place for some plants associated with wetter conditions: red osier dogwood, Bebb’ s willow, rosy twisted stalk, Hooker’ s fairybells, false Solomon’ s seal, bunchberry, red baneberry( poisonous), arrow-leaved groundsel, and the very showy cow parsnip. The presence of rushes, sedges, and certain grasses will also be found in this locale.
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Hooker’ s Fairybells
Now let us place ourselves on a southfacing grassy slope; direct sunlight, a drier site with soils exposed to the wind. It is here that a completely different plant regime will be found: arrow-leaved balsam root, mariposa lily, beardtongue, Utah honeysuckle, soopolallie, and grasses like bluebunch wheatgrass, and rough fescue. These plant communities also support a wide range of animal populations.