• Historical
  Model
• Cool Model
  2071 - 2100
• Hot Model
  2071 - 2100

Alpine

Alpine

Athabasca Plain

Athabasca Plain

Boreal Subartic

Boreal Subartic

Central Mixedwood

Central Mixedwood

Dry Mixedgrass

Dry Mixedgrass

Dry Mixedwood

Dry Mixedwood

Foothills Fescue

Foothills Fescue

Kazan Uplands

Kazan Uplands

Lower Boreal Highlands

Lower Boreal Highlands

Lower Foothills

Lower Foothills

Mixedgrass

Mixedgrass

Montane

Montane

Northern Fescue

Northern Fescue

Northern Mixedwood

Northern Mixedwood

Parkland

Parkland

Peace-Athabasca Delta

Peace-Athabasca Delta

Subalpine

Subalpine

Upper Boreal Highlands

Upper Boreal Highlands

Upper Foothills

Upper Foothills

Predicting Alberta's future landscapes

A change of as little as two degrees in average temperatures could cause dramatic changes to Alberta's landscape and ecosystems, work by UAlberta researcher Richard Schneider shows.

Schneider, a research associate in the Department of Biological Sciences, has created maps showing possible scenarios for the province over the next 100 years based on global climate models and greenhouse gas emissions scenarios.The research is part of a larger project led by the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute examining the impact of climate change on Alberta's biodiversity.

Research estimates that future average temperatures will increase between two and six degrees. Schneider says it's difficult to predict whether Alberta of the future will reflect the "cool model" or the "hot model." In either case, Alberta will look dramatically different that it does now. Grasslands will cover a much larger portion of the province at the expense of other ecosystems, especially the boreal forest. Northern Alberta may become home to new ecosystems, such as peatlands and aspen forest. This has implications for conservation efforts and land-use planning.

More research on biodiversity

For more information on biodiversity in Alberta, check out the research and resources available from the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute, a non-profit agency and University of Alberta partner that tracks changes in Alberta's wildlife and habitats.