Plants of the Western Boreal Forest and Aspen Parkland

Alice Kidd is an editor with The New Catalyst editorial collective in
Lillooet, B.C.

The boreal forest is a patchwork of distinctive ecosystems running in
bands from Alaska and northern British Columbia across the Yukon and
Northwest Territories, through Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. The
northernmost band is largely forested and barren lands, the largest and
middle band is predominantly forested, and the southernmost band, found
mainly in the southern prairie provinces, is aspen parkland.

This guide is a simple yet thorough account of the major land plant
groups in the ecosystem (readers wanting more detailed information are
directed to a wide variety of other sources). The handbook’s
introduction describes the general physical environment and predominant
vegetation, and includes a brief section on disturbed habitats. A
section on human–plant interactions begins with aboriginal peoples.

Species are grouped into nine categories on color-coded pages and
organized by families; there is a category called “Eating for a
Living” for parasitic plants. Each entry includes a general
description, the key vegetative features, the ecology of the species,
additional notes, a picture or two, an illustration, and a location map.
Thirty-one keys are available to aid in identification. A glossary
complete with drawings, a reference list, and an index of common and
scientific names conclude the book.

Plants of the Western Boreal Forest and Aspen Parkland is another in
Lone Pine Publishing’s wonderful Regional Plant Guide Series, which
also includes Plants of Southern Interior British Columbia, Forest
Plants of Northeastern Ontario, and Forest Plants of Central Ontario.