How long does it take to form two to three cm of topsoil?
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soil origins in Alberta
The origins of agriculture in Alberta are connected to its geographic history from millions of years ago. Mountains formed Alberta’s bedrock. Over thousands of years, glaciers reduced the bedrock to form soil.
Plants grew and contributed organic matter that resulted in the various types of soil and influence the types of crops that can be grown. However, the story of Alberta’s soil development is also influenced by other factors.
Biologists call much of the province a “buffalo landscape” because of the millions of bison that were once found on the prairie landscape. The bison grazed the land and stamped out the spread of trees and shrubs. They helped build North America’s chernozems.
Over thousands of years, people used fire in the grassland and parkland areas of Alberta to provide food for bison. First Nations people used their knowledge of the land and the use of fire to know when and where to use it. On the prairies, fires were lit in the fall or early winter because it encouraged quicker re-growth of thicker grass in the spring, which would in turn attract bison. First Nations in northern Alberta, like the Dene and Cree, burned forest meadows to maintain grazing areas for bison and elk. Smaller patches, or ‘yards’, were burned in spring and would be returned to when berries were ripe, and years later, when willow re-growth attracted moose.
Information and infographic from Alberta on Fire: A History of Cultural Burning (March, 2016). RETROactive: Exploring Alberta’s Past. https://albertashistoricplaces.com/2016/03/02/alberta-on-fire-a-history-of-cultural-burning/
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This infographic shows the various purposes of First Nations burning practices in Alberta. The map and graph at the bottom depict the number of hectares that have been consumed by wildfires across Alberta since these statistics were recorded (statistics and spatial data provided by Alberta Agriculture and Forestry’s Wildfire website).
Infographic by and used with permission from Todd Kristensen
soil influences
Alberta’s soils developed in connection with climate. The northern areas of the province have shorter growing seasons, but more water. Cereal crops like barley, oats and certain types of wheat – among other crops – can be grown in these areas.
The longer growing seasons in central and southern Alberta can support several different crops – including canola, wheat, rye, barley and oats and pulse crops that include dry peas and beans.
In the past, the lack of water in southern Alberta meant that farmers left their fields in fallow to recover moisture in the soil. Now with irrigation, the soil can also support other crops such as corn, and vegetables like beets and potatoes.
Some information from Wilson, T. (January 8, 2019). A Terra Firma Tale. Grains West: Online. https://grainswest.com/2018/10/a-terra-firma-tale/
impact of climate change on Canadian agriculture
Agriculture is highly dependent on weather and climate. Without enough rainfall and appropriate temperatures, crops can fail. Interestingly, the opposite is also true: weather and climate are influenced by agricultural practices.
Science and scientists suggest that most regions of Canada are projected to warm during the next 60 years.
A changing climate can have both positive and negative impacts on agriculture.
- This warming may provide opportunities for agriculture in certain regions with an expansion of the growing season to go along with milder and shorter winters. This could increase productivity and allow the use of new [crops varieties].
- For a high-latitude country like Canada, the warming is expected to be more pronounced than the global average. Northern regions and the southern and central Prairies will see more warming than other regions. Most regions will likely be warmer with longer frost-free seasons and increased evaporation and plant transpiration from the surface into the atmosphere.
- However, one of the concerns is that climate change could have significant negative impacts including the increased intensity and frequency of droughts and violent storms.
- As the frequency of events like droughts increases under climate change, crop yields would decrease. This would increase the vulnerability of producers to climate change, particularly in semi-arid regions of Canada.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Climate change impacts on agriculture. Government of Canada: Online. https://agriculture.canada.ca/en/agriculture-and-environment/climate-change-and-air-quality/climate-scenarios-agriculture
Watch this original project AGRICULTURE video interview to find out how farming practices respond to the challenges of changing weather.
How have these Alberta farmers responded to and managed changing weather patterns?
