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The Plants of the North and South
Slopes |
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On the north-facing slope of the riverbank trees and mosses are
commonly found, whereas on the south-facing slope mainly grass and small
shrubs are found.
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Coniferous Trees:
- Coniferous trees are seed bearing
plants that produce cones. These trees include pine, spruce and fir.
- Coniferous trees do not lose their
leaves in the fall, they are often used as habitats for birds and small
animals due to the shelter they provide in the winter months.
- Conifers also contain a type of
antifreeze in their trunks that protects them from the cold in the winter.
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Mosses are found on the north base of
most trees among the rocks and roots.
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Deciduous Trees:
- Deciduous trees lose their leaves in the fall.
- Deciduous trees reproduce through pollination.
- The leaves on deciduous trees bud in the spring, change color in the
early fall and fall off the trees in late fall.
- The leaves are lost in the fall and the trees deal with the winter
months by going into a dormant state. |
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 Grasses:
There are many different types of grasses found in the Smokey River Valley.
These include; fescue, clover, quackgrass, tumbleweed and broadleaf
grasses such as thistle. |
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- The grasses provide food for the
herbivores and omnivores and protection for small animals such as mice.
- Grasses reproduce through seeds,
runners and flowers |
 
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Small shrubs are
commonly found growing in the Smoky River Valley.
- These include; junipers, blueberries, high-bush cranberries, wild
saskatoon bushes, chokecherries, milk berries, rose bushes and other small
shrubs.
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- The small shrubs provide food for
the herbivores and omnivores such as bears and birds.
- These shrubs provide protection for
small animals as well as
shelter.
- Seeds and runners are common methods of reproduction for small shrubs. |
