Park creatures in Banff National Park

Ecological Zone Banff National Park has three ecological zones, including mountains, subalpine zones and mountains. The subalpine ecological zone consists of many dense forests, accounting for 53% of the area of Banff. 27% of the park is located above the forest line and belongs to the alpine ecological zone. The Banff forest line is about 2300 meters, and above it is an empty pasture in the alpine ecological area, and some pastures are covered by glaciers. A small part (3%) of the park is located in the low altitude area, which belongs to the mountain ecological area. Most of the trees in this area are black pine, among which English fir, willow and poplar are scattered, and there are a few Douglas fir and maple trees. English conifer is common in subalpine ecological areas, and black pine and subalpine pine are also distributed in some areas. Mountain ecological areas are more suitable for wildlife life and have been influenced by human activities for many years.

wild animals

According to statistics, there are 56 species of mammals in Banff National Park. Grizzly bears and American black bears live in forest areas. Pumas, lynxes, minks, ferrets, otters and wolves are the main carnivores. Elk, long-eared deer and white-tailed deer are common in the valleys of the park, even in Banff town. Moose is relatively rare and mainly lives near swamps and streams. Snow sheep, bighorn sheep, groundhog and pika are widely distributed in alpine ecological areas. Other mammals such as beavers, porcupines, squirrels and chipmunks are common small animals. In 2005, a * * * discovered five reindeer, making them one of the rarest mammals in the park.

Due to the cold weather in winter, there are few reptiles and amphibians in Banff National Park. Only one toad, three frogs, a lizard and two snakes have been found so far. There are at least 280 species of birds in Banff National Park, including vulture, golden eagle, red-tailed owl, osprey and falcon, all of which are carnivorous birds. In addition, the common species in low-altitude areas are gray crow, American three-toed woodpecker, blue owl, North American star crow, North American tits and larks. The white-tailed Thunderbird lives in the alpine ecological zone. There are more than 100 different kinds of animals living near rivers and lakes, including loons, cranes and wild ducks. They spend the summer in the park.

Endangered species in Banff National Park include snails in Banff Hot Springs. Reindeer and grizzly bears are also listed as endangered species.

Pine beetle

The mountain pine beetle invaded a large area of Banff National Park. They feed on the phloem of wild black pine, and the trees die within one year after erosion. The first outbreak of pine beetle in Alberta occurred in 1940, which affected 43 square kilometers of forest in Banff. 1978 In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Banff and the surrounding Rocky Mountains suffered a second big explosion.