. The Canadian field-naturalist. 354 The Canadian Field-Naturalist Vol. 86. Figure 5. Porcupines in the study area often use the low-flung branches of limber pine for protection; this individual had finished feeding and was enroute to cover formed by the mat of krummholz seen on the left (January, 1970). period of time, tliese stands would no longer be present. The maintenance of low predator popula- tions in the southern Alberta foothills (by in- creasing settlement and predator control) may ensure that high porcupine densities will remain in the study region. Stands of limber pine krummholz
. The Canadian field-naturalist. 354 The Canadian Field-Naturalist Vol. 86. Figure 5. Porcupines in the study area often use the low-flung branches of limber pine for protection; this individual had finished feeding and was enroute to cover formed by the mat of krummholz seen on the left (January, 1970). period of time, tliese stands would no longer be present. The maintenance of low predator popula- tions in the southern Alberta foothills (by in- creasing settlement and predator control) may ensure that high porcupine densities will remain in the study region. Stands of limber pine krummholz represent a considerable aesthetic resource here (Cordes and Gill, 1972) and this vegetation is in danger of being eliminated. Conclusion This study has shown that isolated stands of limber pine krummholz form significant winter habitat for local porcupine populations in the southern Alberta foothills. Analysis of bark illustrates that limber pine has a higher nutrient content than other conifers in this area, which appears to make it a preferred winter food source. Its palatability and ease of pruning may eventually cause it to be eliminated by porcu- pines, particularly if low predator numbers are maintained. If it is deemed that these low- elevation krummholz stands are valuable as an aesthetic resource, control of porcupine num- bers may have to be initiated to assure that these stands will survive. Acknowledgements The authors acknowledge financial assistance in the form of Faculty Research Grants from the Universities of Alberta and Calgary. We also wish to thank the foothills ranchers, par- ticularly William Yakubiec, Bar-X Ranch, who gave us data on porcupine population fluctua- tions in the study area. Literature Cited Association of Official Agricultural Chemists. 1955. Official methods of analysis of the Association of Official Agricultural Chemists. Washington, , Eighth edition, 1008 Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that m
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