What ecological land classification data reveal about the vegetation of six Canadian national parks

From 1974 to 1992, a multiagency research project developed ecological land classifications (ELCs) of landforms, soils, vegetation, and wildlife for Banff, Jasper, Glacier, Kootenay, Mt. Revelstoke, and Yoho National Parks in the mountains of Alberta and British Columbia. My objectives are to provide the research community with the full ELC dataset and to produce and interpret a new comprehensive vegetation classification. Cluster analyses, ordinations, indicator species analyses, and multi-response permutation procedures were used to classify the 4807 plots within the six parks. The 84 vegetation types are abstractions arrayed along a complex continuum. The vegetation is dominated by relatively few taxa accompanied by many infrequent taxa at low cover. Repeated cluster analyses revealed that all classifications produced three classes of vegetation types: (1) too-similar types with few indicator species; (2) heterogeneous assemblages; and (3) discrete, well-defined types. Of the five ecoregions, the lower subalpine supports the highest gamma and beta diversity and the greatest number of vegetation types. Less common, heterogeneous vegetation types are often hotspots for rare plant occurrences. Resampling ELC plots can provide important insights into the changing ecosystems of the mountains.