The

native Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Native Americans (disambiguation) In arts and entert ...

flora Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' ...

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a province in western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dak ...

includes

vascular plants Vascular plants (), also called tracheophytes () or collectively Tracheophyta (), form a large group of land plants ( accepted known species) that have lignified tissues (the xylem) for conducting water and minerals throughout the plant. They ...

, plus additional species of other

plant Plants are predominantly photosynthetic eukaryotes of the kingdom Plantae. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and included algae and fungi; however, all current definitions of Plantae exclu ...

s and plant-like

organisms In biology, an organism () is any life, living system that functions as an individual entity. All organisms are composed of cells (cell theory). Organisms are classified by taxonomy (biology), taxonomy into groups such as Multicellular o ...

such as

alga Algae (; singular alga ) is an informal term for a large and diverse group of photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms. It is a polyphyletic grouping that includes species from multiple distinct clades. Included organisms range from unicellular mic ...

e, lichens and other

fungi A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately from ...

, and mosses. Non-native species of plants are recorded as established outside of cultivation in Saskatchewan, of these some non-native species remain beneficial for gardening, and agriculture, where others have become invasive, noxious weeds. Saskatchewan is committed to protecting species at risk in Canada. The growing season has been studied and classified into

plant hardiness zones A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most wide ...

depending on length of growing season and climatic conditions. Biogeographic factors have also been divided into vegetative zones, floristic kingdoms, hardiness zones and ecoregions across Saskatchewan, and natural vegetation varies depending on elevation, moisture, soil type landforms, and weather. The study of ethnobotany uncovers the interrelation between humans and plants and the various ways people have used plants for economic reasons, food, medicine and technological developments. The Government of Saskatchewan has declared 3 indigenous plants as provincial symbols.

Growing season

Saskatchewan possesses a continental

climate Climate is the long-term weather pattern in an area, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteorologi ...

and the seasonal variations in temperature provide a short growing season. On average the province supports 159 to 160 frost-free days, in the far north that number diminishes to 85 to 95 frost free days. In 1967, Canadian scientists created a map outlining Plant Hardiness Zones. The hardiness zones examine climatic gradations such as length of frost-free period, summer rainfall, maximum summer temperatures, minimum winter temperatures, and wind speed. The harshest plant environment is 0 and the mildest is rated as 8. Corresponding data was correlated for plant requirements. Such an examination provides direction to which flora may survive the geographical hardiness zone conditions. A development in the late 1800s encouraged homesteaders to pursue agriculture. Red Fife wheat (''Triticum aestivum'') matured 20 days before other wheats, which allowed plants to ripen before the autumn frost.

Protected and invasive species

Saskatchewan has 367 rare species of vascular plants of which 135 of these have been listed as endangered. There is listed Small White Lady's Slipper (''Cypripedium candidum'') as the only local extinction, (''extirpated'') plant.

Endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and in ...

plants include the Sand Verbena (''Abronia micrantha''), Western Spiderwort (''

Tradescantia ''Tradescantia'' () is a genus of 85 species of herbaceous perennial wildflowers in the family Commelinaceae, native to the Americas from southern Canada to northern Argentina, including the West Indies. Members of the genus are known by many com ...

occidentalis''), Tiny Cryptantha ('' Cryptantha minima''), and Hairy Prairie-Clover (''

Dalea ''Dalea'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae. Members of the genus are commonly known as prairie clover or indigo bush. Its name honors English apothecary Samuel Dale (1659–1739). They are native to the Western hem ...

villosa''). Threatened plants include the Slender

Mouse-Ear Cress ''Arabidopsis thaliana'', the thale cress, mouse-ear cress or arabidopsis, is a small flowering plant native to Eurasia and Africa. ''A. thaliana'' is considered a weed; it is found along the shoulders of roads and in disturbed land. A winter a ...

(''Halimolobos virgata''). These two reports to aid in the protection of plants; Species at Risk In SK and Rare Plant Survey Guidelines. Saskatchewan has implemented ''The Weed Control Act'' to control plants introduced to Saskatchewan which have become a threat to the natural biodiversity such as leafy spurge (''Euphorbia esula''). There are two reports in this regard; Invasive Species and Noxious Weeds of Saskatchewan.

Provincial symbols

The tree which was designated in 1988 as a symbol of Saskatchewan is the

paper birch ''Betula papyrifera'' (paper birch, also known as (American) white birch and canoe birch) is a short-lived species of birch native to northern North America. Paper birch is named for the tree's thin white bark, which often peels in paper like ...

''Betula papyrifera''. Saskatchewan's provincial flower is the

Western red lily ''Lilium philadelphicum'', also known as the wood lily, Philadelphia lily, prairie lily, or western red lily, is a perennial species of lily native to North America. Distribution The plant is widely distributed in much of Canada from British C ...

''Lilium philadelphicum'' var. ''andinum'' (''a

protected species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and invas ...

'') designated in 1941. Needle-and-thread grass ''Hesperostipa comata'' is Saskatchewan's provincial grass declared in 2001.

Floristic kingdom

Saskatchewan is within the

Holarctic Kingdom The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , ''asteriskos'', "little star", is a typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a heraldic star. Computer scientists and mathematicians often voc ...

. There are two regions within this kingdom, the Circumboreal floristic region or which provides a cool northern

temperate zone In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout t ...

and the

North American Atlantic Region North American Atlantic Region is a floristic region within the Holarctic Kingdom identified by Armen Takhtajan and Robert F. Thorne, spanning from the Atlantic and Gulf coasts to the Great Plains and comprising a major part of the United States ...

in Southern Saskatchewan which is part of a warmer Midwestern Plains zone. These zones are characterized by a certain degree of

endemism Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

Ecoregions

An ecoregion encompasses soil types and landform similarities. The Taiga Shield ecozone in the far north includes the Selwyn Lake upland and Tazin Lake Upland ecoregion. This would have vegetation generally corresponding to the Subarctic Woodland. The Boreal Shield ecozone is further divided into the Athabasca Plain and Churchill River Upland, and this area of Northern Saskatchewan has been described by the

World Wildlife Fund The World Wide Fund for Nature Inc. (WWF) is an international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment. It was formerly named the Wo ...

as part of the

Midwestern Canadian Shield forests The Midwestern Canadian Shield forests ecoregion, in the Taiga and Boreal forests Biome, are of northern Canada. Setting This is an area of rolling hills with lakes both small and large, wetlands, and rocky outcrops on the Canadian Shield in no ...

ecoregion. The

Boreal Plains The Boreal Plains Ecozone, as defined by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), is a terrestrial ecozone in the western Canadian provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. It also has minor extensions into northeastern British C ...

ecozone comprises the Mid-Boreal Upland, Mid-Boreal Lowland and Boreal Transition ecoregions. Further south is the Prairie ecozone which consists of the Aspen Parkland, Moist Mixed Prairie, Northern Mixed Grassland and Cypress Upland ecoregions. The ecoregions are further divided into Landscape Areas. Map of Ecozones and ecoregions

Vegetative zones

Several

biogeographic Biogeography is the study of the distribution of species and ecosystems in geographic space and through geological time. Organisms and biological communities often vary in a regular fashion along geographic gradients of latitude, elevation, ...

factors contribute to the richness and diversity of Saskatchewan flora. From north to south there are a variety of vegetative zones. To the far north are the Subarctic Woodland and Northern Boreal Forest. The Southern Boreal Forest is south of the treeline. The Prairie is divided into the Aspen Parkland, Moist Mixed Grassland, Mixed Grassland, Cypress Upland and Fescue Grassland. In southeast Saskatchewan are Dry Mixed Prairie of the Great Sand Hills area and the Cypress Hills.

Subarctic Woodland

Upon the Canadian Shield and in the coolest weather, are subarctic lichen woodland. The black spruce (''Picea Mariana''), jack pine (''Pinus banksiana''), and white spruce (''Picea glauca'') are commonly occurring trees. This area is interspersed with

peatlands A mire, peatland, or quagmire is a wetland area dominated by living peat-forming plants. Mires arise because of incomplete decomposition of organic matter, usually litter from vegetation, due to water-logging and subsequent anoxia. All types ...

, bogs,

fen A fen is a type of peat-accumulating wetland fed by mineral-rich Groundwater, ground or surface water. It is one of the main types of wetlands along with marshes, swamps, and bogs. Bogs and fens, both peat-forming ecosystems, are also known as ...

s, permafrost areas, and areas of

arctic tundra In physical geography, tundra () is a type of biome where tree growth is hindered by frigid temperatures and short growing seasons. The term ''tundra'' comes through Russian (') from the Kildin Sámi word (') meaning "uplands", "treeless mou ...

. Yellow and Grey

Reindeer moss ''Cladonia rangiferina'', also known as reindeer cup lichen, reindeer lichen (cf. Sw. ''renlav'') or grey reindeer lichen, is a light-colored fruticose, cup lichen species in the family Cladoniaceae. It grows in both hot and cold climates in w ...

(''Cladonia mitis'') provide

ground cover Groundcover or ground cover is any plant that grows over an area of ground. Groundcover provides protection of the topsoil from erosion and drought. In an ecosystem, the ground cover forms the layer of vegetation below the shrub layer known as ...

. The Subarctic Woodland corresponds to Canada's hardiness zone 0a. 20

Northern Boreal Forest

The circumpolar boreal forest or

taiga Taiga (; rus, тайга́, p=tɐjˈɡa; relates to Mongolic and Turkic languages), generally referred to in North America as a boreal forest or snow forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests consisting mostly of pines, spruc ...

is dominated by conifers or aspen and poplar stands. Pawistik lodge

Throughout this area are lakes, bogs, forest and rock outcroppings. Black spruce, jack pine once again are the main trees of the area. Forest fires are a concern in this area, and Fireweed (''Epilobium angustifolium'') occurs in burnt areas. ''

Cladonia ''Cladonia'' is a genus of moss-like lichens in the family Cladoniaceae. They are the primary food source for reindeer/caribou. ''Cladonia'' species are of economic importance to reindeer-herders, such as the Sami in Scandinavia or the Nenets ...

cetraria'' and ''C. tereocaulon'' are lichen species which provide ground cover. Feather mosses such as Stair-Step Moss (''Hylocomium splendens'') and Hypnum are amongst the undergrowth. Where the rock is covered in soils, the forest takes on the characteristics and species of the Southern Boreal Forest ecozone. The plant hardiness zone would be Zone 0b. The

Athabasca Basin The Athabasca Basin is a region in the Canadian Shield of northern Saskatchewan and Alberta, Canada. It is best known as the world's leading source of high-grade uranium and currently supplies about 20% of the world's uranium. The basin i ...

provides a separate ecosystem. The Athabasca Sand Hills protected by '' The Athabasca Sand Dunes Provincial Park'' are unique feature of the Canadian shield. The hills are located in northern Saskatchewan and border

Lake Athabasca Lake Athabasca (; French: ''lac Athabasca''; from Woods Cree: , "herethere are plants one after another") is located in the north-west corner of Saskatchewan and the north-east corner of Alberta between 58° and 60° N in Canada. The lake ...

, which straddles the Alberta and Saskatchewan border. There is sparse plant life in the sand hills area. Blueberry, Bearberry (''Arctostaphylos uva-ursi ''), Sand Heather (''Hudsonia tomentosa''), Crowberry (''Empetrum'') and grasses survive here. In this ecozone there are 10 species of

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

plants. There are unique four species of Willow (''Salix'').

Southern Boreal Forest

Mixedwood boreal forest with jack pine, trembling aspen (''Populus tremuloides ''), white spruce, and tamarack (''Larix laricina'') populate the Southern Boreal Forest which also houses the forestry industry. Bearberry-uva-ursi

The ground cover is lichen and stairstep moss. Bearberry, low-bush cranberry (''Vaccinium vitis-idaea''), Red Osier Dogwood (''Cornus sericea, syn. C. stolonifera, Swida sericea'') predominate the shrub layer. Peatlands, fens, marsh complexes occur with wetter soils such as those found above the basin of the Quaternary Glacial Lake Agassiz in the south eastern portion of the Southern Boreal Forest. 16% of the boreal forest are wetlands which have a

water table The water table is the upper surface of the zone of saturation. The zone of saturation is where the pores and fractures of the ground are saturated with water. It can also be simply explained as the depth below which the ground is saturated. T ...

at or above ground level. The province is the world's largest producer of

wild rice Wild rice, also called manoomin, Canada rice, Indian rice, or water oats, is any of four species of grasses that form the genus ''Zizania'', and the grain that can be harvested from them. The grain was historically gathered and eaten in both ...

Bog Labrador Tea (''Ledum groenlandicum''),

Sphagnum ''Sphagnum'' is a genus of approximately 380 accepted species of mosses, commonly known as sphagnum moss, peat moss, also bog moss and quacker moss (although that term is also sometimes used for peat). Accumulations of ''Sphagnum'' can store wa ...

mosses, and cloudberry (''Rubus chamaemorus'') flourish in the peatland areas. Bogs have a high acidic layer, high water table and low nutrients. Fens support the brown mosses such as Drepanocladus, Brachythecium, Calliergonelia, Scorpidium, Campylium. Reed Grass (''Calamagrostis''), Willows, marsh cinquefoil (''Potentilla''), and False Solomon's Seal (''Maianthemum racemosum'') gow in fen regions. Fens have a high water table with slow drainage which is rich in nutrients. Marshes are surrounded by willows and support Marsh reed grass (''Calamagrostis''), Kentucky blue grass (''Poa pratensis''), Fowl blue grass (''Poa palustris''), beaked sedge (''Carex rostrata''), bulrush (''Scirpus validus and S. acutus''). Marshes have slow moving slightly alkaline water and are very rich in nutrient and minerals. Bogs, fens, and marshes together comprise ''muskeg'' regions. Hardiness zone 1a describes the Southern Boreal Forest.

Aspen Parkland

The

Aspen parkland Aspen parkland refers to a very large area of transitional biome between prairie and boreal forest in two sections, namely the Peace River Country of northwestern Alberta crossing the border into British Columbia, and a much larger area stretchi ...

corresponds to the Transitional Grassland Ecoclimatic Region with lower precipitation and a higher average annual temperature of about . Lilium concolor

Trembling aspen form bluffs (''small islands or shelter belts'') which are typical in this area. The Aspen Parkland is a transitional area between the mixed woodland and prairie grasslands. The Aspen Parkland can be divided into eastern, central and western. The eastern area produces tall grass prairie featuring big bluestem (''andropogon gerardi'') and Porcupine grass (''Stipa spartea''). Trees in this area are Bur Oak, (''Quercus macrocarpa''), Green ash (''Fraxinus pennsylvanica''), Manitoba maple (''Acer negundo''), and balsam poplar (''Populus sect. Tacamahaca'') as well as aspen. Fescue grasses such as Festuca hallii and western

porcupine grass Porcupine grass is a common name for several grasses and may refer to: *''Miscanthus sinensis ''Miscanthus sinensis'', the eulalia or Chinese silver grass, is a species of flowering plant in the grass family Poaceae, native to eastern Asia thro ...

(''Stipa curtiseta'') make up the native ''Fescue grasslands'' of central Saskatchewan. The aspen tree stands are still poplar, and interspersed with willow in wetter areas. Brzoza paierowa Betula papyrifera

The western parkland has ground cover of plains rough fescue Needle and thread grass (''Hesperostipa comata''). Tree groves are aspen, willows and balsam poplar. Throughout the Aspen Parkland in low-lying areas with more moisture are dense shrub stands. Saskatoon (''Amelanchier alnifolia''), pin cherry (''Prunus pensylvanica''), choke cherry (''Prunus virginiana''), hawthorn (''Crataegus''), western snow berry (''Symphoricarpos''), woods rose ('' Rosa woodsii''), Wolf willow (''Elaeagnus commutata'') and Canada buffaloberry (''Shepherdia canadensis'') are a few of the shrubs of the area. The marshes and prairie sloughs of the Aspen Parkland support flora similar to the marshlands of the Southern Boreal Forest. The Aspen Parkland ranges between 1b, 2a and 2b for plant hardiness areas.

Mixed Prairie

The Mixed Grass Prairie correlates to the Arid Grassland Ecoclimatic Region and hardiness zone 2a and 3a. Big sandgrass, blue grama (''Bouteloua gracilis'') grass grow in the higher dry areas. At lower saline sites alkali grass (''Puccinellia alroides''), salt grass (''Distichlis spicata''), foxtail or wild barley (''Hordeum jubatum''), and arrowgrass (''Triglochin maritima'') are found. Needle and thread grass, northern wheat grass (''Elymus lanceolatus''), hair sedge (''Carex atherodes''), bottle sedge (''Carex rostrata'') grow in the intermediate mesic sites, with cottonwoods and willow growing along riverbanks.

Dry mixed prairie

Southwest Saskatchewan has very dry climatic conditions. Dry mixed prairie is found south of Cypress Hills and the Great Sand Hills area near

Leader Leadership, both as a research area and as a practical skill, encompasses the ability of an individual, group or organization to "lead", influence or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations. The word "leadership" often gets vi ...

. Prickly pear cactus (''Opuntia''), blue grama grass, needle and thread grass, silver sagebrush (''Artemisia cana'') and June grass (''Koeleria'') are found in the areas.

Cypress Hills

The Cypress Hills has an elevation over , with cooler resulting temperatures and higher precipitation which are more similar to the boreal forest than the prairie grasslands. CypressHills1

Lodgepole Pine (''Pinus contorta'') occurs only in the Cypress Hills area of Saskatchewan and also in the

Rocky Mountain The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico in ...

forests. Aspen, and

white spruce White spruce is a common name for several species of spruce ('' Picea'') and may refer to: * ''Picea glauca'', native to most of Canada and Alaska with limited populations in the northeastern United States * '' Picea engelmannii'', native to the ...

are other trees of the Cypress Hills forests. Shining leaved meadowsweet (''Spiraea lucida''), low larkspur (''Delphinium bicolor ''), pinegrass (''Calamagrostis rubescens '') provide ground cover.

Ethnobotany

There are many native plants of Saskatchewan which can be prepared as vegetables, teas, wine, jams, syrups and flour. Other plants have medicinal qualities. The harvest of various plants varies. Shoots, and leaves of some plants are harvested, while roots and tubers of others are picked like potatoes. When locating native plants, it is important to note which season to harvest them and what habitats to search for. Marshy pond edges reveal broad leaf cattail, or yellow pond lily (''Nuphar advena''). FlottenLakeRiverfront

Disturbed sites produce chickweed, and plantain (''Musa''). Asparagus (''Asparagus officinalis'') shoots grow near roadsides. There are plants which are poisonous, and edible plants which have poisonous look alike. Strawberry (''Fragaria vesca''), wild mint (''Mentha arvensis''), and Labrador tea leaves can be steeped in boiling water for tea. Saskatoons, blueberries and other berries can be hand-picked for jam, jelly, syrup and juice preparation. Blackberry, dewberry, blueberry, buffaloberry, currant, huckleberry, prickly pear, raspberry, and

rose hip The rose hip or rosehip, also called rose haw and rose hep, is the accessory fruit of the various species of rose plant. It is typically red to orange, but ranges from dark purple to black in some species. Rose hips begin to form after pollina ...

s all make delicious jams or jellies. Pies can be made of currants, blackberries,

mountain ash Mountain ash may refer to: * ''Eucalyptus regnans'', the tallest of all flowering plants, native to Australia * Mountain-ashes or rowans, varieties of trees and shrubs in the genus ''Sorbus'' See also * Mountain Ash, Rhondda Cynon Taf Mounta ...

, or strawberries, for example. Hull grass seeds and grind them down into flour. Herbal solutions used as remedies for ailments could be ingested as tea, used as ointments, or poultices or inhaled as smoke or steam from a decoction. Cow parsnip (''Heracleum maximum'') and broad-leaved water plantain (''Alisma plantago-aquatica'') are two

herbal remedies Herbal medicine (also herbalism) is the study of pharmacognosy and the use of medicinal plants, which are a basis of traditional medicine. With worldwide research into pharmacology, some herbal medicines have been translated into modern remedies ...

which were cultivated by the Cree. However, the cow parsnip does have a poisonous look-alike species, the western water hemlock, (''Cicuta douglasii, poison hemlock''). Flora of Saskatchewan have also aided humans in other ways; trees provide wood such as

birch bark Birch bark or birchbark is the bark of several Eurasian and North American birch trees of the genus ''Betula''. The strong and water-resistant cardboard-like bark can be easily cut, bent, and sewn, which has made it a valuable building, craftin ...

for canoes, reeds could be fashioned into whistles and baskets. Sphagnum mosses were used for their insulating qualities, as well mosses were absorbent for diapers, and had antibacterial properties.

Botanists

Eugène Bourgeau (''1813 - 1877'') was the botanist who traveled with Captain John Palliser (''1817–1887'') and

Henry Youle Hind Henry Youle Hind (1 June 1823 – 8 August 1908) was a Canadian geologist and explorer. He was born in Nottingham, England, and immigrated to Canada, settling in Toronto, Ontario, in 1846. Hind led expeditions to explore the Canadian prairies i ...

(''1823 - 1908'') during the British North American Exploring Expedition. Euphorbia esula

The results of these investigations between 1857 and 1861 resulted in reporting the area unsuitable for agriculture and an area of particularly dry land was named the

Palliser's Triangle Palliser's Triangle, or the Palliser Triangle, is a semi-arid steppe occupying a substantial portion of the Western Canadian Prairie Provinces, Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba, within the Great Plains region. While initially determined to be un ...

John Macoun John Macoun (17 April 1831 – 18 June 1920) was an Irish-born Canadian naturalist. Early life Macoun was born in Magheralin, County Down, Ireland in 1831, the third child of James Macoun and Anne Jane Nevin. In 1850, the worsening ec ...

(''1831-1920'') was a naturalist who accompanied Sir

Sanford Fleming Sir Sandford Fleming (January 7, 1827 – July 22, 1915) was a Scottish Canadian engineer and inventor. Born and raised in Scotland, he emigrated to colonial Canada at the age of 18. He promoted worldwide standard time zones, a prime meridi ...

to the prairies in 1872 and he offered agricultural possibilities for the region. Isabel M. Priestly (''1893-1946'') was a botanist who made botanical collections and formed the Yorkton Natural HIstory Society. Dr. William P. Fraser is the namesake of the W.P. Fraser Herbarium. His botanical collection was donated to the Biology Department at the

University of Saskatchewan A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, ...

where he was a professor. Later the Fraser collections were transferred to the Department of

Plant Ecology Plant ecology is a subdiscipline of ecology which studies the distribution and abundance of plants, the effects of environmental factors upon the abundance of plants, and the interactions among and between plants and other organisms. Examples ...

in the College of Agriculture. Dr. John K. Jeglum was a research botanist with

Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the mid-east region of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River. There are five lak ...

Forestry Centre (''GLFC''). He received his doctorate at the

his thesis on Lowland vegetation at Candle Lake, Southern Boreal Forest Saskatchewan resulted in a collection of Saskatchewan specimens.

Agriculture

Agriculture in Saskatchewan is the production of various food, feed, or fiber commodities to fulfill domestic and international human and animal sustenance needs. The newest agricultural economy to be developed in renewable biofuel production or agricultural biomass which is marketed as ethanol or biodiesel. cultivation and

livestock Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to animal ...

production have abandoned

subsistence A subsistence economy is an economy directed to basic subsistence (the provision of food, clothing, shelter) rather than to the market. Henceforth, "subsistence" is understood as supporting oneself at a minimum level. Often, the subsistence econo ...

agricultural practices in favor of intensive technological farming resulting in

cash crops A cash crop or profit crop is an agricultural crop which is grown to sell for profit. It is typically purchased by parties separate from a farm. The term is used to differentiate marketed crops from staple crop (or "subsistence crop") in subsiste ...

which contribute to the

economy An economy is an area of the production, distribution and trade, as well as consumption of goods and services. In general, it is defined as a social domain that emphasize the practices, discourses, and material expressions associated with the ...

. The particular commodity produced is dependent upon its particular biogeography or ecozone of

Geography of Saskatchewan The geography of Saskatchewan is unique among the provinces and territories of Canada in some respects. It is one of only two landlocked regions (Alberta is the other) and it is the only region whose borders are not based on natural features li ...

. Agricultural techniques and activities have evolved over the years. The first nation

nomadic A nomad is a member of a community without fixed habitation who regularly moves to and from the same areas. Such groups include hunter-gatherers, pastoral nomads (owning livestock), tinkers and trader nomads. In the twentieth century, the popu ...

hunter-gatherer lifestyle and the early immigrant ox and plow farmer proving up on his quarter section of land in no way resemble the present farmer operating huge amounts of land or livestock with their attendant technological mechanization. Parkland near Saskatoon

Challenges to the future of Saskatchewan agriculture include developing sustainable

water management Water resources are natural resources of water that are potentially useful for humans, for example as a source of drinking water supply or irrigation water. 97% of the water on the Earth is salt water and only three percent is fresh water; slight ...

strategies for a cyclical drought prone climate in south western Saskatchewan, updating dryland farming techniques, stabilizing organic definitions or protocols and the decision to grow, or not to grow

genetically modified food Genetically modified foods (GM foods), also known as genetically engineered foods (GE foods), or bioengineered foods are foods produced from organisms that have had changes introduced into their DNA using the methods of genetic engineering. Gene ...

s. Domestically and internationally, some commodities have faced increased scrutiny from disease and the ensuing marketing issues. Canada's production of

wheat Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...

oats The oat (''Avena sativa''), sometimes called the common oat, is a species of cereal grain grown for its seed, which is known by the same name (usually in the plural, unlike other cereals and pseudocereals). While oats are suitable for human co ...

flaxseed Flax, also known as common flax or linseed, is a flowering plant, ''Linum usitatissimum'', in the family Linaceae. It is cultivated as a food and fiber crop in regions of the world with temperate climates. Textiles made from flax are known in ...

, and

barley Barley (''Hordeum vulgare''), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains, particularly in Eurasia as early as 10,000 years ago. Globally 70% of barley p ...

come mainly from Saskatchewan and the prairie provinces.

still has cattle ranching along the southwestern corner of the province, However, grain farming and growing crops such as

, flax, alfalfa, and

rapeseed Rapeseed (''Brassica napus ''subsp.'' napus''), also known as rape, or oilseed rape, is a bright-yellow flowering member of the family Brassicaceae (mustard or cabbage family), cultivated mainly for its oil-rich seed, which naturally contains a ...

(''especially

canola Close-up of canola blooms Canola flower Rapeseed oil is one of the oldest known vegetable oils. There are both edible and industrial forms produced from rapeseed, the seed of several cultivars of the plant family Brassicaceae. Historically, ...

'') dominate the parkland area. Mixed grain farming, dairy farms, mixed livestock and grazing lands dot the

central lowlands The Central Lowlands, sometimes called the Midland Valley or Central Valley, is a geologically defined area of relatively low-lying land in southern Scotland. It consists of a rift valley between the Highland Boundary Fault to the north and ...

region of this prairie province. As of 1996, March 24 to 30, has been proclaimed ''Agriculture Week in Saskatchewan''.

Forestry

In the northern part of the province, forestry is significant. North of the treeline in Saskatchewan are of forests which provide resources for the Saskatchewan forestry industry. The forestry industry comprises lumber and

sodium sulphate Sodium sulfate (also known as sodium sulphate or sulfate of soda) is the inorganic compound with formula Na2SO4 as well as several related hydrates. All forms are white solids that are highly soluble in water. With an annual production of 6 milli ...

for pulp and paper resources.

Physiographic regions

References

External links

Flora of Saskatchewan Project
*'
University of Saskatchewan: Virtual Herbarium
'' Database Search by Scientific Family or Plant Name *'

'' Database Projects and Publications {{DEFAULTSORT:Flora Of Saskatchewan Environment of Canada