White Spruce Plantations Hindered Prairie Recovery in Manitoba

Photo: HT World

Between 1928 and 1950, white spruce trees were planted on rare fescue prairie land in Manitoba's Riding Mountain National Park to compensate for earlier logging. A 2018 study found that even 19 years after removing these trees, the prairie had not recovered to its original state. The research highlights the long-lasting impact of tree plantations on fragile prairie ecosystems, which now cover less than 5% of their original North American range.

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