Aerial extent of grasslands

Historically, the southern area of Prince Albert National Park had large, open, and connected grasslands. Over time this grassland has been slowly encroached and taken over by the surrounding aspen forests. The change in size of the grasslands is monitored from year to year to assess the effectiveness of grassland restoration techniques.

The extent of both the grasslands and the forest is calculated by analyzing aerial photographs and satellite data. Through years of research it has been determined that 3-5 prescribed fires every 10-15 years is effective at removing the encroached forest and increasing grassland in the park. These prescribed fires have been working hard to re-open the grasslands and push back the forest, increasing habitat for the parks prairie species of plants and animals.