Shifting Grounds: Soil pH Patterns across the Grassland-Aspen Forest Ecotone at Miquelon Lake Provincial Park

Soil chemistry forms the foundation of ecosystem function by regulating nutrient availability, microbial activity, and plant community dynamics. Soil pH is especially influential because even small changes can shift which species dominate, alter decomposition rates, and affect long-term habitat resilience. In transitional zones (or ecotones), where one vegetation type gives way to another, soil pH often signals whether grasslands remain stable, wetlands persist, or forests expand. Understanding these shifts is essential for predicting ecological change and guiding management. To investigate this, I examined whether soil pH varied across the grassland-aspen forest ecotone in Miquelon Lake Provincial Park, Alberta. I hypothesized that soil pH would differ significantly among habitats and help explain aspen encroachment into grassland. Through on-site measurements of soil pH, I used non-parametric approaches to assess its effects along transects spanning grassland, ecotone, and forest, with soil moisture measured as a supplemental variable. Contrary to my hypothesis, soil pH did not differ significantly across either transect points or habitat types. Soil moisture also showed no significant differences, although ecotone sites displayed slightly higher median values. My findings suggest that soil pH may not be the primary driver of vegetation transitions at Miquelon Lake, but they contribute to a broader understanding of grassland–forest dynamics and provide relevant insights to biodiversity conservation and management in the Aspen Parkland.

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APA Referencing Format

Nyenke-Wofuru, N. K. (2025). Shifting Grounds: Soil pH Patterns across the Grassland-Aspen Forest Ecotone at Miquelon Lake Provincial Park. International Journal of Applied Sciences and Advanced Technology (IJASAT), 1(1), 7-14.

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