What happens to vegetation if subsoils continue to dry out in Alberta?

If subsoils continue to dry out in Alberta, the vegetation, particularly in regions like the Dry Mixedgrass Natural Subregion and other grassland areas, will face significant challenges due to the already semi-arid climate and ongoing drought conditions. Below is an analysis of the potential impacts on vegetation based on the provided search results and the ecological context of Alberta's prairies.

Impacts on Vegetation from Drying Subsoils

• Reduced Water Availability for Plants: As subsoils dry out, the deeper water reserves that many prairie plants rely on during drought periods become inaccessible. Prairie plants, especially grasses and species with deep taproots, have adapted to dry conditions by developing extensive root systems—often two to three times deeper than the plant height, reaching over three meters belowground—to access subsoil moisture. If these deeper layers dry out, even these adapted species may struggle to survive, leading to increased plant mortality7.

• Impaired Germination and Seedling Survival: In the Dry Mixedgrass region, available moisture is already a limiting factor for germination and emergence. While spring moisture might suffice for germination, a lack of subsoil moisture during critical growth stages can cause seedling mortality, hindering vegetation recovery and establishment after disturbances5.

• Stress on Native Plant Communities: Native prairie plants, uniquely adapted to drought through physiological traits like narrow leaves to minimize water loss and deep roots to access moisture, will face heightened stress. Prolonged drying of subsoils could disrupt their ability to maintain hydration, potentially leading to reduced growth, reproduction, and overall community resilience57.

• Increased Vulnerability to Erosion and Degradation: Drying subsoils exacerbate soil crusting and reduce the soil's capacity to retain moisture, making it more susceptible to wind and water erosion. This can strip away the protective vegetation layer, further exposing soils and making revegetation efforts more difficult. Loss of vegetation cover also impacts ecological services like carbon sequestration and biodiversity support104.

• Shift in Species Composition: As moisture deficits worsen due to drying subsoils and increased evapotranspiration under a warming climate, vegetation patterns may shift. In the Dry Mixedgrass region, conditions could become akin to drier areas like southern Idaho, with sagebrush-dominated vegetation potentially replacing grasses. Similarly, in the Lower Foothills, grasslands may expand northward if moisture limitations persist, altering forest ecosystems6.

• Challenges for Restoration and Reclamation: Rehabilitation of disturbed areas, such as those impacted by industrial activities like pipelines or wellsites, becomes more challenging when subsoils are dry. The loss of moisture wicks upward, drying out exposed roots and hindering plant reestablishment. This is particularly problematic in Alberta’s grasslands, where reclamation already faces difficulties due to arid conditions171115.

Broader Ecological and Climatic Context

• Ongoing Drought Conditions: Alberta is currently experiencing severe drought, with stage 4 of 5 drought management responses in place as of June 18, 2025. Southern Alberta, including key grassland areas, faces below-normal reservoir levels and long-term precipitation deficits, with some areas missing a full year’s worth of rain over the past four years. Drying subsoils compound these issues, as even adapted vegetation struggles under prolonged moisture stress48.

• Climate Change Projections: Climate models predict Alberta will become drier despite potential increases in overall precipitation, due to higher evapotranspiration rates from warmer temperatures and reduced midsummer rainfall. This trend will likely intensify subsoil drying, further threatening vegetation across natural subregions6.

Conclusion

Continued drying of subsoils in Alberta will likely lead to reduced water availability for plants, impaired germination and survival of seedlings, increased stress on native vegetation, heightened erosion risks, potential shifts in species composition, and significant challenges for restoration efforts. These impacts are particularly concerning in the context of ongoing drought and climate change projections, which suggest worsening moisture deficits. Alberta’s grasslands, critical for biodiversity and carbon storage, are especially vulnerable, and proactive management strategies will be essential to mitigate these effects on vegetation4567.

1. https://www.alberta.ca/system/files/tec-sr1-veg-monitoring-plan.pdf
2. https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/ec16fa8a-40a8-4333-9ea2-c1361cd970f8/resource/40081b1b-8c1f-473f-bdb5-2ae236800d7a/download/drymixedgrass-naturalsubregionguide.pdf
3. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214581822000519
4. https://elc.ab.ca/post-library/grasslands-and-drought-management-in-alberta/
5. http://www.albertapcf.org/rsu_docs/recovery-strategies-dmg-1st-approx-reduced-february-13.pdf
6. https://www.eralberta.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Schneider_2013_Albertas_Natural_Subregions_under_a_Changing_Climate_ABMI.pdf
7. https://albertawilderness.ca/survival-in-drought/
8. https://globalnews.ca/news/7885474/soil-conditions-southern-alberta-concern-farmers/
9. https://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/sag9469/$file/sq_criteria_relative_to_disturbance_reclamation.pdf
10. https://www.warnercounty.ca/p/soil-conservation
11. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1550742420300671
12. https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/ed520427-3b66-41c5-b36a-33fbdeaea9aa/resource/7e0db013-e03b-4f42-b318-c5f079e70810/download/vol_3a_s10_vegetation_and_wetlands.pdf
13. https://abmi.ca/publication/456
14. https://www.calgary.ca/content/dam/www/csps/parks/documents/soil-handling-recommendations.pdf
15. https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/10.4141/S03-030
16. https://www.alberta.ca/system/files/custom_downloaded_images/aep-subsoil-soil-salinity-user-manual.pdf
17. https://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$Department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex6123/$FILE/580_3.pdf
18. https://wetlandsalberta.ca/wetland-loss/