The Peace River Country is an aspen parkland region centring on the Peace River in Canada. It extends from northwestern Alberta to the Rocky Mountains in northeastern British Columbia, where a certain portion of the region is also referred to as the Peace River Block.
Peace River in Fort Vermilion
Dane-zaa (Beaver) tipi in winter near Peace River, Alberta, 1899
The city of Grande Prairie and the prairie land to its northeast.
Canola field next to Alberta Highway 2 close to Falher
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 stretching from central Alberta, all across central Saskatchewan to south central Manitoba and continuing into small parts of the US states of Minnesota and North Dakota. Aspen parkland consists of groves of aspen, poplar and spruce, interspersed with areas of prairie grasslands, also intersected by large stream and river valleys lined with aspen-spruce forests and dense shrubbery. This is the largest boreal-grassland transition zone in the world and is a zone of constant competition and tension as prairie and woodlands struggle to overtake each other within the parkland.
Aspen parkland near Calgary, Alberta
The Populus tremuloides ("trembling" or "quaking" aspen) is the dominant tree species of the parkland belt. Shown here in fall colours in west of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
Mixedwood forest wetland in Turtle Mountain State Forest, North Dakota
Bison grazing in Elk Island National Park