by 
The Curious Bag
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As elsewhere on the Great Plains, the Canadian province of Alberta harbors excellent examples of badlands topography---most extensively in the south along the Red Deer River.
Origin
The Red Deer River badlands formed as meltwater from receding Ice Age glaciers excavated alluvial sediments, creating a landscape that continues to be eroded by run-off and streams.
Environment
The Red Deer River badlands---protected in Dinosaur Provincial Park, a reference to the area's density of vertebrate fossils---lie in the dry mixed-grass sub-region of Alberta's grassland biome. Plants and animals here must contend with the province's driest conditions.
Badlands and Prairie Plants
Cacti and shrubs occupy the scoured flanks of the badlands themselves, while several species of grass thrive in the upland prairies.
Riparian Bottoms
Along the alluvial terraces grow extensive gallery forests of plains cottonwoods, as well as thickets of willow, buffalo-berry and other shrubs.
Wildlife
The diversity of habitats in the badlands result in distinct wildlife communities. Mule deer, white-tailed deer and pronghorn seek winter range in the Red Deer River badlands, while coyotes prowl for rodents. Over 160 species of breeding birds are known from Dinosaur Provincial Park.
Source:
Government of Alberta: Dinosaur Provincial Park: Nature
United Nations Environment Programme: World Conservation Monitoring Centre: Dinosaur Provincial Park
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