What part of Alaska is made up of tundra?
The northern part of Alaska is tundra, a cold, flat, treeless land. Hawaii is made up of eight main islands. Its islands were made long ago by volcanoes that grew up out of the Pacific Ocean, two of which are still active.
Is the Alaska tundra considered alpine or Arctic?
Arctic tundra are found on high-latitude landmasses, above the Arctic Circle—in Alaska, Canada, Russia, Greenland, Iceland, and Scandinavia, for example—or on far southern regions, like Antarctica. Alpine tundra are located at very high elevations atop mountains, where overnight temperatures fall below freezing.
Is Alaska part of the Arctic tundra?
Tundra is found in the regions just below the ice caps of the Arctic, extending across North America, to Europe, and Siberia in Asia. Much of Alaska and about half of Canada are in the tundra biome. Tundra is also found at the tops of very high mountains elsewhere in the world.
Are there lakes in a tundra?
The tundra is covered in marshes, lakes, bogs and streams during the warm months. Generally daytime temperatures during the summer rise to about 12 °C (54 °F) but can often drop to 3 °C (37 °F) or even below freezing. Arctic tundras are sometimes the subject of habitat conservation programs.
Are there any tundras in Alaska?
There are two kinds of tundra in Alaska, alpine and arctic. Arctic tundra is found north of the permafrost line, generally north of the arctic circle. Alpine tundra is found around the state at high elevations - this is the kind found in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve.
Is Alaska a tundra or taiga?
The taiga lies between the tundra to the north and temperate forests to the south. Alaska, Canada, Scandinavia, and Siberia have taigas.
Why is Alaska considered tundra?
Arctic tundra is found across northern Alaska, Canada, and Siberia. This biome has long cold winters and short cool summers. The Arctic tundra has low precipitation (less than 10 inches per year) and dry winds. These conditions make the Arctic tundra a desert-like climate (see climograph).
What biome is Alaska?
Five biomes (alpine tundra and ice fields, Arctic tundra, shrublands, boreal forest, and coastal rainforest) and one biome transition zone are modeled.
Is Alaska a desert or tundra?
Alaska's tundra gets very little snow or rain-it's sometimes called a "cold desert." Annual precipitation at Barrow, located on the tundra-covered Coastal Plain, is around 4 inches-far less than annual rainfall of the Mojave Desert. Despite the low rainfall, though, Alaska's tundra is rich in wetlands.
What type of forest is in Alaska?
boreal forestThe vast majority of forestland, about 107 million acres, occurs in Interior Alaska and is classified as “boreal forest.” About 13 million acres of forest occurs along Alaska's southern coast, including the Kodiak Archipelago, Prince William Sound, and the islands and mainland of Southeast Alaska.
What city in Alaska is tundra?
The predominant land type in Utqiagvik is tundra, which is formed over a permafrost layer that is as much as 1,300 ft (400 m) deep. Utqiagvik is surrounded by the National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska.
What is the difference between tundra and Arctic tundra?
Arctic. Arctic tundra occurs in the far Northern Hemisphere, north of the taiga belt. The word "tundra" usually refers only to the areas where the subsoil is permafrost, or permanently frozen soil. (It may also refer to the treeless plain in general so that northern Sápmi would be included.)
Is Arctic and tundra the same?
Tundra ecosystems are treeless regions found in the Arctic and on the tops of mountains, where the climate is cold and windy, and rainfall is scant. Tundra lands are covered with snow for much of the year, but summer brings bursts of wildflowers.
What climate type is Alaska?
Arctic climateIt is an Arctic climate (Köppen E) with long, very cold winters and short, cool summers. The sun does not rise at all during some weeks in the winter, and is out for 24 hours during some weeks in the summer.
Is Alaska a taiga?
Alaska's boreal forest (sometimes called "taiga") is often portrayed as a monotonous blanket of spindly evergreens, covering the hills and valleys of the far north.
How big is the Alaskan tundra?
34 million hectaresThe North Alaskan Tundra bioregion is entirely made up of three tundra ecoregions – Arctic Coastal Tundra (407), Arctic Foothills Tundra (408), Brooks-British Range Tundra (411) – including the adjacent marine areas of the Beaufort and Chukchi seas. The total land area of this bioregion is 34 million hectares.
Is Alaska a taiga?
Alaska's boreal forest (sometimes called "taiga") is often portrayed as a monotonous blanket of spindly evergreens, covering the hills and valleys of the far north.
How much of Alaska is taiga?
The NEON Taiga domain includes 773,763 km2 (298,751 square miles) in the interior of Alaska, or roughly 50% of the total land area of the state. The northern reaches of the state and western coast are part of the Arctic Tundra (D18) and the southern coast is part of the Pacific Northwest (D16).
Is Anchorage Alaska a taiga biome?
The Taiga is the largest biome. It ranges across the the Northern part of North America and Eurasia Continent. It is located just south of the tundra in cities like Anchorage, Alaska and Ontario, Canada.
Where is the taiga forest in Alaska?
In Alaska, the boreal forest or “taiga” exits between the northern Brooks Range down to the southern Coast Range mountains, covering most of Interior Alaska. It features a relatively low diversity of species, dominated by a few conifers and deciduous tree species.
What is the tundra in Alaska?
The Alaskan tundra is an inspiring place that helps to fuel the soul with its inspiring scale, great hiking opportunities, nature observations and chance encounters with large mammals that make your heart race. No trip to Alaska would be complete without seeing life above tree-line.
What bird is in the tundra?
One of the more common birds in the tundra is the white crowned sparrow. Look for a bird on the top of bushes with bold black and white stripes on its head. As you take pause listen for its sweet song that has a whistling introduction followed by a succession of jumbled whistles, and a buzz near the end.
What animals can you see in the tundra without trees?
When taking a break from your hike or tundra nap it’s good to scan the wide-open landscape for movement of critters, such as: black and brown bear, moose, caribou, Dall sheep, wolf, lynx and the elusive wolverine.
What temperature is the tundra in July?
You guessed it, while there are different variables that define where the trees end and the tundra begins a mean July temperature of 50 degrees is one of the big factors in defining tree-line. In Colorado that 50-degree mark sits at around 11,000’ but in the higher latitudes of Alaska, tree-line sits quite a bit lower in elevation.
What is the dominant plant in the tundra?
The Tundra In Bloom. One of the dominant plants that covers the tundra is Labrador tea. Often you can smell this plant before you see its blossom, a cluster of 10-40 white flowers toward the tip of the stem. Grab a leaf and look closely on the underside and you will find it covered with thick orange hairs.
What kind of bears are there in Alaska?
Hey Bear! In Alaska we have three species of bear: polar, black and brown. Chances are, unless you are on the north slope of Alaska you will not see a polar bear. Black bears have a straight face and tall pointed ears. Black bears typically occupy forests and wooded mountains.
Where to see birds in Alaska?
If you are visiting a park or town stop at the visitor center and ask for a bird checklist to take with you on your outing and see how many species are present, familiar and how many you can tick off the list. If you don’t have a bird book with you download one of the many bird apps to take on the tundra or take visual notes on size, color and pattern and try to identify them when the day is done.
What is the ecology of the tundra?
The ecology of the tundra is controlled by the cold climate and the northern latitude. A unique soil structure, permafrost, forms and dominates the biology. Permafrost is a layer of soil that remains frozen year-round. The soil above it may thaw during the summer, but the soil below remains frozen and thus biologically inactive. Further, the permafrost forms a barrier; in temperate climes many animals overwinter by burrowing down into the soil to a point below where the soil freezes. This is not possible in the tundra soils, and thus animals must contend with freezing over the winter. It is no accident that there are no reptiles or amphibians in the tundra.
How do animals adapt to the tundra?
Animals have adapted to the Alaskan tundra by developing warm winter coats, compact bodies to preserve heat, and camouflage for different seasons. Some animals found on the Alaskan tundra include caribou, arctic fox, arctic hare, arctic ground squirrel, and arctic grizzly bear.
What are the waterways of Alaska?
Be sure and check out our Alaska water pages including: Alaska's Coastline, Alaska's Lakes, and Alaska's Rivers Some of Alaska's great lakes include: Aleknagik Lake , Becharof Lake, Clark Lake , liamna Lake, and Minchumina Lake. Alaska boasts the only arctic tundra within the United States.
What is the name of the biome where plants grow in the Arctic?
Tundra comes from a Finnish word, tunturi, which means "treeless heights". Despite the cold temperatures, many plants thrive in the Alaskan tundra. There are about 1,700 types of native plants living in this arctic biome. What most of them have in common are growth characteristics; they tend to grow low to the ground.
How much snow does the tundra biome get?
The tundra biome receives as little precipitation as some deserts. Average yearly precipitation, including snow melt, is just 6 to 10 inches, compared to 30 to 60 inches in the temperate deciduous forest biome. The summer is brief, with temperatures above freezing lasting for only a few weeks.
Why do birds migrate to the tundra?
Many bird species migrate from southern areas to the tundra each year for the reduced competition and plentiful insect harvest; this rich diet enables them to rear their young in an otherwise bleak environment. In the Alaskan arctic, fires may become more severe and frequent as the climate warms.
What are the plants that live in tundra?
Among the common types of tundra plants are willows, sedges and grasses, many in dwarf forms compared to their growth forms in warmer climes.
What is the South Central region of Alaska?
South Central Alaska is the southern coastal region and contains most of the state's population. Anchorage and many growing towns, such as Palmer, and Wasilla, lie within this area. Petroleum industrial plants, transportation, tourism, and two military bases form the core of the economy here.
How much of Alaska is owned by the federal government?
According to an October 1998 report by the United States Bureau of Land Management, approximately 65% of Alaska is owned and managed by the U.S. federal government as national forests, national parks, and national wildlife refuges.
What is the border between Alaska and Canada?
The state is bordered by Yukon and British Columbia, Canada to the east, the Gulf of Alaska and the Pacific Ocean to the south, Russia ( Chukotka Autonomous Okrug ), Bering Sea, the Bering Strait, and Chukchi Sea to the west, and the Beaufort Sea and the Arctic Ocean to the north. Alaska's area compared to the 48 contiguous states.
How many miles of tidal shoreline does Alaska have?
With its numerous islands, Alaska has nearly 34,000 miles (55,000 km) of tidal shoreline. The island chain extending west from the southern tip of the Alaska Peninsula is called the Aleutian Islands. Many active volcanoes are found in the Aleutians.
How many acres are there in Alaska?
Much of the northwest is covered by the larger National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska, which covers around 23 million acres (9,307,770 ha). The Arctic is Alaska's most remote wilderness.
Which state is the easternmost?
The Aleutian Islands cross longitude 180°, so Alaska can be considered the easternmost state as well as the westernmost. Alaska and, especially, the Aleutians are one of the extreme points of the United States. The International Date Line jogs west of 180° to keep the whole state, and thus the entire continental United States, ...
Which state is larger, Alaska or Iran?
If the state's westernmost point were superimposed on San Francisco, California, its easternmost point would be in Jacksonville, Florida. Alaska is larger than all but 18 sovereign nations (it is slightly larger than Iran but slightly smaller than Libya ). Alaska is home to 3.5 million lakes of 20 acres (8.1 ha) or larger.
A Tree Oasis Near Nome
However there’s a hidden oasis if you care to go for an adventure on one of the three roads to nowhere that lead out of Nome; Pilgrim Hot Springs is an area where tundra trees grow in abundance. You may think you are seeing a tree mirage as you pull up on the bumpy road to the springs, but you aren’t. It’s real.
An Epidemic in Nome
In 1919 a Catholic mission was built at the Pilgrim Hot Springs outside of Nome. The area was in the throws of the 1918 Spanish flu which had killed millions of people worldwide. It spread to the Seward Peninsula when a passenger carried the virus to Nome on the last steamship of the season.
Abandoned Pilgrim Hot Springs Photography
Bring your camera because this is a fascinating place to capture. It’s colorful, eerie, historical, remote, and my favorite – abandoned.
Visit and Photograph Pilgrim Hot Springs
Richard will drive you out to this remote area (aprox 1.5 hours outside of Nome) on rough terrain. He’ll give you the history and entertain you all day. You’ll have plenty of time to explore the abandoned buildings and take photos.
Disclosure
I was a guest of Alaska Tourism during my trip, however all opinions expressed here are my own.
How many acres of tundra have burned?
More than 5.4 million acres (2.2 million hectares) of Alaska tundra have burned over the past 60 years (Figure 2), indicating its flammable nature under warm, dry weather conditions. Tundra fires have important impacts on vegetation composition (Racine et al. 1987, 2004), permafrost dynamics, nutrient and carbon cycling (Wookey et al. 2009), and wildlife populations (Jandt et al. 2008, Joly et al. 2010). Despite the impacts of tundra burning, relatively little is known about natural variability in fire occurrence and links to climate and vegetation change. This lack of knowledge hinders land-management and resource-planning efforts.
Where is the burning tundra?
The Burning Tundra: A Look Back at the Last 6,000 Years of Fire in the Noatak National Preserve, Northwestern Alaska (U.S. National Park Service)
What is the FRI of tundra fires?
This study provides estimated fire return intervals (FRIs) for one of the most flammable tundra ecosystems in Alaska. Fire managers require this basic information, and it provides a valuable context for ongoing and future environmental change. At most sites, FRIs varied through time in response to changes in climate and local vegetation. Thus, an individual mean or median FRI does not capture the range of variability in tundra fire occurrence. Long-term mean FRIs in many periods were both shorter than estimates based on the past
How many acres were burned in the 2010 tundra fire?
Figure 1. One of the 37 tundra fires that burned in Noatak National Preserve in the summer of 2010. The Kaluktavik River fire (Fire #561) burned more than 23,000 acres in July.
