Ecological Subsections Map of Kobuk Valley National Park

These polygons represent Ecological Subsections for Kobuk Valley National Park in Northwestern Alaska. The guiding principle in definition of ecosystem regions is that ecosystems consist of the sum of the biotic and abiotic environment, and meaningful boundaries can be drawn that separate zones of relatively uniform ecological conditions (Bailey, 1996; Rowe and Sheard, 1981). Because the various tiers of the ecosystem (geology, landforms, soils, vegetation, etc.) are linked, they tend to change together and can be used in concert to define and map ecosystem regions. Ecosystem regions (or "ecological units") defined by the above approach can be delineated at various scales, from tiny microsites to global-scale regions. The system of units used here was developed for mapping by the U.S. Forest Service and consists of the numerous levels, intended for use at different scales (Table 1). As discussed below, the units in the present study are Subsections, subdivided further into finer units where possible. Ecological units delineated at the scale of this study are complex mosaics with many different kinds of vegetation and soils. A particular kind of vegetation or soil may occur in more than one unit; for example, black spruce (Picea mariana) woodland on wet soils with permafrost occurs as a component of many of the ecological units recognized here. However, the exact set of components in an ecological unit, their relative area, and their location on the landscape is unique for each unit. Each unit consists of a mosaic of vegetation, landforms, and soils that is consistent and different from all the other units.

Ecological Subsections Map of Kobuk Valley National Park

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