Vascular plant inventory and baseline monitoring of nunatak communities 2005, Lake Clark National Park and Preserve and Kenai Fjords National Park
Miller AE, Spencer P, Carlson ML, Lipkin R. 2006. Vascular plant inventory and baseline monitoring of nunatak communities 2005, Lake Clark National Park and Preserve and Kenai Fjords National Park. National Park Service Inventory and Monitoring Program. Anchorage, Alaska
An inventory of nunatak communities in Lake Clark National Park & Preserve (LACL) and Kenai Fjords National Park (KEFJ) in 2005 produced a number of rare and disjunct vascular plant species. The LACL collection consisted of 81 vascular taxa from a total of four sites, including five new records for the Park. Four collections were of species rare within Alaska or globally: Arabis lemmonii (G5-S1), Arnica diversifolia (G5-S1), Carex phaeocephala (G4-S1S2), and Potentilla drummondii (G5-S2). Two collections of Arabis lemmonii, as well as Rocky Mountain disjuncts Erigeron compositus and Kumlienia cooleyae (= Ranunculus cooleyae) represent significant range extensions to the west. The KEFJ collection consisted of 75 vascular taxa from seven sites and yielded 16 species that were new records for the Park. Three collections from KEFJ were of rare species: Douglasia alaskana (G3-S3), Thlaspi arcticum (G3-S3), and Carex phaeocephala (G4-S1S2). A collection of Carex albonigra from a site on the Wosnesenski Glacier represented a significant range extension to the south. The percentage of known taxa in KEFJ increased from 77% to 80% following the 2005 inventory, whereas the percentage of known taxa in LACL remained at 80%. The greatest species numbers occurred at lower elevation sites. Baseline monitoring of nunatak communities was initiated at three sites in LACL and five sites in KEFJ. Species cover and frequency estimates showed that vascular species richness decreased with increasing elevation, and that the suite of dominant species also changed along this gradient. Disturbance via volcanic activity (LACL) and herbivory (KEFJ), and shifts in composition potentially due to changes in growing season length (KEFJ), were evident at several sites. An analysis of imagery from the Harding Icefield (1950-2005) shows a general increase in nunatak extent, although a number of sites appear to be stable or decreasing in area.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Miller, Amy; Spencer, Page; Carlson, Matthew; Lipkin, Rob
- Date of Issue
- 2006-07
- Publisher
- National Park Service Inventory and Monitoring Program
- Units
- KEFJ , LACL , SWAN
- Keywords
- Bear Glacier, Biological, Dinglestadt Glacier, Double Glacier, Glaciers, Harding Icefield, Monitoring, nunataks, Petrof Glacier, Saddle Mountain, Southwest Alaska Network, species of conservation concern, Split Glacier, Tuxedni Glacier, Vascular Plants, Wosnesenski Glacier