Southwest Alaska Network, Vascular Plant Inventory, Summary Report
Carlson ML, Lipkin R, Michaelson JA. 2005. Southwest Alaska Network, Vascular Plant Inventory, Summary Report. Natural Resource Technical Report. NPS/AKR/SWAN/NRTR—2005/07. NPS, Southwest Alaska Network. Anchorage, Alaska
From 2001 to 2005 the Alaska Natural Heritage Program (AKNHP), University of Alaska Anchorage, conducted vascular plant field inventories in Alagnak Wild River (ALAG), Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve (ANIA), Katmai National Park and Preserve (KATM), Kenai Fjords National Park (KEFJ), and Lake Clark National Park and Preserve (LACL), in accordance with a cooperative agreement with the National Park Service. The primary goal was to document greater than 90% of the vascular plant species expected to occur within each of the park units and to significantly improve our understanding of the distribution of species of the region. The inventory targeted diverse habitat types and under-sampled areas. The AKNHP staff visited the primary ecogeographic regions in each park and sampled intensively each summer from early July to early August. A total of 2,307 specimens were collected, recorded, and pressed. Five hundred fifty-seven of these collections represent taxa previously undocumented in the parks. The known, documented flora increased by roughly 30% for each of the five units, yielding collections that represent 74 – 96% of the species expected to occur. A total of 21 species of conservation concern were collected from four of the parks (ANIA, KATM, KEFJ, LACL). Small populations of non-native species were found in three of the park units (KATM, KEFJ, LACL). Significant range extensions and globally and regionally rare plants were encountered in all units. One collection from ANIA, Botrychium pedunculosum, is a new record for Alaska. Here, we summarize our findings and discuss the significance of the non-native species, range extensions, and rare species. We put these findings into a regional context and make recommendations for future scientific inquiry.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Carlson, Matthew; Lipkin, Robert; Michaelson, Julie
- Date of Issue
- 2005-09
- Publisher
- NPS, Southwest Alaska Network
- Units
- ALAG , ANIA , KATM , KEFJ , LACL , SWAN
- Keywords
- Alagnak Wild River, Alaska, Alaska Peninsula, Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve, Biological inventories, Biology, Katmai National Park And Preserve, Kenai Fjords National park and Preserve, Lake Clark National Park And Preserve, Plants, Southwest Alaska, Southwest Alaska Network, species of conservation concern, Vascular Plants
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Invasive Species | Invasive/Exotic plants , Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Vegetation Complex