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The forests of Tanana River Basin in Interior Alaska have a history of disturbance. Four issues reflecting forest disturbance, important to include in current management strategies for these lands, were researched: (1) disturbance history of the Tanana Valley; (2) Alaska Interagency Fire Management Plan: a case study; (3) prescribed natural fire in Alaska: possibilities and complexities; and (4) past use of prescribed fire in white spruce: a summary with particular reference to Alaska. Through researching historical archives, conducting field visits, interviewing land and fire managers and reviewing current planning documents, I reached four major conclusions: (1) there is lack of use of historical facts regarding...
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This dissertation presents a multi-dimensional analysis of site structure and organization at a multi-component deeply buried stratified site in the Tanana Basin in Interior Alaska, Gerstle River. The primary objective of this research is to investigate patterning among the lithics, fauna, features, stratigraphy, and radiometric dating, within and among components and intra-component hierarchical spatial aggregates. These analyses are situated within and are explored in terms of technological and spatial organization. Given the longevity of microblade technology (12000 BP to ∼1000 BP) and its presence in very different climatic and biotic regimes, understanding how microblades were used within a technological system...
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Climate change is likely to bring a myriad of interrelated changes to the Arctic. One change is warmer and drier conditions that could increase the prevalence of wildfire in northwest Alaska. Wildfires destroy terricolous lichens that Western Arctic Herd caribou ( Rangifer tarandus ) rely on during winter; taking decades to recover. My goals were to assess the recent (1950-2007) fire regime within the herd's range, identify characteristics of habitat selected by overwintering caribou, and determine the potential impacts of climate change on the fire regime and caribou winter range. I used a combination of existing data and information collected at vegetation plots to conduct these analyses. I found that wildfires...
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This research had two basic objectives: to assess the capability of macrophytes [non-microscopic plant] indigenous to the subarctic in removal of heavy metals from wastewater and to determine the feasibility of using constructed wetlands for sewage wastewater treatment in a subarctic environment with a focus on rural application. The research consisted of two parts: a greenhouse study in which indigenous macrophytes were subjected to heavy metal pollutants similar to those found in roadway runoff and a constructed wetland built to treat sewage wastewater. Five species of plants were tested in both projects: Arctophila fulva [grass], Carex rhynchophysa [sedge], Menyanthes trifoliata [buckbean], Scirpus validus [bulrush]...
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Snowshoe hares, Lepus americanus, are a 'keystone' prey species in northern boreal forests and experience population fluctuations of 8-11-years. Despite intense responses of both vegetation and predators to changes in hare densities, landscape-scale comparisons of hare populations in Alaska have been limited to qualitative descriptions. We conducted capture-recapture studies of snowshoe hares at 5 locales in the Tanana valley, from Tok in the east to Clear in the west from 1999 to 2002. Snowshoe hare densities were highest in 1999 (x=6.36 ha p- p1, SE=0.63) and declined thereafter. We were unable to detect declines in apparent survival during declining densities in our study populations. Movement distances did not...
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Symbioses between plants and nitrogen (N) fixing bacteria are ecologically and economically important interactions with complex evolution and ecology. Theoretical and experimental studies suggest that host specificity and environmental variation are important determinants of both evolutionary and ecological patterns in such interactions, but detailed descriptions of these parameters in natural habitats are lacking for most N-fixing systems. The aim of this set of studies was to provide such information for the symbiosis between alder ( Alnus spp.) plants and Frankia bacteria in interior Alaska. Major objectives were to determine whether: 1) different Alnus species (A. tenuifolia and A. viridis ) associate with different...
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Striving for better delineation of site function, land use, and settlement patterns, the data and analyses presented in this dissertation aim to explore more robust and objective avenues of inquiry for addressing the variability and distribution of surface lithic scatters using terrain-based hunting range models. Using large mammal distributions, Athabascan hunting ranges, and topography, landscape metrics, and an exploratory data analysis (EDA) framework, landscape structure is quantified and compared across much of the Alaskan Interior to identify reoccurring patterns related to hunting land use and the range characteristics of caribou, moose, and sheep. Key components of the landscape structure are contrasted...
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Snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus ) survival depends on the interaction of habitat characteristics with numerous biological and environmental variables. In boreal regions where considerable habitat heterogeneity exists, hares balance food availability with predation risk by moving among habitats seasonally, but it is largely unknown how often they move at shorter time scales. I investigated the seasonal effects of habitat, weather, and individual hare characteristics on survival and movement in two common but fundamentally different boreal habitats. Survival was highest in summer, for hares with higher body condition, and in black spruce rather than early successional forest. Hares moved among core use areas in different...
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This dissertation includes three discrete projects addressing various aspects of the neuroendocrine control of song in the Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis), a migratory songbird. Specifically, the roles of testosterone, photoperiodic condition [length of daylight], opioids, and age were investigated with respect to song production and neural plasticity in the regions of the brain that control song (vocal control regions, VCRs). I found that, in males photoperiodic condition and testosterone interact to regulate seasonal VCR volume plasticity, whereas testosterone alone controls song production. The opioid system is probably not involved in VCR plasticity or song production, but is indicated to play a role in song...
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High-latitude regions store large quantities of organic carbon (C) in permafrost soils and peatlands, accounting for nearly half of the global belowground C pool. Projected climate warming over the next century will likely drive widespread thawing of near-surface permafrost and mobilization of soil C from deep soil horizons. However, the processes controlling soil C accumulation and loss following permafrost thaw are not well understood. To improve our understanding of these processes, I examined the effects of permafrost thaw on soil C dynamics in forested upland and peatland ecosystems of Alaska's boreal region. In upland forests, soil C accumulation and loss was governed by the complex interaction of wildfire...
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Marine-derived nutrients (MDN) delivered by spawning Pacific salmon ( Oncorhynchus spp.) contribute to the productivity of riverine ecosystems. Optimizing methods for measuring MDN assimilation in food webs will foster the development of ecologically based resource management approaches. This dissertation aims to better understand relationships among spawning salmon abundance, biochemical measures of MDN assimilation, and the fitness of stream-dwelling fishes. The goals of my first research chapter were (1) to understand the factors that influence stable isotope (δ 13 C, δ 15 N, and δ34 S) and fatty acid measures of MDN assimilation in stream and riparian biota, and (2) to examine the ability of these measures to...
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Summary: "Density estimation of wolves (Canis lupus) requires a count of individuals and an estimate of area those individuals inhabit. With radiomarked wolves, the count is straightforward but estimation of area is more difficult and often given inadequate attention. The population area, based on the mosaic of pack territories, is influenced by sampling intensity similar to individual home ranges. If sampling intensity is low, population area will be underestimated and wolf density will be inflated. Using data from studies in Denali National Park and Preserve, I investigated these relationships using Monte Carlo simulation to evaluate effects of radiolocation effort and number of marked packs on density estimation....
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Harvesting wild berries, firewood, and other non-timber forest products (NTFPs) from the boreal forest in Interior Alaska is a common activity amongst local residents. NTFPs are harvested for personal use, subsistence, and commercial purposes. While these activities contribute to informal household economies and livelihoods, harvest of NTFPs are not well documented in Alaska. Availability of these ecosystem services may be altered under changing management and climate regimes. This interdisciplinary dissertation takes a look at the activities and impacts of current NTFP harvesting practices. Survey results from a forest use survey provide insight into harvest activity in the Tanana Valley. Wild blueberries (38.5%...
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The taxonomy and evolutionary relationships of the Oxytropis arctica and Oxytropis campestris complexes in Alaska are poorly understood. Taxonomic disagreement has centered on which morphological characters are important in circumscribing these taxa. Several of these taxa are endemic to Alaska, including Oxytropis arctica var. barnebyana, which is currently of conservation concern. Internal transcribed spacer sequences and randomly amplified polymorphic DNA markers were employed to circumscribe these taxa. Both lines of evidence revealed one major dichotomy dividing northern populations from western populations. There is weak support for traditional taxonomies. Morphological characters used to separate these taxa...
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Koyukon Elders of Alaska's Interior observe that "cold weather is growing old" and recent warming is contributing to a world out of balance. Alaska is among the most rapidly warming places globally, with the Interior experiencing the most pronounced warming statewide, and with significant regional-scale ecosystem services disruptions affecting subsistence hunting and harvest success. Vulnerability of individuals, households, and communities to climate change is exacerbated by rising energy costs and a regulatory system that constrains the adaptive flexibility needed to cope with impacts on livelihoods. Socioeconomic and cultural change notwithstanding, the well-being of rural native communities is still dependant...
map background search result map search result map Neuroendocrine control of song in the dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis) Evaluation of wolf density estimation from radiotelemetry data Phylogenetic relationships of the Oxytropis campestris and Oxytropis arctica complexes in Alaska inferred from non-coding nuclear DNA and RAPD data Constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment in the subarctic The Potential of Lodgepole Pine in Alaska Site structure and organization in Central Alaska: Archaeological investigations at Gerstle River The role of fire in the carbon dynamics of the boreal forest Climate and predictability of Alaska wildfires Geomorphology and Inconnu Spawning Site Selection: An Approach Using GIS and Remote Sensing Seasons out of balance: Climate change impacts, vulnerability, and sustainable adaptation in interior Alaska Holocene vegetation and climate change at Canyon Lake Copper River basin Alaska Birch, berries, and the boreal forest: Activities and impacts of harvesting non-timber forest products in interior Alaska Disturbance history in the Tanana River Basin of Alaska: Management implications The effects of permafrost degradation on soil carbon dynamics in Alaska's boreal region Landscape structure and terrain-based hunting range models: Exploring late prehistoric land use in the Nutzotin Mountains, southcentral Alaska Marine-derived nutrients in riverine ecosystems: Developing tools for tracking movement and assessing effects in food webs on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska Winter range studies of the Western Arctic Caribou Herd, Northwest Alaska Sources of variation in the symbiotic association between Alnus and Frankia in interior Alaska Comparison of snowshoe hare populations in interior Alaska Survival and activity patterns of snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) in interior Alaska Neuroendocrine control of song in the dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis) Constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment in the subarctic Sources of variation in the symbiotic association between Alnus and Frankia in interior Alaska Comparison of snowshoe hare populations in interior Alaska Survival and activity patterns of snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) in interior Alaska Holocene vegetation and climate change at Canyon Lake Copper River basin Alaska Site structure and organization in Central Alaska: Archaeological investigations at Gerstle River Geomorphology and Inconnu Spawning Site Selection: An Approach Using GIS and Remote Sensing Marine-derived nutrients in riverine ecosystems: Developing tools for tracking movement and assessing effects in food webs on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska Evaluation of wolf density estimation from radiotelemetry data The effects of permafrost degradation on soil carbon dynamics in Alaska's boreal region Disturbance history in the Tanana River Basin of Alaska: Management implications Seasons out of balance: Climate change impacts, vulnerability, and sustainable adaptation in interior Alaska Birch, berries, and the boreal forest: Activities and impacts of harvesting non-timber forest products in interior Alaska Winter range studies of the Western Arctic Caribou Herd, Northwest Alaska Landscape structure and terrain-based hunting range models: Exploring late prehistoric land use in the Nutzotin Mountains, southcentral Alaska Climate and predictability of Alaska wildfires Phylogenetic relationships of the Oxytropis campestris and Oxytropis arctica complexes in Alaska inferred from non-coding nuclear DNA and RAPD data The role of fire in the carbon dynamics of the boreal forest The Potential of Lodgepole Pine in Alaska