Ecological Baseline Investigations Along the Yukon River-Prudhoe Bay Haul Road, Alaska.
Abstract
Results of the first full year's field research on five projects along the Yukon River-Prudhoe Bay Haul Road are reported. Several projects are extensions of investigations begun in 1976 and are being conducted in cooperation with a Federal Highway Administration sponsored environmental engineering study. The extent and success of weeds and weedy species along the road and in material sites has been followed for summer 1976 and 1977. In order to document the vegetation along the complex elevational and latitudinal gradient and its potential for impact and recovery, 17 vegetation maps have now been completed, and vegetation described and plots established at 120 locations along the 600-kilometer-long road. Collections of vascular plants, bryophytes and lichens were made and catalogued for an additional 9 sites. Sampling for soil invertebrates to determine their sensitivity to impact was undertaken at approximately 25 sites. A detailed study of the impact of road dust upon the vegetation was initiated at one tundra site and four sites were established to monitor the amount of dust transported onto the tundra across 1000-meter-long transects. The clay mineralogy and chemistry of the dust and road material were investigated. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 1978
- Accession Number
- ADA060255
Entities
People
- Jerry Brown
Organizations
- Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory