    [From the U.S. Government Printing Office, www.gpo.gov]

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      1994

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                                       Uganik Island, Alaska Peninsula and Southwest Islands                                USFWS
                                       PALUSTRINE OPEN WATER

                                       THE AUTHORS                                                 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

                                       Jonathan V. Hall coordinates the National                   This report is the result of extensive effort. Special
                                       Wetlands Inventory in the Alaska Region of the              appreciation is extended to U. S. Fish and Wildlife
                                       U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.                            Service personnel including Don Woodard, Becky
                                                                                                   Stanley, Tom Dahl, Norm Mangrum, and Rene
                                       W. E. Fraver   Is Dean of the School of Forestry            Wl-iitehead of the National Wetlands Inventorv
                                       and Woo@ Products at Michigan Technological                 Group, St. Petersburg, Florida; Charles Storrs'of
                                       University. He specializes in natural resources             the Division of Habitat Conservation, Atlanta,
                                       survey design and analysis.                                 Georgia; and David Dall of the National Wetlands
                                                                                                   Inventory, Washington, D. C.
                                       Bill 0. Wilen is Project Leader of the National
                                       Wetlands Inventory for the U. S. Fish and                   Many individuals from Geonex Inc. were respon-
                                       Wildlife Service.                                           sible for photo interpretation and map produc-
                                                                                                   tion. Principal among these are Keith Patterson,
                                       DESIGN                                                      Sheila Ricardi, Marsha Martin, Todd
                                                                                                   Neurminger, Barbara Schuster, Jim Dick, and
                                       Gale Communications; St. Paul, MN                           Dave Fink. Their work is greatly appreciated.

                                                                                                   Funding support from the U. S. Army Corps of
                                       Cover photo: Caribou, Arctic Coastal Plain                  Engineers and the National Oceanic and
                                       PALUSTRINE EMERGENT - FLOODED                               Atmospheric Administration's National Marine
                                       BP EXPLORATION (ALASKA) NC                                  Pollution Program Office is gratefully acknowl-
                                       Back cover photo: Yellow pond lily,                         edged. Glen Yankus of the U. S. Department of
                                       Cook Inlet - Susitna Lowland                                Interior's Minerals Management Service also
                                       S. GALE                                                     assisted in the study.

                                       U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
                                       Alaska Region
                                       Anchorage, Alaska

                                                                                                      Status of
                                                                                                                                         S
                                                                                                                                  t                                                           S

                                                                                                        by Jonathan V. Hall, W. E. Frayer and Bill 0. Wilen

                                                                                                        1994

                                                                                                                                                                               . .............

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      C-          Arctic Coastal PlainNOANCCEH                                                                                                                                6P EXPLORAPON (ALASKA) INC.
                  PALUSTRINE OPE10WHOMONRAVLT.- FLOODED
                                      CHAS. SC 204W2623

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                        Pintails, Yukon Flats                                                                                                                                          USFWS
                        PALUSTRINE EMERGENT - FLOODED
                                                         I m7m,

            Highlights

            Alaska encompasses an area of 403,247,700                Palustrine scrub/shrub wetlands are extensive.
            acres, including offshore areas involved in this         They cover 114,510,100 acres, which is almost
            study. Total acreage of wetlands is 174,683,900          two-thirds of Alaska's wetlands.
            acres. This is 43.3 percent of Alaska's surface
            area. In the lower 48 states, wetlands only occupy       Areas other than wetlands and deepwater habitats
            5.2 percent of the surface area.                         acC01-111t for 198,693,400 acres, less than half of
                                                                     Alaska's area.
            Deepwater habitats cover an additional
            29,870,400 acres, or 7.4 percent of Alaska's
            surface area.

            Over 88 percent (154,917,300 acres) of Alaska
            wetlands are under public management.

                                                                                                            Brooks Range
                                                                                 PALUSTRINE SCRUB/SHRUB - SATURATED

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                                                                                  Contents

                                                                                    Highlights         ...........................................3

                                                                                    Introduction          ........................................7

                                                                                    Overview         .............................................9

                                                                                    Classification System             .......................... 11

                                                                                    Survey Procedure             ............................... 15

                                                                                    Results     ............................................... 17

                                                                                    In Conclusion           .................................... 29

                                                                                    Literature Cited           ................................. 31

                                                                                    Appendix         ........................................... 32

              left: Safeq Harbor, Western Coastal Zone                                      Mountain cranberiy, ICuskokwim Higblands
              ESTUARINE INTERTIDAL VEQETATED                                                      PALUSTRINE SCRUB/SHRUB - SATURATED
                HALL                                                                                                                           D@ DALL

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             CHAPTER ONE
             Introduction

             The United States Fish and Wildlife Service has            The statistical design used in the trend study for
             major responsibility for the protection and man-           the lower 48 states can be used with intensified
             agement of migratory and endangered fish and               sampling to obtain reliable estimates for individ-
             wildlife and their habitats. Of particular concern         ual states or other selected geographical areas.
             arc wetlands and associated deepwater habitats.            For example, this approach was used to evaluate
             Since 1974 the Fish and Wildlife Scrvice, through          wetland trends in the Central Vallev of California
             its National Wetlands Inventory Project, has               (Fraver and Peters 1990) and Florida (Fraver and
             inventoried the nation's wetlands. The purpose is          Heffier 1992).
             to develop and disseminate comprehensive data
             concerning the characteristics and extent of wet-          This report presents results of a study on the sta-
             lands.                                                     tus of wetlands and deepwater habitats in Alaska.
                                                                        This is the first report for Alaska. While it pro-
             Results of a National Wetlands Inventory study             vides estimates of current status of Alaska wct-
             of wetland gains and losses in the lower 48 states         lands and deepwater habitats, it does not provide
             between the 1950's and 1970's were published               information on their trends and quality. It does,
             by Fraver et al. (1983) and Tiner (1984). Of the           however, provide information on the amounts of
             wetlai@ds at the time of settlement in the area            these areas managed by several federal agencies,
             now comprIsing the 48 contiguous states, only              the State of Alaska, Natives and others.
             46 percent remained in the mid-1970's. Betw@cn
             the mid-1950's and mid-1970's, there was a loss
             of about I I million acres of wetlands. During the
             same period, approximately two million acres of
             wetlands were created. This 20-year net loss of
             nine million acres equates to an average annual
             net loss of 458,000 acres of wetlands. An update
             of this report for the nine-year period between
             1974 and 1983 showed tl@e wetland loss rate was
             down to an average annual net loss of 290,200
             acres (Dahl et al. 1991; Frayer 1991).

                                                                                                                                  0,

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             PALUSTR[NE EMERGENT - FLOODED                                                                                              4
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                                      AND EMERGENT - FLOODED
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               CHAPTER TWO
               Overview

               Wetlands in Alaska include tv es cornmon1v                   Wetlands are abundant in the valleys and basins
                                                I P
               referred to as bogs, muskegs, wet and moist tun-             associated with large river systems including the
               dra, fens, marshes, swamps, mud flats, and salt              Yukon, Kuskokwim, Porcupine, Tanana, and
               marshes. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service esti-            1,.'-oyukuk Rivers. Significant wetland areas also
               mates that during the 200-year period between                occur on the major river deltas in Alaska. The
               1780 and 1980, approximatetv Vio of a percent of             Yukon-K uskok-,vim Delta, one of the world's
               the original wedand acreage in Alaska was lost               largest coastal deltaic formations, supports a vari-
               (Dahl 1990).                                                 ety of wetland types including wet tundra, grassy
                                                                            sloughs, shrub swamps, ponds and brackish
               Common terms used for Alaska's decpwater                     marsh. Other major deltas in Alaska that are pre-
               habitats include lakes, bays, sounds, fjords,                dominantlv wetland are the Colville River Delta
               lagoons, and inlets. The two largest lakes in                on the Beaufort Sea coast, the Copper River
               Alaska are Lake Iliamna (1,000 square miles) and             Delta in south central Alaska, and the Stikine
               Becharof Lake (458 square miles). Large coastal              River Delta in the southeast region.
               deepwater habitats include Kotzebue Sound,
               Norton Sound, Bristol Bay, Cook Inlet, and the               Many wetlands in northern portions of Alaska are
               labyrinth of @jorcls, inlets, and straits in the             underlain and maintained by permafrost, or
               Alexander Archipelago (southeast Alaska).                    perennially frozen ground. Wetland conditions
               Lagoons formed behind barrier islands are com-               often occ@r because the frozen layer traps water
               mon in northwest Alaska along the Chukchi Sea                at or near the soil surface. Other wetlands are
               and Bering Strait coasts.                                    maintained by heavy rainfall, glacial melt water,
                                                                            river flooding, beaver activity, snow melt, springs,
               Most regions of Alaska have a land surface that              and the ebb and flow of fides.
               includes extensive areas of wetlands. Treeless
               expanses of moist and wet tundra underlain by                Wetlands in Alaska range in elevation from tidal
               permafrost occur in the northern and western                 systems at sea level to moist tundra areas in high
               portions. Interior Alaska contains millions of               alpine zones. Wetlands are as common on slopes
               acres of black spruce muskeg and floodplaill                 as they are in lowland sites and depressions.
               wetlands dominated by deciduous shrubs and                   While north-facing slopes are frequently wetland
               emcrgents. Shrub and herbaceous bogs are a con-              due to the presence of permafrost, south-facing
               spicuous feature of the landscape in south central           slopes in the same area often support non-wet-
               and southeast Alaska. Even in mountainous areas              land plant communities on well-drained soils.
               such as the Brooks Range, wetlands have devcl-               Hillside wetlands are common in southern por-
               oped in drainages and on vegetated slopes. Some              tions of Alaska due to abundant precipitation and
               of the nation's most extensive complexes of salt             shallow depths to bedrock.
               marshes and mud flats occur along the coasts of
               the Beaufort Sea, Chukchi Sea, Bering Sea and                Alaska's wetlands provide many benefits includ-
               the Gulf of Alaska.                                          ing: food and habitat for wildlife, fish and shell-
                                                                            fish species, natural products for human use and
                                                                            subsistence, shoreline erosion and sediment con-
                                                                            trol, flood protection, and opportunities for
                                                                            recreation and aesthetic appreciation. Not all
               left.- Blying Sound, South Central Coastal Zone              wetlands perform all these functions, but most
               MARIN@ INTERTIDAL                                            wetlands contribute to one or more in varying
               J HALL                                                       degrees.

                                                                                                                                                         9

                                                                                                  Snojvqecse over Arctic Coastal Plain
                                                                                                  PALUSTRINIE EMERGENT - SATURATED

                                                                                                  A BRACKNEY

                    ,io-

                                                        7
                                                                                                  moist tundra wetlands       the North Slope coastal
                                                                                                  plain are used by these   animals for calving and
                                                                                                  feeding. Nonvegetated wetland tv es such as
                                                                                                                                        P
                                                                                                  gravel bars and coastal beaches are used to escape
                                                                                                  insect harassment,

                                                                                                  The value of wetlands for fish   is well established
                                                                                                  for Alaska's coastal wetlands along rivers and
                                                                                 016%             streams. Many fish species feed in wetlands or on
                                                                              N.                  food produced by wetlands. Coastal wetlands and
                                                                                                  stream side marshes are used as nursery grounds.
                                                                                                  Other wetland types adjacent to rivers maintain
                                                                                                  and regulate stream flow in channels used by fish.
                                                                                                  Species (e. g., salmon) that move between fresh
                                                                                                  water and saltwater are dependent on both
                                                                                                  coastal and riparian wetlands. Annually, the
                                       Tundra wetlands in northern and western Alaska             salmon industry in Alaska employs approximately
                                       are prime breeding grounds for many shorebirds             22,000 people (Alaska Dept. of @ish and Game
                                       (sandpipers, plovers, and their relatives).                1992). The annual value of this fishery to com-
                                       Waterfowl species dependent on Alaska wetlands             mcrcial harvesters is $600 million (Alaska Dept.
                                       include more than 70 thousand swans, one mil-              of Education 1991).
                                       lion geese, and 12 million ducks (King and
                                       Lcnsink 1971). These include more than half the            Many wetlands serve to temporarily store flood
                                       continental populations of tundra and trumpeter            waters, thereby protecting downstream properties
                                       swans and all or most of the continental popula-           from flood damage. The flood storage function
                                       tions of eight species or subspecies of geese. In          also helps to slow the velocity of water, which
                                       recent years, Alaska wetlands have on average              reduces the water's erosive potential. This func-
                                       supported 30 percent of the continental popula-            tion of wetlands becomes increasingly important
                                       tions of northern pintails, 24 percent of American         in Alaska's towns and cities, where development
                                       wigeons, 19 percent of scaup, 18 percent of can-           has increased the rate and volume of surface-
                                       vasback, and 13 percent of green-winged teal               water runoff and the potential for flood damage.
                                       (Lensink and Derksen 1986). The importance of              Where permafrost is common, the ability of wet-
                                       Alaska wetlands to these and other species                 lands to store flood waters is reduced.
                                       increases significantly during years when drought
                                       occurs in prairie states and provinces.                    Subsistence use of wetland resources in Alaska is
                                                                                                  extensive. In most areas, wetland habitats provide
                                       During migration, huge flocks of waterfowl and             resources upon which Native village economies
                                       shorebirds stop at specific wetland areas for rest-        are based. A major portion of hunting, fishing,
                                       ing and feeding. These critical wetlands provide           trapping, and gathering activities occurs in wet-
                                       concentrated food resources necessary to fuel the          lands areas (Ellanna and Wheeler 19 86) . Fish and
                                       journey to nesting areas in the spring or southern         ,xildlifc resources harvested for subsistence use
                                       destinations in the fall. Nearly all of the Pacific        and dependent on wetlands include five species of
                                       Flyway black brant feed on rich celgrass beds at           salmon, shellfish, ducks, geese, beaver, and otter.
                                       Izembek Lagoon on the Alaska Peninsula during              Plant materials frequently collected from wet-
                                       fall migration (Fish and Wildlife Service 1985).           lands include blueberries@, cranberries, labrador
                                                                                                  tea, and willow.
                                       Many mammals in Alaska use specific wetland
                                       types and areas. Some species, such as beaver and          The diverslity of plant and animal life in Nvetlands
                                       muskrat, spend most of their lives in wetlands.            makes them a valuable resource for nonconsump-
                                       Other mammals use wetlands primarily as feeding            tive recreation such as wildlife viewing and pho-
                                       areas or resting areas. Moose commor@ly feed on            tography. Wetlands, particularly in urban areas,
                                       submerged vegetation in deep marshes and shal-             arc valuable in providing other passive recreation
                                       low ponds. The two largest herds of caribou,               opportunities including education, open space,
                                       both in northern Alaska, gather into huge aggre-           and aesthetic crijovment. In addition, waterfowl
                                                                                                  hunting in the United States depends on confin-
                                       gat ons and migrate from upland areas to coastal                     1
                                       wetland areas in the summer. Uninterrupted                 ued productivity of Alaska's wetlands.

                  10

                CHAPTER THREE
                Classification System

                The definitions, classifications and categories of       system is ftirther divided by the driving ecological
                wetlands and deepwater habitats used are those           force, such as ebb and flow of tide, and by sub-
                described by Cowardin et al. (1979). In general          strate material and flooding regimes, or on vegc-
                terms, wetland is land where saturation with             tation life form. Groupings of categories were
                water is the dominant factor determining the             made to accommodate special interests of the
                nature of soil development and the types of plant        study, and to facilitate comparison of results with
                and animal communities living in the soil and on         those of similar studies conducted in other
                its surface. Technically, wetlands are lands transi-     regions of the United States.
                tional between terrestrial and aquatic systems
                where the water table is usually at or ii@ar the sur-
                face or the land is covered by shallow water.
                Wetlands must also have one or more of the fol-
                lowing three attributes: 1) at least periodically,
                the land supports predominantly hydrophytes;
                2) the substrate is predominantly undrained
                hydric soil; and 3) the substrate is nonsoil and is
                S'
                aturated with water or covered bv shallow water
                at some time during the growing season of each
                year.

                Deepwater habitats consist of certain permanent-
                ly flooded lands. In saltwater areas, the separation
                between wetland and deepwater habitat coincides
                with the elevation of the extreme low water of
                spring tide. In other areas, the separation is at a
                depth of two meters (6.6 feet) below low water.
                This is the maximum depth in which emergent
                plants normally grow.

                Within the hierarchical structure of classification,
                wetlands and deepwatcr habitats are grouped
                according to systems. A system consists of envi-
                ronments of similar hydrological, geomorpholog-
                ical, chemical, and biological influences. Each

                                                                                 41 "1

                         Color-infrared aerial pbotograpb sbowing
                                              -Kuskokwim Lowland
                  Kanrisbna River, Tanana                                          2

                                      The marine system extends from the outer edge            which is primarily emergent. Emergent vegetation
                                      of the continental shelf shoreward to the extreme        consists of erect, rooted herbaceous plants typi-
                                      high water of spring tides or to the boundary of         cally found in wet environments.
                                      other systems as defined later. Marine subtidal
                                      includes that portion that is continuously sub-          The lacustrine system includes wetlands (littoral)
                                      merged. This habitat is beyond the scop@ of the          and deepwater habitats (1irmictic) situated in
                                      study and was therefore not included. Marine             topographic depressions or dammed river chan-
                                      t.nterridal includes areas in which the substrate is     nels. Each area must exceed 20 acres or be deep-
                                      exposed and flooded by tides, including the asso-        er than two meters (6.6 feet) or have an active
                                      ciated splash zone.                                      wave-formed or bedrock shoreline feature.
                                                                                               Lacustrine areas are treated as deepwater
                                      The estuarine system consists of dcepwater tidal         habitats in this study.
                                      habitats and adjacent tidal wetlands which are
                                      usually semi-enclosed by land, but have open,            The palustrine system includes all nontidal wet-
                                      partially obstructed, or @poradic access to the          lands not included within any of the other four
                                      open occan and in which ocean water is at least          svstems and does not include any deepwater
                                      occasionally diluted by fresh water runoff from          habitats. For this study, palustrin'e wetlands arc
                                      the land. Estuarine subtidal is that portion that is     divided into the following groups: unconsolidated
                                      continuously submerged (considered dccpwater             shore, open water (primarily ponds), aquatic beds
                                      habitat), while estuarine intertidal is the portion      (e.g. pondlilies and pondweeds), emergent,
                                      exposed and flooded by tides, including the              scrublshrub, and forested. Emer
                                                                                                                               gent is defined the
                                      splash zone. For the purposes of this study, estu-       same as for estuarine wetlands. Forested is charac-
                                      arine intertidal wetlands were separated ir@to the       terized by the presence of trees, and scrublsbrub
                                      following groups: Nonvegetated, which includes           includes areas dominated by shrubs and small or
                                      unconsolidated shore (e.g. mud flats) and aquatic        stunted trees.
                                      beds (e.g. seagrasses or algal beds); and vegetated,
                                                                                                                         Yukon -1,Cuskokwi m Delta

                                                                                              PALUSTRINE EMERGENT - FLOODED AND OPEN WATER

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                                                                                                                                              F. GOLET
                 12

                  Palustrine vegetated wetlands were further sepa-                             In summary, the 14 wetland and deepwater
                  rated into categories of saturated and flooded.                              habitat cat@gories used in this study are:
                  Saturated wetlands seldom have surface water,
                  but the substrate is saturated for extended peri-
                  ods during the growing season. Wetlands with                                    Calegory                                     Common Examples
                  organic soils, such as bogs, typically are saturated.
                  Other examples of saturated wetlands include                                    Marine intertidal                            Ocean shoreline
                  moist tundra and black spruce muskegs with                                      Estuarine subtidal                           Open water of bays/inlets
                  permafrost occurring at a shallow depth.
                  Flooded wetlands range from temporarily flooded                                 Estuarine intertidal nonvegetated            Mud and sand flats/beaches
                  to permanently flooded. In temporarily flooded                                  Estuarine interticlal vegetated              Salt marsh
                  wetlands, surface water is present for brief periods                            Palustrine unconsolidated shore              Pond flats/beaches
                  during the growing season. Flooded wetlands in
                  Alaska include marshes, wet tundra, riparian wet-                               Palustrine open water                        Open water ponds
                  lands, and shrub swamps.                                                        Palustrine aquatic beds                      Floating and submerged aquatic vegetation
                                                                                                  Palustrine emergent - saturated              Moist tussock tundra and sedge bogs
                                                                                                  Palustrine emergent - flooded                Wet sedge/grass tundra and marshes
                                                                                                  Palustrine scrub/shrub - saturated           Moist shrub tundra and shrub bogs/muskegs
                                                                                                  Palustrine scrub/shrub - flooded             Shrub swamps
                                                                                                  Palustrine forested - saturated              Forested bogs/muskegs
                                                                                                  Palustrine forested - flooded                Forested swamps

                                                                                                  Lacustrine                                   Lakes

                  Near Naknek, Bristol Bay Coastal Plain
                  PALUSTRINE EMERGENT               FLOODED

                                                                                                                                                                                                           7

                  J HALL
                                                                                                                                                                                             13

                                    All remaining surface area (area not classed as          gories are Native, State and other. The results for
                                    wetland or deepwatcr habitat) corresponds to             individual categories are accurate for only one
                                    classes of agriculture, urban, and other used by         point in time. After transfers of federal land to
                                    Anderson et a]. (1976) at their Classification           Native and State ownership are completed, the
                                    Level L Other includes Ainderson's Level I classes       samples involved in this study could be reclassi-
                                    of forest land, rangeland, and barren land, as well      fied by ownership for timely results.
                                    as lands that had been cleared of vegetation but
                                    had not been put to identifiable use.                    This briefly describes the classification used in
                                                                                             this study. It is difficult to differentiate the cate-
                                    The ty e of ownership of Nvetlands was also              gories further without introducing highly techni-
                                          I P
                                    determined in the study. For federal ownership,          cal terms. More detailed discussions, exact defini-
                                    five categories were selected based on the man-          tions, and fuller descriptions are provided by
                                    agement agency involved. These include the               Cowardin et al. (1979).
                                    Bureau of Lan@ Management, Fish and Wildlife
                                    Service, National Park Service, Forest Service, and
                                    otberfederal agencies. Additional ownership cate-                                  Yukon -Kuskokwim Delta
                                                                                                           PALUSTRINE UNCONSOLIDATED SHORE

                                                                                         44

                                                   41

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                                                                                                                                                IN

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                                                                                                                                            F GOLET
                14

              CHAPTER FOUR
              Survey. Proccdurc

              The objective of the study was to develop statis-          The total number of sample units used statewide
              tical estimates of the areal extent of wetland and         was 2,566.
              deepwater habitat categories and ownership class-
              es for Alaska.                                             Each sample unit is a four-square mile area, two
                                                                         miles on each side. The units were plotted on
              A stratified random sampling design was used               U. S. Geological Survey topographic maps and
              with 21 inland strata formed bv modification of            on aerial photographs. The 1: 60,000 scale color-
              the land resource areas descr&d by Ricger et al.           infrared aerial photography was obtained for the
              (1979). The study also used four coastal strata            most recent date available. The average date of
              encompassing areas in the marine and estuarine             this photography was 1980, with 90 percent of
              systems. The 25 strata and Alaska's four major             the photos within three years of the average.
              regions are shown in the map on page 16.
                                                                         The photography was interpreted and annotated
              Sample units were allocated to strata in propor-           in accordance with the classification system
              tion to expected amounts of wetlands and deep-             described earlier and with procedures developed
              water habitats as estimated by Fish and Wildlife           by the Fish and Wildlife Service's National
              Service personnel. A pilot study with 500 sample           Wetlands Inventory Project. A minimum map-
              units was conducted to estimate the total number           ping size of one-half acre was used. Land owner-
              of sample units required for the statewide study.          ship/management determinations were made
                                                                         from land information records maintained by the
                                                                         Bureau of Land Management.
              Kisaralik Lake, Kuskokwim Higbiands
              LACUSTRINE

                                                                           40

              D. DALL
                                                                                                                                                 15

                                  17eEaG                                                                                                            1w                               eP.                                                              VW                                  1w
                                                                                                                                                                                            0                           A/
                                                                                                                                                                                              8FAUFORr               SEA                                           PHYSICAL SU
                                                                                                             P,                                                                                                                                                         Regions
                                                                                                                                                                          2                             P,udhoe Bay                                                                 Coastal Zone

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Southern Alaska

                                                                                                                                                                               24                                                                                                   Interior Alaska

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Arctic and Western At

                                                                                                                                                                                23                                                                                     Coastal Resource Areas
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Southeast Coastal Zo
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Sou th Central Coasta
                                                                                                                                            2                                                                                                                                       West Em Coastal Zone
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Z                                      Northern Coastal Zen

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Land Resource Areas
                                                                                                                                  21                                                                                                                                                S uthea I A:aska Mou
                                                                                                                                                                                Is                                                                                                  Sou theast A aska Low
                                                     Y'                                                 N-
                                                                                                                                                     I I                                                                                                                            South Central Alaska
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Cook Inlet - Susitna
                                                                                   PENCE                 NORro                                                                                                     KS                                                               Alaska Peninsula and
                                                                                   ISLAND                             N                                                                                                                                                             Kusk k.i. Highland
                                                                                                         S0UtvD                                                                               4                                                                                     Kyuokuk - Innoke, Lo
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Alaska Range
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Copper Myer Plateau
                                                                                                                                                                                                 12                                            1,. 7`                               Tanana - K.Ekkwi.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               LA                                   In ter cr Alaska Highla
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   a                                I. k.in Flats
                                                                                                                                              10                                                                                                  A.                                Kancti Flats
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Bristol Bay Coastal PI
                                                .-T11W 1                                                                                                                                                           13                                                               Bering Sea Islands
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Yu k.u - Kuskolcwi. D
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    No u Sound Highla
                                                                                 19                                                                                                                                                                                                 Selt'
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    awik - Kobuk Delta
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Brooks Range
                                                     1@      It                                                                                                                                      HORAGE      V.                                                                 Art Foothills
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    'rct:c
                                                                        NIJ@@".K                                                                                                                                                                                                    ,cCoastal Plain
                                                                         ISLAND                                                                                                                                                          7

                                                                       3

                                                                                                                                                             9                                               GULF OF ALASKA
                                            PRIBILOF                                                                               18                                                            2
                                            15LANDS
                                                                                                                                                                                11
                                                                                                   R                                                                          KODIAK
                                                                                                          A Y                                                                          P A C                        F / C                          0 C E A N

                                                                   I'A                                                                                                                                            8 E R / N             G 5 E A
                                                                                                                                                                           NEAR ISLAND5                      T
                                                                                                                                                                                     Ell                          4 s,        3                                   tV@-A.. EA-1
                                                                                                                                                                                                                           @Rm     ms 9                                             "L-D5
                                                                                                                                                                                                  4 C'                           st.
                                       @@'OISLANDS                                                                                                                                                                   C        IN.                        0 C       E A              N
                                                                                                                                                                             ol

               CHAPTER FIVE
               Results

               The intent of this study was to quantify a-real          Results presented in the remainder of this section
               coverage of wetlands and deepwater habitats for          are based on information found in the Appendix
               Alaska. Results for all categories discussed in the      and other supplementary data.
               classification system section are given in the
               Appendix. Several of the individual categories
               were grouped based on physical, chemical, and
               biological similarities and are shown as subtotals.
               These groupings include the following:

               Wetlands and deep-water habitats includes all            Alaska Range
               marine, estuarine, palustrine, and lacustrine clas-      PALUSTR1NE SCRUB/SHRUB - SATURATED
               sifications.

               Wetlands includes marine, estuarine, and palus-
               trine wetlands.

               Estuarine wetlands includes all estuarine care-
               gories except estuarine subtidal (a deepwatcr                                                                                           @A
               habitat).                                                                   `4@@

               Palustrine wetlands includes all palustrine care-
                                                                                                                            J
               gories.

               Palustrine nonveyetated wetlands includes the
               unconsolidated shore, open water, and aquatic
               bed categories.

               Palustrine vegetated wetlands includes all erner-
               gent, scrub/shrub, and forested categories.                                                                   j

               Palustrine emergent wetlands, palustrine
               scrublsbrub wetlands, and palustrine forested wet-
               lands include the saturated and flooded care_
               gories.

                                                                                                                  7
               Deepwater habitats includes estuarine subtidal
               and lacustrine habitats.

                                                                                                                    0M,

                                                                        USFVVS
                                                                                                                                               17

                                    WETLANDS AND                                             WETLANDS
                                    DEEPWATER HABITATS                                       The estimate of wetlands is 174,683,900 acres.
                                    The estimate of wetlands and deepwater habitats          The lower 48 states contain an estimated
                                    is 204,554,300 acres (See figure 1). This repre-         103,343,600 acres of wetlands (See figures 2, 3).
                                    sents 50.7 percent of Alaska's surface area. In the      Figure 4 shows the distribution of Alaska wet-
                                    lower 48 states, wetlands and deepwater habitats         lands by region.
                                    only occupy 9.3 percent of the surface area.

                                    Suckling Hills, Soutb Central Alaska Mountains
                                    PALUSTRINE EMERGENT - SATURATED AND OPEN WATER

                                          vooft

                                                                                                                               All

                                                                   ;Y@

                                                                      e
                                                                                    Ai
                         21
                                       4                     -4,                    4.

                                        7   jr

                                                                                                                                           J. HALL
                18

                                                                           Figure I
                                                       Alaska Wetlands and      Deepwater Habitats

                                                                   OTIRER
                                                              198, 93,400 acres

                                                                                   "DEEPWATER
                                                                                      HABITATS
                                                                                   29,870,400 acres
                                                                                        7.4%

                                                                          Figures 2, 3
                                                      Surface Area of Alaska and Lower 48 States

                                      ALL SURFACE AREA                                                    WETLANDS

                                       MON-WETLANDS
                                      4108,718,600acres
                                            88.4%

                                                                      res                         "g      Vl@

                                                                                                             5@

                                                                            Figure 4
                                                        Distribution of Alaska Wetlands by Region

                                                                                      @:l'
                                                                      N
                                                                                                     SOUTHERN
                                                                                                   9,051,200 acres
                                                                                                        5.2%

                                                                                                      COASTAL ZONE
                                                                                                     2,190,600 acres
                                                                                                          1.3%
                                                                            120          -@@kn
                                                                5

                                                                                                                                                                     19

                                                                 'v

                                                                                                                                                     -7,

                                                                                                                      l7

                                                                                                                                               4

                                                   Arctic Foothills                                                                                                                                USFWS

                                                   PA-LUSTRINE EMERGENT - SATURATED

                                                   The 25 physical subdivisions and four regions                                 below with their respective total acreages and
                                                   appearing in the map on page 16 are shown                                     wetland areas.

                                                                                                     ALASKA PHYSICAL SUBDIVISIONS

                                                                                                TOTAL     WETLAND     WETLAND                                              TOTAL      WETLAND     WETLAND
                                                    PHYSICAL SUBDIVISION                        ACRES        ACRES    PERCENT    PHYSICAL SUBDIVISION                      ACRES        ACRES     PERCENT
                                                                                                (IN THOUSANDS OF ACRES)                                                    (IN THOUSANDS OF ACRES),

                                                    Southeast Alaska Mountains                  7,023.9        84.4    1.2       Norton Sound Highlands                  34,652.3     18,320.1    52.9
                                                    Southeast Alaska Lowlands                11,128.4      3,835.5    34.5       Selawk-Kobuk Delta                        3,149.6     2,384.0    75.7
                                                    South Central Alaska Mountains           26,375.7         739.4    2.8       Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta                   15,860.3     12,477.0    78.7
                                                    Cook Inlet - Susitna Lowland                9,442.0    2,644.5    28.0       Bristol Bay Coastal Plain                 6,067.5     3,331.8    54.9
                                                    Alaska Peninsula & Southwest Islands     15,748.6      1,747.4    11.1       Bering Sea Islands                        2,898.1     2,194.5    75.7
                                                    Total - Southern Alaska                 69,718.6      9,051.2     13.0       Brooks Range                            32,406.5      7,182.3    22.2
                                                                                                                                 Arctic Foothills                        36,390.6     30,271.1    83.2
                                                    Copper River Plateau                        8,367.4    3,056.9    36.5       Arctic Coastal Plain                    20,031.5     16,615.6    82.9
                                                    Alaska Range                             18,197.4      1,339.5     7.4       Total - Arctic & Western Alaska 151,456.4           92,776.4     61.3
                                                    Koyukuk-Innoko Lowland                   10,161.0      7,223.0    71.1
                                                    Kanuti Flats                                1,339.0    1,023.7    76.5       Southeast Coastal Zone                    7,456.8      236.0       3.2
                                                    Tanana-Kuskokwim Lowland                 13,550.9      8,256.1    60.9       South Central Coastal Zone                6,567.7      694.1     10.6
                                                    Yukon Flats                                 9,679.2    3,681.6    38.0       Western Coastal Zone                      3,754.8     1,106.3    29.5
                                                    Kuskokwirn Highlands                     44,182.5     24,462.4    55.4       Northern Coastal Zone                     3,592.3      154.2       4.3
                                                    Interior Alaska Highlands                55,223.7     21,622.5    39.2       Total - Coastal Zone'                  21,371.6      2,190.6     10.3
                                                    Total - Interior Alaska                160,701.1     70,665.7     44.0
                                                                                                                                 Total - Alaska                      403,247.7 174,683.9          43.3

                                                                                                                                 'Coastal Zone acreage is primarily estuarine subtidal, a deepwater habitat

                       20

                Marine Intertidal Wetlands                                                                       Figure 5
                The estimate of marine intertidal wetlands is                                         Estuarine Wetlands in Alaska
                48,600 acres.                                                                              and the Lower 48 States

                Estuarine Wetlands
                The estimate of estuarine wetlands is 2,131,900
                acres. This is smaller than the estimated
                5,472,700 acres of estuarincwetlands in the                                           ALASKA              LOWER 48
                lower 48 states (See figure 5). As shown in                                           ESTUARINE           ESTUARINE
                figures 6 and 7, the majority of estuarine wetlands                                   WETLAINa)           WETLANDS
                                                                                                      1
                                                                                                      13190
                                                                                                           00
                                                                                                           ( c
                in Alaska are nonvegetated- the vast majority of                                    21     1  res       5,472,700 acres
                                                                                                           28.0%            72.0%
                estuarine wetlands in the lower 48 states are
                vegetated. Figure 8 shows the distribution of
                Alaska estuarine wetlands by coastal subdivisions.

                                            Figure 6                                                             Figure 7
                              Estuarine Wetlands in Alaska                                   Estuarine Wetlands in the Lower 48 States

                                       NONVEGETATED                                                                   VEGETATED
                                      1,771,700 acres
                                          811%                                                                      4,782,900 acres
                                                                                  NONVEGETATEI                            87,4%
                                                        VEGETATED                  689,800 acresI
                                                       360,200 acres
                                                                                       12.6%
                                                          16.9%

                                                                              Figure 8
                                                          Distribution of Alaska Estuarine Wetlands
                                                                    by Coastal Subdivisions

                                                                            SOUTH CENTRAL
                                                    SOUTHEAST                 675,900 acres
                                                    230,800 acres                31.7%
                                                       10.8%

                                                    NORTHERN
                                                                                                      AL   SKA @E
                                                                                                      ESTU RIN
                                                                                                      WET  NOS
                                                                                                      131  0  ces
                                                                                                 2 Da
                                                                                                           'go
                                                                                                           2
                                                                                                           0.
                                                                                                           8@

                                      NO  , @EETA
                                      @17@1 70 ac>
                                          83_1

                                                  144,300 acres                    WESTERN
                                                      6.8%                      1,080,900 acres
                                                                                    50.7%

                                                                                                                                                                           21

                                      Palustrine Wetlands                                    Palustrine Vegetated Wetlands
                                      The estimate of palustrinc wetlands is                 The estimate of palustrine vegetated wetlands is
                                      172,503,400 acres. This represents 98.8 percent        169,833,200 acres. This is much larger than the
                                      of the wetlands in Alaska.                             91,625,300 acrcs in the lower 48 states (See
                                                                                             figure 9). The distribution is quite different for
                                      Palustrine Nonvegetated Wetlands                       the two areas. In Alaska, the vast majority of
                                      The estimate of palustrine nonvegetated wetlands       palustrine vegetated wetlands are scrub/shrub
                                      in Alaska is 2,670,200 acres. The lower 48 states      wetlands, and the smallest amount is forested
                                      have 6,141,300 acres of palustrine nonvegetated        wetlands (See figure 10); in the lower 48 states,
                                      wetlands. In both cases, most of the area is open      the majority of palustrine vegetated wetlands are
                                      water ponds. However, in the mid- 19 5 O's, there      forested wetlands, and the smallest amount is
                                      was only an estimated 2,704,400 acres of palus-        scrub/shrub wetlands (See figure 11). The distri-
                                      trinc nonvcgetatcd wetlands in the lower 48            bution of palustrinc vegetated wetlands in
                                      states. Most of the increase is due to pond            Alaska's Southern, Interior, and Arctic and
                                      construction.                                          Western regions is shown in figures 12, 13, and
                                                                                             14, respectivelv.

                                      Caribou herd, Arctic Coastal Plain
                                      PALUSTRINE EMERGENT - FLOODED

                                                                                                                     lot.

                                      t

                          4

                                                                                         "'A

                                                                              Now;

                           ir                                                                off

                                                                                    t

                                                                                                                               Ilk

                                                                                       t

                                                                                   OPT

                  #K

        f

                                                                                                                             BP EXPLORATION @ALASKA) NC.
                  22

                                                                                Figure 9
                                                            Palustrine Vegetated Wetlands in Alaska
                                                                     and the Lower 48 States

                                                                      ALASKA              LOWER 48
                                                                  169,833,200 acres    91,625,300 acres
                                                                       65.0%                35.0%

                                            Figure 10                                                              Figure 11
                         Palustrine Vegetated Wetlands in Alaska                       Palustrine Vegetated Wetlands in the Lower 48 States

                                                                  FORESTED
                                                                   22,300 acres
                                                :3,`@:!@@'@""@:"@   7.9%

                                                                                                                7

                                                        EMERGENT
                                                                                                         EMERGENT
                                                     42,000,800 acres
                                                                                                       24,533,000 acres
                                                          24.7%
                                                                                                           26.8%

                                                                            Figures 12, 13, 14
                                                            Palustrine Vegetated Wetlands by Region

                                SOUTHERN                                        INTERIOR                                    ARCTIC & WESTERN

                                                                                      of"m
                               A

                                                                            -3,
                       EMERGENT
                     1,842,700 acres
                         20.8%
                                                                                                                                 EMERGENT
                                                                                                                              31,184,700 acres
                                                                                                                                                        FORESTED
                                                                                                                                   34.3%              1,042,400 acres
                                                                                                                                                           1.1%

                                                                      EMERGENT                     ED
                                                                    8,973,400 acres       8,989,300 acres
                                                                        12.8%                 12.9%

                                                                                                                                                                               23

                                      Palustrine Emergent Wetlands                              fourth of the palustrine scri-ib/shri-ib wetlands are
                                      (Figures 15, 16)                                          flooded. Almost 97 percent of the palustrille
                                      The estimate of palustrinc emergent wetlands is           scrub/shrub wetlands are found in Interior
                                      42,000,800 acres. The amounts of saturated and            Alaska and Arctic and Western Alaska.
                                      flooded wetlands are approximately equal.                 Subdivisions having the most palustrine
                                      Palustrinc emergent wetlands are most common              scrub/shrub wetlands are the Arctic Foothills in
                                      in Arctic and Western Alaska, where three-                Arctic and Western Alaska, with 24,548,300
                                      fourths of this type of wetland is found. Over 14         acres; and, the Kuskokwini Highlands and the
                                      million acres of palustrinc emergent wetlands arc         Interior Alaska flighlands ill Interior Alaska
                                      found in the Arctic Coastal Plain, the only physi-        with 18,858,900 acres and 16,348,900 acres,
                                      cal subdivision in Alaska with the majority of its        respectively.
                                      surface area in this single type. Over five million
                                      acres of palustrine emergent wetlands are found           Palustrine Forested Wetlands
                                      in the Yukon 44iskokwirn Delta and also in the            (Figures 19, 20)
                                      Arctic Foothills.                                         The estimate of palustrine forested wetlands is
                                                                                                13,322,300 acres. Only 204,300 acres arc classi-
                                      Palustrine ScrublSbrub Wetlands                           fied as flooded. As shown earlier, palustrinc
                                      (Figures 17, 18)                                          forested wetlands cover relatively little area in
                                      The estimate of palustrine scrub/shrub wetlands           Alaska compared to the lower 48 states, where it
                                      is 114,5 10,100 acres. Only 5.8 percent of these          is the most abundant type of wetland.
                                      wetlands are ctassified as flooded. Flooded palus-
                                      trinc scrUb/shrub wetlands are most common in
                                      the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, where about one-

                                                                                                                      Tanana -lCuskokimm Lo)vland
                                                                                                              PALUSTRINE SCRUB/SHRUB - FLOODED

                    A.

              4

                          `77'

                                       77@

                                             46,                                                    -v

                                                               .7
                                                                                          . . . . . . . . . .

                                                                                 :'4T

                                                                                          J

                                                                     A

                                                                                                                                                F. GOLET
                 24

                                                                  Figures 15, 16
                                                        Palustrine Emergent Wetlands

                             SATURATED VS. FLOODED                                    DISTRIBUTION BY REGION

                                                                                                     INTERIOR
                                                                                                  8,973,400 acres
                           SATURATED         FLOODED                                                  21.4%        SOUTHERN
                                                                                                                 11,842,700 acres
                          21,170,500 acres 20,830,300 acres
                                                                                                                     4A%
                             50.4%             49.6%

                                                                                       ARCTIC AND WESTERN
                                                                                         31,184,700 acres
                                                                                            74.2%

                                                                  Figures 17, 18
                                                       Palustrine Scrub/Shrub Wetlands

                             SATURATED VS. FLOODED                                    DISTRIBUTION BY REGION

                                                                                              INTERIOR
                                                                                           52,047,600 acres
                                                                                               450k

                                                           FLOODED
                          :Z f                          6,592,200 acres                                            SOUTHERN
                                                                                                                  3,709,600 acres
                                                            5@8%                                                     3.2%
                                                                                        ARCTIC AND WESTERN
                                                                                          58,752,900 acres
                                                                                              51.3%

                                                                  Figures 19, 20
                                                        Palustrine Forested Wetlands

                             SATURATED VS. FLOODED                                    DISTRIBUTION BY REGION

                                                         FLOODED
                                                        204,300 acres

                        v

                                                                                                      ARCTIC AND WESTERN
                                                                                                         1,042,400 acres
                                                                                                             7.8%

                                                                                                                                            25

                                      DEEPWATER HABITATS                                        affected groups. Other shifts have occurred
                                      The estimate of deepwatcr habitats is 29,870,400          between groups due to land trades and acquisi-
                                      acres. Estuarine subtidal habitats cover approxi-         tions, and conversion of State lands to private
                                      mately the same surface area in Alaska as in the          ownership through homesteading and agriCU1-
                                      lower 48 states (See figure 2 1). Alaska has much         tural programs.
                                      less acreage in lacustrine deep-water habitats than
                                      the lower 48 states; however, about two-thirds of         Figure 22 shows the distribution of wetlands
                                      the lacustrine area in the lower 48 states is in the      among ownership/management categories. The
                                      Great Lakes.                                              remaining figures show acreages for wetland cate-
                                                                                                gories managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service,
                                      OWNERSHIP                                                 the National Park Service, and the Forest Service.
                                      The detailed ownership information collected              Acreages in these groups have been relativelv sta-
                                      during the study is presented in the summary              ble over the past several years. As might be
                                      table in the Appendix. The information should             expected, 1) the Fish and Wildlife Service is man -
                                      be used with caution, because the State of Alaska         aging a greater proportion of emergent wetlands
                                      and Natives are continuing to receive lands               than the other two agencies, and 2) the most
                                      selected from the block of lands managed by the           prevalent wetland category under Forest Service
                                      Bureau of Land Management. This results in                management is palustrine forested.
                                      major shifts in wetland acreages managed by the

                                      Northwestern Lagoon, South Central Coastal Zone
                                      ESTUARINE SUBTIDAL

          ...... . .....

                                                                                                                                     A@
                                                                                                                       P-60

                                                                                      . . .. . . . . .

                                                                                       &

                                                                                                                                                J. HALL
                 26

                                Figure 21                                               Figure 22
                Estuarine and Lacustrine Deepwater Habitats           Distribution of Wetlands by Ownership/Management
                     in Alaska and the Lower 48 States

                                                                                         OTHERS
                     LOWER 48                 ALASKA                                    564,700 acres
                  ESTUARINE SUBTIDAL      ESTUARINE SUBTIDAL                              0.3%
                   18,882,400 acre         19,152,400 acres
                       1770/.                  16.0%

                                                     ALASKA
                                                    LACUSTRINE
                                                  10,718,000 acres
                                                      10.0%           NATIVE
                                                                   19,575,000 acres
                                                                       11.2%

                                                                    FOREST SERVICE
                                                                    3,827,100 acres
                                                                       2.2%

                                                                                 NATIONAL
                                                                                PARK SERVICE
                                                                               13,259,700 acres
                                Figure 23                                          7.6%
            Wetlands under Management by Fish and Wildlife Service

                                  PALUSTRINE
                                   EMERGENT
                                 11,531,800 acres /JPALUITRINI
                                    30.1%           FORESTED
                                                    492,900 acres
                                                      3.9%

                                                    OTHER
                                                   WETLANDS
                                                 1,185,700 acres
                             629R                    3.1%

                                Figure 24                                               Figure 25
            Wetlands under Management by National Park Service          Wetlands under Management by Forest Service

                                                                       PALUSTRINE
                                                 PALUSTRINE             EMERGENT
                            PAW,
                                                 EMERGENT              370,000 acres
                                                1,034,400 acres           9.7%
                                                   7.8%

                                                     PALUSTRINE
                                                 IZ FORESTED                   :PAL  Bl$
                                                                               40W
                                                     780,500 acres
                                                                                     0
                                                       5.9%                          -

                                                  OTHER
                                                 WETLANDS
                                                111, 900 acres
                                                   0.8%                        OTHER/
                                                                              WETLANDS
                                                                             61,800 acres
                                                                               1.6%

                                                                                                                        27

                                                                                                     Alk

               CHAPTER SIX
               In Conclusion

               This survey provides an estimate of 174,683,900            Continual monitoring of surface area use and
               acres of wetlands in Alaska, dominated by palus-           changes in use is needed to provide the basis for
               trinc vegetated wetlands. Alaska contains 63 per-          wise decisions. This report is the result of one
               cent of the total wetland acreage in the United            such method of monitoring initiated by the
               States (excluding Hawaii). While widespread wet-           U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The results in
               land losses have been relatively low in Alaska,            this report provide wetland information similar
               specific localities have sustained significant losses      to 1) the forest and range information required
               (Alaska Dept. of Natural Resources 1993).                  by the Forest and Rangeland Renewable
                                                                          Resources Planning Act, and 2) information on
               Results of this study provide the basis for future         soil, water, and related resources required by the
               studies of wetland trends. One of the first trends         Soil and Water Resource Conservation Act. The
               that could be studied is the change in the owner-          results can be updated in the ftiture on the sched-
               ship/management of wetlands resulting from                 ulc required by those Acts.
               continuing land transfers involving federal agen-
               cies, Natives, and the State of Alaska. The sample
               units used in this study could be reclassified by
               ownership at some future date to provide more
               current information.

                                                                                     X.

                                                                                                                                                    N

               left: Black spruce, Tanana -Kuskokw1m Lowland
               PALUSTRINE FORESTED - SATURATED

               J. HALL

                        rigbt: Moose, Cook Inlet - Susitna Lowland
                                 PALUSTRINE EMERGENT - FLOODED

                                                                          USFWS
                                                                                                                                                   29

                                                          pill

                                                                                                                                                    Rw

                                                                                                                                           @i'    t4 I
                                                                                                                                                                   4r

                                                                                                                                                                                 4.

                                                                                                                                                                                                     V-4

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             I@A

                                                                 4&m@-

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                                                                     State Univ. 32 pp.
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                                                                     King, J. G., and C. J. Lensink. 1971. An
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                                                                     Lensink, C. J., and D. V. Derksen. 1986.
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                                                                     Serv. 213 pp.
             Ellanna, L. J., and P. C. Wheeler. 1986.
             Subsistence use of wetlands in Alaska.                  U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1985.
             _Tn: Alaska Regional Wctland Functions -                Izembek National Wildlife Reffige - comprehen-
             Proceedings of a Workshop. The Environmental            si-ve conservation plan. U. S. Fish Wildl. Serv.,
             Institute, Univ. of Mass. pp 85-103.                    Anchorage, Alaska. 270 pp.

             left: Stikine River Delta, Southeast Alaska Lowlands
             PALUSTRINE EMERGENT - FLOODED
              HALL

                                                                                                                                           31

                                         Appendix

                                         Estimates produced include acreages with asso-            Estimates were produced for categories described
                                         ciated standard errors. Many estimates are not            in Chapter Three. These estimates are summa-
                                         considered reliable enough to recommend their             rized on the next page. Totals for columns are
                                         use for making decisions. An indication is given          estimates of total acreage by ownership/manage-
                                         of the reliability of each estimated acreage in the       ment classification categorv. Row totals (the
                                         summary tables included in this appendix. The             extreme right column) are"estimates of total
                                         standard error of each entry expressed as a per-          acreage by surface area category. Entries are
                                         centage of the entry (SE%) is given in parenthe-          interpreted as in the following examples (all from
                                         ses. Reliabilitv can be stated enerally as "we are        the second and tenth columns of the table):
                                                                       9
                                         68 percent confident that the true value is within
                                         the interval constructed by adding to and sub-                 11,531,800 acres classified as palustririe
                                         tracting from the entry th@ SE%/100 times the                  emergent are managed by the U. S. Fish
                                         entry." For example, if an entry is one million                and Wildlife Service.
                                         acres and the SE% is 20, then we arc 68 percent
                                         confident that the true value is between 800,000               42,000,800 acres are classified as palustrine
                                         and 1,200,000 acres. An equivalent statement for               emergent.
                                         95 percent confidence can be made by adding
                                         and subtracting twice the amount to and from                   24,151,900 acres classified as palLtstriiie
                                         the entry.                                                     scrub/shrub are managed by U. S. Fish
                                                                                                        and Wildlife Service.
                                         Therefore, a large SE% indicates low reliability, if
                                         any, in the estimate. In fact, if the SE% is 100 or            The estimate of palustrine forested area is
                                         greater, we cannot even say that we are 68 per-                13,322,300 acres.
                                         cent confident that the true value is not zero.
                                                                                                        The estimated area of wetlands and
                                         This discussion on reliabilitv is meant to aid in              deepwater habitats is 204,554,300 acres.
                                         interpretation of the study @esults. It was expect-
                                         ed that onIv certain estimates would be precise
                                         enough to be meaningfiil. However, all entries
                                         are included in the summarv table for additivitv
                                         and case of comparison.

                                                                            Seaside plantain,
                                                    Anchorage, South Central Coastal Zone
                                                         ESTUARINE INTERTIDAL VEGETATED
                                                                                                   F GOLET
                   32

                        TA,BLE 1. Area, in thousands of acres, by surface area classification.
                        Sampling error, in percent, is given in parentheses below estimate.

                                                                                                                        OWNERSHIP CLASSIFICATION

                                                                                                           FEDERAL

                                                                                BUREAU        FISH AND     NATIONAL                                                                                        ALL
                                                                                OFLAND        WILDLIFE       PARK        FOREST        OTHER          ALL          NATIVE  7STATE          OTHER        OWNER-
                                                                                MGMT.         SERVICE      SERVICE       SERVICE      FEDERAL      FEDERAL                                                SHIPS

                                     MARINE INTERTIOAL WETLANDS                       0            2.9            0           0              0           2.9          0            45,7          0             48.6
                                                                                                  (42.9)                                               (42.9)                      (31.1)                      (29.7)

                                                       NON-VEGETATED                  0.6         58.0            5.2         0.1            1.3       65.2           7.5      1698.0            1.0      1771.7
                     A           ESTUARINE                                           (75.2)       (44.0)       (72.2)         (55.0)      (93.2)       (39.6)         (53.2)       (7.9)        (94.9)         (7.6)
                                 INTERTIDAL            VEGETATED                      5.6         52.6            0.9         23.6           4.5       87.2           17.0       255.9           0.1       360.2
                                                                                     (45.6)       (36.3)       (54.6)         (46.6)      (87.0)       (25.8)         (37.4)       (18.2)       (95.0)         (14.3)
                     L
                                     ESTUARINE WETLANDS                               6.2        110.6            6.1         23.7           5.8       152.4          24.5     1953.9            1.1      2131.9
                                                                                     (41.9)       (30.3)       (69.4)         (46.4)      (71.8)       (23.5)         (33.2)       (7.4)        (94.9)         (7.1)

                                                       UNCONSOLIDATED                 5.4         15.3            0.1         <0. 1          0         20.8           1.0          11.2          0             33.0
                     L          P                      SHORE                         (54.6)       (83.1)       (81.0)       (100.0)                    (62.8)         (58.1)       (46.3)                      (42.5)

                                                       OPEN WATER                   489.8        992.6        103.3           37.6           0.4    1623.7         549.4         336.4           1.5      2511.0
                                A                                                     (9.4)        (7.4)       (20.3)         (31.0)      (99.5)         (5.4)        (13.7)       (10.2)       (60.7)         (4.1)
                                                       AQUATIC BEDS                  13.1         64.3            2.4         0.5            0         80.3           24.4         20.7          0.8       126.2
                                                                                     (30.5)       (22.8)       (59.8)         (55.2)                   (18.9)         (24.2)       @24.8)       (99.3)         (13.4)

                                L                                                   508.       10722                          38.1           0.4    1724.8         574.8         368.3           2.3      2670.2
                                          NON-VEGETATED                                   3        (.7105.8)
                                                                                                       ),     10  00
                     W                                                                (9.2)        (7.3)       (@2 0. 0)      (30.1)      (99.5)         (5.4)        (13.3)       (10.0)       (70.3)         (4.0)
                                                       EMERGENT-                  8252.2       5956.6         357.1         205.9            0.1   14771.9         1909.2      4483.0            6.4    21170.5
                                U                      SATURATED                     (10.4)       (11.5)       (57.7)         (19.6)      (75.7)         (7.4)        (16.4)       (15.5)       (66.4)         (5.9)
                     E                                 EMERGENT-                  6582.4       5575.2         677.3         164.1            2.5   13001.5         3229.4      4586.0           13.4    20830.3
                                                       FLOODED                        (8.1)        (9.2)       (24.5)         (78.1)      (88.7)         (5,6)        (122)        (9.8)        (78.1)         (3.9)
                                S
                                                  EMERGENT                      14834.6       11531.8        1034.4         370.0            2.6   27773.4         5138.6      9069.0           19.8    42000.8
                     T                                                                (7.4)        (8.0)       (26.1)         (36.8)      (84.1)         (5.0)        (10.8)       (10.3)       (57.9)         (3.5)
                                T                      SCRUB/SHRUB -            38243.3       22132.0      10774.9          683.7        222.2     72056.1      12064.3       23708.9           88.6   107917.9
                                                       SATURATED                      (5.4)        (6@6)       (14.3)         (17.8)      (52.7)         (3.7)        (10.4)       (7.0)        (49.2)         (2.4)
                     L                                 SCRLIB/SHRUB -             1372.3       2019.9         558.0           61.9        36.1      4048.2         955.7       1566.3           22.0      6592.2
                                R                      FLOODED                       (10.9)       (12.5)       (18.4)         (55.9)      (83.6)         (7.6)        (20.8)       (10.9)       (55.8)         (5.9)
                                                  SCRUB/SHRUB                   39615.6       24151.9      11332.9          745.6        258.3     76104.3      13020.0       25275.2         110.6    114510.1
                     A                                                                (5.3)        (6.3)       (14.0)         (19.5)      (48.2)         (3.6)        (10.0)       (6.8)        (49.1)         (2.3)
                                                       FORESTED -                 3827.9       1462.8         767.1       2631.2         103.7      8792.7         792.3       3483.9           49.1    13118.0
                                                       SATURATED                     (16.2)       (16.8)       (43.5)         (11.0)      (65.8)         (8.9)        (22.1)       (12.7)       (44.4)         (6.7)
                     N                                 FORESTED -                    32.3         30.1         13.4           18.5           2.3       96.6           24.8         74.2          8.7       204.3
                                N                      FLOODED                       (38.2)       (62.6)       (62.6)         (42.4)      (99.4)       (26.1)         (58.5)       (58.3)       (76.6)         (25.7)

                                                  FORESTED                        3860.2       1492.9         780.5       2649.7         106.0      8889.3         817.1       3558.1           57.8    13322.3
                     D
                                E                                                    (16.1)       (16.8)       (42.8)         (10.9)      (64.5)         (8.9)        (22.1)       (12.5)       (42.1)         (6.6)
                                         VEGETATED                              58310.4       37176.6      13147.8        3765.3         366.9    112767.0      18975.7       37902.3         188.2    169833.2
                                                                                      (4.3)        (5.2)       (13.1)         (11@           4.9)        (2.8)        (8.5)        (5.7)        (43.3)         (16)
                     S               PALUSTRINE WETLANDS                        58818.7       38248.8      13253.6        3803.4         367.3    114491.8      19550.5       38270.6         190.5    172503.4
                                                                                      (4.3)        (5.1)       (13.0)         (11.2)      (44.9)         (2.7)        (8.5)        (5.6)        (43.5)         (1.6)

                            ALL WETLANDS                                        58824.9       38362.3      13259.7        3827.1         3731     114647.1      19575.0       40270.2         191.6    174683.9
                                                                                      (43)         (5.1)       (13.0)         (11.2)      (44.2)         (17)         (M)          (5.4)        (432)          (1.6)

                                     ESTUARINE SUBTIDAL                               0.7         40.7         <0. 1          <0.1       865.2         906.6          3.9     18224.6           17.3    19152.4
                                                                                     (64.3)       (65.1)       (95.0)         (95.7)      (14.4)       (14.0)         (44.1)       (1.0)        (95.0)         (0.8)

                                     LACUSTRINE                                   2496.5       2733.4         179.6         350.4            0      5759.9         1435.3      3519.7            3.1    10718.0
                                                 '@RGEUNT
                                                       SC
                                                          RUB HRUB-
                                                       SAT   RATED

                                                                                     (12.8)       (12.5)       (28.1)         (38.5)                     (8.5)        (15.7)       (17.9)       (99.2)         (7.5)

                            DEEPWATER HABITATS                                    2497.2       2774,11        179.6         350.4        865.2      6666.5         1439.2     21744.3           20.4    29870.4
                                                                                     (12.8)       (12.3)       (281)          (38.5)      (14.4)         (7.6)        (15.6)       (3.0)        (82.0)         (2.7)
                            WETLANDS AND                                        61322.1       41136.4      13439.3        4177 751238.3           121313.6      21014.2       62014.5)                            3)
                                                                                                               (12.8)         (10.2)                                               1                              37
                                                                                                                                  2)      (1
                                                                                                                                                                      (79)         (3.5)
                            DEEPWATER HABITATS                                        (4.2@        (5.0)                                  (16.7)         (2.7)     -77

                                                                                        -16A

                                                                                           NN 1%

                        00,

                                                                               Ile

                                                                         dl
                                                                                                       kw*
                                                                                           AW:7.

                                                                                                      .mod,

                                                                                                   oll
                                                                                        3 6668 001    5107