This ecoregion is located on the north coast of Alaska, and includes the east coast plain of Banks Island, as well as the Anderson River and Horton River plains, and the Tuktoyaktuk coast in the Northwest Territories. This is an area of low, flat, boggy coastal plains. The underlying soil of this damp Arctic coast is thick, solid permafrost, covered in summer with thermokarst "thaw lakes" of melted ice. Ice features such as ice wedges and pingo mounds of soil and ice can be found. This coast has an arctic climate warm enough to allow plant growth in late-June, July and August only, and even then frosts may occur. On the whole this is a damper, wetter area than the Low Arctic tundra ecoregion that continues along the coast west of here to Quebec.[2]
Floraedit
This area supports wetland plants especially sedges and grasses, mosses and lichens, and right on the coast there are peat bogs. Trees such as dwarf birch, willows, northern Labrador tea (Dryas) and alders grow in the warmer areas of the region, the Mackenzie River delta and the Yukon coast.
90% of natural habitat remains intact, except for the vicinity of Utqiaġvik, Alaska and the oil fields of Prudhoe Bay, Alaska and Kuparuk which are expanding along the coast and may in future spread into the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which is the only major protected area on this coast (see Arctic Refuge drilling controversy), and on and around the Dalton Highway and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. The area is one of the "most productive"[5] in the United States for petroleum extraction including a 9 million hectare area reserved for this activity.[6] As Arctic seas warm and ice recedes, it is believed that these areas contained within the Arctic coastal tundra may reveal some of the largest petroleum reserves in the world.[7][8][9]
^ abcd Hoekstra, J. M.; Molnar, J. L.; Jennings, M.; Revenga, C.; Spalding, M. D.; Boucher, T. M.; Robertson, J. C.; Heibel, T. J.; Ellison, K. (2010). Molnar, J. L. (ed.). The Atlas of Global Conservation: Changes, Challenges, and Opportunities to Make a Difference. University of California Press. ISBN978-0-520-26256-0.
^"Arctic coastal tundra". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
^McCloskey, Sarah E.; Uher-Koch, Brian D.; Schmutz, Joel A.; Fondell, Thomas F. (2018-01-10). "International migration patterns of Red-throated Loons (Gavia stellata) from four breeding populations in Alaska". PLOS ONE. 13 (1): e0189954. Bibcode:2018PLoSO..1389954M. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0189954. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC5761837. PMID 29320572.
^Poessel, Sharon A.; Uher-Koch, Brian D.; Pearce, John M.; Schmutz, Joel A.; Harrison, Autumn-Lynn; Douglas, David C.; von Biela, Vanessa R.; Katzner, Todd E. (2020-06-01). "Movements and habitat use of loons for assessment of conservation buffer zones in the Arctic Coastal Plain of northern Alaska". Global Ecology and Conservation. 22: e00980. doi:10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e00980. ISSN 2351-9894.
^Poessel, Sharon A.; Uher-Koch, Brian D.; Pearce, John M.; Schmutz, Joel A.; Harrison, Autumn-Lynn; Douglas, David C.; von Biela, Vanessa R.; Katzner, Todd E. (2020-06-01). "Movements and habitat use of loons for assessment of conservation buffer zones in the Arctic Coastal Plain of northern Alaska". Global Ecology and Conservation. 22: e00980. doi:10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e00980. ISSN 2351-9894.
^"Oil and Gas Resources of the Arctic Alaska Petroleum Province". pubs.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2024-02-21.
^Harsem, Øistein; Heen, Knut; Rodrigues, J. M. P.; Vassdal, Terje (2013-10-08). "Oil exploration and sea ice projections in the Arctic". Polar Record. 51 (1): 91–106. doi:10.1017/S0032247413000624. ISSN 0032-2474. S2CID 130708571.
^Poessel, Sharon A.; Uher-Koch, Brian D.; Pearce, John M.; Schmutz, Joel A.; Harrison, Autumn-Lynn; Douglas, David C.; von Biela, Vanessa R.; Katzner, Todd E. (2020-06-01). "Movements and habitat use of loons for assessment of conservation buffer zones in the Arctic Coastal Plain of northern Alaska". Global Ecology and Conservation. 22: e00980. doi:10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e00980. ISSN 2351-9894.
^Circum-Arctic Resource Appraisal: Estimates of Undiscovered Oil and Gas North of the Arctic Circle By (in alphabetical order) Kenneth J. Bird, Ronald R. Charpentier, Donald L. Gautier (CARA Project Chief), David W. Houseknecht, Timothy R. Klett, Janet K. Pitman, Thomas E. Moore, Christopher J. Schenk, Marilyn E. Tennyson, and Craig J. Wandrey 2008 https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2008/3049/
External linksedit
Media related to Arctic coastal tundra at Wikimedia Commons
April 12, 2024
arctic, coastal, tundra, ecoregion, north, north, america, important, breeding, ground, great, deal, wildlife, tundra, vegetation, yukon, coastal, plainat, firth, river, delta109, arctic, coastal, tundraecologyrealmnearcticbiometundrabordersarctic, foothills, . The Arctic coastal tundra is an ecoregion of the far north of North America an important breeding ground for a great deal of wildlife Arctic coastal tundraTundra vegetation on Yukon s coastal plainat the Firth River delta109 Arctic Coastal TundraEcologyRealmNearcticBiomeTundraBordersArctic foothills tundraLow Arctic tundraMiddle Arctic tundraNorthwest Territories taigaAnimalscaribou bear wolf muskox snow goose brant goose polar bear fox lemming ermine seal fishBird species74 1 Mammal species31 1 GeographyArea98 200 km2 37 900 sq mi CountriesUnited StatesCanadaStatesAlaskaNorthwest TerritoriesYukonElevation0 150 metres 0 492 ft Geologycoastal plainRiversthe Mackenzie River deltaClimate typeTundra ET ConservationConservation statusRelatively Stable IntactGlobal 200YesHabitat loss0 1 Protected49 8 1 Contents 1 Setting 2 Flora 3 Fauna 4 Threats and preservation 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksSetting editThis ecoregion is located on the north coast of Alaska and includes the east coast plain of Banks Island as well as the Anderson River and Horton River plains and the Tuktoyaktuk coast in the Northwest Territories This is an area of low flat boggy coastal plains The underlying soil of this damp Arctic coast is thick solid permafrost covered in summer with thermokarst thaw lakes of melted ice Ice features such as ice wedges and pingo mounds of soil and ice can be found This coast has an arctic climate warm enough to allow plant growth in late June July and August only and even then frosts may occur On the whole this is a damper wetter area than the Low Arctic tundra ecoregion that continues along the coast west of here to Quebec 2 Flora editThis area supports wetland plants especially sedges and grasses mosses and lichens and right on the coast there are peat bogs Trees such as dwarf birch willows northern Labrador tea Dryas and alders grow in the warmer areas of the region the Mackenzie River delta and the Yukon coast Fauna editThis region provides calving habitat for four herds of caribou the Western Arctic Teshekpuk Central Arctic and Porcupine caribou herds Another key species is the muskox of Banks Island and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge coast Other mammals include lemmings polar bear walrus beluga whale snowshoe hare and Arctic hare red fox grey wolf Arctic ground squirrel and seals The coast is also home to many breeding waterbirds including snow goose spectacled eider Steller s eider king eider red throated loon 3 pacific loon 4 and yellow billed loon Important bird areas include the Colville River delta Teshekpuk Lake which is within the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska and Kasegaluk Lagoon a breeding area for brant goose Predatory birds include the snowy owls that hunt waterbirds and lemmings Fish of the waters here include the Arctic char Threats and preservation edit90 of natural habitat remains intact except for the vicinity of Utqiaġvik Alaska and the oil fields of Prudhoe Bay Alaska and Kuparuk which are expanding along the coast and may in future spread into the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge which is the only major protected area on this coast see Arctic Refuge drilling controversy and on and around the Dalton Highway and the Trans Alaska Pipeline The area is one of the most productive 5 in the United States for petroleum extraction including a 9 million hectare area reserved for this activity 6 As Arctic seas warm and ice recedes it is believed that these areas contained within the Arctic coastal tundra may reveal some of the largest petroleum reserves in the world 7 8 9 See also editList of ecoregions in Canada WWF List of ecoregions in the United States WWF References edit a b c d Hoekstra J M Molnar J L Jennings M Revenga C Spalding M D Boucher T M Robertson J C Heibel T J Ellison K 2010 Molnar J L ed The Atlas of Global Conservation Changes Challenges and Opportunities to Make a Difference University of California Press ISBN 978 0 520 26256 0 Arctic coastal tundra Terrestrial Ecoregions World Wildlife Fund McCloskey Sarah E Uher Koch Brian D Schmutz Joel A Fondell Thomas F 2018 01 10 International migration patterns of Red throated Loons Gavia stellata from four breeding populations in Alaska PLOS ONE 13 1 e0189954 Bibcode 2018PLoSO 1389954M doi 10 1371 journal pone 0189954 ISSN 1932 6203 PMC 5761837 PMID 29320572 Poessel Sharon A Uher Koch Brian D Pearce John M Schmutz Joel A Harrison Autumn Lynn Douglas David C von Biela Vanessa R Katzner Todd E 2020 06 01 Movements and habitat use of loons for assessment of conservation buffer zones in the Arctic Coastal Plain of northern Alaska Global Ecology and Conservation 22 e00980 doi 10 1016 j gecco 2020 e00980 ISSN 2351 9894 Poessel Sharon A Uher Koch Brian D Pearce John M Schmutz Joel A Harrison Autumn Lynn Douglas David C von Biela Vanessa R Katzner Todd E 2020 06 01 Movements and habitat use of loons for assessment of conservation buffer zones in the Arctic Coastal Plain of northern Alaska Global Ecology and Conservation 22 e00980 doi 10 1016 j gecco 2020 e00980 ISSN 2351 9894 Oil and Gas Resources of the Arctic Alaska Petroleum Province pubs usgs gov Retrieved 2024 02 21 Harsem Oistein Heen Knut Rodrigues J M P Vassdal Terje 2013 10 08 Oil exploration and sea ice projections in the Arctic Polar Record 51 1 91 106 doi 10 1017 S0032247413000624 ISSN 0032 2474 S2CID 130708571 Poessel Sharon A Uher Koch Brian D Pearce John M Schmutz Joel A Harrison Autumn Lynn Douglas David C von Biela Vanessa R Katzner Todd E 2020 06 01 Movements and habitat use of loons for assessment of conservation buffer zones in the Arctic Coastal Plain of northern Alaska Global Ecology and Conservation 22 e00980 doi 10 1016 j gecco 2020 e00980 ISSN 2351 9894 Circum Arctic Resource Appraisal Estimates of Undiscovered Oil and Gas North of the Arctic Circle By in alphabetical order Kenneth J Bird Ronald R Charpentier Donald L Gautier CARA Project Chief David W Houseknecht Timothy R Klett Janet K Pitman Thomas E Moore Christopher J Schenk Marilyn E Tennyson and Craig J Wandrey 2008 https pubs usgs gov fs 2008 3049 External links edit nbsp Media related to Arctic coastal tundra at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Arctic coastal tundra amp oldid 1212914180, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
