Land of extremes: a natural history of the Arctic North Slope of Alaska PDF
Preview Land of extremes: a natural history of the Arctic North Slope of Alaska
Land of Extremes land of extremes a natural history of the arcticnorthslopeofalaska Alexander D. Huryn John E. Hobbie University of Alaska Press Fairbanks, Alaska © 2012 University of Alaska Press All rights reserved University of Alaska Press P.O. Box 756240 Fairbanks, AK 99775-6240 Support for this book was provided by the Thomas S aunders English fund ISBN 978-1-60223-181-8 (paper) ISBN 978-1-60223-182-5 (electronic) Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Huryn, Alexander D. Land of extremes : a natural history of the North Slope of Arctic Alaska / Alexander D. Huryn, John E. Hobbie. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-60223-181-8 (paper : alk. paper) — ISBN 978-1-60223- 182-5 (electronic) 1. Natural history—Alaska—North Slope. 2. Extreme environments— Alaska—North Slope. 3. North Slope (Alaska)—Environmental con- ditions. I. Hobbie, John E. II. Title. QH105.A4H87 2012 508.798—dc23 2012005967 Cover design by Matt Simmons Cover photo: Lupine over Kongakut, © John Schwieder This publication was printed on acid-free paper that meets the mini- mum requirements for ANSI / NISO Z39.48–1992 (R2002) (Perma- nence of Paper for Printed Library Materials). Printed in China Dedications For Eugene, Maria, Alexandra, and Vivian, and all other students of nature. —Alexander D. Huryn For my wife, Olivann, lab and field assistant during our 1960–1961 winter in the Brooks Range. —John E. Hobbie Contents Acknowledgments xiii Preface xv 1. Introduction 1 The North Slope 1 Why the “Arctic”? 1 Low Arctic versus High Arctic 3 Climate 4 Temperature 4 Precipitation 4 Seasonality 5 Snow 6 Insulation 6 Humidity 7 Habitat 8 2. Bedrock Geology 9 Suspect Terrane? 9 Bedrock of the North Slope 9 Hunt Fork Shale and Kanayut Conglomerate 11 Lisburne Limestone 13 Fortress Mountain Formation 15 Prince Creek and Sagavanirktok Formations 16 3. Glacial Geology 17 Pliocene and Early Pleistocene Glaciers 17 Late Pleistocene Glaciers 17 4. Permafrost and Patterned Ground 23 Permafrost 23 Patterned Ground 26 5. Habitats and Ecology 31 Terrestrial Habitats 31 Arctic Coastal Plain 35 Arctic Foothills 36 Brooks Range 37 Freshwater Habitats 38 Lakes and Ponds 39 vii viii Contents Rivers and Streams 43 Headwater Streams 45 Spring Streams and Aufeis 48 6. Mushroom Madness 53 7. Lichens 57 Oldest Living Organisms on the North Slope 58 Ecology of Lichen Grazing 59 8. Mosses and Liverworts 63 9. Vascular Plants 67 Why No Trees? 67 Why Are Flowers So Colorful and Abundant? 68 Strange Behavior of Arctic Flowers Under the Midnight Sun 71 A Plethora of Parasites 72 9a: Ferns, Clubmosses, and Horsetails 73 9b: Grasses and Sedges 74 Guerrilla Tactics and the Forward March of Sedges Across the Tundra 76 9c: Forbs 79 Bur-Reed (Sparganiaceae) 79 Lilies (Liliaceae) 79 Bistorts and Docks (Polygonaceae) 80 Moss Campion and Chickweeds (Caryophyllaceae) 80 Buttercups, Anemones, Monkshood, and Larkspurs (Ranunculaceae) 82 Poppies (Papaveraceae) 83 Mustards (Brassicaceae) 83 Saxifrages (Saxifragaceae) 84 Lupines, Vetches, and Oxytropes (Leguminosae) 86 Fireweed and River Beauty (Onagraceae) 89 Buckbean (Menyanthaceae) 90 Primroses (Primulaceae) 90 Mare’s Tail (Hippuridaceae) 90 Forget-Me-Nots (Boraginaceae) 90 Wintergreens (Pyrolaceae) and Gentians (Gentianaceae) 91 Phlox and Jacob’s Ladder (Polemoniaceae) 91 Louseworts (Scrophulariaceae) 92 Butterworts and Bladderworts (Lentibulariaceae) 92 Twinflowers (Caprifoliaceae) and Heliotropes (Valerianaceae) 95 Contents ix Composites (Compositae or Asteraceae) 95 9d: Trees and Shrubs 97 Spruces (Pinaceae) 97 Willows (Salicaceae) 97 Poplars (Salicaceae) 101 Birches and Alders (Betulaceae) 102 Roses (Rosaceae) 104 Soapberry (Elaeagnaceae) 106 Crowberry (Empetraceae) 107 Heaths (Ericaceae) 107 Lapland Diapensia (Diapensiaceae) 112 10. Invertebrates 113 Freeze Tolerance and Freeze Avoidance 113 Insects 115 Mayflies (Ephemeroptera) and Dragonflies (Odonata) 115 Stoneflies (Plecoptera) and Grasshoppers (Orthoptera) 116 A Fly’s World 118 Mosquitoes (Culicidae) 119 Midges (Chironomidae, Chaoboridae) and Crane Flies (Tipulidae) 123 Black Flies (Simuliidae) 124 Horse Flies (Tabanidae) 126 Bot Flies (Oestridae) 126 Hot-Blooded Bumblebees 128 Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) 132 Caddisflies (Trichoptera) 141 Beetles (Coleoptera) 142 Spiders 142 Crustaceans 144 Fairy Shrimp, Tadpole Shrimp, and Water Fleas 144 Copepods 147 Mollusks 148 Other Invertebrates 149 11. Fish 151 Whitefish, Cisco, Grayling, Char, and Salmon (Salmonidae) 151 Cisco and Whitefish 152 Inconnu or Sheefish 155 Arctic Grayling 155
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