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School of Natural Resources & Agricultural Sciences

Agricultural & Forestry Experiment Station

Annual Report 2007

Sweet peas at the Georgeson Botanical Garden.—photo by NaNcy tarNai

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www.uaf.edu/snras/

Contents: 3 ... Financial statement 4 ... Grants 7 ... Students 9 ... Research reports 9•PartnersandCollaborators 10•Programs 13•GeographicInformation 17•High-LatitudeAgriculture 33•High-LatitudeSoils 40•ManagementofEcosystems 51•NaturalResourcesUseandAllocation

67 ... Index 72 ... Publications 76 ... Faculty

Letter from the dean:December5,2008

TheHonorableSarahPalinGovernorofAlaskaP.O.Box110001Juneau,Alaska99811-0001

DearMadam:

I submit herewith the annual report from the Agricultural and Forestry ExperimentStation, School of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences, University of AlaskaFairbanks,fortheperiodendingDecember31,2007.ThisisdoneinaccordancewithanactofCongress,approvedMarch2,1887,entitled,“Anacttoestablishagriculturalexperimentstations,inconnectionwiththeagriculturalcollegeestablishedintheseveralstatesundertheprovisionsofanactapprovedJuly2,1862,andundertheactssupplementarythereto,”andalsooftheactoftheAlaskaTerritorialLegislature,approvedMarch12,1935,acceptingtheprovisionsoftheactofCongress.

The research reports are organized according to our strategic plan,which focuses onhigh-latitudesoils,high-latitudeagriculture,naturalresourcesuseandallocation,ecosystemsmanagement, and geographic information.These areas cross department and unit lines,linking themandunifying the research.Wehavealso included inourfinancial statementinformationonthespecialgrantswereceive.ThesespecialgrantsallowustoprovideresearchandoutreachthatistargetedtowardeconomicdevelopmentinAlaska.ResearchconductedbyourgraduateandundergraduatestudentsplaysanimportantroleinthesegrantsandtheimpacttheymakeonAlaska.

Veryrespectfully,

CarolE.LewisDean and Director

ThisreportispublishedbytheAgriculturalandForestryExperimentStation,UniversityofAlaskaFairbanks.Formoreinformationaboutourresearchandeducationprograms,

pleasecontactusat:

School of Natural Resources & Agricultural Sciences

P.O.Box757140 Fairbanks,AK99775-7140

OfficeoftheDean (907)474-7083 [email protected]

StudentInformation (907)474-5276

orvisitourwebsite:

www.uaf.edu/snras

Changesofaddressorrequestsforfreecopiesofourpublicationsshouldbe

addressedto:

AFES Publications P.O.Box757200

Fairbanks,AK99775-7200

[email protected]

Subscriptionstoourbiannualresearchmagazine,Agroborealis, and our

newsletter,Natural Resource News, are availablefreeofcharge.Theseandotherpublicationsareavailablein

alternativeformats.Pleaseincludeyoure-mailaddressifyouwouldlikee-mailnotificationofonlineavailabilityofourperiodicalsandotherpublications.Youmaydownloadthemfromour

websiteat:

www.uaf.edu/snras/afes/pubs/

ManagingEditor DeirdreHelfferich

InformationOfficer/ScienceWriter NancyJ.Tarnai

EditorialAssistant MethanieOngtooguk

Webmaster StevePeterson

Tosimplifyterminology,wemayuseproductorequipmenttradenames.Wearenotendorsingproductsorfirmsmentioned.Publicationmaterialmaybereprintedprovidednoendorsementofacommercialproductisstatedorimplied.Pleasecredittheresearchersinvolved,theUniversityofAlaskaFairbanks,andtheAgriculturalandForestryExperimentStation.

TheUniversityofAlaskaFairbanksisaccreditedbytheCommissiononCollegesoftheNorthwestAssociationofSchoolsandColleges.UAFisanAA/EOemployerandeducational

institution.

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AFES Pub. No. MP 2008-07 [email protected] • 907.474.7083

Financial statementExpenditures: July 2007 through June 2008ThefollowingstatementofexpendituresoffederalandstatefundsforthefiscalyearbeginningJuly1,2007andendingJune30,2008(FY08)isnotanaccountingdocument.(Figuresandpercentagesareroundedofftothenearestdollarandpercent.)

AFES Statement of Purpose:The Alaska Agricultural and ForestryExperiment Station (AFES) providesnew information to manage renewableresourcesathighlatitudes,andtoimprovetechnologyforenhancingtheeconomicwellbeing and quality of life at theselatitudes.While foresters, farmers, andlandmanagers use our research results,allAlaskansbenefitfromthewiseuseoflandresources.Ourresearchprojectsarein response to requests fromproducers,industries,andstateandfederalagenciesforinformationinplant,animal,andsoilsciences; forest sciences; and resourcesmanagement.

Experimentstationscientistspublishresearchinscientificjournals,conferenceproceedings, books, and in experiment

stationbulletins,circulars,newsletters,re-searchprogressreports,andmiscellaneouspublications. Scientists also disseminatetheirfindingsthroughconferences,pub-lic presentations, workshops, and otherpublicinformationprograms.

Administratively,AFESisanintegralpartoftheSchoolofNaturalResources

andAgriculturalSciencesattheUniver-sityofAlaskaFairbanks.Thisassociationprovides a direct link between researchand teaching. Scientists who conductresearch at the experiment station alsoteach, sharing their expertisewithbothundergraduateandgraduatestudents.

Kerttula Hall (red-roofed building) at the Palmer Research and Extension Center.—SNraS file photo

Total Funds: $11,962,528

32%Other Grants &

Contracts

7%Hatch

general

4% McIntire-Stennis

8% Instruction - Grants

7% Instruction - State

2% Hatch multistate

Instruction - Grants$920,997 (8%)

Instruction - State Appropriation$778,698 (7%)

Hatch General Formula Funds(federal) $823,181 (7%)

Hatch Multistate Formula Funds(federal) $198,759 (2%)

McIntire-Stennis Formula Funds(federal) $529,444 (4%)

Other Grants & Contracts$3,803,802 (32%) (includes public service)

Research - State Appropriation$4,907,647 (40%)

Matching USDA Formula Grants $1,551,384 (13%)

Research $3,356,263 (27%)

40% State:

27% discretionary

funds,

13% matching

funds

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Grants and Contracts

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GRANtS & CONtRACtS/SPECIAl FuNdS PI AGENCySmallPub.WaterSysTraining&T.A Anderson Dept.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency

ForestWoodProductsProgramV,VI,VII Barber CooperativeStateResearchServicesCSRS

DynamicsofChangeinAK’sBoreal ChapinIII USDAForestService(ALB)

ForestryResearchII,PNW ChapinIII USDAForestService-Fairbanks

IGERTRegionalResilienceandAdaptation ChapinIII NationalScienceFoundation

ImpactsHigh-LatitudeClimateChange ChapinIII NationalScienceFoundation

LTERVand2007,AK’sChangingBorealForest ChapinIII NationalScienceFoundation

BPLibertySEIS Cronin BPExplorationAKInc

AlaskaSeaGrantOmnibus2006-2008 Cullenberg NOAA

FoodProductDev.2004 Dinstel CooperativeExtensionService

NRCSCooperativeAgreement Finstad NRCS-NaturalResourcesConservationService

SeasonalHabitat&DietComposition Finstad BureauofIndianAffairs

AlaskaResidentStatisticsProgram Fix USDAForestService(JFSL)

AlaskaResidentStatisticsProgram Fix USDAForestService(Colorado)

CESUAKResidentStatisticsProgram Fix BureauofLandManagement

CESUBLMVisitorSatisfaction Fix BureauofLandManagement

Fish&WildlifeCESUStartup Fix FishandWildlifeService-USDeptoftheInterior

BoeingEconomicImpactStudy Geier TheBoeingCo.

DatatoImproveRegEconModels Geier OAKManagement,Inc.

ImproveRegionalEconomicModels Geier OAKManagement,Inc.

OakManagementII Geier OAKManagement,Inc.

RegionalEconomicDataforSWAK Geier NationalOceanic&AtmosphericAdmin.

Near-EarthRemoteSensing Harris USDAForestService-Fairbanks

Predictingecosystemtrajectories Hollingsworth USDAForestService(PNWROregon)

GBGChildren’sGarden Holloway UAFoundation

GBGFoundation Holloway UAFoundation

DrumBeats Johnson USDACSREES

AKBorealForest-RWO166 Juday USGeologicalSurvey

BerryResearch,AKII Karlsson CooperativeStateResearchServicesCSRS

GreenhouseCropProductionI,II,III Karlsson CooperativeStateResearchServicesCSRS

Oil&GasDevelopmentImpacts Kofinas USDIMineralsManagementServices

On-FarmVarietyTrials Leiner OrganicSeedAlliance

AlaskaBerriesI,II Lewis CooperativeStateResearchServicesCSRS

AlaskaEthnobotanyI,II,III Lewis CooperativeStateResearchServicesCSRS

AlaskaSeedGrowers’AssistanceII,III Lewis CooperativeStateResearchServicesCSRS

ARSDNASequenceFY08 Lewis USDA-AgriculturalResearchService

ARSSupportTaskOrderFY07 Lewis USDA-AgriculturalResearchService

ARSTelephoneTaskOrder Lewis USDA,ARS

ARSUtilitiesTaskOrder Lewis USDA-AgriculturalResearchService

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coNtiNued oN the Next page

DeanDiscretionaryAccounts-SNRAS Lewis UAFoundation

DenaliNat’lParkSoilSampleAnalysis Lewis NationalParkService-DenaliNat’lPark

DNATaskOrderFY07 Lewis USDA-AgriculturalResearchService

VirusFreePotatoTaskOrderFY06 Lewis USDA-AgriculturalResearchService

PotentialEfficacyof6thGradeMCC Lipka DepartmentofEducation

ReturningtheGift Lipka DepartmentofEducation

LaboratoryTestingforImport/Export McBeath AlaskaDepartmentofNaturalResources

PalmerTaskOrderFY05 MitchellJr USDA,ARS

EducationalTechnologyProject Perdue UAFoundation

Fluxandtransformofcarbon Ping NationalScienceFoundation

NPS-RecruitmentProgram/Seminar Pullar NationalParkService

CESUConnectingLandscapes Rupp FishandWildlifeService-USDeptoftheInterior

CESUModelingFireRegimes Rupp NationalParkService

Effects-FuelsReductionTreatment Rupp BureauofLandManagement

Impactsofclimatechangeonfire Rupp NationalScienceFoundation

JointFireScienceProject RuppUSDIFish&WildlifeService,AnchorageMS-235

FishOilBiodieselDevelopment Sathivel AlaskaEnergyAuthority

EPSCoRPhaseIII-Resilience Schweitzer NationalScienceFoundation

AKGeographicAllianceEdNetwork Sfraga Nat’lGeographicSociety

Barnett2007Lecture Sfraga UAFoundation

StewartLectures Sfraga UAFoundation

TheUAandAT&TAlaskaGeoPortal Sfraga AlascomInc.

SNAPFY08 Sharpton UAFoundation

WeatherRelatedVectors-Potatos Smeenk USDA-AgriculturalResearchService

MoistureContentDetermination Soria USDAForestService-Juneau

MonitoringSeasonsThroughGlobalLearningCommunities

Sparrow NationalScienceFoundation

GeospatialScienceLearning Stephens NationalScienceFoundation

CESURemotelyMonitorIce Verbyla NationalParkService

CIFAR2ndCooperativeAgreement Walsh Nat’lOceanic&AtmosphericAdministration

WhiteSweetcloverinAlaska Wurtz MontanaStateUniversity

ARSResearchSupportAgreement Zhang USDA-AgriculturalResearchService

EvaluatingAKWhitefishBy-Products Zhang USDA-AgriculturalResearchService

NewCropsforAlaskaV,VI,VII Lewis CooperativeStateResearchServicesCSRS

FORMULA FUNDING, FEDERAL Oct 1 tO SEPt 30 FIScAL YEARHatch Multistate

NitrogenMineralizationNC1032,ALK#07-08 ZhangUSDA-CooperativeStateResearch&ExtensionServices(CSR&ES)

RangelandFragmentationW1192,ALK#07-07 Joly USDA-CSR&ES

CommercialGreenhouseNE-1017,ALK#07-10 Karlsson USDA-CSR&ES

RegionalAdministrationW-106ALK#99-05 Lewis USDA-CSR&ES

LivestockProduction,W1112,ALK#06-06 Shipka USDA-CSR&ES

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graNtS, forMula fuNdiNg, coNtiNued

Hatch GeneralAlternativeAgronomicCropsforAKALK#08-06 Zhang USDA-CSR&ES

Yield&QualityofBarleyALK#04-03 Zhang USDA-CSR&ES

PotatoPhytoplasmsALK#07-13 McBeath USDA-CSR&ES

ControlledEnvironmentHorticultureforAKALK#07-06

Karlsson USDA-CSR&ES

LawsAffectingEnvironmentALK#05-01 Joly USDA-CSR&ES

HorticulturalCropProductionforAKALK#08-01 Holloway USDA-CSR&ES

LignocellulosicEnergyCrops Sparrow USDA-CSR&ES

NaturalResources&Economics,ALK#08-02 Greenberg USDA-CSR&ES

SpatiallyModelingDistofBeefCattleALK#03-03 Harris USDA-CSR&ES

BlackSpruceForestSoils,ALK#03-02 Ping USDA-CSR&ES

ReindeerProduction&MeatQualityALK#04-07 Finstad USDA-CSR&ES

SeasonExtensionforHighLatGardenProd,ALK#08-04

Smeenk USDA-CSR&ES

AdministrationALK#99-01 Lewis USDA-CSR&ES

LivestockProduction,ALK#06-06,W-1112 Shipka USDA-CSR&ES

McIntire-StennisClimateSensitivity#07-12 Juday USDA-CSR&ES

SensitivityofCarbonALK#07-11 Valentine USDA-CSR&ES

ForestStand,ALK#03-12 Liang USDA-CSR&ES

RemoteSensingtoInvestigateFireALK#05-03 Verbyla USDA-CSR&ES

BorealForest,ALK#05-04 Fox USDA-CSR&ES

ForestGrowth,ALK#06-04 Yarie USDA-CSR&ES

Animal HealthMineralFluxinReindeerALK#03-07 Finstad USDA-CSR&ES

Below: Bison at Ruby & Scott Hollembaek’s ranch near Delta Junction. This ranch participated in the annual NRM 290 class, which features a tour of businesses and facilities around the state that offer examples of natural resources management and high-latitude agriculture.

—photo by Matthew helt

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Studentsfive-year statistics: number of students enrolled, 2004-2008

Master’s DegreesNatalieHoward,*MS

Thesis:Nitrogen fertilization of cool-season grasses forforagequality

BA, Hollins University (Virginia), 1996BrianJackson,*MS

Thesis: Foxtail barley (Hordeum jabatum) control withpropoxycarbazone-sodiumandfluazifop-p-butylinthreeAlaskanativegrassspecies

BS, University of Wisconsin-Platteville, 1999RichardRanft,MS

Thesis:Triclopyr in a silt loam soil of interior Alaska:A comparison of chemical extraction and bioassaymethods

BS, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2005BlaineSpellman,MS

Thesis:Theimpactsofinvasivesweetcloverinearly-suc-cessionalfloodplainhabitatsofAlaska

BS, Shepherd University (West Virginia), 2004StephenWinslow,MS

Thesis: Tree growth history, climate sensitivity, andgrowth potential of black and white spruce along themiddleKuskokwimRiver,Alaska

BS, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2002*December2007degreerecipient**Summer2008degreerecipient

Graduates as of May 2008Baccalaureate degreesShawnBiessel,**BA,Geography,magna cum laude

KevinBreitenbach,**BA,Geography

JenniferBrorson,BS,NaturalResourcesManagement:Plant,Animal,andSoilSciences

NickolDameron,BS,Geography:EnvironmentalStudies

MelissaDeiman,BS,NaturalResourcesManagement:Resources,cum laude

EmilyDickson,*BS,NaturalResourcesManagement:Forestry

ChristopherHeld,**BS:Geography:EnvironmentalStudies

JoshuaKunz,BS,NaturalResourcesManagement:Plant,Animal,andSoilSciences

YosukeOkada,*BS,NaturalResourcesManagement:Plant,Animal,andSoilSciences

JessupOlson,*BS,Geography:EnvironmentalStudies,cum laude

JamesRiedman,BS,NaturalResourcesManagement:Forestry

RyanSloger,BA,Geography

EmilySousa,*BS,Geography:EnvironmentalStudies

NicholasThompson,BS,NaturalResourcesManagement:Resources

0

20

40

60

80

100

undergrad NRM

interdisciplinary master's

MS NRM

geography BS

geography BA

PhD

20082007200620052004

9 8 9

22

151918

11

25

31

14

33

2622

85

9287

11

45022

67

60

2630

19 2120

academic year

stu

den

t h

ead

co

un

t

Note: beginning with this year, we are reporting PAIR numbers, going back to 2004. These numbers may differ from those shown in previous annual reports.

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doctoral degreeGregoryLFinstad,PhD

BS, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 1981Thesis:Appliedrangeecologyofreindeer(Rangifer

tarandus tarandus)ontheSewardPeninsula,Alaska

Abstract: Environmental variation across reindeer ranges of the Seward Peninsula in Alaska was linked to differ-ences in animal production. Reindeer producers can now identify high quality grazing areas and place animals to maximize body weight and rate of gain, thereby increas-ing meat production and economic development in rural Alaska. Major Professors: Dr. Norman R. Harris and Dr. Knut Kielland

Summary15 undergraduate degrees conferred

BA,Geography:3BS,Geography:4BS,NaturalResourcesManagement:8Forestry:2Plant,Animal,andSoilSciences:4Resources:2

6 graduate degrees conferredMSinNaturalResourcesManagement:5PhD,InterdisciplinaryProgram:1

Above: Samples from the Gulkana fish hatchery north of Glennallen, an Alaska Department of Fish & Game hatchery operated by the Prince William Aquaculture Corporation. From left to right: salmon roe, salmon embryos, just-hatched salmon fry, salmon smolts, older smolts, and juvenile fish.

Below: NRM 290 students receiving an overview of fish hatchery operation as part of the class tour. Denny Patnode explains the system of incubators at the Gulkana Hatchery while students look on. The class exposes students to real-life application of natural resources management theory and skills: what it means to be in a particular industry such as aquaculture, and the controversies and approaches to the day-to-day operation of a natural resources-based business.

—photoS by Matthew helt

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Research ReportsThe school and experiment station pursue theirmissionswith faculty in four departments: High-Latitude Agri-

culture (formerly Plant, Animal, and Soil Sciences); ForestSciences;ResourcesManagement;andGeography.Researchis also done in cooperationwith the Agricultural ResearchServiceandtheBorealEcologyCooperativeResearchUnit.Crossingdepartmentsandunitsarefiveareasofemphasis:1)geographicinformation;2)high-latitudeagriculture;3)high-latitudesoils;4)managementofecosystems;and5)naturalresources use and allocation. Reports are organized withinthesemajorareasofemphasis,bySNRASfacultyauthorun-dersubjectfocus.Adetailedindexwithlinksistobefoundattheendofthispublication.

Partners and CollaboratorsAgricultural Research Service

The Subarctic Agricultural Research Unit of the USDepartment of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural ResearchService(ARS)wasre-establishedinthewinterof2002–2003,andishostedattheSchoolofNaturalResourcesandAgricul-tural Sciences. www.ars.usda.gov

Alaska Berry Growers AssociationTheAlaskaBerryGrowersAssociationisanonprofitor-

ganizationfocusedonsupportingtheberryindustry.ItseekstocreatejobsinruralAlaskathroughtheproduction,harvest,andprocessingofwildberries.www.abgrowers.com

Alaska Peony Growers AssociationThis new organization ismade up of the state’s peony

growers,whoareworkingtosellhigh-latitudepeoniesintheinternationalmarket.www.alaskapeonies.org

Alaska Center for Climate Assessment & PolicyThe AlaskaCenterforClimateAssessmentandPolicyas-

sessesthesocio-economicandbiophysicalimpactsofclimatevariabilityinAlaska,andmakesthisinformationavailabletolocal and regionaldecisionmakers, in aneffort to improvetheabilityofAlaskanstoadapttoachangingclimate.www.uaf.edu/accap/

Alaska Climate Change StrategyFormedinSeptember2007,theAlaskaClimateChange

Strategy isa subcabinet thatadvises theOfficeof theGov-ernoronpreparationandimplementationofAlaskaclimatechangestrategy.ItseekstobeofusetoAlaskansbyconveyingstateplans for adaptation towarming aswell aspresentingrealisticapproachestomitigatingtherootcausesofclimate change.www.climatechange.alaska.gov/

At&tAT&T is the world’s largest communications holding

company, recognized as the leading worldwide provider ofIP-basedcommunicationsservicestobusinessesandthetopUS provider ofwireless, high-speed Internet access,Wi-Fi,localand longdistancevoice,anddirectorypublishingandadvertisingservices.www.att.com

Boreal Ecosystem Cooperative Research unit (BEcRU) USDA Forest Service

Thisunitfacilitatesconservationandinformedmanage-mentdecisionsbyconductingresearchtoimproveknowledgeofhigh-altitudeandhigh-latitudeecosystems.Itprovidessup-portandcoordinatesandorganizesresearchattheBonanzaCreek LTER and other research programs.Major researchareas are biodiversity, climate/disturbance interactions, hi-erarchical scaling of processes, and improved forest harvestoutcomes.TheAlaskaRegionForestServiceworkswiththepublictomanagemorethan22millionacresinsouthcentralandsoutheastAlaskaTheAlaskaRegionoftheForestServiceisaleaderinprotectingtheland’sbountywhileprovidingaplaceforpeopletoworkandplay.www.fs.fed.us/r10/ • www.becru.uaf.edu/

Chena Hot Springs Renewable Energy CenterChenaHotSprings’visionistobecomeaself-sufficient

community intermsofenergy, food,heating,andfueluse.Chenaisdevelopingnumerousrenewableenergyandsustain-abledevelopmentprojectsandisformingpartnershipswithinthecommunityandacrosstheUStopromoteandimplementrenewabletechnologies.www.chenahotsprings.com

Cold Climate Housing Research CenterCCHRC is an industry-based, nonprofit corporation

created to facilitate the development, use, and testing ofenergy-efficient,durable,healthy,andcost-effectivebuildingtechnologiesforAlaskaandtheworld’scoldclimateregions.Theresearchcenterwasconceivedanddevelopedbymem-bers of theAlaska StateHomeBuilders Association.www.cchrc.org

Cooperative Ecosystems Studies unit NetworkThe North and West Alaska Cooperative Ecosystem

Studies Unit is a network of federal agencies, universities,andotherorganizations thathaveunited inorder tobetterfacilitateresearchinlocalandregionalecosystems.TheUni-versityofAlaskahoststheNWA-CESU,withtheUniversityofNewHampshire and theAlaska SeaLifeCenter as part-ners.Researchfocusesonarcticandsubarcticanthropology,landscapes,ecology,archeology,andphysicalandbiologicalsciences. www.uaf.edu/snras/cesu/

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Cooperative Extension ServiceThe UAF Cooperative Extension Service is the state’s

gatewaytoitsuniversitysystem,serving60,000Alaskansan-nually,andprovidingalinkbetweenAlaska’sdiversepeopleandcommunitiesbyinterpretingandextendingrelevantuni-versity, research-basedknowledge inanunderstandableandusableformtothepublic.www.alaska.edu/uaf/ces/

EPScoR: Alaska Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research

AlaskaEPSCoR is a university-state partnershipwhichbuilds Alaska-based research and addresses national scien-tificpriorities,trainingstudentsforthetwenty-firstcenturytechnologicallybasedworkforce.EPSCoRaimstostrengthenscienceandtechnologyinfrastructureforenhancedresearchcompetitiveness inuniversities, for broaderparticipationofstudents in science,mathematics, and engineering, and forincreased linkages among higher education, governmentagencies,andtheprivatesector.www.alaska.edu/epscor/

Google EarthMillionsofpeopleuseGoogleEarthandGoogleMapsto

exploretheworldaroundthem.GoogleEarthOutreachgivesnonprofits andpublic benefit organizations knowledge andresources.GooglesentateamofGooglerstoAlaskawhoarepassionateabouteducationandwhosegoalistomaketoolslikeGoogleEarthmoreaccessible toeducators.www.earth.google.com

Kawerak Reindeer Herders AssociationTheKawerakReindeerHerdersAssociationprovidesas-

sistancetoitstwenty-onemembersinthedevelopmentofaviablereindeerindustry,byenhancingtheeconomicbaseforrural Alaska and improving themanagement of the herds.Theprogramoffersadministrative, logistical,advocacy,andfield support toward the development of a self-sustainingreindeerindustry.www.kawerak.org

National Geographic SocietyTheNationalGeographic Society’s Education Founda-

tionfundsanallianceineverystate.TheUAGPisthehomeoftheAlaskaGeographicAlliance,andreceivesteachingma-terialswhicharedistributedtoschoolsthroughoutthestate.The AGA participates in Geography Action!, GeographyAwarenessWeek,MyWonderfulWorld,theGiantTravelingMapprogram,NGSSummerInstitutes,andtheStateGeo-graphicBee.www.nationalgeographic.com/education/alliance

Pike’s Waterfront LodgeThelodgeturnsoveritsgreenhousesduringthegrowing

seasontoFFAstudentsanduniversityresearcherswhousethefacilities to grow vegetables hydroponically.Nightly educa-tionalseminarsareofferedallsummer,andproduceisservedintheadjacentrestaurant.www.pikeslodge.com

ProgramsBonanza Creek long-term Ecological Research (LtER) program

ThisresearchprogramislocatedintheborealforestsofinteriorAlaska.Ecologicalresearchisconductedattwomainfacilities,BonanzaCreekExperimentalForestandCaribou-Poker Creeks Research Watershed. The LTER program issupportedandhostedbytheUniversityofAlaskaFairbanksand the USDA Forest Service, PacificNorthwest ResearchStation in Fairbanks,Alaska.Major funding isprovidedbythe NationalScienceFoundation.TheLTERprogramfocusesonimprovingunderstandingofthelong-termconsequencesof changing climate and disturbance regimes in theAlaskaborealforestbydocumentingthemajorcontrolsoverforestdynamics,biogeochemistry,anddisturbanceandtheirinter-actionsinthefaceofachangingclimate.www.lter.uaf.edu/

Forest Growth & yield ProgramWithagoalofbest-practiceforestmanagement,UAFre-

searchers in thisprogramseek toprovide thebest scientificinformation.Bysettingupasystemofpermanentplotsforlong-termmonitoring,forestersareprovidingdataforgrowthandyieldmodels.Nearly200plotsarebeingactivelystudiedintheTananaValley,CopperRiverValley,Matanuska-Susit-naValley,andKenaiPeninsula.Thegrowthmodelsofmajortreespeciesdefinethedensityanddiversityoftheforests,andmeasuresiteindex,growthequations,volumeequations,andlevels of growing stock. Research is focused on simulationand optimization, forest health,wildlandfires, and climate change.UAF forestry specialists offer free consultations onforestmanagementtoallAlaskans,includingNativecorpora-tions and the forest industry.www.faculty.uaf.edu/ffjl2/FGY.html

Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) program

GLOBEisaworldwide,hands-on,primaryandsecond-aryschool-basedscienceandeducationprogram.Itpromotesandsupportsstudents,teachers,andscientiststocollaborateoninquiry-basedinvestigationsoftheenvironmentandthedynamicsoftheEarthsystem,workinginclosepartnershipwithNASAandNationalScienceFoundationEarthSystemScience Projects.The Alaska GLOBE franchise was estab-lished in1996 through theCenter forGlobalChange andArcticSystemsResearchattheUniversityofAlaskaFairbanks.www.cgc.uaf.edu/Globe/

MaptEACHMapTEACHisdevelopingaculturallyresponsivegeosci-

enceeducationprogramformiddle-andhigh-schoolstudentsin Alaska that emphasizes hands-on experience with thegeosciences and spatial technology (GPS,GIS, and remotesensing imagery). The project draws upon the combined

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expertise of teachers, education researchers, remote sensingspecialists,geoscienceprofessionals,Nativeelders,andotherswith traditions-basedknowledge.ParticipantsworkdirectlywithlocalexpertsandAlaskaDivisionofGeological&Geo-physicalSurvey scientists to authentically emulate scientificactivitiesatanovicelevel,usingrealdatainareal-worldset-ting.Studentsandteachershaveaccesstolocallyandculturallyrelevant geospatial IT curriculum facilitated byweb-servedimagery,geographicinformationsystemsdata,analysistools,andfieldresources.www.mapteach.org/

Math in a Cultural ContextMathinaCulturalContextisasupplementalelementary

schoolmathseries.ThemathmodulesthatcomposeMCCare the result of a collaboration of educators,Yup’ik eldersandteachers,mathematiciansandmatheducators,andAlaskaschooldistricts.This culturally relevant curriculumalso in-cludestraditionalstoriesthataccompanythemathmodules.Thiscollaborationproducesculturallyrelevantmaterialsthatconnectlocalknowledgetoschoolknowledge,andincludesintegratedmaterials (literacy, geography, and science).Thereform-orientedcurriculumisdesignedforAlaskastudents,hasbeenextensivelystudied,andmeetsthehighestresearchstandards.StudiesofitsefficacyrepeatedlyshowthatMCCstudentsoutperformcomparablecontrolgroupstudentswhousetheirregularmathcurriculum.ItisoneoftheveryfewforAlaskaNativeandAmericanIndianstudentsthatshowsuchpowerfulresults.www.uaf.edu/mcc/

Reindeer Research ProgramTheReindeerResearchProgramisdedicatedtothede-

velopment and promotion of the reindeer industry on theSewardPeninsulaandthroughoutAlaska.Researchersworkcloselywithproducerstodevelopandconductresearchproj-ectsthatcanbeapplieddirectlytotheiroperations.Outreachisasignificantpartoftheprogram,whichhasstrongtiestocommunities and schools across Alaska. Research includesmeat science, animalhealth, rangemanagement andnutri-tion, use of satellite telemetry in herding, andmany otherproductionandmanagementissuesuniquetothefarnorth.http://reindeer.salrm.uaf.edu/

Resilience and Adaptation Program (RAP)This program integrates several disciplines to address

the question of sustainability, emphasizing ecology, eco-nomics,andculture:threecriticalfactorsforunderstandinginteractionsbetweenpeopleandtheirbioticenvironmentina regional system. It ispartof anational effort toproducenewmodels forgraduate learning, theIntegrativeGraduateEducationandResearchTraineeshipprogramoftheNationalScienceFoundation.RAPtrainsscholars,policymakers,andmanagerstoaddressregionalsustainabilityissuesinaninte-gratedfashion.www.rap.uaf.edu/

Scenarios Network for Alaska Planning (SNAP)

SNAP is a collaborativenetworkofUniversityofAlas-kapersonnelandstakeholders fromstate, federal,and localagencies, industry and business partners, and nongovern-mentalorganizations.TheSNAPteam,consistingofpeoplewithexpertiseincomputerprogramming,databasemanage-ment,GISandremotesensing,statisticalanalysis,andpubliccommunications,providesdirectsupporttoresearchersandcollaboratorstocreatescenariosoffutureconditionsinAlaskaformoreeffectiveplanning.www.snap.uaf.edu/

Wood Utilization Research ProgramThelong-termobjectiveoftheAlaskaWURProgramis

tohelpAlaskabecomecompetitiveinthevalue-addedforestproducts industry by providing specific technical, business,andmarketingassistance.Proposalsfornewmarketsandnewvalue-addedproductsmusttakeintoaccountsucheconomicfactors as high costs of labor and transportation. Programresearch can potentially increase the volume of wood andnontimber forest products produced and marketed fromAlaska’sforests.

Research Sitesdelta Junction Field Research Site

This300-acresitenearDeltaJunctionprovidesspaceforresearch on tillage practices, soil fertility, cereal grains, oil-seedcrops,foragecrops,insectsandweedmanagement,andforestry.

Fairbanks Experiment FarmThe farm was established in 1906 and operations be-

ganin1907.Itincludes260acresofcroplandand50acresof forest land for researchanddemonstrationprojects.Thefarmhousesaredbarn,a65-foothighgrainhandlingfacil-ity,asmallstationarysawmillusedtocutroughlumberforfarm structures, feedmill,maintenance shop, combinationgreenhouse and agronomy lab, a controlled environmentagriculture lab, a botanical garden, a visitors’ centerwith asmallgiftshop,tworesidences,andseveralstoragefacilities.Researchersconductexperimentsonsoilfertility,nutrientcy-cling, grains, grasses, and other agronomic crops, and newcrops such as canola, camelina, and sunflowers.TheRein-deerResearchProgram’smainresearchherdishousedattheFairbanks Experiment Farm. www.uaf.edu/snras/afes/fair-banks_experiment_farm.html

The Controlled Environment Agriculture Laboratory (CEAL), a state-of-the-art horticulture facility, is used toevaluate and develop growing techniques suitable for localyear-roundcropproduction.Areasofspecificinterestincludeproduction systems, crop lighting, irrigation technologies,climate management, crop and variety selections, and thesustainableuseofalternativeenergies.Since2004,thefaculty

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and staff ofCEAL areworking in partnershipwithChenaHot Springs Resort investigating various topics includingfacility management, product development, and personneltraining.Theseareasarecriticalcomponentsintheoperationofanefficientgreenhouseusingrenewableenergyforelectri-cal and heating needs.The projects atChenaHot Springsaredemonstratingandinspiringopportunitiesforsimilarap-plicationsalloverAlaska.StafffromCEALarealsoworkingwith greenhouse operators, high school teaching programs,farmers’marketproducers,andpropertiessuchasPike’sWa-terfrontLodge,inexploringandadvancingtherelevanceofhorticulturescienceandcontrolledenvironmentagriculturethroughoutAlaska.

The nationally recognized Georgeson Botanical Gar-den is amemberof anationalnetworkof educational andresearch institutions dedicated to plant culture and conserva-tion.TheGBGisoneoffivebotanicalgardensinthenationtobeasatellitetestgardenfortheInternationalHardyFernFoundation.Itsstafftestmorethan1,000trees,shrubs,andherbaceousperennialsforhardinesseachyear,includingAlas-kanativeplantsandthosecollectedfromChina,Russia,andIceland.Thegardenservesasa location forvariety trialsofannualflowers,vegetables,herbs,andfruits,andresearchersconductexperimentsonnewhorticulturalcropsforAlaska’sconditions,suchaspeonies.www.uaf.edu/snras/gbg/

Palmer Research and Extension CenterThe Matanuska Experiment Farm provides a site in

southcentral Alaska for research in sustainable agriculture,landreclamation,andotherenvironmentalissues.Itincludes260acresofcultivatedlandand800acresofforestlandforresearch or demonstration purposes, including barns, feedstoragefacilities,andpastureland.Theexperimentfarmhasacompletecomplementoffarmequipmenttoproduceandharvestgrain,forage(bothhayandsilage),andothercrops.Therearealsofieldand laboratory facilities for researchonsoils,plants,andlivestock,andanadjacentgreenhousefacil-ity,operatedbytheAlaskaDepartmentofNaturalResources.Thisfacilityincludesamodernheadhouseandphysicalplantcapableofsupportingsixgreenhouseunits.KerttulaHall islocated on theMatanuskaExperimentFarm.www.uaf.edu/snras/afes/palmer_research_station.html

Report Subjects 13 • geographic information

13•culturalgeography14•physicalgeography

17 • high-latitude agriculture17•agriculturalmarkets&products19•animalhusbandry

19•feeding & care

19•genetics

20•reproduction

23•disease

23•controlledenvironmentproduction25•fieldcrops&fieldmanagement30•plantpest&diseasecontrol

33 • high-latitude soils33•carboninsoils37•fertility&soilproperties

40 • management of ecosystems40•climateresearch&globalchange42•fire-relatedstudies44•foresthealth&growth48•policy&planning48•pests&invasivespecies48•rangemanagement49•revegetation

51 • natural resource use & allocation51•biofuels52•education&outreach54•fisheries56•forests&forestproducts

56•harvesting

58•marketing forest products

58•wood properties

60•policy&planning65•recreation66•wildlifestudies

67 • index to reports

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Geographic Information

GeoGraphy provides aholisticviewoftheearth;asawhole,initsdistinctandvariedregions,andintheconcomitant

interactionbetweenhumanactivitiesandthephysicalworldandbiological.Geographyisthebridgebetweenthephysical,biological,andsocialsciences.Itpromotesexplorationoftheinterrelationshipsbetweentheearth’senvironmentalsystemsandhumansocietiesandprovidestheframeworkfortheap-plicationofnewandemergingcyber-technologiesinabroadrangeofacademicdisciplines.

Geographers are interested in patterns and process ofphysical biological, and social change that include climatevariability, human settlement patterns, resource distribu-tion, environmental influencesonpopulationmobility and“sense of place”, and soiciopolitical and economic policy.Geographic methodologies include observation, measure-ment,description,andanalysisaidedbynewandemergingcomputation tools that help explore likenesses, differences,andinterdependenceofbiologicalandphysicalcomponentsofecologicalsystems,humans,andsocieties.

cultural geographyHarrison R. crandall—artist, pioneer, and patron of the Grand teton National Park, Wyoming Kenneth A. Barrickpurpose

HarrisonR.CrandallwasthefirstartistwithastudioinJacksonHole,andapioneerandhomesteaderintheareathatisnowknownastheGrandTetonNationalPark.TheprojectdocumentsforthebenefitofanationalaudienceCrandall’scontributionstonationalparkart,souvenirconcessions,andtheearlyhistoryofthepark.approach

Theprojectreliesonlibraryscholarship,interviews,andCrandallfamilyarchives.progress/results

IconductedfieldresearchattheUniversityofWyoming’sUW-NPS Research Center in the Grand Teton NationalPark.Ialsodidlibraryresearchandpreparedamanuscriptforpublicationinanacademicjournal.impact

Crandall’scontributiontotheinterpretationoftheGrandTeton National Park is little known beyond the JacksonHole community. Iconic examples of Crandall’s enduringlegacy of art (oil paintings and photographs) are provided,includingTetonmountainlandscapes,cowboysandcowgirls,wildflowers,andranch life.Thisprojectwillprovideusefulinformationforenvironmentalmanagersandhistorians.

Perceptual geography of AlaskaCary de Witpurpose

ThisprojectexploreshowpopularperceptionsofAlaskaaffectnationalopinionsonAlaskapoliticalandenvironmentalissues.approach

I collect imagery from advertising, postcards, films,televisionprograms,andothersourcesofwidely-disseminatedimagesofAlaska,andcategorizeandanalyzeimagesaccordingtosource,intendedpurpose,locationofproduction,andtypeofAlaskaimageportrayed.progress

I continue to collect images for this project, and havebeguntoformulateananalysisstructureandasetofperceptualthemesinwhichtoorganizetheimages.impact

This study will help those who are trying to educatethe public on Alaska political and environmental issues toassesswhetheraccurateperceptionsofthoseissuesarebeingconveyed to state and federal lawmakers and to the votingpublic, whether the citizens of Alaska or of the UnitedStates.

the study of sharing to assess the vulnerability of coastal communities to oil and gas development in arctic AlaskaGary Kofinas, Peter Fix,ShaunaBurnSilver,MarcyOkada;CraigGerlach(UAFAnthropology);JimMagdanz(ADFG)purpose

The Sharing Project uses multiple methods to assessthe resilience and vulnerability of twoNorth Slope coastalcommunitiesandoneInteriorruralcommunityofAlaskatotheeffectsofoilandgasdevelopmentwithclimatechange.TheprojectisfundedbyMineralManagementServicesoftheDepartmentofInteriorthroughtheCooperativeEcologicalStudiesUnit.The study seeks to inform communities andresource management agencies on potential changes innorthernAlaskaandcontributetotheoryonsocial-ecologicalsustainability.approach

In partnership with local communities, we use socialnetwork analysis, focus groups, ethnographic analysis, andsimulationmodelingtostudysharingsystemsofindigenouscommunitiesasstrategiesforcopingwithchange.Wefocusonthesharingofsubsistencefoods,information,andmoney,collectingqualitativedatawithfocusgroupsandquantitativedata through a survey administered to all households.Researchers and leaders of participating communities com-pare community resilience and vulnerabilities with othercommunities through the activities of the CommunityAdaptationandVulnerability inArcticRegions (CAVIAR),aninitiativeoftheInternationalPolarYear.

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progressTheinitialphaseofourprojecthas1)establishedformal

research partnership agreements with the communities ofKaktovik, Wainwright, and Venetie, Alaska; 2) completeda review of subsistence and sharing literature for Alaskacommunities; 3) developed a conceptual framework forassessingharvesting,sharing,andcooperationinsubsistencebased on this literature and input from communitycollaborators; 4) designed a questionnaire to quantify thepatterns andmagnitudeof social ties related to subsistenceand evaluate community resilience; and 5) pre-tested thequestionnaireinthethreestudycommunitiesinpreparationforadministeringittoallhouseholdsinthefuture.impact

Local communities have traditionally used informalinstitutionsof sharing subsistence resourcesas amethodofcoping with uncertainty. In contemporary Alaska Nativecommunities, subsistence sharing is part of a dynamicand evolving cultural system that contributes to identity,livelihoods,andcommunitywellbeing.Historically,resourcemanagement agencies have studied subsistence primarilythrough the documentation of total harvest andwithout acarefulexaminationofcommunitysocial-ecologicaldynamics.ThisstudyexplorestheapplicationofrecenttheoriesonthenetworkstonortherncommunitysustainabilityandrepresentsanovelapproachinassessingtheimplicationsofArcticoil and gasdevelopmentonindigenousculture.Ourprojectteamiscollaboratingcloselywith theNSF-funded“IPY: ImpactofHigh-LatitudeClimateChange onEcosystemServices andSociety”(Chapin,Hepa,Kofinas,andRupp)toexplorehowoilandgasdevelopmentwithclimatechangewillaffectrurallivelihoods.

Place-based geospatial science learning and applications in rural Alaska (MaptEAcH) Sidney Stephenspurpose

Thisprojectprovidesgeospatialinformationtechnology(GsIT) science and technology education for teachersand students in rural Alaska that is directly applicable tounderstanding the localgeographiccontextand that relatesmodern science and information technology to traditionalknowledge.approach

MapTEACH began as an NSF-funded, four-year in-formal science education project to develop a place-basededucationalprogramformiddleandhighschoolstudentsinAlaska.Itemphasizeshands-onexperiencewithgeologyandspatialtechnologyinconjunctionwithtraditionalactivities.Itdrawsuponthecombinedexpertiseofteachers,educationre-searchers,remotesensingspecialists,geoscienceprofessionals,andNativeeldersandotherswithtraditions-basedknowledge.This project involved three collaborating institutions withdifferentiated roles: UAF (curriculum development andevaluation),theAlaskaDivisionofGeological&Geophysical

Surveys (imagery, GIS and geoscience expertise), and theUniversity ofWisconsin-Madison’s Environmental RemoteSensing Center (GsIT infrastructure, web-serving, andinterface).progress (UAF portion only)

TheMapTEACHcurriculumwasintroducedtoteachersfromaroundthestatethroughafour-creditsummercourseheld at UAF; teachers subsequently implemented thecurriculum in their classrooms.At awintermeeting, theseteachers enthusiastically shared their students’ successes,advisedusonprogramdevelopment,andofferedtotakeonleadership roles in program training and outreach. Usingthis feedback, the curriculumhasbeen revised, edited, andformatted for distribution via DVD and web download.WiththeendofNSFfunding,MapTEACHistransitioningtoanewhomewiththeUAGeographyprogram.impact

DVD and web-based curriculum and data resourceshostedbyUAGeographywere accessibleby June1,2008.A blueprint for region-specific educational modules wasproduced and can be adapted for use elsewhere in Alaska.A cadre of students and teachers now has rudimentaryproficienciesingeospatialtechnologyandcanconnecttheseunderstandingstolocalissuesandlocalknowledge.

physical geographyRemote sensing techniques for the study of white sweetclover on the Matanuska River flood plainNorman Harris; TriciaWurtz(USFS)purpose

Thisstudyisdirectedatmapping,overtime,infestationsofwhitesweetclover(Melilotus alba Desr.) on the MatanuskaRiver floodplain using near-earth remote sensing to detectchangesinthepopulationdynamicsbetweensweetcloverandnativevegetation.approach

From June through October, spectral data is acquiredmonthly, or as weather permits, from an altitude of 122metersusingasmall, tethered,helium-filledblimpcarryingtwo cameras, one collecting color and the other collectinginfrared imagery. Images from both cameras are processedtocreatefour-bandspectralimagerywhichisthensubjectedto unsupervised and supervised classification techniques toidentifytargetedspecies.Photosarealsophotogrammetricallyprocessed to createorthorectifiedmosaicsof the study areausingadensegroundcontrolnetwork.progress

Continuinganalysisofspectraldataindicatesthatwhitesweetclover is easiest to detect using visible-light spectralbands taken late in the growing seasonwhen phenologicaldifferencesbetweenthetargetplantandothervegetationareattheirgreatest.Itiseasiesttodetectsweetcloverattheendof

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thebiennialcyclewhentheplantsdieandturnpink-brownincolor,andwhenplantsareintheirfirstyearofgrowth,astheytend to remaingreenwhile theotherfloodplain vegetationexhibitsacolorchangetoshadesofredoryellow.However,these phenological differences are not strongly linked tocalendar dates. Our current analysis indicates that whitesweetclover does not readily invade intact ecosystems butreliesondisturbancefactors(i.e.,flooding)toremoveexistingvegetationsoplantscanestablishwithlittlecompetitionforresources. A probability model predicting susceptible areasforinfestationisstillunderdevelopmentandrefinement.impact

Land managers can effectively and cost-efficiently useremotesensingdatatodetectandmonitorweedinfestationsif the data is supportedwith ground-based observations todetectproperphenologicalstagesforimaging.Aprobabilitymodelwillallowlandmanagerstobetterusescarceresourcesto combat the establishment of invasive species in criticalhabitats.

Grazing management and radiotelemetryGreg Finstad,SuzanneWorker,DarrellBlodgett;KarinSonnen(NRCS)purpose

ToensurethehealthofrangelandsinAlaska,theNaturalResources Conservation Service (NRCS) has offered anEQUIPgrazingexclusionprogramwherereindeer producers arecompensatedforsettingasideportionsoftheirpermittedrangelands from grazing. The Reindeer Research ProgramandNRCSworkedtogethertodevelopasatellitetelemetryandmapping system to assistproducers inprotecting areasfromthenegativeeffectsofprolongedgrazingandtomonitorcompliancewiththegrazingexclusionprogram.approach

Reindeer were fitted with satellite collars and locationdata was collected and sent to the Reindeer Research Program,whereanautomatedsystemhasbeendevelopedtocreatelocationmapsandpostthemtoaherder-andagency-accessible website. These maps alert producers if animalsmoveintoanexcludedareasotheycantakeremedialaction.

Photograph of Matanuska River floodplain and tributaries, showing the sandbars and banks with the distinctive pinkish color of white sweetclover at the end of its biennial cycle.

—photo courteSy NorMaN harriS, uSiNg the bicaMeral obServatioN bliMp

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progressForty-two reindeer from tenherdswere equippedwith

satellitecollars.CollarsweredeployedontheSewardPeninsulaand St.LawrenceandNunivakislands.Locationmapsoftheislands, includingNRCS LandUnit overlays, were createdandmadeavailabletoherdersandlandmanagers.Inadditiontoseveralmapformatspreviouslyprovided,aKML(KeyholeMarkupLanguage)filetypewasaddedtoallowquickthree-dimensional viewing of location data using Google Earthsoftware.impact

Reindeer producers now have a satellite telemetry andInternetmappingprogramtotrackthelocationsofanimalstobettermanagetheeffectsofgrazingonpubliclands.Landmanagers,inturn,areusingthissystemtomonitorpracticesof grazing permit holders to ensure compliance to theconservationofandsustainableuseofpubliclands.

Spatially modeling the distribution of beef cattle and reindeer on ranges at high latitudes in AlaskaNorman Harris,BethHall,RandyFulweber,Greg Finstadpurpose

ThepromotionofmeatanimalproductionisculturallyandeconomicallyimportantinAlaska.Abetterunderstandingof animal interactions with their environment will allowproducers to optimize feed rations and minimize adverseimpacts to the landscape. approach

Observationalandtrackingcollardataofdomesticandsemidomestic livestock, reindeer,areanalyzedusingspatial/temporaltechniquestodevelopparametersspecifictohigh-latitude areas for usewith theKRESSpredictivemodelingprogram.progress

Cattle activity patterns in other regions have beenhypothesizedtorelatetofactorssuchasdaylengthandthermalstress.However, our analysis indicates that cattle inAlaskashowactivitypatternssimilartocattleelsewhere, indicatingthatactivitiesseemtobeunaffectedbyeitherofthesefactors.Datacollectionforarelatedprojectstudyingtherelationshipbetween thermal patterns and reindeer calving sites on theSeward Peninsula has been completed. A master’s-levelgraduate student is analyzing thermaldata andcorrelationswith landscape features.A predictivemodel is being testedagainst a verification dataset of known animal positions toassess model performance. Results will be published as amaster’sthesis.impact

ThesemodelingeffortswillgiveAlaskameatproducersmoretoolsfordevelopingcost-effectiveanimalmanagementstrategiesthatalsowillbenefitconsumersbyfosteringfurtherdevelopmentofanAlaska-basedmeatindustry.

A GIS habitat suitability model for selecting reindeer calving areas on the Seward Peninsula, AlaskaRandyFulweber,Norm Harris, Greg Finstad,BradGriffithpurpose

ReindeerherdersonAlaska’sSewardPeninsulaperiodicallyneedtomovereindeertonewcalvingareastoimproveaccessto quality forage, reduce predation, ease grazing pressure,and/or improve herding logistics. We built a GIS habitatsuitabilitymodel(HSM)tohelpherders identifynewareassuitableforreindeercalving.approach

WeusedthefollowinghabitatfactorstobuildanHSMforreindeercalvingareas:elevation,slope,aspect,vegetation,andtemperature.Usingknownreindeercalvingsitesfromareindeer herd near WhiteMountain,wemeasuredtheabilityof the HSM to accurately identify these suitable calvingareas using a relative operating characteristic curve (ROC)analysis.AnROCvaluegreaterthan0.5indicatesanHSMthatperformsbetterthanrandomlyguessingwheresuitablecalvingareasmightbelocated.progress

Results of temperature data analysis revealed a strongcontrastbetweendayandnighttemperaturepatternsacrossthelandscapeduringthespringcalvingseason,asexpected.Warmareasduringthedaybecamethecoldestareasduringthenight.Temperaturedataalsorevealedtheabilityofaspringsnowstormtotemporarilyinverttheestablishedtemperaturepattern on the landscape: areas that were typically warmbecamecool,andviceversa.

ThebestHSM (ROCvalue: 0.73)needed touse onlytheelevationandaspecthabitatfactorstoidentifytheknownreindeer calving areas from the White Mountain herd.Including the other habitat factors did not improvemodelperformance.impact

Reindeer herders on the SewardPeninsula canuse ourHSM to locate the most suitable reindeer calving areaswithintheirrange.Movingpregnantreindeertotheseareascould potentially improve calf growth, survival, and herdproductivity. Increases in herd productivity could lead toincreased economic income for Seward Peninsula reindeerherders.

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High-Latitude Agriculture

aGriculTural research hasalonghistoryinAlaska:thefirstagriculturalexperimentstationwasestablishedin1898in

SitkabytheUSDA.TheexperimentstationhassincebecomehousedadministrativelywithintheUniversityofAlaska,onthe Fairbankscampus.Agricultureinthecircumpolarworldhas always faced environmental extremes, not the least ofwhich is theshortgrowingseason,butalsoeconomicchal-lengesbasedondistancebothtoworldmarketsandfromthegreatfood-growingregionsoftheworld.Alaskahashistori-callyneededtoimportfoodfromelsewhere,yethasrichsoilsandbountifulharveststhatcouldsustainitspopulationandevenprovideexportcropsandproducts—wereanagricultur-al industryproperly tailoredanddeveloped for it.Researchinhigh-latitudeagriculturehelpscircumpolarregionstowardthisgoalofasustainable industry,butalsoprovides insightandknowledgebenefittingotherregions.Alaskacontributesuniquecold-climateinformationtoagriculturalresearchtop-icsthatreflectnationalandinternationalinformationneeds,particularlyinlightoftherapidityofclimatechangeeffectsinthecircumpolarregions,actingasapotentialbellwetherforclimatechangeinlowerlatitudes.

Research includesexplorationanddevelopmentofnewcropsandalternativelivestocksuitedtotheuniquedemandsandopportunitiesaffordedbyhighlatitudes;controlleden-vironmentandgreenhouseproductionsystems;production,uses, and adaptivemanagement pertaining to high-latitudecrops and landscaping materials; adaptation of livestockproductionandmarketingtechniquestotherigorsofhigh-latitude conditions; application ofmolecular technology tonorthernplantmaterials and identificationofvalue innewplantproductsandchemistry; integratedpestmanagement;marketing,qualitycontrol,andacceptanceofAlaskaagricul-tural products; revegetationofdisturbedlands;treatmentofwaste products in cold climates; and biomass analysis andtreatmentforbiofuels.

agricultural markets & productsPeonies as field-grown cut flowers—market research and analysisJamesD.Auer,Joshua Greenberg, Patricia S. Hollowaypurpose

Weseekto identifypotentialmarkets forAlaska-grownfreshcutpeonies,exploremethodsofpostharvesthandlingofcutstems,andexaminenationaltrendsinpeonycutflowersales.approach

Personal interviewswere conductedwith individuals atalllevelsofthecutflowerindustryincludinggrowers,farmers’marketsellers,wholesaleandretailflowerdistributors,florists,andbrokers.Published literature,bothacademicandtrade,

wereexamined,andahedonicpricemodelwasappliedtothewholesalecutflowerpeonyindustryintheUnitedStates.progress

KeypointsforAlaskanstofocusoninflowerproductionare: 1) proper harvesting stage specific to individual peonycultivars,2)postharvesthandlingandpackaging,3)marketingand cold chainmanagement, and4) examining closely thecostsandbenefitsofsellingflowersinavailablemarkets.Bestpractices at this time include cutting stems at least twice aday, moving stems into a 1°C (34°F) cooler (>90 percentrelativehumidity)assoonaspossible,andstoringthestemsdryuntilsufficientquantitiesareavailableforshipping.Stemsarebunchedintobundlesoffiveusingrubberbands,labeledaccordingtocultivar,andcuttoevenlengthswhentheyreachthecooler.Bunchesarepackedinboxesusingfoaminsertsandnewspapertoprotectplantsfromdamage,andsecuredwithwooden stakes to prevent bunches frommoving in transit.Coolcellpackswrappedinnewspaperareinsertedintotheboxestohelpmaintaincoldconditionsintransit.

Datafromnationalmarketsindicatesthatcultivarswithdouble blooms are in greater demand than single blooms.Thereisapriceadvantagetoredflowercolor,althoughamixofcolors isprobablypreferred forgreaterproductdiversity.Therearesmalllocalmarketsmostlyatthefarmers’marketsforfreshcutflowers,butvolumesaleswillbewholesaleexportandshouldemphasizeEastCoastbuyers.impact

ThisinformationwillbeusedbythenewlyformedAlaskaPeony Growers Association to establish export markets.Currently there are twelve growerswith 14,000 peonies intheground.Thisnumberwilldoubleattheendofsummer2008.

Peonies as field grown cut flowers—field productionPatricia S. Holloway,JaniceT.Hanscom;JamesD.Auer(UAFSchoolofManagement);NancyRobertson,LoriWinton,AlbertoPantoja(ARS)purpose

We sought to learnmethods of field-grown cut flowerproduction andmarketing to establish a peony cut flowerindustryinAlaska.approach

Field plots were established from 2001–2003 at theFairbanksExperimentFarm in three experiments: trials forthirtycultivars;plant spacingsof30,45,or60centimeterswithin rows; soils amended with compost or peat; andfencingof0,15,or60percentshadetodelaysnowmeltandbudbreak.Samplesofleafandbudtissuewereexaminedtoidentify potential virus and disease pathogens. Buds wereexaminedtoidentifyinsectpests.progress

Thirty cultivars were evaluated for their potential asfield-growncutflowers inAlaska.Aftersixyears, twomaincultivarscanbe recommendedas theones to startwith for

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beginningcutflowergrowers:SarahBernhardtandDuchessde Nemours. Also, Red Charm, despite its short stems,shouldbegrownforitsdeepredcolor.AmendingsoilswithgardenwastecompostorLemetapeat moss did not increase thenumberoffloweringorvegetativestemsinthefirstfouryears.Awithin-rowplantspacingof30,45,or60centimetersshowed no consistent difference in number of floweringandvegetativestemsorstemqualityinthefirstthreeyears.Variationamongindividualplants inbothexperimentswassogreatitmaskedanytreatmenteffects.Nodifferenceswererecorded in flowering times and number of vegetative andfloweringstemsduringthefirstgrowingseasonbetweenSarahBernhardt and Duchess de Nemours, with three levels ofshade(0,10,and60percent)usedtodelayspringsnowmeltandpotentiallydelayfloweringtimes.RootsimportedfromOregonshowedsymptomsof tobaccorattlevirus.Researchis continuing todetermine if thenematode vector survivesinAlaskasoils.Botrytisrotispresent,butnotcommon.Twoinsectshavebeenidentifiedaspestsofpeonybuds,anaphid and a Lygusbug(Lygus borealis, L. punctulatus).Theirdamagecanbeminimizedwiththeuseofexclusionaryscreens.impact

Peonies as field-grown cut flowers have potential as ahorticulturalexportfromAlaskabecauseharvesttimesoccurinlateJunetoAugustwhenpeoniesfromotherworldmarkets

arenotavailable.MorethanfiftyAlaskansmetinDecember2006andtwelveindicatedtheyhadalreadyplantedpeonies,most on a trial basis to identify hardiness and regionalcultivation issues. Growers are located in Fairbanks,Delta Junction,NorthPole,Nenana,TrapperCreek,Palmer/Wasilla,Anchorage,Kenai,Soldotna,andHomer.

Summer stem cutting propagation of thirteen Alaska native woody plantsPatricia S. Holloway,MiaR.Peterburspurpose

Wesoughttoidentifyappropriatetimingofstemcuttingcollection for the propagation of common Alaska shrubsandshrubbytreesforuseasornamentalsandinrevegetationprojects.approach

Thirteen Alaska native shrubs and shrubby trees werepropagatedfromleafystemcuttingscollectedfromlateJunethroughAugust.Cuttingsofnewgrowthwere treatedwith0.3percentindole-3-butyricacidpowderandpropagatedinperlite/vermiculite(1:1byvolume)under intermittentmistwithbottomheat(26°C)inagreenhousewithaminimumnighttemperatureof15°Candnaturallight.Aftersixweeks,cuttingswereharvestedandratedforrootquantity(1[fewest]to3[most]).

Cut peony trial plots at the Georgeson Botanical Garden, summer 2007.—photo by JaMeS d. auer, georgeSoN botaNical gardeN collectioN

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progressThree species rootedpoorly (<20percent) regardlessof

collectiondate:Alnus viridis ssp. crispa,Elaeagnus commutata,and Betula glandulosa. Best rooting (>70 percent) and thehighestratingofrootquantity(>2.5)occurredattheearliestcollection date, 20 June, for: Spiraea stevenii, Myrica gale, Alnus incana ssp. tenuifolia,andRosa acicularis.Peakrootingfor Betula nana was estimated as 6 July, and 11–18 JulyforSalix alaxensis, S. arbusculoides, Populus balsamifera ssp. balsamifera and Ledum groenlandicum. Vaccinium uliginosum showed no peak rooting pattern but rootedmore than 60percentwithasimilarrootquantityratingallsummer.Withthe exceptionofPopulus balsamifera, all species that rootedbest inJuly showedgreater rootquantity ratingsonthe20June collection date even though best rooting percentageswererecordeduptothreeweekslater.P. balsamiferashowedgreatest rootingpercentages and root quantity inmid July.LateJunesummerpropagationisrecommendedforallspeciesthat produced roots to ensure adequate root developmentbeforeautumn.Thistimingfitswellforgreenhouse/nurserybusinesses between the close of bedding plant productionseasonandautumnclosureofgreenhouses.impact

This information will aid horticulturists and resourcemanagerstomanagecollectionsofstemcuttingstoprovidefor the greatest rooting percentages and highest level ofrootingsuccessduringtheseason.AlthoughfewpeoplenowusestemcuttingsforpropagationofAlaskanativeplants,thisprojectprovidesbaselineinformationthatmaypromotetheuseofAlaskanativeplantsinlandscaping.

animal husbandry

feedinG & care

Intake, rate of gain, and milk composition of reindeer cow:calf pairs on two different pasture grassesGreg Finstad,GeorgeAguiarpurpose

We evaluated varieties of grasses that could be used aspasture for reindeer to reducepelleted feedcosts in farmedreindeeroperations.Ourparticularemphasiswastoinvestigatethetypeofpasturethatproducedhighestrateofgainofcow/calfpairsandhighestqualitymilkcomposition(proteinandfatconcentration).approach

The project was conducted at the Agricultural andForestryExperimentStationwithreindeerfromtheReindeer ResearchProgram.InJune2007,eighteencow/calfpairswererandomlyallocatedforsevenweekstoabromegrasspasture,anuggetbluegrasspasture,oracontrolpeninwhichtheywerefeda16percentcrudeproteinmilledfeedfreechoice.Milksampleswerecollectedatthestartandfinishofthetrialandadultfemalesandcalveswereweighedtwiceaweek.

progressConsumption of milled ration was approximately 17

percentlessforcow:calfpairsonpasture.Cow/calfpairsonbothpasturegrassesgainedapproximately25percentmoreweightthananimalseatingonlythemilledration.impact

Our investigation of feeding options for reindeerproducers inAlaska revealed thatuseofpastures in farmedreindeeroperationswillreduceoperatingcostsbydecreasingthe consumption of expensive milled rations. The use ofpasturewillalsoincreaseproductionoftheherdbyincreasingweightgaininreproductivefemalesandcalves.

GeneTics

Cattle genetics (chirikof Island, University of Alaska herd, private Alaska cattle)M.A. Cronin; M.D.MacNeil(USDA);JohnPatton(PurdueUniversity);Milan Shipkapurpose

FeralcattleonChirikofIsland,Alaska,haveanuncertainancestry. Ithasbeenhypothesized theyaredescended fromancient Russian cattle. If so, they may represent a uniquegerm plasm genetic resource. However, modern Europeanbreeds were imported to the island during the 1900s.Regardlessofthesourceoftheanimals,theselectionimposedunderferalconditionsandgeneticdriftonthisisolatedislandmayhaveresultedinauniqueandusefulgenepool.WehavequantifiedthegeneticvariationinChirikofIslandcattleandcompared them with other breeds, including Alaska cattleat the MatanuskaExperimentFarmandthose fromprivateproducers. approach

Wequantifiedgeneticvariationatthirty-fourmicrosatelliteDNAmarkers fromthecattlegenemap inChirikof Islandcattle and from several other breeds.We calculated geneticdistances and inferred relationships between the ChirikofIslandcattleandotherbreeds.WearealsogeneratingDNAsequencesformitochondrialandnuclearDNA.progress

We have data from twenty-four Chirikof Island cattle andfromtenotherbreeds.ApaperdescribingmicrosatelliteDNAvariation in theChirikofcattleandotherbreedswaspublishedinAnimal Genetics.

Additional samples were collected in 2006 from theuniversity’s cattle herd in Palmer and Larry DeVilbiss’sGallowaycattle.DNAhasbeenextractedfromthesesamples,whichwill be analyzed during summer 2008.This projectis part of the Western Education/Extension and ResearchActivity001MultistateResearchProject:BeefcattlebreedingintheWesternRegion.impact

Chirikof Island cattlemay represent a valuable geneticresource, either because of unique ancestry or selectionpressures. The data may affect management decisionsregardinguseofthecattleontheislandasalivestockresource,

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andwhethertoleavethemonorremovethemfromChirikofIsland.TheUSDepartmentofAgriculture rarebreeds andgerm plasm preservation program is very interested in thisherd. Addition of the Chirikof cattle to the program willallowmoderngeneticstobeappliedtolivestockinAlaska.

Elk geneticsM.A. Cronin; M.D.MacNeil(USDA);J.C.Patton(PurdueUniversity)purpose

We sought to develop methods for molecular geneticassessmentofdomesticelk,andtoassessgeneticvariationandgeneticcomponentsofperformancetraitvariationinelk.approach

WeemulatedtheUSDAresearchprogramforassessingquantitative trait loci in cattle to assess molecular geneticvariation in elk and to determine associations or geneticvariationandperformancetraits.progress

Moleculardataquantifyinggeneticvariationindomesticand wild elk was previously generated. An unpublished2005 manuscript describing molecular genetic variation(microsatelliteandmitochondrialDNA)hasbeenrevisedandsubmittedtotheJournal of Animal Science. impact

WehaveestablishedageneticdatabaseforAlaskadomesticelkandbegunworksimilartothatusedtoassessthegeneticsofcattleperformance traits.This researchandtheresultingdatabasemayallowuseofmoleculargeneticsindomesticelkselectionandbreedingprograms.

Assessment of genetic markers in reindeer: Association of dNA polymorphisms with milk yield, milk composition, and calf growth rateM.P. Shipka, M.A. Cronin, J.E.Rowellpurpose

Theidentificationofgeneticmarkersandtheirassociationwith performance traits allows the selection of breedinglivestock early in life. This removes the need to wait foranimalstomaturebeforeassessingperformanceandselectingbreedingstock.Ageneticmarker-assistedselectionsystemhasthepotentialtoenhancethereindeerindustryinAlaska.approach

Estrusintwenty-fourfemalereindeerwassynchronizedduringthefallbreedingseasonusingestablishedtechniquesand the cows were bred over a short period. Followingparturition,cow/calfpairswereusedinthegeneticanalysis.progress

Milk samples were collected from reindeer cows andanalyzedforpercentmilkprotein,milkfat,andlactose.Thetotal dry matter and total energy content were calculatedusingtheabovevaluesinpublishedformulae.Allcalveswereweighed at birth and weekly thereafter until weaning, andaverage daily gain was calculated.DNA has been extracted

frombloodsamplescollectedfromthereindeerbullusedinthisproject,reindeercowsbredbythebullforthisproject,andtheresultingcalves.DNAfromindividualanimalsiscurrentlybeingsubjectedtogeneticmarkeranalysisformilktraits.impact

This is the first analysis of genetic variation andperformance traits of individual reindeer. This approachis especially appealing for reindeer because of the uniqueand potentially valuable characteristics of reindeer milk,andbecause this technologywillfit seamlessly into currentreindeerherdingpracticeson theSewardPeninsulaand forreindeerfarmedbehindfencealongtheAlaskaroadsystem.

Reindeer geneticsM.A. Cronin;M.D.MacNeil(USDA);J.C.Patton(PurdueUniversity);Milan Shipka, Greg Finstad,JanRowellpurpose

We sought to develop methods for molecular geneticassessment of reindeer, and to assess genetic variation andthe genetic component of performance trait variation inreindeer. approach

We are emulating the USDA research program forassessingquantitative trait loci in cattle to assessmoleculargeneticvariationinreindeerandtodetermineassociationsorgeneticvariationandperformancetraits. progress

WehaveestablishedageneticdatabaseforAlaskareindeerand begunwork similar to that used to assess the geneticsofcattleperformancetraits.SamplesfromtheUAFreindeerherdwerecollectedin2006andDNAhasbeenextracted;labanalysesarebeingplanned.impact

The project will provide information for reindeer husbandry selection and breeding programs in Alaska.Parentsof calves canbe identified,whichwill aid inopen-rangemanagement.Inthelongterm,thiswillcontributetomoreefficientreindeerproduction.

reproducTion

Establishment of a dedicated reindeer herd for the study of reproductive biology and reproductive management in farmed reindeerM.P. Shipka,J.E.Rowellpurpose

Weare training reindeer inahandling facility toallowsafe handling for reindeer and researchers, specifically forprocedures associated with ultrasound and other researchprocedures. Once the handling has become routine,procedures such asblood collection andultrasoundwill beslowlyintroduced.approach

Thecalveswereweanedandmovedtoapenwithcloseproximity to the new handling facility at the Fairbanks

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Experiment Farm.Three times a week, calves weremovedthroughthehandlingfacilityaspartofthefeedingroutine.Onceaweektheyarestoppedandweighedinthescalelocatedbehind the squeeze chute and stopped again briefly in thesqueezechute.progress

The ReindeerResearchProgramhasprovidedelevenfemalecalvesborninspring2007forthisproject.Theseyearlingsareundergoingtrainingandareadaptingtotheindoorhandlingfacility. This has established a nonthreatening routine, andenabledustotroubleshootandrefinethefacilitydesign.impact

Thesedeerwillbeacclimatedtothehandlingfacilityanddedicatedtostudiesinreproductivebiologyandreproductivemanagement of female reindeer.Having a dedicated groupoftractablereindeeristhefirststepinfurtheringaprograminreproductivemanagementoffarmedreindeer.Thefacilityand training protocols will provide practical designs andhandlingroutinesimmediatelyapplicabletosmall-scalegamefarmsinAlaska.Reindeeracclimatedtothehandlingfacilitywill help future applications in reproductive managementresearch such as artificial insemination,ultrasonagraphyuseinexaminationofpregnancyandtheestrouscycle,andintheapplicationofotherreproductivetechnologies.

Variability of gestation length in reindeerM.P. Shipka,J.E.Rowellpurpose

GestationlengthinAlaskareindeerhasbeenreportedtorange from198–240days.Thisexceedsmeanestrouscyclelength (24 days; range 16–28 days) and limits our abilitytopredictcalving.VariablegestationlengthwasreportedinRussianreindeeraslongagoas1939andrecentlyaNorwegianteamreportedthatreindeercowsbredearlyinthebreedingseason had a longer gestation period than did reindeercows bred late in the breeding season.We investigated theimplicationofthiscorrelation.approach

A switchback trial that separated breeding dates intwo groups of reindeer by approximately one month wascomplemented with historical data. The historical dataincluded individual reindeer with known breeding dates(confirmed by pregnancy hormone analysis) along withrecorded dates of parturition, spanning years 1989–2008.ThisincludesseventypregnanciesfromtwoseparatereindeerfacilitiesatUAF.Intheswitchbacktrial,seventeenreindeercows were divided into two groups balanced for age andweightasofmid-August2005.Anearly-breedinggroup wasbredtoafertilebullAugust24whilethelate-breedingwere

Alaska reindeer.—photo by greg fiNStad

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bredtothesamebull,butonemonthlateronSeptember21.In 2006 the groupswere reversed: the late-breeding groupfrom2005was bredwith the samebull from thepreviousyearonAugust23,2006.Reindeerfromtheearly-bredgroupin2005wereplacedwiththebullonSeptember20,2006.Calvesproducedfromthesebreedingdateswerebornduringthe spring of 2007, allowing the calculation of gestationlength.progress

Historical data: Reindeer bred early in the breedingseason exhibit a gestation length approximately nine dayslongerthandidreindeerbredlateinthebreedingseason.

Switchback study: Gestation length of reindeer cowsplacedwithbreedingbullsonAugust24averaged225dayswhilegestationlengthofreindeercowsplacedwithbreedingbullsonSeptember21averaged216days,andthedifferencebetweenthetwogroupswashighlysignificant.

Thesexratioofcalves (M:F)didnotvary significantlybetweenearly(12:19)andlateconceptions(19:15).Thesexratiooverthetwoyearswas31:34.

Calf birth weight did not differ between males (6.8kg)andfemales (6.7kg)orbetweenearly (6.83kg)or lateconception(6.68kg).

Older reindeer cows tended to have longer gestationlength.impact

Understanding the relationship between breeding dateandgestationlengthwillallowherdersandreindeerfarmerstobetterpredictthetimeofcalving.Thiswillallowgreatervigilanceatcalvingtimeandimprovecalfsurvivability.

Introduction of reindeer bull during mid-estrous cycleM.P. Shipka,J.E.Rowell,N.C.Ripleypurpose

Estrouscyclelengthinreindeeris22±1day,althoughshortestrouscycles(10–12days)haveoftenbeenreported.Reindeerbullintroductionisaveryeffectivemeansofinducingandsynchronizingestrusnearthebeginningofthebreedingseason,butthereisnoinformationonthemaleeffectoverthecourseofanestrouscycle.Wesoughttodeterminewhetherbullintroductionatdifferentstagesoftheestrouscyclewouldresult inashortenedcycleandreturntoestrus followedbybreedingandconception.approach

Reindeercowswererandomlyallocatedtofivetreatmentgroups balanced for age and bodyweight.All groupswereestrous synchronized to begin this experiment. Group 1wasplaced inharemwith twobulls immediately followingsynchronizationprotocolandremainedthere foroneweek.Groups2–4wereeachputintoharemforoneweekassoonas thepreviousgroupwas removed.Group5 (control)hadnocontactwiththebulls.Allgroupswerebloodsampledviajugularvenipuncturetwotothreetimesweeklystartingtwoweeksbeforeestroussynchronizationandcontinuinguntilsix

weekspost-haremforradioimmunoassayofprogesterone.Thegroup5samplingschedulefollowedthegroup1schedule.progress

Timeoftheestrouscyclewhenbullintroductionoccurreddidnotaffectestrouscyclelength.Pregnancyratesforgroupswereasfollows:

Group1=5of5cowsconceivedapregnancy,Group2=0of5cowsconceivedapregnancy,Group3=0of5cowsconceivedapregnancy,andGroup4=2of5cowsconceivedapregnancy.Bull introduction did not shorten themean length of

reindeer estrous cycles when bull introduction occurredduring themid-cycle luteal phase and conception ratewasdifferent.impact

While reindeer are affected by male presence and canbeestroussynchronized,themaleeffectdoesnotextendtointerruptingthecow’snormalestrouscycletoreturntoestrus,breed,andconceiveapregnancy.Introductionofthereindeerbullduringmid-estrouscycledoesnotexplaintheoccurrenceofshortestrouscyclesreportedbyotherresearchers.

demonstration project—use of estrous synchronization for enhanced pregnancy rate on reindeer with previous reproductive failureM.P. Shipka,J.E.Rowell,G.L. Finstadpurpose

Reproductivefailureisthoughttobehighamongreindeeron the SewardPeninsulainwesternAlaska.Thisconclusionisbasedonbarren femalesobservedduringwinter reindeerharvest as well as low percent of females with calves or inlactationduring summer reindeerhandlings.Ourobjectivewas to estrous synchronize six reindeer cowswith previousreproductivefailure,exposethesecowstoaprovenreindeerbullforoneweekandobservepregnancyrates.approach

AbloodsamplewascollectedinearlyAugusttoestablishbaselineendocrinevalues.InlateSeptembertoearlyOctoberthe six females were estrous synchronized using modifiedControlled Intravaginal Drug Releasing devices (CIDR),following theprocedurepreviouslyestablished,andbred totheherdbullatthesychronizedestrous.Bloodsamples(10ml)werecollectedbeforesynchronization, followingCIDRremoval,andtwiceweeklyforsixweekspost-synchronization(to establish pregnancy) and then every two weeks untilcalving.Bloodwillbeanalyzedforprogesteroneandcomparedto previously published profiles of progesterone duringpregnancy.Theanimalswillbetrainedfortheuseofrectalultrasound to verifypregnancy and tomonitor fetal healthanddevelopmentoverthecourseofpregnancy.Anyreindeercow(s)thatfailtoconceivewillbetakentoDeltaMeatandSausage,slaughtered(productionofUSDA-inspectedmeat),allowingcollectionof reproductive tissues for inspectionofabnormalitiesthatmayhavenegatedpregnancy.

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progressPregnancyhasbeenestablishedinfiveofthesixreindeer

cows.The other cow currently remains on the farm untiltheoptimumtimeforshippingtoDeltaMeatandSausage.Allpregnantcowswillbeobservedfordeliveryoflivecalvesduringthespringof2008.impact

This project demonstrates the effectiveness of estroussynchronization in reindeer cows with poor reproductiveperformancehistories.

disease

Prediction of susceptibility of muskoxen to transmissible spongiform encephalopathy based on genetic similarity to caprine tSEM.P. Shipka; G.M.Happ,T.M.O’Hara,E.R.Woodpurpose

Spongiform encephalopathies are neurodegenerativediseases brought on by the conformational change of thecellularprionprotein(PrPc)intoapathogenicform(PrPsc).Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) havebeen identified inmany species.Variants of prion diseasesinclude bovinespongiformencephalopathy(bovine,human),scrapie (caprine, ovine species), chronic wasting disease(cervine species), and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (human).The prevalence of bovine spongiform encephalopathy inparticular and its transmission from cattle to people has spurredresearchintopriondiseaseswithinthepasttwenty-fiveyears.Theeffectsofscrapie on sheepandgoats,however,have been known since the eighteenth century. Key allelesinthegoatpriongenearesuspectedcontributorstodiseasecharacteristics.We sought to compare themuskoxenprionproteingenetothatofgoats(subfamilyrelatives)toexaminepotentialmuskoxensusceptibilitytoprion diseases.approach

Six muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) from the Robert G.WhiteLargeAnimalResearchStationwereusedinthisstudy.Bloodsampleswereobtainedbyjugularvenipunctureduringa single handling. Whole blood samples were frozen forlaterDNAextraction.Goat(Capra hircus)wholebloodwaspurchased (InnovativeResearch, Inc.Southfield,Michigan)foruseascomparisonspecies.TheDNAwasextractedandconfirmed, and the resultingdatawere analyzedallowingacomparisonoftheknowngoatPRPgenetothesamelocusofthemuskoxengenometoidentifyhomologybetweenthetwogenotypes. A composite of all known goat polymorphismsprovided reference to those sites associated with diseasecharacteristics. progress

No base substitutions were observed in the muskoxensequences at those sites linked to prion pathogenesis incaprinespecies.AllsixmuskoxencarriedgenesequencesthatwereidenticaltothatofthegoatPRPgene,indicatinggeneticsusceptibilitytoTSEinallcases.Thismaybeduetosmallsamplesizeand,maybemoreimportant,ageneticallyisolated

population.Allmuskoxensequencedpossessedthewildtypeallelesmostcloselyassociatedtovulnerabilitytopriondiseaseingoats(HH143RR154).impact

This is the first study to compare genetic similarity ofmuskoxen to goat for genes associated with prion disease(TSE)susceptibility.OurresultsindicatethatmuskoxenmayhavearelativelyhighdegreeofsusceptibilitytoTSEbasedonthegeneticsimilaritytothegoat,acloserelative.Theseresultsareparticularly importantforconsiderationofproximityofdomesticorwildgoatstomuskoxen.

controlled environment productionCovering materials for high tunnelsMeriam Karlsson,JeffreyWernerpurpose

Hightunnelsareusedforseasonextension,higheryields,improvedquality,andmoreconsistentandpredictablytimedharvests.Undernorthernconditionswithnaturallyextremeday lengths, high tunnels with nontraditional plasticsmaymoreefficientlysupportcropproductivity.approach

Four commercially available plastic covering materialswere evaluated. K50 Clear plastic is commonly used inhigh tunnelsandplasticgreenhouses.K50IR/ACplastic isexpectedtoconserveenergyresultinginwarmertemperaturesduring cold nights. KoolLite380 blocks short ultravioletradiationandselectivelyfiltersinfraredradiationtomaintaina cooler environment during hot days. Solatrol selectivelyabsorbsfar-redwavelengthsandalterstheratiobetweenredandfar-redlight.Therelativeamountofredandfar-redlightin the growing environment is significant for morphologyanddevelopmentofplants.

To evaluate the various environments, raspberriesweregrown in a container system. Long canes of Tulameen, araspberrycultivarwelladapted forcontainers,wereplantedin June using three-gallon containers for first-season berryproduction. progress/result

The temperature patterns in the K50 Clear and K50IR/AC-coveredtunnelsweresimilaralthoughduringcoolernights,K50IR/ACmaintainedawarmerenvironment.TherewasatrendforlowertemperaturesduringthewarmestpartofthedayunderKoolLite380.Excellentpollinationandgrowthresultedinhighyieldsoftop-qualityfreshmarketraspberriesinallenvironmentsincludingthefield.Inallenvironments,more than 100 high-quality fresh market raspberries wereharvestedfromeachsinglecaneplant.Thehighestyield(17.2ounces)was recorded in thehigh tunnel coveredwithK50IR/AC,whilethelowestwasharvestedonplantsgrownintheadjacentfield(13.8ounces).impact/implications

The results suggest K50 IR/AC is a good coveringmaterial forseasonextensionasnighttemperaturesdropin

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thefall.ThecoolingunderKoolLite380isanadvantageforcropproductivityduringhotsummerperiods.Combinationsof high tunnels with different cover materials can berecommended for uninterrupted high-quality productionthroughoutthefieldseason.

Successional snap bean production in field and high tunnelsMeriam Karlsson,JeffWernerpurpose

Snap beansrespondwithslowandlimitedgrowthincoldand windy conditions. Therefore, high tunnels were usedinefforts to increaseproductivitywithearliermaturityandproductionextendedbeyondfallfrost.approach

The cultivars Concesa, Provider, Stayton, Gold Rush,RoyalBurgundy,andRomaIIweredirectseededonJune3,18,and30inhightunnelsandtheadjacentfield.Concesa,although developed for warmer climates, produces shinyslenderpodswithexcellentconsumerappeal.Provideriswelladaptedandrecommendedfornorthernconditions.Staytonis a snapbeanwith extra-finepods.GoldRush is a yellowwax-typebean,RoyalBurgundyispurplewithgreeninterior,andRomaIIisaflatItalian-stylesnapbean.progress/result

ThefirstmaturepodswerepickedonAugust1fromtheJune3seeding.ThelastbeanswereharvestedonSeptember20asfrostendedtheseason.Usuallymorematurebeanswerepickedinthehightunnelthanthefield.Theyieldforeachcultivar decreased with the seeding date. Provider had thehighestoverallyieldwith22.9ouncesperhightunnel-grownplant and20.8ounces in thefield for thefirst and secondseeding.Fortheearliestseedinginthehightunnel,GoldRushaveraged 21.2 ounces per plant followed by Stayton (18.7ounces),RomaII(17.8ounces),Concesa(17.2ounces),andRoyalBurgundy(14.9ounces).Althoughsimilarinthefieldandhightunnel,theyieldofProviderdecreasedto9.4ouncesperplantfortheJune30planting.Fortheotherfivecultivars,theyieldofthelastseedingdoubledintheprotectionofthehightunnel.impact/implications

Sequentialseedingofbeansisusefultomaximizeseasonalproductivity. Inyearswithearlyend-of-season frost, ahightunnelenvironment iscritical forcropmaturation.SeedingbeansbeyondthelastdayofJunedoesnotappearadvisable,astimeisinsufficientforcompletecropdevelopment.

Strawberries grown on black plastic in high tunnels Meriam Karlsson,JeffWernerpurpose

Thisstudywasinitiatedtodeterminestrawberrycultivarssuitableforseasonalproductionusinghightunnelsandraisedbedscoveredwithblackplastic.

approachA mechanical bed shaper was used to make the two-

foot wide black plastic-covered beds. Four cultivars ofstrawberries (Fern,Tribute,Tristar,Quinault) were plantedthroughtheplasticoftheraisedbedsinhightunnelandfieldenvironments. progress/result

Harvestwas initiated in early July andcontinueduntilend-of-seasonfrostonSeptember21.Allcultivarsperformedbetter in the high tunnel than the field environment.ThelargestyieldwasrecordedforTribute,with15.13ouncesperplantinthehightunneland10.37ouncesinthefield.Fernfollowed, with 10.62 ounces of berries in the high tunneland7.9ouncesinthefield.TheleastproductivecultivarwasQuinault.Contrary to the previous two seasons, berry sizewas similaror larger in thehigh tunnel.Sinceberry size isrelatedtowateravailability,irrigationmanagementiscriticaltoensurestrawberriesofacceptablesizeinhightunnels.TheaverageberrysizeforTributewas0.42ounces.impact/implications

The protective environment of a high tunnel offersopportunities to produce high quality strawberries. Theyield often also increases although dependent on seasonalconditions.Additionaladvantagesofhightunnelsincludeamorecomfortableandefficientworkingenvironmentduringinclementweatherandshelteronfrostydays.

Lettuce grown in a hydroponic nutrient film technique system YosukeOkada,JeffWerner,Meriam Karlssonpurpose

We aimed to determine growth and quality of lettuce grown in a hydroponic greenhouse system using differentsolution temperatures. approach

Thenutrientfilmtechnique(NFT)isacommonlyusedhydroponicsystemwithplantsrestinginagrowingchannel.Anutrientsolutioncontinuouslybathestheroots.Thesolutionisrecirculatedafterbeingreplenishedwithwaterandnutrientsinastocktank.ThelettuceNevadawasgrownusinganNFTsystemwithnutrientsolutionsof60°Fand68°F.Nevadaisagreenbutterheadorbibb-typelettucewithleavesarrangedinaloosehead.Thestudywasconductedinthesummerwith,forlettuce,above-optimumairtemperaturesaveraging68to72°F.Thelettucewasharvestedafter28daysofgrowth.progress/result

Nogrowingdisorderswereobservedsuchasextensionofaflowerstalk(bolting)orbrowningoftheleafedges(tipburn).The lettuce grown in the colder solution had significantlyhigherweightthaninthe68°Fsolution.Theweightofthelettuceheadsaveraged4.8ouncesat60°Fand4.5ouncesat68°F.Comparingtheweightofrootsandshoots,lettucegrownwithacoldersolutionhadahigherpercentagepartitionedtoleafgrowththanlettuceinwarmersolution.

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impact/implicationsHigh quality lettuce can effectively be produced in

northern greenhouses using anNFT system.Adjusting thesolution temperature to offset unfavorable and oftenmoredifficult to control air temperatures offers opportunities toproducehigh-qualityyear-roundhydroponiclettuce.

using high tunnels to extend the southcentral Alaska growing seasonJeffrey Smeenk, Jodie Anderson; JoeKuhl(ARS)purpose

We sought to determine the effectiveness in extendingthe southcentralAlaska growing season and to increase theheatunitsforthecropusinghightunnels.approach

Large (30' by 96') and small (12' x 16') high tunnelswereestablishedinMaytocapturesolargainandextendthegrowing season. Unprotected raised beds were establishedadjacent to the structures to compare the temperature andproductivitydifferences.progress

Sweetcornplantedinthehightunnelyielded180earsfrom200plantswhilesweetcornplantedintheplotsadjacentto the high tunnel did not produce any marketable ears.Severalvarietiesoftomatoeswereplantedinthehightunnelsandinunprotectedbedsadjacenttothesouthsideofthelargehightunnel.The19plantsinthelargehightunnelyielded34lbsofripetomatoes(and43lbsofgreentomatoesatfrosttime).Thesevenplantsinthesmallhightunnelyielded24.6lbsofripetomatoes(and13.8lbsofgreentomatoes).Ofthe19plants intheunprotectedbedonly8plantsyieldedanytomatoesandtheseyieldswere6.8lbsofripetomatoesand13.8 lbs of green tomatoes. Similar productivity responseswereseenwithcucumbers.Ofthe11plantsestablishedintheunprotectedbedsonlyoneplantproducedcucumbers(0.71lb),while the 11 plants in the large high tunnel produced67.4lbsofcucumbers.impact

First year results indicated thatwith the rising costsofvegetablesthesestructuresmayhavearelativelyshortpaybackperiod.Althoughtheleveloffrostprotectiongiventothewarmseasoncropsinthefallwasonlyseveraldays,severalweeksofcontinuedproductivitywereseenwithcoolseasonsaladgreens.This technologymayassist remotecommunities tobecomemorefoodsecureduringtheAlaskasummerandfall.

field crops & field managementthe effect of forage variety on haylage quality and quantity in AlaskaSusanSpencer,Norman Harris,BethHallpurpose

Hayproducersoftendonothavesufficientdryweatherto produce good quality hay in southcentral Alaska. Theproduction of haylage, fermented hay, is a viable solution

becauseitrequireslesstimebetweenthecuttingandbalingofforage.Thisstudyexaminestechniquesforproductionofhigh-qualityhaylage inAlaskaanddevelopsremotesensingtechniquesforestimationofbiomassproduction.approach

Differenttypesofforageareharvestedattwotimesduringthe summer.Haylage isbaledusing twodifferent colorsofplastic wrap with or without preservative. Self-recordingthermistorsareinsertedintobales.Attheendofasix-monthstorage period, samples are collected for fiber analysis andhigh-performance liquid chromatography. Thermistors areremovedatthistime.Near-earthremotesensingdatausingour blimp/cameraplatformisacquiredbeforeandaftereachharvest.Thestartandendofforageswathsformingeachbalearepositionedusingaglobalpositioningsystemunit.Weightsareobtainedforallbales.progress

Thiswasthesecondandfinalyearofdatacollectionforthisstudy.Samplesfromlastsummer’sharvestwereobtainedas bales were opened at the end of the six-month storageperiod.Fiberanalysiswasconductedonthesesamples.Also,two fields at the Matanuska Experiment Farm containingdifferent types of grass were harvested twice during thesummer.Samplesofthisforagewillbecollectedattheendofthesix-monthstorageperiod.Imageryisnowbeingprocessedto produce vegetative indices for predicting forage biomassandestimationmodelsarebeingdeveloped.impact

Haylage can supply a high-quality feed thatwill fosterincreased milk and meat production in Alaska. A securelocalsupplyofmeatandmilkwillbenefitAlaskaconsumers.Remotesensingtechnologywillprovidefarmerswithawaytobetterestimateproduction,allowingthemtomakeinformeddecisionsconcerningtheiroperations.

Field-grown cut sunflowersJeffWerner,Meriam Karlssonpurpose

Sunflowers areof local interest as cutflowers.Recentlyintroduced day-neutral selections are recommended forfloweringthroughouttheAlaskafieldseason.approach

ThesunflowerProCutserieshas improvedpost-harvestkeepingqualitybecause theflowersdonotproducepollen. SixProCutcultivarsweredirectseededinthefieldonJune9:ProCutBicolor,ProCutRed/LemonBicolor,ProCutOrange,ProCutLemon,ProCutPeach,andProCutYellowLite.progress/result

Although all the included cultivars are indicated toproduceflowers in50 to60days,flowering timevariedbyuptothreeweeks.Twocultivars(ProCutBicolorandProCutRed/LemonBicolor)floweredwithintheanticipated60days.ProCutLemonhadtheslowestdevelopmentwithfloweringat75days.Allwereof impressive sizewith7.5 to10-inchdiameterflowersandstemlengthsfrom55to82inches.

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impact/implicationsRecent introductions offer opportunities to produce

sunflowersunderextremenortherndaylengths.Duringmostyears,theAlaskasummerseasonissufficientlylongandwarmenough for sunflowers in various color patterns to developandproducebloomsforcutflowers.

Novelty potatoesJeffrey Smeenkpurpose

The primary goal of the novelty potato project is toidentifyexistingvarieties,alongwithevaluatingnewgeneticmaterial,forpublicmarketand/orspecialtyrestaurantsales.approach

This project has two main thrusts. First is thedetermination of which existing potato varieties are worthfurther examination. New and heirloom potato varietiesare acquired from various tissue culture repositories.Theyare examined at the AlaskaDivision of Agriculture’s PlantMaterialCenter(PMC)toensuretheyarenotcontaminatedwith diseases. Once released from the PMC, the varieties

are planted in unreplicated demonstration plots at the MatanuskaExperimentFarm.Afterharvestthevarietiesaregradedforyieldsandqualityaspects.Thevarietiesandresultsarepresentedatgrowermeetingsandnumerousgardenclubmeetingsaroundthestate.Ifinterestisshowninaparticularvariety, thematerialwillbe included in replicated trials forfurtherevaluation.

The other thrust of the novelty potato project is tocollaboratewithARSpotatogeneticistsworkingwithcoloredpotatogermplasm.TheARScollaboratorsmake thepotatocrossesusingparentsknowntohavecoloredskinand/orfleshedprogeny.MinitubersresultingfromthesecrossesaresenttotheMatanuskaExperimentFarmtoevaluatethematerialunderAlaska production conditions.Unlike production potatoes,each of these tubers is genetically different from the othertubers.Thetubersareplantedindividuallyandtheiruniqueidentityismaintainedatalltimes.Atharvesttimealloftheplantsareindividuallyevaluatedandonlythetop5percentofmaterialshowingpromisingagronomiccharacteristicswillbecollected.Tentubersofeachofthetop5percentoftheaccessions will be planted in the following growing seasonfor another round of selections based on larger samples.

Jan Hanscom bagging potatoes at one of the Georgeson Botanical Garden’s experimental plots.—photo by NaNcy tarNai

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The accessions that make it through the second growingseasonevaluationsarethensampledforcookingflavor.Theremainingaccessions thathavegoodflavorgetplantedasareplicatedtrialinthefollowinggrowingseason.Theresultsofthereplicatedtrialispresentedtothegrowersthatfocusonthefarmers’markets.progress

Approximately180namedornumberedpotatovarietiesweredemonstratedinanunreplicatedtrialfortheirproductionpotential under southcentral Alaska irrigated productionconditions.ThevarietiesRedLasodaandSangreIIwerethehighest-yielding red-skinned varieties. Nipigon and AaronVictorywerethehighest-yieldingwhitevarietiesandYellowFinnandGermanButterballwerethehighest-yieldingyellow-fleshedvarieties.Twenty-fivevarietieswereboiledat a tastetest heldwith approximately seventy five participants.Thevarieties Bintje, Peanut, and Stampede Russet consistentlyreceivedstrong,positiveflavorratings.

Approximately 3,000 new potato accessions withpotential for theAlaskanoveltymarket (tuberswith strongfleshcolorsand/oruniquelycoloredskin)weregrownundernon-irrigated conditions during the 2007 growing season.Tubersfromthemostpromising3percentofmaterialwerecollected for further evaluation in 2008. Likewise, the toptwenty-fiveaccessionsofthe2006seasonwerereplantedto

increasetheamountofmaterialavailableforhorticulturalandtasteevaluations.Thetopeightvarietiesofthe2006material,based on thewinter taste trials,were chosen for replicatedtrialsinthe2008growingseason.impact

Numerouspotatogrowersandwholesaleproducebuyerscame to a “PotatoDay” event inwhichwe showcased180varietiesandtheiryieldandgradingresults.TheindividualswhocontrolmostofthepotatoesavailabletoAlaskaconsumershad the opportunity to examine themany potato varietiesavailableanddiscussproductionaspectswithgrowers.

TheGardenClub that evaluated the flavor of the toptwenty-fivevarietiesnowhasabetterunderstandingoftheirdifferentflavors.Theclubistryingtoinfluenceseedgrowerstomakethesevarietiesavailabletotheclub,andisalsohopingtogetgrocerstocarrysomeoftheuniquevarieties.

lupinaster clover as a forage crop for interior AlaskaStephen D. Sparrow,darleent.masiakpurpose

Weseektodeterminethepotentialof lupinaster clover (Trifolium lupinaster) as a forage crop in Alaska’s Tanana Valley.

Jeffrey Smeenk at the Matanuska Experiment Farm discussing novelty potatoes with members of the NRM 290 class summer 2008. —photo by Matthew helt

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approachWebeganthisstudybyseedingsmalllotswithseedfrom

varioussourcesinindividualrowsin2002atFairbanksandDeltaJunction.Sincethen,wehavecollectedmatureseedsatFairbanksandhaveestablishedsmallplots.Wehandharvestedsamplesfrom1m2areasforyielddatain2006and2007.Weseededlargerplotsin2007,andhopetohaveenoughareaformachineharvestin2008.progress and results

At Delta Junction, lupinaster died out during thewinterafterseedingineachyearitwastested.Therefore,weabandoned trials there. Lupinaster clover herbage samplescollectedin2006averaged15.9percentproteinandyielded<1.0ton/acre.Yieldsin2007averaged3.3ton/acre.Wedidnotmeasuretissueproteinforthe2007samples.Yielddatafrom2007indicatelupinasterclovermayhavepotentialasaforagecropinsomeareasininteriorAlaska.impact

LupinastercloverdoesnotappeartobewelladaptedtotheDeltaJunctionarea,butitmayhavepotentialasaforagecropinotherpartsofinteriorAlaska;ifso,itwillprovideanalternativeperennial foragecrop for farmers inpartsof theInterior.

tall fireweed as a potential crop for interior AlaskaStephen D. Sparrow,darleent.masiakpurpose

Tall fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium, Epilobium angustifolium),an indigenousherbaceousperennialplant inAlaska, oftengrows in thick stands and is known tobe animportant food source for some speciesofgrazinganimals.Assuch,itmaybeausefulforagecropforlivestockproducersinAlaska.Itmayalsobeusefulasabioenergycrop.WeseektodeterminethepotentialoftallfireweedasamanagedcropinAlaska.approach

WeseededtallfireweedattheFairbanksExperimentFarminautumn2004,2005,and2006.Weharvestedsmallplotsatapproximatelyone-weekintervalsfromearlyJuneuntillateAugustin2006and2007.progress and results

Yieldsrangedfrom0.5tonsperacrefortheearliestharvestto3.0tonsperacreforthemid-Augustharvestin2006and0.7to4.9ton/acrein2007.In2008,wewillagainevaluatefireweed plots for survival following intensive harvestingthepreviousyearandbeginstudiesonharvestmanagementpractices on yield and persistence. While this preliminaryresearchindicatestallfireweedmayhavepotentialasacropinAlaska,muchmoreresearchisneededtodeterminelong-termproductivityandbestmanagementpractices.impact

FarmersininteriorAlaskaarecurrentlylimitedtoafew,introduced forage crop species.These crops do not alwaysdo well under subarctic conditions and some of them are

considered potential invasive weeds. If fireweed proves tobeafeasibleforagecrop,itwillprovideAlaskafarmerswithanoption toproduce anewcropwhich iswell adapted tosubarcticgrowingconditions,andwillnotbecomeanexoticinvasiveweed.

Barley yield response to fishmeal application in two interior Alaska soilsM. Zhang, S.D. Sparrow;P.J.Bechtel,A.Pantoja(ARS)purpose

Annually,thereareoveronemillionmetrictonsoffishbyproducts produced fromAlaska fishing industries.Thesefishbyproductsarerichinnitrogenandcanbeprocessedandusedasanutrientsourceforcropproduction.Wesoughttodetermine barleybiomassyieldresponsetotypeandrateoffishbyproductapplicationintwointeriorAlaskasoils.approaches

Fieldexperimentswereconductedat theFairbanksEx-perimentFarm(Lat.64°38'N,designatedasSite1)andtheDeltaJunctionFieldResearchSite(Lat.63°56'N,designat-edasSite2)in2006and2007.Threefishbyproductswereused in the experiment: fishmeal (10.9 percent nitrogen),fishbonemeal (6.2percentnitrogen), andfishhydrolysate(4.4percentnitrogen,wetbase).Eachfishbyproductwasap-pliedat50,100,and150kgnitrogen/ha.Alongwiththefishbyproducts,aureatreatment(100kgnitrogen/ha)andacon-trolwithneitherfishbyproductsnorureawereimplemented.Theexperimentwasinacompletelyrandomizedblockdesignwithfourreplicates.PlanttissueandsoilsamplesweretakeninJulyandAugustin2006and2007.Plantbiomass,nitro-gen, andphosphorus concentration inplant tissue and soilsamplesweredetermined.progressbiomass production at current year of fish byproduct application

2006 results

For the Fairbanks site, there were slight differencesbetween nutrient treatments and the control at the Julysampling.Apparently,nitrogenapplicationintheformoffishbyproducts increasedbarleybiomassproduction, indicatingbenefit fromthefishbyproducts.For theAugust sampling,there was no statistical difference among the treatments.However, barley biomass apparently increased in responseto increase of nitrogen application. The biomass fromfish byproducts was apparently better than that from ureaapplication.

InDeltaJunction,thebarleybiomasstakeninJulywaslowerwiththefishbyproductsthanwithurea.FortheAugustsamples, fishmeal andfishbonemeal at 150kgnitrogen/hawere similar to urea at 100 kg nitrogen/ha for biomassproduction.Butforthesamerateofnitrogenapplication,thebiomass fromfishmealandfishbonemealwas lower thanthat of urea. For fish hydrolysate, biomass from the threenitrogenapplicationrateswaslowerthantheureatreatment.

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2007 results

AttheFairbankssite,duetoshortageoffishhydrolysate,coarseboneswithoutgrindingwere substituted for thefishhydrolysatetreatment.Thesecoarsebonetreatmentsgeneratedabiomasssignificantlyhigherthanthecontrolat100and150kgnitrogen/harateabouttwomonthsafterapplication(Julysampling).As forfishmeal andfishbonemeal, the resultswereconsistentwith2006;atthesameapplicationrate,fishmealandfishbonemealresultswereasgoodasfromtheureatreatmentforbothJulyandAugustsamplings.

FortheJulysamplingattheDeltaJunctionexperimentalsite,thefishmealtreatmentat150kgnitrogen/hahadasimilarbiomassproductionastheureatreatment.Fishbonemealwassimilar to theurea treatment inbiomassproduction at100and150kgnitrogen/ha.Ingeneral,fishhydrolysategenerateda lower biomass than the urea treatment. For the samplestakeninAugust,biomassyieldfromfishmealandfishbonemealappliedat100kgnitrogen/hawassimilartoureaappliedat the same rate. Biomass from fish hydrolysate treatmentwas lower at all application rates than the urea treatments,buthigherthanthecontrol,indicatingthebeneficialimpactofnitrogen fromthehydrolysate. Itwouldbe interesting toknowwhyfishhydrolysatehadlessimpactoncropgrowthincomparisonwithfishmealandfishbonemeal.

biomass production from previous fish byproduct application (residual effect)

Barleygrowthbenefitedfrompreviousyearfishbyproductapplicationforbothsitesandsamplingdateswhencomparedwith the control, but the residual effect on barley biomassproductionfromfishbyproductswasnotdifferentthantheureatreatmentappliedatthesamerate(100kgN/ha).Thebiomassfromfishmealappliedat150kgN/haapparentlyhadahigheryieldthantheureatreatmentinAugustsamplingatbothsites.Duetovariationingrowingconditionsfromyeartoyear,itwouldbeinterestingtoexaminetheresidualbenefitfromthefishbyproductsforanotheryear.

conclusions for current year and residual effect

Through the two-year experiments, fishmeal and fishbonemealwereasgoodasurea fertilizer. In somesite/yearcombinations,thefishmealandfishbonemealwerebetterthanureainbarleybiomassproduction.Therewasbeneficialimpactoncropbiomassyieldfromfishhydrolysate,butthefishhydrolysate generated lessbiomass as compared tofishmeal and fish bonemeal.Therewere residual effects fromthethreefishbyproducts,butthisresidualimpactonbarleygrowthwasnotstatisticallysignificantwhencomparedtotheureatreatment.Duetovariationingrowingconditionsfromyear toyear (e.g. temperature,precipitation),wewill studytheresidualeffectoffishbyproducts foranotheryearusingthefieldplotsof2007sothatamoreconcreteconclusioncanbemade.impact

Partial results were presented at the SustainableAgricultural Conference in Fairbanks and received a good

response from producers. Fishmeals are common nutrientsourcesusedbyorganicgrowers inAlaska,yet thenutrientrelease characteristics and crop response are not fullyunderstood.Theresultsfromthisprojectfilltheinformationgapofnutrientreleasefromfishbyproducts,andwillserveasauserguidelinefororganicgrowersforfishmealapplications.

Selection, variety testing, and evaluation of cultural practices for alternative agronomic crops for AlaskaRobertM.VanVeldhuizen,Mingchu Zhang, Stephen D. Sparrowpurpose

This ongoing research provides a yearly update ofinformation on new and better adapted agronomic cropvarieties (small grains and oilseeds) and their response todrylandfarmingconditionsandharvestmethodsatFairbanks,Delta Junction, andPalmer. It also provides a database forlocalproducerstodeterminetheeconomicviabilityforthosecrops.approach

Weusevarietytrials forcontinuedevaluationofspring6-row feed barley, 6-rowhulless barley selections, hard redspringwheat,andoilseedsincludingPolishcanola,Orientalandbrownmustards,yellowmustard,camelina,anddwarf,open-pollinatedSunwheatselectedfromnorthernCanadianandUSsourcesfortestingagainstthestandardAlaskavarieties(Otalspringfeedbarley,Thualhullessbarley,Ingalhardredspringwheat,andRewardPolishcanola) forearlymaturityandhighyields.Replicatedtrialsofallvarietieswereplantedatallthreetestlocations,withtheexceptionofcanola,whichwastestedonlyatFairbanksandDeltaJunction,andcamelinaandSunwheatvarieties,whichweretestedonlyatFairbanks.progress

Summer growing conditions at all three locationswerewarmerand slightlywetter (especiallyatPalmer)comparedwiththelong-term(thirty-year)averages.However,thisdidnotproduceanysignificantimprovementfortheagronomiccharacteristics of the crops: heading and maturity dateswere very close to the long-term average. Plant heightcharacteristicsforallspecieswereslightlyabovethelong-termaveragewhichresultedinanincreaseinlodgingatFairbanksandPalmer.Averageyieldsforthefeedbarleyatalllocationswere slightly lower than those for the standard test variety.Thesixhullessbarleycrossselectionsperformedbetterthanthestandardhullessbarley.AveragematurityoccurredaboutonetotwodaysearlierthanThual, lodgingwas20percentbetter, and percent hulless seed characteristics (the percentof crop afterharvest that showkernelswithouthulls)weregreaterthan90percentforallselectionsatallthreelocations,thusmaintaininghullessvarietystatus.Cooperativeresearchon the milling and baking characteristics with the AlaskaCooperative Extension Servicewill assist inmaking a finalselection for release as a named variety in 2008.Yields forhardredspringwheatvarietiesweregreaterthanthestandard

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testvarietyatalllocations.ThePalmeryieldsforbothbarleyandwheatwerelowerstillduetobirdpredation.YieldsforPolish canola were lower than the standard variety at theFairbankslocationandhigherattheDelta Junction location. Mustard and camelina yields were comparable to canolayields.However, they are latermaturing,which resulted ingreen,unripe,andhigh-moistureseedatharvest.Thedwarf,open-pollinated Sunwheat yields were slightly higher thanaverage.ComparedwiththecommercialSunwheatvarietiestheyareearlierinmaturitybyseventotendays,andhaveashorterplantheightof20inchesvs.48inches.

Three harvest methods were tested in an attempt toincrease canola seeduniformity at harvestwith an increasein yields and a decrease in highmoisture, green seed.Thethreemethods included direct combining, spraying with aglyphosphate herbicide (Roundup) to kill everything twoweeksprior to combining, andpushingwith a toolbar sixtoeight inchesoffthegroundtocrimpthemainstemandhalttranslocationofmoistureuptheplantthreeweeksbeforecombining.Thebestmethodatbothlocationswasspraying,withhigherthanaverageyieldsandacorresponding1percentgreenseed.Thenextbestmethodwasdirectcombining,withbelow-averageyieldsatFairbanksandaverageyieldsatDeltaJunction and5percent green seed.Theworstmethodwaspushing,withsignificantlylowerthanaverageyieldsatbothlocationsand6percentgreenseed.impact

For2007wefoundotherresearchpossibilitiesincludingphosphorus rates and application methods for barleyfertilization.Testingofhybrid canola varieties and researchinto canola harvesting methods and new oilseed varietiescontinues.

plant pest & disease controlQuantification of the effectiveness of blackberry leaf rust (Phragmidium violaceum) as a biological control using remote sensingNorman Harris; AmyPeters(OregonStateCooperativeExtension);KenFrench(OregonDept.ofAgriculture)purpose

LeafrustisaviablebiologicalcontrolofblackberriesinAustralia,NewZealand,andChile,butnothingisknownofitseffectivenessasanagentinOregon.WearestudyingtheeffectofblackberryleafrustonthedefoliationofHimalayanblackberryattheOregoncoastwheretherustwasaccidentallyintroduced.approach

BlimpphotographyisobtainedduringJunefordetectionofblackberryleafrustusingremotesensingandtoquantifyblackberrycoverageonourstudysite.Additionalphotosareobtained inOctober to quantify defoliation caused by thediseaseusingtimechangeanalysistoevaluatetheeffectivenessofthisbiologicalcontrolagent.

progress WeobtainedimageryinlateJuneandmid-Octoberfor

our site on the ElkRiver.However,promisedfundingdidnotmaterializeandwehavebeenunabletoanalyzetheimagery.CursoryanalysisindicatedthattheplantswereheavilyinfectedwithrustwhenimageswereobtainedinJune.Octoberimageryshowedmostblackberryplantstobeseverelydefoliated.Gorseplants (Ulex europaeusL.)inthestudyareawerefoundtobeinfectedwithGorsespidermites,abiologicalcontrolagentwhichwasreleasedin1994.Themiteshadbeensubjectedtopredationbyothermitesandwerethoughttohavefailedtoestablish.Wearecurrentlysearchingforalternativesourcesoffundingtocontinuethework.impact

This study will help land managers determine ifblackberry leaf rust can be an effective biological controlagentforHimalayanblackberriesinOregon.Thismayleadto a cost-effective and efficientmethod for control of thisnoxiousweed.

Arctic plant germplasm research and introductionAlbertoPantoja,BonnieFurman,NancyRobertson,Joseph Kuhl(ARS)purpose

The primary mission of the Arctic Plant GermplasmIntroductionandResearchProject(APGIR)istheacquisition,propagation,storage,anddistributionofplantgermplasmforagricultural and nonagricultural plant species from arctic,subarctic,andalpineregionsoftheworld.APGIRservesasagrow-outsiteforseedandclonalsamplesforcertaincool-season accessions from other plant germplasm repositorieswithintheNationalPlantGermplasmSystem.

The mission includes research on certain diseases and physiologicalfeaturesofgermplasmofarctic,subarctic,andalpine crop and noncrop species. Plant diseases in Alaska,both indigenousand introduced,arenotwelldocumented.Comprehensive plant disease surveys in agricultural andnonagricultural plant species are few, especially for plantviruses, although viral and other contagious diseases canhave a significant negative impact on agricultural andnonagriculturalcropsadaptedtoarctic,subarctic,andalpineenvironments.Physiologicalaspectsofplantadaptationandtheseenvironmentsalsorequiremoreresearch.approach, progress, and impactvirus isolated from mertensia paniculata

The native plant Mertensia paniculata, abundantlygrowing near crops, in home landscapes, and in naturalwoodlands in Alaska, was determined to be infected by anewplantvirus.Basedonbiologicalpropertiesandgenomicsequence, the isolated virus was determined to be a newspecies in the family Tymoviridae, and tentatively namedMertensialatentvirus.Experimentalplanthostrangeassaysindicated virus transmission to several ornamental plant species.This is the first incidence of a virus detected from

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theplantgenus Mertensia andthefirsttymovirusreportedinAlaska.NaturallyinfectedMertensia paniculatamayactasavirusreservoir,andaccordingly isapotential threattocropand ornamental plants.

molecular analysis of rhubarb completed Rhubarbmolecularanalysiswascompletedandpublished.

Genetic relationships are established among cultivars inthe Palmer collection, enabling closely related lines to beidentified.Thisinformationwillbeusedtoidentifyduplicatesinthecollectionandwillassistcuratorsintheidentificationofcultivarsneededtoexpandunder-representedspeciesandareas.

international collaboration on hairgrass Morethan200arcticDeschampsiaherbariumspecimens

were acquired frommuseums around the world. Fifty-fivemorphologicalcharacterswereevaluated,DNAextracted,andnuclearandchloroplastregionssequenced,allcontributingtorefinementofspeciesrelationshipsinthearctic.Thedatawasstandardized and a similaritymatrice generated.Clusteringwas performed using the unweighted pairgroup method(UPGMA)andprincipalcoordinatesanalysis(PCO).DNAwas extracted from herbarium specimens and two regionsamplified, chloroplast trnK-rps16 and nuclear ITS. Theseregionswereclonedandsequencedandwillbeanalyzedwiththemorphologicaldata.

Integrated pest management strategies for Alaska agricultureAlbertoPantoja,DennisFielding,JeffreyConn,LorettaWinton,SteveSeefeldt(USDA)purpose

In recent years, the potential of agricultural expansionin the circumpolar region has received renewed attention.However,knowledgeofbestpestmanagementpractices foragricultural and natural areas in arctic/subarctic regions isnot well developed.There is a need for increased researchto improvemanagement and to understand the biology ofinvasiveplants,diseases,andinsectpestsinarcticregions.approach, progress, and resultsfactors influencing plant diversity in conservation reserve program lands in interior alaska

InAlaska,highlyerosivefieldsthatwereenrolledintheConservationReserve Program (CRP) over seventeen yearsagoininteriorAlaskaarebecomingincreasinglydifficulttomanagetobecompliantwithregulationsconcerningwoodyvegetation management. In a field study that measuredplantdiversityintwentyseparatefields,wedeterminedthatplantdiversityandmostdiversityindicesincreasedwiththenumber of years the field had been in CRP.The increaseinplantdiversitywasnotassociatedwithanymanagementpracticesbeforeandincludingtheestablishmentoftheCRPfield.Woodyspecies,fivenativegrasses,andfivenativeforb

species increased in abundance as time in CRP increased,whereastwointroducedgrassesandonenativeforbdecreasedinabundance.Asthewoodyspeciesincreases,conversiontofarmlandbecomesmoredifficultandthefieldsbecomelesscompliantwithCRPregulations.Resultsofthisresearcharebeing used in studies of newmanagement techniques thatfarmerscanimplementtomakefieldsmorecompliantwithCRPguidelines.Farmers,federalmanagers,andscientistswillusetheresultsofthisresearch.

the distribution of invasive sweetclovers in alaskaSweetclovers(Melilotus alba and M. officinalis) occurred

at721 and205 sites, respectively.Thenorthward limit forM. alba and M. officinaliswas67°15'Nand64°87'N.Bothspecieswerestrictlyassociatedwithsoildisturbance.Melilotus albaextendednofartherthan15mfromroadedgesexceptwhereM. albaonroadsidesmetriverfloodplainsanddisperseddownriver(MatanuskaandNenanarivers).Melilotushasnowreached the Tanana River, a tributary of the Yukon River.Populationsonfloodplainsweremost extensiveonbraidedsections.On theNenanaRiver, soil characteristics did notdiffer between whereM. alba was growing versus similarareas where it had not yet reached.The pH of river soils(7.9–8.3)washigherthanhighwaysoils(7.3).Uplandtaigaplant communities grow on acid soils which may protectthemfrominvasionbyMelilotus,whichpreferalkalinesoils;however, early succession communities on river floodplainsaresusceptiblebecausesoilsarealkaline.

new sweetclover dna markersMelilotus alba (white sweetclover) is invading the

subarctic regions of western Greenland, the Yukon, theNorthwestTerritories in Canada, and Alaska’s glacial riverfloodplains.At lower latitudes, bothM. alba and Melilotus officinalis (yellow sweetclover) have invaded thefloodplainsin northern Montana and southernOntario as well as theprairiesoftheMidwest,andarespreadingatRockyMountainNationalParkinColorado.DNAmarkersweredevelopedtohelpdeterminetheoriginsofthesweetcloverinvasionandtocompare patterns of genetic diversity between populations.Thiswillallowdeterminationofhowthesespeciesarespreadanddifferentiated.

pan trapping of grasshoppers in small grainsStudyofgrasshopperdispersalfromsourcehabitatsinto

smallgrainsishinderedbyinadequatesamplingmethodsinthedensecanopyoffieldcrops.ARSscientistsintheSubarcticAgriculturalResearchUnit,Fairbanks,Alaska,testedamethodofsamplinggrasshoppersinbarleyfieldsusingpansofwaterto capture grasshoppers.Datawere analyzed to provide anestimateoftheoptimumnumberoftrapsnecessarytoprovideanadequatesampleofgrasshopperabundancewithinafield.Thiswillallowdevelopmentofexperimentaldesignstoassessefficacyofdifferentcontrolmeasures topreventcrop lossesfromgrasshoppers.

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Horticultural factors that influence aphid transmission of potato virusesJeffrey Smeenk, Jodie Anderson; JoeKuhl,AaronHaggerty,AlbertoPantoja(ARS)purpose

Potatovirusescanhavesignificantimpactsontheyieldofpotatoesgrownforthetablestockmarketandthepresenceofvirusescancauseseedlotstolosetheirseedcertification.Several important potato viruses are spread by aphids.Wesought to determine the impact of selected horticulturaltechniquesontheyieldsofpotatoesandonaphidpopulationlevels.approach

Horticultural aspects of potato management strategiesthatmayinfluenceaphidpopulationswereevaluated.Thesetreatments included using varieties with differing canopysize, different forms of irrigation, and intercropping withcover crops species that havebeen reported to affect aphidpopulations in other crops.

progressCropcanopyvolume(canopyheightandcanopywidth)

of thevarietyGreenMountainwasconsistently larger thanthecropcanopyvolumeofRussetNorkotah,aswereyields.Marketableyields (US#1grade)ofRussetNorkotahgrownusing drip tape were 118 percent of the yields of RussetNorkotahgrownusingconventionalsprinklerirrigation.Theyields of potatoes grownwith strips of canola (a suspected aphidinhibitor)betweentherowsandpotatoesgrownwithstripsofoats (a suspectedaphidattractant species)were60percentand58percentrespectivelyofthoseseenbyRussetNorkotahgrownwithoutaninterseededcrop.Inadditiontothe reductionofmarketableyields theharvestingoperationwasslowedbytherootsoftheoats.impact

These resultsmaybeuseful fororganicpotatogrowers(whodonothavecertainpesticideoptions)tomanageaphid-transmitted viruses.

Unripe seedhead of foxtail barley.—photo by aNdré Karwath, wiKiMedia; attributioN/Share aliKe 2.5 creative coMMoNS copyright

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Foxtail barley (Hordeum jubatum) control with propoxycarbazone-sodium and fluazifop-p-butyl in three Alaska native grass speciesBrianE.Jackson,Stephen D. Sparrowpurpose

FoxtailbarleyisoneofthemostdetrimentalweedsintheAlaskanativegrass seed industry. Its control is essential forimprovingseedproductionandstandlongevitysoproducerscanmeet statewide seeddemands for revegetationprojects.Wesoughttodeterminesuitablechemicalcontrolsoffoxtailbarleyforthreedifferentnativegrassspecies:Nortrantuftedhairgrass(Dechampsia caespitosa), Grueningalpinebluegrass (Poa alpina), and Wainwright slender wheatgrass (Elymus trachycalus, formerly Agropyron pauciflorum).approach

Followingpreliminaryfieldtrials,greenhouseexperimentswereconductedduringwinter2005–2006attheMatanuskaExperimentFarminPalmer,Alaska,todeterminetheefficacyof propoxycarbazone and fluazifop. Final field experimentswereconductedat theFairbanksExperimentFarmandtheDelta Junction Field Research Site during summer 2006.Plotswereplantedinfall2005usingarandomizedcompleteblockdesign.Herbicideapplicationsofpropoxycarbazoneandfluazifopweremadeinspring2006beforeshootelongation.The plants were subjected to five different herbicideconcentrations:1X,1/2X,1/4X,1/8Xand0X, thehighestbeing the recommended field use rate from the label, to acontrol,whichreceivednoherbicide.progress

In field trials Nortran tufted hairgrass was tolerant ofpropoxycarbazone.GrueningalpinebluegrassandWainwrightslenderwheatgrasswerenottolerantofeithercompoundattherecommendedfielduserate,butshowedgreatertoleranceofpropoxycarbazoneatthe1/2Xrate.Thisexperimentrevealedthat propoxycarbazone is a potential tool for foxtail barleycontrolinNortranseedproduction.Astudentcompletedhismasterofsciencethesisin2007basedonresearchfromthisstudy.impact

Native grass seed is an important commodity for thecontinued ecological health of Alaska. Without suitablesuppliesofnativegrassseedavailable,revegetationspecialistswill be forced to use non-native plants in reclamationprojects.The use of non-native plants can be a source ofinvasivespecies.Astrongernativeseedproductionindustrywill ensure that native germplasm is being reintroduced inreclamationprojects.

High-Latitude Soils

soils are afundamentalresource,andknowledgeaboutthecold-climatesoilsofAlaskaiscrucialformostAlaskare-

sourcemanagement,production,andconstructionactivities.Properknowledgeandplanningof soil-disturbingactivitiescan preventmajor impacts on other resources.Under cur-rentclimatevariability,coldsoilsareexperiencingsignificantchangesthatareinturncausingchangesinnaturalandman-agedecosystems.Researchonhigh-latitudesoilsatSNRASisfocusedonsoilpropertiesastheyrelatetosoilquality,abilitytoresistandrecoverfromdisturbance,andsoilproductivity;origin,formation,andclassificationofsoils;plantnutritionand soil fertility;permafrost soil characteristics, limitations,andpotentialuses;soilmanagement, landreclamation,andremediation of contaminated soils; soil responses to andinfluences on climate change; soil biology andprocesses ofborealecosystemsinamanagementcontext;andlong-termsoil data.

carbon in soilscarbon flux and transformation across the arctic coast of AlaskaChien-Lu Ping,FugenDou,GaryMichaelsonpurpose

Wesoughttostudytheeffectsofarcticcoastalerosion on carbontransformationacrosstheshoreline.approach and results

Duringthe2005fieldseasonatotalof25sites,includingone intensive site, were studied and 285 soil/permafrosthorizonsamplesweretaken.Duringspring2006,68sedimentsamplesweretakenfromfoursitesnearBarrow.Duringthe2006summerfieldseason,272soil/permafrostsamplesweretakenfrom29studysites,includingtwointensivesites,oneatPrudhoeBayandthesecondatBarterIsland.Thesesitesincludecoastalmarshes/tidalflats,bluffswithelevationupto10meters,andsitesrangedacrossthecoastfromtheEielsonLagoonnorth ofBarrow to the coastal bluff east ofBarterIsland.

Ateachsite,thephysiographiccharacteristics(includinglandform, microtopography, GPS position, coastal bluffelevation, and vegetation community) were evaluated andrecorded. Site characteristics, permafrost, ice content, andsoilmorphologywere studied and recorded. In addition tosediments,samplesweretakenonthebeachandinshallowwaters.Wave-monitoring cameras were installed at one ofthe additional intensive sampling sites.A totalof289 soilsandpermafrost sampleswere taken for soil characterizationanalysis. Laboratory analysis underway includes carboncontent, bulk density, and particle size distribution.Therewere100samplestakenforthe incubationexperimentthatwasstartedattheBarrowArcticScienceConsortiumfacility

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in Barrowandcontinuedinthelaboratoryattheuniversity.Sixteen additional samples were taken from seven sites forradiocarbondating.impact

Theprojectprovidedarareopportunitytotrainagraduatestudentintermsofarctictundraecology,permafrostlandscape,andfieldtechniques.Italsoprovidedtheopportunityfortheecologists,soilscientists,andgeocryologisttoworktogetherto look at the common topic of coastal erosion, and tocoordinatetheireffortsanddiscusstherelationshipsbetweenpermafrostandcoastalerosion.Accordingtoourpreliminaryestimates,annualerosionacross1,900milesoftheBeaufortSeacoastline(basedonanaveragedepthoffivefeetofcoastbluff and an average of six feet of coastline) is causing thereleaseofmorethan400,000metrictonsoforganiccarboninto the ArcticOcean andmore than 500 tons of carbondioxide and six tons of methane gas into the atmosphere.Annual lossof land to theArcticOcean is estimated tobe1,000acres.

Black spruce forest soils in boreal regions of AlaskaChien-Lu Ping,EdmondPackeepurpose

We are studying the morphological, chemical, andphysicalpropertiesofsoilsassociatedwithblackspruceforeststandsondifferentlandforms.approach

Toselectrepresentativesitesforblacksprucegrowingindifferentenvironments,wechosethestudysitesjointlywithaforestmanagementspecialist.Therewillbetwocategoriesofsoilsamplingsites;oneistopair-samplethesoilsinburnedandunburnedblackspruceforeststands,andthesecondtosamplethesoilsassociatedwithPermanentSamplePlots ininterior Alaska. Soil pits will be excavated at each selectedsiteandmorphologicalpropertiesstudied.SoilsampleswillbecollectedaccordingtotheSoil Survey Manual and shipped to the USDA-NRCS National Soil Survey Laboratory inLincoln,Nebraska,forfullcharacterization.Ateachsite,soil

Abandoned radar station on Barter Island, near the village of Kaktovik. The arctic coasts of Alaska are experiencing significant erosion due to climate change, annually releasing more than 400,000 metric tons of organic carbon into the Arctic Ocean and more than 500 tons of carbon dioxide and six tons of methane gas into the atmosphere.

—photo by gary MichaelSoN

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sampleswillbesubsampledandsenttothePalmerResearchandExtensionCenterlaboratoryfororganiccarbon,charredorganics,andsoilfertilityanalysis.Forsoilswithpermafrost,core samples with known volume will be taken for bulkdensity and ice volume or water content determination.Incryoturbated soilswhere the soilhorizonsarewarpedorbroken,thepedoncarbonstoragewillbecalculatedaccordingto percentages of each horizon in the profile. Soils at eachstudysitewillbeclassifiedaccordingtoSoil Taxonomy. The quantityof charredorganic carbonorblackcarbonwillbedetermined.Selectedsampleswillberadiocarbondated.progress

Theinvestigationofthephysicalenvironmentandsoils’properties continued during the 2007 field season. Oneadditional aspenandtwoblacksprucesitesweredescribedandsampled;thesesiteswereassociatedwithPermanentSamplePlotsandtheSiteIndexPlotsoftheongoingAlaskaForest GrowthandYieldProgramintheNorthernForestregionofAlaska.Soildescriptionsfromtheseadditionalandotherplotswillpermitresultsofbothstudiestobetiedtogether.

Inthenorthernpartoftheregion,manyaspenandbirchstandsoccurasislandsthatoccupyhighknobsandterracesintheblackspruceforest.Mostofthesemixedtopurestandsgrow inwell to somewhat excessively drained soils formedineithercoarsetomediumtexturedglacialdeposits,suchaseskers,kame terraces,outwash,or residuumfromfracturedbedrock.

An MS graduate student has completed all the soilanalysesandturnedinresults. Inthepast twoyearsall soilsamplingassociatedwiththePermanentSamplingPlotswasincooperationwiththeUSDANationalSoilSurveyCenterandall their soil analysesarecomplete.Basedonfielddataandtheseanalyses,wehavebegundescribingthesoilcarbonstatusacrosstheborealforestofAlaska.Thestudydocumentsabasicdifferenceincarbonaccumulationmechanismsfortheboreal forest compared to the arctic tundra. In addition tosurfaceaccumulation,arctictundrasoilsaccumulatecarbonthrough cryoturbation and, thus, store carbondeepwithintheprofile.Intheuplandborealforest,themainmechanismof carbon storage is through surface deposition of forestvegetationlitterandmosses and lichens,withstoragemainlyintheforestfloor.Thereislesscarbonstorageinthelowersoilhorizonsthaninarcticsoils.impact

The Alaska Regional Office of USGS is interested inthe soils data, especially in terms of east-west and north-southtransects.Thisofficecollaboratedina jointsamplingeffortduring the2007field seasonandused thedata forapreliminaryestimateofthesoilcarbonstatusinAlaska.TheUSGSisalsointerestedinusingourpastsamplingsitesfortheir reference sites for microelement assessment. Basedon current climatemodels, thepermafrostunder theblackspruceforestwillgraduallythawandthesoilwillbewarmeranddrier;ultimately,itishypothesized,aspenandbirchwillexpandattheexpenseofblackspruce.

Carbon cycle science in the Alaska coastal temperate rainforestDavidD’Amore,David Valentine,MarkNay,RickEdwards,EranHoodpurpose

Carbon cycle science has become an important issuein research and land management because increasingatmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations are believedto play a key role in driving climate change.TheTongassNationalForestislocatedinoneofthelargestintactareasofthecoastaltemperaterainforestbiomeandcontains8percentoftotalUSforestcarbonstorage,primarilyinitssoils.Someofthiscarboniscycledrapidlyandlostthroughgaseousanddissolved pathwayswhile a small but persistent quantity issequestered in long-term soil storage.Neither this quantitynoritsresponsetoawarmingclimateisknownbecausethemechanismsgoverningcarbonbalancearepoorlyunderstood.This project seeks to gain insight into these areas of largeuncertaintyintheAlaskacoastaltemperaterainforest.approach

Wehave established a suite of replicated, nested studysiteswithinmajorecosystemtypesacrossmajorportionsoftheTongass, andhave initiatedmeasurementsof themajorfluxesofcarboninterrestrialandaquaticecosystems.Thesemeasurementsarebeingintegratedtoreducetheuncertaintyin quantifying carbon sequestration estimates in coastaltemperaterainforestecosystems.progress

We have measured and modeled soil respiration rates coupledwithdissolvedorganic carbonflux from replicatedcatchments. Soil respiration is primarily influenced by soiltemperature and has an inverse relationshipwith dissolvedorganiccarboninthesummerandfallinforestedsystems.Wearedevelopingamodelforcarbonfluxfromthreeecosystemtypes(bog,forestedwetlands,anduplands)forapplicationinestimatesfromunharvestedlandscapes.impact

This research coupled with adaptive managementapplicationswill provide information on themagnitude ofthecarbonsinkorsourceontheTongassNationalForestandthemechanismsgoverningit.Thisinformationcanthenbeappliedtoregionalandnationalcarbonsequestrationgoals.

Impacts of experimentally induced drought on soil respiration in interior AlaskaDavid Valentinepurpose

This study examines the impact of experimentallyinduced summerdroughton themajorprocess responsiblefor releasing carbon from ecosystems: soil respiration.Thisstudy capitalized on the summer moisture exclusion sites(threereplicate10x15mplotsinbothuplandandfloodplainlandscapepositions)thathavebeenmaintainedbytheForest SoilsLaboratorysince1989.

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approach/methodsSoil respirationcollarswereestablished inJuly2006 in

three replicate summer drought and control sites in bothupland and floodplain landscape positions. Soil respirationratesweremonitoredatbiweeklyintervalsduringsubsequentgrowing seasons using a LiCor 6262 infrared gas analyzer.Surfacesoilandairtemperaturesweremonitoredconcurrentlywiththerespirationmeasurements.progress

Soilrespirationratesin2007continuedtobesignificantlylowerinsummerdroughttreatmentsitesthaninthecontrolsites in both upland and floodplain landscape positions.However, it is not clear yet to what extent differences inautotrophic (Ra, root respiration) and heterotrophic (Rh,mostlymicrobial respiration) respirationcontributed to theoverall difference in respiration.This will be addressed insubsequentgrowingseasons.impact

Based on these results, we cannot yet conclude thatdroughthasslowedsoilcarbonlossesviarespiration,asitispossible thatmuchorallof themeasureddifference insoil respiration may be from changes in root respiration (Ra).However,arelatedstudybyRuncketal.showedthatdroughthasslowedthedecompositionofstandardsubstrates,stronglyimplyingthatatleastsomeofthedifferenceinsoilrespirationratesisduetochangesinheterotrophicrespiration,suchthatreduced soil carbon losses may in part ameliorate slowedabovegroundproductivity.

Sensitivity of boreal forest carbon dynamics to long-term throughfall exclusion in interior Alaska SarahRunck,David Valentine, John Yariepurpose

Our study assesses the effect of long-term simulatedsummer drought on key components of mid-successionalboreal forest carbon balance. We examined abovegroundtree growth, root biomass distribution, and carbon storagein surface soils. We hypothesized that simulated droughthas reduced aboveground stand-level tree growth, drivenroot biomass downward in the soil profile, and sloweddecompositioninsurfacesoils.approach/methods

This study took place in three replicate drought andcontrol sites in upland and floodplain landscape positions.Wemonitoredsoilmoistureusingtimedomainreflectometryprobesinstalledatfourdepthsinthesoilprofile.Todeterminesimulated drought’s effect on aboveground tree growth, wecompared aboveground standing biomass of trees (stand-level response of all species) in 1989 to that in 2003,whenthemostrecentstandinventoryoccurred.Todetectchangesinrootbiomassandsoilcarbon,weanalyzedsoilcorestakeninAugust2005forcoarserootbiomassandsoilorganiccarbon(SOC) content. Soil cores were analyzed by the followingdepth intervals: O horizon, 0–5, 5–15, and 15–30 cm

mineralsoil.Todetermineifsimulateddroughthasalteredthedecompositionenvironmentof surface soils,weconductedacommonsubstratedecompositionexperimentfromJuly2005toJuly2007,inwhichbirchtonguedepressors(BTDs)wereplacedattwodepthsinthesoilprofile:Ohorizonand0–15cmmineralsoilbelowtheOhorizon.HalfofthedeployedBTDswerecollectedinJuly2006andtheremainderinJuly2007.progress/results

Last year, we reported that the throughfall exclusionshelterssuccessfullyreducedsoilmoistureinthelategrowingseason(July–September),whenmostrainfalloccurs.Wealsoreportedthatsimulateddroughthadamorepronouncedeffectonforestgrowthandrootbiomassinuplandsitesandsloweddecompositionatthesoilsurfaceofbothlandscapepositions.Second-yearmass loss of BTDs was generally greater thanthefirstyear,likelyaresultofalaginmicrobialcolonizationcommontodecomposingwoodydetritus.Nevertheless,thetwo-yearBTDdecomposition rate in the controlplotswasverysimilartothetwo-yeardecompositionrateoffoliarlitter(1989–1991,datafromBNZ-LTERwebsite),suggestingthatBTDdecompositionpatternsarereasonableapproximationsof actualdecompositionpatterns.Wealso found simulateddrought to have no impact on litterfall (the amount offoliage,branches,etc.fallingtothegroundeveryyearfromvegetation); combining these two results,we conclude thatdrought is increasing carbon storage in surface soil. Wedevelopedasimplemodelshowingthatthisisquantitativelyconsistent with the changes measured in forest floor massoverthestudyperiod.impact

Theresultsofthisstudyindicatethatpredictedfuturesoilmoisturedeficits,independentofincreasedsoiltemperature,will affect carbon storageofmid-successionalboreal forestsdifferently across the landscape. In uplands, soil moisturedeficitswilllikelyaffectbothvegetation(reducedabovegroundtreegrowthandincreasedrootbiomasswithdepth)andsoils(increased quantity of carbon stored near the soil surface).Infloodplains, soilmoisturedeficitswillhave far lesseffectonvegetation(unchangedabovegroundtreegrowthorrootbiomass) but will affect soils (increased amount of carbonstorednearthesoilsurface).Thus,thisforest issensitivetosoilmoisturedeficitsandfuturechangesinclimatewillaffectforestcarbonpoolsandfluxesacrossthelandscape,primarilyin uplands.

Soils associated with pattern ground in arctic Alaska and CanadaChien-Lu Ping,GaryMichaelsonpurpose

We sought to characterize soils associatedwith patternground, especially nonsorted circles in arctic Alaska andCanada.approach

Atotalof65soilswerestudiedandsampledacrossarcticbioclimatic subzones from the Canadian High Arctic to

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arcticAlaska as a part of theNational Science FoundationBiocomplexityintheEnvironmentproject.progress

We found the influence of nonsorted circles on soilformationappearstoincreasefromnorth(SubzoneA)tosouth(SubzoneE)basedonsoilmorphology.Oncloseexaminationof soils in subzones D and E, nonsorted circles are morecommon but their appearance ismasked at the surface byvegetation.Theyarecloselypackedunderthesurfaceorganicmat,especiallyinSubzoneE,wherethevegetationincludessignificantamountsoflowshrubs.Suchaclosepackingofthenonsortedcirclewasnotedbyearlyresearchersanditseemstobetheendstageofnonsortedcircledevelopment.Inadditiontosoilcharacterization,westudiedtheorganiccarbonstoresinsoilsassociatedwiththenonsortedcirclelandscape.Carbondistributioninatypicalsoilprofileunderanactivenonsortedcircleisnotevenlydistributedinthemineralmatrix.Instead,it appears as discrete chunks or bodies of organicmaterialof different degrees of decomposition mixed in a reducedmineralmatrix.The organic chunks taken from the loweractiveandtheupperpermafrostareofdifferentC14ageswithmaximumof9,000YBP.This suggests that surfaceorganicmatterwas gradually frost-churneddownand incorporatedintothelowerpartoftheactivelayerandthenintotheupperpermafrostonatimescaleofhundredstothousandsofyears.However,mostofthecarbondepositedduringtheHoloceneandcryoturbatedontotheupperpermafrostiswithinadepthofonemeter,andthesecarbonstorescanberelatedtobiomassproduction.impact

Soil characterizationdataprovide thebaseline soildatatothevegetationstudygroupandalsotothemodelers.Thetotalorganic carbon storesmeasured in the tundra zoneoftheNorthAmericanArcticbyusing landscapeunitsnearlydoublethepreviousreportedamount,whichwasbasedonarainfallmodelandlimitedsamplingpoints.Thisinformationmeans that the contribution of carbon from the Arctic incurrentglobal terrestrialcarbonbudgetestimatesshouldbeincreased. Results from the soil morphological study andchemical analysis suggest that cryoturbationmainly due tofrostheaveplaysacontrollingroleincarbonsequestrationinarctictundrasoils.Methodsofdescriptionofcryogenicsoilsshouldbemodifiedbasedonthefindingofmajorcryogenicstructures.

fertility & soil propertiesEvaluation of southcentral Alaska manufactured topsoilsJeffrey Smeenk, Jodie Anderson; JoeKuhl(ARS)purpose

‘Topsoil’soldinsouthcentralAlaskaisrarelytruenativetopsoil.Mostoftentheproductsoldastopsoilisamixtureofsand,peat, andnative topsoil.Themanufactured topsoil isusuallyscreenedandblendedbeforedeliverytothebuyer.We

sought to characterizemanufactured topsoils so buyers canmakeinformeddecisionsaboutfertilizingit.approach

Product samples were collected from vendors in theAnchorage and Matanuska-Susitna region. These samplesweresubjectedtoseveralphysicaltestsalongwiththestandardsoilnutrientanalysis.progress

Duetotheblending/screeningprocessandthehighpeatcontent of the blends, themanufactured topsoilswere veryfluffy. Compression tests indicated that the products fromdifferentvendorshadsimilarratesofcompression.Allofthesemanufacturedsoilsneedtobeappliedatdepthssignificantlythickerthanwouldbeneededwith100percentnativetopsoiltocompensatefortheadditionalsettling.Allthemanufacturedsoils had highwater-holding capacities indicating that theywouldretainadequatemoistureforplantneeds.Anevaluationof thesoilaggregates indicatedthatwhile themanufacturedsoils didnothavemany aggregates, those thatwerepresentwere quite stable.The water-stable aggregates will assist informing good soil structure.The high level of peat in theblendsiscontributingtothesoils’highwater-holdingcapacityandthehighstabilityoftheaggregates.

Thenutrientanalysisofthevarioussoilswasmuchlessconsistent.ThepHofallproductswasinthelowtoacceptablerange. Ingeneral, themacroand secondarynutrients levelswerelowbutinsomesoilblendsasinglenutrientmaybeinthemediumtohighrange.Thenutrientcompositionofthesoilblendsdependsonthesourceofpeatandnativetopsoilused in the blends and these sources vary throughout theproductionseason.Often,thenutrientanalysisofavendor’sproductintheearlysummerwouldbecompletelyunrelatedtothenutrientanalysisoftheproductsoldinmid-summer.impact

Itiscrucialthatthebuyergetsafertilizerrecommendationbasedonthematerialthatisactuallydeliveredtothejobsite.Abuyer’sguideisinprocess,andwillgivecharacteristicsofvarioussoilsbasedonthisdata.

land use changes and soil propertiesM. Zhang, S.D. Sparrow,B.VanVeldhuizen,d.masiakpurpose

IntheDeltaJunctionareaofAlaska(64°49'N,147°52'W),forestland(FL)wasconvertedtoagriculturalland(AL)inthelate1970s.UndertheUSDAConservationReserveProgram(CRP), some of the agricultural land was then removedfromproductioninthelate1980s.Thesoilsintheareaweredevelopedfromloessoverlaidonstreamoutwashmaterials.The soil has less than 10 percent clay, andwas low in soilorganicmattercontentbeforeclearing.Becauseof landusechanges, quality andquantityofplant residues returned tosoilaredifferentamongthethreetypesoflanduses.Thiswillaffectthequantityandqualityofthesoilorganiccarbon,andsoilphysical,chemical,andbiologicalproperties.Wesoughttocomparethesoilpropertiesindifferentlanduses.

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approachThree replicated soil samples from forest, CRP, and

agriculturallandweretakeninfall2005intheDelta Junction area. The forest sites were primarily black spruce (Picea mariana), birch (Betula papyrifera), and poplar (Populus tremuloides).TheCRPlandconsistedofgrassesandshrubs.The agricultural land was in continuous barley (Hordeum vulgareL.).Mineralsoil(Volkmar,AquicEutrocrepts)samplesweretakenfrom0to15cmdepth.Wetanddryaggregate(>2mm)stabilityandsoilbulkdensityweredetermined.Surfaceundecomposed organic matter, semidecomposed organicmatter(density<1.0g/cm3)inmineralsoil,andmineralsoilorganicmattercontentweredetermined.Soilmineralizablecarbonandnitrogenandsoilmicrobialbiomasscarbonandnitrogenweremeasured.Soiltotalnitrogen,phosphorus,andMelhich3extractableionswereanalyzed.progress

Soil pH and electrical conductivity were not differentamongthethreelanduses,butsoilbulkdensitywashigherinFLascomparedtoCRPandAL.Wetaggregatestabilitywashigherwith soils fromCRPthan theones fromAL.AgainthedryaggregatestabilitywashighinCRP,butlowinFL.Soiltotalnitrogen,totalphosphorus,andextractablemineralnutrients (phosphorus, sodium, calcium, magnesium, zincP,K,Ca,Mg,Zn)werehigherinALthanFL.Incontrast,extractableironandmanganesewerehigherinFLthanAL.Organic residues on the soil surface and semidecomposedorganicmatterinmineralsoilswerehigherinFLthanCRPandAL.Incomparison, total soilcarbonwashigher inALthanFL.SoilmicrobialcarbonandnitrogenwerehigherinCRPthanFL.Soilmineralizablecarbonandnitrogenin10-weekincubationwerehigherwithALthanFL.impact

Land use alters soil properties. Accumulation of soilorganicmatterinforestsoilwaslargelyduetoundecomposedand semidecomposed organic residues. After many yearsnot in production, CRP land still has significantly highermineralizable nitrogen and carbon, an indicationof higherreservedsoilfertilityascomparedtoforestsoil.ThismakesiteasyforCRPlandtoconvertbacktoagriculturalproduction,fromtheaspectofsoilproductivitypotential.

log decomposition in interior AlaskaJ. Yariepurpose

Logs represent a significant carbon and organicmatterinputintotheforestfloorinnaturalforestecosystems.Thisinputwillhave implicationsonthecarbon,organicmatter,andnutrientdynamicsofforestsoils.Iundertookthisstudyto document the decomposition dynamics of logs withininteriorAlaska.approach

Fifteen 4-meter logs are placed on the forest floor insix replicate stands for each major upland and floodplainvegetation type. Sample locations were also established in

upland and floodplain white and black spruce ecosystemsrecentlyburned.Individuallogswillbesampledtomonitorchanges in log carbon, nutrient, cellulose, and ligninconcentrations over the next century. Field sampling ofdecomposedlogswillbedoneonayearlybasis.Thesequenceforsamplingwillfollowaconsistenttimeframeof0,2,5,10,15,20,25,30,and10-yearintervalsuntilyear100.progress

Currentlyalltimezero,two,five,andten-yearsampleshavebeencollectedfortheunburnedaspen,birch,balsampoplar,and whitesprucesites.Chemicalanalysisiscontinuingonthecollected samples.Additional sites that representfloodplainblacksprucesitesandburnedwhiteandblacksprucesitesinbothuplandandfloodplainlocationshavebeenestablished.The initial results indicate that alder displays the highestdecomposition rates, with only 38 percent of its originalweightremainingafter10years,whilefloodplainwhitespruceandbirchshowedtheslowestratesofdecompositionwith70percentremainingafter10years.impact

It is not yet clearwhat effect coarsewoody debris hasonthecarbondynamicsofthetaigaforestininteriorAlaska.Theresultsofthisstudywillhelptodevelopaclearpictureoflogdecompositiondynamicsonthecarbonbalanceoftheseforests.

Phosphorus distribution in the soil profile under a 23-year no-tillage and straw management study in subarctic AlaskaM. Zhang, S.D. Sparrow,d.masiak,B.VanVeldhuizenpurpose

AtillageandstrawmanagementstudywasstartednearDeltaJunction,Alaska,in1983todeterminetheimpactoftillage,strawmanagement,andnitrogenfertilizerapplicationrate on soil properties and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)grain yield. For more than twenty years, phosphorus wasapplied as mono ammonium phosphate fertilizer at a rateof 21 kg elemental phosphorus ha-1.Aftermore than twodecades receiving this application, the phosphorus statusin soilwasunknown.Phosphorus stratification inno-tilledsoil is reported inother states in theUS.Accumulationofphosphorus in soil couldbeaproblemwith runoff leadingtofreshwaterneutrification.Wesoughttodeterminevariousextractablephosphorusdepositsinthesoil,anditsphosphorusadsorptioncapacity.approach

From the long-term tillage research plots, soil samplesweretakenat0–5,5–10,and10–15cmincrementsfromnotillage,diskonce,anddisktwicetreatmentswithorwithoutstrawretentioninspring2006.Soilsampleswereairdried,andthephosphorusconcentrationinthesampleswasextracted.One point soil phosphorus adsorption for all depths andcationconcentrations(Ca2+,Mg2+,Na+,Cu2+,Zn2+,Fe3+,andAl3+)weredetermined.

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progressHighphosphorusconcentrationwasfoundinthetopten

centimetersofsoilforno-andminimum-tillagetreatments.Incomparison,conventionaltillagehadarelativelyuniformphosphorus concentration throughout the sampling depth.Similar results were reported in the literature. Apparently,there was no difference in phosphorus adsorption capacityamongthetreatmentsanddepths.CationconcentrationsofCa2+,Mg2+,Na+,Cu2+,Zn2+,Fe3+,andAl3+werenotdifferentamongtreatments.impact

The research results provide information on soilphosphorusdistributionstatusafterlongtimePapplicationunder different tillage conditions. This information canbeused toguidePapplications inarable land in theDelta Junctionarea.Phosphorusaccumulationinno-tilledsurfacesoilcanleadtoareductionofphosphorusfertilizerapplication,which eventually can reduce phosphorus runoff potentialsfromarableland.

Characterizing active soil organic matter pools contributing to soil nitrogen availability in bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss.) fieldsM. Zhang,AlanZhaopurpose

WeseektoevaluatepotentialsoilnitrogenmineralizationcapacityininteriorAlaskasoilssothatfertilizermanagementregimesforreindeerhayproductioncanbedeveloped.Afieldexperimentwithsmoothbromegrass(Bromus inermisLeyss.)was conducted at the Fairbanks Experiment Farm inMay2004.There were three fertilizer treatments: 1) Check (0-30-30);2)Lownitrogen(50-30-30);and3)Highnitrogen(150-30-30), and two cutting frequencies: one cutting peryearandtwocuttingsperyear.Inspring2006,15Nenrichedurea (10percent)was applied in the fertilizer treated plotsin1mx1mmicroplots.PlantsamplesfromthemicroplotsweretakeninJune,July,andAugustin2006and2007.Plantsamplesweredriedandground,and15Nconcentrationwillbedetermined.approach

Soil samples from 15N enriched plots were incubatedin 15°C for 200 days. Destructive samples were takenduringincubation,andmineralizablenitrogenwasextractedbydistilledwater,2MKCl,hotHCl, and0.1MNaOH.Mineralnitrogen,totalnitrogen,and15Nconcentrationinsolutionaretobedetermined.Haysamplesweretakenbothfrom15N-treatedplots and largenitrogen fertilizer treatedplotsin2006and2007.Sampleswereoven-dried(65°C)andweighed.progress

Statistical approaches reported in the literature forsimulatingnitrogenreleaseinincubationstudieswerecarefullyevaluated.AlternativesimulationapproachessuchasRobust,MaximumLikelihood,andBayesianstatisticswerechosenformodel simulation in comparisonwith themost often used

least-squaremethods.Heteroscedasticity is also testedwiththedataset,andappropriateweighingmethodsused.

Results from plant biomass data of 2007 showed thatearlycuttingcanresultinhightotalbiomassproductionbytheendofthegrowingseason.Thenitrogenfertilizerappliedin2006stillbenefitedgrassbiomassproduction.Experimentstoassessvarioussoilnitrogenpoolsarebeingconductedbyuseofdifferentextractionmethods.impact

The project is providing tools to access potentialnitrogenmineralization in soils.This will help to improvenutrient management in Alaska’s arable land. The resultsfromevaluationofstatisticalmethodswillprovidealternativeapproaches that can be used for unbiased estimation ofmineralizablecarbonandnitrogeninsoil.

Bromegrass, Bromusinermis.—JaMeS K. liNdSey, wiKiMedia, creative coMMoNS attributioN SharealiKe 2.5 liceNSe

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Management of Ecosystems

siTuaTed aT highlatitudes,Alaskaisabellwetherfortheef-fectsofclimatechange.Itsclimatevariesstronglywithits

broadvarietyinlandscape,fromtheextremenortherntun-dra to the TongassNationalForest to theAleutian Islands.ThelargelandareaandcoastlineofAlaskacombinedwithitssignificantproportionofpubliclandsmakemanagementofnaturallandscapesanimportantfeatureofpolicyandplanninginthestate.SNRASandAFESresearchandanalysisexaminethesensitivityofnorthernresourcestoclimatevariabilityandchange; biodiversity andwildland crop opportunities, con-servation biology, and revegetation; resource managementsystems;forestmeasurementsystems,forestgrowthandyield,borealforestsilvicultureandforesthealth;wildlandfireandfireeffectsandmanagement;wildernessecosystemmanage-ment,andthewildland-urbaninterface.

climate research & global changecollaborative research: Impacts of climatic change on the boreal forest fire regimes of Alaska: Lessons from the past and prospects for the futurePhilipHiguera,FengShengHu(Univ.ofIllinois);MarkOlson,T. Scott Rupp purpose and approach

This project confronts the current poor understandingoffireresponsestoclimaticchangeinAlaskabyintegratingpaleorecordsandcomputermodeling.Thecenterpieceoftheprojectisitsinnovativeandrigorousapproachtounderstandpatterns and mechanisms of climate-fire-vegetationinteractionsfromtherecentgeologicalpastthroughthenearfuture.Theresearchersmonitorcharcoalprocesses(dispersal,transport, and deposition) of contemporary and recentburns to parameterize a newly developed numericalmodelof charcoal-fire relationships (CharSiM), a tool that greatlyenhancestherigoroffirehistoryreconstruction.Theresultingknowledge will be applied to interpret fire histories of thepast 6,000 years (focusing on theneoglacial transition andoscillationsassociatedwiththeLittleIceAge)fromsedimentcharcoal data collectedwith statistical criteria in two studyareas that are characterized by contrasting fire regimes andrecentclimateanomalies.Thesefirerecordswillbecomparedwith climatic and vegetational reconstructions using state-of-the-art paleoecological and geochemical techniques. Aniterative paleodata-modeling approach will be applied toelucidate mechanistic processes of climate-vegetation-fireinteractions(e.g.,lead-lagrelationship,fueldynamics)usingALFRESCO,amodeldevelopedandwelltestedforstudyingAlaskaborealecosystems.Finally,theimprovedALFRESCOwillbeusedtosimulateregionalfireregimesforthenext100yearsbasedonasuiteofforecastclimatescenarios.

progress This isyear twoofa four-yearpaleo-modelingproject.

We have been primarily focused on modeling fire-climaterelationships and the influence of vegetation, includingfeedbacks. We have a fully implemented model that isavailabletostateandfederallandmanagersinAlaskaandtothegeneralpublic.impact

This project promises to bring new insights into thevariabilityofborealfireresponsestoclimaticchangeandtoimprovetherobustnessofakeymodelforpredictingfuturechangesinborealecosystems.Theprognosticsimulationsofthetwenty-firstcenturyfireregimeswillbedirectlyrelevanttofiremanagementplanningandpolicy.

Alaska climate changeGlenn Judaypurpose

This project continues to examine the influence ofweather, especially weather extremes and climate change,onagricultureandforestryinthefarnorth.Iidentifiedthehistory,risks,andopportunitiesofclimatechangeandclimatevariabilityastheyaffectnaturalandmanagedforests.approach/method

I compiled long-term records of daily, seasonal, andyearly temperature and precipitation, with the help of theAlaska Climate Research Center. Alaska climate databaseswere compared to significant events affecting forests, landmanagement,andagricultureinAlaska.Atemperature-basedprediction of white spruce tree growth that was developedin 1997was testedwith data fromwhite spruce tree ringscollected at BonanzaCreekExperimentalForestfrom1997to 2007.progress/result

Thetemperature-basedmodelquiteaccuratelypredictedwhite spruce growth from 1997 to 2007. Mean monthlytemperaturesover theperiodMaythroughAugust in2004were the highest in the 104-year Fairbanks record and, aspredicted,whitesprucegrowthinthefollowingyearwasthelowestinthe200-yearlifespanofthetrees.Inrecentyearsin interiorAlaska if themeanofmonthly temperatureshasnotbeenatarecordhighlevel,otherecologicallysignificantmeasures of warmth (not restricted to mean summertemperature)havebeenamongthehighest.Duringsummer2007anindexcombiningfivedifferentmeasuresofsummerwarmthwas thehighest in the 104-yearFairbanks,Alaska,record.Extremewarmtemperatureanomaliesoccurredacrossthe NorthSlopeofAlaskain2007,associatedwiththerecordretreatofArcticSeaice.ThegreatestareaburnedontheNorthSlopetundrainthe56-yearrecordoccurredinSeptember.impact/implications

The verified model of temperature control of treegrowthindicatesthatanincreaseof1–2°Cabovetherecordtemperaturesof2004wouldbe associatedwithwidespread

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death of white spruce on similar, commercially productivesites.Different temperature factors best predict the growthof differentAlaska tree species on various site types, and afewofthoserelationshipspredictincreasedgrowthatwarmertemperatures. WildfireonNorthSlopetundrawasnotknowntobeasignificantriskuntilitoccurred.TemperaturesintheInteriorhavefluctuatedineleven-yearcyclicalpatternsoverthelast200years,withhightemperaturepeaksoccurringatorjustaftersolarsunspotmaximaand/orstrongElNiñoyears.Thenextsolarcyclepeakisprojectedtooccurin2012–2014,although thecycle is late tobegin.Newwarmtemperaturerecords in the Interior aremost likely tooccur at the solarcyclepeak, and incoastalAlaskaduring thenext strongElNiño.

A synthesis of climate change effects on circumpolar boreal forestsGlenn Juday purpose

Theborealforestregionisacircumpolarbeltofthefarnorthernhemisphereimmediatelysouthofthetreelesstundra,occupyingabout17percentoftheEarth’slandsurfacearea.This study was a synthesis of important climate changesaffectingborealforests,andwaspresentedasachapterintheOxford Companion to Global Change,amongothervenues.approach

Theresultsofrecentscientificstudiesandmanagementsurveys were examined and compared for trends andinterrelationships. Aspects of climatology, tree physiology,hydrology, and studies of forest insects and forestfirewereconsulted.Reportsonnaturalresourcemanagement,wildlifemanagement,andhumansubsistenceandtraditionalresourceusewerecited.progress/result

Growing seasons have become longer, wildland fireand tree-killing insect outbreaks accelerated, permafrosttemperatureswarmed,treegrowthratesaltered,lakeandpondsurfaceareadecreasedinsomeregions,riverice-offdatesmovedearlierintheyear,andrivertemperaturesincreased.Overallhabitat suitability formigratorywildlife such aswaterfowl,shorebirds,andsongbirdshasbeenreduced.Humanculturesadaptedtothepredictableavailabilityofsubsistenceresourcesto harvest have been disrupted, and human structures anddevelopments face additional costs and risks as a result ofclimatechange.impact/implications

The compounding and interacting aspects of climatechanges in the boreal region are an important part ofunderstandingcurrentconditionscreatedbyclimatewarmingand especially future management challenges and options.Thissynthesischapterisintendedasareferenceforstudents,teachers, researchers, and other professionals seeking tounderstandthisaspectofglobalchangeinareferencevolumeaddressingglobalchangetopicscomprehensively.

Resilience and Adaptation Program / IGERtGary Kofinas; TerryChapin,DavidMcGuire(IAB);BerniceJoseph(CRCD);Glenn Juday, Joshua Greenberg, Scott Rupp;CraigGerlach (Anthropology),BrankaValcic,MarkHerrmann(SchoolofManagement);andotherUAFfacultypurpose

The Resilience and Adaptation Program (RAP) is aUAF graduate program that trains scholars, policymakers,community leaders, and managers to address issues ofsustainabilityinanintegratedfashion.RAPpreparesstudentsto address a major challenge facing humanity: to sustainthedesirable featuresofEarth’s ecosystemsand society at atimeofrapidchange.TheRAPissponsoredbytheNationalScienceFoundation(NSF)throughitsIntegrativeGraduateEducationandResearchTraineeship(IGERT)program.

As directed byNSF, IGERTprograms are intended tochange the culture of graduate education by encouraginginterdisciplinary research by PhD students. This goal ismotivatedbythebeliefthatquestionsattheintersectionoftwo ormore disciplines are themost critical to the futureofour society.The IGERTatUAFmeets thisobjectivebyfocusing on issues of sustainability through the study ofsocial-ecologicalsystemsandtheirresilienceandadaptation.approach

RAP is open to master’s- and PhD-level studentsof participating departments, including SNRAS. PhDstudents are supportedwith an IGERTFellowship for twoyears. All students integrate social and natural science as apart of their dissertation research and take the RAP coreclasses—Regional Sustainability, Adaptive Management &Integrated Assessment, and the Resilience Seminar. Thesecourses are taught by a faculty team with expertise in thesocial,economic,andecologicaldimensionsofsustainability.Studentsparticipateinsummerinternshipsaftertheirfirstyeartogainexperienceandinsightoutsidetheirhomedisciplines.Along with hosting guest scholars and visiting lecturers,RAPsponsorsspecialprogramsthatbuildacommunityforinterdisciplinaryinquiry.progress

In 2007–2008more than fifty graduate students wereenrolledinRAP,withthirtysevenatthePhDlevel.SNRAShasassumedaleadroleinRAPthroughfacultyparticipationand the involvement of interdisciplinary PhD and naturalresourcemanagementgraduatestudents.Examplesofcurrentresearch topics of graduate students working with SNRASfacultyinclude:climatechangeanditseffectsonsubsistencesystems,alternativeenergyoptionsforvillagesofAlaska,theeffectofagencycultureonmarinemammalco-management,andtheuseandimplementationofcommunitysustainabilityindicatorsinpublicdecisionmaking.impact

RAP has developed into an internationally recognizedgraduateprogram.Facultyandstudentsarecontributingtounderstandingofresilience,adaptability,andtransformation

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ofsocial-ecologicalsystemsoftheNorth,anddevelopingnewmodelsforpartneringwithlocalcommunitiesinresearch.Theprogramhasalsostrengthenedinter-departmentalcooperationacrosscampusandcreatedaninterdisciplinarycommunityofyoungscholars. In2007RAPhostedameetingof seventy-five PhD students from twenty-seven other IGERTs witha sustainability theme from across the country.The eventdemonstratedRAP’s leadership among these programs andthecommoninterest,benefits,andspecialchallengesfacingstudentsseekingtodointegratedresearch.

Monitoring seasons through global learning communitiesElena B. Sparrow,LeslieS.Gordon,KimMorris,David Verbyla,SheilaYule,MarthaR.Kopplin,ElissaLevine,MartinJeffries,StephanieStockman,JessicaH.Robinpurpose

Ourmainobjectivesare1)toprovideK-12teachersandtheir students opportunities to participate in Earth systemscienceresearchandthefourthInternationalPolarYear(IPY)byconductinginvestigationsontheirbiomes,and2)tousesuchresearchandactivitiestoteachandlearnaboutthenatureofscience,inquiry,andscienceprocessskills,andtointegrateuseoftechnologytosupportclassroomlearning.approach

RuralandurbanAlaskaK-12teachers,aswellasteachersfrom other parts of the United States and the world, arebeingprovidedprofessionaldevelopment(PD)workshopstoengage their students in studying seasons and investigatingtheir biomes using the “Earth as a system” approach. Bymonitoringtheseasons,studentswilllearnhowinteractionswithin theEarth systemaffect their local environment andhow their local environment in turn affects regional andglobal environments. During the PD institutes, teacherswill learn to use standardized scientific measurements andprotocolsdevelopedbytheGlobalLearningandObservationstoBenefittheEnvironment(GLOBE)program,otherEarthSystemScienceresearchprograms,andbestteachingpracticesin inquiry- and project-based learning. New protocols arebeingdevelopedand/oradaptedasneeded tohelp teachersand students monitor seasons (interannual variability) intheir biomes.Teachers and studentswill also be connectedtoscientistsfromtheInternationalArcticResearchCenteratUAF,theNASALandsatDataContinuityandTerraSatellitemissions, and we hope to include other such programs inother countries.progress

Ice phenology, freeze-up and break-up, and frosttube protocols have been developed. Three internationalprofessional development workshops for K-12 teachers,GLOBE Partner Coordinators, and teacher trainers wereheld in Fairbanks, Alaska (representing thirteen countries),in George,SouthAfrica (twentyAfrican countries), and inFederovskoe, Russia. One- to three-hour PD workshopswere also provided at the annualmeetings of theNational

ScienceTeachersAssociation, theMathematics andScienceTeachersofAlaska,andtheGLOBEprogram;attheAlaskaDepartment of EducationTeacher toTeacher Conference,andtheCurrentTrendsClass forTeachers intheFairbanksNorthStarBoroughSchoolDistrict.impact

Several presentations as well as eight publicationshave resulted thus far from this project. As a result of theprofessional development workshops, teachers are teachingtheir students about IPY and scientific measurements inEarth system science/environmental studies. Hence plantphenology investigations are being conducted by studentsinFairbanks,Kodiak,Nome,Shageluk,Wasilla,andWhiteMountaininAlaska;inIllinois,Minnesota,andWashington,DC; and in Argentina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia,Germany, Norway, South Africa, and Switzerland. FrosttubeprotocolpilottestsarebeingconductedbystudentsinFairbanks,Healy,McGrath,Takotna,WhiteMountain,andWasillainAlaska,inConnecticut,Ohio,andinSwitzerland.IcephenologyinvestigationsarebeingconductedbystudentsinFairbanks,Nome,Shageluk,andWasillainAlaska;andinIllinois,Ohio,andinSwitzerland.

fire-related studiesQuantifying the effects of fuels reduction treatments on fire behavior and post-fire vegetation dynamicsT. Scott Rupp; BretButler,RogerOttmar,(USFS);RobertSchmoll(AlaskaDivisionofForestry);KatoHoward,Randi Jandt(BLMAlaskaFireService);SkipTheisen(BLM)purpose and approach

Concerns about wildland fuel levels and a growingwildland-urban interface have pushed wildland fire riskmitigation strategies to the forefront of fire managementactivities. Mechanical (e.g., shearblading) and manual(e.g., thinnings) fuel treatments have become the preferredstrategyofmanyfiremanagers andagencies.However, fewobservationsexistthatdocumenttheactualeffectofdifferentfuel treatments on fire behavior. Alaska’s federal and statefire management agencies have identified this data gap astheirmostimportantfirescienceresearchneedandpriority.To address this need, our project will quantify the effectsof differentmechanical andmanual fuel treatments onfirebehaviorandtransferthatinformationtothefederalandstatefire management community through a series of technicalreportsandpeer-reviewedjournalarticles.progress

Our study site at the Nenana Ridge Ruffed GrouseProject Area located thirty miles southwest of Fairbanks,Alaska,representsanideal locationbecauseofitsproximitytoFairbanks,existingroadnetwork,andlargearea(600acres)of homogenous black spruce fuels. In spring and summer2006 two experimental burn units (approximately 200acres each)were laid out.Within each burnunit four fuel

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treatmentplots(5acres)wereestablished.Ineachunittwoshearbladetreatmentsandtwo8x8ftthinningsprunedto4ftwereestablished.Weinventoriedtheexistingvegetation,includinggroundvegetation,understoryandoverstorytreesandtreecrowns,organiclayer,anddead-downwoodysurfacefuels throughout the treatments and surrounding controlvegetation matrix. Following treatments we re-inventoriedtheunderstoryandoverstorytreesandtreecrowns,organiclayer,anddead-downwoodysurfacefuels.Duetoawet2007fire season we were unable to complete the experimentalburns. In the 2008 fire season, provided favorableweatherconditionsandavailablefireoperationsresources,weplantoburn each unit separately, documenting fire behavior fromthetimeofignitionuntilsteadystatebehaviorceases,usinga combination of cameras, video, direct observations, andthermal dataloggers. Consumption plots will be located inbothtreatmentunits(thinningsandshearbladings)andthecontrol vegetation. Post-fire vegetation recovery, followinginitialpost-firevegetationmeasurements,willbedocumentedin all treatments and the control vegetationmatrix for thedurationoftheproject.impact

WeanticipatethatthisproposedresearchwillleadtothefirstquantifiedtestsoftheeffectsoffuelreductiontreatmentsonfirebehaviorinAlaska.Ourresultswillprovidethedatarequired by fire behavior models (FARSITE, BEHAVE,and NEXUS), fuels characterization system (FCCS), andfireeffectsmodels (CONSUME).Wealsohope todevelopguidelinesdirectedatsamplingdesignandmethodologyissuesthatcanbeusedtoassistincarryingoutotherexperimentalburnswhentheopportunityarises.

Post-fire studies supporting computer-assisted management of fire and fuels during a regime of changing climate in the Alaska boreal forestT. Scott Rupp, Daniel Mann,MarkOlson;KarenMurphy(USFWS)purpose and approach

LandmanagersfaceuniquechallengesinAlaska.Mostoftheborealforestiscurrentlymanagedaswilderness.Thoughlargelyfreeofdirecthumanimpacts,theborealforestgrowsin a region that is now experiencing significant climatechanges.Also, thefireecologyofAlaska is relativelypoorlyunderstood, and these data gaps hinder effective fuel andfiremanagement there.Tomeet these challenges, we havedeveloped thecomputermodelBorealALFRESCOforuseas a multidisciplinary planning tool and as an operationaltoolforassessingfuelsandfirehazards.BorealALFRESCOsimulates the responses of boreal forest vegetation on reallandscapestochangesinfiremanagement,ignitionfrequency,and climate.progress

In collaboration with the UA Scenarios Network forAlaskaPlanninginitiative,statewidesimulationsoffuturefireregimesbasedonIntergovernmentalPanelonClimateChange

climateprojectionsarebeingcompleted.Severalmanuscriptsareanticipatedtobesubmittedin2008and2009.impact

Thisprojectwillprovidelandmanagerswiththeabilitytosimulatetheresponseoffuturefireregimestoachangingclimate.Thesemodelsimulationsalsowillprovidepotentialnaturalvegetationgroupsandestimatesoffirereturnintervalsrequired for federally mandated Fire Regime ConditionClasses (FRCC) mapping. These combined capabilitieswill enable Boreal ALFRESCO to simulate the impacts ofclimatechangeonFRCC—anovelabilitythathasimportantramificationsforlong-termforestmanagement.

Saturation of fire severity indices in Alaska black spruce systemsDave Verbylapurpose

Iassessedtheutilityofseveralremotelysensedindicesforestimatingfireseverityamong2004wildfireburnsininteriorAlaska.approach

Themappingofhighfireseverityisimportantforshort-termapplicationssuchasmappingoferosionandsubsequentsedimentation problem areas, and long-term applicationssuchaspredictingfuturemoosebrowseandlow-flammabilityhardwoodstands.Severalremotelysensedindiceshavebeendeveloped for general fire severity mapping applications.However,ininteriorAlaskamosttreespeciesarethin-barkedandeasilykilledbywildfire;thereforeremotesensingindicesthathavesuccessfullymappedvariabletreemortalityfollowingwildfireintheLower48maynotbeasimportantinAlaska.Thedepthofthepost-fireorganicsoilhorizonisakeyfactorcontrollingpotentialerosionofmineralsoil,aswellaspost-firerevegetationvegetationtypes.Inthisstudy,Iassessedtheutility of three remotely sensed indices for estimating fireseveritywithintherangeofmoderatetosevereburns.progress

Therelationshipbetweenconventionalremotelysensedindices and fire severity was tested using a field-basedcompositeburnindex(CBI).Therewasastrongcorrelationbetweenthefield-basedandtheremotelysensedfireseverityestimates within a range of low to moderate fire severity(CBI0.0to2.0),buttherewasnocorrelationathigherfireseverities.

Even areas with completely exposed mineral soil suchasminingareashadonlymoderateremotelysensedseverityvalues.Becausethereappearstobeasaturationofthespectralresponsetofireseverity,remotelysensedfireseverityestimatesfromthe2004fire seasonmaybeunreliablebecausemanyblacksprucestandslikelyburnedwithhighseverity.impact

This research demonstrated that the spectral response is linearly related to fire severity, but then the responsesaturates.Theremotelysensedfireseveritymapscanbeusedforapplicationssuchasmappingunburnedstandswithina

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fire perimeter, ormapping low tomoderate severity standssusceptible to beetle infestations. However, the remotelysensedindicesarenotreliableformappinghighandextremelyhighseveritysitesthatmayhaveexposedmineralsoil.

forest health & growthEvapotranspiration from boreal forest landscapesJohn D. Fox, Jr.purpose

Mygoalistoassesswhichofseveralmethodsforestimatingpotential evapotranspiration and actual evapotranspiration aremostsuitableformanagementpurposesinAlaska’sborealregions.Evapotranspirationisthecomponentofthelandscape’swater budget that is very sensitive to changes in vegetativecover and landuse, including timberharvest,wildfire, andclimate change.Since annualprecipitationandannual lakeevaporationarethoughtnearlyequalinmagnitudeinAlaska’sboreal forest, small changes in evaporation or precipitationcan affect the netwater gain or loss in awater body.Thiswarrants a better understanding of the evaporative processand amore reliablemethodof calculating itunder specificconditions.Thisprojectwillhelpdevelopthatcapability.approach

I am reviewing methods used and values obtainedfor potential evapotranspiration (PET) and actualevapotranspiration reported for Alaska in the literature.For simple to complex PETmethods, I am assessing theirsensitivity to themethods for estimatingnet radiation andtheparticularwind functionused. Iwill usewaterbalanceaccountingmodelstoestimateactualevapotranspirationandsensitivitytodatasourcesandassumptions,andwillestimateopen-waterevaporationfromaclosedlakeusingshort-termlakelevelmeasurements.progress

AgreatlyimprovedstatisticalrelationshipthatdeterminesthemeanmonthlyKtvalue(theratiobetweengroundlevel,global solar irradiance, and top-of-the-atmosphere solarirradiance) as a function of mean monthly sky cover andanindexofmeanmonthlyopticalairmasscontinuestobeenhancedandexpandedgeographically.ThisrelationshiphasbeentestedwithdatafromaroundtheUnitedStatesanddatahavebeenobtainedtoexpandthetestingglobally.Thisshouldleadtoimprovedestimatesofglobalandnetradiationvaluesforuseincharacterizingthespatialandtemporalvariabilityofpotentialandactualevapotranspiration.

An evaporation pan was installed and equipped witha recording device that allows unattended readings of panevaporation every fifteen minutes. Readings from one fullseasonhavenowbeenobtainedwhichshowevaporativelossrates less than, but consistent with, the measured rate oflakeleveldeclineduringnon-rainperiods.Thissupportsthehypothesis thatnet groundwater outflow is occurring fromthelake.

Weattemptedtomeasurenetgroundwaterflowdirectlybytakingwinterlakelevelreadingswhensurfacewatergainsandlossesareminimized.Athirdyearofunder-icemeasurementsoflakelevelshowedaninitialdropinlakelevelfollowedbylittleornodeclineduringthelatterpartofwinter.Thiswasapatternsimilartothepreviousyearandmayindicatethatanequilibriumlevelwasreachedwithrespect tosubsurfaceinflowandoutflowrates.impact

Progress in 2007 helped one undergraduate studentwithaseniorthesisproject.Furtheranalysisofpandataandcalculation methods will enable better estimates of energyinputs to ecosystems and landscapes, and in turn, betterestimatesofevaporativelosses.

Monitoring forest development and healthGlenn Juday,SteveWinslowpurpose

We are documenting patterns and events in forestdevelopment,forestchange,andforesthealth;thestudybeganin1988inBonanzaCreekExperimentalForest(BCEF).approach

Trees in all stands have been mapped and measuredfor diameter, height, and condition at various intervals. Acomprehensive set of long-term monitoring photos wascollectedinsixforesttypes(whitespruce,aspen,Alaskabirch)includingbothyoungpost-fire(burnedin1983)regeneratingforestandmatureforest.Fivepermanentphotopointswereestablishedandphotostakentothenorth,south,east,west,and up. progress/result

The2007photoupdatecovered8hectares,7dates,522pictures, and 8 sites.The photoswere digitized fromfilm,color corrected, and labeled and organized.High-precisionGPS coordinates were collected at the plots. The photosdemonstratethegeneralagingandsenescenceofolderaspentreesandtheheavy impactof theattacksof thedefoliatingaspenleafminerinsect.Burnedandintactbirchstandsbothshow little change in the low density of tree stems.Olderwhitesprucestandshavesustainedhighratesof treedeath,treefall,invigorationofaldershrubs,andsomeestablishmentofnewbirchtrees;only52percentofthewhitesprucetreesaliveatthestartofmonitoringin1987werealivein2007.impact/implications

Awaveoftreemortalityandforesthealthproblems,abovethelevelsoftreedeathtypicalofthemidtwentiethcentury,was detected in the long-term forest reference and photomonitoring plots. Forest health in the BCEF hectare plotsappearstoberepresentativeofmuchofcentralAlaska.Mostof themajor factorsresponsible fortreemortality inBCEFaretriggeredorintensifiedbywarmtemperatures.TheborealforestofAlaskaisexperiencingaperiodofmajorchange,withneworintensifiedinsectoutbreaks,highertemperatures,highvariation in snow conditions, and accelerated fire regimes.

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This study is providing on-the-grounddocumentation andmeasurementstodetectandquantifysomeofthesechanges.

Effects of diversity of tree species and size on forest basal area growth, recruitment, and mortality J. Liang,J.Buongiorno,E.L.Kruger(Univ.ofWisconsin-Madison),R.A.Monserud(USFSPNWResearchStation);M.Zhou(UAFSchoolofManagement)purpose

Our goal was to determine the relationship, or lackthereof,betweengrowthanddiversityoftreespeciesandsizeinconiferstandsofwesternNorthAmerica.approach

Growthwasmeasuredbynetbasalareagrowthand itscomponents: survivor growth, recruitment, and mortality.The analysis used inventory data from permanent plots inthe Douglas fir/western hemlock forest type in Oregon

and Washington, and in the mixed-conifer forest type inCalifornia.Themethodsconsistedofgeneralizedleastsquareregression with spatial autocorrelation, controlling for theeffectofotherstandcharacteristics.results

Otherthingsbeingequal,inthetwoforesttypesunderstudy there was a strong positive relationship between netbasal area growth and tree-speciesdiversity.This effectwasassociatedwithhigherrecruitment instandsofhighertree-species diversity.Neithermortalitynor growthof survivorswasrelatedtotree-speciesdiversity.Therelationshipbetweengrowth and tree-size diversity was less clear. For Douglasfir/western hemlock, net basal area growth was negativelycorrelated with tree-size diversity, essentially becauserecruitmentwasloweronplotsofhightree-sizediversity.Formixedconifers,netbasalareagrowthtendedalsotobelowerinplotsofhightree-sizediversity,butthiswasmostlybecausemortality was higher in plots of higher tree-size diversity.A paper on our study was published inForest Ecology and Management.impact

This study helps to improve our understanding of therelationship between biodiversity and forest productivity.Otherfactorsbeingequal,multi-speciesforeststendtohavebetternetbasalareagrowththansingle-species forests.Thestudysuggeststhattheefforttoimproveforestproductivityshouldfocusondiversifyingtreespecies,insteadoftreesize.

Climate sensitivity of the growth of Kuskokwim River white spruceSteveWinslow,ClaireAlix,Glenn Judaypurpose

AlongtheKuskokwimRiver(second-longest inAlaska,ninth-longest in theUS), riparian forestshavebeen valuedforcenturiesandfrequentlyexploitedasdriftwood,butneverindustriallyharvested.TheonlymajorstudyoftheKuskokwimriparian forest was a 1967 forest inventory. Recently ruralKuskokwimcommunitieshavebeguntolooktoforestsasapotentialalternativefuelsource.Pasttimberfeasibilitystudiesindicated a potential for sustained yield harvest of whitespruceon theKuskokwim,but recent temperature-induceddroughtstresshasreducedgrowthofthisspecieselsewhereinAlaska.Thisstudywasdesignedtodeterminerecentgrowthhistoryandgrowthpotentialoftheriparianforestthatisthesourceofdriftwoodonthisriversystem.approach

Tree-ringsamplesfromalongtheKuskokwimRiverwerecollected and correlation analyses performed between tree-ring growth and climate variables atMcGrath and Bethel.Patternsofwooduseincommunitiesweresurveyed.progress/result

Tree-ringsamplesfrom118whitespruce(eightstands)and 77 black spruce (five stands) growing along a370kmstretch of theKuskokwimRiverwere collected in 2002 or2007.Treeagesrangedfrom56to321years.Theaveragerate

Moose browse exclosure at Cooper Landing on the Kenai Peninsula. A US Forest Service employee is showing members of the NRM 290 class the difference in vegetation between an area left open to moose and one closed to these shrub-browsing ungulates.


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ofringgrowthforallwhitespruceforallyearswas1.37mmperyear,thehighestsustainedrateofgrowthyetreportedforthespeciesnorthoftheAlaskaRange.Resultsalsodemonstratean east-west gradient of changing response to temperatureand precipitation in both species. Inland Kuskokwim treepopulations generally decreased in growth during warmsummers(especiallyAugustandJune)andgrewbestincoolsummers.ThecoastwardpopulationsgrewbestinyearswithwarmAprilandNovembertemperaturesandgrewtheleastwhenthosemonthswerecool.Surveyresultsindicatedthatdependenceofhouseholdsonwoodasaprimaryheatingfuelincreasedwithdistanceupriver.impact/implications

Thegreatestextentofproductiveripariansprucesalongthe KuskokwimRiver is in the upriver or inland locationswhere recent growth trends (and prospects in a furtherwarming climate) are the most negative. However, thepotentialofothertreespecieswasnotexaminedinthisstudy.Totalwood availability could remain at levels high enoughtosupportbothcommunitybiomass-energygeneratorsandindividual home heating even if white spruce may not bethemaincontributoroffuelwood.Giventhisuncertainty,itwouldbeadvantageousforcommunitiesthatplantoadoptbiomass energy generation to install generators which canaccommodatewoodfromavarietyoftreespecies.Coastwardlocationsmaybeabletoplanonhigherratesoftreegrowththan the historical average, because temperatures in recentdecades have been closer to the optimum for growth thanduringmuchofthepasttwocenturiesinthoselocations.

Climate sensitivity of the growth of yukon River white spruceGlenn Juday,ClaireAlix,SteveWinslowpurpose

Thisstudyisthesecondphaseofanexaminationofthegrowthhistoryandcontrolsongrowthofwhitespruceonthefloodplain of theYukon and lowerTanana rivers.Thefirstphaseinvolvedcollectionandpreliminaryanalysisoftreesinthe YukonFlatsandmiddleTananaRivernearFairbanks.Allsampled standsarecontributors to the supplyofdriftwoodthat reaches the treeless Yukon-KuskokwimDelta,theBeringSeashore,andthecoastoftheArcticOcean.approach

A summer2007 collecting expedition traveledby riverfromFairbankstotheYukonDelta.Bothtreecoresanddiskswerecollectedfromlarge,dominanttreeslikelytofallintotheriver fromcontinuedbankerosion.RingwidthsofsamplescollectedfromthephaseonestudyontheYukonFlatsweremeasuredandcomparedtoclimatedataatFairbanks.progress/result

The sample collected in 2007 includes 197 trees fromeightstandsontheYukonRiverandtwostandsontheTananaRiver.Meandiameterofalltreeswas36.5cm(maximum57cm)andmeanheightwas21.8m(maximum34m).Tree-ringgrowthofthesamplefromphaseoneontheYukonFlats

was found to be well-predicted by a set ofmonthlymeantemperaturesacrossthreeyears.Warmyearswereconsistentlyyears of poor growth and cold yearswere the years of bestgrowth.Climatefavorabilitysincethelate1970sisthelowestinthelasttwocenturies,andprobablythelowestforseveralcenturiesbeforethat.impact/implications

The samples frombothphaseoneandphase twohaveshown someof thehighest sustainedgrowth ratesofwhitesprucetreesinborealAlaska.Whitespruceonfloodplainsofthemajorglacial-fedriversinAlaskawerethesubjectofsomeofthefirsttree-ringstudiesinNorthAmericainthe1930s.However, the early samples were limited in number, andmeasurementtechniquesweremuchmoretimeconsuming,difficult, and imprecise.This study is thefirst toobtainanadequatepreliminarytree-ringsampleoftreesinthisextensiveandproductiveforesttypeofborealAlaska.Beforethisstudy,floodplainpopulationsofwhitesprucewerehypothesizedtohavethepotentialtorespondtotemperatureincreaseswithincreased growth because of the presence of subsoil waterfromtheriver,butreducedgrowthwithhighertemperaturesisclearlythestronglydominantresponseinwhitespruceontheYukonFlatsandinthemiddleTananaRivervalley.

Comparison of two vegetation indices in interior AlaskaDave Verbylapurpose

IcomparedtheEnhancedVegetationIndex(EVI)withthe Normalized Vegetation Index (NDVI), available as aMODIS(ModerateResolutionImagingSpectroradiometer)land product. The MODIS EVI and NDVI are availableglobally every sixteen days from 2000 to present, and canbeusedasasurrogate forvegetationproductivity.TheEVIis similar to the NDVI, but corrects for subcanopy soilbackgroundanddoesnotbecomesaturatedaseasilyasNDVIinhighphytomassareassuchastheAmazonbasin.However,theEVIhasneverbeencomparedwiththeNDVIforhighlatitudeborealapplications.approach

TheMODIS EVI and NDVI sixteen-day values wereextracted for four elevation zones in interior Alaska fromlateAprilthroughearlyAugust2006.Onlypixelswithgoodquality(nocloudorsmokecontamination)wereusedintheanalysis.Thetemporalpatternofmeanvegetationindiceswascomparedamongthefourelevationzonesrangingfromlowelevation,borealforestareastohighelevation,alpinetundra areas.progress

TheNDVIwasabettervegetationindexbecausemeanNDVIvaluesweresubstantiallygreaterfromthelow-elevationborealzonescomparedwiththehigh-elevationtundrazones.TherewasnosubstantialdifferenceinmeanEVIamongtheelevation zones, and at thepeakof the growing season themeanEVIfromthehighestelevationzonewasslightlyhigher

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thanforlowerelevationzones.ThetemporalpatternofNDVIwasreasonablewiththeincreaseinNDVIduringthespringgreenupperiodoccurringearlierat lowerelevation.AlsoallelevationzoneshadmaximumNDVIduring theearly Julycomposite period.impact

The Enhanced Vegetation Index may perform betterthanNDVIinotherareasoftheglobesuchasdeserts,wheresubcanopy soil background is a problem, or the Amazon,wherethespectralresponseofNDVItophytomassbecomessaturated.However,basedonthisresearchtheNDVIappearstobeabettervegetationindexforborealAlaskaapplications.

Effects of moisture limitation on tree growth in upland and floodplain forest ecosystems in interior AlaskaJ. Yariepurpose

Due to potential changes in summer precipitationdynamics as a result of climate change, a set of droughtexperiments was established in hardwood ecosystems inboth upland and floodplain locations in interior Alaska.The overall objective of this study was to determine theinfluenceofsummerrainfallonthegrowthoftreesinbothuplandandfloodplainlocationsininteriorAlaska.Theinitialhypotheses were: (1) forest growth in upland birch/aspen (Betula neoalaskanaSarg./Populus tremuloidesMichx.)standsis strongly controlled by summer rainfall, and (2) forestgrowth in floodplain balsam poplar/white spruce (Populus balsamifera L./Picea glauca (Moench)Voss) ecosystemswillshownorelationshiptosummerrainfallduetotheinfluenceof ground water, linked to river flow dynamics, on soilmoisturerecharge.approach

PVCgreenhousepanelswereused toconstruct a coverunder the overstory canopy in each replicated upland andfloodplaindroughtsite.Thecoversweredesignedtopreventsummer rainfall from entering the soil and recharging soilwater during the growing season.The covers, designed todrainrainfallofftheplots,wereplacedonwoodenframing.On the floodplain sites the high end of the cover was atapproximately two meters and the low end at one meterabovetheground.Ontheuplandsitesthecoverswereparallelto the sloping surface of the plot.Ahole in the coverwasplacedatthelocationofeachtreeandadamwasplacedup-slopefromeachtreeonthecovertoforcedrainageofwateraroundthetreeandoffofthetreatmentarea.Thecoverswereassembled in lateMayofeachyearand takendownbeforethe first snowfall in early September.Based on the averageprecipitation characteristics during the study period, thesummerrainfall exclusionreduced theannual inputsby46percent,witharangefrom22.7to72.1percent.progress

Summer rainfall exclusion from the upland sitessignificantly decreased growth for birch in 1992 and 1993

andbalsampoplarin1992.Inallotheryearsbirch,balsampoplar,andwhitesprucedisplayedanonsignificantdecreaseingrowth.Aspenshowednotreatmenteffect.Treebasalareagrowthwassignificantlydecreasedonthefloodplainsitesduetosummerrainfallexclusionforbalsampoplarin1992andwhitesprucefrom1990through2007.impact

Inuplandsitessoilmoisturerechargefrommeltingsnowpackisamajormoisturesupplyfortreegrowth,althoughitisnotclearifasignificantmoisturelimitationoccursduringthesummereveninthecontrolplots.However,inthefloodplainstandstreegrowthwashighlydependentonseasonalrainfalleven though the groundwater tablewaswithin the rootingzoneandthesoilsweresuppliedwithaspringrechargefromsnowmelt. A number of factors are probably causing thisstrong relationship.These include rootingdistribution, soiltexture, and the electrical conductivityof the groundwater,whichissufficientlyhightolimitmoistureuptake.

Relationship of tree growth to environmental and soil fertility factors for thirty-five years in interior AlaskaJ. Yarie,K.VanClevepurpose

Fertilization and thinning studies were developed inbirch, aspen, and white spruce forest types representingyoung,middle, and old age classes in interior Alaska.Thestudies were started in the late 1960s. Both climatic andtreegrowthmonitoringhascontinuedthrough2007.Thesemeasurements represent a long-term record of tree growthandclimatedataforanagesequenceofforeststands.approach

Thestandsaremonitoredonayearlybasis.Theresultisthedevelopmentofalong-termdatasetrelatedtotreegrowthand the effects of fertilization and thinning on a numberofageclassesof thecommonforest types found in interiorAlaska.progress

The comparative analysis of this dataset indicatesthat nutrient limitationsmay only occur during the yearlyspringgrowthperiod,afterwhichmoistureavailabilityistheprimarycontrolof treegrowthonwarmsites.Temperaturedynamics, both air and soil, set seasonal bounds on thenutrient/moisture dynamics. Both air and soil temperaturelimitations are the primary control of growth dynamics inthe colder topographic locations in interior Alaska. Theselocations are usually dominatedby black spruce vegetationtypes. A seasonal progression of growth-controlling factorsoccursandisstronglytiedtothestatefactorstructureofthelandscape.impact

The long-term perspective indicates that changes inthe annual and seasonal precipitation dynamics as a resultof climate change will have a substantial impact on treegrowthandforestecosystemdynamicsininteriorAlaska.The

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magnitude of these changeswill be tied to growing seasontemperature dynamics, vegetation type present on the site,andagestructureofthevegetation.

policy & planningEndangered Species Act science and managementM.A. Cronin; S.A.Amstrup(USGeologicalSurvey);K.Scribner(MichiganStateUniv.)purpose

ThisprojectaimstoassessscienceusedinpolicyformationandimplementationoftheEndangeredSpeciesAct(ESA).approach

Scientific information is synthesized for assessment ofESA issues includingdesignationof subspeciesanddistinctpopulation segments (DPS) for ESA listing, assessment ofthreatenedor endangered status, andpossiblemanagementactionstoachievespecificobjectives.Informationistranslatedfordisseminationtopolicymakersandmanagers.progress

FromAugust2004toOctober2007,informationanditsassessmenthavebeenprovidedtotheAlaskagovernor’soffice,state legislators, and natural resource industries on severalAlaskaESAissues,includingpolar bears,belugawhales,Steller sea lions, sea otters, eiders, loons, goshawks, wolves, andotherspeciesintheLower48states.Reviewandassessmentofscientificandmanagementdocumentshavebeendoneforseveralofthesespecies.TwopapersonsubspeciesandDPScriteriawerepublishedin2007,oneinNature and the other in Animal Conservation.impact

Thiswork allowspolicymakers andmanagers tobetterunderstandthesciencebeingusedinESAissues.

pests & invasive speciesSpruce budworm is now at outbreak levels in Alaska because of climate warmingGlenn Juday,RichardSkeeterWerner,JamesKrusepurpose

This study is designed to examine why the spruce budwormhasappearedatoutbreaklevels ininteriorAlaskairregularly since the late 1980s.The study is a cooperativeeffort with the USDA Forest Service (Pacific NorthwestResearchStationandStateandPrivateForestry)andBonanzaCreekLong-TermEcologicalResearchsite.approach

The study reviewed (a) scientific literature on thedevelopment and temperature controls of the sprucebudworm,(b)dailytemperaturedataatFairbanksfrom1907to2007,and(c)monitoringdataonthepopulationdensityofsprucebudwormsince1975inBonanzaCreekExperimentalForestLTER,andtheoutbreakhistoryofsprucebudworm

in interior Alaska asmapped by the annual ForestHealthSurvey.progress/result

The spruce budworm completes its life cycle within atwelve-monthperiod,but spreadacross twodifferentyears.Warm August temperatures allow the rapid completion ofdevelopment of budworms from eggs to the second larvalstage that is not harmed by frosts.The scientific literaturesuggeststhatcoldwintertemperaturesdonotlimitsurvivalofbudwormsthathavedevelopedtothesecondlarvalstage.WarmtemperaturesinMayandJunespeedthedevelopmentofbudwormsthroughseveraladditionaldevelopmentstagestoreproductiveadults.OutbreaksappearedincentralAlaskawhen warm Augusts were followed by warm spring/earlysummerweatherinwhichtheheatrequirementfortheadultbudwormstageoccurredbyJuly7orearlier.impact/implications

Spruce budworm is responsible for 40 percent of alltimber volume lost to insects and diseases inCanada eachyear.SprucebudwormoutbreakbehaviorwasnotreportedincentralAlaskauntil1989,followingyearsinwhichtheheatrequirementswereparticularlyfavorable(occurredearlyintheseasonandtheminimumsweregreatlyexceeded).SubsequentyearsthathavesimilarlymetbudwormheatrequirementsincentralAlaskahave also experiencedoutbreaks, including alocallysevereoutbreakatFairbanksin2006/2007.

range managementEstimating lichen biomass, current population, and recommended stocking density of reindeer (Rangifer t. tarandus) on St. George Island, AlaskaMichelleSt.Martin,Greg Finstad, Norm Harris,ChristineHunter,KrisHundertmarkpurpose

Declining lichenbiomass on St.George Islandhas ledto concerns of overgrazing by reindeer and the effect onsustainable range management. Lichen is considered theprimarywinter forage for reindeer, but is easily overgrazedandslowtorecoverifreindeerstockingdensitiesaretoohighfor available range resources. Stakeholders on St. GeorgeIslandwant toknowcurrent reindeerpopulationnumbers,lichenbiomassavailableforgrazing,andarecommendationonreindeerstockingdensitytoensuresustainableuseofrangeresources.approach

Wedeterminedsexandagecompositionofthereindeerpopulation in spring 2007 via visual observation aided bya spotting scope andbinoculars.Transectswere laidwithinthe Natural Resources Conservation Service’s ecologicalclassification sites to sample lichen. Sample frames wererandomly placed along these transects and a point framemethodwasusedtoestimatelichenbiomass.

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progressWe estimated the reindeer population on St. George

Islandin2007tobe290animals(120adultcows,75(±5)adultbulls,17yearlingcows,12yearlingbulls,and66calves).Aninitialestimateoftotallichenbiomasswasbegunin2007,butfieldworkwillnotbecompleteuntil2008.Areindeerstockingdensitybasedonsustainable lichenutilizationwillbedevelopedafterlichenbiomassestimationiscomplete.impact

ThisstudywillprovidetheSt.Georgereindeerstakeholderswithanestimateoftotalwinterforageavailableontheisland.Thetotallichenbiomasswillbeusedtodetermineareindeerstockingdensitythatwillbeusedasamanagementtoolfortheherd.Thisnumbercanhelpmanagetheherdtoasustainableherdsizewhileminimizingtheimpactonthewinterrange.

revegetationBlack spruce growth and fire historyGlenn Juday, Valerie Barber,JulieMorse,SteveWinslowpurpose

Blackspruce-dominatedforestisabouthalfoftheforestareaoftheborealregionofAlaskaandthespeciesapparentlyregeneratesprimarilyfollowingfire.Thisstudywasdesignedtoseeifaseriesofyearsinthe1800swerealsomajorfireyearsin interiorAlaska.This serieswas reconstructedusing tree-ringtechniquesinapreviousstudyaswarmyears.approach/method

Our reconstruction of nineteenth-century summertemperaturesincentralAlaskaindicatewarmintervalsfrom1834 to 1851 and 1862 to 1879, with particularly warmsummers in 1836, 1849, and 1867. We compared thedates of fire-originated black spruce with our temperaturereconstruction and the suspected fire years across the one-million-hectareWhiteMountainsNationalRecreationAreaand SteeseConservationArea120kmnorthofFairbanks.progress/result

Agecountsof367blacksprucecollectedfromtheWhiteMountains and SteeseConservation areas include a higherthanexpectedproportionoftreesprojectedtohaveoriginated(a)inthe1840sand1850s,and(b)inthelate1860sandearly1870s,consistentwithseedlingestablishmentfollowingfiresattheperiodofwarmestreconstructedsummers.Thesamplecontainedanoticeablylowerthanexpectedproportionoftreeswith dates of origin from the 1880s and1890s, consistentwith lowfire incidenceduring theyearswithreconstructedcool summers.impact/implications

Thisstudyaddstothegrowingevidenceofthecriticalroleoftemperatureinshapingtheborealforestandtheprobableimpact of warmer temperatures in the future. In additionto fire-caused tree regeneration, year-to-year variability inradial growthofblack spruce isnegatively related towarmseason temperatures onmany sites in central Alaska. As aresult,anincreaseinthenumberofhotsummerswouldnot

only increase the probability of burning (as long as fuel isavailable), itwouldalsodecreaseregrowthof thisevergreenconiferon such sites,possibly reducing the abilityofblacksprucetocompetefordominanceinfuturestands.

Natural regeneration of white spruceGlenn Juday,SteveWinslowpurpose

Thisisalong-termstudyofwhitesprucethatregeneratednaturallyfollowingthe1983RosieCreekFire.Datafromthe2007 growing season are from the nineteenth year of datacollection in the studyandthe twenty-fifthgrowingseasonsincethefire.This is the longestandmostdetailed look inboreal Alaska at the amount, survival, and performance ofnatural tree regeneration followingwildfire on a large plotbasis.approach

EverywhitesprucetreethatoccursintheReserveWestreferencehectare(2.47acres)atBonanzaCreekExperimentalForestLTERhasbeenmappedandmeasuredannually.Duringthe 2007 annual survey, themeasurementsmade includedwhitesprucesurvival,budwormdamagelevels,2007heightgrowthandtotalheight.progress/result

In 2007, 1,533 white spruce trees covering 0.75 haweremeasuredandenteredintothelong-termdatabase;theremainder will be measured early in 2008. Average 2007heightgrowthofalltreeswas12.9cm(max=78cm);averagetotalheightwas137cm(max746cm).Slightlymorethan75percentofthewhitespruceweretallerthan50cmandabout38 percent were taller than 137 cm, or breast height (theconventional measurement point for diameter). The greatmajority(72percent)oftreeswerepositionedundertheshadeof another tree or shrub, and the remainderwere partiallyexposedorfullyexposedtotheopensky.Theaveragestemdiameterwas2.9cmatground level, and2.3cmatbreastheight.In2007sprucebudwormcausedmoderateorheavydamageto0.6percentoftrees,lightdamageto17percent,andverylightdamageto44percentoftrees.impact/implications

Themaincauseoftreedeathornear-zeroheightgrowth(whichresultsinnear-termtreedeath)isthedenseshadeoflogsthatwerethelivetreeskilledinthe1983fire.Manyofthe logs are lodged on support points, and seedling whitesprucemost at risk are either completely under logs or onthedeeplyshadednorthsideoflogs.Someseedlingtreesareabletogrowuparoundthesideoflogsthathavedisplacedthem,providinganexplanationfortheoccurrenceofcurvedor bow-shaped distortions at the base of many large treesharvestedfromnaturalstands.Theidentityoftreesthatwillbethenewforestcanopyisbecomingclearnow.Themajorsprucebudwormoutbreakof2006(stimulatedbyoptimumwarmweather conditions in2004 and2005) continued in2007.Althoughthepercentageofbudworm-affectedtreesatthelightestdamageclasswasthesamein2007asin2006,the

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proportionaffectedatthehighestdamageclasses(thoselikelytodieorhavereducedcompetitiveability)wasconsiderablyreduced,probablybecauseofcoolsummerweatherin2006.

Revegetation of a gravel-extraction operationNorman Harris,BethHall,DotHelmpurpose

While many studies have dealt with revegetation ofminingoperations,littleworkhasbeendoneonrevegetationof gravel-extraction operations in southcentralAlaska.Thisstudyaddressesthatlackofinformation.approach

Timeseriesaerialphotographyusingourblimpplatformandground-basedplot framephotography isbeingused tostudyrevegetationofagravel-extractionsiteontheMatanuskaExperimentFarm.Thephotographywillbeusedtodocumentandquantifyprogress in the re-establishmentof vegetationandcoverageofbareground.progress

Thiswasthefifthyearofalong-termstudy.Imagerywastaken on four occasions. Ground-based plot photographywasobtainedforhigh-resolutioncoverestimatestocalibrateandtestvegetationindices.Allthreerevegetatedpitsinitially

respondedsimilarlyregardlessofwhethertheywerebroadcastseeded or hydro-seeded. At the end of the first growingseason,chickweedcovered35to45percentofreseededareas.Seeded grassesbegantodominatethesitesduringthethirdand fourth years. Invasive plants, primarily birdvetch andwhitesweetclover,haveestablishedatallsitesandstillpersistafterfiveyears.impact

Thisstudywillhelplandmanagerstodevelopeffectiverevegetation strategies and cost-effective methods tomonitor the progress of remediation efforts. The use ofdigitalphotography isa rapidandeffectivemethod for themonitoringofrevegetationefforts.

NRM 290 class being introduced to B.O.B., the bicameral observation blimp used in creating time series aerial photography, tracking invasive species, movements of herds of range animals such as cattle, and revegetation progress.


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Natural Resources Use & Allocation

resource manaGemenT inAlaska isconstrainedbyneeds tofulfill public expectations, follow processes that are le-

gallyrequired,andmeetthesubstantiverequirementsofstateand federal lawsandpolicies.Tobe implementedproperly,resource management programs must be solidly based onreliable information that can successfullymeet legal reviewand gainpublic acceptance.The costs of harvestingAlaskaresourcescanbehigh,andmostAlaskaproductsfacestrongcompetitioninglobalmarkets.Toremaincompetitive,Alaskaresourcesmust be sustainably and efficiently harvested, ex-tracted, and processed, and marketed effectively. Outdoorandwildland recreationandnature-based tourismhavebe-comearelativelylargepartoftheAlaskaeconomyandsocialfabric.Thissectorishighlydependentonthemanagementofpubliclandresourcesandthecostoftransportation.

Sound natural resource economics requires developingand sharing information to establishmore effectivemarketmechanisms,identifyingnewresourceuseanddevelopmentopportunities,anddevelopingnon-marketvaluationsystems.Research innatural resources atSNRASandAFES focusesonintegratedstudiesofeconomic,managerial,andecologicalaspectsofnaturalresourceuseandallocation:multiresourceplanning and the process of determining public resourcepolicy; nonmarket resource economics; outdoor recreation

resourcemanagement;resourceeconomicsandpolicyimpactassessment;ruralcommunitycultureandeconomicdevelop-mentanalysis;nature-basedtourism;environmentallawandpolicy;newproductopportunities in forestsandwildlands;andsubsistenceresourcesystems.

biofuelsBio-oil composition of Alaska woody speciesJ. Andres Soriapurpose

The project is designed to investigate the yield andcomposition of Alaska woody biomass under supercriticalfluid liquefaction for production of biofuels and chemicalfeedstocks.approach

Kiln-dried material was provided by the KetchikanWoodTechnologyCenter, including alder, birch, hemlock,yellowcedar,Sitkaspruce,redcedar,whitespruce,andaspen. Bio-oil fromthesespecieswasproducedundersupercriticalliquefactionwithproductionofsolids,liquids,andgasesthatcanbeseparatedintoindividualfractionsbydistillationandusedasbiofuelsandchemicalfeedstocks.

Three different bio-oil extracts, from birch, alder, and Sitka spruce, created using supercritical fluid liquefaction of woody biomass.—photo by J. aNdreS Soria

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progress and resultsThe study has yielded promising results for all species

studied, with an average liquid fraction production of 90percent (weight basis). The number of chemical speciescollectedinthebio-oilaveraged170compoundswithboilingpoints less than 250°C, showing potential applications asfuelsandadditives.Chemicalcharacterizationofthebio-oiliscontinuingtoproducenewcompounds,withmoreworkexpectedusinggreenmaterial.impact

Theutilityofwoodwaste, small-diameter timber, yardandmunicipalwaste, andotherunderutilized resources forproduction of fuels and chemicals is of great importancefor Alaska. The production of a liquid substrate that canenter traditional manufacturing and processing activitiesusing the petroleum infrastructurewill greatly enhance thetransitiontowardarenewableenergyfuture.Thisworkistheinitial step towardanalyzingAlaskabiomass forbiorefineryapplications.

Bio-energy crops for AlaskaStephen D. Sparrow, Mingchu Zhang,darleent.masiak,RobertVanVeldhuizenpurpose

The high cost of petroleum-based fuels in Alaska andthe need for communities to become more self-sufficientinenergyhasresultedinanincreasinginterestinrenewableenergy sources, including producing crops for bio-energy.This research is intended to screen various shrubs/trees,perennial grasses,andperennialforbsaspotentialbio-energycropsinAlaska.approach

Weestablishedsinglerowplotsofeightspeciesofwillow(Salix) and two species of poplar (balsam poplar, Populus balsamifera, and quaking aspen,P. tremuloides) from eitherstemcuttingsor transplants in2006.Weestablished singlerow plots of thin-leaf alder (Alnus tenuifolia) in 2007 and seeded small plots of seven native, perennial grass species.Yielddatawerecollectedin2007forfourwillowspecies(felt-leafwillow,Salix alaxensis; little-treewillow,S. arbusculoides; sandbarwillow,S. interior; pacificwillow,S. lasiandra) and balsampoplarbycollectingafewplantsfromeachplotafterleaffallinautumn.progress and results

Drymatter yields ranged from0.6 ton/acre for Pacificwillowto4.5ton/acreforfelt-leafwillow.Theseplotswereallestablishedaspreliminaryscreeningtrialsonlyandyielddatafromtheseplotsmaynotbeindicativeofyieldpotentialforlarge-scaleplantings.However,theywillaidusindeterminingwhich species to use for future research. In 2008, we willcollectsamplesfromplantsthathavenotyetbeencuttoobtainthree-yeargrowthestimatesforthewillowandpoplarspeciesandwillevaluatestandsurvivalandobtainyieldestimatesfor

thegrassplots.We intend toestablish largerplotsof selectnativewoodyspeciesandnativeandnon-nativegrassesandforbsformoredetailedevaluationin2008.Theseplotswillbeused todeterminepersistence andyieldpotential undervariousmanagementregimes, includingvariousfertilizationand harvest practices. impact

This research will ultimately allow land managers todetermine which plant species can be used as bio-energycrops in Alaska, and to provide recommendations on bestmanagementpracticesforthesecrops.

education & outreachHigh-latitude range management certificate programGreg Finstad,CarrieBucki,LeeHaugenpurpose

We seek to recruit and train students for entry-levelemploymentinthefieldofnaturalresourcesmanagement.In2007tenAlaskaNativestudentsbeganatwo-yearprogramin NometoacquireaUAFcertificateinhigh-latituderangemanagement.approach

StudentsreceivingtheHLRMcertificatewillbetrainedin conventional field-based techniques used by agenciesto inventory and monitor high-latitude plant and animalpopulations. Studentswill also be trained in the ecologicalconcepts of sustained yield and the manipulations andmanagementofanimalpopulationsinnorthernecosystems.

Tarry extract from a potential Alaska bio-energy crop.—photo by J. aNdreS Soria

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progressStudentscompletedthecoursesHLRM120-Historyof

DomesticatedAlaskanUngulates,andHLRM150-AlaskanUngulateHusbandry,inJune2007.impact

Completionof the requirements for thiscertificatewillprovide the training necessary for local, entry-level naturalresourcejobsbutalsoserveasabridgetoavarietyofnaturalscienceassociateandbaccalaureateprograms.ThecertificatecurriculumdeliverscontinuingeducationtoruralAlaskathatisrelevanttotheneedsoflocalemployersandlandmanagersandiscompatiblewiththeexperienceandlifestyleofthelocalpeople.

Communicating climate change to the public and policy makersGlenn Judaypurpose

Thepublic andpolicymakers aredealingwithclimate change events, predictions, and possibilities, and wantandneed tohave the latest information tomake informeddecisions.Thepresentationofresultsofscientificandtechnicalinvestigations to these audiences requires additional effortbeyond the scientific and technical literature.The purposeof this project is to integrate, synthesize, and formulatecompleteandaccurateinformationusefultothepublicandpolicymakers.approach/progress

ItestifiedtwicetotheUSHouseofRepresentatives,totheCommittee on Science andTechnology, and the SelectCommitteeonEnergyIndependenceandGlobalWarming.My testimony was based on results about climate changeeffects on boreal forests, and a review of other results onsea ice,permafrost,andforests.Seminarswerepresentedtoseveral different audiences made up of resource managers(three), state and county legislators (two), national policymakers (one), Alaska professional foresters (one), religiousleaders(one),andelementaryschoolclasses(two),acrosstheUS.Theprojectcontributed toorganizinga special sessionoftheAmericanGeophysicalUnionannualmeeting.Afieldtriptoprojectfieldsiteswasconductedforaninternationalscientificmeetingandfornewsmedia.Aradiointerviewwasbroadcast, a KoreanTV science program filmed, and twointernationalnewspaperinterviewswerepublished.impact

Audience feedback provides valuable guidance formodifications. Impacts have included teacher training andincorporationoflessonplansintoschoolcurricula,improveddepthofmediareports,improvedpublicunderstandingoftheclimatechangechallenges,moreeffectivepublicparticipationintaskforcesandworkinggroupspreparingadaptivemeasuresparticularlyatthelocalgovernmentlevel,andguidanceandevaluationofnationallegislation.Repeatinvitationsaretakenasanindicationofsuccessinachievingobjectives.

International Polar year Pole-to-pole Videoconference, Web chat, and Web Forum Elena B. Sparrow,TeresaKennedy,MarthaR.Kopplin,RebeccaBoger,David Verbyla,MartinJeffries,JessicaH.Robin,KimMorrispurpose

Our main objectives were 1) to launch the fourthInternational Polar Year (IPY) for students in Alaska andArgentina and other countries, 2) to provide studentsopportunitiestosharewithotherstudentsthechangestheyobserve in their local environment that may be related toclimatechange,andtoconnectwithandhavetheopportunitytoposequestionstoEarthsystemscientists.approach

We used videoconferencing technology to connectstudents and their teachers in Alaska, Ushuaia, Terra delFuego, Argentina, with scientists studying the Arctic andAntarctic.ThevideoconferencewasfollowedbyawebchatandanasynchronouswebforumtogiveotherstudentsfromdifferentpartsoftheworldtheopportunitytoconnectwithEarthsystemscientists.progress

ThefourthIPYbeganMarch1,2007.TheMonitoringSeasonsThroughGlobalLearningCommunitiesorSeasons and Biomes project launched the IPY with a pole-to-polevideoconference on March 5. Participants (students andteachers) came from a sixth-grade class from Pearl CreekElementary, fifth through twelfth-grade students fromMoosewoodFarmHomeSchool, and junior high studentsfromEffieKokrineSchool(Fairbanks);twofifth-gradeclassesfromTri-ValleySchool(Healy,Alaska);andelementaryandhighschoolstudentsfromBaseEsperanzaSchoolandteachersfrom Colegio Nacional de Ushuaia (Ushuaia, Argentina).ParticipatingscientistswerefromSNRAS,theInternationalArctic Research Center and other research institutes atUAF, the Global Learning and Observations to Benefitthe Environment (GLOBE) program office, the NationalSnowandIceDataCenterinBoulder,Colorado,theArcticObserving Network program inWashington, DC, and inBuenosAires,andUshuaia,Argentina.ThevideoconferencewasfollowedbyanIPYGLOBEwebchatonMarch7andawebforumonMarch8–9,2007.impact

Morethan400studentsinFairbanksandHealy,Alaska,andUshuaia,Argentina,andothercountriesparticipatedintheMarch2007IPYPoletoPoleVideoconference,WebChatandWebForum.The studentswere enthusiastic about theexperience. A newspaper article and a television interviewresultedfromthevideoconference.Responsewasgoodfromparticipants.TheconferenceresultedinincreasedparticipationofstudentsintheInternationalPolarYearandconnectionofstudentswithmorescientists,andtheinitiationofstudiesattheir local schools.

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fisheriesconverting Alaska fish byproducts into value-added ingredients and products PeterBechtel,CynthiaBower,TedWu(USDA)

Note:Thisprojecthasseveralcomponents,allinvolvingtheutilizationoffishprocessingbyproducts.purpose

Wearecharacterizingvariousfishprocessingbyproductsand existing secondary products and developing new andhigher-valuedingredientsforuseinanimal(agricultureandaquatic) feeds.Greater utilization of thismaterial will alsoreducewastedisposalproblems.approach, progress, and impactpurification of commercial salmon oils

Thequalityandvalueofsalmonoilcanbeincreasedbyremovingprotein,moisture,andotherimpuritiescommonlyfound in unpurified oil; however low-cost simplifiedproceduresareneeded.AUniversityofAlaska scientistandgraduatestudentevaluateddifferentmaterials forabsorbingimpurities from crude salmon oil. Crude salmon oil wasobtained from a commercial fishmeal company, purifiedusingtwoabsorbentmaterials(shrimpchitosanoractivatedearth) and three different processes. Results indicated thatactivated earth had a good ability to adsorb peroxides,minerals,moistures, and insoluble impurities of unpurifiedsalmonoil.Neitherchitosannoractivatedearthwaseffectiveinremovingfreefattyacidsfromunpurifiedsalmonoil.Thisstudyshowedthattheadsorptionprocessusedforedibleoilpurificationnotonlyremovesnon-triglyceridesbutisarathercost-effectiveandlow-temperatureprocess.

comparing characteristics of crude and purified salmon and pollock oils

UA and ARS scientists in Kodiak, Alaska, comparedselected chemical and physical characteristics of crude andpurifiedpollock(PO)andsalmonoils(SO).ThreebatchesofcommercialcrudePOandSOweretreatedthreeconsecutivetimes with chitosan and physical and chemical propertiesanalyzed and statistically compared. Results indicated thatone to twochitosantreatmentswere sufficient topositivelyaffectoilqualityundertheseconditions,showingthatthereis a simple andeconomicalmethodof addingvalue tooilsproducedfromfishprocessingbyproducts.

byproduct storage time and temperature on fish meal and oil quality

Occasionallyrawfishbyproductmustbestoredbeforeitcanbeprocessedintomealsandoils;thisstudywasdesignedto evaluate how storage time and temperature affected thequality of the resultantmeals and oils. A storage study onfish byproducts from pink salmon and Alaska pollockwasconducted in Kodiak, Alaska, by ARS scientists at twotemperatures. After storage, the byproducts were processedintofishmealandoilextractsandthequalityofthemealand

oilwereexamined.Resultsindicatedoilqualitydeterioratedwith storage time;however, theaminoacidcompositionoftheproteininthemealwasgoodafterallstoragetimesandtemperatures.Theseresultsprovidetheindustrywithabetterunderstandingofmealandoilqualitywhenproducedfromagedbyproducts.

stabilizing fish processing byproducts High-quality byproducts from fish processing are

sometimes discarded unless fishmeal plants are locatednearby.Weevaluatedacidificationasapreservationmethodfor individual salmon byproducts (heads, viscera, and amixture). Byproduct components were stabilized throughfermentationbylacticacidbacteriaandthroughensilagebydirectacidificationusingformicacid.StablesilagepHsweremaintainedby all treatment groups for120days, althoughlipid and protein quality decreased. Of note, viscera andheads preserved separately consistentlymaintained a lower,more effective pH than when mixed together, regardlessof treatment, which has major implications for how fishprocessingwasteshouldbecollectedandstoredifmaximumnutritionalqualityistobepreserved.

characterization of dried heads from five pacific salmon species

Traditionally,freshanddriedfishheadshavebeenapartofhumandietsinmanycountries.InAlaskaapproximately65,000 mt of salmon heads are produced annually fromthe salmon processing industry. We sought to evaluatetwo low drying temperatures on the quality and chemicalcomposition of five different types of wild Pacific salmonheads. UA and ARS scientists obtained red, pink, chum,king, and silver salmon heads from commercial processorsand then dried them at 40° and 77°C and analyzed theirchemicalandphysicalproperties.Therewerelargedifferencesbetweensalmonspecies,lessdryingtimeatthehigherdryingtemperature, and similar quality attributes at both dryingtemperatures.Salmonheadswereofhighnutritionalvalue,andshowpotentialforcommercializationasahuman-gradefoodingredient.

use of alaska fishery byproducts in diets for sturgeonThere is a potentialmarket for Alaska byproduct feed

ingredients in sturgeon diets. An Oceanic Institute andUniversityofHawaii-Hiloscientistcompletedasecondgrow-out diet for sturgeon incorporating fishmeal derived frombyproductsoftheAlaskaseafoodindustry.Thestudyutilizedsturgeon at UH-Hilo and evaluated growth and survivalperformanceofgroupsfedcontroldietsanddietscontainingAlaskapollockfishmeal.Therewerenosignificantdifferencesbetweengroupsfedcommercialfeedsandthosefedthedietcontaining pollockmeal.This indicates a potential furthermarket for Alaska pollock byproduct meal and also couldbenefitfeedproducersandfarmersraisingsturgeonlookingforanalternativesourceoffishmeal.

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use of pollock skin as binders in shrimp dietsPotential products that can be made from fish skin

includebindersfromaquacultureandotherfeedingredients.Scientists from the Oceanic Institute and ARS completeda second trial to evaluate a processed pollock skinmaterialas a feed binding ingredient. Protein binders from pollockskinsandstickwaterweremadeandevaluatedatthe5percentinclusionlevelasfeedbindingingredientsinanaquaculturediet.Resultsindicatedthatpollockskin,butnotstickwater,added at 5 percent inclusion significantly improved pelletwater stability at two hours submersion. These promisingresultsarebeingfollowedupwithathirdpollockskinbindingtrialusingafurtherprocessedpollockskinproduct.

using alaska fish oil to alter the omega-3 composition of fillets

There isaneedtounderstandhowthecompositionofdietaryfataltersthefatcompositioninmarket-sizefillets.Wesought to investigate thedifferences in thekineticsof fattyacids(FA)depositioninthefilletsofamarket-sizedclassofIdaho cultured rainbow trout fed commercial Alaskan fishoils versus menhaden oil. After eight weeks of feeding itwaspossibletoboostEPAandDHAlevelsandincreasetheratioofomega-3 toomega-6FA infilletsof rainbow troutbyreplacingmenhadenoilwiththeAlaskafishoils.TheFAcompositionofoilsderivedfromAlaskaseafoodbyproductswas nutritionally well suited for inclusion into feeds forrainbow trout, and in respect to long-chainedomega-3FAlevels,superiortomenhadenoil.

crop yields using alaska byproduct organic fertilizersFishmealsmanufactured fromAlaskafishwaste canbe

usedforvegetableproduction.Tobestunderstandthenutri-tionalvalueofthefishmeals,threefishbyproducts(fishmeal,fishbonemeal, andfishhydrolysate)were evaluated in twoAlaska locations for theirnutrientreleaseandbarleygrowthresponse in2007and2008byUAandARSscientists.Thethreefishmealproductswereappliedat50,100,and150kgN/haratealongwithacontroltreatmentreceivingnonutrientapplication,andaureatreatmentwith100kgN/haapplica-tion.Theresults showedthatatcurrentyearofapplication,thefishmealandfishbonemealwereasgoodasureafertil-izer,andcropsalsorespondedfromfishmealsappliedinthepreviousyear.Theinformationwaspresentedinanagricultureproducers’meetingandprovidesguidelinesforproducerswhousefishmealasnutrientsourcesforcropproduction.

impact of alaska organic meal on fillet quality of pacific threadfin

There is lack of information on the use of Alaska“organic”fishbyproductmealsonfilletqualityandsensorycharacteristics. Oceanic Institute scientists conducted atwelve-weekfeedingtrialtoascertaintheimpactofutilizingAlaska “organic” (no synthetic antioxidant) meal on filletquality ofmarket-size Pacific threadfin. Sensory assessmentfromatrainedtastepaneldidnotshowconsistentdifferences

infillet aroma,appearance, texture, andflavorbetween theexperimentaldietcontainingAlaskaorganicmealandcontroldiets which were nonorganic. This indicates that Alaskaorganicmealcanbeasuitable ingredientindietsforgrow-outofmarket-sizePacificthreadfin.

barrier properties of films made from alaska fish skin gelatins

Thereisincreasinginterestinmakingbiodegradableand/orediblefilmsfromgelatins;however,gelatinfilmsfromcold-waterfishskinwillhavedifferentphysicalpropertiesthanfilmsmadewiththemorecommonbovineandporcinegelatins.InthisstudyARSscientistsinCaliforniaandAlaskadeterminedtheeffectsofdrying temperatureonbarrierandmechanicalpropertiesofpollockandsalmon gelatinfilms.Thefilmsdriedbelowgelationtemperaturehadhigherhelicalcontentlevels,resulting in higher strength, but worse water vapor barrierproperties.Theseresultsareofimportanceinprovidingmeth-odsofalteringthephysicalpropertiesofgelatinfilms.

physical properties of commercial salmon oilMany of the important physical properties of salmon

oilshavenotbeendetermined.This studybyUAscientistswas designed to characterize salmon oils obtained from acommercialfishmeal company inAlaska.Freshcommercialfish oils were obtained; the oils exhibited non-Newtonianfluidbehaviorandtheapparentviscosityofunpurifiedsalmonoil was significantly increased with decreased temperature.ThestudyshowedthatchangesinthemagnitudeofapparentviscosityandthelipidoxidationrateoftheunpurifiedsalmonoilwithtemperaturecouldbewelldescribedbytheArrheniusequation. This information on thermal and rheologicalproperties and lipid oxidation of unpurified salmon oil isusefulfordesigningpurificationprocessesfortheoil.

characterization of sea cucumber byproducts Giant red sea cucumbers are commerciallyharvested in

Alaskaprimarilyfortheirlongitudinalmuscles;thebodywallisabyproductthatisoftendiscarded.ThisstudywasconductedbyUAandARSscientiststocharacterizethebodywallandsee if greater value may be obtained from this byproduct.Commercial size sea cucumberswere obtained,muscle andbodywallcomponentsseparated,freezedried,andchemicallyanalyzed.Thedriedbodywallaveraged47percentprotein,26percentash,15percentcarbohydrate,and8percentfat,andhadanaminoacidcompositionconsistentwithalargecontentof connective tissue in the bodywalls. SDS electrophoresisband patterns indicated one major high molecular weightproteinband.Seacucumberbodywallhadpropertiesthatcanbeusedtomakevalue-addedfoodandfeedingredients.

characteristics of byproducts from yelloweye rockfish Yelloweye rockfish (YER) is a highly prized species in

both commercial and recreational fisheries in Alaska. UAandARS scientists sought to characterizeYERbyproducts.YER heads and livers were obtained and yields, proximate

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composition, fatty acid, composition, amino acid profiles,lipid classes, cholesterol content, andmineral compositionweredetermined.Oilswere similar inmany aspects tooilsfrom other demersal cold water marine finfish and wererichinomega-3FA.Also,aminoacidanalysisrevealedthatthe liverandheadproteinswereofhighqualityandwouldserve as good sources of essential amino acids. Overall,resultsindicatedthatYERbyproductscanbeutilizedfortheproductionofgoodqualityspecialtyingredientsthatcanbeusedasfoodandfeedcomponents.

Sustainable Alaska dogfish fisheryJoshua Greenberg,JasonGasper,GordonKrusepurpose

Todevelopstrategicfisherymanagementplansnecessaryfor implementing a sustainable commercial spiny dogfishfishery in Alaska, we will provide state and federal fisherymanagement agencies with a comprehensive evaluation ofalternativemanagementstrategies.Thisinterdisciplinarystudywilldirectlyaddressdevelopmentofnewmarketopportunitiesforacommerciallyunderutilizedfisheryresource.approach

The study relies on an interdisciplinary modeling ap-proach.Aneconometricallyestimatedequilibriumsupplyanddemandmodelwillbeintegratedwithpopulationmodelsthatincorporatedemographicandlifehistoryparameters.Empiri-callybasedratioestimatorswillbedevelopedtoaddressthere-lationshipbetweentargetspeciescatchanddogfishdiscards.progress

The research efforts this year focused on data analysis.Thedataanalysisisessentialtodevelopingthebio-economicmodelofthedogfishfishery.DogfishbycatchintheGulfofAlaskalonglinefisherywasmodeledandresultswerepresentedinapostersessionoftheFebruary2008WesternGroundfishConference.impact

Alaska’scommercialfishingsectoriscentraltothesocio-economicwellbeingofthestate.However,changesinmarketconditions and resource availability have challenged thecontinued prosperity ofmany Alaska commercial fisheries.Spiny dogfish are an exciting opportunity for the state toexpanditscommercialfishingsectorthroughdevelopmentofanewdirectedcommercialfishery.

forests & forest products

harvesTinG

level of harvestCascadeAppraisalServices,Inc.,JuneauEconomicDevelopmentCenter,UAF-ForestProductsProgram(Valerie Barber)purpose

The JuneauEconomicDevelopmentCenter is lookingatthelevelofharvestneededtosustainanintegratedforest

industry in southeast Alaska. In an ideal situation, anintegrated forest industry is a sustainableone inwhich thetreesaremanaged inawaytoprovideacontinuoussupplyofwoodandnothing iswasted intheprocess.Wastewoodisusedforheat forbuildingsandkilnsand isalsousedforsecondary products such as fiberboard, bioproducts, etc.Sawlogsarepulledandusedforhighendwoodproducts.approach

The estimated required investment is based on theamountofequipmentrequiredtoharvestanannualamountoftimberoveraseventy-toninety-yearrotation.Anareainthe Tongass National Forest (TNF) was selected that hadvolume sufficient to maintain a level of harvest capabilityrequired to support an integrated forest products industry.Cascade Appraisal Services, Inc., forest consultants, washiredtodotheresearchandwritethereport.Thecompanyanalyzed published and unpublished reports from the USForest Service (USFS), theStateofAlaska,andavarietyofprivate data. Secondary datawas supplied by industry andUSFSrepresentatives.GISmappingwasusedtoselectanareaofsuitabletimberresourcesintheTNFthatwouldsupplyanannualharvestofapproximately360MMBFovertherotationperiod. Equipment andmanpower required to harvest thisvolumeweredeterminedby taking intoconsiderationbothassets inplace in southeastAlaska andnecessary additionalassets, and the investmentneeded in additional equipmentforbothexistingandnewoperationswasestimated.progress

ThestudywascompletedandareportwritteninApril2007.Aninvestmentofupto$21millionwouldberequiredforequipmentalone.impacts

ResultssupporttheupperleveloftheallowablecutintheTongassLandManagementPlan(360,000MMBF/yr)whichiscurrentlyunderreview.Anintegratedforestindustrywouldprovideeconomicsupportandlendstabilitytotheregionandcouldprovideupto2,000directandindirectjobs,pumpingbillionsintotheeconomy.

Whilethestudyrevealsthataneconomicallyviablelevelofharvestcanbesustained,thatopportunitycannotbemadeuseofwithoutasubstantialinvestmentfromindustryinnewequipmentandinfrastructure.Thisisnotaviablealternativeat this time.The quantity of high-quality used equipmentthatispresentlyavailableandthecurrentlackofaguaranteedannual volume would preclude new logging companiesor the expansion of existing companies from investing inequipment.

Sitka tribe Harvesting Study Part 2Valerie Barber; HelenDangel-Lorrigan(SitkaTribe)purpose

SitkaTribe has seventeen different tribal groups underits jurisdiction in southeastAlaska.We are surveying thesegroups’ annual harvesting practices (past and present) ofnon-timber forest products. SitkaTribe is also conducting

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interviews with elders to record and preserve harvestingpracticesinformation.TheUAFForestProductsProgramisusingthesurveytoassessinterestandresourcesinpotentialnon-timberforestproductbusinesses.ThisisPart2ofathree-partproject.Part1surveyedthecommunitiesofSitka,Kake,Hoonah,Yakutat,andCraig.Part2surveysthecommunitiesofKetchikan,Hydaburg,Kasaan,Klawock,andSaxman.Part3will includeHaines,Klukwan,Skagway, Juneau/Douglas,and Angoon.approach

Surveyors were hired in each community to gatherinformation from the local inhabitants with a readymadesurvey. Many of these communities are primarily NativeAlaskan but the survey is not limited to only NativeAlaskans.progress

Surveys from Part 2 communities have been collectedandabouthalfhavebeenenteredinthedatabase.MarketingworkshopsconductedinSitka,Craig,andThorneBayin2007generatedsomeinterestfromtribalmembers.CommunitieshavebeencontactedforPart3andsurveyingisexpectedtobegininsummer2008.impact

Hiring surveyors from each community has providedsome much-needed cash; several communities are excitedaboutpotentialnon-timberforestproductbusinesses.

Adaptive versus fixed policies for economic or ecological objectives in forest management M.Zhou(UAFSchoolofManagement);J. Liang; J. Buongiorno(Univ.ofWisconsin-Madison)purpose

Inthecontextofforestmanagement,afixedharvestingpolicyconsistsoftryingtoconvertstandsoftreestoachosenstate, at fixed intervals, regardless of the stand state andofthe state of themarket. In an adaptive policy, by contrast,thepost-harveststateandthetimingoftheharvestdependon the standandmarket statesat the timeof thedecision.Ourobjectivewas todeterminethepracticalgain fromthetheoreticallysuperioradaptivepolicies.approach

We compared optimal fixed and adaptive policiesobtainedwith identicalmodels and assumptions, andwithdata from the Douglas fir/western hemlock forests in thePacificNorthwestoftheUnitedStates.results

Inmaximizingeconomic returns fromharvestsover aninfinite timehorizon, thenetpresentvaluewas17percenthigherwithanadaptive thanwithafixedpolicy. Itwas22percenthigherwhen theobjectivewas tomaximize annualharvest.The adaptive policy was even more superior withundiscounted, noneconomic objectives, such as the area ofspottedowlhabitat (+37percent gain), or the areaof late-seralforest(+51percent),butlesssoinmaximizingthestock

ofhighqualitylogs(+6percent).Theadaptiveformulationalso lent itself readily tomulti-objectivemanagement.OurresultswerepublishedinForest Ecology and Management.impact

Theprovocative results show that the adaptivepoliciesin forest management are superior over fixed policies inmany ways. The findings will help shift the public focusfromtraditionalfixedpoliciestomoreflexibleadaptiveforestmanagement,fromwhichtheeconomicandnon-economicoutputswillbemorebalancedandsustainable.

Economic and ecological effects of diameter caps: a Markov decision model for Douglas fir/western hemlock forests M.Zhou(UAFSchoolofManagement);J.Buongiorno(Univ.ofWisconsin-Madison);J. Liangpurpose

We evaluated economic and ecological effects of notharvestingtreesof41cm(16in)diameteratbreastheightorlargerwithuneven-agedmanagementofDouglasfir/westernhemlockforests.approach

The opportunity cost of diameter caps was measuredbythedifferenceinmaximumexpectednetpresentvalueorequivalentannualtimberincome,withorwithoutdiametercaps.Forthetwopolicies,Markovdecisionmodelswereusedtodeterminethebestdecisionrulesandtheireffectsonthenetpresentvalue,theforestareawithlate-seralstructure,andtheforestareawithnorthernspottedowlnestinghabitatstructure.Theopportunitycostofdiametercapswascomputedfor64initialstandstatesdefinedbybasalareaofsmall,medium,orlargetreesofshade-intolerantspecies(mostlyDouglasfir)orshade-tolerantspecies(mostlywesternhemlock).results

The opportunity cost fell in four distinct quartiles.Thesixteenstandstateswithhighbasalareainlargeshade-intolerant and large shade-tolerant trees had the highestopportunity cost ($798 to $816ha-1y-1, expected over aninfinite horizon), while the sixteen stand states with lowbasalarea in large shade-intolerantand large shade-toleranttreeshadthelowest($59to$89ha-1y-1).Wepublishedourresults in Forest Science.impact

The diameter caps policy increased considerably theexpectedareaofforestwithlate-seralstructure,overaninfinitetimehorizon,andtheexpectedareawithspottedowlnestinghabitatstructure,comparedtotheircurrentlevelinthestudyregion. This suggests that imposing diameter cap wouldbenefitthestandecology.However,diametercappolicycouldcausepotentiallossestoprivatelandownersrangingfrom$60to$800perhectareperyear.Thislosscouldbereducedbyphasinginthediametercaps,allowingharvestofexistinglargetreesoverfiveortenyears,butthelong-termforeststructureandvolumewouldnotbechanged.

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markeTinG foresT producTs

Marketing Alaska wood productsAndyAnger(UAFTananaValleyCampus,AppliedBusinessandAccountingProgram);Valerie Barberpurpose

Weconductworkshopstoprovideparticipantswithanunderstandingofsmallbusinessmarketingwithapplicationto (but not limited to) forest products, including timberandnon-timberforestproducts.Theworkshopswillexplorethe challenges of identifying specific markets, determiningcustomer desires, and scrutinizing how to communicateeffectively with potential customers by exploring usefulmarketingstrategies.approach

Multiple workshops were held in small communitiesin southeastAlaska.Although forest andnon-forest timberbusinessesaretargeted,thesessionsareopentoanyonewitha small business or wanting to start a small business.Theworkshop format, titled “Reaching Customers for ForestProducts—theMarketingProcess,”coversidentifyingtargetmarkets (process, identifying customer base, determiningcustomer desires, developing products based on customerneeds and wants); marketing strategies (with attention toquality,convenience, innovation,customersatisfaction,andspeed)andwholesaling;andadvertisingandpublicity.progress

Sessionswereheld inApril2007inSitka(twoeveningsessionswith four attendees), onPrince ofWales Island inCraig(half-daysessionwithtenattendees),andThorneBay(full-day session with twelve attendees). Attendees rangedfrom thosewanting to start businesses to thosewanting toknowhow to improvemarketing for establishedbusinessesand looking for ways to market their products moreeconomically and effectively. The Thorne Bay workshopconsistedentirelyofpeopleintheforestproductbusinesseswhiletheothertwowereprimarilypeopleinotherindustries.Followup communication will be attempted in 2008 withthoseattendingtheforestproductssessioninThorneBaytodocumentprogressand/orproblemsandtoprovideadditionalhelpifneeded.Afollowupsessionmaybeconducted.

Similarmarketingworkshopswillbeconductedin2008–2009inadditionalcommunitiesinsoutheastAlaska.impact

Intotaltherewereabouttwenty-sixattendeesrepresentingtwentysmallbusinesses.Feedback fromattendees indicatedsatisfactionfromtopicstaughtandThorneBaywoodproductbusinessesindicatedinterestinfutureworkshops.

International markets study JapanValerie Barber; Joe Roos (Univ.ofWashingtonCINTRAFOR)purpose

With the creation of new design standards for Alaskatreespecies,thereisrenewedinterestinusingAlaskatimber

forconstructionwhere strengthpropertiesarecrucial.NewmarketsarebeingexploredinJapanandChina,wherewoodis becoming more popular in construction projects as thesustainabilityofforestsanda lowercarbonfootprint(usingwoodratherthansteelorconcrete)isrecognized.approach

We conducted marketing research to help determinenewmarketsforAlaskatimberandvalue-addedAlaskawoodproductsdomesticallyandabroad.Surveyswereconductedatthe JapanHomeBuildersShowinTokyoinNovember2007.The surveys targeted knowledge and uses of Alaska forestproductsandsecondarysoftwoodproductsinJapan.Industryexpertswere interviewed to research lumberandresidentialhousingmarkettrendsinJapan.progress

The Softwood Export Council provided travel toJapanandspaceat theirboothat thehomeshowforUAF.Volunteershelped collect close to100 surveys at the JapanHomeBuildersShow.

AttheGoHoWoodConference,regardingJapan’sfuturepolicy to require government purchased wood products tocomefromlegallyharvestedtimber,interviewswereconductedwith Nihon Jutaku Shinbunsha of the Japan Housing Newspaper, Jutaku Sangyo Shibunsha of Japan Residential Construction Industry Newspaper, the Enokido LumberCompany,theJapanLaminatedLumberAssociation,Japan’sWoodInformationCenter,theJapan Housing Industry News,the Japan Lumber Journal,andtheSoftwoodExportCouncil.Roos attended the American Forest & Paper AssociationforestproductsindustryreceptionattheAmericanClub,andrenewedandestablishedimportantcontacts.impact

NewmarketopportunitiesforAlaskawoodcouldpumpmoremoneyintoaslumpingeconomy.Asthedollardeclinesagainstworldcurrencies,thereisrenewedinterestinAlaskawood.The Port of Prince Rupert container shipping portis now operating and aims to be a leading trade corridor‘gateway’betweenNorthAmericanandAsianmarkets.Thiscould provide amore economical way to get Alaska forestproductstoAsianmarkets.

wood properTies

Strength ratios in Alaska softwoodsJohnBannister(KetchikanWoodTechnologyCenter);KevinCurtis(KWTC,InstituteofNorthernEngineering);LeroyHulsey(INE);Valerie Barberpurpose

The effect of knots on the failure strength of full-sizelumberpiecesisintegraltothecalculationofdesignstrengthsin in-grade lumber testing programs. Each type and sizeof knot is assigned a “strength ratio” intended to indicatedegrade in failure strength from clear wood failure values.Currently, these knot strength ratios are calculated usingformulas developed during the North American in-gradetestingprogramandbasedondatathatdidnotincludetest

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resultsfromanylumberharvestedinAlaska.Alaskasoftwoodin-gradetestingindicatedthatsometimberspeciesgrowninAlaskaexhibitfailurebehaviorsthatdifferfromsimilarspeciesgrown in the contiguousUnitedStates.Onepossibility forthisdifferencemaybetheeffectofknotsonlumberstrength,so we are investigating this in two Alaska-grown species,yellowcedarandSitkaspruce.approach

To investigate the effects of various types and sizes ofknots,lumberspecimensweretestedusingbothin-gradeandsmallcleartestmethods.Acomparisonofsmallclearandin-gradefailurestresseswillprovideanempiricalstrengthratiofor theknotwhichcauses the in-grade failureof thepiece.These empirical strength ratios can then be compared tostrength ratioscurrently inuse for in-gradedesign strengthanalysis. Full-size lumber pieces were tested according tothe in-grade testing procedures outlined in ASTM 1990(AmericanSocietyforTestingandMaterials).Acorrespondingsmallclearspecimenharvestedfromanon-stressedportionofeachin-gradespecimenwastestedaccordingtoASTM143procedures.Thisproducedadatasetofin-gradetestresults(including failure defect type and size) andmatched smallclear results.progress

Allin-gradeandsmallcleartestinghasbeencompleted.Astatisticalanalysishasbeenperformedontheresultsdata.Aroughdraftoftheprojectreportwithpreliminaryconclusionswascompleted,andareviewedfinalreportwillbereadyforpublicationinspring2008aspartoftherequirementsforanMSdegreefromtheDepartmentofCivilandEnvironmentalEngineeringatUAF.impact

Wequantifiedtheeffectsofknotsonbendingstrength,tension parallel to the grain strength, and flexural stiffnessindimensionsizelumberofAlaska-grownyellowcedarandSitkaspruce.Strengthandstiffnessratiosweredeterminedforthetestedspecimensandcompared,wheredatawasavailable,toexistingmodelsorpreviousstudiesonotherspecies.Newmodels for strength and stiffness ratios for these specieswere developed utilizing additional predictor variables.Wedetermined that timber species, among other factors, is animportantvariableindeterminingknoteffectsonmechanicalpropertiesoflumber.WealsoconcludedthatcurrentmodelstodescribeknoteffectsinlumberarenotnecessarilyaccurateforthetwoAlaskaspeciestested,andthattestingtodevelopspecies-specificstrengthandstiffnessratiomodelsforknotsinlumberwouldbeappropriate.

Alaska birch projectValerie Barber,NancyBigelow,JaniceDawe,KevinCurtis;PavelKrasutsky(Univ.ofMinnesotaDuluth)purpose

The Alaska birch tree project is a cooperative researcheffort betweenUAF,University ofMinnesotaDuluth, andKetchikan Wood Technology Center (KWTC). It is aninterdisciplinary project to study the physical/mechanical

properties,birchbarkchemistry,dendroclimatology,genetics,andsystematics/evolutionofAlaskabirch.approach

Three trees were harvested from each of eight sites insouthcentral and interiorAlaska in2006and fromeachofsix sites in 2007 in easternAlaska. Stemswith leaveswerecollected from different heights for leaf, seed, pollen, andDNAanalyses.Leaves,reproductivematerial,andtreecoreswerecollectedandcatalogedforthesetreesandfromatleastthreeotherstandingtreesineachoftheplots.Thetreesweredocumented (and tagged) for location, stature, diameter,generalhealth,andsurroundingvegetation.Aplotdescriptionwasconducted,notingelevation,aspect,vegetation,andsitecharacteristics.progress

In July 2007, five sites were chosen in eastern AlaskaincludingtheHainesarea.ThreetreesandallaccompanyingsamplesanddatawerecollectedintheHainesarea.AnothersitewasidentifiedonthewesternsideofTokandanotherontheTokcut-off.TwomoresitesweredeterminedsoutheastofDeltaandnorthofDelta.AtotaloffifteentreeswerecutandshippedtoKWTCwheretheyweremilledintolumberanddried,fortestingandgradingpurposes.

Bark from each tree was sent to the University ofMinnesota-Duluth for chemical analysis. A bark samplewascollectedfromeachoftheharvestedtrees,andchemicalextractives were performed to determine levels of keycompounds important for nutraceutical, cosmetic, andpharmaceutical applications.

Thedisksandtreecoreswereprocessedandringwidthsmeasuredonalltreesfrom2006and2007.

Voucherspecimenswerecollectedfrom90treesamong17sitesidentifiedin2006and2007.These17sitesarethesameas thoseused for the logandbarkcollection (above),with the addition of two new sites, one on the TaylorHighway nearTok and the other atRainbowLake on theKenaiPeninsula.Thenew siteswere chosen either becausetheywereinunusualsettingsorbecausethetreeshadunusualleaforbarkcharacteristics.

Weidentifiedatleastthreetreesateachsitethatwouldbeusedforrepeatedvouchercollections.Leavesandbarkwerecollectedfromallsites(aminimumofthreetreesateachsite).Pollen and seedswere collected frommost sites, except forthoseintheHainesandKenaiPeninsularegions.Inall,wecollected63leafandbarksamples,53pollensamples,and70seed samples.

Analyses included leaf, seed, bract, and pollenmeasurements. Leaf and bract analysis (measurements andothercharacteristics)are(amongotherssuchasbarkcolorandstature)keyfeaturesthatshouldhelpseparateB. neoalaskana from B. kenaica and B. papyrifera, as well as indicatehybridizationswithshrubbirch,B. nana and B. glandulosa; seed and pollen measurements may also be characteristic,but this is still untested. Preliminary results of the seedmeasurementsindicatethatthereisgreatervariabilityintheseedsbetweenthetreesatasinglesitethanbetweenthesites.

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Theonlysite thathadmarkedlydifferentseeds isRainbowLake,probablybecausethissitecontainshybridsbetweentreeandshrubbirches.impact

A chemical analysis on the outer bark showspromising results. Triterpenoids, with anti- cancer andimmunostimulationproperties,showedhigherconcentrationsintheFairbankssamples(32percent)ascomparedtoWasilla(20 percent) and higher than Lower 48 trees. Betulin, apowderysubstanceintheouterbarkofbirch,hasbeenshowntohelpwoundshealfasterandcutinflammation,andiseasilyconvertedtobetulinicacid,whichpossessesawidespectrumofbiologicalandpharmacologicalactivities,withantimalarial,anti-inflammatory,anti-HIV,andanti-tumoractivity.Betulinconcentrations in the Fairbanks sampleswere twice as highasWasillasamples,andbotharehigherthanLower48birch.In conjunctionwith this study, the logsweremilled, dried,graded,andyieldmeasuredatKWTC.Allresultsofthebirchstudy combined shouldhelp to characterizebirch inAlaskaand identify new hybrid taxa, whichmay help explain thedifferencesfoundinchemicalcomposition.Thestudyofthesebioactive compounds continues to unravel with potentialpharmaceuticalandnutraceuticalapplicationsthatwillimpacttheuseofnativeAlaskanbirchinnewvalue-addedproducts.

This study has provided training and researchopportunities for three high school students through theAlaska StatewideHigh School Science Symposium.Duringthe2006–2007schoolyear,WillieViaofWestValleyHighSchool in Fairbanks,quantitativelyanalyzedasuiteofnineleafmeasurements fromall2006field season trees.Hisfindingsprovide statistical evidence of three leaf characters whichappearcorrelatedwithbetulincontent in the trees sampled.If broadened, this approach holds promise for establishingmorphologicmarkers for high betulin trees.During 2007–2008, Rachel Kaplan, also of West Valley High School,quantitativelystudiedleavesfromthe2007fieldcollections.Her findings show an apparent north-to-south cline: agradual change in themorphology ofB. neoalaskana leaves attheeasternedgeofthespecies’distributioninAlaska.TheclineappearstobereinforcedbyongoinghybridizationandintrogressionbetweenB. neoalaskanaandshrubbirch(B. nana and B. glandulosa).Thethirdstudent,CharlotteAnne(Annie)Bender,didaresearchprojectconcerningthetaxonomictraitsof lenticels, specifically in birch trees. She concluded thatalthough lenticels showedvariances ina tree, itonly relatedtospecifictraits,suchastreelocation(basedonthelenticels’lengthandwidth incomparison to thecardinaldirections).ThetitleoftheprojectwasLenticels:MoreThanaChamberforGasExchange?Thesefindingsawait further testing,andcorrelationwithbarkchemicalanalysisfromthesametrees.

WoodwindsCarolynLevings,Valerie Barberpurpose

Suitable alternative hardwoods may grow in Alaskaand elsewhere in the contiguous US and Canada for the

manufactureofthebellsforthebassoon.Ourultimategoalistoproducealistofwoodsandassociatedtonequalitiesthatareappropriateforbassoon.approach

Sincemaple is thewoodofchoice formakingbassoonbells, we are collecting different species of maple fromdifferent ecosystems and will determine protocols andstandardsbywhichtomeasuretheacousticalpropertiesandassociatedphysicalpropertiesofmaplewood.Afterthisbaseisestablished,wewillcollecthardwoodfromAlaskaspeciesandcomparethemtomaple.ThisispartofaPhDdissertation.progress

Insummer2007,woodsampleswerecollectedfromhar-vestedlogsofsevendifferentmaplespecies(Acer saccharinum, A. rubrum, A. negundo, A. glabrum, A grandidentatum, A. nigrum, andA. leucoderme), from state parks inOklahomaand Rio Grande National Forest in Colorado, CoconinoNationalForestinArizona,LincolnNationalForestinNewMexico,other stateparks inOklahoma,OuachitaNationalForest,andOzarkNationalForestinArkansas.

WoodsampleswerealsocollectedfromAlaskabirchfromtheeasternrangeaspartoftheAlaskaBirchProject.impact

The survey and characterization of the acousticalproperties ofmaples for use in bassoon-makingmay assistinstrument makers using these woods, and the evaluationof birch and other Alaska hardwood species for similarpropertiesmayopenpotentialnewvalue-addedmarketsforAlaskahardwoods.

policy & planningEnvironmental assessment of geyser basinsKenneth A. Barrickpurpose

Geyserbasinsaregloballyrareandsubjecttodamageorextinction from energy development activities.The projectwas undertaken to provide environmental managers witha framework to provide comprehensive environmentalassessmentofthefewremaininggeyserbasinsintheworld,including recreation, scientific, economic and nationalheritagevalues.approach

The project relies on library scholarship and knownexamples of geyser basin decline and extinction fromNewZealand,Iceland,andtheUS.progress/results

Library research was conducted and amanuscript waspreparedforpublicationinanacademicjournal.impact

The project will provide a basis for understanding thesocietal value of the world’s remaining geyser basins. Thepotential negative impacts on the hydrothermal features ofgeyserbasins is summarized as an aid toprotectinggeysersfrompotentialdevelopmentimpacts,includingfromnearby

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geothermal energy development. The summary provideslines of evidence that will be useful in the protection ofthe remaining geyser basins around the world, includingYellowstoneNationalPark,US.

Protecting the geyser basins of yellowstone National ParkKenneth A. Barrickpurpose

The project was undertaken to provide environmentalmanagers with a framework to understand the potentialenvironmentalandgeothermalenergyconflictsontheborderof Yellowstone National Park, and to propose a “GeyserProtection Area” across the hydrothermal reservoir(s) thatsupplythepark’sgeyserbasins.approach

The project relies on library scholarship and knownexamplesofgeothermalenergyproposalsontheIslandParkand Corwin Springs Known Geothermal Resource Areas,whicharelocatedadjacenttoYellowstone.

progress/resultsGuidelines were developed for a comprehensive new

Yellowstone “Geyser ProtectionArea” based on the knownexamplesofgeyserdeclineandextinctionaroundtheworld.Library researchwas conducted andamanuscriptpreparedforpublicationinanacademicjournal.impact

The longstanding controversy regarding the potentialdevelopment of geothermal energy wells adjacent toYellowstone National Park are summarized to assistenvironmentalmanagers’understandingoftheneedtoprotectthehydrothermalreservoirsthatsupplythepark’sgeysersandhotsprings.Geyserprotectionguidelineswillprovideabasisforupdating regulations.Thepotentialnegative impactsofgeyserandhot spring research involving intrusive samplingtechniquesareoutlined,includinggeothermalresearchwellsand lowering sampling equipment down the undergroundplumbingofgeysers.

Grand Prismatic Springs in New Zealand. Geyser basins such as these have great value for recreation, energy development, and scientific study; however, the hydrothermal reservoirs that supply them need protection from development impacts that may cause their damage or extinction.

—photo by KeNNeth a. barricK

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lake level changes at Harding lakeJohn D. Fox, Jr.purpose

HardingLakeisanimportantrecreationallakeininteriorAlaska thathas experiencedperiodsofdeclining lake levelsdue to thedivergenceof amajor feeder stream.This studyfocuses on reconstructing historic lake levels and lake levelchanges,measuring current levels, and developing amodelthat might be useful in developing operational rules for acontrolstructureonthedivergentstream.approach

Historic lake levels are being explored through aerialphotography/imagery and ground photographs of the lakeandlakeshore,andfindingoriginalsurveymeandercorners.Arecordinglakelevelgaugeandraingaugeshavebeeninstalledtobetterunderstand thewithin-seasonandbetween-seasondynamicsofthelake.Aninteractivemodelhasbeencreatedthatcapturesthegeneraldynamicsofthelakewaterbalance.progress

Spring2007sawtheinitialoperationofanewstructureto redirect water from a divergent tributary stream intoHardingLake.Channelicingobstructedflowpathsbutsomewater from snowmelt and summer rainfall runoff did flowtothelake.Wedocumentedthatthelakehelditsleveloverthesummerbutthendeclinedundertheiceduringthefirsthalfofwinter.Aspreadsheetversionofamonthlylakewaterbalancemodelwasrunusingprecipitation,panevaporation,andrunoffdatafromnearbyweatherandrunoffstationsfor1950–2007. The simulation was calibrated with two lakelevelmeasurements,onein1978andonein2006,assumingthediversionofthefeederstreamoccurredin1968.Agroundwateroutflowcoefficientwasthemaincalibrationparameter.The final value of this coefficient was consistent with thehydrauliccharacteristicsoftheknownaquifermaterial.Modeltestingwascarriedoutwithmeasuredlakelevelsnotusedinthecalibrationprocess.Themodelunderestimatedlakelevelsin1985butperformedwellforthesummermonthsof2004–2007.Uncertaintyremainsforwinterconditions.impact

Thisprojecthasprovideddocumentationoflakedeclineand information for the planning of the rechannelingproject. At the end of 2007 I made a presentation to theAlaskaSectionoftheAmericanWaterResourcesAssociationsummarizinginformationgatheredonthehistoriclakelevelsatHardingLake,andonmodelprojections.Focusnowwillshiftondocumentingtherecoveryof the lake to the targetlevelandonestimatinghowlongitwilltakethelaketoreachthatlevelunderdifferentinflowscenarios.InformationthatIhavecollectedhasbeensharedwithmembersofmanagementagencies and the Harding Lake Watershed Council. Thisinformation is being used by the Alaska Department ofFish&Game,theNaturalResourcesConservationService,and the Salcha-DeltaSoil andWaterConservationDistrictin designing and planning for a control structure on thedivergentstream.

International Polar Year: Impacts of high-latitude climate change on ecosystem services and societyF.S.Chapin,III(IAB);Gary Kofinas, T. Scott Rupppurpose and approach

Arctic environmental and ecological changes have hadprofound social impacts on indigenous and nonindigenouspeoplebecauseofboth the largemagnitudeof changes andthegenerallystrongdependenceonrenewableresourcesthatcharacterizenorthernsocieties.Ecosystemservices,whicharethebenefitsthatsocietyderivesfromecosystems,arethecriticallinkbetweenenvironmentalandecologicalchangesandtheirimpactsonsociety.Althoughweknowinageneralsensethatnorthernecosystemservicesarechanging,theoverallpatterns,causes,interactions,andconsequencesofthesechangesaretoopoorlyknown(orareconsideredonlyinisolationfromotherchanges)toprovidepolicymakersandthepublicwithafirmfoundationforpolicy formulationandchange.Thegoalsofthis proposed research are to (1) document the current status andtrendsinecosystemservicesintheArcticandtheborealforest,(2)projectfuturetrendsintheseservices;and(3)assessthesocietalconsequencesofalteredecosystemservices.progress

Thisprojectisjustbeginning,withafocusoncoordinatingfield logistics anddevelopmentof themodeling frameworktoprojectfuturetrendsinecosystemservices.Themodelingcomponentofthisstudybeganfall2007andwillnotbefullyimplementeduntil2008.impact

Ecosystemservicesarethesinglemostcriticallinkbetweenclimatechangeandsocietalconsequences.Byfocusingonthiscriticallink,weare,bydefinition,addressingthoseecologicalchanges that are most important to society. By workingwith communities and other stakeholders to identify theecosystemservicesofgreatestconcernandlearningfromthosecommunities about the consequences of changes in theseservices,weareintegratingecologicalandsocialdimensionsofthatlinkage,withtheexplicitgoalofhelpingcommunitiesdecidewhichpolicyoptionstheywishtoconsider.

When laws affecting the environment conflict: focus on public landsJulie Lurman Jolypurpose

Iseektoidentifysituationsinwhichlawsorpolicieswithconflictingpurposesormethodologiesareinplace,toanalyzethatlegalconflicttounderstandhowitmanifestedandwhatits practical consequences are, and perhaps to recommendchanges.approach

Four aspects of federal and state law and policy wereexamined:

1. the potential for direct conflict between the state’sIntensiveManagement statute and the enabling legislationforcertainfederallandmanagementagencies;

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2. the USFish&Wildlife Service’s failure tomeet itsobligationsunder theMigratoryBirdTreatyAct toprovideregulatoryguidance toagenciesonthematterof incidentaltakes;

3. inconsistencies inthe implementationoftheMarineMammalProtectionActregardingtheNativeAlaskanhuntingexemptionandthemeaningoftheterm“waste;”

4. assisted migration (currently being debated byconservationbiologists),amethodofdealingwithincreasinglyendangeredfloraandfaunainatimeofclimatechange.progress

1. After an analysis of the applicable statutes and caselawwascompleteditwasclearthattheconflictinquestionis impairing theNational Park Service’s ability tomeet itsstatutorygoalsandthatitshouldpreempttheserulesonNPSlands.ThismanuscriptwaspublishedintheDecember2007issueoftheAlaska Law Review.

2.Thisworkanalyzeswhyagenciescontinue toviolatethe statute, what they are risking, and suggests regulatorychangesforFish&Wildlifethatcouldcorrectthisregulatorygap.Thismanuscriptwas published inDecember 2007 inJournal of Land Use and Environmental Law.

3.Ananalysisoftherelevantcaselaw,statutes,andpolicystatementshasbeenconductedandamanuscriptdescribingtheinconsistenciesandsuggestingaclarifiedapproachwillbepublishedinspring2008inOcean and Coastal Law Journal.

4. An analysis of the existing legal support and legalobstaclestosuchacourseofactionisunderway.impact

1.Thisresearchmaykeepfederallandmanagersfromrun-ningafoulofthelawandriskingexpensiveandtime-consuminglegalchallenges.Itshouldprovidefederallandmanagerswithaclearerunderstandingoftheirdutiesandresponsibilitiesandprovidestatemanagerswithabetterunderstandingofthelawsthatconstraintheirfederalcounterparts.

2.Thisworkwill be of interest to all federal land andwildlifemanagerswhodealwithmigratorybirds,particularlyinAlaska.

3.TheworkrelatedtotheMarineMammalProtectionActwillbeofinteresttothoseagenciesthatmanagemarinewildlifeunderthestatute,aswellastotheNativecommunitiesand organizations that depend on marine mammals forsubsistence,economic,andculturalpurposes.

4.Astheconceptofassistedmigrationbecomesatopicofintenseinterestinconservationbiologycirclesitwillbeusefulforscientists,conservationists,andadvocatestounderstandthelegalregimeinwhichsuchaprogramwouldhavetooperate.

Factors influencing large wildland fire suppression expenditures J. Liang; D.E.Calkin,K.M.Gebert(USFS,RockyMountainResearchStation);T.J.Venn,R.P.Silverstein(Univ.ofMontana)purpose

Wesoughttoaddressthepotentialfactorsthataffecttheexcessivesuppressioncostoflargewildlandfires.

approach and resultsWestudiedlargewildlandfiresuppressionexpenditures

bytheUSDepartmentofAgricultureForestService.Amongsixteen potential nonmanagerial factors, which representedfiresizeandshape,privateproperties,publiclandattributes,forest and fuel conditions, and geographic settings, wefoundonlyfiresizeandprivate landhadastrongeffectonsuppressionexpenditures.Whenbothwereaccountedfor,alltheothervariableshadnosignificanteffect.Aparsimoniousmodel to predict suppression expenditures was suggested,in which fire size and private land explained 58 percentof variation in expenditures. Other things being equal,suppression expendituresmonotonically increasedwith firesize. For the average fire size, expenditures first increasedwiththepercentageofprivatelandwithinburnedarea,butas thepercentage exceeded20percent, expenditures slowlydeclineduntil they stabilizedwhenprivate landreached50percentofburnedarea.Apaperwaspublishedonourresultsin International Journal of Wildland Fire.impact

The results suggested that efforts to contain federalsuppressionexpendituresneedtofocusonthehighlycomplex,politicallysensitivetopicofwildfiresonprivateland.

Scenarios Network for Alaska PlanningT. Scott Rupp,NancyFresco,MarkOlson,TimGlaser,AnnaSpringsteen;Sarah Trainor (InstituteofNorthernEngineering);numerousotherUniv.ofAlaskafacultymemberspurpose and approach

Most climate models predict that high latitudes willexperience amuch larger rise in temperature than the restof the globe over the coming century. Indeed, substantialwarminghasalreadyoccurredathighnorthernlatitudesoverthe last half-century, and Arctic summers are nowwarmerthan at any other time in the last 400 years. In additionto changes in climate, Alaska is undergoing rapid changesin human population and demands on natural resources. EnvironmentalconditionsarechangingsorapidlyinAlaskaandsurroundingseasthatitisincreasinglydifficulttodevelopwell-informed plans regarding ocean navigation, pipelines,roads,urbanexpansion,communityrelocation,managementoffisheriesandwildlife,etc.

TheScenariosNetworkforAlaskaPlanning(SNAP,www.snap.uaf.edu,housedwithintheUAGeographyProgram)isacollaborativenetwork,whosemissionistoprovidetimelyaccesstoscenariosoffutureconditionsinAlaskaaddressingclimatic,ecological,andeconomicchangerelevanttopublicdecisionmakers,communities,andindustry.InitiatedaspartofUA’sInternationalPolarYear(IPY),andsupportedbythevicechancellorforresearchatUAF,thisUAF-basedinitiativeisproducing(1)geographicallydefinedtimeseries(e.g.,maps,downscaledprojections)offutureconditionsthatarelinkedtopresentandpastconditions,(2)objective interpretationsof scenarios, and (3)detailedmetadataandexplanationsofthemodels (including assumptions and uncertainties) thatdescribecontrolsoverprojectedchanges.

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progress Awide range of SNAP projects is already in progress.

SNAP is providingdata for theGovernor’s Sub-cabinet onClimate Change and the Interior Issues Council’s ClimateChangeTaskForce.SNAPandtheWildernessSocietyhavecompletedprojectionsforclimatechangeintheYukonFlatsarea.IncollaborationwiththeUSFishandWildlifeService,SNAP is assessing landscape connectivity in the context ofclimatechange,andalsodevelopingprojectionsofgrowing-seasonlengthandwateravailability.OtherSNAPcollaboratorsinclude theUSForest ServiceNorthwestResearch Station,the NationalMarineFisheriesServiceHabitatConservationDivision Alaska Region, municipal hydropower utilitiesmanagers, the Nature Conservancy, and the North SlopeBorough.

SNAP is working with Google employees to create aGoogleEarth(KML)interfaceforSNAPmaps,sostakeholderscaneasilyviewclimateprojectionsandassociatedinformationfromtheirhomesoroffices;andschoolchildrencanusethesemapsaspartofahands-onGoogleproject.ThefirstoftheseinteractivemapsisnowontheSNAPwebsite.impact

SNAPisapragmaticplantofacilitateintegrationofUA’sworld-class high-latitude research capabilities and delivertimelyinformationandinterpretationofclimatic,ecological,andeconomicchange.ThescenariosproducedbySNAPand

thedatausedtoproducethemwillbeopenlyavailabletoallpotentialusers, in accordancewith theopen-datapolicyoftheIPY.BecauseSNAPwillbedrivenbyAlaskauserneedsandwilldelivertheproductstotheseusers,itwillserveasanend-to-endprototypeforsimilareffortsinothergeographicalregions.Bycapitalizinguponthe timingof theIPY,SNAPcanpositionAlaskaandtheArcticatthevanguardofclimateapplicationsrelevanttoplanningandpolicy.

Is it possible to “green” the uAF campus?Susan Toddpurpose

Students across the country are starting to “vote withtheirfeet”bychoosingcollegesthathaveaclearcommitmentto sustainability. According to a survey of 10,300 collegeapplicantsandparents,The Princeton Reviewfoundthat“63percent would value having information about a college’scommitment to theenvironmentand that itwould impacttheirdecisiontoapplyorattendtheschool.”(The Maneater,Michelle Hagopian,May 2, 2008, www.themaneater.com/stories/2008/5/2/princeton-review-rank-sustainability-practices-col/)

The environmental component of sustainability isbased on the fundamental rules of conservation that wererecommended long before global warming was a concern.

2000-2009 2030-2039

2060-2069 2090-2099

Growing Season Length (days)

Maps from the SNAP report to Governor Palin’s Sub-cabinet on Climate Change, showing projected season changes.—courteSy SNap

65


Thosefundamentalsare:•Reducedependenceonnon-renewable,non-recyclable

materials,asthesewillrunout.•Harvestrenewableresourcesnofasterthantheycanbe

renewed,ortheywillalsorunout.• Produce wastes no faster than nature can absorb or

breakthemdown,orwewillpoisonourown“nest.”ThisprojectexaminedtheneedtoadaptUAF’spolicies

tomakethecampusmoreenvironmentallysustainable.approach

Oneof thefirstquestions addressedwaswhetherUAFneeded to prepare a sustainability plan. A quick survey ofstudentsandfacultyuncoveredsomecompellinganswers:

•UAFisonthefrontlinesofclimatechange;theArcticisexperiencinggreaterratesofwarmingthanotherregions.Sincewearethenation’sonlyarcticuniversity,itisappropriatethatUAF takea leading role in theeffort to reducegreenhousegases.

•Ourremotelocation,andthatofAlaska’svillages,makesusmore vulnerable to the disruptive effects of increases inenergyprices.

• UAF’s energy consumption contributes to local airpollutionandtherisingglobalpoolofgreenhousegases.

•Weshoulddomorethanjustresearchandteachaboutsustainability.UAFshouldbesettinganexample;weshouldbeleadersinthisarea,notfollowers.

•Wecansavemoney.• Green buildings, sunlight, plants, and natural areas

promote a sense of wellbeing and enhance learning andproductivity.progress

Withtheassistanceofstudents inthenaturalresourcesmanagementprogram,thisprojectcompletedthefollowing:

• Determined that there are compelling reasons forcreatingaUAFsustainabilityplan.

• Conducted a preliminary sustainability audit (howmuch coaldoesUAFuse?HowmuchCO2doesthepowerplant emit?Howmuch paper, aluminum cans, and plasticbottlesdoweuse?Howmuchdowerecycle,etc.?)

• Reviewed the literature and campus websites todocument what other campuses are doing to demonstratetheircommitmenttosustainability.

•Prepared aPowerPoint presentation summarizing therecommendationsofthestudents.

• Prepared a draft plan of actionsUAFmight take tobecomemoresustainable.

•InthecontextofalargereffortbyUAFadministration,the students presented this information to a campus-widecommittee to consider in developing a final UAF campussustainabilityplan.impact

ItisexpectedthatmanyoftherecommendationsincludedinthedraftwillbeadoptedbyUAF.Thestudents’presentationoftheirrecommendationscanbeviewedatYouTube.(www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2zT0XNZ5pk)

recreationDalton Highway, Denali Highway, and Fortymile Country recreation experience studyPeter J. Fix,JenniferStegmannpurpose

This project applied the concepts of benefits-basedmanagement to a studyof recreation experiences along theDalton and Denali highways and the Fortymile country.The study measured the four levels of demand specifiedby benefits-based management: activities, settings, desiredexperience,andoff-sitebenefits.approach

Visitors, selected by a random sample, were asked toparticipate in a short onsite survey andwere given amoredetailedsurveytoreturnbymail.progress

Duringsummer2007,633onsitesurveyswerecompleted.Dataanalysisisinprogress.impact

ThisstudywillassisttheBureauofLandManagementinunderstandingthevisitorstotheseareasandprovideguidanceindevelopingappropriatemanagementplans.

Alaska residents statistics programPeter J. Fix,QuinnTracypurpose

ThisstudyassessedtravelandrecreationpatternsofAlaskaresidents, barriers to participation in outdoor recreation,desiredrecreationdevelopment(orlackthereof ),andattitudesand values regarding natural resource management. Thisstudywasconductedincooperationwithseveralfederalandstateagencies(theUSDepartmentoftheInterior’sBureauofLandManagement,NationalParkService,Fish&WildlifeService;USDepartmentofAgricultureForest Service; AlaskaDepartment of Transportation and Public Facilities, StateParks,andFish&Game).Theresultinginformationwillbeincorporatedintotheirplanningprocesses.approach

Informationwasgatheredusingamailsurvey.Thestatewasstratifiedintofiveregionsandsamplesdrawnfromeachregion.progress

Thesurveyachievedanoverallresponserateof27percent(2,264 surveys completed). A non-response test indicatednonrespondentsweresimilartorespondents.Dataanalysisisinprogress.impact

The study will assist participating agencies with theirnaturalresourceplanning,resultinacommondatasettobesharedamongtheagencies,andprovidebaselineinformationto monitor trends.

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wildlife studiesCaribou genetics and managementM.A. Cronin; M.D.MacNeil(USDA);J.C.Patton(PurdueUniversity);S.Haskell,W.B.Ballard(TexasTechUniversity);L.E.Noel;M.Butcher(EntrixInc.);W.Streever(BPExplorationAlaskaInc.)purpose

This project assesses caribou (Rangifer tarandus) demography,includinginteractionsamongherdsandeffectsrelated to oil field development. Understanding ultimateand proximate causes of animal behavior can helpwildlifemanagersdevelopandemployeffectivemitigationmeasureswhenpotentialadverseimpactsfromhumandisturbanceareofconcern.approach and progress

To assess herd interactions, genetic variation will bedetermined. Fieldwork, including observations of cariboudistributionandbehaviorinandaroundnorthernAlaskaoilfields,hasbeendonetoassesspotentialeffects.Newmolecularmarkers from cattle will be applied to Alaska caribou in2008.impact

On Alaska’s North Slope, understanding cariboudemography is an integral part of the multiple-usemanagementofoil andgas andwildlife.Landandwildlifemanagers can use this study to developmore effective andflexiblemitigationmeasuresforindustry.

Grizzly bear genetics M.A. Cronin; R. Shideler (AlaskaDepartmentofFish&Game);J.C.Patton(PurdueUniversity);S.C.Amstrup(USGeologicalSurvey)purpose

ThisprojectassessesgrizzlybeardemographyandgeneticvariationinNorthAmerica.approach

Molecular genetics technology is used to quantify thefamilyrelationshipsofbears,numbersofbearscontributingto breeding, and genetic variation in bears across westernNorthAmerica.progress

Assessment of grizzly bear demographics andgenetics is continuing with analysis of additional geneticmarkers, including functional genes (k-casein and majorhistocompatibilty complex).Review of existing literature isprovidingcomparativeassessmentofgeneticvariation.impact

TheprojectprovidesareviewofgeneticfactorsinfluencingthedemographyofgrizzlybearsinAlaskaandotherareasofNorth America, particularly immigration and emigrationrates among subpopulations as estimated with molecularallelefrequencies.

Polar bear geneticsM.A. Cronin; S.A.Amstrup(USGeologicalSurvey);K.Scribner(MichiganStateUniversity)purpose

Thisprojectaimstoimproveunderstandingofpolarbeardemographics,withparticularemphasisonpotentialchangesdue to climatechange.approach

Moleculargenetics isused toassess the levelofgeneticvariation of bears in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas innorthernAlaskaandcompareitwiththatinotherworldwidesubpopulations.progress

Wearecontinuingassessmentofpolarbeargeneticswithanalysisoffamily-levelrelationshipsandparentageandgeneticvariationatnucleargenelocirelatedtofitness(k-caseinandmajorhistocompatibilitycomplex,Mc1r,Mc4r).Manuscriptsarebeingpreparedforpublication.impact

This study is helping quantify genetic variation andsubpopulationdifferentiation.Suchinformationispotentiallyuseful in population management and policy formulationat thenational and international levels.This is particularlyimportantbecauseoftheMay2008EndangeredSpeciesActlistingofpolarbearsasathreatenedspecies.

Polar bear sow in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, October 2007.

—photo by alaN d. wilSoN, wiKiMedia, creative coMMoNS attributioN SharealiKe 3.0 liceNSe

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Index to ReportsAADFG.SeeAlaskaDepartmentofFish&Game

AgriculturalandForestryExperimentStation19,40,50

AgriculturalResearchService9,26

Aguiar,George19

AlaskaBerryGrowersAssociation9

AlaskaCenterforClimateAssessmentandPolicy9

AlaskaClimateChangeStrategy9

AlaskaClimateResearchCenter40

AlaskaDepartmentofEducation42

AlaskaDepartmentofFish&Game 13,62,65,66

AlaskaDepartmentofTransportationandPublicFacilities 65

AlaskaDivisionofAgriculture26

AlaskaDivisionofGeological&GeophysicalSurveys14

AlaskaExperimentalProgramtoStimulateCompetitiveResearch 10

AlaskaPeonyGrowersAssociation9,17

AlaskaRange46

AlaskaStatewideHighSchoolScienceSymposium60

alder 38,51,52Alnus incana 19Alnus tenuifolia(thin-leaf

alder) 52Alnus viridis 19

AleutianIslands40

Alix,Claire45,46

Amazonbasin46

AmericanClub58

AmericanForest&PaperAssociation58

AmericanGeophysicalUnion53

AmericanSocietyforTestingandMaterials59

AmericanWaterResourcesAssociation62

Amstrup,S.A.48,66

Anchorage18,37

Anderson, Jodie 25,32,37

Anger,Andy58

Angoon57

Antarctica53

APGIR.SeeArcticPlantGermplasmIntroductionandResearchProject

aphids 18,32

ArcticObservingNetwork53

ArcticOcean34,46

ArcticPlantGermplasmIntroductionandResearchProject30

Argentina42,53BuenosAires53Ushuaia,TerradelFuego

53

Arizona60

Arkansas60

ARS.SeeAgriculturalResearchService

artificialinsemination21

aspen 35,38,44,47,51. See also poplar

aspenleafminer44

ASTM.SeeAmericanSocietyforTestingandMaterials

AT&T9

Auer,JamesD.17,18

Australia30

BBallard,W.B.66

balsampoplar.See poplar

Barber, Valerie 49,56,58,59,60

barley28,29,30,31,38,55

barley,hulless29

Barrick, Kenneth A. 13,60,61

Barrow33–34

BarrowArcticScienceConsortium33

BarterIsland33,34

basil75

BCEF.SeeBonanzaCreekExperimentalForest

beans,snap24

bears48,66

BeaufortSea34,66

Bechtel,PeterJ.28,54

BECRU.SeeBorealEcosystemCooperativeResearchUnit

belugas48

Bender,CharlotteAnne60

BeringSea46

Bethel45

betulin60. See alsobirchBigelow,Nancy59

BiocomplexityintheEnvironment37

biofuels17,51

birch38,44,47,51Betula glandulosa (resin or shrubbirch)19,59,60

Betula kenaica(Kenaibirch)59

Betula nana(dwarfbirch)19,59,60

Betula neoalaskana(Alaskabirch)47,59,60

Betula papyrifera (paper birch)38,59

birdvetch50

blackberries30

blackspruce.See spruce

blimp14,15,25,50

BLM.SeeUnitedStatesBureauofLandManagement

Blodgett,Darrell15

bluegrass19,33. See alsograsses

bog35

Boger,Rebecca53

BonanzaCreekExperimentalForest 10,40,44,48,49

BonanzaCreekLong-TermEcologicalResearchProgram48

BorealEcosystemCooperativeResearchUnit9

bovinespongiformencephalopathy23

Bower,Cynthia54

BPExplorationAlaskaInc.66

bromegrass19,39. See alsograsses

Bucki,Carrie52

Buongiorno,J.45,57

BurnSilver,Shauna13

Butcher,M.66

Butler,Bret42

CCalifornia45,55

Calkin,D.E.63

camelina 11,29,30

Canada31,36,48,60NorthwestTerritories31Ontario31

canola 11,29,30,32

carbonflux35

caribou66

CascadeAppraisalServices,Inc.56

cattle 16,19,20,23,50,66

CAVIAR.SeeCommunityAdaptationandVulnerabilityinArcticRegions

CCHRC.SeeColdClimateHousingResearchCenter

CEAL.SeeControlledEnvironmentAgricultureLaboratory

CES.SeeCooperativeExtensionService

CESU.SeeCooperativeEcosystemsStudiesUnitNetwork

Chapin,Terry41,62

68

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ChenaHotSpringsRenewableEnergyCenter9

Chile30

China12,58

ChirikofIsland19,20

chitosan 54

ChukchiSea66

clay37

climatechange9,10,13,14,17,33,34,35,40,41,43,44,47,53,62,63,64,65,66

ClimateChangeTaskForce64

coal 65

ColdClimateHousingResearchCenter9

ColegioNacionaldeUshuaia53

Colorado31,53,60

CommunityAdaptationandVulnerabilityinArcticRegions13

Connecticut42

Conn,Jeffrey31

ConservationReserveProgram31,37,38

ControlledEnvironmentAgricultureLaboratory11

CooperativeEcologicalStudiesUnit13

CooperativeEcosystemsStudiesUnitNetwork9

CooperativeExtensionService10,29

CooperLanding45

corn 25

Craig57,58

Crandall,HarrisonR.13

Creutzfeldt-Jakobdisease23

Croatia42

Cronin, Matt A. 19,20,48,66

CRP.SeeConservationReserveProgram

cryoturbation37

cucumbers25

Curtis,Kevin58,59

CzechRepublic42

DD’Amore,David35

Dangel-Lorrigan,Helen56

Dawe,Janice59

decomposition 36,37,38

Delta 59

Delta Junction 11,18,28,29,30,33,37,38,39

Delta Junction Field Research Site 33

DeltaMeatandSausage22,23

DepartmentofInterior13

Deschampsia 31

DeVilbiss,Larry19

de Wit, Cary 13

Dou,Fugen33

Douglas57

Douglasfir45,57

driftwood45,46

EEdwards,Rick35

EffieKokrineSchool53

eiders 48

EielsonLagoon33

Elaeagnus commutata 19

elk20

ElkRiver(Oregon)30

ElNiño41

EndangeredSpeciesAct48,66

EnokidoLumberCompany58

EntrixInc.66

EnvironmentalRemoteSensingCenter14

EPSCoR.SeeAlaskaExperimentalProgramtoStimulateCompetitiveResearch

erosion 33,34,43,46

ESA.SeeEndangeredSpeciesAct

Estonia42

estrus 20,22

evapotranspiration 44

FFairbanks10,11,17,18,20,

28,29,30,31,33,39,40,42,46,48,49,53,60

FairbanksExperimentFarm11,17,20,28,33,39

FairbanksNorthStarBoroughSchool District 42

Federovskoe,Russia42

Fielding,Dennis31

Finstad, Greg 15,16,19,20,21,22,48,52

fire40,41,42,43,44,49,63RosieCreekFire49

fireecology43

fireweed,tall28

fishbonemeal28,29,55

fishhydrolysate28,29,55

fishmeal28,29,54,55

Fix, Peter J. 65

forage11,12,16,25,27,28,48,49

ForestGrowthandYieldProgram35

forestproducts11,56–60

ForestProductsProgram56,57

ForestSoilsLaboratory35

Fox, John D. Jr. 44,62

foxtailbarley32,33

French,Ken30

Fresco,Nancy63

Fulweber,Randy16

Furman,Bonnie30

GGasper,Jason56

GBG.SeeGeorgesonBotanicalGarden

Gebert,K.M.63

gelatinfilms55

genemap19

genetics19,20,59,66

GeorgesonBotanicalGarden12,18,26

George,SouthAfrica42

geothermalenergy61

Gerlach,Craig13,41

Germany42

geyserbasins60,61

Glaser,Tim63

Glennallen 8

GlobalLearningandObservationstoBenefittheEnvironment10,42,53

GLOBE.SeeGlobalLearningandObservationstoBenefittheEnvironment

goats23

GoHoWoodConference58

GoogleEarth10,16,64

Gordon,LeslieS.42

Gorse spider mites 30

goshawks48

Governor’sSub-cabinetonClimateChange64

grasses19,25,31,33,38,50,52

grasshoppers31

Greenberg, Joshua 17,41,56

Greenland 31

Griffith,Brad16

grizzlybears66

GulfofAlaska56

GulkanaHatchery8

HHaggerty,Aaron32

Haines57,59

hairgrass31,33. See alsograsses

Hall,Beth16,25,50

Hanscom,JaniceT.17,26

Happ,G.M.23

HardingLake62

HardingLakeWatershedCouncil62

hardwoods47,60. See alsobirch,maple

Harris, Norman 14,15,16,25,30,48,50

Haskell,S.66

Haugen,Lee52

haylage25

Healy42,53

Helm,Dot50

Helt,Matthew27,45,50

hemlock45,51,57

Herrmann,Mark41

hightunnels23,24,25

Higuera,Philip40

Hollembaek,RubyandScott6

Holloway, Patricia S. 17,18

69


Homer18

Hood,Eran35

Hoonah57

Howard,Kato42

Hu,FengSheng40

Hulsey,Leroy58

Hundertmark,Kris48

Hunter,Christine48

Hydaburg57

hydropower64

IIAB.SeeUniversityofAlaskaFairbanks

Iceland12,60

IGERT.SeeIntegrativeGraduateEducationandResearch Traineeship

Illinois40,42

INE.SeeUniversityofAlaskaFairbanks

IntegrativeGraduateEducationand Research Traineeship 11,41

IntergovernmentalPanelonClimateChange43

InteriorIssuesCouncil64

InternationalHardyFernFoundation 12

InternationalPolarYear42,53,62,63,64

IPY.SeeInternationalPolarYear

JJackson,BrianE.33

Jandt,Randi42

Japan 58

JapanHomeBuildersShow58

JapanLaminatedLumberAssociation58

Jeffries,Martin42,53

Joly, Julie Lurman 62

Joseph,Bernice41

Juday, Glenn 40,41,44,45,46,48,49,53

JuneauEconomicDevelopmentCenter56

KKake57

Kaktovik14,34

Kaplan,Rachel60

Karlsson, Meriam 23,24,25

KawerakReindeerHerdersAssociation10

KenaiPeninsula10,45,59

Kennedy,Teresa53

KerttulaHall3

Ketchikan57

KetchikanWoodTechnologyCenter51,58,59

Klawock57

Klukwan57

Kodiak42,54

Kofinas, Gary 13,14,41,62

Kopplin,MarthaR.42,53

Krasutsky,Pavel59

Kruger,E.L.45

Kruse,Gordon56

Kruse,James48

Kuhl,Joseph25,30,32,37

KuskokwimRiver45,46

KWTC.SeeKetchikanWoodTechnologyCenter

Llakeleveldecline44

leafrust30

Ledum groenlandicum 19

lettuce 24,25

Levine,Elissa42

Levings,Carolyn60

Liang, Jingjing 45,57,63

lichen 35,48

Lincoln,Nebraska34

LittleIceAge40

loess 37

loons 48

lupinaster clover 27,28

Lygusbug18

MMacNeil,M.D.19,20,66

Magdanz,Jim13

Mann, Daniel 43

maple 60

MapTEACH14

MarineMammalProtectionAct63

masiak,darleent.27,28,37,38,52

MatanuskaExperimentFarm12,19,25,26,27,33,50

MatanuskaRiver14

MathematicsandScienceTeachersofAlaska42

MathinaCulturalContext11

MCC.SeeMathinaCulturalContext

McGrath42,45

McGuire,David41

menhaden oil 55

Mertensialatentvirus30

Mertensiapaniculata30

methane 34

Michaelson,Gary33,34,36

MichiganStateUniversity48,66

microbialcolonization36

MigratoryBirdTreatyAct63

milk20,25

MineralManagementServices13

Minnesota42,59

MonitoringSeasonsThroughGlobalLearningCommunities53

Monserud,R.A.45

Montana31,63

moosebrowse43,45

MoosewoodFarmHomeSchool 53

Morris,Kim42,53

Morse,Julie49

mosses 35

Murphy,Karen43

muskoxen23

mustards 29

Myrica gale 19

NNASA.SeeNationalAeronauticsandSpaceAdministration

NationalAeronauticsandSpaceAdministration10,42

NationalGeographicSociety10

NationalMarineFisheriesServiceHabitatConservationDivisionAlaskaRegion64

NationalParkService63,65

NationalParkServiceResearchCenter13

NationalPlantGermplasmSystem30

NationalScienceFoundation10,11,14,37,41

NationalScienceTeachersAssociation42

NationalSnowandIceDataCenter53

NationalSoilSurveyCenter35

NationalSoilSurveyLaboratory34

NaturalResourcesConservationService 15,48,62

NatureConservancy64

Nay,Mark35

Nenana18

NenanaRidge42

NenanaRiver31

NewMexico60

NewZealand30,60GrandPrismaticSprings

61

Noel,L.E.66

Nome42,52

NorthernForest35

NorthPole18

NorthSlope13,40,41,66

NorthSlopeBorough64

Norway42

NPS.SeeNationalParkServiceNRCS.SeeNaturalResourcesConservationService

NSF.SeeNationalScienceFoundation

NunivakIsland16

OOceanicInstitute54,55

O’Hara,T.M.23

Ohio42

70

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oil 13,14,66

oilseeds 29

Okada,Marcy13

Okada,Yosuke24

Oklahoma60

Olson,Mark40,43,63

Oregon18,30,45

OregonDepartmentofAgriculture30

OregonStateCooperativeExtension30

Ottmar,Roger42

PPacificthreadfin55

Packee,Edmond34

Palmer12,18,19,29,30,31,33,35

PalmerResearchandExtensionCenter35

Pantoja,Alberto17,28,30,31,32

parksArcticNationalWildlifeRefuge66

CoconinoNationalForest60

GrandTetonNationalPark13

LincolnNationalForest60OuachitaNationalForest

60OzarkNationalForest60RioGrandeNationalForest

60RockyMountainNationalPark31

TongassNationalForest35,40,56

WhiteMountainsNationalRecreationArea49

YellowstoneNationalPark61

patternground36

Patton,JohnC.19,20,66

PearlCreekElementary53

peat 18,37

peonies 9,17,18

permafrost33,34,35,37,41,53

PermanentSamplePlots34,35

Peterburs,MiaR.18

Peters,Amy30

petroleum 52

Pike’sWaterfrontLodge10,12

Ping, Chien-Lu 33,34,36

PlantMaterialCenter26

PMC.SeePlantMaterialCenter

polarbears48,66

pollen 25,59

pollock54,55

pollockgelatin55

pollockoil54

pollockskin55

poplar 38Populus balsamifera(balsam

poplar) 19,47,52Populus tremuloides (quakingaspen)47,52

PortofPrinceRupert58

potatoes 26,27,32

potato viruses 32

PrinceofWalesIsland58

PrinceWilliamAquacultureCorporation8

prion diseases 23

PurdueUniversity19,20,66

Qquakingaspen.See poplar

RRainbowLake59,60

rainbowtrout55

rainforest,temperate35

RAP.See Resilience and AdaptationProgram

raspberries23

recreation 51,60,61,65

red cedar 51

reindeer 10,11,15,16,19,20,21,22,23,39,48

ReindeerResearchProgram11,15,19,21

renewableresources62,65

ResilienceandAdaptationProgram11,41

respiration 36

revegetation17,18,33,40,43,49,50

rhubarb31

Ripley,N.C.22

Robertson,Nancy17,30

Robin,JessicaH.42,53

RockyMountainResearchStation 63

Roos,Joe58

Rosa acicularis 19

Rowell,JanE.20,21,22

Runck,Sarah36

Rupp, Scott T. 40,41,42,43,62,63

Russia12,42

SSalcha-DeltaSoilandWaterConservationDistrict62

salmon 54,55

salmongelatin55

salmon oil 54,55

sand 37

Saxman57

ScenariosNetworkforAlaskaPlanning11,43,63

Schmoll,Robert42

scrapie 23

Scribner,K.48,66

seacucumbers55

sea ice 53

sea otters 48

SeasonsandBiomes53

Seefeldt,Steve31

SewardPeninsula11,16,20,22

Shageluk42

SharingProject,The13

sheep 23

Shideler,R.66

Shipka, Milan 19,20,21,22,23

shorebirds41

shrimp 55

Silverstein,R.P.63

SiteIndexPlots35

Sitka17,57,58

Sitkaspruce.See spruce

SitkaTribe56

Skagway57

Smeenk, Jeffrey 25,26,27,32,37

SNAP.SeeScenariosNetworkforAlaskaPlanning

snapbeans24

SoftwoodExportCouncil58

softwoods58

soil respiration 35,36

Soldotna 18

songbirds41

Sonnen,Karin15

Soria, J. Andres 51,52

Sparrow, Elena B. 42,53

Sparrow, Stephen D. 27,28,29,33,38,52

Spencer,Susan25

spinydogfish56

Spiraea stevenii 19

Springsteen,Anna63

sprucePicea glauca(whitespruce)

38,40,44,45,46,47,49

Picea mariana(blackspruce) 34,35,38,42,43,45,49

Sitkaspruce51,59

sprucebudworm48,49

SteeseConservationArea49

Stegmann,Jennifer65

Steller sea lions 48

Stephens, Sidney 14

St.GeorgeIsland48

St.LawrenceIsland16

St.Martin,Michelle48

Stockman,Stephanie42

strawberries24

sturgeon54

SubarcticAgriculturalResearchUnit9,31

sunflowers11,25,26,29

Sunwheat.Seesunflowerssustainability11,13,14,41,

42,58,64,65

SustainableAgriculturalConference29

sweetclovers31Melilotus alba(whitesweetclover)14,15,31,50

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Melilotus officinalis(yellowsweetclover)31

Switzerland42

Ttaigaforest38

Takotna42

Tanana River 31,46

TananaValley27,58

temperaterainforest35

TerradelFuego53

TexasTechUniversity66

Theisen,Skip42

ThorneBay57,58

tillage11,38,39

timberharvest44,45

tobaccorattlevirus18

Todd, Susan 64

Tok59

Tokyo58

tomatoes 25

TongassLandManagementPlan56

topsoil 37

Tracy,Quinn65

Trainor,Sarah63

TrapperCreek18

Tri-ValleySchool53

tundra 34,35,37,40,41,46

tymovirus31

UUnitedStatesBureauofLandManagement65AlaskaFireService42

UnitedStatesDepartmentofAgriculture9,10,17,19,20,22,31,34,37,48,54,66

UnitedStatesFishandWildlifeService 43,63,64,65

UnitedStatesForestService14,42,45,56,63,65PacificNorthwestResearch

Station 45,48

UnitedStatesGeologicalSurvey35,48,66

UniversityofAlaskaFairbanks58DepartmentofAnthropology41

DepartmentofCivilandEnvironmentalEngineering59

InstituteofArcticBiology41,62

InstituteofNorthernEngineering58,63

InternationalArcticResearchCenter42,53

RobertG.WhiteLargeAnimalResearchStation23

SchoolofManagement41,45

UniversityofHawaii-Hilo54

UniversityofIllinois40

UniversityofMinnesotaDuluth59

UniversityofMontana63

UniversityofWashington58

UniversityofWisconsin-Madison14,45,57

UniversityofWyoming13

urea 28,39,55

USDA.SeeUnitedStatesDepartmentofAgriculture

USDAForestService.SeeUnitedStatesForestService

USDANationalSoilSurveyCenter35

USFS.SeeUnitedStatesForestService

USFWS.SeeUnitedStatesFishandWildlifeService

USHouseofRepresentatives53

VVaccinium uliginosum 19

Valcic,Branka41

Valentine, David W. 35,36

VanCleve,K.47

VanVeldhuizen,Bob29,37,38,52

vegetationindices46

Venetie 14

Venn,T.J.63

Verbyla, David 42,43,46,53

Via,Willie60

WWainwright14,33

Washington,DC42,53

Washington(state)45

Wasilla18,42,60

waterfowl41

Werner,Jeffrey23,24,25

Werner,RichardSkeeter48

WesternGroundfishConference56

WestValleyHighSchool60

wetlands35

wheat29

wheatgrass33. See alsograssesWhiteMountain16,42

whitespruce.See spruce

WildernessSociety64

willowsSalix alaxensis(felt-leafwillow)19,52

Salix arbusculoides(little-treewillow)19,52

Salix interior(sandbarwillow)52

Salix lasiandra(Pacificwillow)52

Winslow,Steve44,45,46,49

Winton,Lori(Loretta)17,31

wolves48

Wood,E.R.23

WoodInformationCenter58

WoodUtilizationResearchProgram11. See also Forest ProductsProgram

Worker,Suzanne15

WUR.SeeWoodUtilizationResearchProgram

Wurtz,Tricia14

Wu,Ted54

Wyoming13

YYakutat57

Yarie, John 36,38,47

yellowcedar51,59

yelloweyerockfish55

YukonDelta46

YukonFlats46,64

Yukon-KuskokwimDelta46

YukonRiver31,46

Yule,Sheila42

ZZhang, Mingchu 28,29,37,

38,39,52

Zhao,Alan39

Zhou,M.45,57

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2007 PublicationsAbstractsAguiar G, Finstad G. 2007. Biomass production, nutritionalcharacteristics and effect on reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) productionoftwopasturegrasses:KentuckyNuggetBluegrass(Poa pratensis)andSmoothBromegrass(Bromus Inermis).Abstract.Pro-ceedings:ArcticScienceConference.AmericanAssociationfortheAdvancementofScience.Anchorage,Alaska.

BechtelPJ,WiklundE,WuT,Finstad G.2007.Storageshelf-lifeand consumer acceptance of pre-cooked reindeermeat products.2007InstituteofFoodTechnologistsAnnualMeeting,24–28June,Chicago,Illinois.Abstractandposterpresentation.

DouF,YuX,GuoL, JorgensonT,MichaelsonG.2007. SpatialanalysisofsoilorganiccarbonalongthecoastlineofnorthernAlas-ka. Abstract 98-9. ASA-CSSA-SSSA 2007 International AnnualMeetings,November4–8,NewOrleans,Louisiana.

Finstad GL. 2007. Reindeer: Food for Alaska’s Future. Abstract.Proceedings:ArcticScienceConference.AmericanAssociationfortheAdvancementofScience.Anchorage,Alaska.

Fix PJ,VaskeJJ.2007.VisitorEvaluationsofRecreationUserFeesatFlamingGorgeNationalRecreationArea.Journal of Leisure Re-search,39(4),611–622.

Juday GP. 2007. Temperature Meets Tree Physiology: PotentialInfluence of Different Characteristics of Recorded TemperatureIncreasesinAlaskaontheDivergingGrowthResponsesofWhiteSpruce. EOS Transactions AGU,88(52),FallMeetingSupplement.Abstract (oral session)PP54A-04.Available on line at:www.agu.org/meetings/fm07/fm07-sessions/fm07_PP54A.html

Juday G,AlixC.2007.Environmental signal focused inpointeryearsinYukonRiverwhitespruce.ClimateChangeImpactsonBo-realForestDisturbanceRegimes(Abstract).DisturbanceDynamicsinBorealForestsVI InternationalConference.Fairbanks,Alaska.May30–June2,2007.Pg.33.Availableonlineat:www.uaf.edu/snras/afes/pubs/2007%20IBFDDC%20Proceedings.pdf

Juday G,Barber V,Morse J,WinslowS.2007.Climateand theBlackSpruceFireDisturbanceRegime.In:AlaskaClimateChangeImpactsonBorealForestDisturbanceRegimes(Abstract).Distur-bance Dynamics in Boreal Forests VI International Conference.Fairbanks,Alaska.May30–June2,2007.Pg.34.Availableonlineat: www.uaf.edu/snras/afes/pubs/2007%20IBFDDC%20Proceed-ings.pdf

LeggettA,Ping CL, ShaftelR,BrownK,WrobelC. 2007.Ap-plicationoftheAlaskaInterimRegionalSupplement:problematicvegetationandsoils.SocietyforEcologicalRestorationNorthwestandPacificNorthwestWetlandSocietyJointConference,Septem-ber25–28,2007.Yakima,Washington.

Ping CL,BrownT,MichaelsonGJ,SchaftelR.2007.Geomorphicandhydrologicalrelationshipsoftephra-derivedsoilsinsouthcen-tralAlaska.Abstract 104-1.ASA-CSSA-SSSA2007 InternationalAnnualMeetings,November4–8,NewOrleans,Louisiana.

Ping CL,KimbleJ,MichaelsonG,WalkerD.2007.Cryogenesisandcarbonstores inarctic tundra soils,Alaska.Pg.53.Abstract,Arctic Science Conference, September 24–26, 2007, Anchorage,Alaska.

Sparrow EB.2007.OpportunitiesforIPYHigherEducationandOutreach. Eos Trans. AGU, 87(54), Fall Meet. Suppl., AbstractED11A-0120.

Sparrow EB,KurbatovaJ,GroismanP,AlexeevV.2007.Environ-mentalStudies in theBorealForestZone:Summer IPY InstituteatCentral Boreal Forest Reserve, Fedorovskoe,Tver area, Russia(14–28August,2007).Eos Trans. AGU,87(54),FallMeet.Suppl.,AbstractGC22A-01.

Sparrow EB, Robin JH, Boger RH. 2007.GLOBE seasons andbiomes: an international IPY Earth science project. Geophysical Research Abstracts,Vol.9,05828.SRef-ID1607-7962/EGU2007-A-05828.EuropeanGeosciencesUnion2007.

WiklundE,Finstad G,WorkerS,AguiarG.2007.Carcasscom-position and quality characteristics ofmeat from young reindeer(Rangifer tarandus tarandus)bullsandsteers.12thArcticUngulateConference, 8–13August,Yakutsk,Russia (Abstract, poster, andpresentation).

Zhang M, Sparrow SD,BetchelP.2007.SustainableagricultureinsubarcticAlaska.Abstract.In:ArcticScienceConference,Anchor-age,Alaska,September24–26,2007.

Books and book chapters(Juday, Glenn P, one of ~900 named contributors to): UnitedNations Environment Programme. 2007. Global EnvironmentOutlook - GEO4 - Environment forDevelopment. UnitedNa-tionsEnvironmentProgramme.ISBN978-92-807-2872-9(UNEPhardback).572pp.

Kofinas GP,HermanSJ,MeekC.2007.Novelproblemsrequirenovelsolutions:Innovationasanoutcomeofadaptiveco-manage-ment.In:F.Berkes,N.Doubleday,&D.Armitage(Eds.),Adaptive Co-Management: Collaboration, Learning and Multi-Level Gover-nance;pp249–267.UBCPress.

Journal articlesBarrick KA.2007.GeyserdeclineandextinctioninNewZealand—energy development impacts and implications for environmentalmanagement.Environmental Management39:783–805.

Butler LG,KiellandK,Rupp TS,HanleyTA. 2007. Interactivecontrols by herbivory and fluvial dynamics over landscape veg-etationpatternsalongtheTananaRiver,interiorAlaska.Journal of Biogeography34:1622–1631.

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CaryGJ,KeaneRE,GardnerRH,LavorelS,FlanniganMD,DaviesID,LiC,LenihanJM,Rupp TS,MouillotF.2007.Comparisonof the sensitivity of landscape-fire-successionmodels to variationin terrain, fuel pattern, climate and weather. Landscape Ecology 21(1):121–137DOI:10.1007/s10980-005-7302-9.

Cronin MA.2007.Limitationsofmoleculargeneticsinconserva-tion. NatureVol.447no7145:638.

Cronin MA.2007.ThePreble’smeadowjumpingmouse:subjec-tive subspecies, advocacy andmanagement.Animal Conservation 10:159-161.

Duffy P, Epting J,Graham JM,Rupp TS,McGuire AD. 2007.AnalysisofAlaskanfireseveritypatternsusingremotelysenseddata.International Journal of Wildland Fire.16:277–284.

Finstad GL, Wiklund E, Long K, Rincker PJ, Oliveira ACM,Bechtel PJ. 2007. Feeding soy or fish meal to Alaskan reindeer(Rangifertarandustarandus)-effectsonanimalperformanceandmeatquality.Rangifer27(1):59–75.

Guo, LD, Ping CL, Macdonald RW. 2007. Mobilization path-ways of organic carbon from permafrost to Arctic rivers in achanging climate. Geophysical Research Letters L13603, DOI:10.1029/2007GL030689.

HerrmannM,Greenberg JA.2007.TheDemandandAllocationofAlaskaandCanadaSnowCrab.The Canadian Journal of Agricul-tural Economics.Vol.55(1),March2007.

KaneES,Kasischke ES,Valentine DW,TuretskyMR,McGuireAD.2007.TopographicinfluencesonwildfireconsumptionofsoilorganiccarbonininteriorAlaska:implicationsforblackcarbonac-cumulation.DOI:10.1029/2007JG000458.Journal of Geophysical Research112(G3):G03017.

Karlsson M, RaderH,Werner J. 2007. Seasonal northern snapbeanproductionusinghightunnels.HortScience42:924.

Liang J,BuongiornoJ,MonserudRA,KrugerEL,ZhouM.2007.Effects of diversity of tree species and size on forest basal areagrowth,recruitment,andmortality.Forest Ecology and Management 243:116–127.

Lurman, JulieandSandyRabinowitch.2007.PreemptionofStateWildlifeLawinAlaska:Where,When,andWhy.24AlaskaLawReview145.

Lurman, Julie. 2007. Agencies in Limbo: Migratory Birds andIncidentalTakebyFederalAgencies. 23 Journal of Land Use and Environmental Law 39.

MacNeilMD,Cronin MA,BlackburnHD,RichardsCM,Lock-woodDR,AlexanderLJ.2007.GeneticRelationshipsbetweenferalcattlefromChirikofIsland,Alaskaandotherbreeds.Animal Genet-ics38:193–197.

McBeathGA,McBeath JH.2006.BiodiversityConservationPoli-cyinChina:PoliciesandPractices.International Journal of Wildlife Law & Policy.9:293–317.

NatcherDC,CalefM,HuntingtonO,TrainorS,HuntingtonHP,DeWildeL,Rupp S,ChapinFStuartIII.2007.FactorsContribut-ing to theCultural andSpatialVariability ofLandscapeBurningbyNativePeoplesofInteriorAlaska.Ecology and Society12(1):7.Availableonlineat:www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol12/iss1/art7/

Robards M,Greenberg JA. 2007. Global Constraints on RuralFishing Communities:Whose Resilience is it Anyway? Fish and FisheriesVol.8.2007.

Rupp TS,ChenX,OlsonM,McGuireAD.2007.Sensitivityofsimulatedlandcoverdynamicstouncertaintiesinclimatedrivers.Earth Interactions11(3):1–21.

SeefeldtSS,ConnJS,JacksonBE,Sparrow SD.2007.Responseofseedlingbirdvetch(Vicia cracca)tosixherbicides.Weed Technology 21:692–694.

TaylorSC,Fix PJ,RichotteM.2007.AnassessmentofsignificantvisitorexperiencesandpreferencesinKennecottNationalHistoricLandmark.Park Science,24(2),46–52.

TrainorSF,ChapinFSIII,HuntingtonHP,NatcherDC,Kofinas G. 2007. Arctic climate impacts: Environmental injustice inCanadaandtheUnitedStates.Local Environment: The International Journal of Justice and Sustainability12(6),627–643.Tolinktothisarticle:DOI:10.1080/13549830701657414.URL:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13549830701657414

WiklundE,MalmforsG,Finstad G.2007.Renkött–ärdetalltidmört,gottochnyttigt?Rangifer Report,12,71–77(inSwedishwithEnglishabstract).

Thunder Chip potato chip factory, one of the tour stops for the NRM 290 class, in Anchorage.


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Zalamea M, Gonzalez G, Ping CL, Michaelson G. 2007. Soilorganic matter dynamics under decaying wood in a subtropicalwet forest: effect of tree species and decay stage.Plant and Soils 296:173–185.

Zhang M, Sparrow S,BechtelPJ,PantojaA.2007.Characteristicsofnitrogenandphosphorusreleasefromfishmealsandfishhydro-lysate in subarctic soils. Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Restoration.3:264–277.

Zhang M, Sparrow S, Lewis C,KnightC.2007.Soilpropertiesandbarley yieldunder a twenty-year experimentof tillage, strawmanagement,andnitrogenapplicationrateinthesub-arcticareasofAlaska.Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica,SectionB:SoilandPlantScience57:374–382.

Miscellaneous publicationsAlexeevV,KurbatovaJ,GroismanP,Sparrow E,MesquitaM.dS.2007.EnvironmentalStudiesintheBorealForestZone:SummerInstituteinRussia.AtmosphericSciencesSectionoftheAmerican Geophysical Union (AGU AS) NewsletterVol.1,Issue6,page4.

Juday GP,withassistancebyVladimirRomanovsky,JohnWalsh,F.StuartChapinIII,andStanleyTocktoo.2007.ClimateChangein the Alaskan Arctic and Subarctic: A vast Panorama of Com-prehensive Environmental Change.Testimony to U.S.House ofRepresentatives,CommitteeonScienceandTechnology.HearingonOctober17,2007-DisappearingPolarBearsandPermafrost:Is aGlobalWarmingTippingPointEmbedded in the Ice?4pp.http://science.house.gov/publications/Testimony.aspx?TID=8659

Robin JH, Dubaya R, Sparrow E, Levine E. 2007.Monitoringstart of season in Alaska with GLOBE, AVHRR and MODISdata. Journal of Geophysical Research—Biogeosciences.113,G01017,doi:10.1029/2007JG000407.

Sparrow EB.2007.GLOBEProgramMakesIPYRelevanttoStu-dents Around theWorld.The University of the Arctic Newsletter Shared Voices, Go North! Special Edition2007:7.Universityof theArcticInternationalSecretariat.UniversityofLapland,Rovarniemi,Lapland.

Posters, presentations, and workshopsBaliA,Kofinas G.November2007.Cariboumanagementandde-cision-supportsystems.PosterpresentationattheannualmeetingoftheCircumarcticRangiferMonitoring&AssessmentNetwork(CARMA).

Fox JD.2007.TheDetective, theHydrologist, and theShaman.HardingLakeFluctuations:Past,Present,andFuture.PresentedtoTheAlaskaSectionoftheAmericanWaterResourcesAssoc.,De-cember12,2007,Fairbanks,Alaska.

Kofinas G,GriffithB,GunnA,RussellD,WhiteR.November2007.Fromsustainability to resilience in the studyofHuman-RangiferSystems.PosterpresentedattheannualmeetingoftheCircumarc-ticRangiferMonitoring&AssessmentNetwork(CARMA).

RunkSA,Valentine DW, Yarie JA. 2007.SensitivityofSoilOr-ganicCarbonDynamics toLong-TermThroughfallExclusion inInteriorAlaska.OralPresentation,6thInternationalConferenceonDisturbanceDynamics inBoreal Forests.May30–June 2, 2007.Fairbanks,Alaska.

WiklundE,Finstad G,WorkerS,AguiarG.2007.Carcasscom-position and quality characteristics ofmeat from young reindeer(Rangifer tarandus tarandus)bullsandsteers.12thArcticUngulateConference,8–13August,2007.Yakutsk,Russia(Abstract,poster,and presentation).

ProceedingsKofinas G,BermanM,GriffithB.September2007.Heterogeneityandresilienceofhuman-rangifersystems.PresentationtotheSci-enceofArcticSynthesisStudiesmeetingofNSF-ARCSS.

LeggettA,Ping CL, ShaftelR,BrownK,WrobelC. 2007.Ap-plicationoftheAlaskaInterimRegionalSupplement:problematicvegetationandsoils.SocietyforEcologicalRestorationNorthwestandPacificNorthwestWetlandSocietyJointConference,Septem-ber25–28,2007.Yakima,Washington.

Sparrow EB,RobinJH,GordonLS,MorrisK,LevineER,KopplinMR,JeffriesMO,BogerR,Verbyla DL.Climatechangeresearchbypre-collegestudentsintheInternationalPolarYear.2007.Pro-ceedingsof theInternationalSymposiumonAsianCollaborationintheInternationalPolarYear2007–2008:89–92,heldinTokyo,Japan,organizedbyIPYNationalCommittee,ScienceCouncilofJapanandtheNationalInstituteofPolarResearch.

Sparrow EB,RobinJH,GordonLS,MorrisK,LevineER,KopplinMR,JeffriesMO,BogerR,Verbyla DL.2007.EngagingPre-col-legeStudentsintheInternationalPolarYearThroughEarthSystemScienceResearchandEducation.ProceedingsoftheSeventhInter-nationalConferenceonGlobalChange:ConnectiontotheArctic(GCCA7):19–20.

Sparrow EB,SmirnovaE,SurkovF.2007.UseofRemotelySensedData in Earth System Science Education and Research for Pre-collegeStudents.ProceedingsoftheEarthfromSpace:TheMostEffective SolutionThird InternationalConferenceheldDec.4–6,2007inMoscow,Russia,p.281.

ReportsDeVeliceRL,Juday GP.2007.EstablishmentRecordfortheCop-per Sands Research Natural Area within the Chugach NationalForest.USDAForestService,AlaskaRegionandPacificNorthwestResearchStation.Anchorage,Alaska.August6,2000.50pp(3fig-ures,6photos,4tables).

Fix PJ.2007.BenefitsBasedManagementintheWhiteMountainsNationalRecreationAreaandSteeseNationalConservationArea,ExecutiveSummary.DepartmentofResourcesManagement,Uni-versityofAlaskaFairbanks.

Greenberg JA, Herrmann M. August 2007. The Catch aboutCrab.NorthPacificResearchBoard,ProjectSynopsis.Anchorage,Alaska.

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Kofinas G.October2007.HumandimensionofHuman-Rangi-ferSystems.PresentationtotheHumanDimensionsoftheArcticmeetingofNSF-ARCSS.Kolker,A.August2007.GeothermalEn-ergy inAlaska:OverviewandProjectUpdate.PaperpresentedattheRenewableEnergyAlaskaProjectbi-monthlyforum.Anchor-age,Alaska.

ThesesHoward, Natalie D. December 2007. Nitrogen Fertilization ofSmooth Bromegrass in Interior and Southcentral Alaska. MSthesis.

Jackson,BrianE.August2007.FoxtailBarley(Hordeum jubatum) controlwith Propoxycarbazone-Sodium andFluazifop-P-butyl inthreeAlaskaNativeGrassSpecies.MSthesis.

AFES publicationsAgroborealis articlesLandolt PJ, Pantoja A, Hagerty A, Green D, Emmert S. 2007.Wasps:thegood,thebad,andthenot-so-bad.Agroborealis39:1.

Circulars and variety trialsHolloway P,GardinerE,MathekeGEM,Hanscom J,BoschK,DouglassL,LemensV,PayneM,WeberJ.2007.Annualfloweringplantevaluations2006.AgriculturalandForestryExperimentSta-tionAFESVarietyTrial2007-01.

MathekeGEM,HanscomJ,Holloway PS,GardinerE.2007.Veg-etable trials 2006. Agricultural and Forestry Experiment StationAFESVarietyTrial2007-02.

HerbBunchVolunteers,Holloway PS,MathekeG,GardinerE.2007.Herb Evaluations 2006. Agricultural and Forestry Experi-mentStationAFESVarietyTrial2007-03.

Miscellaneous publicationsHolloway P.2007.HowtogerminateseedsofAlaskawildberriesandlingonberries(lowbushcranberries).2pp.Georgeson Botanical NotesNo34.

Senior thesesGoss,JacquelynDenise.2007.ProducingFreshHerbsforFairbanksRestaurants.Agricultural andForestryExperimentStationSeniorThesisSeriesST2007-01.

Basil growing in a greenhouse in the Fairbanks area, summer 2007.

—photo by MeriaM KarlSSoN

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FacultyJodie AndersonInstructor&Director,AlaskaCommunityHorticultureProgramMS,BrownUniv.’94907.746.9461•[email protected]

Valerie BarberDirector,UAFForestProductsProgramAsst.ProfessorofForestSciencesPhD,Univ.ofAlaskaFairbanks,’02907.746.9484•[email protected]/snras/faculty/barber.html

Kenneth A. BarrickAssoc.ProfessorofGeographyPhD,SouthernIllinoisUniv.,’83907.474.6641•[email protected]/snras/faculty/barrick.html

Matthew CroninAssoc.ProfessorofAnimalGeneticsPhD,YaleUniversity,’89907.746.9458•[email protected]/snras/faculty/cronin.html

Cary W. de WitAssoc.ProfessorofGeographyPhD,Univ.ofKansas,’97907.474.7141•[email protected]/ffcwd/www.uaf.edu/snras/faculty/dewit.html

Gregory L. FinstadManager,ReindeerResearchProgramAsst.ProfessorofRangeEcologyPhD,Univ.ofAlaska-Fairbanks,’08907.4747.6055•[email protected]/snras/faculty/finstad.htmlwww.reindeer.salrm.uaf.edu

Peter J. FixAssoc.ProfessorofOutdoorRecreation ManagementPhD,ColoradoStateUniv.,’02907.474.6926•[email protected]/snras/faculty/fix.html

John D. Fox, Jr.Assoc.Prof.ofForestryPhD,Univ.ofWashington,’76907.474.7084•[email protected]/snras/faculty/fox.html

Hans GeierResearchInstructor&ExtensionResourceEconomistMS,Univ.ofAlaskaFairbanks,’93907.474.7727•[email protected]

Joshua A. GreenbergAssoc.Prof.ofResourceEconomicsPhD,WashingtonStateUniv.,’90907.474.7189•[email protected]/snras/faculty/greenberg.html

Norman R. HarrisAsst.Prof.ofRangeManagementPhD,OregonStateUniv.,’01907.746.9467•[email protected]/snras/faculty/harris.html

Patricia HeiserAsst.ProfessorofGeographyPhD,Univ.ofAlaska-Fairbanks,’97907.474.7068•[email protected]/faculty/faculty.cfm?faculty_id=6

Patricia S. HollowayDirector,GeorgesonBotanicalGardenProfessorofHorticulturePhD,Univ.ofMinnesota,’82907.474.5651•[email protected]/snras/faculty/holloway.htmlwww.uaf.edu/snras/gbg/

Julie Lurman JolyAsst.ProfessorofNaturalResourcesLawandPolicyJD,GeorgetownUniv.LawCenter’03907.474.6794•[email protected]/snras/faculty/lurman.html

Current Facultywww.uaf.edu/snras/faculty/

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Jenifer H. McBeathProfessorofPlantPathologyPhD,RutgersUniv.’74907.474.7431•[email protected]/snras/faculty/mcbeath.html(noreportssubmitted)

Chien-Lu PingProf.ofAgronomy,SoilScientistPhD,WashingtonStateUniv.,’73907.746.9462•[email protected]/snras/faculty/ping.html

T. Scott RuppDirector,ScenariosNetworkforAlaskaPlanningAssoc.ProfessorofForestryPhD,Univ.ofAlaskaFairbanks,’98907.474.7535•[email protected]/ffsr/www.uaf.edu/snras/faculty/rupp.htmlwww.snap.uaf.edu

Mike SfragaAssoc.Dean,SNRASandDirector,UniversityofAlaskaGeographyProgramAsst.ProfessorofGeographyPhD,Univ.ofAlaska,’97907.474.7494•[email protected]/faculty/faculty.cfm?faculty_id=9www.geographyua.org

Milan P. ShipkaAssoc.Director,AFESandProfessorofAnimalSciencePhD,UtahStateUniv.,’96907.474.7429•[email protected]/snras/school/mshipka/ mshipka.htmwww.uaf.edu/snras/faculty/shipka.html

Jeffrey SmeenkAsst.ProfessorofHorticultureHorticultureExtensionSpecialistPhD,MichiganStateUniv.,’03907.746.2773•[email protected]/snras/faculty/smeenk.htm

Juan Andres SoriaAsst.ProfessorofWoodChemistryPhD,Univ.ofIdaho,’05907.746.9484•[email protected]/snras/faculty/soria.htm

Glenn P. JudayProfessorofForestEcologyPhD,OregonStateUniv.,’76907.474.6717•[email protected]/snras/faculty/juday.html

Meriam G. KarlssonDirector,ControlledEnvironmentAgricultureLaboratoryProfessorofHorticulturePhD,MichiganStateUniversity,’87907.474.7005•[email protected]/snras/faculty/karlsson.html

Gary KofinasDirector,ResilienceandAdaptationProgramAssoc.ProfessorofResourcePolicyandManagementPhD,Univ.ofBritishColumbia907.474.7078•[email protected]/snras/faculty/ffgpk/www.rap.uaf.edu

Carol E. LewisDean,SNRASandDirector,AFESProfessorofResourcesManagementPhD,GeorgetownUniv.,’70MBA,Univ.ofAlaskaFairbanks,’76907.474.7670•[email protected]/snras/faculty/lewis.html

Jingjing LiangDirector,ForestGrowth&YieldProgramAsst.ProfessorofForestManagementPhD,Univ.ofWisconsin-Madison,’[email protected]/snras/faculty/liang.html

Jerry LipkaPrincipalInvestigator,MathinaCulturalContextProfessorofEducationEdD,Univ.ofMassachusetts-Amherst,’80907.474.6439•[email protected]/snras/faculty/lipka.htmlwww.mathinaculturalcontext.org(noreportssubmitted)

Daniel MannAssistantProfessorofGeographyPhD,Univ.ofWashington’83907.474.7494•[email protected]

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www.uaf.edu/snras/

Elena B. SparrowEducationOutreachDirector,InternationalArcticResearchCenter;CenterforGlobalChangeandArcticSystemResearch;Director,UniversityoftheArcticIPYHigherEducationOutreachOfficeProfessorofResourcesManagementPhD,ColoradoStateUniv.,’73907.474.7620•[email protected]/snras/faculty/esparrow.html

Stephen D. Sparrow, Jr.AssociateDean,SNRASProfessorofAgronomyPhD,Univ.ofMinnesota,’81907.474.7620•[email protected]/snras/faculty/ssparrow.html

Sidney StephensInstructorofScienceEducationMEd,Univ.ofAlaskaFairbanks,’86907.474.7628•[email protected]

Susan ToddAssoc.Prof.ofResourcePlanningPhD,Univ.ofMichigan,’95907.474.6930•[email protected]/snras/faculty/todd.html

David ValentineAssoc.Prof.ofForestSoilsPhD,DukeUniv.,’90907.474.7614•[email protected]/ffdwv/www.uaf.edu/snras/faculty/valentine.html

Dave VeazeyDirector,EnrollmentManagementInstructorEdD,Univ.ofPennsylvania,’06907.474.5276•[email protected]/snras/students/generalinfo.html

David L. VerbylaProf.ofGeographicInformationSystemsPhD,UtahStateUniv.,’88907.474.5553•[email protected]/~dverbyla/www.uaf.edu/snras/faculty/verbyla.html

John A. YarieProfessorofSilviculturePhD,Univ.ofBritishColumbia,’78907.474.5650•[email protected]/snras/faculty/yarie.html

Mingchu ZhangAssoc.ProfessorofAgronomy/SoilSciencePhD,Univ.ofAlberta,’93907.474.7004•[email protected]/snras/faculty/zhang.html

EmeritiArthur L. Brundage,Prof.ofAnimalScienceRobert A. Dieterich,Prof.ofVeterinaryScienceDon H. Dinkel,Prof.ofPlantPhysiologyJames V. Drew,DeanofSALRM,DirectorofAFES,andProf.ofAgronomy(deceased)

Alan C. Epps,Prof.ofNaturalResourcesAnthony F. Gasbarro,Assoc.Prof.ofForestryExtensionFredric M. Husby,Prof.ofAnimalScienceAlan Jubenville,Prof.ofResourceManagementLeslie J. Klebesadel,Prof.ofAgronomyCharles W. Knight,Assoc.Prof.ofAgronomyCharles E. Logsdon,Prof.ofPlantPathologyJay D. McKendrick,Prof.ofAgronomyWilliam W. Mitchell,Prof.ofAgronomyBonita J. Neiland,Prof.ofLandResourcesandBotany(deceased)Edmund C. Packee,Prof.ofForestScienceSigmund H. Restad,Asst.Director,AlaskaAFESRoscoe L. Taylor,Prof.ofAgronomy(deceased)Wayne C. Thomas,Prof.ofEconomicsKeith Van Cleve,Prof.ofForestry(Soils)Robert B. Weeden,Prof.ofResourceManagementFrank J. Wooding,Prof.ofAgronomy(deceased)

Boreal Ecology Cooperative Research unitwww.becru.uaf.edu

Terry Chapin, ProfessorofEcology(InstituteofArcticBiology),[email protected]

Teresa Nettleton Hollingsworth,ResearchEcologist(LTER),[email protected]

united States department of Agricultureagricultural research servicewww.ars.usda.gov

Aquaculture - FairbanksPeter Bechtel,ResearchFoodTechnologist,[email protected] Bower,ResearchFoodTechnologist,[email protected] Wu,ResearchFoodTechnologist,[email protected]

Integrated Pest Management - FairbanksJeff Conn,ResearchAgronomist/WeedScientist,[email protected] Fielding,ResearchEntomologist,[email protected]

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Aaron Hagerty,ResearchEntomologist,[email protected] Pantoja,ResearchLeaderandEntomologist, [email protected]

Steven Seefeldt,ResearchAgronomist,[email protected] Winton,ResearchPlantPathologist,[email protected]

Germplasm - PalmerJoseph Kuhl,ResearchGeneticist,[email protected] Robertson,ResearchPlantPathologist, [email protected]

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