The Alaskan Boreal Forest
Geography 5
Sarah Sollesa
Cassie Whitcomb
Derek Wun
The Alaskan Boreal Forest is a wonderfully diverse ecosystem containing a myriad of wildlife and vegetation. On the surface, it is portrayed as vast forests of evergreens when, in actuality, it is spacious collection of forests, grasslands, lakes and many others types of profiles. Spanning the majority of interior Alaska, the Boreal Forest is over 170,000 square miles making it one of the largest ecosystems in the world. The climate of this ecosystem is characterized by short, warm summers (about 7.5ºC to 10ºC) and long, cold winters (about -27ºC to -23.5ºC). This is of course due to its high latitude as well as its varying terrain (sea level to around 600 m) (1). With the exception of birds and associated migration, the plants and animals of the Alaskan Boreal Forest are adapted to these temperature and season changes. There are generally very few species (in comparison to tropical or temperate climates) able to survive the extremes of the forests, though those that do are well adapted and part of an equally important food chain (2).
Historical State
Historically, the Boreal Forest has been preserved rather well and is in good health. For the most part, it has remained mostly the same though is being increasingly influenced by humans and climate change. Below, you can see some current pictures of the forest gaining a pretty good idea on what it looked like in the past (they are pictures from the warmer months; the winter months are like these only mostly covered in snow)
from http://www.alaskaborealcanopy.
from http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/
from http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/
Human Impact
The human impacts on
the boreal forest are mostly negative. I looked at 3 different human activities
that impact 4 different criteria. Deforestation causes the release of carbon
emissions into the atmosphere. The boreal forest is the second largest biome that
acts as a sink for carbon. As deforestation increases, the release of carbon
into the atmosphere increases and contributes to the overall warming of the
planet.
This warming causes the permafrost layer to melt. This melting causes a
loss in a key feature of the boreal forest. Permafrost is also a major reserve
of methane, which is a large contributor to global warming. Rising temperatures
effects the vegetation and biodiversity as well. With warming temperature many
species of plants and animals are migrating northward in order to find the
cooler temperature they are acclimated to. This results in the loss of native
vegetation and biodiversity of the boreal forest. Below, you can see some of the relation and effects of permafrost melting in relation to temperature and carbon emissions.
(n.d.).
Arctic and antarctic under global
warming. Retrieved from Saving Wildlife from Mass Extinction due to Global
Warming website: http://www.all-creatures.org/hope/gw/02_Arctic-Antarctic.htm
USGS.
(n.d.). The Arctic Coastal Plain - USGS Changing Arctic Ecosystem Initiative,
Alaska Science Center. Retrieved November 23, 2014, from http://alaska.usgs.gov/science/interdisciplinary_science/cae/arctic_coastal_plain.php
(n.d.).
Climate discovery chronicles archive. website: http://www.meltonengineering.com/climate%20Dicsovery%20Chronicles%20archive%20110111.htm
Tourism also impacts the boreal forest in a negative manor.
Because tourism can bring in additional people, more resources are needed in
order to support them and maintain the tourism industry. This means more
deforestation which effects the ecosystem as said above. Over exploitation of
the natural resources such as deforestation and hunting results in the addition
of carbon emissions, melting of permafrost, and loss of native vegetation and
biodiversity of the boreal forest. You can see below the shift in marine life around Alaska due to the effects of tourism including increasing emissions, warmer temperatures and exploitation of resources
Graph
of the Day: Shift of Alaska Marine Species Northward, 1982-2006. (n.d.).
Retrieved November 25, 2014, from
http://www.desdemonadespair.net/2011/09/graph-of-day-shift-of-alaska-marine.html
Another human activity
that affects the boreal forest is fire suppression. What is different about
this impact is that we do not know if the effects are negative or positive yet.
Fire is a natural part of the boreal forest ecosystem. The effect on carbon
emissions can be good because when fires are suppressed there is less carbon
dioxide being added to the atmosphere. However, biomass has built up because no
fires are able to clear it out.
Therefore, when wildfires do occur they burn higher, hotter, and longer
than before resulting in the negative impact on the ecosystem. Fire suppression effects on permafrost
are also bad. Because the biomass
builds up, when fires occur the ground heats up with more intensity and this
causes the permafrost to melt.
Effects
of Forest Fire on Permafrost | International Arctic Research Center. (n.d.).
Retrieved November 25, 2014, from http://www.iarc.uaf.edu/research/highlights/2009/effects_forest_fire_permafrost
As mentioned before, this is bad because
permafrost holds mass amounts of methane that is released into the atmosphere
that contributes to global warming.
The effects of fire suppression on vegetation and biodiversity seem to
be more negative than positive.
Because fires are a natural part of this ecosystem, many species of
vegetation are unable to thrive because of the suppression. This results in the
loss in native vegetation and biodiversity of the boreal forest but does allow
new species to grow and thrive. More research of fire suppression impacts on
the boreal forest is needed to better understand what will happen to the
ecosystem if we continue to suppress fires. Human impacts on the boreal forest may have some good
contributions but the overall impact of humans on this ecosystem is negative.
Future Outlook and Doing Our Part
The future of the boreal forest looks very promising in the short run and as long as climate change can be controlled. Due to its vast size, the direct negative human impact compared to many other ecosystems is small. Deforestation, tourism and fire suppression do inhibit the natural growth and existence of the boreal forest, but not to the point where it will be endangered anytime soon. The main opponent the boreal forest faces is climate change and excessive carbon emissions.
As explained above in the human impact section, there currently exists a cyclical process in which carbon emissions cause the permafrost and land to heat up which, in itself, releases greenhouse gases which additionally contribute to the overall warming of the ecosystem. This is a cycle that will continually repeat itself until the temperature rises to a point where it is too warm for the vegetation and wildlife with their previous adaptations to extended cold. This is the direction the Alaskan Boreal Forest is slowly headed unless we make more of a conscious effort to mitigate these trends.
As explained above in the human impact section, there currently exists a cyclical process in which carbon emissions cause the permafrost and land to heat up which, in itself, releases greenhouse gases which additionally contribute to the overall warming of the ecosystem. This is a cycle that will continually repeat itself until the temperature rises to a point where it is too warm for the vegetation and wildlife with their previous adaptations to extended cold. This is the direction the Alaskan Boreal Forest is slowly headed unless we make more of a conscious effort to mitigate these trends.
Climate
Change in Alaska | Photo by NOAA | Retrieved November 26, 2014, from
In a more direct manner, we can contribute to the slowing of climate change in the Alaskan Boreal Forest by reducing our overall dependence on its resources. While hunting and fishing don't play a huge role in our use of resources, the main issues are and will continue to be the logging and oil industries. These are also the main reasons for human contribution to carbon and greenhouse gas emissions in the ecosystem. The first step is for the government to make a stronger push towards more sustainable logging allowing the forests to grow and thrive. Although the logging industry fuels the economy and creates jobs for locals, there are smarter and ecosystem-friendly ways to do so other than clear-cutting and mass deforestation.
Tongass
Logging | Alaska in Pictures| Retrieved November 26, 2014, from
Additionally, there have been and will continue to be larger pushes to extract oil from the vast regions of the boreal forests as worldwide supplies continue to diminish which could result in more clear-cutting and greenhouse gas emissions. As long as humans to depend on oil, the forests will be continually exploited and destroyed to find this resource.
Drilling
off Alaskan Coast| Coastal Care| Retrieved November 26, 2014, from
http://coastalcare.org/2011/04/drill-off-alaska-coast-shortcomings-in-oil-spill-
preparedness-renews-debate/
We can do our part in this respect by reducing our dependence on paper products and oil. Although this is something that has been emphasized for awhile, it still remains a strong and steadfast cause if we are to maintain our beautiful forests. This push towards recycled and digital products and low and green cars (or even something as easy as carpooling or public transportation) is something that we are all able to contribute to and can definitely play a role in reducing emissions that will someday, if not changed, will warm the forests past fixing. Despite the fact that the Alaskan Boreal Forest seems to be in a good and healthy state, we must do everything we can to limit resource consumption and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to preserve this beautiful ecosystem.
from http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=boreal.main
References
1) Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Boreal Forest in Alaska. Retrieved November 26, 2014, from http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=boreal.main
2) World Wildlife Fund. Interior Alaska – Yukon Lowland Taiga. Retrieved November 26, 2014 from http://www.worldwildlife.org/ecoregions/na0607
3) Euskirchen, E.,
McGuire, A., Chapin III, F., & Rupp, T. (2010, January 1). The changing
effects of Alaska’s boreal forests on the climate system. Retrieved November 19, 2014, from http://www.lter.uaf.edu/pdf/1461_Euskirchen_McGuire_2010.pdf
4) Climate Change and forests.
(n.d.). Retrieved November 23,2014, from http://www.fao.org/3/a-y0900e/y0900e06.tm
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Zone. (n.d.). Retrieved November 23, 2014, from
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discovery chronicles archive. website: http://www.meltonengineering.com/climate%20Dicsovery%20Chronicles%20archive%20110111.htm
7) (n.d.). Arctic and
antarctic under global warming. Retrieved from Saving Wildlife from Mass
Extinction due to Global Warming website: http://www.all-creatures.org/hope/gw/02_Arctic-Antarctic.htm
8) USGS. (n.d.). The Arctic
Coastal Plain - USGS Changing Arctic Ecosystem Initiative, Alaska Science
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16) (n.d.).
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17) Graph of the Day:
Shift of Alaska Marine Species Northward, 1982-2006. (n.d.).
Retrieved November 25, 2014, from
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