Biocomplexity of Patterned Ground Data Report Dalton Highway, 2001-2005 Joni E. Barreda, Julie Knudson, Donald A. Walker, Martha K. Raynolds, Anja Kade, Corinne Munger Alaska Geobotany Center Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks Fairbanks Alaska 99775 March 2006 Funding: U.S. National Science Foundation, OPP-0120736 Online Link: http://www.geobotany.uaf.edu/library/reports/dalton2001-05_dr0603.pdf Table of Contents List of Figures..............................................................................ii-v List of Tables ..............................................................................v-vi Introduction................................................................................. 1-3 Description of the Study Locations .......................................................... 3-6 Happy Valley ............................................................................... 3 Sagwon MAT.................................................................................. 4 Sagwon MNT.................................................................................. 4 Franklin Bluffs ............................................................................ 5 Deadhorse .................................................................................. 5 West Dock................................................................................. 5-6 Howe Island ................................................................................ 6 Methods and Types of Data Collected......................................................... 6-12 Climate Stations ......................................................................... 6-7 Heave Measurements ....................................................................... 7-8 10 x 10-m Grids .......................................................................... 8-9 Vegetation Mapping.......................................................................... 8 Active Layer Measurements .................................................................. 8 Snow Measurements .......................................................................... 9 Relevés.................................................................................. 9-11 Species .................................................................................... 9 Site Factors................................................................................ 9 Soils...................................................................................... 10 N-factor .................................................................................. 10 Vegetation Manipulation ................................................................ 10-11 Soil Pits ................................................................................. 11 LAI and NDVI .............................................................................. 12 Biogeochemistry ........................................................................... 12 Results................................................................................... 13-216 Aerial Photos........................................................................... 13-14 Climate Data ........................................................................... 15-20 Heave Measurements ..................................................................... 21-28 10 x 10-m Grids ........................................................................ 29-53 Vegetation Mapping...................................................................... 29 Active Layer Measurements ........................................................... 30-37 Thaw Maps............................................................................ 38-43 Snow Maps............................................................................ 44-53 Relevés................................................................................ 54-164 Species Cover Abundance ............................................................ 54-124 Site Factors....................................................................... 125-152 Vegetation Manipulation ............................................................... 153 Relevé Photos...................................................................... 153-164 Soil Pit Descriptions ................................................................ 165-180 Howe Island, Dry Nonacidic Tundra, Soil Site #201 ................................. 165-166 West Dock, Wet Nonacidic Tundra, Soil Site #202 ................................... 166-167 Deadhorse, Moist Nonacidic Tundra, Soil Site #203 ................................. 167-168 Franklin Bluffs, Wet Nonacidic Tundra, Soil Site #204.............................. 168-169 Franklin Bluffs, Moist Nonacidic Tundra, Soil Site #205 ........................... 169-171 Franklin Bluffs, Dry Nonacidic Tundra, Soil Site #205 ............................. 171-172 Sagwon Hills Moist Nonacidic Tundra-1, Soil Site #207.............................. 172-173 Sagwon Hills Moist Nonacidic Tundra-2, Soil Site #207a............................. 174-175 Sagwon Hills Moist Acidic Tundra-1, Soil Site #208 ................................ 175-176 Sagwon Hills Moist Acidic Tundra-2, Soil Site #208a................................ 176-178 Happy Valley Moist Acidic Tundra, Soil Site #209 .................................. 178-179 Toolik Lake Acidic Tundra, Soil Site #210 ......................................... 179-180 Soil Pit Data ........................................................................ 181-201 Soil Data from cryptobiotic crust study .............................................. 202-234 Happy Valley ...................................................................... 202-208 Sagwon MAT......................................................................... 209-211 Sagwon MNT......................................................................... 212-218 Franklin Bluffs dry................................................................ 219-222 Franklin Bluffs moist ............................................................. 223-227 Franklin Bluffs wet ............................................................... 228-229 Deadhorse ......................................................................... 230-232 Howe Island ....................................................................... 233-234 LAI and NDVI ......................................................................... 235-236 Biogeochemistry ...................................................................... 236-237 Acknowledgements............................................................................. 238 Participant List......................................................................... 238-239 References................................................................................... 239 Appendix................................................................................. 240-245 GPS Coordinates....................................................................... 240-245 Happy Valley ...................................................................... 240-241 Sagwon MAT............................................................................. 241 Sagwon MNT......................................................................... 241-242 Franklin Bluffs ................................................................... 242-243 Deadhorse ......................................................................... 243-244 West Dock.............................................................................. 244 Howe Island ........................................................................... 245 List of Figures Figure 1. Patterned ground formations found along the Arctic bioclimate gradient: (a)non-sorted circles at Howe Island, AK, (b) earth hummocks at Mould Bay, NWT, (c) small non-sorted polygons at Howe Island, AK, and (d) turf hummocks at Green Cabin, NWT.................................................................................. 1 Figure 2. The seven Low Arctic sites of the Biocomplexity project are found along the Dalton Highway in Northern Alaska. ......................................................... 2 Figure 3. The North American Arctic Transect includes seven locations in northern Alaska and four in Canada. ................................................................. 3 Figure 4. Happy Valley, Alaska is the southernmost Biocomplexity site. ........................ 3 Figure 5. Happy Valley 10 x 10-m grids: (a) hillcrest, (b) midslope, and (c) footslope ........ 3 Figure 6. Sagwon MAT is located in subzone E of the circumpolar Arctic. ....................... 4 Figure 7. Sagwon MNT is located in subzone D of the circumpolar Arctic......................... 4 Figure 8. Sagwon MNT 10 x 10-m grids: (a) MNT1 and (b) MNT2. .................................. 4 Figure 9. Franklin Bluffs is one of seven Biocomplexity study sites. .......................... 5 Figure 10. Franklin Bluff 10 x 10-m grids: (a) dry, (b) moist, and (c) wet..................... 5 Figure 11. Deadhorse is located in Ssubzone D.................................................. 5 Figure 12. West Dock is located at Prudhoe Bay in Alaska's North Slope oil fields. ............ 5 Figure 13. Howe Island is the northernmost Alaskan Biocomplexity site.......................... 6 Figure 14. Vladimir Romanovsky installed climate stations, like the ones shown here at Happy Valley, at each site. ................................................................ 6 Figure 15. Ten-pin heavometers were used to measure heave at all the Dalton Highway sites...... 7 Figure 16. Snow depth was measured at each site to create snow maps in Transform software...... 9 Figure 17. Anja Kade records data at relevé 19 near Franklin Bluffs moist grid. ............... 9 Figure 18. Soil pits were dug at each study site. ............................................ 11 Figure 19. An aerial photo was taken of each grid. ........................................ 13-14 Figure 20. Temperature in the tundra adjacent to the non-sorted circles was recorded for several years at Franklin Bluffs. ......................................................... 15 Figure 21. Temperature was recorded at several depths in the tundra adjacent to the non-sorted circles at Deadhorse over several years......................................... 15 Figure 22. Temperature was recorded at several different depths in the tundra adjacent to the flat centered polygons at West Dock over several years. ............................ 15 Figure 23. Air temperature was recorded at each site for a period of several years............ 16 Figure 24. Surface temperatures were recorded at all the sites for a period of several years........................................................................... 16 Figure 25. Temperatures at a depth of 0.5m were recorded over a period of several years........................................................................... 16 Figure 26. Mean annual temperature was determined for each site between September 2000 and August 2001. ........................................................... 17 Figure 27. Mean annual temperature was determined for each site between September 2001 and August 2002. ........................................................... 17 Figure 28. Mean annual temperatures were determined for each site between September 2002 and August 2003. ........................................................... 17 Figure 29. Mean annual temperatures among the sites between Sep 2003 and Aug 2004 were determined................................................................... 17 Figure 30. Mean July temperatures were determined for 2001 at each site. ..................... 18 Figure 31. Mean July temperatures were determined for 2002 at each site. ..................... 18 Figure 32. The mean July temperature was determined for each site in the Low Arctic in 2003......................................................................... 18 Figure 33. The mean July temperature across the Low Arctic was compared for 2004 ............. 18 Figure 34. Mean January temperatures were determined in 2001 at each site. ................... 19 Figure 35. Mean January temperatures were determined in 2002 at each site. ................... 19 Figure 36. Mean January temperatures were determined in 2003 at each site. ................... 19 Figure 37. Mean January temperatures were determined for 2004 at each site.................... 19 Figure 38. The summer warmth index was determined at each site for several years.............. 20 Figure 39. Two heavometers collected heave measurements at Happy Valley for analyses.......... 21 Figure 40. Two heavometers recorded heave at Sagwon MAT for analyses. ........................ 22 Figure 41. Two heavometers measured frost heave at Sagwon MNT for analyses.................... 23 Figure 42. Three heavometers recorded heave data for analyses at Franklin Bluffs........... 24-25 Figure 43. Three heavometers measured heave at Deadhorse for analyses. .................... 25-26 Figure 44. One heavometer recorded heave data at West Dock for analyses....................... 27 Figure 45. Two heavometers recorded heave data at Howe Island for analyses................. 27-28 Figure 46. Frost heave maxima were determined for all Low Arctic sites. ...................... 28 Figure 47. Vegetation maps were created in ArcGIS for each grid. ............................. 29 Figure 48. Thaw maps were created from June 2001 thaw depth data.............................. 38 Figure 49. Thaw maps were created from July 2001 thaw depth data. ............................ 39 Figure 50. Thaw maps were created from August 2001 thaw depth data. .......................... 40 Figure 51. Thaw maps were created from August 2001 thaw depth data. .......................... 41 Figure 52. Thaw maps were created from 2002 thaw depth data. ................................. 42 Figure 53. Thaw maps were created from 2002 thaw depth data. ................................. 43 Figure 54. Snow maps were created from 2001 snow depth data................................... 44 Figure 55. Snow maps were created from 2002 snow depth data................................... 45 Figure 56. Snow maps were created from 2002 snow depth data................................... 46 Figure 57. Snow maps were created from 2003 snow depth data................................... 47 Figure 58. Snow maps were created from 2003 snow depth data................................... 48 Figure 59. Snow maps were created from 2004 snow depth data................................... 49 Figure 60. Snow maps were created from 2004 snow depth data................................... 50 Figure 61. Snow maps were created from 2005 snow depth data................................... 51 Figure 62. Snow maps were created from 2005 snow depth data................................... 52 Figure 63. Snow maps were created from 2005 snow depth data................................... 53 Figure 64. Soil descriptions were recorded at Howe Island for soil site #201. ............... 165 Figure 65. Soil descriptions were recorded at West Dock for soil site #202................... 166 Figure 66. Soil descriptions were recorded at Deadhorse for soil site #203................... 167 Figure 67. Soil descriptions were recorded at Franklin Bluffs wet for soil site #204 ........ 168 Figure 68. Soil descriptions were recorded at Franklin Bluffs moist for soil site #205 ...... 169 Figure 69. Soil descriptions were recorded at Franklin Bluffs dry for soil site #205 ........ 171 Figure 70. Soil descriptions were recorded at Sagwon MNT for soil site #207.................. 172 Figure 71. Soil descriptions were recorded at Sagwon MNT for soil site. ..................... 174 Figure 72. Soil descriptions were recorded at Sagwon MAT for soil site #208.................. 175 Figure 73. Soil descriptions were recorded at Sagwon MAT for soil site #208a................. 176 Figure 74. Soil descriptions were recorded at Happy Valley moist for soil site #209.......... 178 Figure 75. Soil descriptions were recorded at Toolik Lake for soil site #210. ............... 179 Figure 76. Soil Crusts at soil site #209 were sampled in August of 2001...................... 202 Figure 77. Soil crusts at soil site # 208 were sampled in September of 2002. ................ 209 Figure 78. Soil crusts at soil site #207 were sampled in September of 2002. ................. 212 Figure 79. Soil crusts at soil site #206 were sampled in July 2002........................... 219 Figure 80. Soil crusts at soil site #205 were sampled in September of 2002. ................. 223 Figure 81. Soil crusts at soil site #204 were sampled in September of 2002. ................. 228 Figure 82. Soil crusts at soil site #203 were sampled in July of 2001. ...................... 230 Figure 83. Soil crusts at soil site #201 were sampled in August of 2001...................... 233 Figure 84. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (mean ± 1 SE) of non-sorted circles and corresponding inter-circle tundra from three sites in Northern Alaska, July 2002 ......... 235 Figure 85 . Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (mean ± 1 SE) of non-sorted circles and corresponding inter-circle tundra from four sites in Northern Alaska, August 2004 ........ 235 Figure 86. Leaf Area Index (mean ± 1 SE) of non-sorted circles and corresponding intercircle areas from three sites in Northern Alaska, July 2002. .................................... 236 Figure 87. Carbon to nitrogen ratios (mean ± 1 SE) of organic and mineral soils of nonsorted Circles and corresponding inter-circle areas at four sites in Northern Alaska, 2004 ...... 236 Figure 88. Total inorganic nitrogen concentrations (mean ± 1 SE) of organic and mineral soils of non-sorted circles and corresponding inter-circle areas at four sites in Northern Alaska, 2004 ................................................................. 237 Figure 89. Rates of net nitrogen mineralization (mean ± 1 SE) in organic and mineral soils of non-sorted circles and corresponding inter-circle areas at four sites in Northern Alaska, 2004 ............................................................................. 237 List of Tables Table 1. GPS coordinates of the seven Low Arctic study sites. ................................. 2 Table 2. GPS coordinates of Dalton Highway sites' climate stations. ........................... 7 Table 3. Known GPS coordinates of all Dalton Highway sites heavometers......................... 8 Table 4. Microsite grid thaw depth data for August 2000.................................... 30-31 Table 5. Microsite grid thaw depth data for August 2001.................................... 32-34 Table 6. Microsite grid thaw depth data for August 2002.................................... 35-37 Table 7. Species abundance was determined for each relevé................................. 54-117 Table 8. The percent of each growth form that covered the relevé was recorded ........... 118-124 Table 9. Abbreviations were used in the site factor tables. ............................. 125-126 Table 10. Happy Valley relevé site factors were recorded................................. 127-129 Table 11. Site factor data were recorded at Sagwon MAT....................................... 130 Table 12. Site factor data were recorded at Sagwon MNT. ................................. 131-132 Table 13. Site factor data were recorded at Franklin Bluffs. ............................ 133-138 Table 14. Site factor data were recorded for Deadhorse. ................................. 139-140 Table 15. Site factor data were recorded at West Dock. ...................................... 141 Table 16. Site factor data were recorded at Howe Island. ................................ 142-143 Table 17. Site factors consisting of snow, thaw, and n-factor data were recorded . for all sites. ....................................................................... 144-146 Table 18. Soil analyses were performed on each relevé.................................... 147-152 Table 19. Mean summer temperature (MST), winter temperature (MWT) and annual temperature (MAT) at the soil surface, mean thaw depth, frost heave, snow depth and index of soil-surface instability for the last year of the experiment (2004/2005) .... 153 Table 19a. Selected soil chemical data from Biocomplexity soil pits ..................... 181-196 Table 19b. Selected soil physical properties from Biocomplexity soil pits ............... 197-201 Table 20. Soil chemical and physical properties were recorded at Happy Valley for selected crusts. .................................................... 202-208 Table 21. Soil chemical and physical properties were recorded at ................... Sagwon MAT for selected crusts. ...................................................... 209-211 Table 22. Soil chemical and pysical properties were recorded at ................... Sagwon MNT for selected crusts. ...................................................... 212-218 Table 23. Soil chemical and physical properties were recorded at ................... Franklin Bluffs dry for selected crusts. ............................................. 219-222 Table 24. Soil chemical and physical properties were recorded at ................... Franklin Bluffs moist for selected crusts. ........................................... 223-227 Table 25. Soil chemical and physical properties were recorded at ................... Franklin Bluffs wet for selected crusts. ............................................. 228-229 Table 26. Soil chemical and physical properties were recorded at ................... Deadhorse for selected crusts. ....................................................... 230-232 Table 27. Soil chemical and physical properties were recorded at ................... Howe Island for selected crusts. ..................................................... 233-234 Table 28. Preliminary GPS coordinates of Biocomplexity study sites ................... along the Dalton Highway. ............................................................ 240-245 Introduction The Biocomplexity project studies small patterned-ground ecosystems along the Arctic bioclimate gradient in North America. Various types of patterned-ground formations are found in the Arctic (Figure 1). These are a significant components of nearly all Arctic landscapes. Although these features have been studied by geomorphologists, their role in ecosystems has been largely unstudied. The study of these systems is particularly important because: 1. Some processes involved in the formation of patterned-ground landscapes are not well understood. 2. The role of cryogenic processes with respect to tundra energy budgets, biogeochemical cycling, carbon sequestration, and other ecosystem processes are poorly known. 3. They are an ideal natural system to study the response of disturbed and undisturbed tundra to differences in climate. The project focuses on how climate influences the interactions between vegetation, soils, and patterned ground formation in order to better understand how climate change might affect these systems. In June of 2000, researchers began studying patterned-ground ecosystems at seven locations along the Dalton Highway in northern Alaska. Twelve grids and one hundred seventeen relevés were established among the seven sites (Figure 2). Data types collected ranged from climate to vegetation. Thirteen scientists from a number of different disciplines and institutions collected data. All of the study sites summarized in this data report are found in Alaska’s Arctic Slope, which in its entirety is located north of the Arctic Circle. The Arctic Slope is 230,509 km2 in size and is located at Alaska’s uppermost section. The northern most biocomplexity study site is West Dock, while Happy Valley is the southern most site. The GPS locations of the study sites are found in Table 1. The seven study sites are located in subzones C-E of the five circumpolar Arctic subzones. Subzone A experiences the coolest temperatures of the circumpolar Arctic, while subzone E experiences the warmest temperatures (Figure 3).