Decadal Micro-Topographic Change in Tundra Near Point Barrow Alaska

Decadal Micro-Topographic Change in Tundra Near Point Barrow, Alaska

Devan R. Berry, Craig E. Tweedie, Robert D. Hollister and Patrick J. Webber

Introduction & Relevance:

Fig. 1 - Polygonal tundra near
Barrow, AK (71^o18/ N 156^o40/ W)

This poster is part of a series re-examining the former Barrow International Biological Program (IBP) site 4 Grid established in 1973. This re-examination is documenting changes in active layer depth, micro-topography, and land cover. Microrelief is seen as one of the principle and proximal controls of vegetation cover in tundra vegetation¹. This suggests that even relatively small changes in elevation could lead to significant changes in land cover².

The study area consists of polygonal tundra (Fig. 1), specifically high center polygons, low center polygons, frost boils, and polygon troughs. Despite the region being relatively flat, polygonal tundra provides a great deal of diversity in terms of micro-elevation, micro-topography, and vegetation type¹.

Few studies have examined decadal change in Arctic regions, despite the great deal of information natural landscape processes provide.

This study investigates how topography has changed at site 4 relative to a common zero point between 1973 and 2001.

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Beginning
Introduction & Relevance
Methods
Results
Summary
References

Arctic Ecology Laboratory

Decadal Micro-Topographic Change in Tundra Near Point Barrow, Alaska