Alasha Habitat Management Guide
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Alasha Habitat Management Guide Arctic Region Volume I: Life Histories and Habitat Requirements of Fish andWildlife Produced by State of Alasha Department of Fistl and Crame Division of Habitat Iuneau, Alasha 1986 @TggS BYTHE AI.ASKA DEPAPTMENT OF FISH AI{D GAI}TE Contents Achnowledgements vi i Introduction illarnmals Marine Mammal s whal e 17 Bowhead whale 37 -EETuThaPacific wal rus 53 Polar bear 7I Ringed seal 89 Terrestrial Mammals BFotnlear 1O3 Caribou 119 Dal 1 sheep I29 Moose 139 Birds Dabbl ing ducks 155 Diving ducks 167 Geese 181 Fish Freshwater/Anadromous Fi sh en 201, Arctic arayl ing 223 Broad whitefish 243 Lake trout 259 Least cisco 273 Sheefish 285 Sa I mon Chinook 297 Chum 315 Coho 331 Pink 347 Sockeye 363 ilt Marine Fish ffifi coo 379 Capel in 389 Pacific herring 399 Saffron cod 411 Starry flounder 425 Shel I fi sh 435 Tanner crab 453 -ii'!'crao Maps Introduction -T. -ThETtx regions of the Alaska Habitat Management Guides 5 2. The Arctic Region and three subregions l0 Life Histories and Habitat Requirenpnts the species' range (map I of each narrative). Pacific wal rus of Pacific walrus 53 -l-lange2. Estimated location of mating herds 55 3. Estimated maximal extent of calving herds 62 Figures Introduction -ITp'es of narratives and maps produced by the A'laska Habitat Managerpnt Guides Project 6 Tables Belukha whale -TffiEfi'contents of belukha whales collected in Eschscholtz Bay ?3 2. Stomach contents of belukha whales collected at Point Hope ?4 Bowhead whale -T. Tood-iTems from bowhead whale stomach samples collected at Kaktovik, Barter Island, A'laska, September-0ctober 1979 41 2, Quantitative composition of stomach contents from bowhead whales at Kaktovik, autumn 1979 4? iv Brown bear -TTltter size for brown bears as determined in various studies in North America 111 [--DiEt composition of 62 dabbling ducks on the west Copper River delta, Sept.-0ct.1981 161 2. Breeding biology of dabbling ducks 163 Divinq ducks -T.Tnt-and animal species utilized by diving ducks 170 2. Reproductive characteristics of diving ducks L72 Geese -T. Preferred foods and breeding habitat of geese in the Southcentral Region 186 2. Preferred foods and breeding habitat of geese in the Southwest Region L87 3. Preferred foods and breeding habitat of geese in the Arctic Region 189 4. t'teiting, rearing, and molting biology of geese in the Southwest Region 191 5. Neiting, rearing, and molting biology of geese in the Southcentral Region 193 Volume 2 contains narratives on the distribution, abundance, and human use of selected species of fish and wildlife. Achnowledgements This project is under the direction of the Conmissioner of the Department of Fish Ind-Game, Don l,J. Collinsworth, the Director of the Division of Habitat, Norman A. Cohen, and the Deputy Director, Bruce H. Baker. Many individuals have been involved in the production of this second A'laska HiUitat Management Guide. All narratives were reviewed first fV project staff and distributed for both technica1 and departmental reviews. The names of reviewers and other contributors are compiled in appendix A in volume 2. The following lists the production team and the portion of the guide for which authors are resPonsible.* Marianne G. See, Coordinator Bob Durr, Editor Lana C. Shea, Team Leader, Wildlife Group Leader C. Wayne Doleza'|, Fisheries Group Leader Authors: Wildlife Steve Albert, Habitat Biologist: caribou LH (with M. McDonald), DA, HU-H; moose DA. Sue Hills, Habitat Bio'logist: belukha LH (with J. Westlund), DA; bowhead LH (with J. Westlund), DA; wa]rus LH, DA; poiar bear LH, DA. Michael McDonald, Game Biologist: caribou LH (with S. Albert); moose LH, DA, HU-H; brown bear LH, DA, HU-H; ringed seal LH' DA. Frances Nelson, Game Bio'logist: dabb'ling and diving ducks and geese LHs' DA. John H. Westlund, Game Biologist: be'lukha LH (with S. Hi'l'ls) ' DA; bowhead LH (with S. Hi'l'ls), DA; Dall sheep LH, DA' HU-H. Authors: Fish Durand R. Cook, Habitat Biologist: broad whitefish LH' DA. C. Wayne Dolezal, Habitat Biologist: chinook, coho, sockeye, chum' and pink salmon LHs. * LH='life history and habitat requirements; DA=distribution and abundance; HU-C=human use-c6mmercial fishin'g; HU-T=human use-trapping; HU-H=human use-sport- use-hunting; HU-P=human use-subsistence fishing; -.HU-S=human fishing; nd=regional overview (summary of DA and HU-C). vil Katherine A. Rowell, Fisheries Biologist: Pacific herring LH, HU-C; king crab LH, HU-C; Tanner crab LH, R0; chinook, coho, sockeye, chum, and pink salmon HU-C and P. Melinda L. Rowse, Fisheries Biologist: Least cisco LH, DA; saffron cod LH, DA. James S. Swingle, Fisheries Technician: chinook, coho, sockeye, chum, and pink salmon DA. Sandra K. Sonnichsen, Fisheries Biologist: arctic char/Dol1y Varden LH (with K. Webster), DA; arctic grayling LH (with K. Webster), DA; lake trout LH (with K. Webster), DA; sheefish LH, DA, HU-S (including arctic char/Dolly Varden , arcti c grayl i ng, l ake trout , sheefi sh , burbot, northern pi ke, whitefish, and salmon. ) Keith A. Webster, Fisheries B'iologist: arctic char/Dolly Varden LH (with S. Sonnichsen); arctic grayling LH (with S. Sonnichsen); lake trout LH (with S. Sonnichsen). Authors: Subsistence and 0ther Local Use of Resources Dave Andersen, Fish and Game Resource Specialist: Bering Straits/Norton Sound and North Slope subregions. Bob Schroeder, Fish and Game Resource Specialist: Kotzebue Sound Subreg'ion. Support Staff Lauren Barker, Librarian Carol Barnhill, cartographer Charlotte Bridges, Systems Manager Tom Bucceri, Cartographer Patti Frink, Drafting Technician Michael Frost, Drafting Technician Susan H. Grainger, Clerk/Typist Juanita R. Henderson, Clerk/Typist Frances Inoue, Drafting Technician Clare A. Johnson, Clerk/Typist Ethel Lewis, Clerk/Typist Greg Mi 1'l s , Analyst/Programmer Brooks Pangburn, Analyst/Programmer RoxAnn Peterson, Fisheries Technician Cheryl Pretzel, Clerk/Typist Gay Pulley, Graphic Artist Lavonne Rhyneer, Drafting Technician Don Shields, Drafting Technician viii The process of developing the initial plan and procedu_res for this project invoived a number of individuals who are not otherwise'listed as authors and contributors. These include many staff within the Division of Habitat, as wel I as p'lanners and research and management coordinators of other divisions. This group also includes all project team members and all ADF&G regional supervisors. Specia'l mention should be made of the supp^o1.t.I.oT Alvin Ott and Lance Trasky, Regional Supervisors of the Division of Habitat for the Arctic and Southwest regions (Regions III and IV, respectively), and of the contributions of Rai Behnert, who was the original coordinator of this 'A.project. We would also like to acknow'ledge the many contributions of John Clark, who was Director of the Division of Habitat until his untimely death in 1985. IY Introduction Ovrerview of Habitat lUlanagement Guides Proiect Background Alaska is an immense and bountiful frontier, and until just recently it was all but inconceivable that we would ever need to worry about its capacity to sustain the wea'lth of fish and wildlife resources for which it is renowned. But the impetus of progress has not abated, and the pressure to de_vel.op our lands and waters intensifies daily. Every year more lands in Alaska are being proposed for uses other than as wildlife habitat, especia'lly around cities, tbwns, and villages. These proposed uses include_ logging, mining'. hydroeiectric projects, agriculture, settlement, geothermal development, and oit and gas te'asei, among others. As the number of proposa'ls and _p'lans for developmint continues tb increase, So does the need to careful ly .and efficibntly evaluate their possible effects upon species and habitats and to recommend viaUte managerial'options to guarantee that our valuab'le fish and wildlife resources and habitats are adequate'ly protected and maintained. By using appropriate planning and manageria'l techniques most of the potential for damage and loss of access for human use can be avoided. One of the responsibilities of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) is to asiist'land managers by recommending to them the best ways-and protecti I fi sh means , based upon the best avai I abl e data , for ng ocal ' wildlife, and habitats against adverse effects and impacts. Because many proposals and plans for development and land uses require a _rap'id response iroin the department, there may not be enough time for staff to actually study the specific area in which the proposed development is to occur. However, the'department'in still needs to accumulate and assess a wide variety of information order to prepare recommendations for managing habitat. Therefore, the department initiated the Alaska Habitat Management Guides (AHMC) project to prepare reports of the kinds of information upgq_which its recommehdations must be founded in order to responsibly and rapidly address 'land and water use proposals made by land managers. These guides are. a major undertaking and will be of inestimable value to the state in its efiorts to avoid or mitigate adverse impacts to A'laska's great wealth of fi sh and wi I dl i fe. Purpose This project presents the best available information on selected fish and wildlife-species:'their mapping-abundance; and discussing their geographical distribution; assessing relative describing their life .functions and habitat requirements; identifying the human uses made of them,_including harvest patterns of rural cornmuni ti es ; and descri bi ng thei r ro'le i n the state's iconomy. This last kind of information, because of the variety of values humans place upon fish and wildlife, is not easi'ly derived. There are, however, several methods to estimate some of the economic va'lues associated with these resources, and such estimates have become particularly important in land use planning because many potentia'l1y conflicting uses must be evaluated in economic terms.