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Connections to Natural and Cultural Resource Studies in Alaska's National Parks

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Connections to Natural and Cultural Resource Studies in Alaska's National Parks National Park Service U.S. Department of Interior Alaska Regional Office Alaska Park Science Anchorage, Alaska Connections to Natural and Cultural Resource Studies in Alaska’s National Parks In this issue: Scars on the Tundra: The Cultural Landscape of the Kiska Battlefield, Aleutians 16 Complexity of Caribou Population Dynamics in a Changing Climate 26 Development of Campsite Monitoring Protocols in Kenai Fjords National Park 32 Tlingit Archeology, Legends, and Oral Histories at Sitka National Historical Park 42 ...and more. Volume 10, Issue 1 Noatak National Preserve Gates of the Arctic Table of Contents National Park and Preserve In Memoriam __________________________________ 4 Kobuk Valley National Park The Rewards and Risks of Working in Alaska’s National Parks _________________________ 5 Cape Krusenstern National Monument S K A Yukon-Charley Rivers Understanding Moraine Formation Around the A National Preserve Muldrow Glacier, Denali National Park L and Preserve __________________________________ 6 A Denali National Park Prehistoric Obsidian Procurement and Transport in and Preserve Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve __ 12 Wrangell St.-Elias Scars on the Tundra: The Cultural Landscape National Park and Preserve of the Kiska Battlefield, Aleutians ______________ 16 Projected Vegetation and Fire Regime Response to Future Climate Change in National Parks in Kenai Fjords Interior Alaska ________________________________ 22 National Park Sitka National Historical Park Complexity of Caribou Population Dynamics in a Changing Climate _________________________ 26 Development of Campsite Monitoring Protocols in Kenai Fjords National Park __________________ 32 The Burning Tundra: A Look Back at the Gulf of Alaska Kiska Last 6,000 Years of Fire in the Noatak National Preserve, Northwestern Alaska_________________ 36 Tlingit Archeology, Legends, and Oral Histories at Sitka National Historical Park ________________ 42 New Book: Recent Mammals of Alaska _________ 47 Scars on the Tundra Article on page 16. Backcover Photo. The 2006 excavation crew: (from left to right) Mike Hammons, William Hunt, A stockpile of small arms cartridges, presumably Anne Pollnow, Amanda Davey, John Gapp, Israel originating from Canadian forces. Such small Cover Photo. Ginn, Mikile Fager, Anne Vawser, Josh Meabon, artifacts are at risk from looting by unsupervised NPS photograph by K. Joly and Ricky Goodall. visitors. Article on page 26. Article on page 42. Photograph by Dirk H.R. Spennemann 2 This project is made possible through funding from the About the Authors National Park Foundation. Additional funding is provided by the National Park Service and other contributors. Jennifer Barnes is a fire ecologist, Alaska Region, Janis Kozlowski is a Program Manager, Affiliated Areas, National Park Service. National Park Service. Alaska Park Science is published twice a year. Recent issues of Alaska Park Science are available for sale by Phil Brease was a geologist, Denali National Park and Wendy Loya is an ecologist for the Alaska Region of Alaska Geographic (www.alaskageographic.org). Preserve. The Wilderness Society. Charitable donations to help support this journal Marc W. Caffee is a particle physicist, Department of Christopher Monz is an assistant professor, Department may be sent to: Alaska Geographic Association, Physics, Purdue University. of Environment and Society, The Ecology Center, Utah 810 East Ninth Avenue, Anchorage, AK 99501 State University. Melissa Chipman is a PhD student, Program of Ecology, ATTN: Alaska Park Science. Evolution and Conservation Biology, University of Illinois Lewis A. Owen is a geomorphologist, Department of at Urbana-Champaign. Geology, University of Cincinnati. Janet Clemens is a historian, Alaska Region, National Jeff Rasic is an archaeologist, Gates of the Arctic Park Service. National Park and Preserve. Joel Cusick is a GIS specialist, Alaska Region, National Scott Rupp is a professor, Department of Forestry and Park Service. Director of the Scenarios Network for Alaska Planning, University of Alaska Fairbanks. Jason M. Dortch is a tectonic geomorphologist, ISSN 1545-4967 June 2011 Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences, Jeff Speakman is a research scientist, Museum University of Toronto, Mississauga, and formerly with Conservation Institute, Smithsonian Institution. Department of Geology, University of Cincinnati. Alaska Park Science Dirk H.R. Spennemann is a professor, Cultural Heritage Project Lead: Robert Winfree, Regional Science Advisor, Sitka National Philip Higuera is an assistant professor, Department of Management, Institute for Land, Water and Society, email: [email protected] Historical Park Forest Ecology and Biogeosciences, University of Idaho, Charles Sturt University, Australia. Editor: Monica Shah Moscow. Alaska Park Science Journal Board: Anna Springsteen is a technician with the Scenarios Peter Armato, Director and Research Coordinator, Chris Houlette is a curator, Gates of the Arctic National Network for Alaska Planning, University of Alaska Ocean Alaska Science and Learning Center Ted Birkedal, Team Leader for Cultural Resources Park and Preserve. Fairbanks. Don Callaway, Cultural Anthropologist Joy Geiselman, Deputy Chief, Feng Sheng Hu is a professor and head of the Michael Urban is a PhD student, Program of Ecology, Biological Science Office USGS Alaska Science Center Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois at Russ Kucinski, Team Leader for Natural Resources Evolution and Conservation Biology, University of Illinois Rachel Mason, Cultural Anthropologist Urbana-Champaign. at Urbana-Champaign. John Morris, Education Coordinator Lisa Oakley, Alaska Geographic Association William J. Hunt, Jr. is a retired archeologist, Midwest Robert Winfree is the science advisor for the Alaska John Quinley, Assistant Regional Director for Communications Sara Wesser, Inventory and Monitoring Coordinator, Alaska Region Archeological Center, National Park Service. Region, National Park Service. Robert Winfree, Chair of Journal Board Printed on recycled paper with soy based ink Kyle Joly is a wildlife biologist, Arctic Network, Published twice a year in June and December by Alaska Geographic, Inventory and Monitoring Program, National Park a nonprofit partner of the Alaska Region of the National Park Service, Service. supporting educational programs through publishing and operation of visitor center bookstores. Fritz Klasner is a natural resources manager, Kenai Disclaimer: Information published in Alaska Park Science has been subjected to general review by the National Park Service Alaska Fjords National Park. Region. Publication in Alaska Park Science does not signify that the contents reflect the views of the National Park Service, nor David R. Klein is a Professor Emeritus, Institute of Arctic does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks. National Park Service endorsement or recommendation. www.nps.gov/akso/AKParkScience/akparkarchives.html 3 Phil Brease, 1950-2010 Phil Brease died May 12, 2010, in the field, sharing contentious job of evaluating mining plans and claims, to infectious as he communicated colorful geologic his knowledge of park geology with students. Teach- the significant challenges of restoring mined lands. Phil stories to countless and diverse audiences. ing was a role he loved, whether the students were excelled at developing cooperative research relationships Phil exemplified the goals of this publication: youngsters on a field trip or colleagues in the NPS. and throughout his career facilitated research with a wide developing science in the parks and communicating that Phil started his career as a professional musician, network of educators, geologists, and paleontologists. science to a broad range of the public. Phil’s name will live but was quickly sidetracked by his love of geology. He Phil’s contributions to park geology and paleontology on in the minds of many researchers, park staff, visitors graduated from Central Washington University and were many. His efforts to improve understanding of and school children, as well as in the Devonian brachiopod worked for multiple agencies before coming to Denali park geology and his fostering of the park’s newly named in Phil’s honor, the Myriospirifer breasei. in 1986 to work on mining evaluation. Phil’s work with recognized paleontological resources were especially mining in the park transitioned over time from the important. His exceptional wit and excitement was Meg Hahr, 1967-2009 Meg Hahr and her husband, Sidney Shaw, left summer a muddy pond, trampled by horses, and worked tirelessly to understand and protect them. Alaska in March 2009 when Meg accepted the Chief transforms into a beautiful field of irises surrounding She conducted seabird colony counts, coordinated bear of Science and Natural Resources position at Pictured a small clear running stream. The Nelson Slough management activities and worked with the Southwest Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan. She loved her restoration showcased the park’s mission of resource Alaska Inventory and Monitoring Program marine work and had a bright future ahead of her with the protection in a way that many projects could not. nearshore sampling program. She worked hard, but also National Park Service. Meg died suddenly on June 21, She also began a process that led to the inventorying had fun at her job. Her dedication, love of the park and 2009, after a mountain bike accident near her new home.
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