United States Department of Agriculture Land Resource Natural Resources Regions and Major Conservation Service Land Resource October 2004 Areas of Alaska Land Resource Regions and Major Land Resource Areas of Alaska October 2004 USDA—NRCS Alaska 800 W. Evergreen Avenue, Suite 100 Palmer, Alaska 99645-6539 This document is available on the NRCS Alaska Web site: http://www.ak.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/lrr.html Edited by: Darrell R. Kautz, Vegetation Ecologist, NRCS, Alaska MLRA Region 17, Palmer, Alaska Pam Taber, Editorial Assistant, NRCS, Alaska MLRA Region 17, Palmer, Alaska Contributors: Joseph P. Moore, State Soil Scientist/MLRA Office Leader, NRCS, Palmer, Alaska Dennis Moore, Soil Data Quality Specialist, Alaska MLRA Region 17, Palmer, Alaska Mark Clark, Soil Scientist, NRCS, Alaska MLRA Region 17, Palmer, Alaska Darrell R. Kautz, Vegetation Ecologist, NRCS, Alaska MLRA Region 17, Palmer, Alaska Dennis Mulligan, Soil Scientist, NRCS, Alaska MLRA Region 17, Fairbanks, Alaska Michael Mungoven, Soil Scientist, NRCS, Alaska MLRA Region 17, Homer, Alaska David K. Swanson, Soil Scientist, NRCS, Alaska Douglas Van Patten, Soil Scientist, NRCS, Alaska Cover Looking north along the Toklat River in Denali National Park with the Wyoming Hills in the background. This area is within the Interior Alaska Mountains Major Land Resource Area (228), a part of the Interior Alaska Major Land Resource Region (X1). The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Land Resource Regions and Major Land Resource Areas of Alaska Contents Introduction ............................................................ 1 Land Use ..........................................................17 Table 1. Area and Proportionate Extent of 225—Southern Alaska Peninsula Land Resource Regions and Major Land Mountains ............................................................18 Resource Areas of Alaska.................................... 2 Introduction.......................................................18 Figure 1. Land Resource Regions and Physiography....................................................18 Major Land Resource Areas................................. 3 Geology ............................................................18 W1—Southern Alaska Region .............................. 4 Climate .............................................................18 220—Alexander Archipelago-Gulf of Soils..................................................................19 Alaska Coast......................................................... 6 Biological Resources........................................19 Introduction........................................................ 6 Land Use ..........................................................19 Physiography..................................................... 6 W2—Aleutian Alaska Region...............................20 Geology ............................................................. 6 226—Aleutian Islands-Western Alaska Climate............................................................... 7 Peninsula.............................................................21 Soils ................................................................... 7 Introduction.......................................................21 Biological Resources ......................................... 7 Physiography....................................................21 Land Use ........................................................... 8 Geology ............................................................21 221—Kodiak Archipelago...................................... 9 Climate .............................................................21 Introduction........................................................ 9 Soils..................................................................22 Physiography..................................................... 9 Biological Resources........................................22 Geology ............................................................. 9 Land Use ..........................................................22 Climate............................................................... 9 X1—Interior Alaska Region..................................23 Soils ................................................................. 10 227—Copper River Basin ....................................25 Biological Resources ....................................... 10 Introduction.......................................................25 Land Use ......................................................... 10 Physiography....................................................25 222—Southern Alaska Coastal Mountains ......... 11 Geology ............................................................25 Introduction...................................................... 11 Climate .............................................................26 Physiography................................................... 11 Soils..................................................................26 Geology ........................................................... 11 Biological Resources........................................26 Climate............................................................. 11 Land Use ..........................................................27 Soils ................................................................. 12 228—Interior Alaska Mountains...........................28 Biological Resources ....................................... 12 Introduction.......................................................28 Land Use ......................................................... 12 Physiography....................................................28 223—Cook Inlet Mountains................................. 13 Geology ............................................................28 Introduction...................................................... 13 Climate .............................................................29 Physiography................................................... 13 Soils..................................................................29 Geology ........................................................... 13 Biological Resources........................................29 Climate............................................................. 14 Land Use ..........................................................30 Soils ................................................................. 14 229—Interior Alaska Lowlands ............................31 Biological Resources ....................................... 14 Introduction.......................................................31 Land Use ......................................................... 14 Physiography....................................................31 224—Cook Inlet Lowlands .................................. 15 Geology ............................................................31 Introduction...................................................... 15 Climate .............................................................32 Physiography................................................... 15 Biological Resources........................................32 Geology ........................................................... 15 Land Use ..........................................................33 Climate............................................................. 16 230—Yukon-Kuskokwim Highlands.....................34 Soils ................................................................. 16 Introduction.......................................................34 Biological Resources ....................................... 16 Physiography....................................................34 i Land Resource Regions and Major Land Resource Areas of Alaska Geology............................................................34 Climate............................................................. 53 Climate .............................................................35 Soils ................................................................. 53 Soils..................................................................35 Biological Resources ....................................... 53 Biological Resources........................................35 Land Use.......................................................... 54 Land Use..........................................................36 237—Ahklun Mountains ...................................... 55 231—Interior Alaska Highlands ...........................37 Introduction ...................................................... 55 Introduction ......................................................37 Physiography ................................................... 55 Physiography ...................................................37 Geology...........................................................