Table 8. Areal extents of geomorphic units used for differentiating ecosections
found within Fort Greely.
Area
Geomorphic Unit
ha
%
Weathered Bedrock
805
0.3
Residual Soil over Weathered Bedrock
9,553
3.7
Mountain Complex: Residual Soil, Weathered Bedrock, Talus
4,608
1.8
Rugged Mountain Complex: Weathered Bedrock and Talus
12,373
4.8
Loess/ Older Moraine
34,890
13.4
Loess/ Younger Moraine
20,899
8.0
Lowland Loess/ Older Moraine
1,907
0.7
Lowland Loess/ Glaciofluvial
23,011
8.8
Upland Loess
566
0.2
Upland Loess, frozen
433
0.2
Meander Inactive-floodplain Cover Deposit
1,305
0.5
Abandoned-floodplain Cover Deposits
777
0.3
Headwater Floodplain-Steep Undifferentiated
1,043
0.4
Headwater Floodplain-Lowland Undifferentiated
2,645
1.0
Alluvial Fan Inactive-riverbed Deposit
437
0.2
Alluvial Fan Abandoned Riverbed Deposit
635
0.2
Lowland Retransported Deposits
9,274
3.6
Hilly Retransported Deposits
27,194
10.4
Ice-cored Glacial Moraine
824
0.3
Older Moraine
30,572
11.7
Younger Moraine
29,395
11.3
Glaciofluvial Outwash Active-riverbed Deposit
6,613
2.5
Glaciofluvial Outwash Inactive-riverbed Deposit
8,005
3.1
Glaciofluvial Outwash Abandoned Riverbed
2,267
0.9
Glaciofluvial Outwash Inactive Cover Deposit
1,164
0.4
Glaciofluvial Outwash Abandoned Cover
3,861
1.5
Glaciofluvial Outwash Terrace Deposit
13,969
5.4
Deep Isolated Lake, Bedrock
9
<0.1
Deep Isolated Lake, Morainal
3,194
1.2
Deep Isolated Lake, Thaw
185
0.1
Shallow Isolated Ponds, Riverine
2
<0.1
Upper Perennial River, Glacial
7,819
3.0
Total
260,234
100
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
Recognition of ecosystem differences within these
broad areas also helps identify gaps where more infor-
An ecological land survey (ELS) of Fort Greely land
mation is needed for land management. For example,
was conducted to map ecosystems at three spatial scales
considerable research has been conducted on the east-
to aid in the management of natural resources. In an
ern side of the Delta River, particularly in the Delta
ELS, landscapes are viewed not just as aggregations of
Lowlands, where access is easy (Holmes and
separate biological and earth resources, but also as eco-
Benninghoff 1957, Pw and Reger 1983). Conversely,
logical systems with functionally related parts that can
little is known about ecological processes on the west-
provide a consistent conceptual framework for model-
ern side of the base or for other ecodistricts. Similarly,
ing, analyzing, interpreting, and applying ecological
the ecological processes associated with the glacial
knowledge. More explicitly, land management activi-
outwash in the Middle Tanana Floodplain are substan-
ties such as ecological risk assessments, analysis and
tially different from the pattern and processes that have
mapping of terrain sensitivity, wildlife habitats, wet-
been extensively studied on the meandering floodplain
land distribution, planning for training exercises, iden-
associated with the Lower Tanana Floodplain. For land
tification of rare habitats, and fire management all re-
management, then, more information may need to be
quire spatially explicit information and a method of
collected on ecological processes in the other
organizing ecological information. To provide the in-
ecodistricts on Fort Greely to address specific manage-
formation required for such a wide range of applica-
ment priorities.
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