within the boundaries of the base (Fig. 4c). It is an ac-
Alaska Museum-Herbarium (ALA) that were collected
tive glacier, with a thinly vegetated (though distinctive)
in the Big Delta and Mount Hayes Quadrangles between
6340′ N and 6410′ N (Batten 1997). This working list
terminal moraine.
The largest feature of the southeastern corner of the
was used to help determine collection sites and focus
base is Donnelly Dome (Fig. 4d). It is an isolated
the survey efforts.
monadnock of schist, and has well developed alpine
Subdivision of base for site selection
communities. Its proximity to the Richardson Highway
makes it a heavily used recreation destination, and sev-
The five ecodistricts recognized by Jorgenson et al.
eral trails lead to its summit.
(2001) provided the broadest subdivision of the base
and the areas we hoped to visit during the inventory
Wet habitats
(Fig. 3). These were further divided into 25
Lichvar and Sprecher (1999) delineated the wetlands
ecosubdistricts based on vegetation, soils, permafrost
on Fort Greely. Large expanses of the western half of
characteristics, water bodies, and fauna. These divisions
the base were covered in tussock wetlands, dominated
were used in planning field trips to adequately cover
by Eriophorum vaginatum, shrubs such as alder, and
the major landscape and floristic features of the base.
Sphagnum moss (Fig. 4e and f). Also common were
Collections were made in as many of these subdivi-
low birch, willow, open tall alder, and some sweetgale
sions as could be accessed, and in as many vegetation
scrubshrub wetlands. Numerous kettle ponds exist on
types and specialized habitats within those
the glacial moraines (Fig. 4b). Many of these ponds
ecosubdistricts as was logistically possible. Specific
have a meadow margin of Carex saxatilis and
survey sites were identified using color infrared aerial
Calamagrostis canadensis. Well developed Sphagnum
photography (1:60,000), topographic maps, and con-
bogs are rare. Mark Lake (site 34) was one of the few
sultation with biologists conducting the Land Condi-
lakes surveyed that supported a diverse aquatic com-
tion Trend Analysis (LCTA) project.
munity.
Site access and collecting
Dry sites
Preliminary collections were begun by ABR, Inc.,
On Fort Greely, xeric or dry bluffs and slopes were
in 1996 (Jorgenson et al. 2001) along several transects
found extensively bordering the major river floodplains
sampled for vegetation and soils. In 1998 ABR sampled
(Fig. 4a) and on the south-facing moraines of the Delta
vegetation along additional transects on 74 sample plots
and Donnelly glaciation. The largest and most exten-
and, in addition, added 89 ground-reference plots at sites
sive of these dry slopes were within the firing range
not represented along these transects. In August 1998
closures and, therefore, inaccessible. Most dry, south-
they also visited 126 map verification plots to assist in
facing moraine slopes were fairly small and more simi-
construction of a vegetation map. Figure 5 shows the
lar to dry alpine communities than the steppe commu-
location of all of these sites from 1996 to 1998. Al-
nities encountered at Fort Wainwright. On Fort Greely,
though plant collections and floristic inventories were
these were dominated by communities of Calamagrostis
not conducted at all of these sites, they provide a record
purpurascens, Potentilla hookeriana, and Erigeron
of site visits by botanists.
cespitosus, with a high percentage of the cover being
Inventories were continued during the middle of Au-
Stereocaulon lichen, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, and
gust 1997 by R. Lichvar while he was delineating wet-
Saxifraga tricuspidata. An unusual feature of many of
lands on Fort Greely. Finally, the bulk of the collection
these dry slopes was a shrub-like component of
was made during the first two weeks of July and all of
"krumholz" aspen--dwarfed and gnarled trees, less than
August 1998 by M. Duffy. All sites where collections
a meter high--representing approximately 520% of
were made are shown in Figure 6 and a list of the site
the cover.
names and numbers corresponding with this map are
provided in Table 1.
Special attention was given to obtaining as broad a
METHODS
representation of survey sites as possible within two
distinct limitations: four-fifths of the base is separated
Preliminary checklist development
from the road system by the Delta River, and approxi-
A preliminary checklist of vascular plant species ex-
mately one-quarter of the base is off-limits owing to its
pected to be found on Fort greely was prepared using
use as artillery and bombing ranges (Fig. 5 and 6). In
the range maps in The Flora of Alaska (Hulten 1968)
addition, the cantonment area on Fort Greely (Fig. 2) was
and Alaska Trees and Shrubs (Viereck and Little 1972)
specifically excluded from the floristic inventory, unlike
and from a list of specimens from the University of
the inventories on Forts Richardson and Wainwright.
8
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