Inventory and Status Assessment of Lichens in Noatak National Reserve
Project ID: J9W88030026
Federal Agency: National Park Service
Partner Institution: Oregon State University
Fiscal Year: 2003
Initial Funding: $12,000
Total Funding: $92,179
Project Type: Research
Project Disciplines: Biological
National Park: Noatak National Reserve
Principal Investigator: McCune, Bruce
Agreement Technical Representative: Neitlich, Peter
Abstract: The flora of the 6.5 million acre Noatak National Preserve (NOAT), an international biosphere reserve, are dominated in diversity by nonvascular species which have yet to be enumerated. Studies in adjacent Gates of the Arctic National Park have shown that as much as 75% of the flora is nonvascular, with approximately 45% of the species represented by lichens. Only approximately 5% of the likely lichen flora in NOAT has been documented. Lichens face threats of injury and/or extirpation from a variety of anthropogenic sources including air pollution, snow machine and ATV use, and overuse of fragile areas by visitors. Managers do not currently know what taxa or communities are most at risk or at what scale. This study will provide a park-wide inventory and status assessment for each lichen taxon, and will collect a baseline lichen community monitoring data layer compatible with other statewide and national efforts.
Deliverables: