In FY2011, the I&M Arctic Network used IKONOS imagery from 2006-2008 to map slumps and small landslides caused by thaw of permafrost in the Noatak National Preserve (2.6 million ha). Over 1,000 features were located. The results of this analysis were compared to the 1977 color-infrared Alaska High-Altitude Photography (AHAP of the same area to assess volume of change in the landscape due to thawing permafrost.
In support of NPS Alaska Region Inventory and Monitoring Program a sampling design was developed, through a contract with the private sector, of soil and vegetation in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve. As part of this effort, an extensive time series of Landsat imagery (1985–2010) was collected.
The Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) Central Alaska Network stream monitoring program relies heavily on GPS and remote sensing technology. Remotely sensed imagery, particularly IKONOS and high-resolution aerial photography is used extensively to evaluate the suitability and logistical feasibility of potential sampling locations prior to the field season.
In recent years, the retreat of Exit Glacier has kept Kenai Fjords National Park’s trail crews busy extending trails as they strive to maintain safe visitor access to the edge of the glacier. GPS and GIS systems are used by park managers to document and map these new trails and manage information during trail development.
The Alaska Region I&M program uses a variety of remote sensing technologies to assist its efforts to inventory vegetation and soils within the region. As with other NPS programs, the Inventory Program uses GPS to establish ground control for satellite image analysis, and to collect geolocation information of our study sites. During routine office work, transects, plot locations, and related geospatial data are overlaid on satellite and/or aerial photography. Remotely sensed imagery is also used as background data for GPS unit displays to aid navigation while in the field. Standard s
GPS data received by collars on caribou, moose, muskox, and wolves is relayed via communication satellites to the desks of wildlife biologists. This technology allows biologists to track these animals in the remote areas of Alaska even during inclement weather and the dark. These data help biologists study the movements, behavior, habitat use, and population dynamics of these animals. The figure below shows the migratory movements of female caribou of the Western Arctic Herd. At 350,000 caribou, it is the largest herd in the country and one of the largest in the world. Each caribou mig