Alaska Peninsula montane taiga

Alaska Peninsula montane taiga
Alaska Peninsula montane taiga
	Subpolar oceanic (Cfc)
Conservation
Conservation status	Relatively stable/intact
Protected	40,413 km² (86%)

The Alaska Peninsula montane taiga is a

World Wildlife Fund

(WWF) categorization system.

Setting

This ecoregion is a mountainous area of ridges up to 1200m between peaks up to 2500m, located on the southern, Pacific Ocean side of the Alaska Peninsula from Cook Inlet west through the Kodiak Archipelago to Unimak Island at the beginning of the Aleutian Islands chain, while the area around Cook Inlet at the head of the peninsula is the neighboring Cook Inlet taiga ecoregion.

The area has a freezing climate of snow (up to 4000mm) and cold temperatures. ^[1]

Flora

The mountainsides are covered with scrubby vegetation, the higher slopes by low scrub such as black crowberry (

Alnus viridis sinuata) and evergreen trees with balsam poplars (Populus balsamifera

) in the colder and icyer areas.

Fauna

This region is known for its large populations of bears that feed on the salmon in the

murres and northern fulmars of Unimak Island, Stepovak Bay and the Semidi Islands

.

Threats and preservation

The natural habitat of these mountains is in pristine condition with fishing the main activity of the people. Hunting and fishing do reduce wildlife populations. Protected areas include;

Katmai National Park, home to large numbers of bears, Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge, the small Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve, Becharof National Wildlife Refuge

and the entire length of the McNeil River.