Cook Inlet taiga
Cook Inlet taiga | |
---|---|
Alaska-St. Elias Range tundra | |
Geography | |
Area | 27,790 km2 (10,730 sq mi) |
Country | United States |
State | Alaska |
Climate type | Subarctic (Dfc) |
Conservation | |
Conservation status | Relatively stable/intact[1] |
Protected | 8,439 km² (30%)[2] |
The Cook Inlet taiga is a taiga and boreal forests ecoregion in Alaska.
Setting
This ecoregion is located around the upper Cook Inlet on the south-central coast of Alaska, sheltered by mountains on all sides. This coast has a gentle landscape and a relatively mild climate for Alaska with 380–680 mm of rainfall per year.[1]
Flora
The plant life here is varied for Alaska, composted of a mixture of conifers and other trees, shrubs, and herbs. The dominant trees in this region are black spruce (
Fauna
This area is rich in wildlife including
Threats and preservation
The Kenai River, Anchorage, Palmer and Wasilla areas are the most populated part of Alaska, and a base for both the logging and oil and gas industries on the Kenai Peninsula. There is also some clearance for farming in Palmer and Point MacKenzie. Nonetheless, natural habitats remain very well preserved, although wildlife of the Kenai Peninsula has become isolated from that of the Matanuska-Susitna Valley and the west side of Cook Inlet, and therefore from the rest of Alaska. Protected areas include Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, Chugach State Park, Nancy Lake State Recreation Area and the Susitna Flats.
See also
External links
- "Cook Inlet taiga". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
- Cook Inlet Taiga. One Earth
References
- ^ a b "Cook Inlet taiga". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
- PMID 28608869.) Supplemental material 2 table S1b.
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