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1
Keith D. Bayha 2
Abstract.--The wide array of climatic conditions found in the Nation's largest state is illustrated by the equally wide variety of riparian ecosystems. As elsewhere,
Alaska's riparian habitat are vital to a large variety of fish and wildlife species. Economic exploitation of natural resources also threatens Alaska's riparian ecosystems.
Despite the fact ttlat Alaska has far more riparian habitat than any other state (Brinson et al. 19bl) there is almost no mention of this in the considerable literature on the subject. The Western Division of the American
Fisheries Society did recognize Alaska in its position statement in 1980, but no details were presented.
The purpose of this paper is to increase awareness with Alaska's riparian habitats, their values, and the threats to them in the setting of this National Symposium.
HOW NUCH RIPARIAN HABITAT DOES ALASKA HAVE?
I was asked this question by my co 11 eagues who were preparing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service position paper for this Symposium.
The answer is no one really knows because no systematic inventory has been completed. The
National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) will eventually provide this information but so far only about 10% of Alaska has been mapped by this program. At the current rate of 2% per year, it will be in the mid-1990's before we have mapped the ~b% of the State considered high priority.
Brinson et al. (1~81) contains an estimate of 2~,27b,OUu acres of riparian ecosystems for
Alaska. This may be vie\'led as conservative.
Our NWI biologists estimate that of the 76 million acres of Alaska in the National
Wildlife Refuge System (about 20% of the
Alaskan landmass) there are between 10 and 20 million acres of riparian habitat adjacent to the 5&,000 miles of streams and 5 million acres of natural lakes. While it is true the
National Refuge System has some of the choice wetland areas, by no means are all such areas
~aper presented at the First North American
Riparian Conference: Riparian Ecosystems and their Management -- Reconciling Conflicting Uses,
April 16-18, 1985, Tucson, AZ.
2 neputy Assistant Regional Director/Habitat
Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Anchorage, AK.. in the system. Our NWI staff estimates a more realistic estimate of riparian habitat would be from 30 to 50 million acres.
WHAT ABOUT DIVERSITY OF RIPARIAN
HABITATS IN ALASKA?
Because Alaska is so large, the climatic conditions vary considerably. The coastal rain forest of Southeast Alaska experiences relatively mild temperatures ad precipitation of up to 200 inches per year, while the North
Slope has desert-like precipitation patterns on a permanently frozen subsoil.
Perhaps the best way to answer this question is with photographs. Alaska is commonly subdivided into six regions:
Interior, North Slope, West Coast, Alaska
Peninsula and Aleutian Islands, Southcentral and Southeast (Fig. 1). A cluster of photographs illustrate the diversity of riparian ecosystems found in each of these regions (Figs. 2-32). One should not assume this small sample covers the full range of riparian habitats but it does show the diversity is indeed great.
WHAT ARE THE FISH AND WILDLIFE VALUES
OF ALASKA'S RIPARIAN HABITATS?
In Alaska, just like elsewhere, the rivers, lakes, and sea coasts receive the nutrient and energy flow of the landscape.
The riparian lands are utilized by birds and mammals as they seek their share of this nutrient/energy base. Many species forage in the adjacent waters (Figs. 33-35) and use the riparian lands for cover (Figs. 36-38) and travel corridors (Fig. 39). Others forage in the riparian habitats on the vegetation (Figs.
40-42) and on other inhabitants (Figs.
43-45). Some seem to forage not at all until we biologists come along (Fig. 46). With respect to value to fish and wildlife, Alaskan riparian ecosystems are not a 11 that much different from those documented elsewhere.
491

Figure 1. Climatically distinct regions of Alaska.
0
• ..
ALASKA PENINSULA
.
ISLANDS
.t:J._, •.. t:7
&!3 •.
0
ARE ALASKAN RIPARIAN HABITATS THREATENED?
This is one of those good news-bad news answers. The good news is that by comparison to the rest of the Nation, Alaska still has most of its riparian habitats in good condition. The bad news is that threats to these habitats are real and increasing.
Placer mining is probably Alaska•s most visable problem today (Figs. 47-49). Oil and gas development and attendant transportation systems impact riparian zones (Figs. 50-51).
On the Kenai River and other places, man•s pursuit of recreation has caused impacts, too
(Figs. 52-53). Streambank erosion near
Alaskan 11 bush 11 communities result in the same makeshift control measures seen in the lower
48 states (Fig. 54). Logging can be devastating to stream systems (Fig. 55).
Because the beach fringe was shown to be the most vital habitat for eagles, river otter, mink and other wildlife, this riparian habitat type is now being left uncut in U.S. Forest
Service timber sales (Fig. 56).
CONCLUSIONS AND RECONNENDATIONS
Although the literature is conspicuously silent about Alaska•s riparian ecosystems, they do exist; they are valuable; and they are threatened. Any national riparian thrust should include Alaska, too.
One reason for the absence of 11 riparian literature .. concerning Alaska may be the relative absence of use of the term by
11 riparian scientists working in Alaska. Researchers
11
492 should recognize this when conducting literature searches and probe deeper using ott1er key words such as 11 gravel 11
,
11 Stream alteration .. , .. baseline studies .. , and
11 Shoreline or beach fringe ... Much of the \vork that has been done that might reveal useful information is catagorized as general life history studies or assessment of impacts caused by development.
LITERATURE CITED
American Fisheries Society, Western Division.
1980. Management and Protection of
Western Riparian Stream Ecosystems. AFS.
24pp.
Brinson, M.M., B.L. Swift, R.C. Plantico and
J.S. Barclay. 1981. Riparian
Ecosystems: Their Ecology and Status.
USDI, Fish and Wildlife Service,
FWS/OBS-81/17. Kearneysville, WV. 154pp.
Jingfors, K.T. 1980. Habitat Relationships and Activity Patterns of a Reintroduced
Muskox Populataion. M.S. Thesis.
University of Alaska, Fairbanks. ll6pp.
Mould, E.D. 1977. Movement Patterns of Moose in the Colville River Area, Alaska. M.S.
Thesis. University of Alaska, Fairbanks.
82pp.
Robus, M.A. 1981. Muskox Habitat and Use
Patterns in Northeastern Alaska. M.S.
Thesis. University of Alaska, Fairbanks. ll6pp.