Glaciers of Denali

Explanation: On an exceptionally clear day in May, I found myself flying from Anchorage to Deadhorse (by Prudhoe Bay), Alaska ... and directly over the Alaska Range. Below stretched a truly spectacular vista of glaciers and peaks of Denali National Park and Preserve. Denali itself -- North America's tallest mountain at 20,320 feet (6,194 meters), is the wind-swept peak seen in the very top left in the main photo above.

Denali National Park and Preserve encompasses 9,375 square miles (24,280 square kilometers) with only one road. In past visits on the ground there, I have watched barren-ground caribou, Arctic fox, Arctic ground squirrels, grizzly bears, and other wildlife.

But despite the incredible isolation and protection of the area, it is still vulnerable ... to climate change.

Studies are being conducted to determine the extent and effects of changing climate in the park, including expansion of woody plants into high alpine tundra that threatens to adversely alter habitats for associated animals.

More broadly than the park, interior Alaska is experiencing a gradual warming trend, with average temperatures having increased 2-4^o C. over the last few decades and expansion of woody vegetation at treeline (Stueve et al. 2011).

Comparisons of photos taken at Polychrome Pass in Denali Park in 1916 and again in 2011 show melting and recession of icefields and glaciers. Other studies are focusing on better understanding the key meteorological factors that are causing glacial melt and retreat within the park.

Information:
Stueve, K. M., R. E. Isaacs, L. E. Tyrrell, and R. V. Densmore. 2011. Spatial variability of biotic and abiotic tree establishment constraints across a treeline ecotone in the Alaska Range. Ecology 92(2):496-506.

Dedication:
This episode is dedicated to my sister Vivian, math teacher, cardio-pulmonary specialist, computer expert, and motorcycling companion on a joint Alaskan adventure.

EPOW - Ecology Picture of the Week