Producers 



The primary objective of the 1970 field season was the initiation of analysis of vegetation 

 types of significant areal distribution, including their physiognomy (community structure), species 

 composition, biomass, and net primary productivity along the bioenvironmental gradient. In addi- 

 tion, profile descriptions of soil were obtained for most vegetation types examined. It was not 

 possible to obtain significant biomass and productivity data during the first season. As a result 

 of the first season's activities, knowledge of some fundamental characteristics of important vege- 

 tation types along the transpoitation corridor transect between Fairbanks and Wiseman is now 

 available. Initial correlations of these types to environmental factor gradients are being made. 

 Additional field activities, including studies of more stands of vegetation at established and new 

 sites, especially further south along the corridor, and the incorporation of the measurements men- 

 tioned above, will provide some basis for explaining the seemingly complex pattern of vegetation 

 types of the Alaska landscape in addition to the more important objective of providing a more 

 nearly complete understanding of the vegetative productivity of this diverse region. 



Six study areas were investigated: Fairbanks; hot-pipe control area. University of Alaska; 

 Healy Lake; Hess Creek construction camp; Fish Creek Summit; Fish Creek State Highway Depart- 

 ment maintenance camp; and Wiseman. 



In the Fairbanks area activities were confined to the faest adjacent to the experimental hot- 

 pipe installation (hot-pipe control area). Data from Healy Lake were minimal as they were obtained 

 as an adjunct to other work in that area, but they are useful in projecting the transect southward. 

 At each site a reconnaissance was made to develop a general impression of the nature and extent 

 of each vegetation type. Stands representative of the significant vegetation types in the area were 

 located for study. A stand consisted of vegetation which appeared homogeneous tluoughout; therefore, 

 stands varied greatly in size from several square meters to several square kilometers. For each 

 stand a list of species was compiled. 



One or more quadrats usually 10 x 10 m were marked out, and aU species and species groups 

 on the stand list which were found within the quadrat were given by visual estimate a value on the 

 following scale of cover and abundance (C-A) values: 



X - Isolated, a single small individual, insignificant cover. 



1 - Very scattered, rare, insignificant cover 



2 - Scattered, uncommon, low cover. 



3 - Scattered, common, low cover. 



4 - Scattered, common, cover about 5%. 



5 - Common, cover up to 20%. 



6 - Common, cover 20-33%. 



7 - Abundant, cover 33-50%. 



8 - Abundant, dominant, cover 50-75%. 



9 - Dominant, cover 75-100%. 



10 - Dominant, cover over 100% (in the case of overlapping foliage). 



In larger stands, when time allowed, two or more quadrats were studied in order to assess the 

 intrastand variability. Information from 10 quadrats in each of one or more stands is considered 

 desirable as a measure of a vegetation type in an area. At some sites, 1-m^ quadrats were marked 

 out in which stem counts and percentage cover of each species could be estimated. 



101 



