GENERAL MAPS 



In addition to the 82 species, this Atlas volume contains 23 

 general maps, cited in the list of General Maps under Contents. 

 The plan follows that of the first volume, which has 2 base maps 

 with place names and special details of the environment added as 

 9 transparent overlays. 



Besides the 2 base maps (General Maps 1 and 2), Volume 2 

 has 21 maps of Alaska summarizing environmental factors and 

 supplying background information on geography, geology, climate, 

 and vegetation. The aim has been to assemble the available Alaska 

 maps of significant environmental factors related to plant distri- 

 bution and forestry, especially in land-use planning. However, 

 small-scale maps cannot show minor variations or local differences, 

 such as in mountainous areas. 



It is hoped that these maps will provide a better understanding 

 of the Alaskan environment as well as some insight into the reasons 

 for the varied distribution patterns of the tree and shrub species. 

 Also, correlation with range borders may suggest which environ- 

 mental factors may be limiting. These basic maps indicate the 

 broad conditions under which each species grows wild and may 

 serve as a preliminary forest atlas of the 49th State. 



The increased number of general maps in this Alaska volume 

 is readily justified. The largest State encompasses distances nearly 

 as great as across all the contiguous United States and possesses 

 extreme sites for plant growth. Environmental conditions such as 

 temperature and precipitation vary widely within the distant 

 boundaries. Also, the somewhat different factors or features here 

 may be unfamiliar to new residents and visitors from the lower 

 48 States. 



Two maps on vegetation and forests of Alaska (General Maps 22 

 and 23) have been modified especially for this Atlas. The others 

 have been assembled from various published sources as cited 

 below and are acknowledged with thanks. Publication again here 

 may aid in the circulation and use of these basic maps. 



General Maps 6, 8, 9, 11, 15, 16, and 17 are from "Environ- 

 mental Atlas of Alaska" (Johnson and Hartman 1971) with 

 permission from the publisher, the University of Alaska, the 

 source also of 10 and 20. Numbers 4 and 12 are redrafted from 

 "Major Ecosystems of Alaska" (Joint Federal-State Land Use 

 Planning Commission for Alaska 1973). 



The United States Geological Survey prepared the basic maps, 

 in part revised afterwards, for General Maps 2 and 4—9. Those 

 originating in the U.S. National Weather Service (formerly 

 Weather Bureau) or related agencies include 11 and 13-19. Publi- 

 cations of the U.S. Forest Service are the source of General Maps 

 1, 3, 21, 22, and 23. 



1. North America. The general map of North America shows 

 the location of Alaska in reference to the contiguous United States 

 or lower 48 and serves for orientation. This map is adapted from 

 the base map in the first volume (Little 1971, Base Map 2-N). 

 The scale is one-third that of the base maps of Alaska in this 

 volume, approximately 1:30,000,000, about 473 miles to 1 inch 

 (300 km. to 1 cm.). National boundaries and names of countries, 

 also provinces of Canada, are shown. The position of Alaska is 

 indicated by latitude and longitude. However, the 49th State is 

 in slightly distorted projection in the upper left corner, and the 

 Aleutian Islands could not be included. 



2. Alaska with place names. The base map from Alaska 

 Map A from U.S. Geological Survey (1947, reprinted 1971), has 

 been trimmed slightly on right margin to conform to page dimen- 



sions and reduced one-half in black-and-white without other 

 changes to scale 1:10,000,000, about 158 miles to 1 inch (100 km. 

 to 1 cm.). Comparison with species maps will aid orientation of 

 range boundaries, collection sites, and field work to named cities, 

 towns, highways, mountains, rivers, lakes, islands, etc. 



3. National Forests, Parks, and Wildlife Refuges. The 

 map from "Alaska Trees and Shrubs" (Viereck and Little 1972), 

 front end-papers, has been revised by addition of other refuges 

 under Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife. Shows as of 1974 

 the areas of federally owned lands dedicated to the management 

 or preservation of Alaska's renewable natural resources. Examples 

 are: Chugach, North Tongass, and South Tongass National For- 

 ests; Mount McKinley National Park, Katmai and Glacier Bay 

 National Monuments; Kodiak, Izembek, and Aleutian Islands Na- 

 tional Wildlife Refuges (also smaller refuges), Arctic and Clarence 

 Rhode National Wildlife Ranges, and Kenai National Moose 

 Range. 



Under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, proposals have 

 been submitted to Congress for large areas of additional National 

 Forests, Parks, and Refuges in interior Alaska. These proposed 

 areas have not been added, pending Congressional action and 

 perhaps revision of boundaries. 



4. Topography (contour map). The generalized map 

 shows lands less than 1,000 feet above sea level, lands between 

 1,000 and 2,000 feet, lands between 2,000 and 5,000 feet, and 

 lands above 5,000 feet (1,000-, 2,000-, and 5,000-foot contours). 

 From colored map, scale about 1:12,000,000, reverse side of 

 "Major Ecosystems of Alaska" (Joint Federal-State Land Use 

 Planning Commission for Alaska 1973). The 5,000-foot contour 

 has been added in this Atlas. 



The most productive land zone for plant and animal life is 

 between sea level and 1,000 feet. Also, nearly all the State's 

 population is in that zone. Commercial forests are below 2,000 

 feet altitude, mostly below 1,000 feet. Above 5,000 feet are per- 

 petual ice and snow, rock, and occasional patches of alpine tundra. 



5. Relief. This shaded relief map is from "The National 

 Atlas" (U.S. Geological Survey 1970, p. 58). The relief map in 

 colors by Richard Edes Harrison, scale 1:7,500,000, has been 

 reproduced photographically here in black-and-white. The rough- 

 ness of the surface and especially the plains, mountain ranges, 

 and ice fields are indicated. 



6. Physiography (physiographic provinces of Alaska). 

 This map with names of the main mountain ranges and lowlands 

 has been published in "Environmental Atlas of Alaska" (Johnson 

 and Hartman 1971, plate 6) and is from the U.S. Geological 

 Survey (Wahrhaftig 1965). 



Alaska has four major divisions of physical geography, large- 

 scale topography, or landforms. These major North American 

 physiographic divisions in Alaska, from south to north are: the 

 Pacific Mountain System, the Intermontane Plateaus, the Rocky 

 Mountain System, and the Interior Plains or Arctic Coastal Plain. 

 All extend northwest from western contiguous United States 

 through Canada to Alaska, where they bend to the west. 



These major divisions have been further divided into provinces, 

 as mapped. Plains and lowlands are generally less than 1,000 feet 

 above sea level. Low mountains, plateaus, and highlands of gen- 

 erally rolling topography have summits of 1,000—6,000 feet in 

 elevation. High rugged mountains have summits of more than 

 5,000 feet. 



The Pacific Mountain System includes the Coast Ranges of the 

 Southeast, St. Elias Mountains, Wrangell Mountains, Kenai- 



