large number of documented localities. These dots were mostly 

 along the coasts and rivers, because transportation was by water. 



Some years later, Munns (1938) published distribution maps 

 of 170 important forest tree species of the United States. With 

 minor additions, the maps were based very largely upon data by 

 Sudworth, who died in 1927. Ranges of 16 tree species of Alaska 

 were shown in solid black on maps of North America or portions. 

 Revised maps of 14 important tree species of Alaska were com- 

 piled by the junior author for "Silvics of Forest Trees of the 

 United States" (Fo wells 1965). 



Other publications of the Forest Service, USDA, have been 

 devoted to maps of the trees of a single State. In 1941—50, its 

 Forest Survey published distribution maps of commercial forest 

 trees in four southeastern States, Mississippi, North Carolina, 

 South Carolina, and Virginia. Detailed maps of forest trees in 

 California, begun some years ago by the California vegetation-type 

 survey, have been prepared also (Griffin and Critchfield 1972). 

 Altogether, more than one-fourth of the States now have publica- 

 tions with distribution maps of all or most native tree species, as 

 noted in the first volume (Little 1971, p. 5). 



While foresters were working in Alaska, explorers and botanists 

 were making plant collections. Hulten (1940a, 1941—50, 1967, 

 1968) prepared both a history of botanical exploration and com- 

 prehensive bibliographies on Alaska plants. Also, Hulten (1937, 

 1941-50, 1960, 1968) published species maps with dots based 

 upon herbarium specimens not only for trees but for the entire 

 flora of seed plants and ferns. 



Of course, botanical exploration of the 49th State expanded 

 greatly with increased settlement and improved transportation 

 from the time of World War II onward. The Alaska Highway and 

 other highways opened large areas, while the cities and smaller 

 settlements have been connected by scheduled airline flights. Small 

 airplanes capable of landing on short airstrips or on water, also 

 helicopters, travel to remote sections. Besides, vegetation has been 

 studied from the air and mapped by airphotos. 



Hulten (1968) presented two small maps of each species in his 

 "Flora of Alaska and Neighboring Territories." One map with 

 dots and lines shows the range in Alaska, Yukon Territory, and 

 adjacent parts of Canada. The other map of the northern hemis- 

 phere, much reduced, indicates by lines the global distribution 

 patterns. 



In adjacent Canada, Hosie (1969) has published small maps of 

 the native tree species. Calder et al. (1968) included small dot 

 maps in their "Flora of the Queen Charlotte Islands", British 

 Columbia. Similar dot maps are being prepared for the flora of 

 British Columbia, a few parts of which have appeared. 



PREPARATION OF THE MAPS 



The maps in this volume have been compiled from various 

 sources, following the procedure reviewed in the first volume. 

 Principal records include publications, herbarium specimens, field 

 work by the authors, and review by botanists, foresters, and others. 

 Most publications consulted are listed under Selected References 

 (p. 17). 



The authors have compiled distribution records while visiting 

 most parts of Alaska except the Aleutian Islands. A report on 

 their collections of woody plants in 1972 with local lists and notes 

 on range extensions will be published elsewhere. Sets of their 

 specimens have been deposited in the Forest Service Herbarium at 

 Fort Collins, Colo., the Herbarium of the University of Alaska 



at Fairbanks, the United States National Museum of Natural 

 History at Washington, D. C, and other herbaria. 



Beginning in 1949, Viereck has been employed in Alaska with 

 various Federal and State agencies and since 1963 with the Forest 

 Service. He has conducted botanical field work and made plant 

 collections in the following areas during the indicated periods: 

 1954, interior Alaska and Brooks Range; 1956 and 1958, Mt. Mc- 

 Kinley National Park; 1957, coastal Alaska, primarily Prince 

 William Sound; 1959-60, Capes Thompson and Lisburne, north- 

 western Alaska; 1961, Tonzona River, Alaska Range; 1962, Dry 

 Creek, Alaska Range; 1963—73, Yukon and Tanana River low- 

 lands; 1965, Yakutat Foreland; 1967, southeastern Alaska includ- 

 ing Haines, Juneau, and Ketchikan and south-central Alaska, Kenai 

 Peninsula; 1969, Wood River Lakes, Dillingham area, south- 

 western Alaska; 1972 (with Little), in the Southwest at Yukon 

 Delta, Lower Yukon River, Bethel, Dillingham, Katmai National 

 Monument, Afognak and Kodiak Islands; 1973, Copper River 

 Delta. 



Little made collections of woody plants at numerous localities of 

 Alaska in the field seasons of 1961 and 1972. The first year he 

 traveled through the Southeast from Portland Canal to Skagway 

 and Yakutat (by launch from Ketchikan to Juneau) . Field work in 

 the interior was mostly in the southeastern part from Homer, 

 Anchorage, and Fairbanks eastward and at Firth River, Fort 

 Yukon, Galena, and McGrath. In 1972 he collected through the 

 Southeast again, including Hyder, Stikine River, and Haines, and 

 in the Southwest with Viereck, also at Kotzebue, Noatak, and 

 Kiana in the Northwest, and Prudhoe Bay on the Arctic Ocean. 



"Alaska Trees and Shrubs" (Viereck and Little 1972) contains 

 small species maps compiled by the senior author. The excellent 

 dot maps of each species by Hulten (1941-50, 1968) served as the 

 logical starting point for maps in this Atlas volume as well as in 

 that handbook. The dots for each species were copied on Alaska 

 Map A (published by the U.S. Geological Survey), which was 

 somewhat larger and served as a working map. Where the precise 

 location was uncertain, the place of collection was verified in the 

 earlier reference. For the genus Salix, willow, the later species 

 maps for Alaska by Argus (1973) were used. Dot maps in "A 

 Flora of the Alaskan Arctic Slope" (Wiggins and Thomas 1962) 

 were examined also. Several recent publications and unpublished 

 lists contributed additional records and range extensions. 



Next, each map was checked at the University of Alaska Her- 

 barium (ALA) at Fairbanks. That important source contains 

 many relatively recent collections from localities not previously 

 covered. Dots, often numerous, were added to each map from data 

 on labels. However, it was not practicable to enter all places 

 crowded near centers such as Fairbanks nor to record the source 

 of every dot. Specimens by the authors were included. 



Then, lines representing the limits of distribution for each 

 species were drawn conservatively around the dots, mostly along 

 vegetation type boundaries or similar altitudinal zones. Each 

 species map was compared on a light table with the colored vegeta- 

 tion map of Alaska, slightly simplified, by the senior author 

 (Viereck and Little 1972). 



Photocopies of the maps reduced one-half to the final size were 

 circulated to several reviewers, including botanists, foresters, and 

 others with extensive field experience in Alaska. These specialists 

 contributed numerous additional dots, some representing range 

 extensions, and important notes. Last, the authors compiled and 

 incorporated the changes into each map and naturally are respon- 

 sible for all errors. The final maps were drafted by Barbara H. 

 Honkala, research botanist, who made the cover drawing also. 



