-) 





United States Department cf the Interior 

 xish. and T/ildlife Service 



I7ildj.ife leaflet 176 



Wash?.ngton, D. C, 



J-zr-uary 1941 



A^. ZVAL AITS PLAINT S ESGIRCBS OF AUISKA 



By L, J. Palner, Biologist, Section of Biological S^:r\^e;-s 

 Sivision of TJild?.ife 2ese3,rch 



Contents 



Introduction 1 



Alaska as a home for wildlife . 2 



Flora of Alaska 3 



?a.-una of Alaska 5 



Ihe depletion of Tvildlife ... 7 



Importance of Alaskan rildlife. 7 



i Related land -"ases. 



"he v=?ildl;lfe proTbiem . . . 

 Present administration of 



Al,?.sk£n rildlife .... 

 InYestigations of 'viidlife 



soirrces in Alaska. ...... 



Page 

 . . 8 

 . . 3 



. . 10 



. . 11 



Introduction 



The Tvildlife of Alaska constitutes the greatest- natural resource 

 of the "erritcry. The extensive coa.stal v.-ater3 support a rich cea life 

 and an important fishing industry; the many inland rivers, ponds, rjid 

 lakes support an inportant aquacic f ur-anij-^al , tird, and fish pop-.ila- 

 tion; and the vast land area, offering a ride diversity of ha."bit3t, is 

 the hoae of a rich flora sn.d fauna, on nearly virgin territory. 



Because cf its cliicate and terrain, Alaska has n^r.-/ kinds cf rild- 

 life that are oiit standing, as giant "brown tears, polar oears, rhite noun- 

 tain sheep, caribou in h^oge herds, large .'jCoss , a variety of fur animals 

 (including fur seals and sea otters), Tratcrfc.vl, and a luxuriant sea lifs 

 that includes forms ranging all the vray from diiiiinutive shrimps to enor- 

 mous whales. Because the land is thinly settled oj people, 'bo'it 1 per- 

 Bon to every 10 square miles, the T;ildlife is still vigorous and, with 

 few exceptions, net generally depleted. It is meiiELced, ho^^ever, by the 

 possibility of increased settlement and oy the destruction of cover by 

 fires. 



