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PACIFIC SCIENCE, Vol. XVIII, April 1964 
idaea L., Viburnum edule (Michx.) Raf., Pedi- 
cularis labradorica Panzer., Cornus canadensis 
L., and Calamagrostis sp. 
Coastal forest species are: Picea sitchensis 
( Bong. ) Carr, Vaccinium ovalifolium Smith, 
Oplopanax horridus (Sm.) Mig., and Rubus 
spectabiiis, Pursh. 
Conspicuous by their absence from Kodiak, 
yet present in adjoining regions or throughout 
Alaska are: Poa arctica R. Br., Arctagrostis 
latifolia (R. Br.) Griseb., Draba nivalis Lilj., 
Sagina intermedia Fenzi., Picea glauca (Moench) 
Voss., and Astragalus alpinus L. 
ANIMAL DISTRIBUTION 
An interesting zoogeographical situation 
arises in regard to the land mammals. Only six 
species are known to be native to the Island 
Group (My otis lucifugus, Microtus oeconomus, 
Vulpes fulva , Ursus middendorffi, Mustela er- 
minea, and Lutra canadensis) . At least 12 intro- 
duced mammals have become established. Many 
of these introduced mammals as well as others 
not present are common on the nearby mainland 
but have not become naturally established on 
the islands. 
The indigenous mammals have affinities with 
several regions. U. middendorffi is closely re- 
lated to the Asiatic bears. M. lucifugus is a 
widely-distributed more southerly form. M. oe- 
conomus is typically a northern meadow mouse. 
The remaining three native species have a gen- 
eral circumpolar distribution or else a closely 
related palaearctic counterpart. Many of the in- 
troduced species are either more southern forms 
or boreal species. The near absence of the ex- 
pected boreal mammals is conspicuous. All na- 
tive mammals could have easily moved from 
the mainland to the islands either by flight or 
swimming, or were small enough to be trans- 
ported by drift. 
Thus, mammals show much the same affinity 
pattern as plants: a dominance of holarctic 
forms, with the remainder of the fauna having 
strong relationships to Asia, the Arctic, and 
more southerly regions. Introduced species from 
the boreal and coastal forests thrive. As in plants, 
mammals not expected to have been found in 
Beringia appear to have been late in arriving 
on the Island Group or have invaded the islands 
only with man’s help. 
The avifauna appears to be drawing its mem- 
bers from four areas: Asiatic immigrants, such 
as Branta nigricans and Larus hyperboreus; Ber- 
ing Sea immigrants, as Aethio cristatella and 
Fratercula corniculata ; northern immigrants, as 
Gavia stellata and Lagopus lagopus; southeastern 
immigrants, as Megaceryle alcyon and Ixoreus 
naevius; and numerous widespread holarctic 
species. Williamson and Peyton (1962) found 
five species of birds in the nearby Iliamna 
area that possessed characteristics intermediate 
between interior and coastal populations. How- 
ever, the avifauna of this region differs from 
the biota of Kodiak Island in that an Hudsonian 
avifauna dominates. 
All freshwater fishes on the Island Group 
are euryhaline. Members of each species move 
readily back and forth between fresh and salt- 
water. The wide-ranging north temperate Gas- 
terosterus acutealus, the five species of the North 
Pacific genus Oncorhynchm, the more southerly 
Salmo gairdneri, Cottus aleuticus with its range 
centered in the Aleutians, and two charrs (Sal- 
velinus malma, a southern species, and S. alpinus , 
an arctic species), whose range overlap on Ko- 
diak Island, collectively present an affinity pat- 
tern similar to that of the plants. 
DISCUSSION 
Climatic similarity is encouraging the ex- 
pression of southeastern elements. The atypical 
arctic element may be due to this same maritime 
temperate climate and proximity of the Island 
Group to the large unglaciated portion of north- 
western Alaska. Re-immigration has not pro- 
ceeded as rapidly as climatic change; thus, a 
gap exists between current and seemingly po- 
tential distribution. In the case of mammals, 
this gap is being closed rapidly by introduction. 
The Kodiak region is characterized by the north- 
ward advancement of the temperate coastal 
elements into an area now occupied by a hetero- 
geneous biota. Boreal elements, both plant and 
animal, that normally occupy this region are 
much reduced. 
Although Kodiak latitudinally belongs in the 
Boreal Zone, boreal elements are not as well 
represented as arctic, montane, or coastal ele- 
ments. Poor boreal expression may stem from 
the barrier formed by the Rocky Mountain 
complex between the boreal areas. The effective- 
