KEFJ Basics Flashcards
What are the wilderness ecosystems of Kenai Fjords?
Marine
Nearshore
Freshwater
Montane: Montane ecosystems refers to any ecosystem found in mountains. These ecosystems are strongly affected by climate, which gets colder as elevation increases. They are stratified according to elevation.
Contained within the montane portion of the wilderness is over 700 miles of the Harding Icefield, hugged by steep fjords and spruce-hemlock forests.
Mountain ranges: description, habitat, plants
Protecting much of the southeastern half of the Kenai Mountains - a coastal mountain range that is actively uplifting with
- steep-sided fjords
- drowned cirques
- jagged coastline
this wilderness encompasses a rich and diverse habitat home to many native terrestrial and marine species.
The mountains, including glacial ice, snowfields, and exposed rock largely composed of interbedded slate and graywacke, provide habitat for brown and black bear, mountain goats, wolverines, and ice worms.
High elevation ridges and nunataks (an isolated peak of rock projecting above a surface of inland ice or snow) serve as areas of glacial refugia and host unique alpine plants including the rare
- Douglasia alaskana (Alaska rock jasmine)
- Thlaspia arcticum (Artic pennycress)
- Carex phaeocephala (Dunhead Sedge, Mountain Hare Sedge)
Fjord Formation
A true fjord is formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley by ice segregation and abrasion of the surrounding bedrock. According to the standard model, glaciers formed in pre-glacial valleys with a gently sloping valley floor. The work of the glacier then left an overdeepened U-shaped valley that ends abruptly at a valley or trough end. Such valleys are fjords when flooded by the ocean. Thresholds above sea level create freshwater lakes.[7] Glacial melting is accompanied by the rebounding of Earth’s crust as the ice load and eroded sediment is removed (also called isostasy or glacial rebound). In some cases this rebound is faster than sea level rise. Most fjords are deeper than the adjacent sea; Sognefjord, Norway, reaches as much as 1,300 m (4,265 ft) below sea level. Fjords generally have a sill or shoal (bedrock) at their mouth caused by the previous glacier’s reduced erosion rate and terminal moraine.
Cirque
A cirque is an amphitheatre-like valley formed by glacial erosion. Alternative names for this landform are corrie and cwm. A cirque may also be a similarly shaped landform arising from fluvial erosion. The concave shape of a glacial cirque is open on the downhill side, while the cupped section is generally steep
Coastal Wilderness
In contrast, the coastal lands of this wilderness include the northernmost edge of the temperate rainforest, dominated by Sitka spruce and western hemlock, Sitka alders and understory vegetation such as devil’s club and several species of blueberries. This landscape also includes over 800 unique coastal features including caves, arches, and sea stacks where seals, sea lions, and puffins reside.
Untrammeled
Untrammeled: not deprived of freedom of action or expression; not restricted or hampered.
Hazards like flooding, channel migration, landslides, avalanches, glacier retreat and calving, and glacial lake outburst floods, are intentionally not manipulated – spreading across the wilderness landscape and demonstrating the full expression of the untrammeled quality of wilderness character.
Underdeveloped
With over 569,600 acres of wilderness, often in difficult terrain to access, the KEFJ wilderness is generally undeveloped. Numerous rivers and streams extend from the Harding Icefield without impediment. The sloughing and shifting created by geologic hazards are rarely stabilized; instead, these natural conditions contribute to its raw, ever-changing wilderness essence.
Solitude or Primitive + Unconfined Recreation
In the Exit Glacier area, visitors to the park and its wilderness discover an experience of juxtaposition. Excitement builds in anticipation of viewing a large, notable glacier. But this front- country experience only hints at the spectrum of possible adventures that lie just beyond these trails. A primary access to the Harding Icefield is through the Harding Icefield Trail that begins off the trail to the edge of Exit Glacier. The Harding Icefield Trail is located outside of wilderness, but provides the hiker access to the vast wilderness expanse of the icefield. The rugged wilderness at KEFJ is a vast tract of trail-less terrain that beckons those seeking quiet, solitude, and challenge. Despite being as close as four miles from the Nature Center, those that venture onto the Harding Icefield even after using the popular Harding Icefield Trail are unlikely to encounter other visitors once on the icefield. Visitors to the Icefield can roam freely, experiencing unconfined recreation at its simplest. Self-reliance is a must: with no developed campsites or other equipment here, this is a truly primitive wilderness experience.
The coast offers its own version of a true wilderness experience. The majority of sight-seeing boats that skirt the park’s coastline near Aialik Bay and Bear Glacier Lagoon provide only a glimpse of the wilderness experience that the park provides.
Science: Harding Ice Field
Wilderness in KEFJ is a unique place for public learning and scientific research of glaciology and to study the effects of climate change. The Harding Icefield, encompassing more than 700 miles, is almost entirely within the park and Kenai National Wildlife Refuge boundaries, most of which is in wilderness. This is the largest icefield located completely within the borders of the United States, providing a one-of-a-kind opportunity for scientific inquiry related to glacier research and monitoring. Facing striking and immediate threats from climate change, the Harding Icefield plays a critical role in understanding and anticipating the effects of climate change.
