A few maps made in my current FWS project:
A selection of typical maps for aerial reconnaissance and
transport to field, site selection and familiarization, ground
navigation, safety plans, and post-field presentations.
These (and many others) were printer in much higher
resolution on 11x17 waterproof paper for field use and were
very effective.
* * * *
Press the small pictures to see the larger version on-screen with notes below; press it again to return to index.
General relief map of Kanuti NWR, Alaska
The larger orange circles and squares are potential field study
areas; the smaller red squares show actual study sites
(releves) surveyed.
Made for helicopter recon and field day planning (this one was
updated after fieldwork for a presentation); for each of the
numbered areas a larger-scale field map was made covering
potential areas where fieldwork may be attempted for both
aerial site recon and on-ground navigation. In addition, a
table of lat/long coordinates was printed for helicopter pilot
to use in navigating to the Areas.
This map was made by layering hypsometric tinting and shaded
relief 60m DEMs (the best available for most of AK!) over
Landsat imagery (lending shading to large peatlands) and hydro
shapes for larger features.
Fire date map of Kanuti NWR, Alaska
Similar to previous, with dated and shaded fire areas overlain
to assist in finding potentially unburned areas.
General relief map of Tetlin NWR, Alaska
Same as first map (Kanuti), but for Tetlin.
The Alaska Highway follows the NE side of the refuge, and Yukon
Territory the eastern.
Fire date map of Tetlin NWR, Alaska
Same as second map (Kanuti), but for Tetlin.
Note fewer fires here than in Kanuti due to fewer lightning
strikes here along the Yukon border than in more central
Alaskan Kanuti.
General relief map of Koyukuk and the Kaiyuh Unit of
Innoko NWRs, Alaska
Same as first map (Kanuti), but not showing actual surveyed
locations.
The Yukon River runs through the lower center of the map, and
the Koyukuk the north central.
Fire date map of Koyukuk-Innoko N NWRs, Alaska
Similar to the ones for Kanuti and Tetlin.
Fires less frequent here (this is further west than Kanuti);
and more than Tetlin.
Nowacki et al. Ecoregions map of Koyukuk-Innoko N NWRs,
Alaska
Now with an overlay of one of the frequently used ecoregional
classifications for Alaska (Nowacki).
The goal was (in part) to be able to detect visible differences
of the ecoregions from the air between regions.
Statsgo soil regions map of Koyukuk-Innoko N NWRs,
Alaska
As previous, but with the NRCS�s Stasgo regions.
Field map for area 1 in Koyukuk NWR
Now an example of a larger-scale field map, representing area 1
on the Koyukuk-Innoko general maps above.
The green line is the NWR boundary, the north of the map is BLM
land.
Note the map is oriented with magnetic north to top of map to
minimize field navigational confusion for field crew, but grid
also overlain.
This scale allowed some flexibility in actual field landing and
releves, but is still sufficient to understand the landscape
configuration in a day�s fieldwork over several km.
Quickbird (If I recall) CIR image; obviously an alpine
area.
Field map for area 12 in Koyukuk NWR
Similar to the previous. Worldview-02 image.
This is an area of vegetated dunes (the lighter areas are
mostly Cladonia and Cetraria lichens on
well-drained sandy soils in birch and white spruce open
woodlands) surrounded by a vast black spruce-tussock peatland,
with thermokarst lakes.
A small bit of the Koyukuk River is seen in the NW.
Field map for Spring Creek field area, Arctic
NWR
Now a field map for an area where we flew in fixed-wing and set
a basecamp (in the very center of the image) and made daily
hikes to field sites.
Thus this map (and the next) where the only maps printed for
this 10-day trip, as all were located close together.
Note the large Aufeis patches on the gravel riverbed of Spring
Creek in this Mid-June image; they were nearly as large when we
visited in late July.
Spot-4 image IR/Red/Green bands.
Field map for Spring Creek field area, Arctic
NWR
Same as previous but topo map still useful in the mountains
even at 15� scale...
