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The Alaskan Landscape: An Introduction for Limnologists

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Freshwaters of Alaska

Part of the book series: Ecological Studies ((ECOLSTUD,volume 119))

Abstract

Alaska is a land of vastness and contrast covering approximately 152 million ha. It contains many mountain ranges with peaks to 6106 m and extensive areas of lowlands. Climate is extremely variable across the state from the coastal rain forests of southeast Alaska through the boreal forest taiga of the interior to the treeless North Slope above the Arctic Circle. Mean monthly temperatures range from −23°to +17°C and annual precipitation ranges from 500 cm in southeast Alaska to 5 cm in the most northerly areas. Rivers, lakes, and wetlands dominate the landscape. There are more than 3 million lakes larger than 4.5ha and 94 lakes larger than 2500 ha. The largest lake is Lake Iliamna covering 2.63 × 105ha or 2622km2 (Kline, 1991). Ten rivers are longer than 500km (see Fig. 1.1 for map of major rivers, lakes, and wetlands).

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Authors
  1. Alexander M. Milner
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  2. John G. Irons III
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  3. Mark W. Oswood
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, 99775-7220, USA

    Alexander M. Milner

  2. Environment and Natural Resources Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 707 A Street, Anchorage, AK, 99501, USA

    Alexander M. Milner

  3. Department of Biology and Wildlife and Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, 99775-6100, USA

    Mark W. Oswood

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© 1997 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Milner, A.M., Irons, J.G., Oswood, M.W. (1997). The Alaskan Landscape: An Introduction for Limnologists. In: Milner, A.M., Oswood, M.W. (eds) Freshwaters of Alaska. Ecological Studies, vol 119. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-0677-4_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-0677-4_1

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-6866-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4612-0677-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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