USFWS
Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge
Alaska Region   

Icon of Blue Goose Compass. Click on the compass to view a map of the refuge (pdf)

 

Biological Projects

Science on the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge

Gathering data during black bear study. USFWS. Click to Enlarge.The refuge biological program is almost as diverse as the resources found on the Yukon Flats. Each year, much time and effort are expended on inventorying and monitoring the resources on the refuge. Because there are more than 11 million acres within the refuge boundaries, there are still regions about which we know little. Much of the scientific focus has been on the Yukon Flats waterfowl-production area, a vast array of important wetland habitats at the heart of the refuge. We have also focused studies on other habitats, fire, moose, black bears, songbirds, waterbirds, and fish. We collaborate with other agencies, non-government organizations, universities, and the public in planning and implementing the station’s biological program. What follows is a list of completed and ongoing scientific investigations.

Ongoing Studies:

  • Demography of Dall's sheep in the White Mountains - Tanana Hills, 2003-2008
  • Relationship between physiological condition and reproduction of lesser scaup on the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge, 2007-2009, graduate student: Kristin DeGroot, University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Recently Completed Studies :

  • Yukon Flats earth cover classification, 2003-2005
  • Assessing burn severity of 2004 Yukon Flats wildland fires, 2005, USFWS Alaska Region- Natural Resources
  • Inventory of 2004 Yukon Flats wildland fire areas for the presence of invasive plant species, 2005, Alaska Natural Heritage Program.

Avian research :

Butler, W.I., J.I. Hodges, and R.A. Stehn. 1995. Locating waterfowl observations on aerial surveys. Wildlife Society Bulletin 23(2):148–154.

Butler, W.I., R.A. Stehn, and G.R. Balogh. 1995. GIS for mapping waterfowl density and distribution from aerial surveys. Wildlife Society Bulletin 23(2):140–147.

Corcoran, R.M. 2005. Lesser scaup nesting ecology in relation to water chemistry and macroinvertebrates on the Yukon Flats, Alaska. (pdf) M.S. thesis, University of Wyoming. 94 pp.

Esler, D. 1999. Time of day of ovulation by three duck species in subarctic Alaska. Condor 101(2):422–425.

Esler, D., and J.B.Grand. 1993. Factors influencing depredation of artificial duck nests. Journal of Wildlife Management 57(2):244–248.

Esler, D., and J.B. Grand. 1994. Comparison of age determination techniques for female northern pintails and American widgeon in spring. Wildlife Society Bulletin 22(2):260–264.

Esler, D., and J.B. Grand. 1994. The role of nutrient reserves for clutch formation by northern pintails in Alaska. Condor 96(2):422–432.

Grand, J.B. 1995. Nesting success of ducks on the central Yukon Flats, Alaska. Canadian Journal of Zoology 73(2):260–265.

Heglund, P.J. 1988. Relations between waterbird use and the limnological characteristics of wetlands on Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska. M.S. thesis, University of Missouri, Columbia. 179 pp.

Heglund, P.J. 1992. Patterns of wetland use among aquatic birds in the interior boreal forest region of Alaska. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Missouri, Columbia. 394 pp.

Heglund, P.J. and J.R. Jones. 2003. Limnology of shallow lakes in the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge, Interior Alaska. Lake and Reserv. Manage. 19(2): 133-140. (pdf)

Heglund, P.J., J.R. Jones, L.H. Fredrickson, and M.S. Kaiser. 1994. Use of boreal forested wetlands by pacific loons (Gavia Pacifica Lawrence) and horned grebes (Podiceps Auritus L.): relations with limnological characteristics. Hydrobiologia 279/280:171–183.

King, J. 1963. Duck banding in arctic Alaska. Journal of Wildlife Management 27:356362.

Lake, B., J. Walker and M. Lindberg. 2006. Survival of ducks banded in the boreal forest of Alaska. (pdf). Journal of Wildlife Management 70(2):443-449. (pdf)

Lanctot, R.B., and P.X. Quang. 1992. Density of loons in central Alaska. Condor 94(1):282–286.

Martin, K.H. 2007. Breeding ecology and fasting tolerance of scaup and other ducks in the boreal forest of Alaska. (pdf) M.S. thesis, University of Alaska Fairbanks. 113pp. (pdf)

Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS) 1995–2201. Data available at http://www.birdpop.org/nbii/NBIIHome.asp

Safine, D.E. and M.S. Lindberg. 2008. Nest Habitat Selection of White-Winged Scoters on Yukon Flats, Alaska. The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 120(3): 582-593. (pdf)

Safine, David E. 2005. Breeding ecology of white-winged scoters on the Yukon Flats, Alaska. (pdf) M.S. thesis, University of Alaska Fairbanks. 114 pp.

Sowl, K.M. 2003. Timing of breeding and reproductive success in a subarctic population of yellow warblers (Dendroica petechia). (pdf) M.S. thesis, University of Alaska Fairbanks. 114 pp.

Van Horn, Kent. 1991. Habitat use and activity patterns of interior Alaskan waterbirds. M.S. thesis, University of Missouri, Columbia. 248 pp.

Yocum, C.F. 1964. Noteworthy records of birds from the Fort Yukon area and the Yukon Flats, Alaska. Murrelet 45(3):30–36.

Mammal research:
Bertram, M.R., and M.T. Vivion. 2002. Moose mortality (pdf) in eastern interior Alaska. Journal of Wildlife Management 66(3):747–756.

Bertram, M.R., and M.T. Vivion. 2002. Black bear monitoring in eastern interior Alaska. Ursus 13:69–77. (pdf)

Other research:
Corcoran, R.M,, J.R. Lovvorn, and P.J. Heglund. 2008. Long-term change in limnology and invertebrates in Alaskan boreal wetlands. Hydrobiologia DOI 10.1007/s/10750-008-9616-5. (pdf)

Collet, Dominique M. 2004. Willows of Interior Alaska. (pdf) U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 111 pp. (pdf)

Furniss, M.M., E.H. Holsten, M.J. Foote, and M.R. Bertram. 2001. Biology of a willow leafblotch miner, Micrurapteryz salicifoliella, (Ligidopters: Gracillariidae). Environmental Entomology 30(4):736–741

Last updated: January 26, 2009