Mapping the Human Footprint Across the Boreal

Meeting Date: 10/4/2017

- 10/4/2017


Northern Latitudes LCCs Webinar Series
Wednesday, Oct. 4; 12-1 PM (Alaska Time)

Marcus Geist, Alaska Center for Conservation Science

The Alaska Center for Conservation Science (ACCS) at the University of Alaska Anchorage, in partnership with the Northwest Boreal Landscape Conservation Cooperative (NWB LCC), embarked on a project to map and quantify the human footprint across interior Alaska and northwestern Canada. The goal was to build a seamless dataset that spanned international boundaries by stitching source information from state, provincial and territorial entities in order to represent landscape intactness in the boreal ecosystem.

Significant effort was expended on developing a comprehensive dataset defining mining’s footprint across the region. Historically, mines have been depicted by point locations which do not convey their relative sizes or mining activity might be represented by claims polygons which overestimate their actual footprints. With the advent of statewide 2.5 meter ortho-imagery, ACCS embarked on project to digitize visible surface disturbance related to historic and current mining. Nearly 2000 source point locations were evaluated from the US Geologic Survey, British Columbia Ministry of Energy and Mines, and the Yukon Department of Energy, Mines, and Resources.

The mining footprint dataset includes over 650 discrete polygons totaling 1200 square kilometers with a mean size of 1.8 sq kms. The measured mining footprints have been summarized at the watershed (USGS HUC10 – mean area 688 sq kms) scale across Alaska and summarized at the coarse scale, sub-sub drainage unit (mean area 16,000 sq kms) within Canada. This dataset could help inform decisions regarding natural resource monitoring, identifying potential mitigation/restoration sites, and for conservation planning at watershed scales.

Additional human footprint datasets include a comprehensive transportation layer incorporating roads, trails, rails, and airports across the NWB LCC as well as and energy layer and a developed landcover layer.

Join us: Anchorage: US Fish & Wildlife Service Regional Office, 1011 E. Tudor Rd., Office of Science Applications Conference room Fairbanks: US Fish & Wildlife Service Field Office, 101 12th Ave., Room 110, Library Online: Audio Call-in number: 1-866-755-3168 Access code: 402 119 14#

Webex Go to MyMeetings.com Meeting number: 744 174 411 Meeting Passcode: cSKRtc?8

Contact [(907)456-0404] with any questions.