Aquatic and Terrestrial Monitoring in Alaska

As part of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring (AIM) program in Alaska, ABR supported both aquatic and terrestrial monitoring efforts during the 2025 field season. For the aquatic component, a team led

by John Seigle conducted five 10-day sampling hitches to collect detailed habitat data at over 50 wadeable stream sites ranging from unimpacted waterways to others that have been heavily impacted by mining and recreation. In addition to habitat assessments, the team collected stream macroinvertebrates to help evaluate stream health and productivity, and gathered water quality samples for the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation. On the terrestrial side, a team led by JJ Frost collected

vegetation, soils, hydrology, and permafrost data at 60 plots in remote, logistically challenging BLM lands in the Fortymile River drainage, Alaska Range, southern Brooks Range, and Seward Peninsula. This fall, the ABR team will perform rigorous data QA/QC and deliver datasets in electronic format. The team will also provide feedback on field protocols and data collection tools to help optimize AIM for Alaska’s unique ecosystems.