Comments and Recommendations

The Nulato Hills extend over 250 miles (400 km) from the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta to the Selawik River. This inventory covered only a few sites within the central portion of the Hills, hence the species list and floristic notes reported here are still preliminary. The following recommendations are offered for any future floristic work undertaken in the region.

1) Localities visited that were richest in taxa being tracked by AKNHP were the Debauch Mountain summit area (Figure C- ), the alpine ridges above both sides of the middle to upper North Fork Unalakleet River valley (Figures C- ), and the subalpine ridges east of the South River drainage (Figure C- ). Habitats where these sensitive taxa were most commonly found include active screes, sheltered, alpine snowmelt meadows, and lush mid-elevation meadows. These were also the sites, and habitats, that supported the majority of Beringian and East Beringian endemics, and which documented the most range extensions into the region. Future inventory efforts should seek out similar alpine localities and habitats.

2) The localities for Ranunculus auricomus need to be revisited and similar habitats checked carefully for additional populations of this species, now recognized as part of our North American flora and certain to be listed by the AKNHP. It is critical to get better information on this taxa concerning its habitat preferences and abundance in the area.

3) The alpine ridges east and southeast of Debauch Mountain have not been covered adequately by this survey, in part due to their distance from our Unalakleet base. These are some of the highest alpine areas within the Nulato Hills. In addition, geologic mapping at the regional level (Patton et al. 1994) show this area to include some marine (possibly calcareous) bedrock which is not found to the west. For these reasons, this area should be visited during any future survey efforts. A detailed geologic map for the area will be available in 1999 (Patton, pers. comm.) which will greatly improve our ability to seek out differing bedrock sites. Helicopter access to this area may be facilitated from a base along the Yukon River, or other interior locality, thus avoiding the more unfavorable coastal weather conditions often found to the west, and at Unalakleet.

4) Incidental collecting on Alaska state-managed land near the Unalakleet airport documented 2 taxa being tracked by AKNHP (Eleocharis kamtschatica and Zannichellia palustris) and 2 narrowly restricted Bering Sea coast endemics (Agrostis trinii and Papaver macounii ssp. macounii). This strongly suggests that future inventory efforts should include attention to similar lowland coastal habitats within BLM-managed land.

5) Plants are oblivious to land management boundaries. A floristic study of the Nulato Hills should encompass the entire upland area including the northern portion, north of Debauch Mountain, and if possible, the Blackburn Hills. This could be done in cooperation with BLM-Northern Field Office and the state of Alaska which are, respectively, responsible for the management of these regions.