1.
Jason
J.
McFarland
Arctic
Vegetation
Ecology
692
M.S.
Biology
Candidate
Alaska
Cooperative
Fish
and
Wildlife
Research
Unit
Department
of
Biology
and
Wildlife
University
of
Alaska
Fairbanks

2. -­‐ Background
information,
project
introduction
-­‐ Description
of
study
area
and
site
-­‐ Research
objectives
and
preliminary
results
-­‐ Conclusions

3. -­‐
Worked
for
BLM
in
2009
and
2010
and
worked
on
Arctic
Coastal
Plain,
North
Slope
-­‐
Visited
many
different
watersheds
and
observed
many
fish,
but
disproportionate
amount
of
aquatic
food
resources
(i.e.
aquatic
invertebrates)
-­‐
Where
is
food
coming
from?
Could
surrounding
riparian
vegetation
be
providing
terrestrial
subsidies
(i.e.
terrestrial
invertebrates)
to
stream
fish???

4.
Jason
J.
McFarland
M.S.
Biology
Thesis

5. -­‐
Threats
to
ecological
processes
in
aquatic
ecosystems
in
the
Arctic
-­‐
Small,
lower
order
streams
are
potentially
most
susceptible
climate
change
and
land
use
impacts
-­‐
Beaded
streams
are
important
habitat
for
fish
and
other
biota
-­‐
Project
focuses
on
terrestrial/aquatic
linkages
in
a
beaded
stream
-­‐
Baseline
study
to
better
understand
basic
ecological
processes
in
order
to
evaluate
future
ecological
changes

6. Camp Black Gold Spike

10. 438 D. A. WALKER AND K. R. EVERETT EcologicalMonographs
Vol. 61, No. 4
156? 152? 1BO
A4048?
aBarrow
Crea
Creek
O
b d (
100 km
Study
Site
Beaufort Sea
F v :. fM ~~~..... ...
1......... .. . ,g ,.
70 .. ...............moisthmi
g.... . . . . . . . . . . . . . ........ . . . . . ., t wit
PrudhoePBayhtundra
ty- /i
Atkasoeo ___ FOO > ;~adoesest
70 A S A L L A
........~
) t-4 ~~Lowland with
loess
B wet minerotrophic tundra
Lowlandloess with wet
'680
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~tundra
B>.
8arrow.. BeaufortSea F- with wet andmoist
acidic
'68?L =01 1 m
m ~~~~~~~~~~~~~Upland
loess and
deposits
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~mainersitsohi
caysdi
FIG. 1. Extent of minerotrophictundra
satll e o r
O n L
t A L a Upland loess deposits
T I C
p.CF 0 T t (Carter
.-.p 1988) withmoistmixed
> / ~ ~~ _ ~ '-8 R 0 ?
0 acidicandminerotrophictundra
,Marine silts andclays
I withwetacidictundra
FIG. 1. Extent of minerotrophic and acidic tundras on the Alaskan North Slope based on Carter (1988) and AVHRR
satellite-derived imagery. Upland loess occurs in the Arctic Foothills. Lowland loess occurs on the Arctic Coastal Plain.
(Walker,
Dinformation is from study sitesK.R.
1991)
extensive area of modem
tundra ecological .A.,
and
Everett,
un- The most loess deposition

11. Aquatic
Sedge
(Carex
aquatilis,
Eriophorum
angustifolium)
Willows
(Salix
pulchra)
Mixed
(willows/sedge)

13. NEWS RELEASE
U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS BUILDING STRONG ®
For Immediate Release: Contact:
Dec. 19, 2011 Pat Richardson, 907-753-2520
Public.Affairs3@.usace.army.mil
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issues permit for CD-5
ANCHORAGE – Today, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Alaska District issued a permit under
Section 404 of the Clean Water Act to ConocoPhillips Alaska, Inc. for the CD-5 Alpine Satellite
Development Project.
This decision culminates nearly a year-long review process that included an in-depth analysis of
engineering alternatives along with an examination of supplemental technical information provided by
state and federal agencies. In a detailed 134-page record of decision, the Corps is requiring
ConocoPhillips to use the least environmentally damaging practicable alternative as required by law.
“Today’s decision is entirely consistent with the mission of the Corps of Engineers’ Regulatory Program,
which is to protect the Nation's aquatic resources while allowing reasonable development,” said Kevin
Morgan, Regulatory Chief for the Alaska District. “It’s indicative of a program that is fair, flexible and
balanced."
The CD-5 permit authorizes construction of a drill pad, six-mile long access road, four bridge crossings,
two valve pads with access roads, and new pipeline support structures. It also includes 22 special
conditions intended to minimize the impact to the environment within the Arctic Coastal Plain. In
addition, ConocoPhillips agreed to pay mitigation fees to the Conservation Fund to compensate for
unavoidable losses to aquatic resources.
During the review process, the Corps evaluated four practicable alternative proposals that included
both above and below ground pipelines. Additional information provided by ConocoPhillips, combined
with opinions from agencies responsible for pipeline oversight in Alaska, documented that an above
ground pipeline, in this particular situation, presented a lesser risk of damage to the aquatic ecosystem.
“The clarifying information we reviewed and conditions agreed to by ConocoPhillips cleared the way for
us to issue this permit,” said Col. Reinhard Koenig, Commander of the Alaska District. It’s testament to
the Corps’ permit evaluation process and our ability to make balanced and independent decisions.”
“The ConocoPhillips proposal will provide year-round quick and effective pipeline monitoring, leak
detection, and spill response,” Koenig said.
The Record of Decision is available on the Alaska District’s website at: http://www.poa.usace.army.mil.
U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS – ALASKA DISTRICT
P.O. Box 6898, Elmendorf AFB, AK 99506-0898
http://www.poa.usace.army.mil

14. Map
Credit:
Matthew
Whitman
(BLM)

16. 1) Measure
riparian
invertebrate
subsidies
(i.e.,
fish
prey)
to
streams
from
different
riparian
plant
communities,
in
Crea
Creek,
NPRA.
2) Determine
how
riparian
vegetation
influences
Arctic
grayling
foraging.

17. Hypothesis:
The
riparian
community
composition
of
invertebrates
differs
between
willow,
sedge
and
mixed
willow/sedge
dominated
communities
-­‐
Deployed
floating
pan
traps
and
to
quantify
invertebrates
landing
or
falling
into
the
stream
from
riparian
vegetation
-­‐
Pan
traps
were
located
in
the
2
largest
patches
of
each
dominant
vegetation
type
(willows,
sedge,
mixed
willow/sedge)
and
sampled
in
June,
July,
and
August
-­‐
Contrasted
species
richness,
abundance,
and
biomass
of
invertebrates
falling
into
stream

18. No Data
No Data
-­‐
Invertebrates
falling
into
or
landing
in
Crea
Creek
varied
by
plant
type
and
season.
-­‐
Flies,
beetles,
aphids
and
caddisflies
were
the
most
common
taxa.

19. -­‐
Used
aerial
photography
overlaid
with
grid
cells
to
estimate
relative
composition
of
riparian
vegetation
communities
in
10
equal
sized
stream
reaches

20. 9 10
8
7
3 4 5 6
1 2
Crea
Creek
Total
Community
Composition:
Sedge-­‐52%,
Willow-­‐33%,
Mixed
willow/sedge-­‐14%,
and
Tussock
tundra-­‐<1%

21. Objective
goal
is
to
contrast
fish
diets
from
stream
reaches
with
differences
in
riparian
vegetation
composition
Diet
Sampling
-­‐Gastric
lavage
to
remove
stomach
contents
-­‐Fishing
efforts
will
be
divided
into
10
stream
sections
(same
sections
as
vegetation
sampling)

22. -­‐ Terrestrial
invertebrates
were
relatively
important
for
juvenile
grayling,
but
surprisingly
not
adults
-­‐ What
were
the
adults
eating?
Ninespine
stickleback!

23. 9 10
8
7
3 4 5 6
1 2
No Data
No Data
2011
Grayling
Capture
in
Crea
Creek
60
50
Number
of
Grayling
Captured
40
-­‐
Cluster
analysis
and
NMDS
30
ordination
to
show
invertebrate
20
communities
associated
with
Juvenille
Adult
10
riparian
vegetation
and
fish
diet
0
June
August
June
August
June
August
June
August
June
August
June
August
June
August
June
August
June
August
June
August
July
July
July
July
July
July
July
July
July
July
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Reach
Number
and
Month

24. -­‐
Climate
change
and
increased
oil
and
gas
development
on
the
NPRA
pose
threats
to
ecological
processes
in
aquatic
ecosystems
-­‐
Beaded
streams
provide
important
habitat
for
fishes
-­‐
Riparian
vegetation
plays
a
vital
role
in
stream
food
webs
by
supporting
terrestrial
and
aquatic
invertebrates—the
primary
food
source
for
grayling
and
other
fishes
-­‐
Understanding
energy
and
nutrient
flow
between
streams
and
their
riparian
communities
is
paramount
to
understanding
how
Arctic
aquatic
habitats
and
ecosystems
will
respond
to
changes
in
climate
and
land
use

25. A
big
thanks
to
our
collaborators
for
their
financial
and
logistical
support:
Matthew
Whitman
with
BLM,
Chris
Arp
with
UAF,
Mary
Beth
Lowen
with
US
Fish
and
Wildlife
Service,
UAF
Department
of
Biology
and
Wildlife,
Field
Technician
Katie
Hayden,
and
helicopter
pilot
Keelan
McNulty.

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J.D.,
M.S.
Wipfli,
J.P.
Caouette,
A.
Prussian,
and
J.
Rodgers.
2003.
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of
Streamside
Vegetation
on
Inputs
of
Terrestrial
Invertebrates
to
Salmonid
Food
Webs.
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Journal
of
Fisheries
and
Aquatic
Sciences.
60:
309-­‐320.
Cadwallader,
P.L.,
Eden,
A.K.,
and
Hook,
R.A.
1980.
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as
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food
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for
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olidus
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31:257-­‐262.
Frey,
K.
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and
J.
W.
McClelland.
2009.
Impacts
of
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degradation
on
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Hydrological
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23:
169-­‐
182.
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2001
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change
2001:
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adaptation,
and
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In:
Contribution
of
Working
Group
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J.J.
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&
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