Beavers have established themselves as a key component of low arctic ecosystems over the past several decades. The data presented here document the occurrence, reconstruct the timing, and highlight the effects of beaver activity on a small creek valley confined by ice-rich permafrost on the Seward Peninsula, Alaska. We analyzed very high resolution satellite imagery to digitize beaver dams and stream channels from the years 2006, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020, and 2021. We also acquired Uncrewed Aircract System (UAS) imagery on 06 August 2021 and created a 5 centimeter (cm) resolution orthophoto mosaic and a 15 cm resolution digital surface model. Our data show that beaver engineering between 2006 and 2021 caused a systems-level response to a small tundra stream that promoted lateral expansion of the creek valley into an ice-rich permafrost hillslope and development of a diffuse network of stream channels expanding the area of potential beaver engineering in the future. The datasets support the findings presented in this accepted paper - Jones, B.M., K.D. Tape, J.A. Clark, A.C. Bondurant, M.K. Ward Jones, B.V. Gaglioti, C.D. Elder, C. Witharana, and C.E. Miller. Accepted. Multi-dimensional remote sensing analysis documents beaver-induced permafrost degradation, Seward Peninsula, Alaska. Remote Sensing.
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Swan Lake Creek Study Reach Datasets - beaver dams, flowlines, and UAS imagery; Seward Peninsula, Alaska; 2006-2021
Beavers have established themselves as a key component of low arctic ecosystems over the past several decades. The data presented here document the occurrence, reconstruct the timing, and highlight the effects of beaver activity on a small creek valley confined by ice-rich permafrost on the Seward Peninsula, Alaska. We analyzed very high resolution satellite imagery to digitize beaver dams and stream channels from the years 2006, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020, and 2021. We also acquired Uncrewed Aircract System (UAS) imagery on 06 August 2021 and created a 5 centimeter (cm) resolution orthophoto mosaic and a 15 cm resolution digital surface model. Our data show that beaver engineering between 2006 and 2021 caused a systems-level response to a small tundra stream that promoted lateral expansion of the creek valley into an ice-rich permafrost hillslope and development of a diffuse network of stream channels expanding the area of potential beaver engineering in the future.
The datasets support the findings presented in this accepted paper - Jones, B.M., K.D. Tape, J.A. Clark, A.C. Bondurant, M.K. Ward Jones, B.V. Gaglioti, C.D. Elder, C. Witharana, and C.E. Miller. Accepted. Multi-dimensional remote sensing analysis documents beaver-induced permafrost degradation, Seward Peninsula, Alaska. Remote Sensing.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1850578
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10473921
- Publisher / Repository:
- NSF Arctic Data Center
- Date Published:
- Subject(s) / Keyword(s):
- ["Arctic","Beavers","Geomorphology","Permafrost","Remote Sensing","Thermokarst","Tundra"]
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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