Eight Mile Lake
The Eight Mile Lake study area (EML) is upland tundra located in the northern foothills of the Alaska range about 14 km west of Healy, Alaska (63º 52' 42”N, 149º15' 12”W). The site is situated on moist acidic tundra on a relatively well-drained gentle northeast-facing slope. Soils are classified in the soil order Gelisol and are comprised of an organic horizon, 0.45–0.65 m thick, above a cryoturbated mineral soil that is a mixture of glacial till and windblown loess. The active layer (ground which thaws annually during the growing season) is ~ 50–80 cm thick and is situated above a perennially frozen permafrost layer. Mean monthly temperatures range from -16°C in December to +15°C in July, with a mean annual temperature (1976-2009) of -1.0°C. The soils consist of about 0.5 m of organic soil on top of mineral soil that is a mixture of loess deposits and glacial till. These soils hold substantial amounts of organic carbon in the top meter, ranging from 55 to 69 kg C m-2. Permafrost temperatures in this region are currently around -1°C and therefore susceptible to thaw. Vegetation at the site is dominated by the tussock-forming sedge, Eriophorum vaginatum, and deciduous shrub, Vaccinium uliginosum.
Find out more details about our Eight Mile Lake field sites: Gradient Field Site and CiPEHR.
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