Arctic Pingo Vegetation Plots with Soil Data from Alaska

293 vegetation plots were surveyed on 41 pingos across the North Slope of Alaska between 1983 and 1985. The dataset, provided by NASA, records dominant species, cover, soil pH, moisture, and plot physical characteristics. It documents plant communities in a specific Arctic periglacial environment.

Use Cases

• Analyzing correlations between soil pH/moisture measurements and dominant vegetation species.
• Mapping vegetation cover types across distinct pingo landforms on the Arctic Coastal Plain.
• Studying plant community composition and structure in periglacial environments.
• Providing a historical baseline for vegetation studies in the Kuparuk, Prudhoe Bay, Kadleroshilik, and Toolik River areas.

Strengths

• Contains data from 293 distinct study plots, providing a substantial sample size.
• Records multiple attribute types including species, cover, soil pH, and moisture for integrated analysis.
• Focuses on a specific, understudied landform (41 pingos) within a defined geographic region.

Limitations

• The exact column names and data structure are not specified in the available metadata.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates exist between platforms (1983 vs. 2026), creating uncertainty about versioning.
• The specific license terms under 'other-license-specified' are not detailed.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Field surveys of vegetation plots.

Time Range

1983 to 1985

Freshness

2026-03-13 14:53:10.025138

Geography

North Slope of Alaska, Arctic Coastal Plain (Kuparuk, Prudhoe Bay, Kadleroshilik, Toolik River areas)