The Landscape Characterization & Spatial Analysis Lab, in conjunction with the Mountain GeoDynamics Research Group, has been engaged in research in alpine and subalpine environments of the western US for nearly 20 years. Our research in Glacier National Park has focused on (a) relationships between the vegetative landscape and biophysical gradients; (b) geomorphologic processes; (c) topographic characteristics of the landscape; (d) bio-geomorphic disturbances; and (e) environmental feedbacks. More recently, a Western Mountain Initiative (WMI) grant from the US Geological Survey has allowed us to expand our research to included regional analyses that compare and contrast our findings from Montana to those found elsewhere in the US American West. The primary study sites for the WMI research are Glacier National Park, Montana, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, Sequoia-King's Canyon National Park, California, and Olympic National Park and North Cascades National Parks, Washington. Secondary sites for the WMI research include 21 mountainous areas (see the WMI Study Area map) distributed throughout the western US. The WMI research is focused on biotic and abiotic controls influencing the elevation and spatial pattern of the Alpine Treeline Ecotone (ATE). The ATE is characterized by pronounced topographic variability, complex geologic settings and geomorphic processes, spatial and biophysical complexity, and relative inaccessibility. Such characteristics necessitate the development of an analytical framework that integrates remotely-sensed satellite data with biophysical GIS coverages for spatial analyses and modeling. Using such a framework, our research has generally been organized around five primary initiatives: 1) Development of a GIS database to support spatial and biophysical studies of process and feature distributions occurring in alpine and sub-alpine settings; 2) Implementation of resource evaluation studies through the manipulation of the derived GIS database for the evaluation of natural hazards including debris flows and snow-avalanches; assessment of lake turbidity levels and relationship to basin morphometry; identification of deltaic wetlands; and evaluation of forest fire potential; 3) Examination of the scale dependence of plant biomass and topography, and spatial analyses of derived patterns of the distribution of specific phenomena such as island vegetation, snow avalanche paths, and solifluction steps and risers; 4) Cartographic and quantitative modeling of disturbance factors and topoclimatic variables affecting the biophysical landscape at the alpine treeline ecotone; and 5) Field instrumentation and remote sensing data acquisitions of high resolution digital aircraft and satellite data for biogeographic- and geomorphic-process studies within the alpine treeline ecotone.
