The soils, vegetation and hydrology of the Alaskan subarctic are strongly related to patterns of discontinuous permafrost. This study compared the chemistry of soil and stream water from two headwater basins in the Caribou-Poker Creeks Research Watershed. One basin had 50% permafrost (permafrost-dominated), the other had 3% (permafrost -free). Hydrographs from the two streams show the permafrost-dominated basin has a more "flashy" response to rainfall than the permafrost-free basin. The permafrost-dominated basin exhibited higher peak dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations than the permafrost-free basin but had similar concentrations of nitrate (NO3) and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON). Soil water samples suggest that differences between the two streams are caused by hydrological and biogeochemical differences in the valley bottom wetlands and riparian zones.

Rob MacLean
FTRM@aurora.alaska.edu
Department of Biology and Wildlife
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Irving 211
Fairbanks, AK 99775
E-mail: FTRM@aurora.alaska.edu

Mark W. Oswood
Department of Biology and Wildlife &
Institute of Arctic Biology
University of Alaska Faribanks
Fairbanks, AK 99775
Voice (907) 474-7972
Fax (907) 474-6716
E-mail: ffmwo@aurora.alaska.edu (Mark W. Oswood)