Lichen Inventory Synthesis Western Arctic National Parklands and Arctic Network, Alaska

The Arctic Network (ARCN) is a network of five national parks in northwestern Alaska (Fig 1.). These parks, including Bering Land Bridge National Preserve (BELA), Cape Krusenstern National Monument (CAKR), Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve (GAAR), Kobuk Valley National Park (KOVA) and Noatak National Preserve (NOAT), encompass habitats from the peaks of the Brooks Range westward to the Bering Sea coast. In size, these five parks represent a quarter of all National Park Service lands in the country ( 81,500 km2). ARCN includes some of the most remote, roadless public lands in the US. Its inaccessibility has helped preserve its unique and natural ecosystems; however, its isolation and distance has made the network relatively less studied than more accessible park units elsewhere.