Small changes in temperature or precipitation that may have little effect in temperate regions can cause dramatic changes to permafrost regions, glaciers, or sea ice coverage. Arctic and Boreal ecosystems are probably the most pristine, fragile, and least studied of any in the world. The USGS, working cooperatively with other Federal Agencies, has undertaken a program to develop a comprehensive geographic information system data base aimed at the information needs of scientists and resource managers studying global change in Alaska and the Arctic. Preserving wetlands is an important national issue. Wetlands cover about 270,000 square miles of Alaska, more than the total wetland area of the other 49 States.
Wetlands provide essential habitat for much of Alaska's varied and abundant wildlife.
In addition, wetlands of the Arctic Coastal Plain are important habitats for migratory waterfowl. The USGS is studying the effects of past climatic changes on wetlands of the Arctic Coastal Plain to predict the effects of future climatic change on this important eco-system. Climatic changes over the past 20,000 years have caused repeated and significant reductions and expansions in the area of wetlands. Sea ice conditions on the Arctic Ocean are a prime driver of global climate. It is, therefore, important to monitor seasonal changes in Arctic ice packs and to establish the detailed climatic history of the Arctic Ocean during the ice ages, a period of cyclically expanding and contracting glaciers and rising and falling sea levels.