Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve - Shrubs

Aniachak National Monument and Aniachak National Preserve by National Parks Service

A balsam-poplar patch appears in the Cinder River drainage just north of the volcano. Shrub thickets of alder and willow dot the upper Meshik river basin drainage but cover probably less than 10 percent of the monument and preserve. The slopes of the volcano are mostly barren, although inroads are being made by forbes, grasses, and sedges near creek drainages. The surrounding slopes of the Alaska Range are tundra covered, with predominant species including avens, low heath shrubs, prostrate willows, and dwarf herbs. Willow and alder grow along the banks of the Aniakchak River below its junction with Hidden Creek. Polygons mark the flats round the Aniakchak at lower elevations. Near the mouth are marshes and some willow thickets.