Investigations in and near Denali National Park and Preserve (DENA), Alaska, had as their major objectives: (1) establishment of baseline information on selected native vegetation and the organic-rich Oa soil horizon of the study area; and, (2) definition of current element areal trends, if any, of the area, possibly resulting from anthropogenic influences such as power-plant emissions. These objectives were accomplished by establishing two generally east-to-west traverses (The Control and Stampede Traverses), one north-to-south Traverse (the Nenana River Traverse), and twelve additional sites at various strategic places in or near DENA. Traverse sample localities were positioned at geometric intervals starting near the existing Golden Valley Electric Association (GVEA) power-plant located in Healy. At each locality, samples were collected of Hvlocomium splendens (Hedw.) BSG (feather moss, whole plant, including rhizoids), Peltiaera aphthosa (L.) Willd. (lichen, whole plant), and the Oa soil horizon. Picea glauca (Moench) Voss. (white spruce, twigs and needles), was also collected at selected sites. All materials were analyzed for their major and trace total element concentrations. This report is the result of a cooperative study between the National Park Service (NPS) and the U. S. Geological Survey (USGS). A product of this study will be providing the information so that an assessment of the potential for any effects to the biological resources of DENA from air pollutants to be emitted from the proposed Healy Clean Coal Project (HCCP) power-plant can be made.1. Biogeochemical baseline and areal trends were assessed using an ANOVA/traverse study design. Baseline information was calculated as the observed range using the collective values for each of the three sampled media for sites beyond 6 km from the GVEA.2. Moss samples possessed a higher and more variable ash yield than lichen samples. Samples of both moss and lichen had higher and more variable ash yield along the Stampede and Nenana traverses than along the Control Traverse. All samples were washed, and loose, extraneous dust was removed. Very little overt contamination was observed; however, ash yield versus concentrations of Ti, Sc, and Al indicate that deeply imbedded, difficult to remove, dust contamination was present. We conclude, however, that the contamination would only dilute the relative concentration of environmentally important metals, not enhance their concentrations. In addition, important inverse ash yield versus distance trends occur for moss, lichen and soil on nearly all traverses, the only exception being for soil along the Control Traverse.3. Among-site variability for element concentrations in moss and soil is large, and is small for lichen, for nearly every element along every Traverse.4. Among-sample, within-site element concentration variability also appears large for moss and small for lichen (soil within-site variability was not measured). This is particularly true for samples collected within 6 km of GVEA. 5. In general, elemen...
