Do the soils in the botanical garden have permafrost (permanently frozen soil)?
Interior Alaska has discontinuous permafrost. The soils on the south-facing hillside in the garden do not have permafrost, but it does occur in the lowlands just south of the railroad tracks. In the forested areas where the soils are well-insulated by plants and organic matter, the permafrost is 6-36 inches (15-91 centimeters) below the surface. In the cleared agricultural fields the permafrost has receded to at least 25 feet (7.5 meters).
