Landscape Mapping in the Mackenzie River Valley

Abstract

Terrain over a wide area of the Mackenzie River valley was evaluated on the basis of vegetation-landform patterns, identifiable in air photographs as landscape units, which could be grouped into regions with climatic connotations. From a ground inspection of selected sites, it was shown that each landscape unit comprised a complex of elements characterized by permafrost relationships. An evaluation of the terrain over a much wider area was extrapolated from the air photographs. Vegetation or landform alone did not permit of a satisfactory delineation of regions with climatic connotations, since they were both so diffusely distributed.