We do not plan further updates to the Alaska Vegetation and Wetland Composite (AKVWC). The AKVWC attempted to create a single composite map for Alaska by merging regional maps but doing so produced inconsistencies - abrupt spatial transitions that do not represent ecological realities but instead result from differences in classification schemes, methods, and images among regional maps. We encourage users to consider alternative maps, such as the Continuous Foliar Cover Maps for North American Beringia.

The Alaska Vegetation and Wetland Composite (AKVWC) represents the prioritized combined data derived from 28 regional land cover maps that have been developed within the last 31 years. The map is attributed with a uniform, two-tiered legend so that land cover classes that are similar in concept, yet different in nomenclature may be reconciled. These hierarchical levels of land cover classes are represented by a coarse-scale class, which is analogous to level III of the Alaska Vegetation Classification and fine-scale classes, which nest within the coarse-scale classes and are analogous to level IV of the Alaska Vegetation Classification (Viereck et al. 1992).

Mapping and conservation assessment of wetland ecosystems is a necessary step in promoting effective management of wetland habitats by providing a uniform and comprehensive inventory of both common and rare types. The statewide distribution of wetland, deepwater, and upland habitats presented here represents the first effort to map wetlands in accordance with the national wetland classification system at medium-scale resolution for Alaska. We inferred wetland and deepwater type and distribution using land cover and hydrographic data as proxy indicators.