The April Thumb Habitats article in
The Lakeshore Guardian
features northern forest habitat in the Thumb and a general
description of the transition zone in the lower peninsula.
"A common myth is that before the lumberjacks
went to work, all of Michigan was covered by a vast pine forest. While this
was true of large parts of northern Michigan, the southern half of the lower
peninsula was mostly a broad-leaved hardwood forest dominated by oak, hickory,
maple, and beech. American Chestnut and American Elm were also a major part of
the forest canopy in southeast Michigan before diseases from Asia and Europe
hit in the early 1900s. Often called oak-hickory forest, because of their
dominance in the canopy, this broad-leaved forest extended from southern
Michigan down through the southeastern United States, being the northern
fringe of what is called the central hardwoods."
"Very pronounced northern forest habitat is
concentrated in the Port Huron area, west through the Wadhams and Ruby area,
and south as far down as the City of Saint Clair. It is easily recognized
while driving toward Port Huron on I-94 or I-69 by the sudden appearance of
Paper Birch and Eastern White Pine, giving the Blue Water Area its "vacation
land" feel. Northern forest extends up through Sanilac and Huron Counties
mostly along the Lake Huron shoreline where Northern White-cedar is very
prolific. Yellow Birch and Eastern Hemlock become more abundant in ravines and
along glacial beach ridges. Driving up M-25 often feels as though it is out of
place, like it should be a few hundred miles further north. Northern forest is
also scattered across the sandier parts of Tuscola County, where Saginaw Bay
once extended inland."
Northern
Forest
A Piece of "Up-North" in the
Thumb
PREVIOUS ARTICLES:
Bertha Daubendiek -
A Rare Western Disjunct in Michigan
Part 2 - The Michigan
Nature Association
March
2004
(Bertha
Daubendiek, the founder of the MNA)
The
Michigan Nature Association
To Everything, Tern, Tern, Tern.
There is a Season, Tern, Tern, Tern.
February
2004
(a
brief history of the MNA)
Building on a Lakeshore
Legacy
Part 2 - Ancient Beaches of Lake
Huron
January
2004
(two developments in Fort Gratiot Township
preserving part of the glacial beach ridge and swale habitat)
Ancient Beaches of Lake
Huron
December
2003
(ancient glacial beach ridge and swale habitat along Lake Huron)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bill Collins
Huron Ecologic, LLC
3335 Crooks
Road
Rochester Hills, Michigan 48309 USA
phone & fax: 248-852-4682
e-mail: huronecologic@netzero.net
Huron Ecologic provides wetland
delineations, wetland permitting, wetland mitigation design & monitoring,
tree inventories, botanical & ecological surveys, natural area protection,
nature education, and technical training.
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