The aspen association in the Douglas Lake area.

Abstract

1. The work described in this paper was done as class work in Plant Ecology at UMBS at Douglas Lake, Cheboygan County, Michigan, in the summer of 1947. 2. Five representative areas of aspen associations growing on sandy uplands were studied. 3. The dominant species of these upland aspen associations was found to be Populus grandidentata, a quick-growing, short-lived species of aspen. It is usually accompanied in these areas by Populus tremuloides. 4. Other deciduous tree species frequently associated with the aspen are Acer rubrum, Betula papyrifera and Quercus maxima borealis. 5. Characteristic ground plants of the aspen association are Pteris aquilina, Diervilla lonicera, Gaultheria procumbens, Vaccinium pennsylvanicum and Melampyrum lineare. 6. The vegetation on sandy uplands protected from fire changes gradually from an aspen-dominated association of plants to one in which the aspens are almost entirely replaced by pines. 7. As the Douglas Lake region has a climate particularly suitable to tree growth, the area should be protected from fire to allow it to become reforested with valuable pines.