Ecosystem profile: the northern xeric (pine) forest.

Abstract

The landscape has been a dynamic factor shaping the economic, cultural and natural history of northern lower Michigan. the legacy of glaciation, natural disturbance and climate has created a diverse andunique region in which forests play a major role. The Great Lakes region, composed of the northern parts of Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and adjacent Ontario, is part of a major ecoregion that extends from the western Great Lakes along the St Lawrence River to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The Laurentian Mixed Forest, a mixed coniferous-deciduous forest, is the dominant forest for this region. The forest throughout the region is a complex network of varied forest types. In northern lower Michigan, the northern xeric (pine) forest is abundant. ""The Great Lakes pine forest reached its best expression in the northern half of the lower peninsula of Michigan"" (Whitney 1986: 1548). The dominance of pine in pine forests of northern lower Michigan has been contributed to physiographic conditions, substrate, and disturbance history. In recognition of our relative ignorance of ecological processes and relationships in forest ecosystems and knowing the consequences of historical forestry practices, it is important to gain a comprehensive understanding of forest ecosystems to guide current and future forest management practices.