Comparing logged and unlogged forests in northern lower Michigan: diversity, structure, and size.

Abstract

In the pursuit of understanding the ways that humans impact our natural surroundings, I compare two forests in Cheboygan County, Michigan. Colonial Point on Burt Lake has a history of limited partial logging, and serves as an example of relatively pristine forest. Grapevine Point on Douglas Lake, however, has been very nearly clearcut, with heavy selective logging through the years. I compare species composition, size structure, and population sizes between these two sites, differentiating between the overstory (canopy) layer, the midstory (shrub) layer, and the ground cover (herbaceous) layer. The two sites have similar overall stem density, but the number of overstory trees, the number of larger shrubs, and the diversity of the seedling layer are signficantly higher for Colonial Point. However, the average diameter of trees is higher in the logged forest. I explore the significance of these findings with respect to forest dynamics and regeneration state for logged and unlogged areas in general.