New algal diversity records for the Lake of the Clouds, Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, Michigan.

Abstract

The Lake of the Clouds, located within the Porcupine Mountains and two miles away from Lake Superior, is a famous vista site of the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, Michigan. Even though several fishery surveys have been released by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources on the lake in the 1940s, no known algal studies have been conducted. The Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park has a relatively small level of anthropogenic disturbances compared to other regions around the Great Lakes, which makes the site appealing for algal studies. This paper reports the exploratory research done by the professors and students at the University of Michigan Biological Station on the algal diversity of the Lake of the Clouds. In this study, 7 algal divisions were observed. The inventory showed that, based on number of genera recorded, the green algae (Chlorophyta) is much more diverse than the other algal divisions in Lake of the Clouds. A significant number of diatom (Bacillariophyta) species were also observed, though omitted from this paper for future analysis and identification. A total of 88 genera (excluding Bacillariophyta genera) and 34 species were identified. This rich list of algal taxa is only the first step in exploring the algal diversity, microhabitats, and ecosystem of the Lake of the Clouds. The diversity of algae found in this study suggest that further algal research needs to be conducted on the Lake of the Clouds.