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he largest portion of the Lake Huron to Lake WETLANDS ARE VALUABLE Wetlands... Erie Corridor lies inland from the open waters. • are diverse and biologically productive ecosystems. They are as ecologically significant as the tropical rainforests and coral reefs Different ecosystems within this area are home elsewhere on Earth; • support many plant and animal species. It is estimated that more to an astonishingly vast diversity of flora and fauna. than half the species at risk in the United States are associated with wetlands. Protecting wetlands is essential to maintaining T our native biodiversity; The Lake Huron to Lake Erie Corridor’s Wetlands • provide areas for hunting and fishing, scientific study, canoeing, Wetlands of the Lake Huron inland area includes a variety of wetlands nature photography and wildlife viewing; Wetlands are places with varied to Lake Erie Corridor and uplands. The wetlands include marsh, ecosystems that provide some of the • add revenues to local economies as tourists and residents spend wet meadow, prairie fen, bog, swamp, money on food, lodging, and boating associated with hunting, most important life-support systems Wetland Type Pr. Water Source fishing. and birdwatching. vernal pools and floodplain forest. Each is in the natural environment. Coastal Marsh Great Lakes Water distinguished by its vegetation, hydrology The Corridor region boasts unique, • act like natural sponges by absorbing water and releasing it slowly. and chemistry. The uplands are dominated Marsh Surface Water This provides neighboring areas with protection from floods and biodiverse wetland ecosystems. with a source of water during droughts. An acre (0.4 ha) of wetland Floodplain Forest Surface Water by beech-maple and oak-hickory forests, can store 1 to 1.5 million gallons (3.8 to 5.7 million liters) and oak barrens, interspersed with patches Hardwood Swamp Precipitation of floodwater, which is equivalent of 36 to 55 in (90 to 137.5 cm) of rain per acre; of prairie grassland. Wet Meadow Precipitation • recharge groundwater supplies as waters from wetlands Bog Precipitation seep into aquifers; Wet Prairie Precipitation • filter sediment and pollutants carried in stormwater runoff, Vernal Pool Precipitation thereby improving water quality in rivers, lakes and streams. In fact, wetlands often are artificially created to treat stormwater Fen Groundwater and industrial wastewater.

ALLEN CHARTIER The dominant water source is one of several distinguishing features of wetland G. REGNIER JOHN communities. Soil type and local topography Exploring wetlands is a fun, family activity. also influence their development. Marsh areas next to ponds, rivers, streams and shorebirds and songbirds find food Marshes are wet areas with standing inland lakes. Marshes also form in and shelter in the aquatic vegetation. or slow-moving water. They seldom shallow depressions that receive drainage Marshes also provide food to many dry out naturally, except in times from the surrounding uplands. Some mammal species, such as raccoon, of drought. Their vegetation is marshes might have sandy soils, but most cottontail, rabbit and deer. Other dominated by the common cattail have fine-textured, nutrient-rich soils fur-bearing animals, such as muskrat (Typha latifolia). Other submersed with large amounts of organic matter. and mink, live in marshes. Reptiles and aquatic plants include pondweed amphibians, such as leopard frogs, chorus Marshes are highly productive ecosystems frogs, snapping turtles, northern water (Polygonum spp.), pickerel weed with nutrient-rich waters, lush and (Pontederia cordata), common water snakes and ribbon snakes are dependent diverse vegetation, and vast arrays of on marshes for breeding habitat. plantain (Alisma subcordatum), invertebrate and insect life. Waterfowl, tall water parsnip (Sium suave), arrowhead (Sagittaria spp.) and The fragrant common bur reed (Sparganium white water lily (Nymphaea eurycarpum). Marshes also have tuberosa) floats emergent floating-leaved plants, such in the open water as duckweed (Lemna minor) and along a white water lily (Nymphaea tuberosa.) marsh edge. While coastal marshes are influenced by Great Lakes water level fluctua- MELISSA DETTLOFF MELISSA tions; inland marshes are affected by The marsh fern (Thelypteris paulstris) surface water and groundwater grows in the soft, wet soils of wetlands. inputs. These marshes can be found Wetlands provide breeding habitat for twelve species of frogs that live in the Lake Huron to Lake Erie Ferns are primitive plants that reproduce in gradually sloping, wind-protected Corridor. Pictured is a northern leopard frog (Rana pipiens.) with spores rather than seeds. TERRY LOU

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Great Blue Herons human activity and will abandon The great blue heron (Ardea their nests if disturbed. Before 1900, herodias) is one of the most elegant nesting was widespread through wetland creatures. This large bird the region including Wayne County, can stand motionless, waiting for Michigan. But by the early 1900s, the right moment to strike the Wayne County had only two great water to catch small fish, its favored blue heronries. A few herons returned prey. Although great blue herons to nest on islands in the Detroit River feed in wetland habitats of various in the late-1990s. sizes throughout the region, they Today, the Corridor’s main heronries require large natural areas to are located in inland marshes set within successfully reproduce. large natural areas. Great blue heron Great blue herons build nests rookeries can be observed from a communally in tall dead trees. distance at Kensington Metropark and These nest collections are called at the West Bloomfield Woods Nature ROBERT STEWART ROBERT heron rookeries, or heronries. Preserve in Michigan. Bickford Oak Woods in Lambton County, Ontario, It may look pretty, but the purple Herons are highly sensitive to loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) has also supports a heronry. destructive effects on the native plant diversity of freshwater wetlands. Each purple loosestrife can produce millions

JOHN SCHAFER of seeds, quickly overtaking the vegetative surface cover of a wetland. Although some butterflies use it as a nectar source, purple loosestrife generally is not beneficial to wildlife because it overcrowds the native plants upon which they depend.

The mink (Mustela vison) is a wetland mammal that lives along streams and lakes. It is sensitive to human disturbance and requires large tracts of natural habitat to survive.

RT A S U BRYAN KNOWLES BRYAN RV O , C N The brilliantly colored blue flag iris E S N (Iris virginica) grows along the wet A H IA shorelines of inland marshes and other L E M wetlands. A

The red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) is one of the most common marsh birds. It is highly territorial. Males spend much of their time defending large expanses of cattails where their female mates nest. JONATHAN SCHECHTER, WEST BLOOMFIELD PARKS AND RECREATION PARKS BLOOMFIELD WEST SCHECHTER, JONATHAN

A great blue heron leaps from its nest at the West Bloomfield Woods Nature Preserve ST. CLAIR REGION CONSERVATION AUTHORITY CLAIR REGION CONSERVATION ST. in Oakland County, Michigan. Surrounded by suburban development, this natural area The Wawanosh Wetlands in Sarnia, Ontario is a provincially significant marsh owned by is designated as an Urban Wildlife Sanctuary by the National Institute for Urban Wildlife. the St. Clair Region Conservation Authority. A 1.5-mi (2.5-km) nature trail winds along The preserve’s mature oak-hickory forest, marsh and swamp are home to spring wildflowers, the marsh, providing many opportunities to view wildlife. 100 species of birds, mammals, such as mink and red fox, and a great blue heron rookery.

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The common whitetail (Plathemis lydia) is one of the most common dragonflies. It thrives in man-made settlement ponds and stormwater runoff ponds, which usually are oxygen-poor and contain excessive concentrations of nutrients due to contaminated sediments, fertilizers, herbicides and other materials. Adult males develop a white waxy coating on the abdomen as they mature. They establish mating territories and chase off rival males. Females have banded wings and lack the white abdomen. Their naiads are voracious eaters of mosquito larvae and other small aquatic invertebrates. Adults are active from mid-May to September. MARK O’BRIEN

The fawn darner (Boyeria vinosa) is named for the two white spots on the thorax that are reminiscent of a baby deer’s spots. This dragonfly is common in nearly every stream and creek in Michigan and Ontario. Naiads are found among debris dams and undercut banks with root tangles. Adults emerge in mid-summer. They usually are only seen flying along the banks, especially where fallen tree branches and roots extend into the water. Males are searching for females, while females are searching for egg-laying sites among the rotting wood. The flight season is July through September.

Dragonflies dragonfly’s carnivorous and highly mobile Most species of dragonflies and Dragonflies and damselflies are among the naiads play an important role in aquatic damselflies in the region are most fascinating creatures found in wet- ecosystems. They may be the highest-order non-migratory. Some of the aquatic predator in ponds where fish are migratory species, such as green MARK O’BRIEN land and aquatic habitats. Adults lay eggs MARK O’BRIEN in vegetation, mud or on the water surface. absent. In flight, the adult dragonfly’s darner (Anax junius), black The eggs usually hatch a short time after- average cruising speed is 25 mph (40 km/h.) saddlebags (Tramea lacerate) and The arrow clubtail (Stylurus spiniceps) is a long, black dragonfly with The eastern pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis) is a voracious dragonfly green eyes and light green markings. It can be found in most rivers in that inhabits a variety of marshy and well-vegetated pond edges where ward. The aquatic naiad, or larval, stage wandering glider (Pantala flavescens), The eastern red damsel (Amphiagrion can be seen flying in large numbers southern Michigan and southwestern Ontario. They are known as a duckweed and mats of algae are found. Both males and females are can range from three to four months for saucium) is a small red damselfly that is only “hanging clubtails” because the adults often are seen hanging from grass-green with black stripes on the abdomen as they begin their adult migratory species to a year for resident along the Corridor’s lakeshores overhanging branches along the river. They are exciting to watch as they stage. As they mature, the female retains this coloring but the male becomes found in seepage areas, such as at Ives Road as they head south in the fall. species. Adults may live a few weeks to Fen in Jackson County, Michigan. fly swiftly over the center of a river, sometimes skimming the water a blue-green color with a whitish cast to the abdomen. Adults eat larger In the spring, green darners fly surface. Naiads come out of the water and crawl onto the riverbanks in insects, including other dragonflies. They perch on plants or other objects several months, depending on the species. In contrast, the common whitetail Most adult populations of dragonflies have north along the shore of Lake early July. When the adults emerge, they quickly disperse to the woods and quickly dart out to seize their prey. This species is quite common (Plathemis lydia), is found in almost any St. Clair. for several days. After they have sexually matured, they return to the in southern Michigan and southwestern Ontario from late-May reached their peak by early July. The wetland habitat. river to feed and mate. The flight season is from July through August. into September.

76 EXPLORE OURNATURALWORLD: A BIODIVERSITYATLAS OF THELAKE HURON TOLAKE ERIE CORRIDOR| HEADINGINLAND ALONG THESHORELINE| EXPLORE OURNATURALWORLD: A BIODIVERSITYATLAS OF THELAKE HURON TOLAKE ERIE CORRIDOR 77 Wet Meadow Sedge Wren Wet meadows are wetland communities The sedge wren (Cistothorus of mixed wildflowers, grasses and sedges platensis), once known as the that grow on saturated loam or muck soils short-billed marsh wren, is the with high water-retention capability. least known of the five species They often are not immediately of wren that nest in the Corridor. recognized as wetlands because surface Its breeding range is central to water tends to be visible only during southeast Canada and the northern spring flooding, when water depths reach U.S. It winters in Florida and a maximum of about six inches (15 cm) parts of Mexico. Even when the water level is at its lowest, usually in summer, it remains at or near Sedge wrens require wet meadows or sedge wetlands for nesting. the soil surface. H. HARDING JAMES They once were common or even Wet meadows depend on a consistently The Blanding’s turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) abundant in parts of the region lives in a variety of unpolluted aquatic habitats high water table and generally are located in Michigan and Ontario, including marshes, but they have been uncommon within large wetland complexes. They sloughs, and ponds. They require wetlands or rare since about 1900, due often function as transition zones, or with abundant vegetation and soft bottoms. to habitat loss. ecotones, from deeper water wetlands to During the mating and nesting season, they upland. Wet meadows usually form near can be found moving through uplands that are open and sunny. Maintaining small and large the base of a hill where percolating springs wetlands that are connected to upland habitats and seeps emerge and provide a constant is critical for the survival of this species. source of water to saturate the soil. The yellow lady’s-slipper (Cyripedium calceolus) grows among sedges in a variety of alkaline The presence of grass-like plants called habitats, such as wet prairies, wet meadows

sedges (Carex spp.) defines wet meadows. SCHAFER JOHN and fens. Tussock sedge (Carex stricta) is the most common species and grows in large tussocks, or clumps. Tussock sedge will disappear if ground water levels are reduced by two to four feet (0.6 to 1.2 m) Many wildflowers and grasses also live in wet meadows. Grass species include blue joint, reed canary (Phalaris arundinacea), On Grosse Ile, a wet meadow is protected by the Grosse Ile Land Conservancy’s Nature Area. During big bluestem and prairie cord grass. spring floods, the distinctive clumps of tussock sedge (Carex stricta) protrude from the water’s surface. Wildflower species include joe-pye weed (Eupatorium maculatum), panicled aster mating calls enliven the grassy species to decline. This reduces (Aster simplex), swamp milkweed meadows with musical croaking. the meadow’s diverse plant (Asclepias incarnata), swamp thistle composition, a change that Rare bird species, such as sedge wren, subsequently affects all insects, (Cirsium muticum) and marsh bellflower northern harrier, short-eared owl and (Campanula aparinoides.) birds, reptiles and amphibians American bittern, live in wet meadow dependent upon this unique A variety of animals find habitat in wet habitats. The northern harrier, formerly habitat. meadows. Many butterflies, including known as marsh hawk, requires large, Duke’s skipper, mulberry wing and eyed open wet meadows with tall, dense Extensively used, and threatened, brown, depend on sedges as their major grassy vegetation and shallow inland by agriculture, wet meadows have food plants. marshes to nest. It feeds primarily on been ditched, tiled, drained, small mammals such as mice and voles. mined for peat and converted Reptiles, such as the Eastern Massasauga to pasture or cropland. Mowing Wet meadows are fire-dependent. rattlesnake, Blanding’s turtle and spotted of blue joint grass, as a source OPFER JESSICA PITELKA IMAGES JIM SIMEK, NATURE’S In the absence of fire or flooding, all turtle, find nesting habitat and food of hay, was widely practiced Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) is a common wildflower of marsh edges and wet meadows. in wet meadows. A wet meadow’s but the wettest wet meadows typically before 1950 and is still done convert to shrub swamp or swamp Its bright pink blossoms provide nectar for many pollinators, including the monarch butterfly springtime flooding provides a at St. Johns Marsh and (Danaus plexippus). Swamp milkweed and common milkweed are the larval host plants for the reproductive area for frogs, whose forest, which causes shade-intolerant Harsens Island in Michigan. monarch. The butterfly lays its eggs on the milkweed. The hatched caterpillars feed on the leaves, then attach themselves to the plant for their pupal stage before they emerge as adult monarchs.

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he Michigan Nature County, and protect fen, bog and oak perimeter roads where fen and Association (MNA) woods habitats in a relatively small area. conifer swamp communities can is the oldest land be viewed at a distance. The largest conservancy in The Lakeville Swamp Sanctuary in American plum tree in Michigan TMichigan. Officially Oakland County is a larger preserve that is found at this sanctuary as well incorporated in 1952, with is easier to visit, although first-time as the federally endangered eastern roots in the Detroit area, the visitors usually require a guide. massasauga rattlesnake. MNA protects many It can also be enjoyed from the natural areas in southeastern Michigan including prairie fens. The Calla C. Burr Memorial Plant Sanctuary and TRISH BECKJORD The showy lady’s-slipper (Cyripedium Lambs Fairbanks reginae) is a large, beautiful native orchid Plant Preserve are that grows in open areas of fen and located in Rose swamp habitats. Early settlers used roots Township, Oakland ASSOCIATION NATURE MICHIGAN Late summer wildlfowers bloom profusely in a prairie fen in Springfield Township, Michigan. of this plant as a soothing medicine The Calla C. Burr for nerve problems. Lakeville Swamp Sanctuary Memorial Plant Sanctuary Prairie Fens Sedge flats are the wettest part of a fen. bulrush (Scirpus acutus) and twig Prairie fens are wetlands that typically These areas are located in flooded rush (Cladium mariscoides.) lie next to lakes, rivers and streams in depressions where water flows from springs or streams. Up to 12 in Sedge meadows are the largest part orchid (Cyripedium candidum), mat Absence of fire is another threat. Before maintained by fire that burned glacial outwashes or on coarse-textured of a fen. These areas are saturated, muhly (Muhlenbergia richardsonis), European settlement, prairie fens in the surface vegetation and inhibited end moraines. Because they occur on (30 cm) of water might lie here during springtime. These flats are but not inundated, and have slightly prairie dropseed (Sporobolus Corridor were adjacent to dry, open shrub invasion. In more recent ice-contact topography, their presence sloping soil with peat deposits. heterolepsis), Ohio goldenrod upland communities, such as mixed times,fire suppression has caused in the Corridor is restricted to the dominated by sedges and other water and alkaline tolerant vegetation, Dominant plants include shrubby (Solidago ohioensis), Riddell’s oak barrens or oak savannas. These prairie fens to convert to shrub interlobate regions of southeastern cinquefoil (Potentilla fruticosa), goldenrod (Oligoneuron riddellii) communities and prairie fens were and conifer swamps. Michigan and southwestern Ontario. such as golden-seeded spike rush (Eleocharis elliptica), wicket spike rush tussock sedge and fen star sedge and fringed gentian (Gentiana Fens occur where water from springs (Eleocharis rostella), hard-stemmed (Carex sterilis.) In addition, plants crinita), which are adapted to the or seeps moves slowly up through common to tallgrass prairies, such fens’ alkaline environment. Several calcareous soil, bringing calcium-rich as little bluestem and Indian grass, rare insect species also are associated ground water to the surface. This makes often are present in a prairie fen. with prairie fens. These include the tamarack tree cricket, Mitchell’s both the soil and water somewhat Wooded fens are elevated portions alkaline and leaves white deposits on satyr, powersheik skipper and swamp located around the fen’s upland metalmark butterflies. the soil surface. Because the soil is edges. They support shrubs and waterlogged and low in oxygen, a fen shrub trees, chiefly tamarack (Larix Protecting the surrounding natural has a low rate of decomposition. This DAVID L. CUTHRELL DAVID larcina), poison sumac (Rhus vernix), water systems is the best way to H. HARDING JAMES allows peat to accumulate. The peaty gray dogwood (Cornus racemosa), preserve fens. Drains and wells used and alkaline soils distinguish fens Blanchard’s cricket frog (Acris crepitanis A species at risk, Mitchell’s satyr (Neonympha red-osier dogwood (Cornus in agriculture and residential blanchardii) is a small member of the tree frog mitchelli) is a butterfly often found in the from similar-looking wetlands, such stolonifera), and pussy willow development have disrupted family. It does not climb and lives year-round open edges of wooded fens where tamarack as wet meadows. (Salix discolor.) groundwater flow and destroyed in aquatic habitats. Blanchard’s cricket frog and poison sumac are scattered within a sedge many prairie fens, along with other prefers early successional wetlands, ponds, and meadow. Loss of habitat is responsible for this The vegetation of a fen commonly Fens support rare plant species, streams with open, usually muddy, shorelines. butterfly’s decline. JULIE A. CRAVES wetlands. Fens’ cool, alkaline water appears in three related phases, each such as tuberous Indian plantain This frog has a large native range in North has also been negatively affected by America; however, perhaps in part because of with distinct dominant and characteristic Grass of Parnassus (Parnassia glauca) is an (Cacalia plantaginea), Richardson’s species: sedge flats, sedge meadow and indicator species of prairie fens. The subtle warm, nutrient- and sediment-laden sensitivity to polluted habitats, populations sedge (Carex richardsonii), have been declining in Michigan and Ontario. wooded fen. green lines on its white petals serve as nectar runoff from farms and yards. guides for pollinating insects. white lady’s-slipper

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Trees that grow on the fringes of bogs are tamarack, white cedar (Thuja occidentalis), black spruce (Picea mariana) and occasionally white pine (Pinus strobus.) Some bog plants have adapted to the soil’s nutrient deficiency by The sweet-smelling sundew (Drosera becoming carnivorous. They obtain spp.) attracts insects to its sticky red their nutrients by catching and leaves. Once the insect is caught, the digesting insects. Examples include leaves slowly close to aid digestion. pitcher plants (Sarracenia spp.) and sundews (Drosera spp.) Acidic conditions result in a low diversity of plant species in a bog. Plants that do thrive tend to be restricted to bog habitats. Unfortunately, these plants are becoming rare as bogs are drained for farming and mined for their

valuable peat. Homeowners can JULIE A. CRAVES JULIE A. CRAVES

help reduce bog mining by choosing BOB WEIR The pitcher plant’s (Sarracenia compost, instead of peat moss, The Minden Bog in north-central Sanilac County, Michigan is the headwaters for the Black River, purpurea) landing pad, red veins to enrich their garden soil. which flows into the St. Clair River at Port Huron. This vast area of 3,000 ac (1,200 ha) is elevat- and hairs that point downward lead ed above surrounding terrain, making it the southernmost raised bog in North America. The bog is insects to a cup where they drown the main component of the Minden City State Game Area. It is a beautiful, quiet place where the and eventually are digested. ground appears firm but will shake if jumped upon.

The Proud Lake Recreation Area near Wixom, Michigan, has a deep kettle depression that houses a bog lake with a quaking mat. A conifer swamp with tamarack and poison sumac surrounds the open sphagnum and sedge community. Hardwood swamp with black ash, swamp white oak, basswood and slippery elm trees surrounds the bog. Sedges and skunk cabbage grow in the understory. Oak-hickory CHANGES IN BOG HABITAT forest and open meadows grow on the adjacent hilly uplands.

Sphagnum moss builds thick peat Bogs oday bogs are more Township. During the 1800s, settlers but it exists in sufficient quantities soils and its decomposition actually Bogs are unique wetland communities commonly found in harvested the fruit of the cranberry to be turned into practical account.” contributes to the bog’s acidity over that derive their water from rainfall. the northern reaches shrubs, which are native to North time. The absorbent quality of BOB WEIR They form in lakes, old lake depressions, of Michigan and America, for commercial sale in Europe. After that region was surveyed, sphagnum moss has been useful to Cotton grasses (Eriophorum spp.) are in kettle lakes and sandy depressions in the TOntario. They used to be one area in Greenfield Township humans in various ways, including the sedge family. Their downy white seed lakeplain that have become isolated from scattered throughout the inland Bogs also provided settlers with a source was found to consist of nearly applications as bandages in World War I heads may create the appearance of of metal as they harvested bog iron ore, groundwater and surface water sources, a cotton field in a bog. area of the Lake Huron to Lake 73 percent iron peroxide. battlefield hospitals and as a soil such as streams. Rainwater is naturally Erie Corridor. Although never which is formed when iron oxide conditioner in modern-day gardens. slightly acidic and adds few nutrients common to the flat lakeplain, emerges as a precipitate from a bog’s In more recent years, shoreline acidic waters. Dr. Douglas Houghton, development along inland lakes, to the bog environment. Poor drainage Shrubs, grasses and wildflowers that can less than one percent of wetlands in his first report as state geologist urbanization and the draining creates waterlogged soil and anaerobic live in a bog’s saturated, nutrient-poor, in Southern Ontario today are in 1838, wrote: of wetlands for agriculture have conditions. This slows the activity of acidic soils include native large and small bogs. It is thought that bogs made bogs almost rare in the decomposing bacteria, allowing organic cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon and V. occupied low ground around “At a distance of six or seven miles Corridor region. Some bog matter to accumulate over time and oxycoccos), highbush blueberry more than half of Oakland northwest of Detroit, and in the county habitats are protected by form layer upon layer of peat. (Vaccinium corymbosum), poison sumac, County’s 1,468 lakes before of Wayne, bog (iron) ore occurs at intervals organizations, such as the North leatherleaf (Chamaedaphne calyculata), European settlement. There also Plants that live in bogs are adapted to over an extent of several hundred acres, Oakland Land Conservancy, bog rosemary (Andromeda glaucophylla), are numerous historical accounts acidic conditions. They are known as but I have not been able to examine it which owns several nature cotton grass (Eriophorum spp.), winter- of “cranberry marshes” in Wayne acidophiles, or acidic-loving vegetation. with sufficient care to determine its extent; preserves containing bogs. TRISH BECKJORD County, particularly in Redford The most prominent example is sphag- green (Gaultheria procumbens), sedges I think however, there can be little doubt and orchids. Grass pink (Calopogon tuberosus) is num moss (Sphagnum spp.), which forms a small, delicate orchid found in bog thick mats over a bog’s surface. and fen habitats.

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(Left) Old-growth forests, like this one Forest was, by far, the dominant vegetation of the Lake Huron to Lake Erie at the Lower Huron Metropark in Michigan, typically have regular gaps in Corridor at the time of European settlement. Differences in glacial topography, the canopy, rich understory vegetation, deep organic soils and scattered dead, decaying soils and moisture resulted in a variety of forest communities across the region. logs and snags (dead trees that are still standing or have only partially fallen.) Hardwood swamp, conifer swamp, shrub swamp and floodplain forest developed Because old-growth forests take so long in low areas and along rivers. In upland areas, oak barrens and forests to grow, they provide valuable wildlife habitat that cannot be easily or quickly of beech-maple and oak-hickory grew. Today, only small remnants are left replaced. Various animals, birds and insects live in all strata of old-growth of these forest communities, a vital part of the region’s natural heritage. forests. Predatory birds roost and nest in the upper canopy. Songbirds and small animals, such as squirrels, make nests in the understory and shrub The Carolinian Zone flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), layer. Wildflowers and grasses grow The hardwood forests of southern cucumber tree (Magnolia acuminata), in the herb layer and provide food Michigan and southwestern Ontario are American chestnut (Castanea for foraging animals and butterflies. called “Carolinian” because they contain dentata), Kentucky coffee tree The litter layer consists of decaying many species common to southerly zones (Gymnocladus dioicus), blue ash stumps and logs from which plants of the Eastern Deciduous Forest Biome, (Fraxinus quadrangulata), hop tree germinate. The soil contains deep such as the Carolina states. These species, (Ptelea trifoliata) and several oak and organic matter from decades of which favor warmer climates and longer hickory species. Several mammals accumulated leaves; a variety of growing seasons, include paw-paw and birds, such as the southern flying spring ephemeral wildflowers, which (Asimina triloba), sassafras (Sassafras squirrel, opossum, Acadian flycatcher can’t be found in any other habitat, and summer tanager, do not stray The Value of Old-Growth Forests Old-growth forests have all levels of albidum), black gum (Nyssa sylvatica), forest strata, from ground vegetation thrive here. Even standing deadwood north of this climatic region. A forest is considered to be a climax provides food and housing for birds, forest community, or “old growth,” to canopy crowns formed by mature trees that can be very large. such as woodpeckers, and insects when it reaches 150 to 250 years of age. upon which they feed.

SUCCESSION FERN WILSON

(Above) Southern Michigan and southwestern Ontario are at the northern edge of the range of the opossum (Didelphis virginiana). This animal’s naked ears make it sensitive to cold uccession is a natural Changes in such factors as soil properties, weather. Opossums prefer to live in woodlands ecological process that microclimate and vegetation assist the with nearby meadow habitats. Their begins with colonization succession process. The dominant climax omnivorous feeding habitats make them adaptable to suburban development. of new land by forest community in the Great Lakes Spioneer species and ends with region is beech-maple, which forms establishment of a climax on well-drained landscapes with community. This progression well-defined watersheds. On the flat of events may take hundreds lakeplain, where drainage is poor, of years. Typically, pioneer a climax forest community contains species are shade-intolerant and a greater variety of hardwood short-lived plants that over time tree species. (Above) This map shows the transition zone of southern and northern forest types in Michigan are replaced by shade-tolerant and Ontario. The invisible line between the two types lies below the 43rd parallel. and longer-lived species. The (Left) The paw-paw (Asimina triloba) is a Carolinian tree species and is at the northern edge of its process eventually results in range in the Corridor region. Growing in the forest’s understory, this small tree favors warm moist a climax community. floodplains and mesic (moderately moist) woods. The paw-paw produces a unique banana-like fruit from red, foul smelling flowers that are pollinated by flies. Here, seedlings are pictured in the understory of a forest on the campus of the Wayne County Community College Downriver Campus in Taylor, Michigan. HEADINGINLAND| EXPLORE OURNATURALWORLD: A BIODIVERSITYATLAS OF THELAKE HURON TOLAKE ERIE CORRIDOR 85 THE FOREST FLOOR

Forests of the Past The Forests of Today Descriptions provided by early Two forest types dominate southern surveyors give valuable clues to the Michigan and Ontario: beech-maple size and diversity of forests of the past. in mesic areas and oak-hickory in In Lambton County, for example, more xeric sites. Much of the region’s surveyors indicated that townships original forest cover has been contained small areas of “good land” destroyed. Most surviving forests covered with “beech, maple and are fragmented woodlots in varying basswood,” with “oak and hickory” states of disturbance. The least inclusions at times, interspersed with disturbed upland forests now are “black ash and elm swamps.” dominated by sugar maple (Acer “Tamarack swamps” were noted as saccharum) and beech trees or common in some townships. Areas combinations of white oak, black of hardwood swamp in Sombra, Brooke, oak, red maple (Acer rubrum) and Enniskillen and Dawn townships were black cherry. described as “enormous.” Areas with high, dry lands of beech-maple forest Disturbances cause changes in forest were characterized as having “old Indian communities. These include natural sugarbush,” a description attributed he floor of mature creeper (Parthenocissus disturbances, such as storms that to the native peoples’ practice of using forests is marked by quinquefoila), thrive in this leaf knock down trees. Man-made maple sap to produce maple sugar. In pit-and-mound litter and help recycle nutrients disturbances involve clearing and some townships, survey notes included topography, created in the forest ecosystem. filling land for agriculture and “open marsh” with “willow and rose whenT old trees topple, heaving their When old trees die and fall, development. Today, the Corridor bush.” Occasionally, a surveyor described root mass upward.The forest floor, new seedlings germinate in region is characterized by a mosaic prairies as “open meadow with high known as the litter layer, consists cracks and crevices of the of cleared lands and woodlots in grass extending a considerable distance of rich organic soil formed by decaying bark, which supplies various stages of succession. DEBRA A. BOUSSEY to the right and left.” decomposed fallen leaves. Ferns, nutrients to help them grow Many pre-settlement accounts do mosses and vines, such as Virginia and mature. Railroad tracks bisect parts of Black Oak Heritage Park in Windsor, Ontario. Since this early description of the not mention tree species that are less vegetation, much of the landscape has tolerant of fire, such as black cherry been drained and farmed. Less than ten and red maple. They now are percent of Lambton’s original forest common. Black cherry is an ecosystem to mature. In Ontario, where A major problem with breaking up, cover survives today. opportunistic species that grows in areas of disturbance, including agriculture remains an important part of or fragmenting, forests is that the Source for the above information: Sydenham Valley Conservation forest edges and openings. Red the economy, forest cover remains low. remaining pieces aren’t large enough Report. 1965. Department of Energy and Resources Management, Conservation Authorities Branch.Toronto, Ontario. maple can live in a broad range of Forests cover only three percent of the to have expansive, dense interiors that site conditions. Its main habitats are landscape in Essex County and less than provide habitat for certain birds and swampy lowlands, but it is an five percent in Kent County. There have animals. Loss of this habitat is a key aggressive colonizer of upland sites. been various public and private factor in the decline of populations of In recent times, there has been tree-planting programs in southwestern “interior forest species” of birds, such a marked increase in red maple’s Ontario over the years and continue as scarlet tanager, ovenbird, abundance due to fire suppression today. Citizens can help by increasing Acadian flycatcher and many warblers. and disturbance of pre-settlement the size of their own woodlots and Because fragmented forests aren’t forests by humans. participating in community tree-planting events. connected, small forest mammals can After many years of decline, forest no longer travel far without venturing cover has been increasing in some The Problem with Fragmentation into the dangers of open land. This parts of the region. For example, it The vast forests that once covered prevents the exchange of genetic has grown in the outlying reaches large areas of land in southeastern information between breeding of Detroit’s metropolitan area where Michigan and southwestern Ontario populations, which results in farmland has been abandoned. Forest have been broken into hundreds a weakening of the gene pool. It also GLENN OGILVE ROBERT STEWART ROBERT CAROLINE BIRIBAUER CAROLINE cover in St. Clair County, Michigan, of thousands of woodlots, which leads to localized extinctions and the reduced ability of animals to re-colonize Clear Creek forest is one of the largest The mature hardwood trees at the At the Lorne C. Henderson Conservation has increased since 1900 as deserted are surrounded by agricultural fields, protected areas of forest in southwestern City of Detroit’s Palmer Park offer hints Area in central Lambton County, nature farmland has grown into young roads, transmission lines, railroads woodlots. This also applies to plant Ontario. On the 800-acre (324 ha) preserve are of how the original forests of the Detroit trails wind through floodplain and mixed woodlots. It takes decades for a forest and homes. populations that depend on birds, ancient oaks, beech and maples. area may have looked. hardwood forests. animals and insects to spread their seed.

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A swamp is a forested wetland that typically Although conifer swamps were never a significant forest type in the region, has standing water during part of each year and many accounts from early settlers indicate there were pockets of them contains moisture-tolerant tree species. Types throughout the landscape. During the last 200 years, the swamps were of swamp in the Lake Huron to Lake Erie Corridor drained and logged, then used for agriculture. Settlers also mined them are conifer, hardwood and shrub swamp. for peat. Changes in the hydrology of the surrounding watershed have converted them to wet meadow, Conifer Swamp kettle-kame topography and shrub or hardwood swamp. coarse-textured end moraines. Tamarack logs were commonly used The trees in conifer swamps are for fence posts, house and barn predominantly tamarack (Larix laricina) The spire shape and open branch pattern beams, and wheel spokes on early with black spruce (Picea mariana) and of tamaracks allow a large amount of automobiles. Today, fewer than white cedar (Thuja occidentalis) present sunlight to reach the swamp’s ground one percent of the original conifer to a lesser extent. Hardwood trees, such layer, resulting in the growth of a thick swamps still exist. as red maple, silver maple (Acer and diverse understory. As many as saccharinum), black ash (Fraxinus nigra), 28 species of shrubs can grow in the red ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), yellow understory of a relict conifer swamp, birch (Betula alleghaniensis) and including spicebush (Lindera benzoin), American elm (Ulmus americana), highbush blueberry, poison sumac, often grow among the conifer trees. winterberry (Ilex verticillata) and Poor conifer swamps occupy isolated nannyberry (Viburnum lentago), black Fire, insect outbreaks, flooding caused by beavers, and winds that uproot trees (called windthrow) are important natural disturbances that actually help depressions in the landscape. Like bogs, chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa.) The conifer swamps prosper. Tamaracks’ shallow, wide-spreading root systems make them particularly vulnerable to being uprooted by windstorms and fire. Tamaracks are not tolerant of shade, so disturbances that remove trees are beneficial because they result in more light penetration. The same benefits also these swamps have acidic soil conditions ground layer is typically composed of sphagnum mosses, sedges and orchids. arise from periodic infestations of larch sawfly (Pristiphora erichsonii) and larch casebearer (Coleophora laricella). However, long-term flooding caused and deep organic matter deposits of peat by beaver dams or other drain blockages, such as road construction, can kill too many tamaracks and result in a conifer swamp’s conversion to hardwood moss. Many of the poor conifer swamps Rare animal species closely associated swamp, wet meadow or marsh. that exist today likely were once bogs with conifer swamps include that, over time, were colonized by tamarack tree cricket, Mitchell’s satyr tamarack and black spruce. butterfly, eastern massasauga rattlesnake,

Relict conifer swamps have peat soils, ART AMELIA HANSEN, CORVUS Blanding’s turtle and spotted turtle. like the poor conifer swamps, but the With the suppression of fire soils have a neutral pH due to the in modern times, tamarack has infusion of alkaline groundwater. come to dominate many fen Relict conifer swamps typically communities, transforming occur in a variety of glacial them into relict conifer features, such as channeled swamps. The lack depressions in glacial of fire also has enabled red maple outwash, sandy lakeplains, trees to invade conifer swamps. The leafy canopy of the red maple (Right) Many orchid species are found in casts dense shade, causing shrubs bog habitats. Whorled pogonia (Isotria dependent on the open nature of a verticillata), Loesel’s twayblade (Liparis conifer swamp to slowly die out from loeselii), yellow fringed-orchid (Platanthera ciliaris), small green wood-orchid (Platanthera lack of sunlight. This change in the clavellata), rose pogonia (Pogonia swamp’s understory can adversely impact ophioglossoides), dragon’s mouth (Arethusa songbirds and other wildlife that depend bulbosa), grass pink (Calopogon tuberosus) on the prolific fruit production of MCNICHOL MAURA AMELIA HANSEN, CORVUS ART AMELIA HANSEN, CORVUS and pink lady’s-slipper (Cyripedium acaule) shrubs, such as winterberry and black The winterberry shrub (Ilex verticillata) thrives in conifer swamps and a variety can be found growing in the Corridor region’s chokeberry, as a food source. tamarack bogs. Pictured is the pink of other wetland habitats, such as lady’s-slipper (Cyripedium acaule) whose pink, deciduous swamps, wet woods and the The tamarack is unique among conifers veined pouch often traps insects when they edges of lakes and ponds. Many bird species in that it is deciduous. Its needles turn yellow enter to pollinate the flower. relish the winterberry’s bright red fruit. The ground layer of a conifer swamp is rich with wetland vegetation. in autumn and fall off the tree.

88 EXPLORE OURNATURALWORLD: A BIODIVERSITYATLAS OF THELAKE HURON TOLAKE ERIE CORRIDOR| HEADINGINLAND HEADINGINLAND| EXPLORE OURNATURALWORLD: A BIODIVERSITYATLAS OF THELAKE HURON TOLAKE ERIE CORRIDOR 89 Hardwood Swamp Salamanders Hardwood swamps are wetlands that Salamanders are amphibians are dominated by deciduous trees. that, unlike their more conspicuous cousins, frogs Their soils usually are saturated and ALLEN CHARTIER sometimes are under water. and toads, are secretive and often subterranean. Living In pre-settlement times, hardwood in cool moist places in swamps covered vast areas of the flat, forest soils, under rotting poorly-drained terrain. Tree species varied logs, and leaf litter, with local conditions. Early surveyors in salamanders absorb water Wayne County, Michigan, noted the and “breathe”–taking in presence of “black ash, sycamore, poplar, oxygen and releasing carbon aspen, elm, willow and ironwood.” dioxide –through their skin. Forests of pin oak, swamp white oak, Adult salamanders also bur oak, silver maple (Acer saccharinum), breathe with their lungs, pumpkin ash (Fraxinus profunda), although some species, Eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides), like the red-backed and black willow (Salix nigra) and peachleaf four-toed salamanders, willow (Salix amygdaloides) grew on the don’t have lungs. For these clay plain. Black ash (Fraxinus nigra), reasons, salamanders are American elm (Ulmus americana) and very sensitive to pollutants. basswood (Tilia americana) were A hardwood swamp at Crosswinds Marsh in Wayne County, Michigan. prevalent in swamps with sandy soils. Most salamanders breed in vernal forest pools. The The drainage and development of the juvenile salamanders are The spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) lives in relatively undisturbed woodlands where vernal pools occur. landscape has made hardwood swamps similar to tadpoles in their It is at risk due to the degradation and fragmentation of forest habitats. increasingly rare in this region. Those aquatic stage, but always have can play an important role in the food (Above right) Spotted salamanders reproduce remaining are located in low-lying areas external gills and are carnivorous, chain of a forest. As predators, they feed on by laying up to 250 eggs in gelatinous masses and along the margins of lakes. Red feeding on insect larvae, fairy insects, spiders, and worms, but in turn are in vernal pools; these eventually hatch into maple, silver maple, black ash and shrimp, and other invertebrates. gilled aquatic larvae. Within two to three eaten by larger animals, such as songbirds American elm typically dominate the In mid- to late-summer, these months, the larvae mature into terrestrial and mammals. The loss of forest habitats, forest canopy. Other common species juveniles transform to their terrestrial adult salamanders. (Note: this egg mass was contamination by pesticides, fertilizers, and disturbed for scientific evaluation; normally, include sycamore (Platanus occidentalis), CENTRE ISLAND HERITAGE WALPOLE adult forms. citizens should never touch egg masses as swamp white oak, pin oak, yellow birch sewage, and the loss of vernal pool and Black ash was an important tree for native In healthy woodland habitats, adult wetland habitats threaten populations of it may damage them.) (Betula allegheniensis), basswood and peoples, who wove its wood into baskets. blue-beech (Carpinus caroliniana.) Fresh, green wood was pounded with a salamanders can be numerous and these fascinating woodland creatures. mallet until it separated along annual Hardwood swamps often have a sparse growth rings into thin, pliable strips. understory due to dense shade and wet These baskets are still made on Walpole Vernal Pools soils. The ground layer is generally Island today, preserving an important As their name suggests, vernal pools composed of decaying wood and leaf part of the region’s cultural heritage. form during spring when water litter, especially after heavy flooding. accumulates in depressions, or low Mounds adjacent to flooded areas are areas, of forests, meadows and farm suitable for moisture-tolerant plants, GENERATION POWER ONTARIO fields. These seasonal wetlands then including ferns, spring wildflowers, Pumpkin ash (Fraxinus profunda) is very dry out amid summer’s heat. such as jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema water tolerant, growing in swamps where water Wetland vegetation may become triphyllum) and smooth Solomon’s stands for many months. A signature feature established but annuals usually seal (Polygonatum canaliculatum), of the species is its enlarged, swollen lower dominate. Vernal pools are and moisture-tolerant shrubs, such trunk, which compensates for its shallow root important to many amphibian as spicebush. Flat terrain and sufficient system. This tree is rare in the region, found only in remnant hardwood swamps of the species. Salamanders, toads, wood year-round moisture sometimes lakeplain. The tree pictured above is found frogs, tree frogs and spring peepers produce stretches of sedge hummocks. SCHADE SARAH in the natural areas of Ontario Power depend on vernal pools for their moving uponto the land for the eggs and tadpoles. Many predatory Generation’s Lambton Generating Station The bright yellow flowers of the marsh aquatic larval stage. Tadpoles grow in Lambton County, Ontario. Pumpkin ash marigold (Caltha paulstris) brighten terrestrial frog stage. With water present insects that feed on mosquitoes, such also has been identified in the wet woods the forest floor of hardwood swamps rapidly by feeding on bacteria, algae only temporarily, vernal pools don’t as dragonflies and damselflies, also of Belle Isle Park in Detroit, Michigan. in springtime. and organic debris in the pool before support fish that normally prey on the breed in vernal pools.

90 EXPLORE OURNATURALWORLD: A BIODIVERSITYATLAS OF THELAKE HURON TOLAKE ERIE CORRIDOR| HEADINGINLAND HEADINGINLAND| EXPLORE OURNATURALWORLD: A BIODIVERSITYATLAS OF THELAKE HURON TOLAKE ERIE CORRIDOR 91 Shrub Swamp Floodplain Forest Vegetation in a floodplain forest Shrub swamps are wetlands dominated Floodplain forests are forested areas generally consists of deciduous trees with by shrubs that grow on seasonally flooded, along rivers and streams that flood supporting herbs and shrubs. Skunk poorly drained soils with fluctuating water during heavy rains or spring melt. cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus), marsh levels. These swamps generally form in Soils are usually heavy sand or mud, marigold (Caltha palustris) and golden glacial depressions or next to streams, rich in nutrients and poorly drained. ragwort (Senecio aureus) are just a few rivers and ponds. Their soil is muck that Although standing water may remain of the wildflowers that grow in the wet, normally ranges from saturated to well into the growing season, organic soils. In higher, drier areas, inundated with a few inches of water. floodplain forests usually become typical spring wildflowers, such as early Ecologists often refer to this community very dry in late-summer and may meadow rue (Thalictrum dioicum) and as shrub-carr, meaning a wetland contain trees representative of upland wild geranium (Geranium maculatum) dominated by tall shrubs. forest communities. blanket the forest floor. Seasonal flooding, mild temperatures Shrub swamps are ever-changing Floodplain forests are very important to the health of adjacent rivers and and a nutrient-rich environment systems. They may start as a shallow influence the types of trees that grow body of standing water or as a floodplain streams. They improve water quality by filtering pollutants and reduce soil in a floodplain forest. The constant input along lakes, ponds, rivers or streams. of sediments creates slight changes in the Water-loving shrubs are the first vegetation erosion by stabilizing banks. Floodplain forests also improve topography of the floodplain and varying to grow there. Over time, decayed sediment types. This allows trees, such vegetation accumulates until water depths aquatic habitats by supplying woody LARRY CORNELIS LARRY debris and providing shade that as red oak (Quercus rubra), white oak and decrease, allowing denser brush growth. American beech (Fagus grandifolia), to Further succession eventually results in he buttonbush flourishes keeps water temperatures cool. They benefit humans by absorbing grow on the higher, drier sediment shallower waters and built-up organic soils within the Bickford Oak deposits in the floodplain. Trees that that support more woody cover. The rate Woods Conservation Reserve potential floodwater from heavy are tolerant of seasonally wet conditions, IAN BOST at which this succession from wetland in Lambton County, Ontario. spring rains and melting snow. to upland occurs depends on water levels. TThe 741-ac (300-ha) natural area was Sycamores (Platanus occidentalis) display a distinct black, white and gray mottled bark Several years of wet weather can slow the recently protected by the Nature and often grow along rivers. When settlers transition; several dry years can hasten it. Conservancy of Canada with the help entered the region, they looked for these “white JOHN SCHAFER JOHN of the Ontario Ministry of Natural ghosts” of the forest to lead them to water. These ecosystems are strongly influenced Resources and other partners. This The distinctive ball-shaped flowers by their drainage basins, the chemical large forest, which is surrounded by of the buttonbush (Cephalanthu occidentalis) are a favorite nectar composition of waters flowing into agricultural land use, is unusual in the basins and the amount of surface source for many insects, including Lambton because the county has lost 90 the tiger swallowtail butterfly. water input. percent of its forest cover. Due to these variable conditions, shrub Trees common to beech-maple and oak-hickory forest communities occupy swamps may be wetter than lowland the reserve’s rolling clay-soil topography. In lower areas, pockets of buttonbush forests but generally do not contain large and winterberry shrubs grow within a silver maple swamp that also contains numbers of deep-water marsh plants, such swamp white oak, bur oak, American elm and willows. The site harbors two as cattail and bulrush. These plants may unique tree species, swamp cottonwood (Populus heterophylla) and Shumard appear around edges or openings, however. oak (Quercus shumardii), both of which thrive in the wet, clay lakeplain soils. Dominant shrub growth typically The destruction of lakeplain hardwood swamps makes these two tree species EVAN LARSON includes alder (Alnus spp.), buttonbush rare today in the region. ALLEN CHARTIER (Cephalanthus occidentalis), willow Birds that require large continuous tracts of forest to survive, such as cerulean The wild ginger (Asarum canadense), (Salix spp.) and dogwood (Cornus spp.) warbler, rose-breasted grosbeak, wood thrush and white-breasted nuthatch, with its heart-shaped leaves, grows in large These provide food and habitat for mink, colonies on the floor of floodplain forests. find habitat in Bickford Oak Woods. The rare Butler’s garter snake, which (Inset Left) The cardinal flower (Lobelia muskrats, raccoons, beavers, deer and This rhizome has a peppery taste and is susceptible to habitat fragmentation, has been identified here. Other wildlife cardinalis) has a brilliant red flower whose a smell similar to that of the commercially cottontail rabbits. Mallards, wood ducks, spotted includes wild turkey, wood duck, white-tailed deer and beaver. nectar is a favorite of hummingbirds. marketed ginger plant (Zingiber officinale), nuthatches, black-capped chickadees It is found growing along the shady edges of which hails from tropical areas. Wild ginger and several kinds of warblers nest in shrub streams and ponds and in low, wet woods. has been used to make a flavorful candy Thriving in the humid, nutrient-rich swamps, as do snakes, turtles, frogs, While construction and dredging water runoff and streams that flow by boiling the root stocks and simmering projects can destroy shrub swamps, from agricultural or developed areas (Inset Right) The spotted touch-me-not floodplain environment, this mature riverbank insects, butterflies and dragonflies. Beavers (Impatiens capensis) is an annual wildflower them in sugar syrup. grape (Vitis riparia) climbs the trunks remove invading trees and help retain some logging and farming practices on can convey pollutants and unnatural whose orange flowers brighten the edges of American beech trees in the floodplain a shrubby appearance. adjacent uplands can convert forested nutrient levels that also can change of rivers and streams and damp, open areas forest of the Pine River Nature Center wetlands into shrub swamps. Surface the swamp’s character. in and around marshes. in St. Clair County, Michigan.

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such as silver maple, eastern cottonwood, black willow and American elm, thrive in lower areas. Warm and humid summer temperatures and cooler conditions in the spring create a distinct microclimate in the floodplain environment. The cooler spring temperatures prevent trees from leafing out before spring frosts, which results in a rich woody plant community and promotes the growth of tree species at the northern edge of their range. Many trees more common to the southern U.S., such as redbud (Cercis canadensis), honey locust (Gleditsia tricanthos), Kentucky coffee tree, sycamore, and northern hackberry (Celtis occidentalis), thrive in the floodplain’s unique microclimate. ERIKSSON ROGER Cerulean Warbler of mature forests, often along watercourses. The dramatic declines in ROGER ERIKSSON ROGER The cerulean warbler (Dendroica The delicate white flowers of spring cress (Cardamine bulbosa) bloom along the moist edge of cerulea), named for the bright blue its numbers have made a glimpse even a vernal pool at the Lower Huron Metropark, which contains one of the finest examples of more challenging. Special efforts have floodplain forest in southeastern Michigan. Located along the Huron River, the forest’s towering Red-shouldered Hawk color of the male, nests in North been made in recent years to document trees form an arboreal cathedral, and a colorful community of springtime wildflowers carpets its The red-shouldered hawk (Buteo America and winters in South floor. This natural area has particular significance because of its old-growth trees, which are America. It once was abundant habitat requirements and populations a rarity in this highly developed region. lineatus) is one of the most beautiful of cerulean warblers in the U.S. hawks. It is secretive and prefers in southeastern Michigan and extensive, mature floodplains and southwestern Ontario. Early Cerulean warblers nest in eastern deciduous swamp forests where it Detroit ornithologist Bradshaw North America, including the Corridor. preys on amphibians, crayfish, Swales noted ten pairs in one One factor in its decline is loss of the snakes and even ducklings. woodlot in Grosse Pointe in 1902. large tracts of mature forest that it Now it is rarely found nesting in requires for breeding. Another The red-shouldered hawk was once that area, and is listed as a species contributor may be destruction the most abundant breeding hawk at risk in both Michigan and of its winter habitat in South America in the eastern part of its North Ontario. through conversion of primary forest American range, including southern to farmland. Michigan and southwestern Ontario. It is difficult for humans to see this But by 1960, it was nearly warbler, which lives in the canopy eliminated. It now is considered a species at risk in Michigan and Ontario. The bird no longer winters Scarlet Tanager in this area, preferring the southern The scarlet tanager (Piranga states through central Mexico. olivacea) is a migratory songbird The population decline has resulted that winters in the canopy of from habitat loss and the species’ tropical forests in northwestern ESSEX REGION CONSERVATION AUTHORITY (ERCA) AUTHORITY ESSEX REGION CONSERVATION sensitivity to disturbance. As riparian South America and lives in The Canard Valley Conservation Area habitats have been destroyed or eastern North America during in Essex County, Ontario, has one of the fragmented, red-shouldered hawks warmer seasons. An inhabitant largest populations of the Kentucky coffee of deciduous forests and pine-oak tree (Gymnocladus diocus) in Canada. have been replaced by the more JULIE A. CRAVES adaptable red-tailed hawk. woodlands, it feeds primarily on insects, supplemented by Interestingly, the male scarlet tanager’s JOHN SCHAFER JOHN

ERCA berries and buds. Loss of large feathers change color with the season. In Ostrich ferns (Matteuccia struthiopteris) tracts of forest has contributed autumn, the brilliant red plumage on his grow in low, wet open woodlands along The corky ridges of Kentucky coffee streams and in swamps. tree bark are distinctive. to this bird’s decline in the body turns olive green, a color similar to Corridor region. that of the female scarlet tanager. 94 EXPLORE OURNATURALWORLD: A BIODIVERSITYATLAS OF THELAKE HURON TOLAKE ERIE CORRIDOR| HEADINGINLAND W OODLAND W ILDFLOWERS

Beech-maple forests are home to an impressive array of wildflowers, including jack-in-the-pulpit, wild leek, wild ginger, wild geranium, toothwort, trout lily, spring beauty, mayapple, woodland phlox and large Beech-Maple Forest Beech-maple forests grow in damp, flowered trillium. These plants, known as "spring ephemerals," flower before trees have fully leafed out, which allows nutrient-rich soils in well-drained portions of lakeplain, till plains and them to take advantage of the seasonal sunlight. They die back as shade from the trees increases. moraine ridges. As the primary climax forest of the region, the beech-maple represents the highest order of forest community succession. As the name implies, American beech and sugar maple dominate this forest

type. Basswood, red oak, white oak, WELKENBACK STACEY white ash (Fraxinus americana), shagbark Beech-maple forests, like this one at Kensington Metropark in Michigan, have a dense to moderately hickory (Carya ovata), black walnut dense canopy of deciduous trees, very few or no shrubs, and a well-developed herbaceous forest floor (Juglans nigra) and tuliptree that tolerates the shade provided by the leafy canopy.

(Liriodendron tulipifera) are common TRISH BECKJORD associates. Depending on drainage The large-flowered trillium Flies pollinate the purple trillium The wild columbine conditions, they can be as numerous as (Trillium grandiflorum) is one of the (Trillium erectum), also known as (Aquilegia canadensis) grows in the shade the beech and maple. In cooler areas, best-known spring wildflowers. It takes six “Stinking Benjamin.” They are attracted of many woodland habitats. The bright orange farther north into St. Clair and Lambton years from the time a seed germinates for the to its ill scent. and yellow flowers provide nectar to many trillium to produce its first flower. As with butterflies in the spring. counties, Eastern hemlock (Tsuga many woodland wildflowers, ants play an canadensis) and yellow birch become important role in dispersing its seeds. more common. At the time of European settlement, beech-maple forests were, by far, the dominant forest type, covering most ELAINE DANIELSON of southern Michigan and southwestern Bottlebrush grass (Hystrix patula) is a common Ontario, as well as in much of Ohio and grass of woodlands. Indiana. Today, fragments of this forest (Right) A Carolinian species, the tuliptree remain as isolated woodlots between (Liriodendron tulipifera) is sensitive to frost. It farm fields and development, or as is the tallest-growing tree of eastern North American forests, reaching heights of about 150 JOHN TIEDJE JOHN TRISH BECKJORD publicly protected land. TRISH BECKJORD MCNICHOL MAURA ft (50 m) Its showy yellow flowers resemble those of the tulip. The tree’s honey Shown nestled among the roots Pollinated mostly by bumblebees, The beautiful white flowers of the mayapple is known to be a delicacy. ART AMELIA HANSEN, CORVUS of the American beech, the yellow flowers dutchman’s breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) (Podophyllum peltatum) are hidden underneath of the trout lily (Erythronium americanum) are wildflowers found in woods rich with their large leaves. This plant often grows carpet the forest floor in spring. organic matter. This plant was named for in circular colonies on the forest floor. The the flower’s likeness to pants worn fruits of this plant are edible, but other parts F UNGUS by traditional Dutch men. of the plant are extremely poisonous.

ungi play an important recycling role in forest ecosystems. They decay organic matter, making nutrients from the dead plants available for F BOB WEIR future plant growth. They can be found in a variety of shapes and DON HILL DON MARIE BOYLE LINDSEY MISHLER colors. Some, such as morel (Left) This coral mushroom (Hiericium The distinctive flower of the jack-in-the-pulpit The wild geranium (Geranium maculatum) The delicate white flowers of the bloodroot mushrooms, are good to eat, BOB WEIR ramosum) can be found (Arisaema atrorubens), a wildflower of damp thrives in the light shade of open woods. (Sanguinaria canadensis) are short-lived, and others, such as the fly agaric, on fallen logs of beech (Above) Polyspores are genera woodlands, is known as a spadix. This forest sometimes lasting only a week. This

are deadly poisonous. JULIE FOUNTAIN and maple. of fungi that grow as brackets herb is also easily recognized in the fall early-blooming spring wildflower is known on dead and living trees. by its showy red berries. for the red juice that can be extracted from its stem and rhizome, which was used by native peoples to dye baskets. 96 EXPLORE OURNATURALWORLD: A BIODIVERSITYATLAS OF THELAKE HURON TOLAKE ERIE CORRIDOR| HEADINGINLAND A RARE WOODLAND FOREST ANIMALS

INVASIVE FOREST PLANTS

Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) is a biennial herb that came from Europe, where it was consumed as an edible green. It is an invasive species and has carpeted many disturbed urban woodlands, smothering native plants, including spring wildflowers. Removing garlic mustard is difficult, yet important for maintaining plant diversity in forests. Restoration ecologists study the life cycle of this and many other invasive plant species in order to determine how to control their spread. JIM SIMEK, NATURE’S IMAGES JIM SIMEK, NATURE’S MICHIGAN NATURE ASSOCIATION NATURE MICHIGAN

The distinctive white and pink flowers (Above) The red-headed woodpecker The tatarian honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica) is an invasive, of the painted trillium (Trillium (Melanerpes eryhthrocephalus), found deciduous shrub that is native to China, Korea and Japan. undulatum) bloom at the Irene and throughout eastern North America, has Originally from Asia, common It was introduced to the United States in 1846 as an ornamental Elmer P. Jasper Woods Memorial Nature been known by many colorful names, buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) plant. Its prolific seed production and the fact that birds readily Sanctuary in Kimball Township, St. Clair such as tri-colored woodpecker and flying is an invasive species that threatens feed and disperse the seeds have enabled it to escape into the County. The painted trillium is rare, checkerboard. It populates open, deciduous native plant diversity in forest wild. Other Asian invasive bush honeysuckles include Amur with Michigan’s only known populations woods in the Corridor region in summer and habitats. Left unchecked, common and Morow. These shrubs’ vigorous growth allows them to found in this locale. migrates to the southern U.S for buckthorn forms dense thickets that out-compete native vegetation for light and other resources. the winter. crowd and shade native shrubs and They can be particularly abundant on the disturbed edges PHILIP MYERS herbs. Its expansion has been of fragmented forests, where they dominate the understory. (Above) The southern flying squirrel Red-headed woodpeckers excavate cavities furthered by fragmentation of forests (Glaucomys volans) doesn’t really fly, but it in dead trees in which to raise their young. and the spread of its seeds by birds has a loose membrane of furred skin between They have a broad diet of insects, nuts, fruit that feed on its many berries. its front and back legs that allows it to glide and even the eggs and the young of other through the air from tree to tree. These small birds. The characteristic tapping sound squirrels have been known to glide as far heard in woods is a sign that a woodpecker is as 240 ft (80 m) The southern flying squirrel working on a tree. lives in mature forests, often nesting in tree cavities left by woodpeckers. It likes to feed In this region, the red-headed woodpecker on acorns, hickory nuts and the seeds of was once the second most abundant beech, maple and poplar trees. It rarely is woodpecker, after the downy. Populations seen by humans because of its nocturnal have been declining due to habitat loss, nature. especially removal of dead trees. Some breeding pairs have built nests on poles, but studies show that the young don’t hatch if poles are newly treated with creosote. The red-headed woodpecker has declined throughout its range, and is a species at risk in Canada. H. HARDING JAMES The five-lined skink (Eumeces fasciatus) (Left) The passenger pigeon (Ectopistes is one of two lizards native to Michigan. The Irene and Elmer P. Jasper Woods migratorius), whose native habitat was Found in wooded habitats and open areas in Memorial Nature Sanctuary, owned by the deciduous forests of eastern North woodlands, where it likes to bask in the sunlight the Michigan Nature Association, is graced America, once was Earth’s most abundant on stumps, logs, and rocks, the five-lined skink with towering stands of eastern hemlock bird species. Numbering three to five feeds on insects like grasshoppers, spiders, and (Tsuga canadensis) that grow inside a billion, passenger pigeons may have centipedes. This lizard has a unique predator beech-maple forest on rolling topography. comprised 25 to 40 percent of the native escape system- when the skink is grabbed by The eastern hemlock’s dense foliage shades North American bird population. Accounts its tail, the tail breaks off and later re-grows. the forest floor, creating darkness even in by early pioneers stated that migrating flocks JIM SIMEK, NATURE’S IMAGES JIM SIMEK, NATURE’S the afternoon sun. Although the area is were so thick they obscured the sun. dominated by hemlock, associates include The wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) had BOHLING MARY yellow birch, sassafras and eastern white Sadly, this species is now extinct. Its demise disappeared from Michigan and Ontario The eastern screech owl (Otus asio) is a small pine. The presence of the eastern hemlock, resulted from mass conversion of forests by the early-1900s due to over-hunting by owl common to deciduous woodlands and even which is common in more northern forests, to farmland and uncontrolled hunting early settlers and intensive destruction of suburban settings, if there are sufficiently large marks the transition between southern and and slaughter by European settlers. The last large forest tracts. Successful reintroduction trees and suitable snags for nesting. northern forest types in the Corridor. passenger pigeon specimen in Michigan efforts have brought this magnificent game was shot in Dearborn in 1898. bird back to the area.

HEADINGINLAND| EXPLORE OURNATURALWORLD: A BIODIVERSITYATLAS OF THELAKE HURON TOLAKE ERIE CORRIDOR 99 can include red maple, sugar maple, white ash, black cherry, basswood in more mesic sites and scarlet oak W HAT M AKES F ALL C OLOR (Quercus coccinea) and sassafras in drier areas. Overall, the dominant tree species in oak hickory forests have changed since pre-European settlement times. The suppression he Corridor’s of fire has resulted in red maple landscape can be and black spectacular in cherry trees autumn as the Tgreen leaves of trees turn increasing in pre- glorious shades of red, purple, dominance. orange and yellow. Typical This color change is caused by understory a chemical process in the leaves. They are green during the tree’s

herb and JENSEN HOLLY shrub summer growth period because species they contain chlorophyll, which include they use to absorb energy from witch hazel, sunlight and to transform choke cherry (Prunus virginiana) carbon dioxide and water into IAN BOST and downy arrowwood (Viburnum carbohydrates to feed the tree. That allows carotene and xanthophylls, dogwood, sumac and sugar maple rafinesquianum.) Blueberries also Leaves stop making food in the which are orange and yellow produce a host of hues ranging grow wild in the dry understory fall as the tree heads into its pigments that have been in the leaf all from brilliant orange to crimson of these forests. Spring ephemeral winter rest period, so the summer, to become visible and give to purple. Brown leaves, common Witch hazel wildflowers include hepatica chlorophyll breaks down and the tree its “fall color.” Anthocyanin to oak trees, come from a mixture (Hamamelis virginiana) blooms (Hepatica spp.), bloodroot, rue the green color disappears. pigments found in trees such as of pigments. in the fall when most plants are dispersing seed. From anemone (Anemonella thalictroides) September to December, and Dutchman’s breeches. its bright yellow blossoms Pennsylvania sedge often will grow brighten the oak-hickory in grassy tufts throughout the White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) woodlands. Witch hazel oil has understory. In autumn, the forest have become extremely populous throughout been used for many years to the Corridor and extremely harmful to natural floor is resplendent with asters treat a variety of skin problems. LARRY CORNELIS areas, particularly in the absence of hunting. and goldenrods. Other than humans, there are virtually no predators left to keep their numbers in check. (Above) the gray squirrel As natural habitats become increasingly rare, (Sciurus carolinensis) Oak-Hickory Forest seemed like parks through which they deer are having a dramatically negative effect could easily drive their horses and is a common mammal Oak-hickory forests occur most on the remaining natural areas. wagons - much different than the of forest ecosystems. commonly on rolling moraine thick floodplain forests of Deer browse heavily on the wildflowers and ridges and well-drained sand grasses of the forest floor. Trilliums and other lowlands closer to the Detroit plains, where the drier (Left) Sassafras (Sassafras spring wildflowers can disappear altogether. River and Lake St. Clair. So conditions favor oak and albidum) is a small to medium-size In fact, the native plant diversity of many impressed were these people tree that can be found in the hickory trees over of our parks is threatened. At the Pinery of the early 1800s that they understory of oak woodlands. Provincial Park, Point Pelee National Park moisture-loving beech named the area “Oak Land.” It is one of few tree species that has and Rondeau Provincial Park in Ontario, and sugar maples. more than one kind of leaf. In fact, and many Huron-Clinton Metroparks in Red oak, white oak, black the sassafras has three differently Michigan, the diversity of forest ecosystems are The rolling topography oak and pignut hickory shaped leaves, with one, two or in danger because of over-browsing by deer. of Oakland County, three lobes. The two-lobed leaves Such alteration of the ecosystems provides (Carya glabra) are the Michigan, once was home look like mittens. In autumn, their opportunities for invasive species, such as dominant species in DAN RAWLYK to great expanses of fall color is brilliant pink, red and garlic mustard, to move in and further an oak-hickory forest. orange. In the past, the essential oak-hickory forests. Early The red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) disrupt plant communities. Managing Other tree species in these oil derived from this plant was is the most common raptor in the Corridor deer populations through hunting has settlers there were struck by forests vary according to the used to flavor medicines, candy region. It often can be seen sitting in become important in the protection the preponderance of forests and root beer. Illustration by soil’s moisture content. They roadside trees or atop fence posts, waiting of native biodiversity. graced with large oak trees that Amelia Hansen, Corvus Art. and watching to prey upon small rodents. SCHAFER JOHN

100 EXPLORE OURNATURALWORLD: A BIODIVERSITYATLAS OF THELAKE HURON TOLAKE ERIE CORRIDOR| HEADINGINLAND HEADINGINLAND| EXPLORE OURNATURALWORLD: A BIODIVERSITYATLAS OF THELAKE HURON TOLAKE ERIE CORRIDOR 101 Pictured is a pine plantation at Island Lake Recreation Area. In the past, pines often were planted in oak barrens and savanna ecosystems because they could thrive in poor, sandy soils. At the time it was not understood how these plantings would diminish the native biodiversity of oak barrens and savannas. The shade produced by these evergreens inhibits the growth of the ecosystems’ rich grassland flora.

Rough blazing star (Liatris aspera) grows in the dry prairies often associated with The stiff goldenrod oak barren ecosystems. (Solidago rigida) looks unlike most goldenrods with its occasionally joined by northern pin wide, rigid leaves and stiff stature. oak (Quercus ellipsoidalis), pignut The yellow blooms hickory and shagbark hickory. contribute to the late Plant species are needle grass Remnants of an oak barren ecosystem grow at the Island Lake Recreation Area, near Brighton, summer color found (Stipa spartea), little bluestem, Michigan. Ecological restoration efforts, which include prescribed burns and brush removal, in oak barren and big bluestem, Indian grass, stiff are helping to bring back its native plant diversity. prairie communities. goldenrod (Solidago rigida), butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa), aromatic sumac (Rhus aromatica), sand I NSECTS milkweed (Asclepias amplexicaulis), wild lupine and rough blazing star (Liatris aspera.) Many rare grassland Insects are one of the The cecropia moth (Hyalophora cecropia) is North America’s birds find habitat in oak barrens, most important members of ecosystems. largest silkmoth, with a wingspan At the Highland Recreation Area in Oakland County, the State Park Stewardship Program including the bobolink, loggerhead reaching almost six inches They perform functions is restoring the quality of an oak barren ecosystem. Lack of fire, changes in surrounding shrike, and the Henslow’s, savanna, (15 cm) land use, unchecked brushy growth, proliferating pine trees and non-native invasive species, that are necessary for grasshopper and vesper species GURA STEVEN The red milkweed beetle’s such as spotted knapweed (Centaurea maculosa), all threaten the integrity of this vanishing of sparrow. life on Earth, such ecosystem. Partnerships with recreational users to remove brush and a prescribed (controlled) as pollination and (Tetraopes tetraophthalmus) burn program conducted by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources are helping to bright orange color warns birds Soils in oak barrens may vary from decomposition. The that it eats milkweed and thus bring back the native prairie grasses. Removal of invasive shrubs and trees allows the large old pure sand to loam. Historically, their number of the earth’s oak trees to flourish. tastes very bitter. Its scientific dryness made this community prone insect species is Wasps are closely related name, Tetraopes, means to frequent wildfires and promoted unknown, but about one to bees. But while bees it has four eyes. the presence of prairie grasslands million have been feed on plants, wasps branches spreading 100 ft (33 m) or Oak Barren among the scattered oaks. Fire identified so far. They are predatory and more in all directions. feed on other insects, ALLEN CHARTIER Oak barrens occur on dry, gravelly or helped to recycle nutrients into the include beetles, wasps, such as house flies. sandy moraines and glacial outwash. Also historically known as “barrens,” soil and remove accumulated plant bees, ants, butterflies, moths, flies, bugs, The praying mantis Oak barrens are characterized by widely “oak openings,” “barren and scrubby litter. This allowed soils to warm The natural communities of the Lake Huron to Lake (Stagmomantis scattered clumps of oak trees and shrubs, timber” and “scattered timber,” these more quickly, a factor favored by mantids, cockroaches, Erie Corridor are rich in biodiversity. Whether they carolina) is standing tall and stately in otherwise warm-season grasses. Without fire, stick insects, are on land or in water, on open or forested land, communities are a transitional zone carnivorous, feeding each one supports plants and animals that play an open fields of prairie grasses and between dry prairies and forests. oak barrens convert to brush and, grasshoppers, dragonflies on other insects. It important role in the web of life. wildflowers. There are few oak trees – eventually, forest. Native peoples and damselflies. New strikes its prey so fast The dominant trees in oak barrens no more than ten per acre – in oak intentionally set fires to control species are constantly that it is able to catch The next chapter explores the impact humans have barrens but they have a commanding are white oak, black oak and dwarf underbrush, which made these being discovered. flies and mosquitoes. GURA STEVEN had on the landscape and its biological communities. presence, with their crowns and massive chinquapin oak (Quercus prinoides), habitats good for hunting.

102 EXPLORE OURNATURALWORLD: A BIODIVERSITYATLAS OF THELAKE HURON TOLAKE ERIE CORRIDOR| HEADINGINLAND HEADINGINLAND| EXPLORE OURNATURALWORLD: A BIODIVERSITYATLAS OF THELAKE HURON TOLAKE ERIE CORRIDOR 103