Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State growth hardwood and of hemlock in The VEGETATION of PORCUPINE Park is located in the western Upper the and is MOUNTAINS WILDERNESS Peninsula of (46¡ 45’N, considered by the Michigan Natural 89¡45’E) along the south shore of Lake Features Inventory to be the “biggest Superior. The park is characterized by and best tract of virgin Northern Precambrian bedrock ridges and almost Hardwoods in North America.” complete (95%) forest cover. The principal forest type within the One of the primary objectives in park is a closed-canopy northern setting aside the area as a state park mesic forest (Curtis 1959), dominated was to “preserve forever as a forest by sugar maple, eastern hemlock, and museum the largest stand of mixed yellow birch, with lesser amounts of hardwoods and hemlock existing in eastern white pine, red maple, Michigan.” Within the park is a block of basswood, green ash, northern white This aerial view of the park shows Mirror primary or uncut forest of approximately cedar, and northern red oak. Lake in the foreground surrounded by old- 35,000 acres in size. This forest Disturbed forests occupy sections of growth hardwood and hemlock forests. constitutes the largest stand of old- the park that were logged prior to state ownership. Much of the park's Porcupine Mountains shoreline was logged prior to 1914 and was burned by a Forest History Map Union Bay r Campground large slash fire in 1919. This area now io supports extensive white birch, er 107 up quaking aspen and balsam fir forests, S t e pmen and numerous shrubland openings. k scar La Lone Rock E Overlook Large areas in the eastern part of

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Mirror Lake e Correction Line by bearberry, blueberry, juniper, and

ad dwarfed pine occur along cliffs and Ro Presque Isle C ry a n d ro un rock outcrops in several areas of the o s o Campground and t s B r L L ily Pond th r e u Scenic Area o i o i k t park. r tl r S n e e i v e Car Ri p P p u S KEY Through state legislation (Sec. ke 35103 of Part 351,1994 PA 451, La PRIMARY FOREST Wilderness and Natural Areas), LOGGED PRIOR TO 1914 40,808 acres of Porcupine Mountains NORTH MILES LOGGED 1930-1958 Wilderness State Park's nearly 60,000 0 1 2 4 acres of land area is designated BLOWDOWN OF 1953 Michigan Wilderness. DNR A closed-canopy northern mesic Dense stands of eastern hemlock Young forests of sugar maple, yellow forest blankets much of the Porcupine often form in the Porcupine birch, red maple and other hardwoods Mountains, especially moist upland Mountains. Other tree species cannot predominate on lands in the eastern areas. Characteristic tree species of easily grow in the deep shade of a section of the park. Much of this area this community are sugar maple, hemlock forest. If an opening in the was logged between 1930 and the eastern hemlock, yellow birch, forest cover occurs sugar maple, late 1950s, prior to state ownership. basswood, green ash, and white pine. yellow birch, white spruce and other tree species may become established.

Much of the forest along the park’s Wave action and ice-scour make it Plants and animals living on the Lake Superior shoreline was logged difficult for vegetation to grow on the summit of the escarpment cliff endure prior to 1914. Afterwards, a large bedrock shores of Lake Superior. extremes of temperature, moisture slash fire burned this area. Today, the Lichens, mosses, grasses, sedges, and wind. Characteristic vegetation of vegetation in this part of the park is and other hardy plants survive here this community includes lichens, dominated by white birch, quaking by anchoring themselves in rock dwarfed pines and cedar, juniper, aspen and balsam fir, with numerous crevices. bearberry, and blueberry. shrubland openings.