Grand Island
Location
Ecological and Physical Description
The RNA is primarily composed of northern hardwood forests with conifers located along Echo Lake Creek. The primary components of the overstory are American beech (Fagus grandifolia), sugar maple (Acer saccharum), red maple (Acer rubrum), hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), and yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis). Along the fringe of the forest, bordering the beach and cliff, is a narrow (< 20 m wide) zone of mountain-ash (Sorbus sp.), paper birch (Betula papyifera), mountain maple (Acer spicatum), white pine (Pinus strobus), red pine (Pinus resinosa), and other hardwoods common to the Island. The site has apparently never been in private ownership, and it indicates a lack of major disturbance in recent time.
Average annual precipitation is 33.5 inches (85.1 cm), with 9.6 inches (24.3 cm) falling from June through August. The site receives, on average, 135 inches (343 cm) of snowfall per year.
The Munising weather station is located 9 miles (15 km) north of the RNA.
Much of the shore is on a sand beach, with a sandstone cliff over 100 feet (30 m) high in the northwestern corner of the RNA. The cliffs and underlying bedrock are Jacobsville sandstone. Soils have not been mapped and classified. The northern hardwood soils are suspected to be Munising series.
Echo Lake Creek flows north to Lake Superior through the eastern portion of the tract.
Flora and Fauna
Common Plant Species
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Category | At Risk | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amelanchier sp. | Juneberry | Common Shrub Species | ||
| Lonicera canadensis) | fly honeysuckle | Common Shrub Species | ||
| Sambucus pubens | red-berried elder | Common Shrub Species | ||
| Ribes trista | swamp red currant | Common Shrub Species | ||
| Rubus pubescens | dwarf raspberry | Common Shrub Species | ||
| Vaccinium ovalifolium | tall bilberry | Common Shrub Species |