Restoring pine barrens for avian conservation

Abstract

At first glance, many visitors to Michigan's Upper Peninsula (U.P.) see a fairly uniform forested region. Although northern hardwood forests comprised of sugar maple (Acer saccharum), American basswood (Tilia americana), yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis) and eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) predominate, the U.P. is a fact a mosaic of forest cover types interspersed by water bodies and open lands (e.g., pine barrens, open wetlands, alvars [see SER News August 2000], and agricultural lands). Because of this exceptional structural and compositional diversity, the U.P. is inhabited by more species of breeding birds (.185) than practically any other region in the eastern United States. To maintain this regional avian diversity - and to provide habitat for open land birds and other biota a s well as provide recreational oppertunities such as blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) picking, camping,hiking and inspired nighttime views of celestial bodies - rare ecosystems like pine barrens must be maintained and, in many cases, restored.

Citation

Corace, Greg. 2001. Restoring pine barrens for avian conservation. Society for Ecological Restoration News. Vol. 14, no. 2 & 3 (Aug. 2001).:p. [1], 14.