Comparison of Structural and Compositional Attributes of Northern Hardwood Forests in Michigan and Minnesota
| Authors: | Marcella A. Windmuller-Campione |
| Year: | 2023 |
| Type: | Proceedings - Paper |
| Station: | Northern Research Station |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.2737/NRS-GTR-P-211-paper20 |
| Source: | In: Kern, Christel C.; Dickinson, Yvette L., eds. Proceedings of the first biennial Northern Hardwood Conference 2021: Bridging science and management for the future. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-211. Madison, WI: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station: 96–110. |
Abstract
Northern hardwood forests are structurally and compositionally diverse resulting in multiple "types" of northern hardwood forest communities. Within the northern Great Lakes Region of the United States (Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin), Minnesota represents a transition zone for multiple tree species with some tree species reaching their western, northern, or southern edge of their range including sugar maple (Acer saccharum). To explore the potential influence of range limits on the structure and composition of northern hardwood forest communities, I utilized the Forest Inventory and Analysis database on a subset of counties in eastern Minnesota and the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan. One hundred and eleven plots across 10 counties in the two states were coded as the maple/basswood/beech forest type. Between the two states, there were many similarities in site conditions and overall metrics of forest communities (average diameter, age, regeneration density). However, Minnesota and Michigan northern hardwood forests are compositionally different; Michigan northern hardwood forests were more commonly dominated by sugar maple and red maple (Acer rubrum), while American basswood (Tilia americana) and northern red oak (Quercus rubra) were more common in Minnesota. A nonmetric multidimensional scaling ordination showed clear separation between plots from Michigan and Minnesota in ordination space. As interactions among climate change, invasive species, ownership patterns, and disturbance regimes continue to influence species composition in forest communities, understanding the range of potential northern hardwood community composition and structure can provide opportunities to explore alternative silvicultural approaches.