Vegetation of Mount Desert Island, Maine and its environment

Moore, Barrington; Taylor, Norman

Studied Pitch Pine forest on Huguenot Head, White Pine forest at Bear Brook Hill, Red Oak forest at Meadow Brook, and Spruce forest at Otter Point and evaluates differences among these 4 stand types. FIRE: Notes fires: in 1848 burning over 100's of acres on northeastern Mount Desert Island; 1864 - fire on south shore of Jordan Pond and up south slope of Pemetic and Penobscot Mountains, the fire may have started in a lumber camp; 1889 - large fire on Cadillac Mountain; 1886 or 1898 - vegetation suggests an extensive fire burned on north ridge of Cadillac Mountain. FLORA - LICHEN: Describes lichen colonization of bare rock as a process of succession and lists several of the most common crustose and foliose lichen species found in these habitats. Lists 14 'more conspicuous' rock inhabiting lichen species of Mount Desert Island. Graphs relative frequency of 22 plant species, including 5 lichens, in different vegetation succession stages. FLORA - VASCULAR: Describes forest associations, vegetation communities, and discusses successional stages in community development. Contains references to species associated with each community type. Includes an excellent forest-cover map (useful in locating stands existing prior to the 1947 fire) of Mount Desert Island and with spruce, mixed conifer, fir, pitch pine, hardwoods, northern hardwoods-spruce, cedar, burns, marsh, bog, rock, and white pine community types. Notes that Scrub Oak is restricted to Acadia Mountain. Notes a virgin stand of Spruce on Western Mountain. Describes the ecology of each forest type and lists associated common species. SOILS: During 3 seasons, maximum and minimum thermometers measured weekly soil temperatures for 4 forest types (Pitch Pine, White Pine, Red Oak, and Spruce). Studies of soil reaction, nitrogen content, physical properties, wilting coefficient, moisture holding capacity, pH, and fertility were made. CLIMATE: Summarizes precipitation at Bar Harbor (1886 - 1908). Measured evaporation rates in each forest association (Pitch Pine, White Pine, Red Oak, and Spruce). Notes that climate plays an important role in deciding the development of different forest associations because of differing evaporation rates /STUDY LOCATIONS:/ /MOUNT DESERT ISLAND GIS-CATEGORY 2 ; Flora: Vegetation map of Mount Desert Island showing forest types, bare rock, marshes and bogs circa 1927