Progress Report on the Research Project Entitled Long Term Post-Fire Vegetation Monitoring of the Recent Stanley Ridge Burn in Isle Royale National Park
Janke RA. 1994. Progress Report on the Research Project Entitled Long Term Post-Fire Vegetation Monitoring of the Recent Stanley Ridge Burn in Isle Royale National Park. Michigan Technological University. Houghton, MI
This report summarizes results of the 1993 post-fire vegetation sampling on the Stanley Ridge burn in Isle Royale National Park, a lighntning-caused natural fire which occurred during the summer of 1988, and compares those results with the results of the 1991 and 1992 sampling. The burn covered approximately 75 acres of the Stanley Ridge area. This was the third vegetation sampling effort following that burn. Counts of tree and tall shrub species of sapling tree size witin each plot were made, and all stems were checked for moose browsing. Percent cover of ground cover plants was estimated. No woody plants in the tree stage of development were found in the sampling areas. The density of woody plants in the sapling stage increased considerably over 1992 for several species, especially jack pine. Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) continues to show a steady increase in sapling density. Seedlings of tree and tall shrub species showed a continued increase in both ecosystems. Moose browsed on all the seedling and sapling species except jack pine. Blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium) still is the dominant ground cover on the ridge top, while serviceberry (Amelanchier sp.) was the dominant species in all size categories on the open southeast slope.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Janke, Robert
- Date of Issue
- 1994-02
- Publisher
- Michigan Technological University
- Units
- ISRO
- Keywords
- Fire Ecology, Flora, Isle Royale National Park, Michigan, Plants, Vegetation Monitoring