Regional Landscape Ecosystems of Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin
SUBSECTION X.11. Littlefork-Vermilion Uplands
DISCUSSION: Subsection X.11 is transitional between extensive peatlands to the west and bedrock-controlled landscape to the east (Hargrave 1992). It is characterized by shallow clayey soils upon granitic bedrock.
SUB-SUBSECTIONS: None.
ELEVATION: 1,100 to 1,500 feet (335 to 457 m).
AREA: 2,197 square miles (5,690 sq km).
STATES: Minnesota.
CLIMATE: Cool continental climate, with short warm summers and long winters (Heinselman 1973). Annual precipitation averages 25 to 27 inches; the growing season ranges from 98 to 111 days and is shortest in the west (University of Minnesota et al. 1981b). Annual snowfall averages 50 to 64 inches; the greatest amount of snow falls in the east (Wendland et al. 1992). Extreme minimum temperatures are -45½F (Reinke et al. 1993) or colder. Heinselman (1973) considers the area to be transitional between the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence and boreal forest regions due to the presence of white pine and red pine along with boreal tree species.
BEDROCK GEOLOGY: Glacial drift is shallow at the northern and eastern edges of the subsection; it becomes moderately thick in the western part, where thicknesses are up to 300 feet (Hargrave 1992). The underlying bedrock is of Precambrian age (Archean), including gneiss, amphibolite, undifferentiated granite, and metamorphosed mafic to intermediate volcanic and sedimentary rocks (Sims et al. 1970, Morey 1976, Morey et al. 1982, Day et al. 1990). There are also iron formation, metasediments, and metamorphosed felsic volcanic rocks.
LANDFORMS: Subsection is transitional between extensive peatlands to the west and bedrock-controlled landscape to the east. On the west, it consists of water-worked till. Further to the east is thin ground moraine over bedrock. The features are considered part of the Erskine moraine of the Des Moines lobe (Hobbs and Goebel 1982).
LAKES AND STREAMS: Large lakes include Nett Lake, Pelican Lake, Elbow Lake, and the west half of Vermilion Lake. Lakes cover only a small part of the surface here, in contrast to the Border Lakes subsection to the east. The Little Fork River meanders across the flat till plain.
SOILS: Soils are classified as Ochrepts in the east, with Aqualfs and Hemists further west, along with a large area of Psamments northwest of Nett Lake (Anderson and Grigal 1984).
PRESETTLEMENT VEGETATION: The lake-modified till in the west half of the subsection supported aspen-birch forest; conifer swamp surrounded Nett Lake and occurred in depressions on the till plain (Marschner 1974). A large area of open muskeg occurred on the lake-modified till at the south edge of the subsection in Koochiching and St. Louis Counties. White pine-red pine forests dominated the thin ground moraine to the east. Jack pine forest and aspen-birch forest again became dominant at the east edge, where the soils were thinnest.
NATURAL DISTURBANCE: Both fire and windthrow were probably common forms of disturbance; insect infestations such as spruce budworm attacks were probably common in the conifer-dominated wetlands.
PRESENT VEGETATION AND LAND USE: Most of the subsection remains forested. The subsection is an important source of aspen for pulpwood.
High-quality examples of the following plant communities are represented in this subsection: northern white-cedar swamp, black spruce swamp, spruce-fir forest, and white pine forest. Inventory is insufficient on most plant communities here.
RARE PLANT COMMUNITIES: None identified to date.
RARE PLANTS: Little plant inventory has been done.
RARE ANIMALS: Little animal inventory has been done.
NATURAL AREAS: State Natural Areas: Myrtle Lake Peatland.
PUBLIC LAND MANAGERS: National Forests: Superior; State Forests: George Washington, Kabetogama, Koochiching, and Sturgeon River.
>CONSERVATION CONCERNS: Accelerated timber harvest with resulting fragmentation, loss of mature and old-growth forests, and simplification of forest communities. Old-growth red pine and white pine stands need to be protected.
BOUNDARIES: Subsection includes the Erskine moraine of the Des Moines lobe. To the east is the exposed bedrock knobs of the Border Lakes subsection. To the west are the Agassiz Lowlands, a subsection of extensive peatlands on lacustrine deposits.
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