Regional Landscape Ecosystems of Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin
SUBSECTION VII.6. Presque Isle
DISCUSSION: This subsection, located at the extreme northern end of Lower Michigan, is topographically diverse. Along the inland margin is a broad drumlin field. At the western edge, there are large steep moraines. Along the shoreline is a 3- to 18-mile-wide band of sand lake plain.
SUB-SUBSECTIONS: Onaway (VII.6.1), Stutsmanville (VII.6.2), Cheboygan (VII.6.3).
ELEVATION: 580 to 1,330 feet (177 to 405 m).
AREA: 2,985 square miles (7,730 sq km).
STATES: Michigan.
CLIMATE: The climate of the entire subsection is moderated by Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, but the northern latitude shortens the growing season (Albert et al. 1986). Growing season ranges from approximately 110 days on the southern, inland margin to 150 days along the Lake Huron shoreline (Eichenlaub et al. 1990). At the inland margin, the climate is less moderated by the Great Lakes. Atlanta, a town near this inland border, has a growing season of only 108 days. Extreme minimum temperatures are also moderated by Lake Michigan and Lake Huron; minimum temperatures are as high as -28½F along the lakes, can be as low as -46½F along the inland margin. Heavy, lake-effect snowfall (140 inches) occurs along the western edge, but drops off fairly rapidly to 70 inches in the east. Annual precipitation is relatively uniform, ranging from 28 to 32 inches.
BEDROCK GEOLOGY: Glacial drift is as thick as 500 feet at the inland margin of the subsection and is discontinuous within 30 miles of the shorelines of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron (Akers 1938). The underlying bedrock consists of Mississippian and Devonian marine and near-shore sedimentary deposits (Milstein 1987, Dorr and Eschman 1984). Limestone, dolomite, and gypsum are locally exposed and mined. Devonian bedrock in the subsection is a source for salt, brine, and major petroleum reservoirs (Dorr and Eschman 1984).
LANDFORMS: Drumlins are the predominant landform in Sub-subsection VII.6.1; steep, sandy end moraines are prevalent in Sub-subsection VII.6.2; and sandy glacial lake plain covers most of Sub-subsection VII.6.3. See sub-subsections.
SOILS: Soils are generally sandy throughout the subsection. Soils are locally rocky on the drumlin fields and thin near the Lake Huron shoreline, where bedrock is locally exposed. Extensive peat deposits occur in the depressions between the drumlins and in old embayments and swales on parts of the sand lake plain.
PRESETTLEMENT VEGETATION: Northern hardwood forest was common on drumlins and sandy end moraines (Comer et al. 1993a). White pine and red pine forests grew on thin, rocky soils near Great Lakes shoreline. Conifer swamps covered large areas; northern white-cedar was a common dominant of the swamps along poorly drained Great Lakes shorelines. See sub-subsections.
NATURAL DISTURBANCE: Both fires and windthrow noted. See sub-subsections.
PRESENT VEGETATION AND LAND USE: Most of the subsection is managed for forest products or wildlife. Agriculture is most intensive on the loamier drumlins and broad ground-moraine ridges on the lake plain. There are several important State parks and natural areas, primarily on the Lake Huron and Lake Michigan shoreline. Limestone and gypsum are quarried on or near the present shoreline at several locations.
RARE PLANT COMMUNITIES: See sub-subsections.
RARE PLANTS: See sub-subsections.
RARE ANIMALS: See sub-subsections.
NATURAL AREAS: See sub-subsections.
PUBLIC LAND MANAGERS: See sub-subsections.
CONSERVATION CONCERNS: See sub-subsections.
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