One Hundred Years of Vegetation Change in Benzie County Michigan

Abstract

Paper given: Natural Resources Management and Conservation Section, Michigan Academy of Science Meeting, March 11, 1994, East Lansing. NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT AND CONSERVATION One Hundred Years of Vegetation Change in Benzie County, Michigan. William Overlease and Edith Overlease, West Chester University, Biology Department,1645 Sycamore Court, Bloomington, Indiana,47401, 812-332-3532. Beginning with the vegetation of Benzie County,Michigan as summarized from witness tree data as reported in the 1839 Government Land Surveys, changes in vegetation and flora resulting from the complete logging of the county at the turn of the century, the subsequent fires,settlement and recent real estate development are discussed. Observations and data from the authors' active botanical work in the county from 1964 is supplemented with observations of early loggers at the turn of the century. Changes in vegetation and flora of the major cover types, Northern Hardwoods,Oakpine Forests,Swamp Forests, and Lake Michigan Dunes are summarized. Introduced weed flora is used as a barometer to field and disturbed land use. The recent aggressive weeds in the county, the Helleborine Orchid (Epipactis helleborine), Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) and Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) are documented.