Michigan Forest Communities - Michigan Association of ...

WETLAND FOREST COMMUNITIES
Distribution and status
Wetland forest communities are
very common throughout southern
Michigan (more than 1.6 million acres);
a short drive from any location will
reveal several examples. Occasional
occurrences of this type also may be
found in Region II—e.g., the middle
reaches of the Muskegon River—or
along the Menominee River in the
extreme southern Upper Peninsula
(Region III). Although some of the land
formerly occupied by this type has been
drained for agriculture and filled for
urban development (e.g., much of the
greater Detroit area), overall wetland
forests are in no immediate danger.
Key viewing areas
• Indian Springs Metropark (Oakland
County northwest of Pontiac).
• Kalamazoo River floodplain, Allegan
State Game Area (Allegan County
west of Allegan).
• Waterloo State Recreation Area
(Jackson and Washtenaw counties
northeast of Jackson).
• Nan Weston Nature Preserve at
Sharon Hollow, Michigan Nature
Conservancy (Washtenaw County
southwest of Chelsea).
• Red Cedar River floodplain, Harris
Nature Center (Ingham County southeast
of Okemos).
• Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge
and Shiawassee River State Game
Area (Saginaw County southwest of
Saginaw).
Forest Community Type 1
Southern Deciduous
Swamps and Floodplain
Forests
Uses and management
Most tree species in this type have
low timber value. Nonetheless, some
timber in deciduous wetland forests is
managed and harvested, provided necessary
permits are secured and best
management practices (BMP) are followed.
Logging typically is limited to
winter and late summer because of
accessibility constraints. Some firewood
cutting also occurs. Trapping and hunting
of waterfowl, woodcock, ruffed
grouse, and deer are widely practiced in
many of these communities. The best
use of deciduous wetland forests is the
protection of the water resources that
produce them and the unique biota
associated with them.
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