The logging era in Michigan and its environmental effects. Image: www. Centria.worldpress.com)

Transcription

1 The logging era in Michigan and its environmental effects Image: www. Centria.worldpress.com)

2 Review of pre-settlement forests Before European settlement... Last of the ice retreated from our area roughly 10,000 years ago First forests were boreal type (mostly spruce/fir) Gradually transitioned into the mixed forests we see today Forest environments dictated the lifestyles of Native Americans Clean, abundant water

3 Review of pre-settlement forests Upper Peninsula: Mixed forests of pine, spruce, and hardwoods Northern Lower Peninsula: Dominated by large white pine Southern Lower Peninsula: Mixed hardwoods (mostly oak) Image:

4 Review of pre-settlement forests White pine (Pinus strobus): Michigan s state tree Images:

5 Settlement era 1780 s: Ordinances to survey the area and prepare it for statehood Rectangular system: like placing a grid over the landscape Township: 36 square miles Section: Each square mile within the township 640 acres Quarter-section: 160 acres Quarter-quarter: 40 acres

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7 Settlement era Surveys completed by mid-1800 s Surveyors took many notes along the way Documented features of the landscape they encountered Their notes enable us to picture what these forests looked like Completion of survey also helped coordinate lands for sale often to timber barons who learned of the vast forest resources

8 Settlement era Mid-1800 s: The Great Land Giveaway Standard price: $1.25/acre Many reasons settlement was encouraged: Increase population to expedite statehood Establish dominance over areas still occupied by Native Americans Develop agriculture across the state

9 Settlement era Forests and wetlands had to go! Image:

10 Early logging era Logging generally started in the south and moved north across the state White pine was king, but other conifers and hardwoods were also harvested Timber companies bought huge tracts of land, took the best trees, and moved on Little regard for environmental consequences

11 Early logging era Image:

12 Early logging era Most work done by hand: Axes and band saws Image:

13 Early logging era Logs transported across land by horses Easiest movement on sleds during winter Taken to nearest river where they could be floated downstream to their destination

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16 The river drive: Millions of logs sent down Michigan s rivers to the sawmills Image:

17 Life as a logger Long hours, back-breaking work Very dangerous Lumber camps cramped and dirty Weekends = alcohol Seney: A particularly rough logging town Fights to prove masculinity

18 Life as a logger Image:

19 Technological improvements: 1860 s Railroads come to Michigan Created access to new forests Made delivery of logs more efficient Made clear-cut method more sensible Allowed sawmills to be built away from rivers Need for railroad ties created new market for wood Steam-powered band saws Dramatically increased output of timber

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21 Stunning output of timber Forest destruction gained momentum through the late 1800 s Thousands of sawmills in Michigan By the 1920 s: 92% of the state s forests destroyed 244 billion board feet of timber cut Try to picture a stack of logs 10 feet high, 10 feet wide, and about 35,000 miles long enough to circle the earth one and a half times!

22 Next: The environmental consequences Image: Image:

23 Common problems Corruption and greed Many logging companies cut areas they didn t own After all the useful timber had been removed, many lands were simply abandoned In most cases, property taxes were never paid Economic hardships from boom-bust cycle

24 Common problems Useless cutover lands, environmental devastation Slash : the debris left behind by the logging companies Tops, limbs, any undesirable materials Logs that were useful, but not as profitable as the ones taken Trees that got in the way when others fell Left littered across the landscape

25 Image: Slash

26 Wildfires Slash becomes highly flammable once it dries Wildfires became a common occurrence throughout the late 1800 s Many drought years Fires started by lightning, carelessness, and sparks/exhaust from trains

27 Wildfires Little effort or ability to fight fires An accepted part of progress Many U.P. towns burned as fires raged out of control Lake Linden 1887 L Anse 1896 Ontonagon 1896 Also burned: Vast areas from Ishpeming to Big Bay, the Baraga Plains area

28 The Great Fire of 1871: Out-of-control fires swept across much of Michigan, and devastated the cities of Peshtigo WI and Chicago IL. Image:

29 Wildfires The Great Michigan Fires, 1871: Over 2.5 million acres burned Over 300 people died 1881: Over 1 million acres burned 1908: Another 2.4 million acres burned Worst fires in the U.P. occurred in the 1890 s through the 1920 s

30 1881: Most of Michigan s Thumb region burned

31 Wildfires Skies became smoky that shipping traffic on the Great Lakes was often halted Homes, farms, railways destroyed Severely scarred soils Process of forest regeneration set back More sediment flushed into streams

32 Damaged soils Image: Image: Hydrophobic soils repel water -- like a freshly-waxed car

33 Damaged soils Difficult for forests to regenerate after the organic material burned up Bare soils susceptible to erosion Much soil washed into nearby streams Many areas unsuitable for agricultural use

34 Fouled water bodies Many river banks torn up from log-floating Erosion choked water with sediment, killing many fish some species now extinct Water temperature increased in exposed streams Flooding increased

35 Fouled water bodies Water bodies damaged from river drives and soil erosion Image:

36 Forest succession The process of gradual ecological change Secondary succession : Occurs after a disturbance such as logging or fire This process describes the regeneration of Michigan s forests following the logging era

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38 Forest succession Stand initiation: The establishment of pioneer species Fast-growing High light requirements Rapid reproduction Tolerant of harsh conditions Weeds Poplars, aspens

39 Forest succession Stem exclusion: Pioneer species mature and develop crowded conditions Even-aged forest Inadequate sunlight reaching forest floor New seedlings of pioneer species cannot sprout however shade-tolerant species begin to appear

40 Forest succession Understory reinitiaion: Mature pioneer species begin to die, creating gaps in canopy Some sunlight reaching forest floor Slow-growing, shade-tolerant species establish Spruces, pines, hemlocks, maples, birches Species diversity increases

41 Forest succession Old-growth: Pioneer species mostly disappear Multi-structured canopy High species diversity May resemble original forests, but the process takes a long time to get to this point Any disturbance along the way sets the process back to the beginning Ecosystems are always changing!

42 Michigan s forests today Over half of the state is forested Forests have returned but are different than those that were cut Changes in species composition Changes in structure Recovery has been slow

43 Michigan s forests today Image:

44 Upcoming activities: How have people helped the forests recover? What policies and initiatives were involved? What agencies manage forest resources? Field activity: What stage of succession is this forest in?

45 Any questions? Image: www. Centria.worldpress.com)