NOAA/WDS Paleoclimatology - Larson - Duquette General Store - QURU - ITRDB MN032

Concern exists regarding the decline of Eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.) in the pine-mixed hardwood forests of the Great Lakes region. Using dendroecological techniques, we reconstructed the disturbance history and successional dynamics of an isolated old-growth white pine-mixed hardwood forest in northeastern Minnesota. The oldest trees in the stand were white pine, but a transition to late-successional species began in the mid-1800s prior to extensive anthropogenic influences in the region. This was facilitated by a change in the dominant disturbance type from fire to a combination of wind throw and white-tailed deer browsing. This transition appears to have occurred under natural conditions and will continue to favor both the establishment and continued dominance of late-successional species. This study highlights the importance of studying the natural range of variability of white pine forests in the Great Lakes region of Minnesota.