Western Great Lakes forests

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Western Great Lakes forests (WWF ecoregion NA0416)

North shore of Lake Superior, Lake County, Minnesota (c) 2005 Jason J. Husveth

Western Great Lakes forests map
Source of bioregions data: Olson, D. M. and E. Dinerstein. The Global 200: Priority ecoregions for global conservation. (PDF file) Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 89:125-126.

Distinctiveness (1=highest,4=lowest): 4 (nationally important)
This region supports populations of large mammals and has some areas with intact top level predators including black bear and wolves.*

Conservation Status (1=most endangered, 5=most intact): 4 (relatively stable)
20% of the region is intact, much of it in Minnesota. Logging in much of the region has changed the forest composition. Extensive areas have been converted to agricultural and housing development is a threat.*

Characteristic species*
Populus tremuloides (quaking aspen)
Betula papyrifera (paper birch)
Pinus banksiana (jack pine)
Picea glauca (white spruce)
Picea mariana (black spruce) (c) 2004 Maurice J. Kaufmann
Abies balsamea (balsam fir)
Pinus strobus (white pine)
Pinus resinosa (red pine) Quercus species Corylus cornuta (hazel)

Quercus ellipsoidalis (northern pin oak)

Acer rubrum (red maple)
Acer saccharum (sugar maple)

Fagus grandifolia (American beech)

Ostrya virginiana (hop hornbeam)
Tilia americana (basswood)

Betula alleghaniensis (yellow birch)
Tsuga canadensis (eastern hemlock)

Associated habitats

* Ricketts, T.H., E. Dinerstein, D.M. Olson, C.J. Loucks, et al. (1999) Terrestrial Ecoregions of North America: A Conservation Assessment. World Wildlife Fund - United States and Canada. Island Press, Washington, D.C. pp. 156-159.