Environment
Ice Bridge
Mackinac Island remains relatively desolate when it comes to mammals on the island. There are a few exceptions, however, such as animals that can swim or traverse the ice to get to the island. A documentary created in 2008, Ice Bridge, details the island during the winter months in which the ice is thick enough for people to travel back and forth on. The ice bridge is a vital cultural aspect for the people living year round on the island, as it’s sometimes both the only possible way to get food and other items to the island. The bridge also attracts animals such as deer, coyotes, and bobcats that would not be able to get to the island otherwise. |
Roughly three quarters of Mackinac Island still remains in its natural environment (North 2011, 9-14). The people living on the island and the tourist industry pride themselves on being about nature and this is one of the many allures of Mackinac Island. To learn more about the economy of the island click here. Thick forests and fields cover the island and hiking trails allow for tourists to get to experience the beauty of the land. The island is made up of two major forest types: a coniferous forest, and an assortment of hardwood forests (Mackinac Parks, 2015). Some examples of these trees are: cedar, spruce, red oak, white pine, and sugar maple, to name a few. In some areas of the island the limestone bedrock is very close to the surface of the ground making it hard for trees and plants to compete for water and other necessities of life. When the trees that don’t survive die, they will decay and provide necessary nutrients to other wildlife in the area. Aiding from these practices is the over 600 species of vascular plants on the island.
A 1941 ecological study found that Mackinac Island is mainly dominated by confiers mainly due to the climate. The conifers are more equipped to survive in both a cold and warm climate and thus it occupies a larger portion of the island (Potzger 1941, 298-323). An interesting vegetation puzzle arises as a result from this study. An outer layer of coniferous forest covers the outer belt of the island while other trees fill in the other layers further into the island. This configuration is believed to be due to temperature or winds and thus the outer trees are able to maintain those winds better. The findings also discovered that the soil of the island is between neutral and highly alkaline which makes it a relatively good environment. The general consensus is that the island has maintained much of the same environment for thousands of years. The mixture of both a warm and cool climate limits the type of forests and plants and thus the wildlife that has been able to survive for many years has adapted and still remains on the island. Animals
Microvertebrates discovered from Mackinac County, Michigan provide some of the earliest recorded evidence of animal existence in the Mackinac region (Holman, Lundrigan, and Myers, 2003). These species are believed to have been from the Late Holocene period and are most commonly know as a toad, frog, bat, mice, and voles. While Mackinac County is not apart of Mackinac Island it gives us insight into the conditions of the region at the time and what types of animals could have lived on the island as well. When the bones were discovered, scientists found that the temperature was cooler than current temperatures and there were a large number of coniferous trees in the area. As mentioned in the previous text above, coniferous trees makeup a large portion of Mackinac Island so it wouldn’t be considered a stretch to draw the conclusion that these are similar conditions. Most of the species were found within a fissure and using radiocarbon dating records a date of AD 1732 (YBP).
Mackinac Island with its robust land contains bogs, marshes, fields, along with limestone formations and the coastline, have made it a perfect living environment for many animals. Due to the relatively small nature of the island few mammals inhabit the area except those who come to the island during the winter months. In recent years, coyotes have become a problem for local wildlife. Bats are the most common mammals on Mackinac Island as the various caves and rock formations provide great living areas. Birds are also very popular inhabitants of Mackinac Island. Most of them migrate to the island during the different seasons (New World Encyclopedia 2014). Blue Jays, woodpeckers, and cardinals live year round on the island while eagles and hawks only stick around for a few months in the summer. Geese, seagulls, herons, and loons are popular along the coastline and frequently visit many tourists right as they get off the ferry boats. In the overall geographic region of the Straits of Mackinac, the water contains many popular fishing species such as trout, whitefish, and perch. The Straits contain over 20 different species of fish, making fishing another popular tourism activity when visiting northern Michigan. An observational study done in 1889-1891 examined the birds on Mackinac Island and whether they were rare to the region or not. Of the at least 60 species examined, many were relatively rare to the region but were believed to only be flying through because of migration patterns. The author suggests that the island is not a favorable living environment for most water birds because the water is too deep and the coastline is unbroken (White 1893, 221-230). For the shore birds, there is little to no beach and the lack of large swamps presents a problem, such as food gathering, for many birds as well. Most of the birds on Mackinac Island at the 45th parallel stayed a fewer amount of days on the island as opposed to earlier observations of birds in Kent County (lower Michigan) at the 43th parallel. The study that was done dating the species back to 1732 AD (YBP) along with the bird observational study backs up today’s common knowledge of the animal species on the island. It reveals there hasn’t been much change over time. Many of the same species still live on the island and continue to be successful enough on the island to reproduce and still exist. |