VASCULAR PLANTS OF ST. MARTIN ISLAND, DELTA COUNTY, MICHIGAN

摘要

A botanical survey of St. Martin Island, Delta County, Michigan was conducted from 2013 to 2014. This 523 ha, relatively low and flat Lake Michigan island, located 15 km south of the tip of the Garden Peninsula, is underlain by Niagara dolomite. The predominant vegetation types are second-and third-growth mesic hardwood and mixed conifer-hardwood forests harboring several understory species at their northern range limits. There are also significant dolomite cliff communities on the west coast, alkaline rockshore communities on the south coast, and a small but significant ephemeral pond-hardwood swamp in the interior. Five state of Michigan and one Federally listed plant species occur (or have occurred in the past) on the island. Herbivory by white-tailed deer has been and continues to be a threat to many vascular plant species on the island. A total of 405 species vascular plant species have now been recorded from St. Martin Island.