This field trip will focus on primary plant succession along the southern shore of Lake Michigan within Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and Warren Woods State Park, Michigan and on bog habitats and succession at the Mud Lake Bog Nature Perserve in lower Michigan.  Henry Chandler Cowles' classical studies on primary plant succession were based on his work in the Indiana Dunes (see reprints in Biology Conference Room).  At this site we can see clearly the changes from bare sand habitats to oak-hickory forest.  We will also visit a bog lake and witness patterns of plant succession that have occurred and are slowly filling in the lake.
 
 
 

 
Introduction

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore brochure (available to copy in Biology office)

West Beach Succession Trail and Map (available to copy in Biology office)
    Pamphlet and map describing trail to be covered on Saturday

Birds of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore (checklist available to copy in Biology office)

List of Common Plants (plant list available in electronic form below; diagrams and list available to copy in Biology office):

Indiana Dunes common plant list
Warren Woods common plant list
Mud Lake Bog common plant list

Natural Areas and Native Exotic Species: white paper on flora and fauna of northwest Indiana
Coastal Dynamics: white paper on changes along the coastline in northwestern Indiana
Changes along the Indiana Coastline: white paper on the conditions along the Indiana coastline

Relevant References (see reprints in Biology office for copies of some selected references)

    Dunes reference list

Links:

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore:  National Park Service home page.  Visit the In Depth section and Resource Management to get more information about history, geology, vegetation, and fauna.

Maps (we will visit the western section of the Indiana Dunes on Saturday):

Map of General Area
Map of Western Section of the Park
Map of the Middle Section of the Park
Map of the Eastern Section of the Park

Warren Woods Nature Study Area:  Information from Michigan Department of Natural Resources home page