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MN 7. Upper Red Lake Peatlands. Acreage: 192,000. 



Location: Beltrami and Lake of the Woods counties; Roseau 1:250,000 2 



Quadrangle; 30 miles N of Bemidji; reached via routes U.S. 71, then U.S. 72 f/) 



north from Blackduck. This peatland is traversed by U.S. 72 and can be seen O 



from the highway, but the best examples of the pattern are 5-25 miles W of this ^ 



highway and immediately N of Upper Red Lake. The better areas are reached 

 by turning west off U.S. 72 about 13 miles N of Waskish onto a resort road and 

 then onto a fire road. This combination of roads extends about 15 miles W of 

 U.S. 72. From there it is 3-7 miles by special bog vehicle to the large water 

 tract. 



Description: Extensive unbroken peatlands lying north of the Red Lakes. An ex- 

 cellent example of a well-developed domed bog with a 12-ft cap of almost pure 

 Sphagnum and with black spruce-feather moss-Sphagnum forest. Plant commu- 

 nities present an intriguing flow pattern, including large stream-lined bog 

 "islands" up to 4 miles long. To the west of this is a mile-wide fen, an essentially 

 flat, shallow, gently-flowing river (similar to the Everglades in this respect), 

 predominantly vegetated by sedges, with a cross-ribbed pattern of long, narrow 

 ridges and furrows and stream-lined tree "islands that lie parallel to the water 

 flow." This area is unique in being the most southern example of a type of peat- 

 land characteristic of that extending across northern Canada to Alaska and 

 across northern Eurasia. All the typical communities are present. It represents 

 the best example of string bog and island vegetation complex. The area is of 

 most interest for its rapid transition from wet, highly minerotrophic fen to more 

 mesic, highly acidic and ombrotrophic bog; the peculiar tree "islands" with their 

 streamlined shape; and the succession of wet furrows alternating with higher, 

 less wet ridges, which function as small but highly effective dams to retain 

 water. 



References: Heinsei.man, M. L. 1963. Forest sites, bog processes, and peatland 

 types in the glacial Lake Agassiz region, Minn. Ecol. Monogr. 33: 327 



Encroachments: Eastern half ditched about 60 years ago. Western half is unaf- 

 fected. Some timber harvest of spruce and tamarack along the south and east 

 perimeter about 30 years ago. 



Ownership: State of Minnesota and the Upper Red Lake Indian Reservation. 



Data source: Ronald H. Hofstetter, Department of Biology, University of 

 Miami, Coral Gables, Fla.; Dr. M. L. Heinselman, USFS, North-Central Forest 

 Experiment Station, St. Paul, Minn.; Dr. Eville Gorham, Department of Botany, 

 University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minn. 55455. 



Map on following page 



