The Ferns and Their Distribution at Douglas Lake, 
Michigan! — 
FRANK T. McFARLAND 
Douglas Lake is located in Cheboygan County, Michi- 
gan, seventeen miles south of the Straits of Mackinac. 
The region is generally level to rolling and has a gentle 
slope to the southwest. It is drained by many small 
streams running into Burt Lake two miles to the South 
and thence into Lake Huron. The topographical out- 
lines of the region are due to the joint action of the 
moving ice and flowing water during the glacial period. 
The climate, as in nearly all the upper part of the 
lower peninsula, is rigorous in winter and subject to very 
frequent, sudden and extreme changes of temperature, 
as much as 50 degrees F. variation being recorded for a 
period of 24 hours. This sort of weather undoubtedly 
has much influence on the vegetation exposed above the 
snow, but since the ferns are covered with a dense layer 
of snow they are well protected from early winter until 
late spring. With the melting of the snow, the ferns 
begin growing vigorously and continue well into the 
summer. The early summer’s climate is ideal for the 
growth of ferns. Showers are frequent and, combined 
with the average temperature of 68 F. to 70 F., no better 
place can be found in the extreme northern parts of the 
Central States for the collection of wild ferns. 
’ Moraines thoroughly permeate the whole region in all 
directions and to a large extent determine the flora. 
Topographically considered, and for convenience, the 
region will be discussed under the three following topics: 
2 The Pine Plains, (2) The Hardwoods and (3) The 
ogs. 
* Read before the Michigan Academy of Science March 29, 1916. 
106 
