* 
6 BULLETIN 1496, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
THE NORTHERN CONIFER-HARDWOOD FORESTS 
The forests of the Lake States fall roughly into two parts: The 
northern conifer-hardwoods region and the southern oak—hickory 
region. The line of division extends from Saginaw Bay on Lake 
Huron in a somewhat southwesterly direction across Michigan to 
Grand Haven on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan; then from 
Sheboygan in a northwesterly direction across Wisconsin to St. Croix 
Falls; thence across Minnesota, again in a northwesterly direction, 
to Wadena; thence north to Thief River Falls and the Canadian 
boundary. (Fig. 1.) It is with the northern conifer—hardwoods 
that this bulletin is concerned. The oak—hickory forest is a part of 
the central hardwood region, the problems of which are discussed 
in a separate bulletin. 
A REGION OF EXTENSIVE COMMERCIAL FORESTS 
The northern conifer-hardwood region embraces the northern por- 
tion of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. It is a region of 
innumerable lakes and coniferous swamp forests, large and small, 
jack-pine plains, aspen—birch second growth, and the characteristic 
northern hardwoods, birch, beech, and maple, mixed with hemlock. 
The forest lands of the region, which probably amount to about 
two-thirds of the total land area, present the greatest field for com- 
mercial forestry in the Lake States. It is here particularly that 
proper methods must be applied in order to, utilize vast areas of 
cut-over lands and to grow timber to support the sawmills and the 
pulp-and-paper industry. 
Four broad classes of forest lands may be recognized: (1) North- 
ern hardwoods and hemlock, (2) pine, (8) aspen—birch, and (4) 
forested swamps. The comparative extent of these is roughly esti- 
mated in Table 3. 
TABLE 3.—Areas of principal forest types in the northern conifer—hardwood 
region of the Lake States 
Type Area 
Million 
acres Per cent 
Northernmehnard woods 2 22 er A MAO A EE Rs ee Ee .0 16.5 
White andsred pine. 52326 5 a Ee ase re Pe Pea eee 0.5 ile? 
Jackapine| (ineluding:sertb Oak) eco Ss ae ee Sa eee ny a ee 9.0 Abas 
EASON DITCH et ee NaS NRO De patty Lon Stag Re Se lp ae aT lg eA 21.0 49.4 
HW OLESCECIS WAT eee eee Se CO ene rat SS ay Grats elles ae MEL R92 Be ea A Ee Ra ea 5.0 11.8 
1d LY 0) Fes (Ue neal Maat DOP RRC NGS eh eee NR bcs waedea he ath wk AN Wee UP lee Rhy Re ely De 42.5 100. 0 
NORTHERN HARDWOODS 
In the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, the northwestern part of 
the lower peninsula, and the northeastern part of Wisconsin, the 
hardwoods are typically sugar maple (Acer saccharum), yellow 
birch (Betula lutea), basswood (Tilia glabra), and beech (agus 
grandifolia), with admixture of eastern hemlock (Z'suga canadensis) , 
1'TILLOTSON, C. R. TIMBER GROWING AND LOGGING PRACTICD IN THH CENTRAL HARDWOOD 
REGION. U.S. Dept. Agr., Dept. Bul. 1491, 39 p. illus. 1927. 
