is similar to that found in the climax 
type, except that extensive stands of 
beaked hazel, thimbleberry, and brack¬ 
en fern are often present. 
The main area of the 1936 burn is 
the middle quarter of the island and 
is 5 miles across at its widest point, 
extending from the head of Rock Harbor 
18 miles southwest to Lake Desor. A 
separate fire in 1936 burned about 10 
square miles between the head of Sisk- 
iwit Bay and Feldtmann Lookout. Most 
of this burn is dominated by sapling 
white birch, particularly on the 
southeast side of the Greenstone Ridge 
while the burned area around Lake 
Harvey, on the northwest side of the 
ridge, is predominately aspen. Wil¬ 
lows and fire cherry are common shrubs 
in the burned area. Tangled masses 
of fallen trees, in various stages of 
decay, and standing white cedar and 
white pine snags still occur in some 
areas. Most of the tree growth has 
been suppressed by moose browsing 
for at least part of the 30 years 
that have elapsed since the burn. On 
rocky sites where erosion following 
the fire removed most of the soil, 
trees are still stunted, gnarled, 
and often killed by moose browsing. 
In depressions and on areas where 
erosion was less severe, sufficient 
soil and moisture have been present 
to allow most of the trees to escape 
from the moose, and specimens over 
20 feet high are now common. Denser 
parts of this new forest are now 
presenting conditions favorable to 
birds which prefer shaded areas. 
Plant succession in the burned areas 
leads to the aspen-birch-conifer 
type and eventually a return of the 
spruce-fir-birch climax forest. 
Although small swamp forest 
areas are found in all parts of the 
island, the only extensive area is 
in the southwestern section, mostly 
along Big Siskiwit River. White 
cedar, black spruce, and, in some 
cases, black ash make up the tree 
species in this type. Extensive 
speckled alder stands occur under 
much of the swamp forests, and in 
moist ravines too small to support 
the tree species. There is little 
ground cover other than sedges and 
shade-tolerant shrubs. 
Several tree species occur 
only sparingly on the island. Tama, 
rack, for example, is found in small 
numbers in bog and swamp forests, 
usually as small trees, although 
large trees formerly occurred. The 
present scarcity is probably due to 
the larch sawfly (3). Red pine ia 
found on a few dry ridges. Jack 
pine forms extensive stands in a 
few areas in the northeast section, 
and is scattered in other areas. 
Red maple and red oak occur as 
scattered trees along the Green¬ 
stone Ridge. Big-toothed aspen is 
found in a few locations, apparently 
as a successional species in the 
sugar maple-yellow birch forest. 
Ironwood also grews rarely in the 
maple-birch forest. 
On exposed southeast-facing 
slopes, especially in the younger 
forest types, there is often in¬ 
sufficient soil and moisture to 
support continuous forest stands. 
Extensive moose browsing over the 
past 50 years has accentuated this 
condition by suppressing the in¬ 
vading trees and shrubs. Because 
populations of moose have been 
smaller in the last 10 years, many 
kinds of trees and shrubs have re¬ 
covered in some of these locations, 
I 
Similarly, much of the openness 
of the forest understory has result¬ 
ed from moose browsing. This con¬ 
dition also has changed, especially 
in parts of the northeastern section 
where dense stands of young balsam 
firs are growing unrestrained by 
moose browsing under birch-aspen 
forests. On Passage Island, unin¬ 
habited by the moose, American yew 
6 
