Guide to Significant Wildlife Habitat - Door County Web Map
Guide to Significant Wildlife Habitat - Door County Web Map
Guide to Significant Wildlife Habitat - Door County Web Map
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• Expand designated State Natural Areas (Coffee Swamp & Jackson Harbor Ridges) <strong>to</strong> include other<br />
natural communities of ecological quality.<br />
• Consider additional sites of ecological significance among the Grand Traverse Islands for designation<br />
as State Natural Areas.<br />
• Create a comprehensive ecological management plan <strong>to</strong> protect the diverse number of natural<br />
communities and rare plant and animal species representative of the Grand Traverse Islands habitat.<br />
THREATS:<br />
• On Plum and Detroit Islands, timber harvest, reforestation and timber stand improvement measures<br />
were undertaken with DNR forestry guidance in the mid-1980’s.<br />
• High deer populations following forest management practices negatively impacted regeneration.<br />
• Washing<strong>to</strong>n Island faces development pressures throughout the island. In Coffee Swamp, deer<br />
herbivory and the invasion of glossy buckthorn threaten unders<strong>to</strong>ry plants.<br />
• Rock Island is threatened by deer herbivory, invasion of garlic mustard, and human visi<strong>to</strong>rs <strong>to</strong> beach<br />
and dune communities (Judziewicz and Kopitzke 1999).<br />
• The smaller bird islands have been completely dominated by colonial waterbirds. Native vegetation<br />
and animal life has been replaced with breeding cormorants and gulls (Judziewicz and Kopitzke<br />
1999).<br />
INFORMATION NEEDS / GAPS:<br />
• Inven<strong>to</strong>ry of plant and animal species on some of the smaller islands<br />
• Develop list of individuals and supportive groups interested in land conservation activities<br />
Grand Traverse Islands 143