Isle Royale National Park, MI

By: Julie Purdie

About Isle Royale • Found off Lake Superior • 132,018 acres this area was federally

designated as wilderness on October 20, 1976.• Isle Royale is made up of one large island and

450 smaller islands – It is a total of 850 square miles including

submerged land• The submerged land extends into the largest fresh

water lake in the world

Map•The Green area is where Isle Royale is.

Biome

Temperate Deciduous Forest

Climate• Lake Superior does not exceed 54º F. • Island does not exceed 80º F. • Dense fog in spring and summer months• Throughout the seasons there is rain and

thunderstorms. • The weather or rough seas normally do not

delay departures to and from the island. • The summer months are October to April and

there is very little direct human intrusion during these months.

Wildlife• There is only 18 mammal species.• There is not much immigration of animals to the

island, so there the species create simple ecosystems.

• The species on Isle Royale create their own survival and extinction cycle.

• Some animals are moose and wolves. • The animals usually reign Isle Royale even in the

summer season. • Some trees are hardwoods, birch, and aspen

Wolves and Moose

Threats to the Park

• Global Warming• Fire– 95% of the park is in a Wildland Fire Use

zone(allowed to burn during a fire)• Logging• Invasive Species: Gypsy Moth, Spiny Water Flea• Human influence is not a huge threat to the

park. Fire is the biggest threat.

Conservation Efforts • On February 17,1981 Isle Royale was designed as a

Biosphere Reserve– the program protects different ecosystems throughout the

world and does research. – Isle Royale was chosen because it represents the northern

forest lake biome and is unspoiled nature.

• Isle Royale offers great research in a remote yet simple ecosystem. – There is very little human influence in this park.– The Ecological Study of Wolves on Isle Royale is the longest

running large mammal predator-prey study in earth.

Interesting Facts

• The number of visitors a day to Isle Royale is less than Yellowstone but the Isle Royale receives the highest per acre backcountry of all the National Parks in the U.S.

• The park is closed during winter months due to harsh and dangerous conditions on Lake Superior.

• Michigan contains fourteen different wilderness areas– Isle Royale National Park is the largest of all the wildness

areas

Works Cited

• http://www.nps.gov/isro/index.htm