Lake Of The Pines Conifer-Hardwoods

State Natural Area (No. 25)

Location: Within the Flambeau River State Forest, Sawyer County. T38N-R3W, Section 14. 156 acres.

Access: From the junction of Highway 13 and County W (Beebe Street) in Phillips go west on County Highway W 18.8 miles, then north 1.5 miles on Tower Hill Road, then walk west into the area or by canoe from the south end of Pickerel Lake.

Description: Originally established as an old-growth northern mesic forest, Lake of the Pines Conifer-Hardwoods is now equally important as a research area for the study of natural regeneration of old-growth forests. The site was a mature stand of hemlock and yellow birch that was toppled in a July 1977 windstorm. Although most of the larger trees were toppled, a band of timber on the peninsula remains. This large-scale storm has provided an opportunity to compare the effects of salvage vs. no-salvage operations on the ecosystem and to study old-growth forest regeneration, insect population dynamics, decay mechanisms, and long-term changes in community structure. The blowdown area is now forested by young sugar maple, yellow birch, and basswood. A small zone of white cedar is found at the bay on the southeast corner of the peninsula. Lake of the Pines Conifer-Hardwoods is owned by the DNR and was designated a State Natural Area in 1954.