Flambeau River Hardwood Forest

State Natural Area (No. 4)

Location: Within Flambeau River State Forest, Sawyer County. T37N-R3W, Sections 5, 6, 8. 370 acres.

Access: From the intersection of Highways W and M, west of Phillips, go south on M 5.0 miles, then west on Hines Grade Road 1.8 miles, then north on Carlson Road 1.1 miles to the southern boundary of the natural area.

Description: Prior to 1977, Flambeau River Hardwood Forest was a landmark old-growth northern mesic forest dominated by hemlock, yellow birch, and sugar maple with white ash, elm, basswood, and very large white pine. A wind storm (downburst) on July 4, 1977, felled the entire stand except for a few large trees, providing a unique opportunity to study the role of natural disasters within natural ecosystems. The site has now become important for education and research, especially for the study of regeneration of old-growth forest following a natural disturbance. Tip-up mounds and pits, insect population dynamics, and salvage/no-salvage techniques are also being studied. The forest is now composed of sugar maple, yellow birch, and basswood; the hemlocks are disappearing. Small deer and hare exclosures were constructed in both salvaged and unsalvaged portions of the natural area in 1982. Flambeau River Hardwood Forest is owned by the DNR and was designated a State Natural Area in 1952.