Notes on the Mammals of Gogebic and Ontonagon Counties, Michigan, 1920: Occasional Papers of the Museum of Zoology, Number 109 — John Shaqi
Notes on the Mammals of Gogebic and Ontonagon Counties, Michigan, 1920: Occasional Papers of the Museum of Zoology, Number 109Dice, Lee R. (Lee Raymond)
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Notes on the Mammals of Gogebic and Ontonagon Counties, Michigan, 1920: Occasional Papers of the Museum of Zoology, Number 109
_Submerged-sedge habitat:_ Sedges in general do not occur as a definite
belt about the margins of the lakes in the region studied. The only
place where any considerable growth of sedges was noted at the edge of
the water was along the lower course of Merriweather River, just before
it enters Gogebic Lake. Here there are considerable areas of sedges
partially submerged by the water. No records of mammals were obtained
from this habitat.
_Cat-tail habitat:_ Under native conditions cat-tails (_Typha
latifolia_) apparently do not often form extensive habitats in the
region. Along the marshy borders of the lower Merriweather River at
Gogebic Lake a few small patches were seen. Small patches were seen in
other places along railroad tracks where embankments had produced small
areas of marshy ground.
In the Cisco Lake Region a few of the areas of timber killed by the
raising of the water-level have grown up to cat-tail swamps. In these
swamps there are many standing dead trees and fallen logs as well as
some areas of open water. The cat-tails seem to occur mostly in those
swamps having only a small connection with the main body of the lake.
In these places the cat-tail is dominant, though numerous sedges occur,
and there is some sphagnum growing on the fallen logs and along the
shore. A few small black spruces are starting. Along the edge of such a
swamp a few deer-mice were taken, but these were evidently stragglers
from the adjacent forest.
_Willow-thicket habitat:_ Willows do not occur commonly along the water
margins of the lakes of the region. The only place, except in
clearings, where willows were noted as a definite growth is along the
lower course of the Merriweather River at Gogebic Lake. Along this part
of the river there are extensive growths of shrubby willows, growing
(in early September) in a foot or more of water. The indications were
that earlier in the summer the water about these plants must have been
at least a foot higher. Signs of muskrat were noted at the edge of
these willows.
_Mud-flat habitat:_ Around the margin of a pond formed by an old
deserted beaver dam near Gogebic Lake, two miles southwest of
Merriweather, is a narrow strip of mud, very wet and sparsely covered
with a growth of low rushes. The strip of muddy ground varies from
about 1 to 4 meters in width and extends a short distance up along the
edge of the small ditch draining into the pond. At the upper border of
the strip of muddy shore is a thick growth of sedges, meeting the muddy
shore at a fairly sharp line.
In this habitat meadow mice are common and four jumping mice (_Zapus
hudsonius_) were taken.
_Meadows_
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