Dukes Research Natural Area

Forest in Michigan, United States

NearestcityChatham

Coordinates46°21′00″N 87°10′00″W / 46.35°N 87.16667°W / 46.35; -87.16667^[1]

Area233 acres (0.94 km²)

Dukes Research Natural Area
Map of Michigan
Location	Marquette County, Michigan
Nearest city	Chatham
Coordinates	46°21′00″N 87°10′00″W / 46.35°N 87.16667°W / 46.35; -87.16667^[1]
Area	233 acres (0.94 km²)

U.S. National Natural Landmark
Designated	1974

The Dukes Research Natural Area is a 233-acre (0.94 km²) tract of northern hardwood forest located within the 5,000-acre (20 km²) Upper Peninsula Experimental Forest, a unit of the Hiawatha National Forest in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. The Dukes Research Natural Area was listed in 1974 as a National Natural Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior.^[3]

The National Park Service describes the Upper Peninsula Experimental Forest as "an undisturbed white cedar and mixed conifer swamp containing old-growth hardwood stands."^[4] The Dukes Research Natural Area consists of several hardwood stands that grow on relatively higher, well-drained elevations within the swamp tract. The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) describes the Natural Area as an example of "well-stocked, mature northern hardwood forests that have been undisturbed for over 90 years."^[3] Prior to 1920, the ecology of the Upper Peninsula was extensively altered by logging.

The USFS notes the presence of black ash, yellow birch, American elm, eastern hemlock, red maple, and sugar maple in the National Natural Landmark.^[3]

Today

The Upper Peninsula Experimental Forest and its Dukes Research Natural Area are located on M-94 near the extreme eastern edge of Marquette County. They are located approximately 10 miles (16 km) west of Chatham.^[5]

The 233-acre (0.94 km²) Dukes Research Natural Area currently serves as a control plot for the experimental forest. Logging continues in the experimental forest.

The presence of mature stands in the Natural Area of several of the tree species enumerated, including black ash, American elm, and eastern hemlock, are of special significance because of damage done to these species of trees in other parts of their historic ranges by parasitical invasive species.

References

↑ "Dukes (Upper Peninsula) Experimental Forest". United States Forest Service. Retrieved September 14, 2011.
↑ "Dukes (Upper Peninsula) Experimental Forest". United States Forest Service. Retrieved September 14, 2011.
1 2 3 "Research Natural Area: Dukes". United States Forest Service. Retrieved June 2, 2010.
↑ "Dukes Research Natural Area". United States National Park Service. Retrieved June 2, 2010.
↑ Michigan Atlas and Gazetteer (10th ed.). Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. 2002. p. 101.

Protected areas of Michigan

National

National Battlefield Parks	River Raisin
National Forests	Hiawatha Huron–Manistee Ottawa
National Historical Parks	Keweenaw
National Lakeshores	Pictured Rocks Sleeping Bear Dunes
National Marine Sanctuaries	Thunder Bay
National Memorials	Father Marquette
National Parks	Isle Royale
National Recreation Areas	Grand Island
National Trails	North Country
National Wild and Scenic Rivers	Au Sable Bear Creek Black Carp Indian Manistee Ontonagon Paint Pere Marquette Pine Presque Isle Sturgeon (Delta County) Sturgeon (Houghton County) Tahquamenon Whitefish Yellow Dog
National Wildlife Refuges	Detroit River Harbor Island Huron Kirtlands Warbler Wildlife Management Area Michigan Islands Michigan Wetland Management District Seney Shiawassee
Other	National Historic Landmarks National Natural Landmarks National Register of Historic Places Wilderness Areas

State

Parks	Albert E. Sleeper Algonac Aloha Baraga Bay City Belle Isle Bewabic Brimley Burt Lake Cambridge Junction Cheboygan Clear Lake Coldwater Lake Craig Lake Dodge No.4 Dousman's Mill Duck Lake Fayette Fisherman's Island Fort Michilimackinac Fort Wilkins Fred Meijer White Pine Trail Gete Mino Mshkiigan Grand Haven Grand Mere Harrisville Hart–Montague Trail Hartwick Pines W.J. Hayes P.H. Hoeft P.J. Hoffmaster Holland Indian Lake Interlochen Kal-Haven Trail Lake Gogebic Lakelands Trail Lakeport Laughing Whitefish Falls Leelanau Ludington Mackinac Island Maybury F.J. McLain Charles Mears Meridian-Baseline Wm. Mitchell Muskallonge Lake Muskegon Negwegon Newaygo North Higgins Lake Onaway Orchard Beach Old Mission Otsego Lake Palms Book Petoskey Porcupine Mountains Port Crescent Sanilac Petroglyphs Saugatuck Dunes Seven Lakes Silver Lake Sleepy Hollow South Higgins Lake Wm. C. Sterling Straits Sturgeon Point Tahquamenon Falls Tawas Point Thompson's Harbor Traverse City Twin Lakes Van Buren Van Buren Trail Van Riper Warren Dunes Warren Woods Watkins Lake and County Preserve J.W. Wells Wilderness William G. Milliken Wilson Young
Recreation Areas	Bald Mountain Bass River Brighton Fort Custer Highland Holly Ionia Island Lake Lake Hudson Lime Island Menominee River Metamora-Hadley Ortonville Pinckney Pontiac Lake Proud Lake Rifle River Rockport Tippy Dam Waterloo W.C. Wetzel Yankee Springs
Forests	Au Sable Copper Country Escanaba River Lake Superior Mackinaw Pere Marquette
Underwater Preserves	Alger De Tour Passage Grand Traverse Bay Keweenaw Manitou Passage Marquette Sanilac Shores Southwest Michigan Straits of Mackinac Thumb Area Whitefish Point
Other	Agate Falls Scenic Site Bond Falls Scenic Site Douglass Houghton Falls Scenic Site Michigan Islands Wilderness Area Ralph A. MacMullan Conference Center Wagner Falls Scenic Site

Category
Commons
Detroit
Grand Rapids
Michigan Department of Natural Resources

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