Bonnie Peterson: Blackhoof-Deer Creek Forest | Climate Change Response Framework

Map of the project area divided into forest sub areas for management

Tree tubes placed around planted seedlings to protect from deer

Streamside saplings grow in a cooler, moister area of the project

Project Area

Gradient-shaded map of the Blackhoof-Deer Creek Forest area with watershed features prominent to the south

Blackhoof-Deer Creek Forest is in Carlton County, about ½ hour southwest of Duluth. The land is within the Glacial Lake Superior Plain Subsection.

400 feet above Lake Superior, this 200-acre forest stand on the property spans a terrace of ancient Glacial Lake Superior down to the former lake bed. Deer Creek and an unnamed creek join at the edge of the terrace where they cut ravines down toward the current lake level. The terrace is loamy sand with silty clay several feet below the surface. At lower elevations, along the creeks and the slopes below the terrace, are silty clay with areas of groundwater seepage.

Existing forest includes 80 acres of 20–35-year-old aspen clear-cut regeneration on the flatter areas and mixed deciduous and conifer forest along the creeks and ravines. The area supports an abundance of large mammals (beavers, wolves, coyotes, deer, bear, bobcats, porcupines) and birds (turkeys, sandhill cranes, ruffed grouse, vultures, ravens) including many song bird species.

Management Goals

Map of the original land survey witness trees overlaid on the Carlton County landscape

The landowner aims to steward a forest with diverse species that will thrive in a hotter climate while also supporting wildlife native to Carlton County. With that in mind, the landowner plans to plant tree species native to their locale into the existing aspen forest, but sourced from the Anoka Sand Plain (1⁰ or approximately 100 miles south). They are also encouraging favored regeneration by transplanting and/or protecting volunteer seedlings that are desirable for diversity and future adaptation.

Identify native tree species of Carlton County

Twenty native tree species exist in the county according to the MNDNR Native Plant Encyclopedia, but dense aspen has been favored by repeated logging. The 1858 original survey notes provide a list with locations of some of the tree species and sizes on the landscape before Blackhoof Township was first cut over. For example, large white pines were common bearing trees noted by these surveyors. When thinking about more vulnerable native tree species, areas for refugia exist near the creeks or slopes where seepage occurs. Historical evidence and local knowledge will inform where and what the owner plants and tends.

Diversify by planting native Carlton County tree species with seed sourced from the Anoka Sand Plain

Select tree species to plant in each subarea that are native to Carlton County, that are also available from locally native seed of East Bethel. (2024 to 2034)
Grow 500 trees annually from locally native East Bethel tree seed, specifically those least likely to have been planted out from seedling sales or nurseries - looking for old trees in old wooded areas. (2025 to 2035)
Annually plant 500 seedlings and/or seeds from locally native East Bethel stock into one of 10 Blackhoof-Deer Creek forest subareas. (2026 to 2036)
Each year, protect 10 seedlings or planted seeds with wire or tree tubes to compare With nearby paired unprotected planting to study survival and growth. (2026 to 2036)

Diversify understory shrubs and forbs with more Minnesota native species

Collect seed and grow seedlings from a few native East Bethel shrubs and forbs and transplant in Blackhoof-Deer Creek forest subareas. (2025 to 2035)

Challenges and Opportunities

Climate change will present challenges and opportunities for accomplishing the management objectives of this project, including:

Challenges

Forests with less diversity have fewer species to lose

Aspen, which covers a large part of this forest, is expected to decline in a hotter climate

White spruce, balsam fir, and paper birch are expected to decline along with aspen as the climate warms

Ice storms and heavy wet snow damage trees

Trees can be weakened by drought, which increases damage from disease, insect pests, or fungus

Emerald ash borer will decimate the black ash but spruce budworm or other diseases or insects could also kill trees

Deer eat many seedlings; beavers take aspen for food and birch for dam building; and porcupines damage mature oaks, basswood and maples

Opportunities

Native tree species identified in Blackhoof Township in the 1858 Original Survey bearing trees were diverse and included 8 different conifers and 12 or more hardwood species

This forest already has many Carlton County native tree species to promote

With climate change, some species will do better than others so having more species onsite improves the chances that some native trees will survive and thrive

Several native tree species are expected to do well with climate change, including white pine, sugar maple, basswood, bur oak and red oak

A wide variety of growing conditions, from dry to moist to wet and sunny to shady, exist on the property so most Carlton County natives should grow in one or more of these settings when transplanted

Adaptation Actions

Project participants used the Adaptation Workbook to develop several adaptation actions for this project, including:

Area/Topic

Approach

Tactics

Structural Diversity

5.2. Maintain and restore diversity of native species.

Annually plant 500 native seedlings/seeds, increasing pine species, especially white pine; when black ash die, replace with site-appropriate native species

Genetic Diversity

8.1. Use seeds, germplasm, and other genetic material from across a greater geographic range.

Plant trees that are native to Carlton County but from Anoka Sand Plain or MNDNR Tree Sale stock

Refugia

4.2. Prioritize and maintain sensitive or at-risk species or communities.

Plant conifers that are more vulnerable to climate change (cedar, tamarack, balsam fir, etc.) in areas with naturally enhanced moisture; protect white cedar seedlings with tree tubes

Monitoring

Project participants identified several monitoring items that could help inform future management, including:

(Annually) Monument 20 seeds and/or seedlings with wooden stakes; half of the 20 paired seedlings will be protected with tree tubes or wire cages to evaluate herbivory

(Annually) Monitor marked seeds and seedlings for first 10 years, then check again at 20 years for survival/progress

(Annually) Evaluate planting success with target of 10 % survival (2 of 20 marked and monitored seeds or seedlings survive)

(Periodically and after 10 years) Use survivorship data to adjust planting and maintenance methods to enhance survival in future years.

Learn More

Keywords

Genetic diversity

Refugia

Regeneration