Biodiversity of Macrofungi in Northern Door County, WI

Habitat Types in Door County

Northern Door County is dominated by loamy or silty soils and in some areas, sands that overlay the dolomite bedrock. Forest type and cover is heavily influenced by depth, organic matter and drainage. Soil depth is especially shallow (less than 18 inches) in many areas limiting the types of trees.

Much of the loamy soils in the interior of the county were cleared and planted to orchards in the early 20th century, many of which have been abandoned and are succeeding to old field and forest. Other open habitats include wetlands, and cleared forest areas.

Most of the interior forest cover is secondary growth dominated by sugar maple, beech, and ash mixed with white ash, hemlock, birch and aspen in some areas. White cedar is well adapted to the shallow alkaline soils and is found in both upland as well as lowland areas often mixed with deciduous or coniferous species. Lowland forests vary between cedar and black ash dominated stands to almost pure stands of black and green ash depending on drainage and alkalinity. Spruce, pine, and white cedar plantations were planted on abandoned orchards and fields in some areas. The peninsula’s unique coastline and cool and moist conditions support the growth of species typically found in boreal forests, including spruce, cedar, and balsam fir.

Click on each photograph to see a larger image and a detailed species description.