Case Study: A-Frame In The Woods

My fondest memories of childhood involved my family’s cabin located just north of Bergland, Michigan. It was constructed in the 1950s off of M-64 beside the Sleepy Creek and has been used as a get-a-way from the daily grind of life ever since. The surrounding area is largely National Forest and state land which becomes a deer hunter’s church in November and a snowmobiler’s paradise during the snowy winters. While there have been changes over the years, climate change threatens our experience at this small A-Frame in the woods.

Figure 1 A-Frame in the woods. Photograph by author

Increasing temperatures as the result of climate change will have great negative impacts on the biodiversity of the surrounding area. There will be increased stress on trees, with periods of drought, fires, and pests and disease as a result to the changing climate (Langston, 2017) (USDA, 2013). Traditional boreal forests will likely recede north as temperatures continue to increase bringing in trees more common in southern locations. Along with new tree cover in some locations, it is expected that the issue of nonnative invasive species will increase causing increased stress on native species (USDA, 2013). It is possible that looking out the window of the cabin will yield new sights of in the not too distant future that fail to resemble those of the last 60 plus years.
While it is the case that several thousand deer die each year due to harsh winters experienced in the Upper Peninsula, these winters also keep ticks and other insects in balance. With warmer and shorter winters, it is expected that deer ticks and insects which transmit hemorrhagic diseases will increase in number (Inkley et al., 2013). This will spell bad news to deer and other mammal populations.

Figure 2 White-tailed deer along road. Photograph by