Climate Change at Isle Royale: Disjunct Plant Species

Disjunct plant species are species that are considerably separated geographically from their typical habitat range. Many species that typically only appear in arctic climates or mountainous alpine regions call Isle Royale home. These species arrived on Isle Royale along with glaciers and were able to take root considerably south of their normal range due to the moderating effects of cool winds coming off Lake Superior. As the climate warms, the future of these species on the island is uncertain.

Disjunct Plant Species of Isle Royale

A table displaying the disjunct plant species of Isle Royale and their ranges.

Species	Common Range	Isle Royale Range

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Bottom Line

Disjunct plant species are sensitive to rising temperatures. Isolated from their typical habitat, climate change puts them at risk of dying out and disappearing from the Isle Royale ecosystem. This would be a loss of a living part of Isle Royale’s geologic history.

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