Climate Change at Isle Royale: Sugar Maple

Sugar maple trees can be found all over the west end of Isle Royale, mainly on the Greenstone Ridge Trail near Sugar Mountain. Sugar maples are well known for their sweet sap that flows through the trees and is collected and boiled down to make syrup. In order to thrive and produce sap, sugar maples require a certain temperature range.

Sugar maples provide ample shade in the summer and brilliant color in the fall.

Amie Heeter

Climate Concerns

As the climate changes, the biodiversity of Isle Royale’s forests is likely to shift. In the short term, sugar maple could replace the diminishing boreal forests on the island, especially as balsam fir is also likely to be affected by changing climate. In the long term, Isle Royale could become uninhabitable for sugar maple.

The loss of sugar maple is not only environmental – it’s also historical and cultural, as Sugar Mountain is home to an Ojibwe maple sugaring camp. Today, preserving the integrity of Isle Royale’s mixed sugar maple forest provides historical context for the island’s human history, and allows for continued cultivation of cultural connections.

Bottom Line

The fate of the sugar maple is uncertain. As the climate warms, the species could become rare on Isle Royale if its temperamental needs are not met.

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