Huron Mountain Wildlife Foundation
Encyclopedia
The Huron Mountain Wildlife Foundation (HMWF) is a not-for-profit organization with the sole mission of supporting research in ecology
, geology
, and other field science
s in the Lake Superior
region. It was established in 1955, and has supported a wide range of research focusing on the natural history of the Huron Mountains
region.
The Foundation maintains a field station at Ives Lake, near the town of Big Bay
, in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan
. The Ives Lake Field Station is adjacent to the private Huron Mountain Club
, and much of the research sponsored by the Foundation takes place on the private lands of the Club. The Huron Mountain Club is one of the largest private natural areas in the Great Lakes
region and includes extensive tracts of old-growth forest and a number of protected lakes. The Huron Mountain Wildlife Foundation can provide access to the lands for appropriate research purposes.
HMWF has sponsored a series of occasional publications, including an ongoing all-taxa biodiversity inventory
. These are freely available, along with a large collection of historical research reports, at the Foundation's website.
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
, geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
, and other field science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
s in the Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
region. It was established in 1955, and has supported a wide range of research focusing on the natural history of the Huron Mountains
Huron Mountains
The Huron Mountains are located in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan, mostly in Marquette and Baraga counties, overlooking Lake Superior. Their highest peak is Mount Arvon which, at above sea level, is the highest point in the state of Michigan. Nearby Mt...
region.
The Foundation maintains a field station at Ives Lake, near the town of Big Bay
Big Bay, Michigan
Big Bay is an unincorporated community in Marquette County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a census-designated place for statistical purposes and does not have any legal status as an incorporated municipality. As of the 2000 census, the CDP population was 265...
, in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan
Upper Peninsula of Michigan
The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is the northern of the two major land masses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan. It is commonly referred to as the Upper Peninsula, the U.P., or Upper Michigan. It is also known as the land "above the Bridge" linking the two peninsulas. The peninsula is bounded...
. The Ives Lake Field Station is adjacent to the private Huron Mountain Club
Huron Mountain Club
The Huron Mountain Club is a private club whose land holdings, located in Marquette County, in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, constitute one of the largest tracts of primeval forest in the Great Lakes region. Formed circa 1890, the club consists of 50 dwellings clustered inside about of private...
, and much of the research sponsored by the Foundation takes place on the private lands of the Club. The Huron Mountain Club is one of the largest private natural areas in the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
region and includes extensive tracts of old-growth forest and a number of protected lakes. The Huron Mountain Wildlife Foundation can provide access to the lands for appropriate research purposes.
HMWF has sponsored a series of occasional publications, including an ongoing all-taxa biodiversity inventory
All-taxa biodiversity inventory
An all-taxa biodiversity inventory, or ATBI, is an attempt to document and identify all biological species living in some defined area, usually a park, reserve, or research area....
. These are freely available, along with a large collection of historical research reports, at the Foundation's website.
See also
- BiodiversityBiodiversityBiodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
- Earth ScienceEarth scienceEarth science is an all-embracing term for the sciences related to the planet Earth. It is arguably a special case in planetary science, the Earth being the only known life-bearing planet. There are both reductionist and holistic approaches to Earth sciences...
- Natural environmentNatural environmentThe natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....