To understand the dynamics of fire in red pine ( Pinus resinosa Ait.) forest ecosystems that once dominated areas of the northern Lake States, we dendrochronologically reconstructed the fire regime prior to European settlement (pre-1860), after European settlement (1860–1935), and postrefuge establishment (post-1935) for different portions (wilderness and nonwilderness) and landforms (sand ridges and outwash channels) of the Seney National Wildlife Refuge (SNWR) in eastern Upper Michigan. Using data from 50 sites, we found that the cumulative number of fires showed a slow rate of accumulation from the 1700s to 1859, a steeper pattern suggesting higher fire occurrence from 1860 to 1935, and a return to fewer fires after 1935. Prior to European settlement, the fire cycle (FC) of sand ridge landforms interspersed within a poorly drained lacustrine plain in the Seney Wilderness Area was 91–144 years. This was longer than on glacial outwash channel landforms (53 years) and on sand ridge landforms interspersed within lacustrine plains located outside of the wilderness (47 years). The FC was also shorter (30 years) during this period and has subsequently increased (149–1090 years) after SNWR establishment. Differences in fire regimes among landform types were minor relative to the temporal variation in fire regimes among the three time periods.

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To assess and improve existing monitoring protocols for sharp‐tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus) in the eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan, we used data from 58 radio‐collared grouse (46 M, 12 F) monitored within 3 openland landscape types: a xeric, conifer‐dominated site, a wetland‐dominated site, and a site dominated by low‐intensity agriculture. We used lek counts and radio telemetry to determine lek attendance rates, factors affecting lek attendance rates, lek fidelity, and inter‐sexual variation in these parameters. Our analysis indicated lek attendance varied with respect to sex of bird, day of year, time after sunrise, and wind speed. Peak male lek attendance rates exceeded those of females by up to 40%, and peak lekking activity for both males and females occurred during the second and third weeks of April. Male lekking activity occurred earlier and was sustained longer than that of females. Lekking activity was negatively related to time of day and wind speed. We observed strong lek fidelity as radio‐collared birds attended a primary lek 94% of the time, indicating a low probability of multiple counting of individual birds. We also proposed a method to adjust lek count data for the probability that birds are on a lek during lek counts. Our proposed method can be used by researchers and managers to improve estimates of the number of birds attending a lek by reducing the negative bias associated with observed counts. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.

Fire-adapted forests of the Lake States region are poorly studied relative to those of the western and southeastern United States and our knowledge base of regional short-and long-term fire effects on soils is limited. We compiled and assessed the body of literature addressing fire effects on soils in Lake States forests to facilitate the re-measurement of previous studies for the development of new long-term datasets, and to identify existing gaps in the regional knowledge of fire effects on forest soils. Most studies reviewed addressed fire effects on chemical properties in pine-dominated forests, and long-term (>10 years) studies were limited. The major gaps in knowledge we identified include: (1) information on fire temperature and behavior information that would enhance OPEN ACCESSForests 2012, 3 1035 interpretation of fire effects; (2) underrepresentation of the variety of forest types in the Lake States region; (3) information on nutrient fluxes and ecosystem processes; and (4) fire effects on soil organisms. Resolving these knowledge gaps via future research will provide for a more comprehensive understanding of fire effects in Lake States forest soils. Advancing the understanding of fire effects on soil processes and patterns in Lake States forests is critical for designing regionally appropriate long-term forest planning and management activities.