MNA’s stewardship team recently completed a federally-funded study of the impact of removal of sediment and accumulated biomass on a Michigan monkey-flower subpopulation. The conclusions of this study could help guide Michigan monkey-flower management in the future.
The Michigan monkey-flower is a federally endangered species known in only 15 locations on earth, with only 12 considered viable over the long-term. In 1981, MNA purchased a tract of land in the Upper Peninsula that contained a known sub-population of the Michigan monkey-flower.
The monkey-flower needs mucky soil and flowing springs near the shores of northeastern Lake Michigan and the Straits of Mackinac. The plant is susceptible to nearby disturbances that alter an area’s hydrology, like road construction or development, and can threaten the viability of the few monkey-flower populations remaining in Michigan.
MNA hopes to conduct additional research in the future to better understand the needs of this endangered species. To learn more about the Michigan monkey-flower, visit the Michigan Natural Features Inventory website.