All Around the Blueberry Bush

By Melissa Rickers on Nov 11, 2010

The Chippewa National Forest has been given the opportunity for cooperative projects with the Leech Lake Band to improve habitat conditions with our management tools and authorities.

Blueberry bush, miinagaawanzh in Ojibwe, is an important plant to area American Indian tribes. The Chippewa National Forest has been given the opportunity for cooperative projects with the Leech Lake Band to improve habitat conditions with our management tools and authorities. One key to success is knowing where to start and it starts with the blueberry! This summer, Chippewa National Forest employee Mark Sommer, successfully mapped the probability of blueberry occurrence on the Chippewa National Forest.

The blueberry map is based on the statistical analysis (logistic regression) of 1400 releve plots. Of those 1400 plots, 500 had blueberry present. (Releve plots are permanently marked sample areas where data is regularly collected). The analysis primarily used soil data since it covered the entire forest and spanned all ownerships. In the logistic regression variables were identified having the most influence over the presence or absence of blueberries at the releve plots. Sommer then used that data to create a map showing the probability that at any given area (on the Forest) blueberry could be found.

Blueberry picking is much more than just a fun recreational activity on the Chippewa National Forest. Enhancing blueberry production is one way to help sustain Ojibwe traditional practices. When the Chippewa National Forest provides mitigations for ground disturbing activities (such as area impacted by the high voltage power line that is to be built), the Leech Lake Band is often interested in what the Forest can do to encourage and sustain blueberry and other important ground plants that have long been part of their culture. The Forest Service has many management tools, laws and authorities that could apply if we creatively and cooperatively find ways to use them.

More can be done with the blueberry mapping. Sommer has mapped probability, but by also sieving through other data it may be possible to fine tune the map. Blueberry plants need light to produce fruit, and some of the mapped areas may need to have shady canopies (because of sensitive species like Goshawk who require it) or because of the tree species already growing on the landscape there. Other areas may show potential for creating openings and encouraging blueberry plant production. How close some of these areas are to roads (for easy access), or whether they are part of larger patches, or what tree species are growing there or expected there could also be valuable info about when and how to manage the area so blueberry plants can thrive. The map will also be helpful to the fire program for planning burns to coincide with suitable blueberry habitat, thus achieving multiple objectives.

Sommer worked on the blueberry mapping project at Bemidji State University with Dr. Jeff Ueland. Dr. Ueland was excited about the opportunity to work with the releve data and a novel way in which to perform spatial analysis. In addition to having the map, Sommer and Dr. Ueland are in the process of writing the project up for publication.

Sommer's project shows useful potential on the Chippewa National Forest, and a great way to connect citizens to the land.