Gero Island
Chesuncook Twp
Vital Statistics:
- Size: 3,175 acres
- Regulated: 3,042 acres
- Non-Regulated: 133 acres
- Upland: 3,089 acres
- Forested Wetland (NWI): 65 acres
- Non-Forested Wetland: 25 acres
- Open Water: 2 acres
- Roads: trails-2 miles
- Biophysical Region: St. John Uplands
- BPL Region: North
Rare Species and Exemplary Natural Community Table for Gero Island
| Type | Common Name | Latin Name | S-RANK | G-RANK | State Status | EO-RANK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exemplary Natural Communities | Spruce-fir flats forest | S5 | N/A | N/A | B | |
| Spruce-fir flats forest | S5 | N/A | N/A | B? | ||
| Rare Plants | None found | |||||
| Rare Animals | Bald eagle | Haliaeetus leucocephalus | S4 | G4 | T | N/A |
Description:
Gero Island is a 3,175 acre island in Chesuncook Lake. Nearly the entire island was classified as regulated timberland, and only 3% is wetland. Most of the island’s timber was harvested in the 1920s, and the southeast side of the island was cut again following a spruce-budworm outbreak in the 1980s. In fact, budworm has had a profound impact on the island’s forest, creating a multi-aged structure within mixed wood stands. Stands with an abundance of fir were preferentially damaged by budworm; consequently, more uniform stands of black spruce/red spruce and white pine/red spruce emerged with less damage. Two such stands have been identified as exemplary natural communities: one a spruce-fir flat on poorly drained soils in the south-central portion of the island, and the other a mixed white pine/red spruce stand in the northeastern part of the island. This latter stand supports white pine trees with an average diameter of 38 inches.
The lakeshore habitat is influenced by the dramatic dam-influenced drawdown of Chesuncook Lake. Four campsites occur along the shoreline.
Resources
Gero Island Land Management Plan. 1980. Bureau of Public Lands, Maine Department of Conservation, Augusta, Maine. 31 pp.