Why is Isle Royale famous?
Why is Isle Royale famous? Isle Royale's unique ecosystem led to it being designated an International Biosphere Reserve in 1980. These isolated islands have only 19 mammal species, compared to over 40 found on the surrounding mainland. Some species have come and gone, often due to human influences.
Did anyone live on Isle Royale?
Humans have never regularly lived year-round on Isle Royale. For at least three thousand years, Native Americans used Isle Royale for copper and fish, but mostly limited their visits to the summer. Nineteenth century Americans did the same. Today, Isle Royale is used for wilderness recreation, but only in the summer.