General information

Provisional. A provisional ecological site description has undergone quality control and quality assurance review. It contains a working state and transition model and enough information to identify the ecological site.

MLRA notes

Major Land Resource Area (MLRA): 089X–Wisconsin Central Sands

The Wisconsin Central Sands (MLRA 89) corresponds closely to Central Sand Plains Ecological Landscape published by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR, 2015). Much of the following brief overview of this MLRA is borrowed from that publication.

The Wisconsin Central Sands MLRA is entirely in Wisconsin. The total land area is 2,187,100 acres (3,420 square miles, 8858 square kilometers). It is bordered to the east by Johnstown-Hancock end moraines, which were pushed to their extent by the west side of the Green Bay Lobe (Clayton & Attig, 1999). It is bordered to the southwest by highly eroded, unglaciated valleys and ridges. The dominant feature of this MLRA is the remarkably flat, sandy plain, composed of lacustrine deposits and outwash sand, that was once the main basin of Glacial Lake Wisconsin. It also features extensive pine and oak barrens and wetland complexes.

Glacial Lake Wisconsin was fed primarily by glacial meltwater from the north and east. The lake deposited silt overlain by tens of meters of sand (Clayton & Attig, 1989). The silty layers are closer to the surface in some areas, where they impede drainage and contribute to the formation of extensive wetland complexes. It is believed that Glacial Lake Wisconsin drained within several days after a breach in the ice dam that supported it. The catastrophic flood that followed flowed to the south and carved the scattered buttes and mesas protruding from the sandy plain in the southern portion of this MLRA. Before vegetation established after glacial recession, strong winds formed aeolian sand dunes that now support xeric pine and oak stands within the Wisconsin Central Sands.

The surface of the northwestern portion is mostly undulating. The sandy surface sediment was mostly deposited by meltwater during the Wisconsin glaciation. Gentle hills are a result of underlying bedrock topography. Valleys and floodplains are formed by stream action. The underlying bedrock controls the water table elevation and contributes to the formation of numerous wetlands.

Historically, the Wisconsin Central Sands were dominated by large wetland complexes, sand prairies, and oak forests, savannas, and barrens. Some pine and hemlock forests were found in the northwest portion. The Wisconsin Central Sands was subject to frequent fires, leading to today’s need for prescribed burns to maintain a representation of fire-dependent communities.

Classification relationships

Major Land Resource Area (MLRA): Wisconsin Central Sands (89)

USFS Subregions: Central Wisconsin Sand Plain (222Ra), Neillsville Sandstone Plateau (222Rb), and Lincoln Formation Till Plain - Mixed Hardwoods (212Qb)

Relationship to Established Framework and Classification Systems:

Habitat Types of N. & S. Wisconsin (Kotar, 2002 & 1996): The sites of this ES keyed out to four habitat types: Pinus-Acer rubrum/Vaccinium-Hamamelis (PArVHa); Pinus/Vaccinium-Gaultheria (PVG); Acer/Viburnum, Vaccinium variant (AVb-V); Pinus/Vaccinium-Cornus (PVCr)

Biophysical Settings (Landfire, 2014): This ES is largely mapped as North-Central Interior Dry Oak Forest and Woodland, Laurentian-Acadian Northern Pine-Oak Forest, Laurentian-Acadian Northern Hardwoods Forest, North-Central Interior Maple-Basswood Forest, and Laurentian-Acadian Northern Pine Forest.

WDNR Natural Communities (WDNR, 2015): This ES is most similar to the Mixed Hardwood Forest and Central Sands Pine-Oak Forest communities.

Ecological site concept

The Dry Sandy Bedrock Uplands ecological site occurs in the northcentral to northwest portion of MLRA 89 on strath terraces, hills, and pediments in areas where the sandstone bedrock is relatively shallow. These sites are characterized by moderately deep, well drained soils formed in sandy alluvium overlying a thin layer of loamy residuum over interbedded sandstone and shale or sandy residuum over sandstone. Water is primarily from precipitation and runoff from adjacent uplands, but groundwater discharge also contributes as a water source. Soils range from extremely acid to slightly acid. These sites support dry to dry-mesic forest communities dominated by varying mixtures of pines (Pinus strobus, P. resinosa, P. banksiana), oaks (Quercus ellipsoidalis, Q. velutina, Q. rubra), and red maple (Acer rubrum).

Historically this Ecological Site was occupied by forest communities dominated by various mixtures of pine and oak species. The mixtures were largely dependent on frequency and severity of disturbances, particularly fire and subsequent seed-bed conditions and availability of seed sources. White pine was the most constant species in forest communities due to its ecological characteristics of great longevity, resistance of old trees to fire damage and moderate tolerance to shade by seedlings and saplings. Red oak and white oak were often present as associate species. Virtually all stands on this Ecological Site were harvested during the late 19th century and post-logging fires were almost universal. Today’s forests are dominated by any mixture of white pine, red pine, aspen, red oak and red maple. White birch also occurs sporadically.

Dry Sandy Bedrock Uplands differs from other sites by its drainage, sandy deposits, and moderately deep profile. Other well drained sands have soils that are greater than 80 inches (200 cm) in depth. The bedrock both perches water and restricts root growth, which can cause trees to tip. The sandy texture sets this site apart from the loamy well drained sites. Sands tend to have lower pH and available water capacity than loams, which can limit vegetative growth. The well draining soil sets this site apart from other sandy sites.

Associated sites

Similar sites

Table 1. Dominant plant species