State 1
Reference State

The reference state is composed of multiple canopy species including American elm, slipery elm, green ash, and black ash. Minor components often include basswood, silver maple, and hackberry. The composition of early successional communities will be variable depending on seed sources and the severity of the disturbance. Early successional dominants commonly include American elm, slippery elm, American basswood, and willows. Mid-successional dominants include American elm, slippery elm, green ash, and black ash. (MN DNR, FFs59). Cottonwood is often a component of early stage communities. The understory community composition will vary depending upon the hydrology and flooding regime of the site.

Resilience management. Resilience management practices include monitoring and treating for invasive vegetation.

Community 1.1
Reference Community

The Reference Community is characterized by multiple canopy species, a sparse shrub layer, and a variable ground cover of native herbaceous species. Tree species on this site include American elm, green ash, slippery elm, black ash, and other hardwoods. The hydrology will influence species composition on these sites. Successional communities will vary depending on age, severity of disturbance, and seed sources. Shrub density may be sparse depending on flooding regime, and species will be influenced by the hydrological characteristics of each site.

Resilience management. Resilience management practices include monitoring for invasive vegetation, applying weed control methods as needed, and excluding other anthropogenic disturbances.

State 2
Tillage State

The Tillage State contains the Row Crop Community and the Seeded Grassland Community. This state describes areas currently in crop production or areas that were tilled but now are seeded to grass. Pathway mechanisms include preparing the site, planting desired species, applying herbicide, applying fertilizer, and harvesting. Hydrological modifications (tiling and ditching) may be installed to improve drainage.

Soil tillage is the primary trigger to State 2. Tillage alters dynamic soil properties, including bulk density, structure, organic carbon content, and saturated hydraulic conductivity. Intensive tillage negatively impacts soil ecological functions. Conservation practices help mediate soil health impacts. Conservation tillage minimizes soil disturbance and improves soil structure and soil health. A cover crop rotation builds soil structure, improves infiltration rates, reduces runoff and erosion, and protects water quality.

A few areas within this ecological site may have been converted to a grasses. Species will depend on specific site characteristics and landowner objectives. Seeded grasslands do offer some ecological benefits to wildlife, water quality, and soil health.

Community 2.1
Row Crop Community

Community 2.1 consists of intensive row crop agriculture. Soil tillage and intentional plant establishment are the primary triggers. The most common crops are corn and soybeans on an annual rotation. Many crops, however, are feasible for these areas. A secondary trigger may be drainage modifications (ditching and tiling).

Conservation tillage practices may be implemented to reduce soil erosion while still maintaining a crop rotation. Additional soil health benefits can be gained by adding alternative crops to fields that are already in conservation tillage. By diversifying the crop rotation, landowners take additional management steps to improve soil health and protect water quality.

Resilience management. Resilience management practices include preparing the sites, planting, fertilizing, controlling weeds, and harvesting. The maintenance of the desired vegetation community is controlled by the intensity, frequency, duration, and timing of agricultural practices.

Community 2.2
Seeded Grassland Community

The Seeded Grassland Community grows in areas that were previously tilled and used for row crop production, but have been transitioned to warm-season or cool-season grasses. The primary trigger is the intentional establishment of a grass species. Seed mix selection depends on landowner objectives and site-specific characteristics. Management inputs include seeding, fertilizing, and controlling weeds and brush. Resilience management practices include invasive plant management and a program of planned grazing. Many of these areas are eventually transitioned to annual crop production.

Resilience management. The resilience management practices may include planting desired species, managing grazing, mowing, fertilizing, and controlling unpalatable plant species. Prescribed fire is a resilience management practice for warm-season grasslands. The controlled application of fire modifies vegetation structure and influence ecological processes.

Pathway 2.1A
Community 2.1 to 2.2

This pathway converts Community 2.1 (row crops) to Community 2.2 (seeded grassland). The primary mechanism of change is the seeding of desired grass species. Multiple resilience management practices may be utilized after grass establishment. Examples include brush management and herbaceous weed treatment.

Pathway 2.2A
Community 2.2 to 2.1

This pathway describes the site transitioning from a seeded grassland to row crop agriculture. The mechanisms of change are tillage and intentional plant establishment (crop seeding). Resilience management practices include weed control (herbicide application), disturbance management (field cultivating), and harvest management.

State 3
Disturbed Forest State

This state describes a wooded site that has been disturbed and exhibits altered species composition. Site disturbance may include altered hydrology, selective tree removal, site clearing, or invasive species. Numerous ruderal woodland and forest plant communities may occur on this ecological site depending on the type and severity of disturbance, the successional stage of the plant community, available seed sources, and management activities.

Community 3.1
Disturbed Forest Community

Community 3.1 is an altered forest community caused by substantial disturbance. Invasive species are common in this community. Canopy composition varies depending on the severity and type of disturbances, community age, and the availability of seed sources. Invasive, non-native species are common on these sites and will continue to increase without management intervention.

Transition T1A
State 1 to 2

Transition T1A is the conversion of the Reference State to agriculture. The triggers are site clearing, soil tillage. and intentional plant establishment (crop seeding). Resilience management practices include common agricultural practices such as seeding, fertilizing, and managing invasive plants with herbicides or field cultivation. Hydrological modifications, such as ditching and tiling, may be present.

Constraints to recovery.Site clearing and soil tillage preclude recovery of the former state.

Transition T1B
State 1 to 3

Transition T1B is a transition from a mature deciduous forest to a disturbed (ruderal) forest. Triggers include timber harvest, surface site disturbance, grazing, and introduction of non-native species. The native plant community is altered, and these areas do not exhibit the ecological function or vegetative composition of State 1.

Restoration pathway R3A
State 3 to 1

Restoration to the Reference State may be feasible for some sites with long-term management inputs including restoration of natural hydrology, establishment of desired species, forest stand management (selective thinning), and control of invasive species. Triggers include intentional plant establishment (planting desired species), absence of disturbance (site protected from grazing and other site altering disturbances), timber stand improvement inputs, and eradication of invasive plant species. Ditching and tiling may be present on site altering the natural hydrology.

Transition T3A
State 3 to 2

Transition T3A is the transition of a disturbed forest state to agriculture production. This is a common pathway in MLRA 103. The mechanisms of change include timber harvest, site preparation, tillage, and intentional plant establishment (crop seeding). Continued resilience management practices are necessary and include weed control (herbicide application), disturbance management (field cultivating), and harvest management.

Constraints to recovery.Soils tillage and the transition to agriculture preclude recovery of the former state.