Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Clayey Wet Prairies
Scenario model
Current ecosystem state
Select a state
Management practices/drivers
Select a transition or restoration pathway
-
Transition T1A
Transition to agriculture; tillage; seeding; continued management
More details -
Transition T1B
Plant succession absent of fire, grazing, or management.
More details -
Restoration pathway R3A
Restoration of site
More details -
No transition or restoration pathway between the selected states has been described
Target ecosystem state
Select a state
Description
The Clayey Wet Prairies reference state is a native prairie that has a diversity of wet-tolerant grasses and forbs. Community phases within the Reference State are dependent upon the influences of fire and grazing. Fire is a key trigger that promotes continued herbaceous vegetation dominance and removes dense thatch thereby allowing for seedling regeneration. Frequent fire maintains the community in a grassland state, by keeping fire-sensitive woody species from proliferating and gaining dominance. A secondary trigger is grazing. Intensive grazing reduces palatable species thereby allowing an increase in less desirable plants.
Today, high-quality, unplowed areas are extremely uncommon. Most remaining natural areas that are managed for tallgrass prairie were once tilled and utilized for agricultural production. It is therefore likely that many historically present species are extirpated even from these sites.
Resilience management
Prescribed fire and managed grazing are key resilience management practices. Managed grazing incorporates periods of grazing rest during the growing season which benefits tallgrass maintenance.
Dominant plant species
prairie cordgrass (Spartina pectinata), grass
woolly sedge (Carex pellita), grass
Submodel
Description
Tillage is the primary mechanism affecting the transition to this state. In this state, dynamic soil properties such as bulk density, structure, organic carbon content, and saturated hydraulic conductivity are altered by agricultural practices. Hydrological modifications (tiling and ditching) are commonly installed to improve drainage. Most areas in this state will remain in use for crop production in the foreseeable future – primarily in an intensive corn and soybean rotation.
Certain practices can mitigate the impacts of traditional agricultural practices on soil health. Conservation tillage minimizes soil disturbance and can improve soil structure and overall soil health. Corn or soybean plantings and a cover crop rotation can build soil structure, improve infiltration rates, reduce runoff, and protect water quality.
A small percentage of sites have been seeded back to warm-season grasses. Some previously tilled areas have been converted as part of the NRCS conservation program. Cool-season grasses are also feasible. Although seeded grasslands are not as biologically diverse as the reference state, they still offer various soil health benefits and some ecological benefits for grassland bird species.
Some tilled sites may revert to a woodland through abandonment; however, this is a small percentage of acres within MLRA 103 so is not currently given a community in this model.
Resilience management
Disturbance management and harvest management are resilience management practices. The maintenance of this state requires that the intensity, frequency, duration, and timing of agricultural practices (disturbances) be managed to control or modify vegetation structure.
Dominant plant species
corn (Zea mays), grass
soybean (Glycine max), grass
Submodel
Description
In the absence of a natural fire regime or management, this site will transition towards a wooded community. Unmanaged grazing and invasive species may impact this site. Community composition and characteristics will vary depending on the type and severity of disturbances. Dominant tree species will vary but often include eastern cottonwood, black willow, green ash, and boxelder. Reed canarygrass may be dense on sites with open areas. Cool-season grasses are often present.
Few acres within MLRA 103 are in this State. Some remaining areas are conservation easements. Areas not in a conservation programs are likely to be jurisdictional wetlands, making it very unlikely they will be transitioned to State 2 due to various wetland programs and laws, including the Swampbuster provision of the Food Security Act of 1985 (P.L. 99-198, as amended by P.L. 115-25) and the Minnesota Wetland Conservation Act (WCA) of 1991 (M.R. 8420.0100, as amended in 2009).
Dominant plant species
black willow (Salix nigra), tree
eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides), tree
green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), tree
boxelder (Acer negundo), tree
willow (Salix), shrub
dogwood (Cornus), shrub
reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea), grass
Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis), grass
Submodel
Mechanism
Transition T1A is the conversion of the reference state to agriculture. The triggers are tillage and intentional plant establishment (crop seeding). Hydrological modifications, such as ditching and tiling, are often also installed. Resilience management practices include continual agricultural practices such as seeding, fertilizing, and managing invasive plants with herbicides or field cultivation.
Constraints to recovery
Tillage and long-term intensive agricultural production generally preclude a return to State 1. Areas in row crop production may be placed in conservation programs and seeded with warm-season grasses, but will not exhibit the natural species diversity or ecological resiliency of State 1. Some tilled areas may be abandoned and return to woodland, but this is a small percentage of acres and not currently given a community in this model. Most acres converted to agriculture will stay as such for the foreseeable future.
Relevant conservation practices
| Practice | External resources |
|---|---|
|
Conservation Cover |
|
|
Range Planting |
Mechanism
Plant community succession via the lack of fire, grazing, or management. Woody species will increase and community structure will begin to move from a prairie to a woodland. Disturbances such as overgrazing and non-native vegetation may influence community composition and structure.
Mechanism
Sites that have not been tilled and still have natural hydrologic functions may be feasible to restore. Soil structure is intact and remnant plant communities may still exist. Previously tilled sites (State 2) may revert to a woodland through abandonment; however, the soil function has been altered through tillage and intensive crop production. This site will not be the same ecologically as a true reference site.
Model keys
Briefcase
Add { ecological sites } and { Major Land Resource Areas } to your briefcase by clicking on the briefcase
(
) icon wherever it occurs. Drag and drop items to reorder. Cookies are used to store briefcase items between browsing sessions. Because of this, the number of items that can be added to your briefcase is limited, and briefcase items added on one device and browser cannot be accessed from another device or browser. Users who do not wish to place cookies on their devices should not use the briefcase tool. Briefcase cookies serve no other purpose than described here and are deleted whenever browsing history is cleared.
Ecological sites
Major Land Resource Areas
The Ecosystem Dynamics Interpretive Tool is an information system framework developed by the USDA-ARS Jornada Experimental Range, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and New Mexico State University.
Accessibility statement