Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Ecological site F057XY003MN
Peatland
Last updated: 10/03/2023
Accessed: 11/13/2024
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): 057X–Northern Minnesota Gray Drift
The Northern Minnesota Gray Drift (57) is located within the Northern Lakes Forest and Forage Region. This area is entirely in north-central Minnesota and makes up about 9,785 square miles (Figure 1). The entire area is covered by Wisconsin-age glacial drift. The glacial deposits are from four major ice lobes-Des Moines, Rainy, Superior, and Wadena. The landscape developed through a series of glaciations and the subsequent retreating and wasting of the ice sheets, which resulted in a complex pattern of moraines, outwash plains, drumlins, lake plains and drainages. Lakes, ponds and marshes are common. The thickness of the glacial till ranges from 90 to 185 meters. Some areas of these deposits are overlain by outwash or lacustrine sediments. Some depressional areas have an accumulation of organic matter. The organic deposits are more than 2.5 meters thick in some areas. Elevation ranges from 300 to 500 meters across the area. (USDA-NRCS 2006)
Prior to settlement, the vegetation in this area was mainly a mixture of deciduous trees and conifers. White Pine and red pine grew on moraines. Jack pine was dominant on outwash plains and sandy lake plains. Red oak, sugar maple, and basswood grew in sheltered areas close to lakes. Forested lowlands were dominated by black spruce, tamarack, white cedar, and black ash. Wetlands that were not forested were dominated by sedge meadow communities. The western part of the area was dominated by tall prairie grasses. Most of this area is still forested today, aspen as become the most common species both in pure stands and mixed stands with birch, maple, oak, white spruce, and red pine. (USDA-NRCS 2006)
The dominant soil orders in this MLRA are Alfisols, Entisols, and Histisols, with some Mollisols in the westernmost part of the area. The soils in the area have a frigid soil temperature regime; aquic or udic soil moisture regime, and mixed mineralogy. Their natural drainage class is related to landscape position. In general, the Alfisols formed in till on moraines, Entisols formed in outwash on moraines and outwash plains, and Histosols formed in organic material over outwash or till on moraines or outwash plains. (USDA-NRCS 2006)
Classification relationships
Major Land Resource Area (MLRA): Northern Minnesota Gray Drift (57) (USDA Handbook 296, 2006)
USFS Subregions: Northern Minnesota Drift & Lake Plain Section (212N); Chippewa Plains Subsection (212Na), Pine Moraines & Outwash Plains Subsections (212Nc), St. Louis Moraines Subsection (212Nb); Minnesota & NE Iowa Morainal Section (222M); Hardwood Hills Subsection (222Ma); Northern Superior Uplands Section (212L); Nashwauk Uplands Subsection (212Lc); Northern Minnesota & Ontario Peatlands Section (212M); Littlefork-Vermillion Uplands Subsection (212Ma) (Cleland et al. 2007).
US EPA Level IV Ecoregion: Itasca and St. Louis Moraines (50q); Chippewa Plains (50r); Nashwauk/Marcell Moraines and Uplands (50s); Alexandria Moraines and Detroit Lakes Outwash Plain (51j); McGrath Till Plain and Drumlins (51k); Wadena/Todd Drumlins and Osakis Till Plain (51l) (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2013)
Ecological site concept
Peatlands are widespread throughout MLRA 57, and typically occur on the edges of shallow basins or drainageways, oftentimes adjacent to larger peatlands. Soils have 8 to 16” of organic material, and soil pH values are greater than 4.5.
Associated sites
F057XY002MN |
Wet Depressional Forest Wet Depressional Forest occurs in shallow wetland basins, closed depressions, and generally in narrow transition zones between mineral uplands and peatlands. Soil surface layers are typically mucky-modified surface textures or muck less than 8” thick over variable parent materials. |
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R057XY005MN |
Open Peatland Open Peatland occurs on level to gently sloping surfaces. Soils have greater than 16” of organic material and soil pH values are greater than 4.5. This site has a high water table that remain near the surface throughout the growing season, preventing the establishment of significant tree cover. |
Similar sites
F057XY016MN |
Flood Plain Forest Flood Plain Forest occurs on occasionally flooded terraces and floodplains. Soils consist of stratified alluvium vary widely from silty to fine sandy soils on the terraces to coarser textured alluvium on the active floodplain sites. Soils on the active floodplain positions are annually flooded with grey soil color indicative of high local water tables which are subject to scouring and deposition from floodwater. |
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Table 1. Dominant plant species
Tree |
(1) Fraxinus nigra |
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Shrub |
(1) Salix |
Herbaceous |
(1) Carex lacustris |
Click on box and path labels to scroll to the respective text.
Ecosystem states
T1A | - | Invasion by reed canarygrass or common reed, usually increases in water nutrient levels or alterations in hydrology. |
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T1B | - | Long-term lowering of the water table, due to drainage, ditching, roads, etc. |
T2A | - | Long-term lowering of the water table, due to drainage, ditching, roads, etc. |
R3A | - | Return to reference hydrology. |
T3A | - | Invasion by reed canarygrass or common reed, usually increases in water nutrient levels or alterations in hydrology. |
State 1 submodel, plant communities
1.1A | - | Increase in water table, due to either beaver activity, fire or increased rates and amount of precipitation. |
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1.2A | - | Decrease in water table/short-term drought |
1.2B | - | Stabilization of water levels on-site, invasion by Sphagnum sp. |
1.3A | - | Beaver activity, return of higher and/or more variable water levels, increases in precipitation. |