Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Ecological site F057XY022MN
Sandy Upland Moist Mixed Forest
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 2.5meters thick in some areas. Elevation ranges from 300 to 500 meters across the area. (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
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
Sandy Upland Moist Mixed Forest are widespread throughout the entire MLRA 57, and typically occur on summit, shoulders and backslope hillslope positions on outwash plains, moraines and till plains. These sites typically exist on soils with medium textures of sandy loam, fine sandy loam or loam within a depth of 50 centimeters but can also include very fine sandy loam or loamy very fine sand in some cases.
Associated sites
F057XY017MN |
Steep Loamy Upland Forest These sites occur on shoulders and backslope hillslope positions with slopes greater than 15 percent on outwash plains and moraines. These sites typically exist on soils with sandy textures of sand, coarse sand, loamy sand, loamy coarse sand, fine sand, or loamy fine sand within a depth of 50 centimeters. The underlying material is generally coarse textured and generally has 0 to 35 percent rock fragments, but areas of sand capped glacial till can be included. |
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F057XY015MN |
Wet Mixed Forest These sites occur on footslope and toeslope hillslope positions, drainageways surrounded by uplands or on the edge of uplands grading to very poorly drained peatland soils. These sites typically exist on loamy and occasionally sandy moraines and till plains. Parent material is calcareous fine to loamy textured glacial till, stratified material and occasionally sandy. |
Similar sites
F057XY023MN |
Dry Sandy Upland Coniferous Forest These sites occur on summit, shoulders and backslope hillslope positions on outwash plains and dune fields. These sites typically exist on soils with coarser textures of sand, coarse sand, loamy sand, loamy coarse sand, fine sand, or loamy fine sand within a depth of 50 centimeters. The underlying material is generally coarse textured and generally has 0 to 35 percent rock fragments, but areas of sand capped glacial till can be included. |
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Table 1. Dominant plant species
Tree |
(1) Pinus banksiana |
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Shrub |
(1) Corylus cornuta |
Herbaceous |
(1) Pteridium |
Click on box and path labels to scroll to the respective text.
Ecosystem states
T1A | - | Mechanical removal of tree species for timber harvest. |
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State 1 submodel, plant communities
1.1A | - | Lack of fire/blow downs (35-95 years) |
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1.2A | - | Increased low intensity fire frequency and blow downs (<35 years) |
1.2B | - | Lack of fire/blow downs (95-195 years) |
1.3B | - | Stand replacing fire |
1.3A | - | Increased low intensity fire frequency and blow downs (<95 years) |
State 2 submodel, plant communities
2.1A | - | Planting of desired species and herbicide use. |
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2.2A | - | Harvest of tree species upon desired growth stage. |