Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Ecological site R057XY005MN
Open Peatland
Last updated: 10/03/2023
Accessed: 05/07/2024
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
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
Open Peatland sites are widespread throughout the entire MLRA 57, and typically occur on level to gently sloping surfaces on all landforms through the area. Soils have greater than 16” of organic material and soil pH values are greater than 4.5.
Associated sites
| R057XY001MN |
Marsh Marsh occurs on level or slightly concave landscape positions in closed depressions, shallow wetland basins, drainage ways, and adjacent to open water. They are very poorly drained soils and are frequently inundated with water for long durations. Soil surface textures are typically muck or mucky-modified surface layers over variable parent materials. |
|---|---|
| F057XY003MN |
Peatland Peatland occurs in shallow wetland basins, closed depressions, and along drainage ways. Soils are occasionally ponded with standing water in spring but tend to recede by late summer. Soil surface layers are typically muck 8 to 16” thick over variable parent materials. |
| F057XY006MN |
Forested Peatland Forested 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 water table typically below the peat surface that drops during the summer to allow for the establishment of significant tree cover. |
Similar sites
| F057XY003MN |
Peatland Peatland occurs in shallow wetland basins, closed depressions, and along drainage ways. Soils are occasionally ponded with standing water in spring but tend to recede by late summer. Soil surface layers are typically muck 8 to 16” thick over variable parent materials. |
|---|
Table 1. Dominant plant species
| Tree |
(1) Larix laricina |
|---|---|
| Shrub |
(1) Salix pedicellaris |
| Herbaceous |
(1) Carex lasiocarpa |
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Ecosystem states
| T1B | - | Impoundment of water on-site, maintenance of water on-site, and/or establishment of invasive species |
|---|---|---|
| T1C | - | Tile drainage, tilling, seeding, herbicide |
| T2A | - | Tile drainage, tilling, seeding, herbicide |
State 1 submodel, plant communities
| 1.1A | - | Lack of fire and/or periodic drought |
|---|---|---|
| 1.1C | - | Seasonal water oscillations becomes high compared to the more stable groundwater |
| 1.1B | - | Beaver dam off-site restricts water flow or contributes to ponding on-site |
| 1.2A | - | Fire, higher than average precipitation. and/or decreased frequency of inundation by surface runoff. |
| 1.2C | - | Seasonal water oscillations becomes high compared to the more stable groundwater. |
| 1.2B | - | Beaver dam off-site restricts water flow or contributes to ponding on-site |
| 1.3A | - | Accumulating of peat and water levels stabilize (but still remain fairly high) with stable groundwater influence. |
| 1.3B | - | Lack of fire and/or periodic drought |
| 1.4C | - | Increased beaver dam off-site restricts water flow and contributes to ponding on-site or fire. |
| 1.3A | - | Removal of beaver or beaver dam |