Natural Resources
Conservation Service

Ecological site R057XY011MN

Sandy Outwash

Last updated: 10/03/2023
Accessed: 11/21/2024

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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. There 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)

Ecological site concept

Associated sites

R057XY008MN	Shallow Gravelly Prairie These sites occur on all landscape positions on moraines and outwash plains. These sites exist on soils with gravelly and very gravelly textures within a depth of 50 centimeters. Soils are moderately well to excessively drained with rust and grey redoximorphic features and or depth to seasonal water table from 75 to greater than 150 centimeters. The central concept soil series is Arvilla, Clitheral, Osakis, Sandberg and Sioux but other series are included.

R057XY008MN

Shallow Gravelly Prairie

These sites occur on all landscape positions on moraines and outwash plains. These sites exist on soils with gravelly and very gravelly textures within a depth of 50 centimeters. Soils are moderately well to excessively drained with rust and grey redoximorphic features and or depth to seasonal water table from 75 to greater than 150 centimeters. The central concept soil series is Arvilla, Clitheral, Osakis, Sandberg and Sioux but other series are included.

Similar sites

R057XY008MN	Shallow Gravelly Prairie These sites occur on all landscape positions on moraines and outwash plains. These sites exist on soils with gravelly and very gravelly textures within a depth of 50 centimeters. Soils are moderately well to excessively drained with rust and grey redoximorphic features and or depth to seasonal water table from 75 to greater than 150 centimeters. The central concept soil series is Arvilla, Clitheral, Osakis, Sandberg and Sioux but other series are included.

R057XY008MN

Shallow Gravelly Prairie

Table 1. Dominant plant species

Tree	Not specified
Shrub	Not specified
Herbaceous	(1) Schizachyrium (2) Bouteloua curtipendula

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Physiographic features

Sandy Prairie sites are limited in extent in the southern region of MLRA 57, and typically occur on moraines and outwash plains on summits, shoulders and upper backslope hillslope positions; as well as more level terraces in coarse outwash in river valleys.

Table 2. Representative physiographic features

Hillslope profile	(1) Summit (2) Shoulder (3) Backslope
Landforms	(1) Moraine (2) Outwash plain (3) Terrace (4) River valley
Elevation	Not specified
Slope	18%
Water table depth	200 in

Climatic features

In general, MLRA 57 has cold winters and warm summers. About 65 percent of the annual precipitation falls as rain during the 5-month growing season (May through September), and an additional 18 percent falls as snow.

Table 3. Representative climatic features

Frost-free period (characteristic range)	111-125 days
Freeze-free period (characteristic range)	132-152 days
Precipitation total (characteristic range)	26-30 in
Frost-free period (actual range)	110-131 days
Freeze-free period (actual range)	128-157 days
Precipitation total (actual range)	26-30 in
Frost-free period (average)	119 days
Freeze-free period (average)	142 days
Precipitation total (average)	28 in

Characteristic range

Actual range

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Figure 1. Monthly precipitation range

Characteristic range

Actual range

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Figure 2. Monthly minimum temperature range

Characteristic range

Actual range

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Figure 3. Monthly maximum temperature range

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Figure 4. Monthly average minimum and maximum temperature

Figure 5. Annual precipitation pattern

Figure 6. Annual average temperature pattern

Climate stations used

(1) TAMARAC WILDLIFE REF [USC00218191], Rochert, MN
(2) NEW YORK MILLS [USC00215902], New York Mills, MN
(3) LONG PRAIRIE [USC00214861], Long Prairie, MN
(4) COLLEGEVILLE ST JOHN [USC00211691], Avon, MN
(5) ITASCA UNIV OF MINN [USC00214106], Park Rapids, MN
(6) WALKER AH GWAH CHING [USC00218618], Walker, MN

Influencing water features

These sites are typically well to excessively drained with depth to gray and or rust colored redoximorphic features or depth to seasonal high water table ranging from 100 to more than 150 centimeters.

Wetland description

Not Applicable

Soil features

These sites include the Sverdrup, Verndale, and Dorset soil series. Soils are dominantly medium and coarse sandy textures of sand, coarse sand, loamy sand, loamy coarse sand, fine sand, loamy fine sand, sandy loam, fine sandy loam and loamy very fine sand within a depth of 50 centimeters, and are mollisols with dark organic-enriched upper horizons. These sandy prairie soils typically have thinner dark organic-enriched upper horizons with lower organic matter content then other soils of this prairie region. These sites are typically well to excessively drained with depth to gray and or rust colored redoximorphic features or depth to seasonal high water-table ranging from 100 to more than 150 centimeters. These sites are highly permeable, course textured sandy loam or loamy sand and are prone to severe growing-season moisture deficits.

Table 4. Representative soil features

Parent material	(1) Glaciofluvial deposits (2) Outwash
Drainage class	Well drained to somewhat excessively drained
Permeability class	Moderately slow to moderate
Depth to restrictive layer	72 in
Soil depth	60 in
Available water capacity (0-60in)	3 – 4 in
Calcium carbonate equivalent (0-40in)	30%
Soil reaction (1:1 water) (0-40in)	5.1 – 8.4
Subsurface fragment volume <=3" (0-40in)	16%
Subsurface fragment volume >3" (0-40in)	2%

Ecological dynamics

Sandy Prairie and the Dry Sands Prairie sites are limited in extent in the southern region of MLRA 57, and typically occur on moraines and outwash plains on summits, shoulders and upper backslope hillslope positions; as well as more level terraces in coarse outwash in river valleys. Soils are dominantly medium and coarse sandy textures of sand, coarse sand, loamy sand, loamy coarse sand, fine sand, loamy fine sand, sandy loam, fine sandy loam and loamy very fine sand within a depth of 50 centimeters, and are mollisols with dark organic-enriched upper horizons. These sandy prairie soils typically have thinner dark organic-enriched upper horizons with lower organic matter content then other soils of this prairie region. These sites are typically well to excessively drained with depth to gray and or rust colored redoximorphic features or depth to seasonal high watertable ranging from 100 to more than 150 centimeters. These sites are highly permeable, course textured sandy loam or loamy sand and are prone to severe growing-season moisture deficits.
Plant communities typical with Sandy Prairies tend to be graminiod-dominated herbaceous communities of little bluestem, side-oats grama, plains muhly, and prairie dropseed. Less common species include needle-and-thread grass, silky aster, bastard toadflax, tall cinquefoil, and sage wormwood to mention a few. This site can also support sparsely treed communities with the same graminoid-dominated herbaceous species above. These dry savanna sites consist typically of bur oak, northern pin oak, and trembling aspen is often present as suckers and saplings. Shrub layers are more prominent consisting of oak seedlings, leadplant, prairie rose, American hazelnut, smooth sumac and chokecherry to mention a few.

State and transition model

Supporting information

Inventory data references

Eggers, Steve D. and Donald M. Reed. 1997. Wetland Plants and Plant Communities of Minnesota and Wisconsin. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District.
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (2003). Field Guide to the Native Plant Communities of Minnesota: The Laurentian Mixed Forest Province. Ecological Land Classification Program, Minnesota County Biological Survey, and Natural Heritage and Nongame Research Program. MNDNR St. Paul, MN.
Soil Survey Staff, Natural Resources Conservation Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Official Soil Series Descriptions. Available online. Accessed March 2018.
USDA, NRCS. 2018. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 27 March 2018). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA.

Other references

Relationship to Other Established Classifications:
MN DNR Native Plant Community (MN DNR, 2003); the reference community of this Provisional Ecological Site is most similar to:
UPs13b Southern Dry Prairie (Dry Sand – Gravel Prairie)
UPs14b Southern Dry Savana (Dry sand – Gravel Oak Savanna)

Approval

Suzanne Mayne-Kinney, 10/03/2023

Rangeland health reference sheet

Interpreting Indicators of Rangeland Health is a qualitative assessment protocol used to determine ecosystem condition based on benchmark characteristics described in the Reference Sheet. A suite of 17 (or more) indicators are typically considered in an assessment. The ecological site(s) representative of an assessment location must be known prior to applying the protocol and must be verified based on soils and climate. Current plant community cannot be used to identify the ecological site.

Author(s)/participant(s)
Contact for lead author
Date	10/08/2023
Approved by	Suzanne Mayne-Kinney
Approval date
Composition (Indicators 10 and 12) based on	Annual Production

Indicators

Number and extent of rills:
Presence of water flow patterns:
Number and height of erosional pedestals or terracettes:
Bare ground from Ecological Site Description or other studies (rock, litter, lichen, moss, plant canopy are not bare ground):
Number of gullies and erosion associated with gullies:
Extent of wind scoured, blowouts and/or depositional areas:
Amount of litter movement (describe size and distance expected to travel):
Soil surface (top few mm) resistance to erosion (stability values are averages - most sites will show a range of values):
Soil surface structure and SOM content (include type of structure and A-horizon color and thickness):
Effect of community phase composition (relative proportion of different functional groups) and spatial distribution on infiltration and runoff:
Presence and thickness of compaction layer (usually none; describe soil profile features which may be mistaken for compaction on this site):
Functional/Structural Groups (list in order of descending dominance by above-ground annual-production or live foliar cover using symbols: >>, >, = to indicate much greater than, greater than, and equal to):

Dominant:

Sub-dominant:

Other:

Additional:
Amount of plant mortality and decadence (include which functional groups are expected to show mortality or decadence):
Average percent litter cover (%) and depth ( in):
Expected annual annual-production (this is TOTAL above-ground annual-production, not just forage annual-production):
Potential invasive (including noxious) species (native and non-native). List species which BOTH characterize degraded states and have the potential to become a dominant or co-dominant species on the ecological site if their future establishment and growth is not actively controlled by management interventions. Species that become dominant for only one to several years (e.g., short-term response to drought or wildfire) are not invasive plants. Note that unlike other indicators, we are describing what is NOT expected in the reference state for the ecological site:
Perennial plant reproductive capability:

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Natural ResourcesConservation Service

Ecological site R057XY011MN

Sandy Outwash

Last updated: 10/03/2023 Accessed: 11/21/2024

General information

MLRA notes

Classification relationships

Ecological site concept

Associated sites

Similar sites

Table 1. Dominant plant species

Natural Resources
Conservation Service

Last updated: 10/03/2023
Accessed: 11/21/2024