Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Ecological site F089XY006WI
Wet Sandy Outwash Lowlands
Last updated: 9/27/2023
Accessed: 11/21/2024
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): 089X–Wisconsin Central Sands
The Wisconsin Central Sands (MLRA 89) corresponds closely to Central Sand Plains Ecological Landscape published by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR, 2015). Much of the following brief overview of this MLRA is borrowed from that publication.
The Wisconsin Central Sands MLRA is entirely in Wisconsin. The total land area is 2,187,100 acres (3,420 square miles, 8858 square kilometers). It is bordered to the east by Johnstown-Hancock end moraines, which were pushed to their extent by the west side of the Green Bay Lobe (Clayton & Attig, 1999). It is bordered to the southwest by highly eroded, unglaciated valleys and ridges. The dominant feature of this MLRA is the remarkably flat, sandy plain, composed of lacustrine deposits and outwash sand, that was once the main basin of Glacial Lake Wisconsin. It also features extensive pine and oak barrens and wetland complexes.
Glacial Lake Wisconsin was fed primarily by glacial meltwater from the north and east. The lake deposited silt overlain by tens of meters of sand (Clayton & Attig, 1989). The silty layers are closer to the surface in some areas, where they impede drainage and contribute to the formation of extensive wetland complexes. It is believed that Glacial Lake Wisconsin drained within several days after a breach in the ice dam that supported it. The catastrophic flood that followed flowed to the south and carved the scattered buttes and mesas protruding from the sandy plain in the southern portion of this MLRA. Before vegetation established after glacial recession, strong winds formed aeolian sand dunes that now support xeric pine and oak stands within the Wisconsin Central Sands.
The surface of the northwestern portion is mostly undulating. The sandy surface sediment was mostly deposited by meltwater during the Wisconsin glaciation. Gentle hills are a result of underlying bedrock topography. Valleys and floodplains are formed by stream action. The underlying bedrock controls the water table elevation and contributes to the formation of numerous wetlands.
Historically, the Wisconsin Central Sands were dominated by large wetland complexes, sand prairies, and oak forests, savannas, and barrens. Some pine and hemlock forests were found in the northwest portion. The Wisconsin Central Sands was subject to frequent fires, leading to today’s need for prescribed burns to maintain the area.
Classification relationships
Major Land Resource Area (MLRA): Wisconsin Central Sands (89)
USFS Subregions: Central Wisconsin Sand Plain (222Ra)
Small sections occur in the Neillsville Sandstone Plateau (222Rb), Central Wisconsin Moraines and Outwash (222Kb), and Lincoln Formation Till Plain - Mixed Hardwoods (212Qb) subregions
Habitat Types of S. Wisconsin (Kotar, 1996) and Wetland Forest Habitat Type Classification System for Northern Wisconsin (Kotar and Burger, 2017): The sites of this ES keyed out to four habitat types: Pinus/Vaccinium-Gaultheria (PVG); Pinus/Euphorbia (PEu); Pinus/Vaccinium-Rubus hispidus (PVRh); Pinus-Acer/Gaylussacia (PArGy). The latter is a wetland habitat type for Northern Wisconsin, used in lieu of Southern Wisconsin wetland habitat types.
Biophysical Settings (Landfire, 2014): This ES is largely mapped as North-Central Interior Sand and Gravel Tallgrass Prairie, North-Central Interior Maple-Basswood Forest, Laurentian-Acadian Northern Hardwoods Forest, Eastern Cool Temperate Pasture and Hayland, and Eastern Cool Temperate Row Crop.
WDNR Natural Communities (WDNR, 2015): This ES is most similar to the White pine-Red maple Swamp and Northern Hardwood Swamp communities.
Ecological site concept
The Wet Sandy Outwash Lowlands ecological site is widespread on the eastern portion of MLRA 89, which is dominated by an expansive sand plain created from the deposition of sandy outwash and sandy lacustrine materials by glacial meltwaters and Glacial Lake Wisconsin, respectively. These sites are characterized by poorly or very poorly drained, very deep soils, most of which formed in these sandy outwash and lacustrine materials. Some sites along the Lemonweir River were formed in sandy alluvium over clayey lacustrine deposits. Sites are subject to frequent ponding during the growing season. Precipitation and runoff from adjacent uplands are the primary water sources, but groundwater discharge and stream inflow can also be significant contributors. Soils range from extremely acid to slightly neutral.
Wet Sandy Outwash Lowlands site is differentiated from others by its deep sandy deposits and poorly drained soils. Unlike those of Poorly Drained Siliceous Sands, the sands of these soils are not siliceous (i.e.. weathered from silica-rich sandstone) but were deposited by rushing proglacial meltwater. Sites with outwash sand tend to be more productive than the siliceous sands, and differences in vegetation is observed. Lack of bedrock contact within 78.7 inches (200 cm) differentiates this site from Poorly Drained Sandy over Bedrock. The poor drainage of this site differs it from other sandy sites.
Associated sites
F089XY002WI |
Mucky Swamps Mucky Swamps consist of herbaceous organic materials sometimes underlain by sandy to loamy mineral soil. They are very poorly drained and remain saturated throughout much of the year. These sites are wetlands. They occur lower on the drainage sequence than Wet Sandy Outwash Lowlands and will stay saturated for long in the year. |
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F089XY011WI |
Moist Sandy Outwash Uplands Moist Sandy Outwash Uplands consist of deep sandy deposits derived from a mixture of outwash, alluvium, and lacustrine sources. They are somewhat poorly drained and are subject to neither flooding nor ponding. The occur higher in the drainage sequence than Wet Sandy Outwash Lowlands. |
F089XY017WI |
Sandy Outwash Uplands Sandy Outwash Uplands primarily consist of deep sandy outwash deposits. Soils are somewhat excessively to excessively drained and are primarily found east of the Yellow River. They occur much higher on the drainage sequence than Wet Sandy Outwash Lowlands. |
Similar sites
F089XY007WI |
Wet Siliceous Sand Lowlands Wet Siliceous Sand Lowlands consist of deep sandy deposits sourced primarily from the weathering of sandstone high in silica. The weathered sand was deposited by rivers or glacial lakes. They are very poorly to poorly drained and remain saturated from much of the growing season. Some are subject to ponding. These sites are primarily found in the western half of the Wisconsin Central Sands MLRA. The vegetative communities found on these sites are very similar to those found on Wet Sandy Outwash Lowlands. |
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F089XY003WI |
Sandy Floodplains Sandy Floodplains sites are found exclusively on floodplains in sandy alluvium. Most sites are somewhat poorly to poorly drained and are subject to flooding. These sites occur primarily along the Wisconsin, Lemonweir, Yellow, and Black Rivers and some of their tributaries. With similar textures and drainage classes, Sandy Floodplains and Wet Sandy Outwash Lowlands host similar vegetative communities. |
F089XY005WI |
Wet Sandy Bedrock Lowlands Wet Sandy Bedrock Lowlands consist of sandy alluvium underlain by loamy residuum. Bedrock occurs within 39.3 inches (100 cm) and perches the water table. Soils are poorly drained and subject to ponding. These sites are found in the northwestern portion of the Wisconsin Central Sands MLRA where the depth to bedrock is shallow. The vegetative communities found on these sites are very similar to those found on Wet Sandy Outwash Lowlands. |
Table 1. Dominant plant species
Tree |
(1) Pinus strobus |
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Shrub |
(1) Acer rubrum |
Herbaceous |
(1) Pteridium aquilinum |
Click on box and path labels to scroll to the respective text.
T1A | - | Clear cutting or stand-replacing fire. |
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R2A | - | Disturbance-free period 70+ years. |
T2A | - | Grazing by livestock. |
T2B | - | Removal of forest vegetation and tilling. |
R3A | - | Removal of livestock grazing. |
T3A | - | Removal of forest vegetation and tilling. |
R4A | - | Cessation of agricultural practices, natural or artificial afforestation. |
State 1 submodel, plant communities
1.1A | - | Light to moderate intensity fires, blow-downs, ice storms. |
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1.2A | - | Disturbance-free period 30+ years |