Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Ecological site F089XY008WI
Wet Loamy Lowlands
Last updated: 9/27/2023
Accessed: 11/04/2024
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: Neillsville Sandstone Plateau (222Rb)
Small sections occur in the Lincoln Formation Till Plain - Mixed Hardwoods (212Qb) and Central Wisconsin Sand Plain (222Ra) subregions
Relationship to Established Framework and Classification Systems:
Habitat Types of N. & S. Wisconsin (Kotar, 2002 & 1996) and Wetland Forest Habitat Type Classification System for Northern Wisconsin (Kotar and Burger, 2017):
The sites of this ES keyed out to seven habitat types: Acer-Quercus/Viburnum, Geranium variant (AQVb-Gr); Acer saccharum-Tsuga/Athyrium-Onoclea (ATAtOn); Pinus/Vaccinium-Gaultheria (PVG); Pinus/Vaccinium-Rubus hispidus (PVRh); Pinus-Acer/Gaylussacia (PArGy); Ace rubrum-Fraxinus nigra/Rubus hispidus (ArFnRh). The latter two habitat types are wetland habitat types 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 Maple-Basswood Forest and Laurentian-Acadian Northern Hardwoods Forest.
WDNR Natural Communities (WDNR, 2015): This ES is most similar to the Northern Hardwood Swamp, Southern Hardwood Swamp, and White pine-Red maple Swamp.
Ecological site concept
The Wet Loamy Lowlands ecological site is widespread in the northern portion of MLRA 89, where loamy glacial till was deposited during the Wisconsin glaciation. These sites are characterized by very deep, somewhat poorly drained soils that formed in silty alluvium and loamy residuum weathered from interbedded sandstone and shale. Sites are subject to frequent, brief flooding during the growing season. Precipitation, runoff from adjacent uplands, and groundwater discharge are the primary sources of water. Soils range from very strongly acid to strongly acid. Some sites may be wetlands.
Historically, this Ecological Site was dominated by a variety of plant communities, apparently reflecting differences in historic fire regime. Prairie, Pine Barrens, Oak Barrens, Oak Savanna and mixed Pine - Oak forests were all represented (Finley, 1976). Following European settlement most of the area was cleared of forest vegetation and converted to farming, although scattered woodlots remained. Current woodlots typically consist of mixed oak, primarily white oak (Q. alba) and Red oak (Q. rubra), white pine (Pinus strobus) and red maple (Acer rubrum). Also common are mixed stands of trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) and paper birch (Betula papyrifera). There also are considerable areas of planted red pine (P. resinosa).
Wet Loamy Lowlands differs from other sites primarily by its drainage and loamy textures. Other poorly drained sites have sandy or clayey textures. Loamy textures often have higher pH and available water capacity than sandy textures, which offer improved growing conditions for this site. Loamy and clayey sites are often similar in soil features, but clayey soils tend to hold more water and for longer periods than loamy soils. The poor drainage differentiates this site from other loamy sites.
Associated sites
F089XY002WI |
Mucky Swamps Mucky Swamps sites 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 may occur lower on the drainage sequence than Wet Loamy Lowlands. |
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F089XY019WI |
Loamy Bedrock Uplands Loamy Bedrock Uplands form in loamy alluvium or loess overlain by interbedded sandstone and shale. Bedrock contact occurs within 40 inches (99 cm) of the surface. Soils are moderately well or well drained. These sites are primarily found in the northern portion of the Wisconsin Central Sands MLRA which was covered in loamy glacial deposits prior to the most recent glacial advance and where depth of bedrock is shallow. They occur higher on the drainage sequence and have a much deeper water table than Wet Loamy Lowlands. |
Similar sites
F089XY004WI |
Loamy Floodplains Loamy Floodplains are found exclusively on floodplains in loamy alluvium underlain by sandy alluvium. Soils are somewhat poorly to poorly drained and are subject to flooding. These sites occur primarily along tributaries to the Yellow River in central Wood County and along the Lemonweir River. These sites support vegetative communities similar to those found in Wet Loamy Lowlands. |
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F089XY009WI |
Wet Clayey Lowlands Wet Clayey Lowlands form in deep clayey lacustrine deposits overlain by a silty mantle. These soils are poorly drained, remain saturated for much of the growing season, and are sometimes subject to ponding. They hold more water than Wet Loamy Lowlands. These sites are found in the southwestern portion of the Wisconsin Central Sands MLRA. The vegetative communities found on these sites is similar to those found on Wet Loamy Lowlands. |
F089XY013WI |
Moist Loamy Bedrock Uplands Moist Loamy Bedrock Uplands form in loamy alluvium or loess underlain by loamy or clayey residuum weathered from interbedded sandstone and shale. Bedrock is found within 48 inches (122 cm) of the surface. These soils are somewhat poorly drained and are subject to neither flooding nor ponding. These sites are found in northern portion of the Wisconsin Central Sands MLRA where depth to bedrock is shallow. |
Table 1. Dominant plant species
Tree |
(1) Pinus strobus |
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Shrub |
(1) Acer rubrum |
Herbaceous |
(1) Amelanchier |
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 | - | Livestock grazing commenced. |
T2B | - | Removal of forest vegetation and tilling. |
R3A | - | Removal of livestock grazing. |
T3A | - | Removal of forest vegetation and tilling. |
R4A | - | Cessation of agriculture and natural or artificial afforestation. |
State 1 submodel, plant communities
1.1A | - | Light to moderate intensity fires, blow-downs, ice storms. |
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State 2 submodel, plant communities
2.1A | - | Immigration and establishment of white pine and red maple. |
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2.2A | - | Immigration and establishment of white pine and red maple. |
2.3A | - | Immigration and establishment of white pine and red maple. |