Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Ecological site F090BY008WI
Moist Sandy Bedrock Upland
Last updated: 11/16/2023
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): 090B–Central Wisconsin Thin Loess Dissected Till Plain
The Wisconsin and Minnesota Thin Loess MLRA, Northern and Southern Parts (90A and 90B) correspond closely to the North Central Forest and the Forest Transition Ecological Landscapes, respectively. Some of the following brief overview is borrowed from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources ecological landscape publications (2015).
The Wisconsin and Minnesota Thin Loess MLRA, Northern and Southern Parts (90A and 90B) is an extensive glacial landscape that comprised of over 11.1 million acres (17,370 sq mi) throughout central and northern Wisconsin – about 27% of the total land area in the state. This glacial landscape is comprised of a heterogenous mix of loess-capped ground moraines, end moraines with eskers and ice-walled lake plains, and pitted, unpitted, and collapsed outwash plains sometimes interspersed with drumlins from the Illinoian and Pre-Illinoian glaciations. The entire area has been glaciated and nearly all of it is underlain by dense glacial till that impedes drainage. An extensive morainal system – the Perkinstown end moraine – spans most of the width of northern Wisconsin and divides the Northern and Southern Parts of this large landscape. This moraine, which has been sliced by outwash in many places, marks the southernmost extent of the Wisconsin glaciation (Wisconsin’s most recent glacial advance).
North of the Perkinstown morainal system is a loess plain, with a loess mantle 6 to 24 inches thick. The northernmost edge of this landscape is an undulating till and outwash plain with materials deposited by the Chippewa Lobe. Drumlins are common in the northern and northeastern portions. The drumlins are oriented towards the southwest and formed during a glacial episode prior to the most recent glacial advance. Some are covered with glacial till. Pitted, unpitted, and collapsed outwash plains fill the spaces between drumlins. Detached from the major land mass to the northeast is the hummocky Hayward collapsed end moraines, where swamps, ice-walled lake plains, and eskers are common.
Most of the MLRA to the south of the Perkinstown morainal system is an extensive ground moraine with some proglacial stream features including pitted outwash plains, terraces, and fans. A layer of loess 6 to 47 inches thick covers much of the area. Like the Northern Part, all areas of the Southern Part of this MLRA were glaciated, although the southcentral portion is a relatively older till plain with materials from the Illinoian and pre-Illinoian glaciations, not the most recent Wisconsin glaciation. The landforms in the southcentral portion are highly variable. Much of the area topography is controlled by underlying bedrock. Sandstone outcrops and pediments can be found here. Some of the most southern portions of the MLRA are mixed glacial deposits and residuum.
The land surface of the southeastern portion was formed by many small glacial advances and retreats. Morainal ridges protrude through an erosional, pitted outwash-mantled surface. These parallel ridges run in a northeast to southwest orientation and are dissected by many steams.
The continental climate of this MLRA is typical of northcentral Wisconsin, with cold winters and warm summers. The southern boundary of this MLRA straddles Wisconsin’s Tension Zone, a zone of transition between Wisconsin’s northern and southern ecological landscapes. Historically, the mesic forests were dominated by eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), sugar maple (Acer saccharum), and yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis).
Classification relationships
Major Land Resource Area (MLRA): Wisconsin and Minnesota Thin Loess and Till (Northern and Southern Parts - 90A and 90B)
USFS Subregions: Rib Mountain Rolling Ridges (212Qd), Lincoln Formation Till Plain - Hemlock Hardwoods (212Qc), Lincoln Formation Till Plain - Mixed Hardwoods (212Qb), Rosemont Baldwin Plains and Moraines (222Md)
Wisconsin DNR Ecological Landscapes: Forest Transition, Western Prairie
Ecological site concept
The Moist Sandy Bedrock Upland ecological site is located on ground moraines, hills, and rock pediments. It’s found primarily in the southeast corner of MLRAs 90A and 90B where bedrock is shallower. These sites are characterized by moderately deep to deep, somewhat poorly drained soils that formed in a variety of parent materials including alluvium, till, and residuum. Soils are underlain with bedrock including shale, mica schist, interbedded sandstone and shale, greenstone and/or granite, and igneous and metamorphic rock. Precipitation, runoff from adjacent uplands, and groundwater discharge are the primary sources of groundwater. Soils range from extremely acid to neutral.
Moist Sandy Bedrock Upland is differentiated from other ecological sites based on drainage and moderately deep profile. Other somewhat poorly drained sands have soils that are greater than 80 inches in depth. The bedrock both perches the water table and restricts root growth. These sites are more vulnerable to tree tips. Other somewhat poorly drained sites have loamy or clayey deposits. Sands have lower pH and available water capacity than loamy and clayey sites, which can limit vegetative growth. The somewhat poor drainage sets this site apart from other sandy sites.
Associated sites
F090BY007WI |
Wet Clayey Lowland Wet Clayey Lowland form in deep, loamy to clayey deposits derived from a mixture of alluvium, residuum, till, or lacustrine sources. These sites have a seasonally high water table at the surface, and some are subject to occasional ponding. Sustained saturation is enough for hydric conditions to occur. They are wetter and occur lower on the drainage sequence than Moist Sandy Bedrock Upland. |
---|---|
F090BY014WI |
Loamy Bedrock Upland Loamy Bedrock Upland consist of loamy till, alluvium, or eolian deposits underlain by sandy to loamy residuum. Some sites may also contain sandy outwash or clayey pedisediment. Bedrock contact occurs within two meters of the surface. They have a seasonally high water table within one meter of the surface, though they don't remain saturated for extended periods of time. They are drier and occur higher on the drainage sequence than Moist Sandy Bedrock Upland. |
F090BY021WI |
Dry Loamy Upland Dry Loamy Upland consist of deep sandy to loamy outwash, alluvium, or till. The water table is deeper than two meters year-round. They are drier and occur higher on the drainage sequence than Moist Sandy Bedrock Upland. |
Similar sites
F090BY011WI |
Moist Loamy Lowland Moist Loamy Lowland consist of deep sandy and loamy deposits derived from a mixture of alluvium, residuum, till, or lacustrine sources. The finer textures allow the soil to stay moist - but not saturated - for sustained periods during the growing season. They share their particle size and drainage class with Moist Sandy Bedrock Upland. The vegetative communities they support are very similar. |
---|---|
F090BY010WI |
Moist Loamy Lowland with Carbonates Moist Loamy Lowland With Carbonates consists of deep loamy till, sometimes with a loess mantle. Carbonates are present in these soils. The finer textures allow the soil to stay moist - but not saturated - for sustained periods during the growing season. These sites share their particle size and drainage class. |
F090BY012WI |
Moist Clayey Lowland Moist Clayey Lowland sites consist of deep clayey lacustrine deposits. The finer textures perch the water table. These soils remain moist - but not saturated - throughout much of the growing season. They share landscape position and drainage class with Moist Sandy Bedrock Upland, sometime with similar textures. The vegetative communities they support are very similar. |
F090BY004WI |
Loamy Floodplain Loamy Floodplain are found exclusively on floodplains in loamy alluvium, sometimes underlain by sandy alluvium. Soils are very poorly to moderately well drained and are subject to flooding. Some sites may be saturated for long enough for hydric conditions to occur. They share their particle size and sometimes their drainage class with Moist Sandy Bedrock Upland. The vegetative communities they support are very similar. |
Table 1. Dominant plant species
Tree |
(1) Acer saccharum |
---|---|
Shrub |
(1) Corylus cornuta |
Herbaceous |
(1) Arisaema |
Click on box and path labels to scroll to the respective text.
Ecosystem states
T1A | - | Stand replacing disturbance that includes fire. |
---|---|---|
T1B | - | Removal of forest cover and tilling for agricultural crop production. |
R2 | - | Deciduous forest community is slowly invaded by conifers. |
T2A | - | Removal of forest cover and tilling for agricultural crop production. |
R3A | - | Cessation of agricultural practices leads to natural reforestation, or site is replanted. |
T3A | - | Cessation of agricultural practices leads to natural reforestation, or site is replanted. |
State 1 submodel, plant communities
1.1A | - | Light to moderate intensity fires, blow-downs, ice storms. |
---|---|---|
1.2A | - | Disturbance-free period for 30+ years. |