Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Ecological site F090BY011WI
Moist Loamy Lowland
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 an 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 an 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 -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 6-47 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 an 90B)
USFS Subregions: Rib Mountain Rolling Ridges (212Qd), Central-Northwest Wisconsin Loess Plains (212Xd), Glidden Loamy Drift Plain (212Xa), St. Croix Moraine (212Qa), Lincoln Formation Till Plain - Mixed Hardwoods (212Qb), Lincoln Formation Till Plain - Hemlock Hardwoods (212Qc), Green Bay Lobe Stagnation Moraine (212Ta), Brule and Paint Rivers Drumlinized Ground Moraine (212Xc), Perkinstown End Moraine (212Xe), Mille Lacs Uplands (212Kb), Rosemont Baldwin Plains and Moraines (222Md)
Small sections occur in Hayward Stagnation Moraines (212Xf) and Crystal Falls Till and Outwash (212Xq)
Wisconsin DNR Ecological Landscapes: Northwest Lowlands, North Central Forest, Western Prairie, Forest Transition, Northwest Sands
Ecological site concept
The Moist Loamy Lowland ecological site is found throughout MLRAs 90A an 90B, located in depressions, drainageways, and flats on till plains, moraines, valley trains, lake plains, and sometimes outwash plains and stream terraces. These sites are characterized by very deep, somewhat poorly drained soils that formed in loamy deposits including lacustrine, eolian, glacial till and outwash, alluvium, and residuum. Precipitation, runoff from adjacent uplands, and groundwater discharge are the primary sources of water. Soils range from very strongly acid to slightly alkaline.
Moist Loamy Lowland is distinguished from other ecological sites by its deep loamy deposits and somewhat poorly drained soils. This site lacks the elevated percentage of free carbonates found in Moist Loamy Lowland with Carbonates. Other somewhat poorly drained sites have sandy or clayey deposits. The loamy material often has a higher pH and available water capacity than sandy material, but less than clayey material. The somewhat poor drainage differentiates this site from other loamy sites.
Associated sites
F090BY002WI |
Mucky Swamp Mucky Swamp sites consist of deep, highly decomposed herbaceous organic materials. Some sites have mineral soil contact. They are very poorly drained and are neutral to slightly acid. These sites are permanently saturated wetlands. They are much wetter and occur lower on the drainage sequence than Moist Loamy Lowland. |
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F090BY006WI |
Wet Loamy Lowland Wet Loamy Lowland sites consist primarily of deep loamy deposits derived from a mixture of outwash, alluvium, loess, and lacustrine sources. Some sites may have bedrock contact within two meters of the surface. These sites are seasonally ponded depressions that remain saturated for sustained periods, allowing hydric conditions to occur. They are wetter and occur lower on the drainage sequence than Moist Loamy Lowland. |
F090BY016WI |
Loamy Upland Loamy Upland Sites consist of deep loamy till, alluvium, residuum, lacustrine, or eolian deposits. Sandy deposits of these parent materials, plus outwash, may also be present. The depth to the seasonally high water table ranges from as high as the surface to as low as almost two meters below the surface. A few sites are on floodplains and upland drainageways, where very brief flooding is rare but possible. They are drier and occur higher on the drainage sequence than Moist Loamy Lowland. |
F090BY021WI |
Dry Loamy Upland Dry Loamy Bedrock Upland sites consist of deep sandy to loamy outwash, alluvium, or till. The water table is deeper than two meters year-round. They are much drier and occur higher on the drainage sequence than Moist Loamy Lowland. |
Similar sites
F090BY010WI |
Moist Loamy Lowland with Carbonates Moist Loamy Lowland with Carbonates sites consist 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 with Moist Loamy Lowland. |
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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 are found in similar landscape positions with the same drainage class as Moist Loamy Lowland, but with finer textures. |
F090BY009WI |
Moist Sandy Upland Moist Sandy Lowland sites primarily consist of deep, sandy deposits from outwash, alluvium, lacustrine, and till. They sandy deposits may have a loamy mantle or be underlain by loamy deposits. The finer materials can cause episaturation and allow the site to remain moist for some of the growing season. They are found in similar landscape positions with the same drainage class as Moist Loamy Lowland, but with coarser textures. |
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 particle size and sometimes drainage class with Moist Loamy Lowland. |
F090BY008WI |
Moist Sandy Bedrock Upland Moist Sandy Bedrock Upland sites consist of sandy to clayey alluvium, till, or eolian deposits over residuum weathered from bedrock. Bedrock contact occurs within two meters of the surface. Sites have seasonally high water table within a meter of the surface. Perching of the water table may occur as a result of bedrock contact. They share drainage class and often particle size with Moist Loamy Lowland. |
Table 1. Dominant plant species
Tree |
(1) Acer saccharum |
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Shrub |
(1) Ribes |
Herbaceous |
(1) Parthenocissus quinquefolia |
Click on box and path labels to scroll to the respective text.
Ecosystem states
T1A | - | Stand replacing disturbance that includes fire. |
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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. |
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1.2A | - | Disturbance-free period for 30+ years. |