Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Ecological site F090BY013WI
Sandy 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 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: Hayward Stagnation Moraines (212Xf), Glidden Loamy Drift Plain (212Xa), Mille Lacs Uplands (212Kb), Perkinstown End Moraine (212Xe), Rib Mountain Rolling Ridges (212Qd)
Small sections occur in Rosemont Baldwin Plains and Moraines (222Md), Central-Northwest Wisconsin Loess Plains (212Xd), St. Croix Moraine (212Qa), Green Bay Lobe Stagnation Moraine (212Ta)
Wisconsin DNR Ecological Landscapes: Northwest Lowlands, North Central Forest, Forest Transition, Western Prairie
Ecological site concept
The Moist Sandy Upland ecological site is most abundant on the northern border of MRLAs 90A and 90B, located on outwash and lake plains, end moraines, stream terraces, and valley trains. These sites are characterized by very deep, moderately well to well drained soils formed in sandy deposits including alluvium, outwash, and till. The sandy deposits may have underlying loamy alluvium till, or residuum. Precipitation and runoff from adjacent uplands are the primary sources of water. Soils range from extremely acid to neutral.
Moist Sandy Upland is distinguished from other ecological sites based on the sandy materials and moderately well to well drainage. Other moderately well and well drained site have loamy or clayey materials. Sandy materials often have lower pH and available water capacity, and often lack carbonates found in loamy and clayey materials. These conditions can limit vegetative growth. The moderately well to well drained soils differentiate this site from other sandy sites.
Associated sites
F090BY001WI |
Poor Fen Poor fen sites consist of deep herbaceous organic materials. Some sites have mineral soil contact. They are very poorly drained and remain saturated throughout the year. They are strongly to extremely acidic. These sites are permanently saturated wetlands. They are wetter and occur lower on the drainage sequence than Moist Sandy Upland. |
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F090BY005WI |
Wet Sandy Lowland Wet Sandy Lowland sites consist of deep sandy deposits derived from a mixture of outwash, alluvium, and lacustrine sources. They form in seasonally ponded depressions and are saturated long enough for hydric conditions to occur. Some sites are wetlands. They are wetter and occur lower on the drainage sequence than Moist Sandy Upland. |
F090BY009WI |
Moist Sandy Upland Moist Sandy Lowland sites 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 wetter and occur lower on the drainage sequence than Moist Sandy Upland. |
F090BY019WI |
Dry Sandy Upland Dry Sandy Upland sites consist of primarily sandy deposits of various origin. Loamy deposits are also present in many soils. They may have a seasonally high water table within two meters of the surface, though they do not remain saturated for sustained periods. They are much drier and occur higher on the drainage sequence than Moist Sandy Upland. |
Similar sites
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. These sites share their position on the landscape and drainage class with Moist Sandy Upland but have finer textures. |
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F090BY019WI |
Dry Sandy Upland Dry Sandy Upland sites consist of primarily sandy deposits of various origin. Loamy deposits are also present in many soils. They may have a seasonally high water table within two meters of the surface, though they do not remain saturated for sustained periods. They share particle size with Moist Sandy Upland but are drier. The two sites sometimes support similar vegetative communities. |
Table 1. Dominant plant species
Tree |
(1) Pinus strobus |
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Shrub |
(1) Corylus cornuta |
Herbaceous |
(1) Maianthemum canadense |
Click on box and path labels to scroll to the respective text.
T1A | - | Clear cutting or stand-replacing fire. |
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T1B | - | Removal of forest vegetation and tilling. |
R2A | - | Disturbance-free period 70+ years. |
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 | - | Removal of forest vegetation and tilling. |
State 1 submodel, plant communities
1.1A | - | Light to moderate intensity fires, blow-downs, snow-ice breakage. |
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1.2A | - | Disturbance-free period for 30+ years. |
State 2 submodel, plant communities
2.1A | - | Immigration and establishment of red pine/white pine. Might include small, frequent fire disturbance. |
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2.1B | - | Immigration and establishment of red oak and red maple. |