Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Ecological site F090BY019WI
Dry Sandy Upland
Last updated: 11/16/2023
Accessed: 11/23/2024
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 6-24 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 and 90B)
USFS Subregions: Glidden Loamy Drift Plain (212Xa), Hayward Stagnation Moraines (212Xf), St. Croix Moraine (212Qa), Lincoln Formation Till Plain - Mixed Hardwoods (212Qb), Green Bay Lobe Stagnation Moraine (212Ta), Brule and Paint Rivers Drumlinized Ground Moraine (212Xc), Rosemont Baldwin Plains and Moraines (222Md), Rib Mountain Rolling Ridges (212Qd)
Small sections occur in Central-Northwest Wisconsin Loess Plains (212Xd), Perkinstown End Moraine (212Xe), Mille Lacs Uplands (212Kb), Lincoln Formation Till Plain - Hemlock Hardwoods (212Qc), Bayfield Sand Plains (212Ka), Crystal Falls Till and Outwash (212Xq), Athelstane Sandy Outwash and Moraines (212Tc)
Wisconsin DNR Ecological Landscapes: Western Prairie, Forest Transition, North Central Forest, Northwest Lowlands, Northwest Sands
Ecological site concept
The Dry Sandy Upland ecological site is scattered throughout the MLRAs 90A and 90B, located on primarily on outwash plains but may also be found on lake plains, eskers, kames, drumlins, hills, and stream terraces. These sites are characterized by very deep, somewhat excessively to excessively drained soils that formed primarily in sandy deposits including alluvium, outwash, till and eolian. Precipitation and runoff from adjacent uplands are the primary sources of water. Soils range from extremely acid to neutral.
Dry Sandy Upland is distinguished from other ecological sites based on the deep sandy deposits and drainage. This site lacks the underlying bedrock found Dry Sandy Bedrock Upland.. Other somewhat excessively and excessively drained sites have loamy materials. Sandy materials often have lower pH and available water capacity, and often lack carbonates found in loamy materials. These conditions can limit vegetative growth. The somewhat excessive to excessive drainage differentiates 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. These sites are much wetter and occur lower on the drainage sequence than Dry Sandy Upland. |
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F090BY005WI |
Wet Sandy Lowland Wet Sandy Lowland 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. These sites are much wetter and occur lower on the drainage sequence than Dry Sandy Upland. |
F090BY009WI |
Moist Sandy Upland Moist Sandy Lowland 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. These sites are wetter and occur lower on the drainage sequence than Dry Sandy Upland. |
F090BY013WI |
Sandy Upland Sandy Upland consist of deep sandy and loamy deposits of outwash, alluvium, till, and residuum. Soils are primarily sand and loamy sand and have a seasonally high water table within two meters, though they don't remain saturated for extended periods. These sites are somewhat wetter and occur lower on the drainage sequence than Dry Sandy Upland. |
Similar sites
F090BY018WI |
Dry Sandy Bedrock Upland Dry Sandy Bedrock Upland consist sandy alluvium or outwash, sometimes underlain by sandy residuum. Contact with igneous or sandstone bedrock typically occurs within one meter of the surface. These soils show no evidence of a seasonally high water table. They are found in similar landscape positions and share both drainage class and particle size with Dry Sandy Upland but have bedrock contact within two meters of the surface. |
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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 found in similar landscape positions and share their drainage class with Dry Sandy Upland but have finer particle sizes. |
Table 1. Dominant plant species
Tree |
(1) Pinus strobus |
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Shrub |
(1) Corylus cornuta |
Herbaceous |
(1) Eurybia macrophylla |
Click on box and path labels to scroll to the respective text.
Ecosystem states
T1A | - | Major stand replacing disturbance such as blow-down or clear-cutting in conjunction with 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, snow-ice breakage. |
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1.2A | - | Disturbance-free period 30+ years |
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. |