Moist Loamy-Clayey Lowland
Scenario model
Current ecosystem state
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Management practices/drivers
Select a transition or restoration pathway
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Transition T1A
Clear cutting or stand-replacing fire.
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Transition T1B
Removal of forest vegetation and tilling.
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Restoration pathway R2A
Disturbance-free period 70+ years.
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Transition T2A
Removal of forest vegetation and tilling.
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No transition or restoration pathway between the selected states has been described
Target ecosystem state
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Description
The reference plant community is categorized as mesic forest community dominated by mixed deciduous species, primarily sugar maple (Acer saccharum) and Basswood (Tilia americana), with sporadic occurrence of, Red oak (Quercus rubra), Ashes (Fraxinus spp.), and Hickories (Carya spp.). Although forest communities can vary greatly in terms of species composition and stand structure, depending on type, degree, and frequency of disturbance, two common phases predominate:
Submodel
Description
Post disturbance pioneer community of aspen and paper birch with mixtures of other species from available seed sources. This state can have broad variation depending on what seed sources are available as these sites readily supply water and nutrients in quantities that many species can thrive with. The mid-successional phase of this state can represent and alternate stable state when seed sources for reference state dominant species are missing (particularly sugar maple).
Submodel
Mechanism
Major stand-replacing disturbance. In pre-European settlement time, the event was most often a severe blow down, sometimes followed by fires. Such blow downs have been estimated to occur in this part of Wisconsin every 300 to 400 years (Schulte and Mladenoff, 2005). In post settlement virtually every acre has been logged either by clear cutting or successive cuts targeting species marketable at that time. Post logging slash fires also have been a significant factor in most areas. These disturbances created the environment suitable for natural regeneration of many shade-intolerant species and for commercial planting.
Mechanism
Removal of forest cover, tilling and application of other agricultural techniques to grow agricultural crops.
Mechanism
A period of some 70-100 years without major stand disturbance, especially fire, leads to decreased presence, through natural mortality, of early successional species and the dominance of shade tolerant sugar maple with less tolerant associates of red oak and white ash, returning the community to Reference State.
Model keys
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Ecological sites
Major Land Resource Areas
The Ecosystem Dynamics Interpretive Tool is an information system framework developed by the USDA-ARS Jornada Experimental Range, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and New Mexico State University.