Shallow Clayey Upland
Scenario model
Current ecosystem state
Select a state
Management practices/drivers
Select a transition or restoration pathway
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Transition T1A
Stand replacing disturbance that includes fire.
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Transition T1B
Removal of forest cover and tilling for agricultural crop production.
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Restoration pathway R2A
Deciduous forest community is slowly taken over by shade tolerant maples and other species.
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Transition T2A
Removal of forest cover and tilling for agricultural crop production.
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Restoration pathway R3A
Cessation of agricultural practices leads to natural reforestation, or site is replanted.
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Restoration pathway R3B
Cessation of agricultural practices leads to natural reforestation, or site is replanted.
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No transition or restoration pathway between the selected states has been described
Target ecosystem state
Select a state
Description
Reference state is a forest community dominated by sugar maple (Acer saccharum) with a mixture of American basswood (Tilia americana), Ashes (Fraxinus spp.), and Oaks (Quercus spp.). Depending on history of disturbance, two community phases can be distinguished largely by differences in dominance of tree species and community age structure. In some places sugar maple seed source may be missing leading to other dominant canopy species.
Submodel
Description
Following disturbances described in Transition T1A a wide range of forest community phases may come into temporary existence, the three most common ones are described here. The mixed oak forest phase represents an alternative stable state in the absence of seed source of the dominant mesic hardwoods.
Submodel
Mechanism
Transition T1A – 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.
Mechanism
Removal of forest cover, tilling and application of other agricultural techniques to grow agricultural crops.
Mechanism
Abandonment of agricultural practices and allowing natural vegetation to colonize the site or apply artificial afforestation. The time required for forest community to reach the reference state conditions may exceed 100 years.
Model keys
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Ecological sites
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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.