Moist Mollic Loamy-Clayey Lowland
Scenario model
Current ecosystem state
Select a state
Management practices/drivers
Select a transition or restoration pathway
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Transition T1A
Suppression of fire
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Restoration pathway R2A
Return of fire and/or large grazers to the landscape.
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Transition T2A
Continued fire suppression for over 20 years
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Transition T2B
Removal of forest/shrub cover and tilling for agricultural crop production.
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Transition T3A
Cutting, fire, or blowdown removing existing tree canopy.
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Restoration pathway R4A
Low intensity moderate return interval fire removing fire intolerant species and regeneration
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Restoration pathway R4B
Deciduous forest community is slowly invaded by conifers.
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Transition T5A
Removal of forest/shrub cover and tilling for agricultural crop production.
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No transition or restoration pathway between the selected states has been described
Target ecosystem state
Select a state
Description
The Reference State is a grassland state dominated by tall grasses including big bluestem, Canada blue joint, and sedges with a mixture of forbs including goldenrods. The reference state for this ES is very rare today and was maintained by frequent fire removing the encroachment of tree and shrub species.
Submodel
Description
A mostly open grassland with sporadic shrubs and trees. As soon as fire is suppressed tree and shrub species invade this ES and various tree and shrub species may take hold resulting in a grassland with sparse and sporadic tree and shrub cover.
Submodel
Description
Stable Forest state 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: a mature phase and a rejuvenated phase.
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
Suppression of fire leading to the encroachment of wood species. Continued suppression for 10+ years required for the establishment of woody species.
Mechanism
Reintroduction of fire causing the mortality of encroaching trees and shrubs. This fire must then return at relatively short intervals to continue to suppress the growth of woody vegetation.
Mechanism
Continued fire suppression for several decades will lead to a dominant woody cover on the site.
Mechanism
Removal of forest cover and tilling for agricultural crop production
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
Reintroduction of low intensity fire that kills fire intolerant species and most regeneration.
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.
Model keys
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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.