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Description of Landscape
The following description is from the work of the Ecosystem Management team within Wisconsin DNR. See: http://dnr.wi.gov/landscapes/. For more information see the Wisconsin Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plan at (XXX).
The Central Sand Plains Ecological Landscape, located in central Wisconsin, occurs on a flat, sandy lake plain, and supports agriculture, forestry, recreation, and wildlife management. The Ecological Landscape formed in and around what was once Glacial Lake Wisconsin, which contained glacial meltwater extending over 1.1 million acres at its highest stage. Soils are primarily sandy lake deposits, some with silt-loam loess caps. Sandstone buttes carved by rapid drainage of the glacial lake, or by wave action when they existed as islands in the lake, are distinctive features of this landscape.
The historic vegetation of the area included extensive wetlands of many types, including open bogs, shrub swamps, and sedge meadows. Prairies, oak forests, savannas and barrens also occurred in the Ecological Landscape. An area of more mesic forest with white pine and hemlock was found in the northwest portion, including a significant pinery in eastern Jackson County.
Today, nearly half of the Ecological Landscape is nonforested, in agriculture and grassland. Most of the historic wetlands were drained early in the 1900s and are now used for vegetable cropping. The forested portion is mostly oak-dominated forest, followed by aspen and pines. A minor portion is maple-basswood forest and lowland hardwoods.
Priority Species
The species listed below have major opportunities for management and protection in this landscape relative to other landscapes in Wisconsin.
| Species | Habitat |
| Red-necked Grebe | Northern Sedge Meadow and Marsh, Emergent Marsh, Southern Sedge Meadow and Marsh |
| American Bittern | Northern Sedge Meadow and Marsh, Emergent Marsh, Open Bog, Poor Fen, Southern Sedge Meadow and Marsh |
| Trumpeter Swan | Northern Sedge Meadow and Marsh, Emergent Marsh, Southern Sedge Meadow and Marsh, Inland Open Water |
| Blue-winged Teal | Northern Sedge Meadow and Marsh, Emergent Marsh, Southern Sedge Meadow and Marsh |
| Hooded Merganser | Emergent Marsh, Inland Open Water, Bottomland Hardwoods, Northern Sedge Meadow and Marsh, Southern Sedge Meadow and Marsh |
| Osprey | Inland Open Water |
| Bald Eagle | Inland Open Water |
| Northern Harrier | Northern Sedge Meadow, Southern Sedge Meadow, Open Bog, Dry-mesic Prairie, Idle Cool-season Grasses, Idle Warm-season Grasses, Hay, Pasture |
| Northern Goshawk | Northern Hardwoods, White Pine, Red Pine, Aspen (old) |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | Bottomland Hardwoods |
| Broad-winged Hawk | Upland Forest |
| Ruffed Grouse | Aspen , Paper Birch, White Pine, young forest |
| Greater Prairie-Chicken | Northern Sedge Meadow, Southern Sedge Meadow, Open Bog, Dry-mesic Prairie, Idle Cool-season Grasses, Idle Warm-season Grasses, Hay, Pasture |
| Sharp-tailed Grouse | Northern Sedge Meadow, Southern Sedge Meadow, Pine Barrens, Sand Barrens, Idle Cool-season Grasses |
| Whooping Crane | Northern Sedge Meadow and Marsh, Emergent Marsh, Open Bog, Poor Fen, Southern Sedge Meadow and Marsh |
| Upland Sandpiper | Hay, Pasture, Idle Cool-season Grasses, Pine Barrens, Sand Barrens, Dry Prairie, Dry-mesic Prairie |
| American Woodcock | Aspen , Alder Thicket, Shrub-carr, Grassland-shrub, young forest |
| Black Tern | Northern Sedge Meadow and Marsh, Emergent Marsh, Southern Sedge Meadow and Marsh, Inland Open Water |
Priority Species continued: The species listed below have major opportunities for management and protection in this landscape relative to other landscapes in Wisconsin.
| Species | Habitat |
| Black-billed Cuckoo | Shrub-carr, Alder Thicket, Jack Pine, Aspen, Grassland-shrub |
| Short-eared Owl | Northern Sedge Meadow, Southern Sedge Meadow, Open Bog, Dry-mesic Prairie, Idle Cool-season Grasses, Idle Warm-season Grasses, Hay, Pasture |
| Whip-poor-will | Oak, Jack Pine, Red Pine, Pine Barrens, Sand Barrens |
| Red-headed Woodpecker | Oak Opening, Oak, Sand Barrens |
| Least Flycatcher | Northern Hardwoods, Oak, White Pine, Red Pine, Central Hardwoods |
| Sedge Wren | Northern Sedge Meadow, Southern Sedge Meadow, Idle Cool-season Grasses, Idle Warm Season Grasses |
| Marsh Wren | Emergent Marsh |
| Veery | Aspen , Alder Thicket, Swamp Hardwood, Shrub-carr |
| Wood Thrush | Northern Hardwood, Central Hardwood, Oak, Red Maple |
| Brown Thrasher | Pine Barrens , Sand Barrens, Grassland-shrub |
| Yellow-throated Vireo | Oak, Central Hardwood, Northern Hardwood, Bottomland Hardwood |
| Blue-winged Warbler | Aspen , Oak Barrens, Jack Pine (young), Oak (young), forest edge |
| Golden-winged Warbler | Aspen , Alder Thicket, Shrub-carr, Tamarack, edge |
| Nashville Warbler | Pine Barrens , Jack Pine, Red Pine, Black Spruce, Swamp Conifer-Balsam Fir, Tamarack |
| Chestnut-sided Warbler | Aspen , Shrub-carr, Alder-thicket, forest edge |
| Kirtland’s Warbler | Jack Pine |
| Cerulean Warbler | Bottomland Hardwood, Oak (dry-mesic) |
| Prothonotary Warbler | Bottomland Hardwood |
| Mourning Warbler | Aspen, forest edge |
| Canada Warbler | White Pine, Shrub-carr, Alder-thicket, Swamp Hardwood |
| Clay-colored Sparrow | Pine Barrens, Sand Barrens, Jack Pine (young), Red Pine (young), Idle Cool-season Grasses, Idle Warm-season Grasses, Hay, Pasture |
| Field Sparrow | Pine Barrens, Sand Barrens, Jack Pine (young), Red Pine (young), Idle Cool-season Grasses, Idle Warm-season Grasses, Hay, Pasture |
| Vesper Sparrow | Pine Barrens, Sand Barrens, Jack Pine (young), Red Pine (young), Idle Cool-season Grasses, Idle Warm-season Grasses, Hay, Pasture |
| Lark Sparrow | Sand Barrens, Pine Barrens, Dry Prairie |
Priority Species continued: The species listed below have major opportunities for management and protection in this landscape relative to other landscapes in Wisconsin.
| Species | Habitat |
| Grasshopper Sparrow | Dry Prairie, Idle Cool-season Grasses, Pasture, Hay, Idle Warm-season Grasses, Dry-mesic Prairie |
| Henslow’s Sparrow | Northern Sedge Meadow, Poor Fen, Dry-mesic Prairie, Idle Cool-season Grasses, Idle Warm-season Grasses |
| LeConte’s Sparrow | Poor Fen, Northern Sedge Meadow |
| Swamp Sparrow | Northern Sedge Meadow, Southern Sedge Meadow, Poor Fen, Open Bog, Emergent Marsh |
| White-throated Sparrow | Open Bog, Black Spruce, Swamp Conifer-Balsam Fir, Tamarack, |
| Bobolink | Northern Sedge Meadow, Poor Fen, Idle Cool-season Grasses, Idle Warm-season Grasses, Pasture, Hay, Dry-mesic Prairie, Oak Opening |
| Eastern Meadowlark | Dry Prairie, Dry-mesic Prairie, Idle Cool-season Grasses, Idle Warm-season Grasses, Hay, Pasture, Oak Opening |
| Western Meadowlark | Dry Prairie, Dry-mesic Prairie, Idle Cool-season Grasses, Idle Warm-season Grasses, Hay, Pasture |
Habitats of Importance
The habitats listed below are present in manageable extent and provide important conservation opportunities for species of conservation priority.
| Forests and Barrens | Grasslands/Savanna | Wetlands/Shorelines |
Black Spruce |
Dry Prairie |
Northern Sedge Meadow |
Swamp Conifer-Balsam Fir |
Dry-mesic Prairie |
Southern Sedge Meadow |
Tamarack |
Grassland-shrub |
Open Bog |
Swamp Hardwoods |
Idle Cool-season Grasses |
Poor Fen |
Jack Pine |
Idle Warm-season Grasses |
Emergent Marsh |
Red Pine |
Pasture |
Inland Open Water |
White Pine |
Hay |
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Oak |
Oak Opening |
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Northern Hardwoods |
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Central Hardwoods |
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Red Maple |
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Floodplain Forest |
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Aspen |
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Paper Birch |
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Alder Thicket |
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Shrub-carr |
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Pine Barrens |
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Sand Barrens |
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Management Opportunities
For more information see Wisconsin’s Ecosystem Management Plan (http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/landscapes/cen_sand_plains.htm)
- Large scale restorations of grassland bird conservation areas for Greater Prairie-Chicken, Bobolink, Northern Harrier, Short-eared Owl, Upland Sandpiper and other priority grassland species.
- Restoration and management of Pine Barrens and Sand Barrens ecosystems for Brown Thrasher, Sharp-tailed Grouse, Upland Sandpiper, Kirtland’s Warbler (possible), Clay-colored Sparrow, Lark Sparrow and other barrens specialists. Foresters should buffer these barrens sites with large Jack Pine patches aggressively managed to maximize early seral conditions in this forest type and provide surrogate barrens habitat.
- Protection and restoration of sedge meadow, poor fen, open bogs, and peatland habitats for American Bittern, Whooping Crane, Sedge Wren, Bobolink, Henslow’s Sparrow and other priority species. Unproductive flowages should be restored back to sedge meadows where possible.
- Management of impoundments to create productive hemi-marsh conditions for Black Tern, Trumpeter Swan, Red-necked Grebe and migratory waterfowl.
- Protection and restoration of the Yellow River bottomland forests for Cerulean Warbler, Red-shouldered Hawk, Prothonotary Warbler and other forest interior birds.
- Continued restoration and management of oak openings for Red-headed Woodpecker, Wild Turkey and other savanna birds.
- Work to create larger patch sizes and older age classes with more structural diversity on dry-mesic forests throughout the region. Diversifying Red Pine plantations will benefit many priority forest birds within the landscape.
- Maintain and early successional Aspen-Oak forest type emphasis where appropriate to provide habitat for Ruffed Grouse, Golden-winged Warbler, Mourning Warbler, Veery, and other priority species. Stands adjacent to open shrubland might provide for stable long-term habitat conditions.
- The heterogeneity of this landscape creates high amounts of natural edge. The transition between upland and wetland habitats and the high amounts of openings in the landscape is probably important for American Woodcock, Whip-poor-will and other species. Managing to compliment this heterogeneity will likely benefit these species, however; more research should be done to evaluate how best to implement recommendations for this set of species.
Key Sites
The key sites listed below are either Important Bird Areas officially recognized by the Important Bird Area program in Wisconsin, or other high priority bird conservation sites based on the Wisconsin DNR’s land legacy planning program http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/master_planning/land_legacy/ or other appropriate planning efforts.
- Bear Bluff Peatlands IBA
- Necedah National Wildlife Refuge IBA
- Beuna Vista/Leola Marsh IBA
- Mead State Wildlife Area IBA
- Fort McCoy/Robinson Creek Barrens IBA
- Bear Bluff Land Legacy
- Central Wisconsin Forests Land Legacy
- Central Wisconsin Grasslands Land Legacy
- Colburn-Richfield Wetlands Land Legacy
- Dewey Marsh and Woods Land Legacy
- Lower Lemonweir River Land Legacy
- Necedah National Wildlife Refuge Land Legacy
- Quincy Bluff and Wetlands Land Legacy
- Robinson Creek Barrens Land Legacy
- Sandhill-Meadow Valley-Wood County State Wildlife Areas Land Legacy
- Yellow River Land Legacy
- Buena Vista/Leola Grasslands (Sample and Mossman 1997)
- Necedah Barrens (Sample and Mossman 1997)
- Bear Bluff Wetlands (Sample and Mossman 1997)