Managing Habitat for Grassland Birds
A Guide for Wisconsin
Appendices
APPENDIX G. Statewide ranking and descriptions of priority landscapes for grassland bird management, from highest management priority (1) to lowest (26). | |||||||||||||||
Rank | Map Location | Priority Landscape | Natural Divisiona | Typec | Size (acres)b | Dominant Habitat Types | Notes | ||||||||
SW | SE | CP | LM | NH | Currentd | Potentiale | |||||||||
1 | A | Thomson Prairie Grasslands | LM | 260 | 25,000 | Existing prairie remnants (mostly dry-mesic prairie) and unplowed prairie pastures, upland brush, extensive surrogate grasslands (hay, pasture, savanna pasture, CRP) in a relatively treeless landscape. Favorable agricultural landscape with little row-cropping. | High potential for surrogate grassland expansion, especially through increasing CRP acreage, buffering prairie remnants, and prairie pasture management. Threats from increasing development. | ||||||||
2 | T | Crex Meadows/Fish Lake Complex | LC | 23,000 | 76,000 | Open, diverse, brush prairie, and conifer barrens, northern sedge meadow and sedge marsh, open bog. | Very large open landscapes. Potential for barrens restoration (both on DNR WAs and on extensive county forest land) and some potential for development of surrogate grasslands between the two WAs. Also, potential for expansion south to the Sterling Barrens area on the St. Croix River. | ||||||||
3 | H | Muralt/Monroe Grasslands | LM | 1,100 | 27,000 | Remnant dry and dry-mesic prairie, unplowed pasture sod, large acreages of surrogate grasslands (pastures, savanna pastures, hay, old fields, CRP), southern sedge meadow. | Potential for expansion of the few remaining remnants through buffering. Currently has large blocks and expanses of surrogate grasslands (e.g., CRP and pasture). | ||||||||
4 | P | Buena Vista/Leola Grasslands | LC | 13,000 | 60,000 | Some remnant prairie; surrogate grasslands (e.g., idle cool-season and warm-season idle grasses and forbs, pasture, oldfields)including some large blocks. | Threats from increasing irrigated agriculture and cranberry bogs. Potential for expansion of surrogate grassland blocks, and connection of Leola Marsh WA to Buena Vista Grasslands. | ||||||||
5 | I | White River Marsh Complex | L | 4,000 | 64,000 | Southern (mostly) and northern sedge meadow, wet-mesic prairie, shrub swamp, surrogate grasslands, oak savanna, southern sedge marsh. Some large open landscapes, some areas fairly wooded. | Potential for connecting blocks of open grasslands. Need to coordinate with management of barrens for Karner Blue butterflies and some forest values. | ||||||||
6 | E | Star Prairie Pothole Grasslands | L | 2,200 | 134,000 | Surrogate grasslandssome in large blocks(CRP, WPAs, hay, pasture, old fields), prairie pothole marshes, savanna, upland shrub. | Small potential for restoration of prairie pasture and savanna pasture restoration and for restoration of prairie pothole/upland systems; also potential for expansion of surrogate grasslands such as WPAs. Faces threats from development. | ||||||||
7 | U | Namekagon/Douglas County Barrens | L | 9,700 | 65,000 | Open, diverse, and brush prairie barrens; cut- or burned-over forest. | High potential for expansion of already large barrens through restoration, including on county forest lands. Placement of large clearcuts adjacent to barrens can expand open barrens habitat. | ||||||||
8 | C | Yellowstone/Pecatonica River Grasslands and Savannas | L | 1,800 | 200,000 | Surrogate grasslands (large open pastures and savanna pasturessome unplowed, CRP, old field), oak savanna, upland shrub, southern sedge meadow. | Minor prairie restoration potential; better potential for savanna management and surrogate grassland expansion (e.g., pastures and CRP). Potential for some large blocks, Priority area for surveys. | ||||||||
9 | B | Fort McCoy Barrens | L | 8,800 | 12,000 | Sand prairie, oak or river barrens, oak savanna; some surrogate grassland. | Some high quality sand prairie is in large blocks. Good potential for restoration and expansion of open barrens habitats. Impacts of military activity need to be assessed. | ||||||||
10 | D | Lower Wisconsin River Prairies and Barrens | MC | 2,000 | 5,000 | Dry or sand prairie, oak or river barrens, wet or wet-mesic prairie (includes barrens, prairie, and savanna sites north of Mazomanie), southern sedge meadow, some surrogate grassland. | Some potential for surrogate grasslands, barrens, and sand prairie expansion or restoration. Main need is for connection of sites along river corridor (including bluffs and river barrens). | ||||||||
11 | W | Moquah Barrens | L | 8,000 | 11,000 | Open, diverse, and brush prairie barrens; cut-over forest. | Essentially one large block. Potential for additional barrens restoration, including expansion into adjacent forest lands. | ||||||||
12 | V (1,2) | North Central Prairie Chicken Grasslands | LM | 500 | 72,000 | Surrogate grasslands (hay, small grains, pasture, old field), northern and southern sedge meadow. | These former forested regions depend on suitable agricultural practices for grassland bird habitat (e.g., late-cut grass hay). Potential for surrogate grassland expansion (e.g., through CRP). | ||||||||
13 | Y | Spread Eagle Barrens | MC | 4,000 | 8,800 | Open, diverse, and brush prairie barrens habitats: cut- or burned-over forest. | Potential for expansion and restoration of barrens habitats. | ||||||||
14 | Q | Necedah Barrens | MC | 3,500 | 7,000 | Barrens (mainly diverse and brush prairie), southern (mostly) and northern sedge meadow, some surrogate grassland. | Management for more open barrens will benefit grassland birds; needs to be coordinated with management for Karner Blue butterfly. Potential for barrens restoration and expansion of barrens habitat outside of refuge boundary. | ||||||||
15 | L | Bong Recreation Area | MC | 3,500 | 4,500 | Surrogate grasslands, prairie pothole marsh. | Most significant grassland landscape in the far southeast. Emphasize importance of management for open grasslands; potential for expansion limited. | ||||||||
16 | K | Columbia/Dane County Prairie Wetlands | LM | 1,400 | 58,000 | Southern sedge meadow, dry-mesic prairie remnants, prairie pothole marsh, southern sedge marsh, surrogate grasslands (WPAs, hay, pasture, old fields). | A diverse landscape, facing threats from development. Small potential for savanna restoration; expansion of prairie remnants possible through buffering; expansion of surrogate grasslands. Most sites isolated by farmland and need buffering (e.g., prairie pastures). | ||||||||
17 | F | Lower Chippewa River Savannas and Prairies | M | 800 | 5,000 | Dry or sand prairie, oak or river barrens. | High potential for barrens expansion (on islands) and some surrogate grassland expansion. | ||||||||
18 | J | Southern Kettle Moraine Complex | LM | 3,000 | 16,000 | Savanna, upland brush, dry-mesic and wet-mesic prairie, southern sedge meadow, surrogate grasslands. Also important blocks of southern forest. | A highly diverse landscape. Grassland habitat is contained mainly in the Scuppernong valley and Young Prairie area. High potential for savanna expansion (e.g., Blue Spring area). Need to coordinate planning and management for grasslands, savannas, wetlands, and closed forest. | ||||||||
19 | M | Rush Lake Grasslands and Sedge Meadows | LM | 700 | 24,000 | Southern sedge meadow, prairie pothole marsh, surrogate grasslands (hay, pasture, idle grassland), oak savanna. | Important example of prairie marsh/upland system. Potential for sedge meadow and surrogate grassland expansion. | ||||||||
20 | X | Mead/Paul J. Olsen Grasslands | L | 4,900 | 110,000 | Northern sedge meadow, surrogate grasslands, open bog. | Potential for surrogate grassland expansion and connection between the two WAs. Need to control woody vegetation. | ||||||||
21 | R | Bear Bluff Wetlands | L | 4,500 | 83,000 | Northern and southern sedge meadows and marshes, diverse and brush prairie barrens, open bog. | Small potential for oak-dominated barrens and savanna restoration. Potential to manage large county-owned sedge meadows. Threats from cranberry bog expansion. Potential for expansion of this landscape into Wood County WA to the east. | ||||||||
22 | N | Brillion/Killsnake Grasslands | LM | 3,400 | 33,000 | Surrogate grasslands, southern sedge meadow. | Potential for further prairie restoration and surrogate grassland expansion, including between the two WAs. | ||||||||
23 | O | Pine Island Area Grasslands | MC | 2,200 | 5,000 | Surrogate grasslands, upland shrub, dry or sand prairie remnants, southern sedge meadow. | Minor restoration potential for sand prairie, savanna, and river barrens. Expand grassland habitat where possible. | ||||||||
24 | S | Green Bay West Shore Sedge Meadows | MC | 3,340 | 5,000 | Northern and southern sedge meadow, shrub swamp, surrogate grasslands. | Some potential for management of surrogate grasslands in uplands near sedge meadows. | ||||||||
25 | Z | Black Lake/Belden Swamp | MC | 1,500 | 3,500 | Open bog, northern sedge meadow, shrub swamp. | Two open landscapes: not possible to connect, but minor potential for expansion. Coordinate management at Black Lake with contiguous acreage in Minnesota (roughly 1,000 additional acres). | ||||||||
26 | G | Rush Creek/Battle Bluff Goat Prairies and Savannas | M | 230 | 1,000 | Dry prairie, oak savanna (~500 acre restoration project), and dry oldfield. | Best example in WI of bluff prairie/river system. Possibility of connecting and expanding bluff prairie remnants, and limited potential for grassland expansion. Overall potential for birds is limited. Need to combine with oak woodland values in planning efforts. | ||||||||
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