Wisconsin's natural communities

A community is an assemblage of different plant and animal species, living together in a particular area, at a particular time, in a specific habitat. Communities may be named for their dominant plant species, for example, pine barrens, sedge meadows and oak savannas, a prominent environmental feature - Great Lakes Dune, Dry Cliff - or some combination of these factors. Communities range in size from less than an acre to thousands of acres. Communities are dynamic and always changing. Some change may be rapid while other change is too slow for many humans to notice during their brief lifetimes.

The Natural Heritage Inventory tracks examples of all types of Wisconsin's natural communities that are deemed significant because of their undisturbed condition, size, what occurs around them or for other reasons. These pages provide descriptions, general locations and other information for Wisconsin's natural communities. The communities are presented in aggregated groups.