Photo by Emmet Judziewicz
State Rank: SU Global Rank: GNR what are these ranks?
Lacustrine Mud Flats are largely an anthropogenic community created on impoundments where managers purposefully manipulate water levels to provide habitat for shorebirds and waterfowl. Managers often seed the areas with food plants (native or non-native) meant to attract wildlife.
The following Species of Greatest Conservation Need are listed according to their level of association with the Lacustrine Mud Flat natural community type, based on the findings in Wisconsin's 2015 Wildlife Action Plan.
Scores: 3 = high association, 2 = moderate association, and 1 = low association. See the key to association scores for complete definitions.
| Amphibians | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| Blanchard's Cricket Frog | Acris blanchardi | 1 |
| Birds | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| Rusty Blackbird | Euphagus carolinus | 2 |
| American Bittern | Botaurus lentiginosus | 1 |
| Black-crowned Night-Heron | Nycticorax nycticorax | 1 |
| Black-necked Stilt | Himantopus mexicanus | 1 |
| Great Egret | Ardea alba | 1 |
| King Rail | Rallus elegans | 1 |
| Least Bittern | Ixobrychus exilis | 1 |
| Peregrine Falcon | Falco peregrinus | 1 |
| Piping Plover | Charadrius melodus | 1 |
| Rufa Red Knot | Calidris canutus rufa | 1 |
| Spruce Grouse | Falcipennis canadensis | 1 |
| Upland Sandpiper | Bartramia longicauda | 1 |
| Whooping Crane | Grus americana | 1 |
| Yellow Rail | Coturnicops noveboracensis | 1 |
| Yellow-crowned Night-Heron | Nyctanassa violacea | 1 |
| Mammals | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| Big Brown Bat | Eptesicus fuscus | 3 |
| Little Brown Bat | Myotis lucifugus | 3 |
| Silver-haired Bat | Lasionycteris noctivagans | 3 |
| Northern Long-eared Bat | Myotis septentrionalis | 2 |
| Tricolored Bat | Perimyotis subflavus | 2 |
| Water Shrew | Sorex palustris | 1 |
| Reptiles | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern Massasauga | Sistrurus catenatus | 2 |
| Wood Turtle | Glyptemys insculpta | 2 |
| Blanding's Turtle | Emydoidea blandingii | 1 |
| Eastern Ribbonsnake | Thamnophis sauritus | 1 |
| Western Ribbonsnake | Thamnophis proximus | 1 |
Please see Section 2. Approach and Methods of the Wildlife Action Plan to learn how this information was developed.
The following Ecological Landscapes have the best opportunities to manage for Lacustrine Mud Flat, based on the Ecological Landscapes of Wisconsin Handbook.
| Ecological Landscape | Opportunity |
|---|---|
| Central Lake Michigan Coastal | Major |
| Central Sand Hills | Major |
| Northeast Sands | Major |
| Northern Lake Michigan Coastal | Major |
| Northwest Lowlands | Major |
| Southern Lake Michigan Coastal | Major |
| Southwest Savanna | Major |
| Superior Coastal Plain | Major |
| Western Coulee and Ridges | Major |
| Western Prairie | Major |
| Forest Transition | Important |
| Northern Highland | Important |
| Northwest Sands | Important |
| Southeast Glacial Plains | Important |
| Central Sand Plains | Present |
| North Central Forest | Present |
Major (3 on map)
A major opportunity for sustaining the natural community in the Ecological Landscape exists, either because many significant occurrences of the natural community have been recorded in the landscape or major restoration activities are likely to be successful maintaining the community's composition, structure, and ecological function over a longer period of time.
Important (2 on map)
Although the natural community does not occur extensively or commonly in the Ecological Landscape, one to several occurrences do occur and are important in sustaining the community in the state. In some cases, important opportunities may exist because the natural community may be restricted to just one or a few Ecological Landscapes within the state and there may be a lack of opportunities elsewhere.
Present (1 on map)
The natural community occurs in the Ecological Landscape, but better management opportunities appear to exist in other parts of the state.
Conservation actions respond to issues or threats, which adversely affect species of greatest conservation need (SGCN) or their habitats. Besides actions such as restoring wetlands or planting resilient tree species in northern communities, research, surveys and monitoring are also among conservation actions described in the WWAP because lack of information can threaten our ability to successfully preserve and care for natural resources.
Threats/issues and conservations actions for natural communities
Click to view a larger version. Please considering donating your photos to the Natural Heritage Conservation Program for educational uses. Photo use
Zoned herbaceous vegetation bordering fluctuating seepage lake. Sedge meadow and lacustrine mud flat communities are seen here. Hanson Lake, Sawyer County.
Photo by Emmet Judziewicz.
Note: photos are provided to illustrate various examples of natural community types. A single photograph cannot represent the range of variability inherent in a given community type. Some of these photos explicitly illustrate unusual and distinctive community variants. The community photo galleries are a work in progress that we will expand and improve in the future.