Photo by Eric Epstein
- WDNR
State Rank: S3 Global Rank: G3 what are these ranks?
This dry grassland community usually occurs on steep south- or west-facing slopes or at the summits of river bluffs with sandstone or dolomite bedrock near the surface. Short to medium-sized prairie grasses such as little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), side-oats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula), hairy grama (Bouteloua hirsuta), and prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis) are the dominants in this community. Common shrubs and forbs include leadplant (Amorpha canescens), silky aster (Symphyotrichum sericeum), flowering spurge (Euphorbia corollata), purple prairie-clover (Dalea purpureum), cylindrical blazing-star (Liatris cylindracea), and gray goldenrod (Solidago nemoralis). Stands on knolls in the Kettle Moraine region of southeastern Wisconsin and on bluffs along the St. Croix River on the Minnesota-Wisconsin border occur on gravelly substrates and may warrant recognition as distinctive subtypes of dry prairie.
Although a relatively uncommon natural community, dry prairie is better represented in today's landscape than any other prairie community because it occurs on sites that are not well suited to other uses. However, dry prairie is more abundant in Wisconsin than in any other state in the in the Upper Midwest due to the our unique topography, including steep-sided bluffs in the extensive Driftless Area, the rough terrain of the interlobate Kettle Moraine region, and the north-south orientation of several major river valleys such as the Mississippi, the Chippewa, and the St. Croix. These topographic attributes provide suitable sites for the development and persistence of this prairie type.
The following Species of Greatest Conservation Need are listed according to their level of association with the Dry Prairie 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.
| Ants, wasps, and bees | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| A Cuckoo Bee | Epeolus ainsliei | 2 |
| An Anthophorid Bee | Neolarra vigilans | 2 |
| American Bumble Bee | Bombus pensylvanicus | 1 |
| Confusing Bumble Bee | Bombus perplexus | 1 |
| Rusty-patched Bumble Bee | Bombus affinis | 1 |
| Silphium Terminal Gall Wasp | Antistrophus silphii | 1 |
| Yellow Bumble Bee | Bombus fervidus | 1 |
| Aquatic and terrestrial snails | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| Smooth Coil | Helicodiscus singleyanus | 3 |
| Trumpet Vallonia | Vallonia parvula | 3 |
| Wing Snaggletooth | Gastrocopta procera | 3 |
| Beetles | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| A Leaf Beetle | Pachybrachis peccans | 3 |
| A Leaf Beetle | Glyptina brunnea | 3 |
| A Case-bearing Leaf Beetle | Triachus vacuus | 2 |
| A Colaspis Leaf Beetle | Colaspis suggona | 2 |
| A Leaf Beetle | Pachybrachis atomarius | 2 |
| A Leaf Beetle | Saxinis omogera | 2 |
| A Leaf Beetle | Bassareus lituratus | 2 |
| A Leaf Beetle | Brachypnoea convexa | 2 |
| A Leaf Beetle | Pachybrachis luridus | 1 |
| A Leaf Beetle | Glyptina leptosoma | 1 |
| A Pear-shaped Weevil | Trichapion perforicolle | 1 |
| A Pear-shaped Weevil | Coelocephalapion decoloratum | 1 |
| A Pear-shaped Weevil | Sayapion segnipes | 1 |
| Birds | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| Grasshopper Sparrow | Ammodramus savannarum | 3 |
| Upland Sandpiper | Bartramia longicauda | 3 |
| Vesper Sparrow | Pooecetes gramineus | 3 |
| Bell's Vireo | Vireo bellii | 2 |
| Brewer's Blackbird | Euphagus cyanocephalus | 2 |
| Common Nighthawk | Chordeiles minor | 2 |
| Eastern Meadowlark | Sturnella magna | 2 |
| Greater Prairie-Chicken | Tympanuchus cupido | 2 |
| Lark Sparrow | Chondestes grammacus | 2 |
| Loggerhead Shrike | Lanius ludovicianus | 2 |
| Long-eared Owl | Asio otus | 2 |
| Northern Bobwhite | Colinus virginianus | 2 |
| Sharp-tailed Grouse | Tympanuchus phasianellus | 2 |
| Short-eared Owl | Asio flammeus | 2 |
| Western Meadowlark | Sturnella neglecta | 2 |
| Dickcissel | Spiza americana | 1 |
| Butterflies and moths | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| A Noctuid Moth | Dichagyris reliqua | 3 |
| Abbreviated Underwing Moth | Catocala abbreviatella | 3 |
| Byssus Skipper | Problema byssus | 3 |
| Cross Line Skipper | Polites origenes | 3 |
| Leadplant Flower Moth | Schinia lucens | 3 |
| Ottoe Skipper | Hesperia ottoe | 3 |
| Dusted Skipper | Atrytonopsis hianna | 2 |
| Gorgone Checker Spot | Chlosyne gorgone | 2 |
| Whitney's Underwing Moth | Catocala whitneyi | 2 |
| Columbine Dusky Wing | Erynnis lucilius | 1 |
| Karner Blue | Lycaeides melissa samuelis | 1 |
| Mottled Dusky Wing | Erynnis martialis | 1 |
| Phlox Moth | Schinia indiana | 1 |
| Regal Fritillary | Speyeria idalia | 1 |
| Grasshoppers and allies | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| Green-streak Grasshopper | Hesperotettix viridis | 3 |
| Handsome Grasshopper | Syrbula admirabilis | 3 |
| Obscure Grasshopper | Opeia obscura | 3 |
| Scudder's Short-winged Grasshopper | Melanoplus scudderi | 3 |
| Showy Grasshopper | Hesperotettix speciosus | 3 |
| Spotted-winged Grasshopper | Orphulella pelidna | 3 |
| Velvet-striped Grasshopper | Eritettix simplex | 3 |
| Gladston's Spur-throat Grasshopper | Melanoplus gladstoni | 2 |
| Mermiria Grasshopper | Mermiria bivittata | 2 |
| Plains Yellow-winged Grasshopper | Arphia simplex | 2 |
| Short-winged Grasshopper | Dichromorpha viridis | 2 |
| Speckled Rangeland Grasshopper | Arphia conspersa | 2 |
| Blue-legged Grasshopper | Melanoplus flavidus | 1 |
| Club-horned Grasshopper | Aeropedellus clavatus | 1 |
| Grizzly Spur-throat Grasshopper | Melanoplus punctulatus | 1 |
| Stone's Locust | Melanoplus stonei | 1 |
| Leafhoppers and true bugs | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| A Leafhopper | Memnonia panzeri | 3 |
| A Leafhopper | Driotura robusta | 3 |
| A Leafhopper | Kansendria kansiensis | 3 |
| A Leafhopper | Laevicephalus vannus | 3 |
| A Leafhopper | Attenuipyga vanduzeei | 3 |
| A Leafhopper | Paraphlepsius altus | 3 |
| A Leafhopper | Paraphlepsius maculosus | 3 |
| A Planthopper | Rhynchomitra microrhina | 3 |
| An Issid Planthopper | Fitchiella robertsonii | 3 |
| An Issid Planthopper | Bruchomorpha extensa | 3 |
| Prairie Leafhopper | Polyamia dilata | 3 |
| Red-tailed Prairie Leafhopper | Aflexia rubranura | 3 |
| A Leafhopper | Cuerna sayi | 2 |
| A Leafhopper | Paraphlepsius nebulosus | 2 |
| A Leafhopper | Prairiana cinerea | 2 |
| A Leafhopper | Prairiana kansana | 2 |
| A Planthopper | Myndus ovatus | 2 |
| Yellow Loosestrife Leafhopper | Erythroneura carbonata | 2 |
| A Leafhopper | Prairiana angustens | 1 |
| A Seed Bug | Slaterobius quadristriata | 1 |
| Piglet Bug | Aphelonema simplex | 1 |
| Mammals | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| Prairie Deer Mouse | Peromyscus maniculatus bairdii | 2 |
| Prairie Vole | Microtus ochrogaster | 2 |
| Big Brown Bat | Eptesicus fuscus | 1 |
| Franklin's Ground Squirrel | Poliocitellus franklinii | 1 |
| Reptiles | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| Blanding's Turtle | Emydoidea blandingii | 3 |
| Gophersnake | Pituophis catenifer | 3 |
| Lined Snake | Tropidoclonion lineatum | 3 |
| North American Racer | Coluber constrictor | 3 |
| Ornate Box Turtle | Terrapene ornata | 3 |
| Plains Gartersnake | Thamnophis radix | 3 |
| Prairie Ring-necked Snake | Diadophis punctatus arnyi | 3 |
| Prairie Skink | Plestiodon septentrionalis | 3 |
| Six-lined Racerunner | Aspidoscelis sexlineata | 3 |
| Slender Glass Lizard | Ophisaurus attenuatus | 3 |
| Timber Rattlesnake | Crotalus horridus | 3 |
| Western Wormsnake | Carphophis vermis | 3 |
| Wood Turtle | Glyptemys insculpta | 3 |
| Eastern Massasauga | Sistrurus catenatus | 2 |
| Gray Ratsnake | Pantherophis spiloides | 2 |
| Butler's Gartersnake | Thamnophis butleri | 1 |
Please see Section 2. Approach and Methods of the Wildlife Action Plan to learn how this information was developed.
The Natural Heritage Inventory has developed scores indicating the degree to which each of Wisconsin's rare plant species is associated with a particular natural community or ecological landscape. This information is similar to that found in the Wildlife Action Plan for animals. As this is a work in progress, we welcome your suggestions and feedback.
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Agalinis gattingeri | Roundstem Foxglove | 3 |
| Agalinis skinneriana | Pale False Foxglove | 3 |
| Anemone caroliniana | Carolina Anemone | 3 |
| Anemone multifida var. multifida | Cut-leaved Anemone | 3 |
| Anticlea elegans ssp. glaucus | White Camas | 2 |
| Aristida dichotoma | Shinners' Three-awned Grass | 3 |
| Arnoglossum plantagineum | Prairie Indian-plantain | 3 |
| Artemisia dracunculus | Dragon Wormwood | 3 |
| Artemisia frigida | Prairie Sagebrush | 3 |
| Asclepias lanuginosa | Woolly Milkweed | 3 |
| Astragalus crassicarpus | Ground-plum | 3 |
| Besseya bullii | Kitten Tails | 2 |
| Boechera missouriensis | Missouri Rock-cress | 2 |
| Botrychium campestre | Prairie Dunewort | 2 |
| Callirhoe triangulata | Clustered Poppy-mallow | 1 |
| Carex torreyi | Torrey's Sedge | 3 |
| Cirsium hillii | Hill's Thistle | 3 |
| Commelina erecta var. deamiana | Narrow-leaved Dayflower | 3 |
| Crotalaria sagittalis | Arrow-headed Rattle-box | 3 |
| Dalea villosa var. villosa | Silky Prairie-clover | 3 |
| Desmodium perplexum | Perplexed Tick-trefoil | 1 |
| Dichanthelium wilcoxianum | Wilcox's Panic Grass | 3 |
| Echinacea pallida | Pale Purple Coneflower | 3 |
| Glycyrrhiza lepidota | Wild Licorice | 2 |
| Houstonia caerulea | Azure Bluets | 3 |
| Hypericum prolificum | Shrubby St. John's-wort | 2 |
| Lechea mucronata | Hairy Pinweed | 3 |
| Lespedeza leptostachya | Prairie Bush Clover | 3 |
| Lespedeza violacea | Violet Bush Clover | 2 |
| Lespedeza virginica | Slender Bush Clover | 2 |
| Lesquerella ludoviciana | Silver Bladderpod | 3 |
| Liatris punctata var. nebraskana | Dotted Blazing Star | 3 |
| Melica nitens | Three-flowered Melic Grass | 1 |
| Minuartia dawsonensis | Rock Stitchwort | 2 |
| Nothocalais cuspidata | Prairie False-dandelion | 3 |
| Oenothera serrulata | Yellow Evening Primrose | 3 |
| Orobanche fasciculata | Clustered Broomrape | 2 |
| Packera plattensis | Prairie Ragwort | 3 |
| Pediomelum argophyllum | Silvery Scurf Pea | 3 |
| Pediomelum esculentum | Prairie Turnip | 3 |
| Penstemon hirsutus | Hairy Beardtongue | 3 |
| Penstemon pallidus | Pale Beardtongue | 3 |
| Polygala incarnata | Pink Milkwort | 1 |
| Polytaenia nuttallii | Prairie Parsley | 3 |
| Prenanthes aspera | Rough Rattlesnake-root | 3 |
| Primula fassettii | Jeweled Shooting Star | 3 |
| Ptelea trifoliata ssp. trifoliata var. trifoliata | Wafer-ash | 2 |
| Rhamnus lanceolata var. glabrata | Lanced-leaved Buckthorn | 3 |
| Ruellia humilis | Hairy Wild Petunia | 3 |
| Scutellaria parvula var. parvula | Small Skullcap | 3 |
| Sisyrinchium albidum | White Blue-eyed-grass | 3 |
| Spiranthes magnicamporum | Great Plains Lady's-tresses | 3 |
| Spiranthes ovalis var. erostellata | October Lady's-tresses | 2 |
| Strophostyles leiosperma | Small-flowered Woolly Bean | 3 |
| Valeriana edulis var. ciliata | Hairy Valerian | 2 |
| Verbena simplex | Narrow-leaved Vervain | 2 |
The following Ecological Landscapes have the best opportunities to manage for Dry Prairie, based on the Ecological Landscapes of Wisconsin Handbook.
| Ecological Landscape | Opportunity |
|---|---|
| Southeast Glacial Plains | Major |
| Southwest Savanna | Major |
| Western Coulee and Ridges | Major |
| Central Sand Hills | Important |
| Central Sand Plains | Important |
| Western Prairie | Important |
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
The following are additional considerations for Dry Prairie in Ecological Landscapes with opportunities for protection, restoration, and/or management. For more information, see the Wildlife Action Plan.
This type is not well represented in this Ecological Landscape. Sites should be preserved where they exist. The best example is found at Hawk Hill (Dane County). Other dry prairies here should be classified as "Sand Prairie".
This type is not well represented in the Ecological Landscape and is associated with steep slopes on sandstone ridges. Sites should be preserved where they exist. Examples are found at Brooks Bluff (Adams County), Round Bluff, Townline Bluff, and Twin Teton Bluffs (all in Juneau County).
The dry prairie type is of limited extent in this Ecological Landscape, but locally common in the South Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest on steep slopes of south or west-facing morainal ridges. The substrate consists of glacially deposited sands and gravels. Most prairies here are small and overgrown, but some sites are now being managed with prescribed fire, brushing, and herbicides. Many sites were historically small and restricted due to topographic position, where they intergraded with other prairie types and oak openings. Larger sites should be preserved where they exist. Opportunities for restoration exist, and these may be less labor-intensive than for tallgrass types. Additional development on and around restorable sites should be limited, especially where that would conflict with the need to use prescribed fire or other active management tools. More information should be gathered to document differences of the prairies on glacial moraine from those on Driftless Area bluffs. Sites should also be monitored to determine whether management is maintaining native diversity.
The dry prairie type is limited in extent in this Ecological Landscape and restricted mostly to steep slopes on bluffs (e.g., bluff prairies and goat prairies). Large unplowed pastures are present in some parts of this Ecological Landscape that could be restored to native grasslands. Urban expansion is occurring in some locations and can impact prairie remnants and limit the opportunity to manage with prescribed fire. Examples are found at Thomson Prairie and Barneveld Prairie Preserves (Iowa County), and Yellowstone Savanna and Hardscrabble Prairie State Natural Areas (Lafayette County).
This Ecological Landscape represents the best opportunity in the state (and perhaps in the upper Midwest) for conservation of this community. The type is found on steep slopes on bluffs (and have often been called "bluff prairies", "goat prairies", or "dry lime prairies"). Patch sizes are typically small, but there are many extant occurrences. Examples of this type are found at Battle Bluff Prairie (Vernon County), Rush Creek (Crawford County), Trenton Bluff Prairie (Pierce County), Gasner Hollow Prairie (Grant County), and Morgan Coulee Prairie (Pierce County) State Natural Areas.
Dry prairie is of limited extent in isthe Ecological Landscape, occurring mostly on steep west-facing slopes on bluffs of the St. Croix River and some of its tributaries, and in a few sandy-soiled areas elsewhere. Patch sizes are typically small with a few existing and potential sites. Past grazing has led to degradation of many sites. Urban expansion is occurring throughout the Ecological Landscape and existing sites should be preserved. Examples of dry prairie occur at Apple River Canyon State Natural Area and at Willow River State Park (St. Croix County), and as small patches on bluffs with south or west aspects in the Kinnickinnic River Valley (Pierce County).
Click to view a larger version. Please considering donating your photos to the Natural Heritage Conservation Program for educational uses. Photo use
Extensive dry prairies on south and west-facing bluffs above the Mississippi River. These prairies feature thin soils with bedrock at or near the surface.
Photo by Eric Epstein.
Series of dry bluff prairies on steep southwest exposures above the Mississippi River. Rush Creek SNA, Crawford County.
Photo by Eric Epstein.
Photo by Christina Isenring.
Photo by Thomas Meyer.
Prescribed burn conducted to maintain a dry prairie on a steep bluff in SW WI. The crew is establishing a refugium (fire-free area) to protect rare, fire-sensitive species.
Photo by Armund Bartz.
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.