Download the Western Prairie chapter [PDF] of the Ecological Landscapes of Wisconsin. This chapter provides a detailed assessment of the ecological and socioeconomic conditions for the Western Prairie. It also identifies important planning and management considerations and suggests management opportunities that are compatible with the ecology of the landscape. The tabs below provide additional information.
Please note that each of these topics is covered in much more detail in the Western Prairie chapter [PDF].
Physical & Biotic Environment | Socioeconomic Conditions | Considerations for Planning & Management
| Physical & Biotic Environment | |
|---|---|
|
Size |
1,090 square miles (697,633 acres), representing 1.9% of the land area of the State of Wisconsin. It is the third smallest Ecological Landscape in the state; however, this Ecological Landscape (like the Northwest Lowlands) is part of a larger ecoregion that extends west into Minnesota. |
|
Climate |
Typical of southern Wisconsin; mean growing season of 145 days, mean annual temperature is 43.7 deg. F, mean annual precipitation is 32.1, and mean annual snowfall is 45.4 inches. The climate and topography was favorable to frequent fires that resulted in prairie vegetation occurring in almost a third of the area prior to Euro-American times. The length of the growing season, adequate precipitation, and favorable temperatures make the climate favorable for agriculture, which is prevalent here. Learn more from the chapter [PDF] |
|
Bedrock |
Bedrock was deposited during the Paleozoic Era (including the Cambrian and Ordovician Periods), and is dominantly marine sandstone and dolomite. Precambrian igneous and metamorphic bedrock lies below the Paleozoic deposits. The walls of the Apple River Canyon feature exposures of Cambrian sandstone, Cambrian shale, and Cambrian and Ordovician dolomites. Similar exposures occur along the lower Kinnickinnic River, below the city of River Falls. Learn more from the chapter [PDF] |
|
Geology & Landforms |
The Landscape is entirely glaciated. Major landforms are rolling till plain, with end moraine in the northwest and small areas of outwash. Learn more from the chapter [PDF] |
|
Soils |
Soils are predominantly formed in loamy till glacial deposits, while some are in outwash. A loess cap of aeolian silt is 6 to 48 inches thick over the surface. The dominant soil is well drained and loamy with a silt loam surface, moderate permeability, and moderate available water capacity. Learn more from the chapter [PDF] |
|
Hydrology |
The Lower St. Croix River forms the western boundary of this Ecological Landscape (however, note that this Ecological Landscape is part of a larger ecological region, Subsection 222 Md, which extends west into Minnesota). Other important though much smaller rivers include the Apple, Kinnickinnic, and Willow. Most of the rivers drain westward to the St. Croix, with several draining south directly into the Mississippi, and a few flowing southeast to the Chippewa. Inland lakes, mostly seepage lakes and ponds, are most common in the northwestern part of the Landscape, in an area known informally as Wisconsin's "Prairie Pothole Region". There are multiple dams on the Willow River, and the Kinnickinnic has been dammed at River Falls. Many wetlands have been lost or severely altered by agricultural activities, which have been widespread and intensive in this productive Landscape. Learn more from the chapter [PDF] |
|
Current Landcover |
Almost half of the current land cover is agricultural crops and about one third of the area is grasslands, with smaller amounts of forest. open water, open wetlands, and urban areas. The major forest types are maple-basswood and oak-hickory, with lesser amounts of lowland hardwoods. Native coniferous forests are rare, and are limited to a few tamarack swamps and small scattered stands of pine on steep rocky slopes. Learn more from the chapter [PDF] |
|
Socioeconomic Conditions
(based on data from St. Croix and Pierce counties) |
|
|---|---|
|
Population |
120,708, 2.2% of the state total |
|
Population Density |
77 persons/ sq. mile |
|
Per Capita Income |
$26,853 |
|
Important Economic Sectors |
Government (14.6%); tourism-related (12.6%); manufacturing (non-wood) (11.6%); and retail trade (10.2%) sectors provided the most jobs in 2007. Agriculture and urban development affect the natural resources of this Ecological Landscape the most. |
|
Public Ownership |
Only three percent of the Western Prairie is in public ownership, much of it associated with the St. Croix, Kinnickinnic, and Willow rivers. Federal lands include the southern end of the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway and several Federal Waterfowl Production Areas. State-owned lands include Wildlife Areas, Parks, Fishery Areas and Natural Areas. Examples include St. Croix Islands and Cylon Marsh State Wildlife Areas, Kinnickinnic and Willow River State Parks, and Apple River Canyon State Natural Area. A map showing public land ownership (county, state, and federal) and private lands enrolled in the Forest Tax Programs in this Ecological Landscape can be found at the end of this chapter. |
|
Other Notable Ownerships |
The Kinnickinnic River Land Trust has been actively protecting lands in northwestern Pierce County. Several other NGOs have been protecting lands along the St. Croix River, in Polk and St. Croix Counties. Some of these projects have been the result of successful public-private partnerships. |
| Considerations for Planning & Management | |
|---|---|
Agriculture is the dominant land use, but in recent years residential development has increased dramatically in the western part of the Ecological Landscape along and near the St. Croix River. Many new residents commute to the Twin Cities for work. Public lands are limited, making management at large scales difficult. Prairie remnants are few and most are isolated. Where possible, these should be embedded within surrogate grasslands such as Waterfowl Production Areas, Conservation Reserve Program lands, or other open covertypes to meet the needs of wide-ranging grassland wildlife. The lower St. Croix River supports many rare aquatic species, but recreational pressure is high and increasing, and residential development is occurring in most areas not yet protected as part of the National Scenic Riverway. Maintaining or restoring high water quality and protecting instream and adjoining wetland and terrestrial habitats are conservation priorities for this Ecological Landscape. Residents along the Kinnickinnic River in Pierce County have worked together and received grants to restore and manage prairie and savanna remnants, and protect populations of rare species. Similar partnerships have worked in areas along the St. Croix River, and could serve as models for conservation work elsewhere. Learn more about management opportunities from the chapter [PDF] |
The following species are listed according to their probability of occurring in the Western Prairie Ecological Landscape, based on the findings in Wisconsin's 2015 Wildlife Action Plan.
See the key to association scores [PDF] for complete definitions.
(Please see also the Significant Flora [PDF] and the Significant Wildlife [PDF] sections in the Western Prairie chapter).
| Amphibians | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| Pickerel Frog | Lithobates palustris | 2 |
| Four-toed Salamander | Hemidactylium scutatum | 1 |
| Ants, wasps, and bees | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| American Bumble Bee | Bombus pensylvanicus | 2 |
| Rusty-patched Bumble Bee | Bombus affinis | 2 |
| Yellow Bumble Bee | Bombus fervidus | 1 |
| Aquatic and terrestrial snails | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| Broad-banded Forestsnail | Allogona profunda | 2 |
| Wing Snaggletooth | Gastrocopta procera | 2 |
| Black Striate | Striatura ferrea | 1 |
| Brilliant Granule | Guppya sterkii | 1 |
| Cherrystone Drop | Hendersonia occulta | 1 |
| Ribbed Striate | Striatura exigua | 1 |
| Smooth Coil | Helicodiscus singleyanus | 1 |
| Trumpet Vallonia | Vallonia parvula | 1 |
| Beetles | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| A Crawling Water Beetle | Haliplus apostolicus | 3 |
| A Minute Moss Beetle | Ochthebius lineatus | 3 |
| A Predaceous Diving Beetle | Colymbetes exaratus | 3 |
| A Predaceous Diving Beetle | Ilybius confusus | 3 |
| A Predaceous Diving Beetle | Dytiscus alaskanus | 3 |
| A Predaceous Diving Beetle | Liodessus obscurellus | 3 |
| Northern Barrens Tiger Beetle | Cicindela patruela patruela | 2 |
| Sandy Stream Tiger Beetle | Ellipsoptera macra | 2 |
| A Colaspis Leaf Beetle | Colaspis suggona | 1 |
| A Leaf Beetle | Pachybrachis peccans | 1 |
| A Leaf Beetle | Cryptocephalus cuneatus | 1 |
| A Pear-shaped Weevil | Coelocephalapion decoloratum | 1 |
| A Water Scavenger Beetle | Agabetes acuductus | 1 |
| Hairy-necked Tiger Beetle | Cicindela hirticollis hirticollis | 1 |
| Virginia Big-headed Tiger Beetle | Tetracha virginica | 1 |
| Birds | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| Bobolink | Dolichonyx oryzivorus | 3 |
| Dickcissel | Spiza americana | 3 |
| Eastern Meadowlark | Sturnella magna | 3 |
| Grasshopper Sparrow | Ammodramus savannarum | 3 |
| Henslow's Sparrow | Ammodramus henslowii | 3 |
| Least Flycatcher | Empidonax minimus | 3 |
| Loggerhead Shrike | Lanius ludovicianus | 3 |
| Prothonotary Warbler | Protonotaria citrea | 3 |
| Red-headed Woodpecker | Melanerpes erythrocephalus | 3 |
| Vesper Sparrow | Pooecetes gramineus | 3 |
| Western Meadowlark | Sturnella neglecta | 3 |
| American Bittern | Botaurus lentiginosus | 2 |
| American Woodcock | Scolopax minor | 2 |
| Black Tern | Chlidonias niger | 2 |
| Cerulean Warbler | Setophaga cerulea | 2 |
| Great Egret | Ardea alba | 2 |
| King Rail | Rallus elegans | 2 |
| Le Conte's Sparrow | Ammodramus leconteii | 2 |
| Purple Martin | Progne subis | 2 |
| Red-necked Grebe | Podiceps grisegena | 2 |
| Rusty Blackbird | Euphagus carolinus | 2 |
| Short-eared Owl | Asio flammeus | 2 |
| Upland Sandpiper | Bartramia longicauda | 2 |
| Yellow-headed Blackbird | Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus | 2 |
| Acadian Flycatcher | Empidonax virescens | 1 |
| Bell's Vireo | Vireo bellii | 1 |
| Brewer's Blackbird | Euphagus cyanocephalus | 1 |
| Common Nighthawk | Chordeiles minor | 1 |
| Eastern Whip-poor-will | Antrostomus vociferus | 1 |
| Golden-winged Warbler | Vermivora chrysoptera | 1 |
| Hooded Warbler | Setophaga citrina | 1 |
| Least Bittern | Ixobrychus exilis | 1 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | Buteo lineatus | 1 |
| Whooping Crane | Grus americana | 1 |
| Butterflies and moths | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| A Noctuid Moth | Bagisara gulnare | 1 |
| Cross Line Skipper | Polites origenes | 1 |
| Gray Copper | Lycaena dione | 1 |
| Leadplant Flower Moth | Schinia lucens | 1 |
| Regal Fritillary | Speyeria idalia | 1 |
| Whitney's Underwing Moth | Catocala whitneyi | 1 |
| Caddisflies | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| A Fingernet Caddisfly | Wormaldia moesta | 2 |
| Dragonflies and damselflies | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| Sioux (Sand) Snaketail | Ophiogomphus smithi | 3 |
| Plains Emerald | Somatochlora ensigera | 1 |
| Spatterdock Darner | Rhionaeschna mutata | 1 |
| Springwater Dancer | Argia plana | 1 |
| Fishes | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| Crystal Darter | Crystallaria asprella | 3 |
| Black Buffalo | Ictiobus niger | 2 |
| Blue Sucker | Cycleptus elongatus | 2 |
| Goldeye | Hiodon alosoides | 2 |
| Lake Sturgeon | Acipenser fulvescens | 2 |
| Mud Darter | Etheostoma asprigene | 2 |
| River Redhorse | Moxostoma carinatum | 2 |
| American Eel | Anguilla rostrata | 1 |
| Gilt Darter | Percina evides | 1 |
| Paddlefish | Polyodon spathula | 1 |
| Pallid Shiner | Hybopsis amnis | 1 |
| Shoal Chub | Macrhybopsis hyostoma | 1 |
| Skipjack Herring | Alosa chrysochloris | 1 |
| Leafhoppers and true bugs | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| A Leafhopper | Driotura robusta | 2 |
| An Issid Planthopper | Fitchiella robertsonii | 2 |
| Prairie Leafhopper | Polyamia dilata | 2 |
| Yellow Loosestrife Leafhopper | Erythroneura carbonata | 2 |
| A Leafhopper | Memnonia panzeri | 1 |
| A Leafhopper | Attenuipyga vanduzeei | 1 |
| A Leafhopper | Paraphlepsius altus | 1 |
| A Leafhopper | Paraphlepsius maculosus | 1 |
| A Leafhopper | Prairiana kansana | 1 |
| A Leafhopper | Flexamia prairiana | 1 |
| A Planthopper | Myndus ovatus | 1 |
| An Issid Planthopper | Bruchomorpha extensa | 1 |
| Red-tailed Prairie Leafhopper | Aflexia rubranura | 1 |
| Mammals | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| Little Brown Bat | Myotis lucifugus | 3 |
| Big Brown Bat | Eptesicus fuscus | 2 |
| Franklin's Ground Squirrel | Poliocitellus franklinii | 2 |
| Eastern Pipistrelle | Perimyotis subflavus | 1 |
| Northern Long-eared Bat | Myotis septentrionalis | 1 |
| Prairie Deer Mouse | Peromyscus maniculatus bairdii | 1 |
| Silver-haired Bat | Lasionycteris noctivagans | 1 |
| Water Shrew | Sorex palustris | 1 |
| Mayflies | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| A Flat-headed Mayfly | Macdunnoa persimplex | 2 |
| A Cleft-footed Minnow Mayfly | Metretopus borealis | 1 |
| A Flat-headed Mayfly | Maccaffertium pulchellum | 1 |
| A Small Minnow Mayfly | Plauditus cestus | 1 |
| A Spiny Crawler Mayfly | Eurylophella aestiva | 1 |
| American Sand Burrowing Mayfly | Dolania americana | 1 |
| Pecatonica River Mayfly | Acanthametropus pecatonica | 1 |
| Wisconsin Small Square-gilled Mayfly | Cercobrachys lilliei | 1 |
| Mussels and clams | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| Butterfly | Ellipsaria lineolata | 3 |
| Purple Wartyback | Cyclonaias tuberculata | 3 |
| Snuffbox | Epioblasma triquetra | 3 |
| Spectaclecase | Cumberlandia monodonta | 3 |
| Buckhorn | Tritogonia verrucosa | 2 |
| Elephant Ear | Elliptio crassidens | 2 |
| Elktoe | Alasmidonta marginata | 2 |
| Fawnsfoot | Truncilla donaciformis | 2 |
| Flat Floater | Anodonta suborbiculata | 2 |
| Higgins Eye | Lampsilis higginsii | 2 |
| Mapleleaf | Quadrula quadrula | 2 |
| Monkeyface | Theliderma metanevra | 2 |
| Rock Pocketbook | Arcidens confragosus | 2 |
| Salamander Mussel | Simpsonaias ambigua | 2 |
| Wartyback | Quadrula nodulata | 2 |
| Winged Mapleleaf | Quadrula fragosa | 2 |
| Ebonyshell | Fusconaia ebena | 1 |
| Sheepnose | Plethobasus cyphyus | 1 |
| Washboard | Megalonaias nervosa | 1 |
| Reptiles | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| Timber Rattlesnake | Crotalus horridus | 3 |
| North American Racer | Coluber constrictor | 2 |
| Prairie Skink | Plestiodon septentrionalis | 2 |
| Blanding's Turtle | Emydoidea blandingii | 1 |
| Wood Turtle | Glyptemys insculpta | 1 |
| Stoneflies | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| A Common Stonefly | Attaneuria ruralis | 2 |
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.
Scores: 3 = "significantly associated," 2 = "moderately associated," and 1 = "minimally associated."
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Anemone caroliniana | Carolina Anemone | 3 |
| Astragalus crassicarpus | Ground-plum | 3 |
| Liatris punctata var. nebraskana | Dotted Blazing Star | 3 |
| Minuartia dawsonensis | Rock Stitchwort | 3 |
| Oenothera serrulata | Yellow Evening Primrose | 3 |
| Orobanche ludoviciana | Louisiana Broomrape | 3 |
| Arnoglossum reniforme | Great Indian-plantain | 2 |
| Besseya bullii | Kitten Tails | 2 |
| Carex torreyi | Torrey's Sedge | 2 |
| Catabrosa aquatica | Brook Grass | 2 |
| Crotalaria sagittalis | Arrow-headed Rattle-box | 2 |
| Cuscuta coryli | Hazel Dodder | 2 |
| Cuscuta pentagona | Field Dodder | 2 |
| Dalea villosa var. villosa | Silky Prairie-clover | 2 |
| Glycyrrhiza lepidota | Wild Licorice | 2 |
| Lespedeza leptostachya | Prairie Bush Clover | 2 |
| Packera plattensis | Prairie Ragwort | 2 |
| Pediomelum esculentum | Prairie Turnip | 2 |
| Strophostyles leiosperma | Small-flowered Woolly Bean | 2 |
| Asclepias lanuginosa | Woolly Milkweed | 1 |
| Cirsium hillii | Hill's Thistle | 1 |
| Nothocalais cuspidata | Prairie False-dandelion | 1 |
| Phemeranthus rugospermus | Prairie Fame-flower | 1 |
| Poa paludigena | Bog Bluegrass | 1 |
| Prenanthes aspera | Rough Rattlesnake-root | 1 |
| Primula mistassinica | Bird's-eye Primrose | 1 |
| Scutellaria parvula var. parvula | Small Skullcap | 1 |
| Tephroseris palustris | Marsh Ragwort | 1 |
| Trillium nivale | Snow Trillium | 1 |
The Western Prairie Ecological Landscape contains opportunities to manage for the following natural communities, based on the findings in the 2015 Wildlife Action Plan (originally presented by the Ecosystem Management Team).
See the key to association scores [PDF] for complete definitions.
Grassland management at multiple scales is a major opportunity in the Western Prairie. Small, scattered remnants of native prairie exist here along with substantial areas of "surrogate grassland" that now provide increasingly critical habitat for many grassland species, especially birds. The largest grassland management project in this Ecological Landscape is the Western Prairie Habitat Restoration Area in St. Croix and Polk counties. By managing at multiple scales, large blocks of surrogate grassland, unplowed prairie pastures, small native prairie remnants on bluffs or within rights-of-way and working agricultural lands can all play key roles in the conservation and restoration of the grassland ecosystem that historically covered most of this ecological landscape. Ponds and lakes border or are embedded within some of the areas with high grassland management potential; these add great value for species that nest near or over water and for migrants that use open wetlands and water.
The Lower St. Croix River supports an exceptionally high diversity of aquatic organisms, including fish, mussels and other invertebrates. Many rare species have been documented here, and several of the mussels are globally rare. The river's floodplain contains good examples of emergent marsh, wet prairie and floodplain forest. The forested slopes of the St. Croix Valley contain rich mesic hardwood forests, dry oak forests and a few stands of natural white pine. Remnant bluff prairies and oak savannas occur on the uppermost slopes above the St. Croix. Migratory bird use of the St. Croix River valley is high, and the river corridor also provides nesting and wintering habitat for many common and rare birds, including species of conservation concern. Protecting the hydrology and water quality of the St. Croix and its tributaries is critical, and assessing areas of high value to birds and other species is an important step in protecting and properly managing the best habitats.
Other important management opportunities include the Kinnickinnic River Corridor; the Apple River Canyon; scattered prairie, savanna and forest remnants (including mesic, dry-mesic and dry forests); coldwater and coolwater streams; and miscellaneous opportunities to protect more isolated populations of rare species and features not covered by the previously mentioned categories.
1. The text presented here is a summarized version of a longer section developed for the Ecological Landscapes of Wisconsin.
Also see the statewide maps.
Landtype Associations (LTAs) are units of the National Hierarchical Framework of Ecological Units (NHFEU), a hierarchical ecological land classification system. LTAs are much smaller than Ecological Landscapes, ranging in size from 10,000 and 300,000 acres. In Wisconsin, they are usually based on glacial features like individual moraines or outwash plains. LTAs can be very useful for planning at finer scales within an Ecological Landscape.
The following are the LTAs associated with the Western Prairie Ecological Landscape. The Western Prairie LTA map [PDF] can be used to locate these LTAs. Clicking on an LTA in the list below will open a data table for that LTA in PDF format. Descriptions are included, where available.
Map of Wisconsin's 16 Ecological Landscapes