Download the Northeast Sands chapter [PDF] of the Ecological Landscapes of Wisconsin. This chapter provides a detailed assessment of the ecological and socioeconomic conditions for the Northeast Sands. 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 Northeast Sands chapter [PDF].
Physical & Biotic Environment | Socioeconomic Conditions | Considerations for Planning & Management
| Physical & Biotic Environment | |
|---|---|
|
Size |
1,542 square miles (987,176 acres), representing 2.8% of the land area of the state, making it the fifth smallest Ecological Landscape in the state. |
|
Climate |
The short growing season (122 days) is similar to other northern Ecological Landscapes and limits yield potential for row crop agriculture. January minimum temperatures average higher than other northern Ecological Landscapes. The average August maximum temperature (78.8o) is the third coolest of any other Ecological Landscape in the state. Learn more from the chapter [PDF] |
|
Bedrock |
Precambrian bedrock of volcanic and metamorphic origin, formed during the Lower Proterozoic (roughly 2,500 to 1,050 million years ago) almost completely underlies the Northeast Sands. The northern part of the Ecological Landscape is notable for its many waterfalls, almost all of which are associated with this ancient bedrock. Cambrian sandstone, with some dolomite and shale, underlies a small area along the eastern edge of the Ecological Landscape. In some places, glacial deposits are thin enough that bedrock directly affects vegetation, and is sometimes exposed at the surface. Learn more from the chapter [PDF] |
|
Geology & Landforms |
The Green Bay Lobe covered this Ecological Landscape during the last part of the Wisconsin Glaciation. As the Green Bay Lobe melted and retreated eastward, outwash was deposited over lower-lying surface features, so the Ecological Landscape now appears as a nearly level to rolling sandy outwash plain, pitted in places, with sandy heads-of-outwash and loamy moraines protruding through the outwash sediment. Heads-of-outwash, uncommon in most of Wisconsin, are a distinctive glacial feature here. A series of north-south trending morainal and head-of-outwash hills runs the length of the west side of this Ecological Landscape. They are oriented in roughly parallel positions, marking the outer extent of Green Bay Lobe deposits in northeastern Wisconsin. Learn more from the chapter [PDF] |
|
Soils |
Most upland soils formed in acid outwash sand on outwash plains or outwash heads. The dominant soil is excessively drained and sandy with a loamy sand surface, rapid permeability, and very low available water capacity. More than half the land surface is made up of outwash sand and gravel. Glacial till deposits here have pH values that are neutral to calcareous, unlike the acid tills of most of northern Wisconsin, because dolomite was incorporated into the till as glaciers passed over the Niagara Escarpment. Learn more from the chapter [PDF] |
|
Hydrology |
Rivers and streams include the Menominee, Peshtigo, Pike, Pine, Oconto, South Branch of the Oconto, and Wolf rivers. Scattered lakes are present, with local concentrations of small lakes in the far north, far south, and the northeast. Several large impoundments have been constructed, such as those on the Menominee and Peshtigo rivers. Hwy 64 bisects the Brazeau Swamp, one of Wisconsin's largest cedar swamps, disrupting its hydrology and altering composition and function. A large portion of this swamp was cleared and drained and is now a "muck farm" used to grow vegetables. Learn more from the chapter [PDF] |
|
Current Landcover |
Forests cover about 75% of this Ecological Landscape. Aspen is the most abundant cover type, and dry forests dominated by scrub-oak and jack pine are common. Plantation-grown pine, hemlock-hardwoods and northern hardwoods are also among the important upland cover types. Common lowland communities include wet-mesic forests dominated by northern white cedar, black spruce-tamarack swamps, and alder-dominated shrub swamps. Agriculture (only 7% of the area) is concentrated mostly in the southeastern and northernmost portions of the Ecological Landscape. Learn more from the chapter [PDF] |
|
Socioeconomic Conditions
(based on data from Florence, Marinette, Oconto and Menominee counties) |
|
|---|---|
|
Population |
89,421, 1.6% of the state total |
|
Population Density |
27 persons/ sq. mile |
|
Per Capita Income |
$27,677 |
|
Important Economic Sectors |
These include government (16.5%); manufacturing (non-wood) (16.1%); tourism-related (11.8%); and health care and social services (9.6%) sectors in 2007. Forestry has the largest overall impact on the natural resources of the Ecological Landscape. |
|
Public Ownership |
Notable properties include the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, Peshtigo River State Forest, Governor Tommy Thompson State Park, Peshtigo Brook State Wildlife Area, the Pine-Popple Wild Rivers, the Menominee River Natural Resources Area, and scattered State Natural Areas, including Dunbar Barrens and Spread Eagle Barrens. Lands owned and managed by Florence, Marinette, and Oconto counties comprise over two-thirds of the public acreage, mostly as county forests, but including several small areas managed as county parks. 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 eastern part of the Menominee Reservation is in the Northeast Sands. Several Land Trusts are situated and have active projects in this part of Wisconsin. |
| Considerations for Planning & Management | |
|---|---|
Public lands are extensive, and there are significant tribal holdings in the southern part of the Northeast Sands. As in other parts of Wisconsin, high populations of white-tailed deer continue to have significant negative impacts on important forest dominants such as northern white cedar and eastern hemlock, as well as on understory composition and structure. Hydrologic modifications include large dams on several of the major rivers, including the Menominee, Peshtigo, and Pine. Shoreline development, especially along rivers and streams, is a significant concern and is likely to increase in the future. Several invasive species are established here, and others are likely to appear in the near future. There is currently a shortage of older forest and large forest patches; these issues could be addressed during the public lands planning process. Prescribed fire is a potentially important management tool at many locations in this Ecological Landscape. Jack pine, scrub oak, and aspen are all well-represented and important tree species to manage here. Learn more about management opportunities from the chapter [PDF] |
The following species are listed according to their probability of occurring in the Northeast Sands 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 Northeast Sands chapter).
| Amphibians | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| Mink Frog | Lithobates septentrionalis | 3 |
| Four-toed Salamander | Hemidactylium scutatum | 2 |
| Pickerel Frog | Lithobates palustris | 1 |
| Ants, wasps, and bees | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| Confusing Bumble Bee | Bombus perplexus | 1 |
| Yellow Bumble Bee | Bombus fervidus | 1 |
| Yellowbanded Bumble Bee | Bombus terricola | 1 |
| Aquatic and terrestrial snails | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern Flat-whorl | Planogyra asteriscus | 2 |
| Appalachian Pillar | Cochlicopa morseana | 1 |
| Bright Glyph | Glyphyalinia wheatleyi | 1 |
| Cherrystone Drop | Hendersonia occulta | 1 |
| Deep-throated Vertigo | Vertigo nylanderi | 1 |
| Dentate Supercoil | Paravitrea multidentata | 1 |
| Ribbed Striate | Striatura exigua | 1 |
| Sculpted Glyph | Glyphyalinia rhoadsi | 1 |
| Beetles | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| A Predaceous Diving Beetle | Ilybius opacus | 3 |
| A Predaceous Diving Beetle | Agabus discolor | 3 |
| A Predaceous Diving Beetle | Agabus leptapsis | 3 |
| A Predaceous Diving Beetle | Agabus immaturus | 3 |
| A Predaceous Diving Beetle | Hygrotus compar | 3 |
| A Water Scavenger Beetle | Agabetes acuductus | 3 |
| Northern Barrens Tiger Beetle | Cicindela patruela patruela | 3 |
| Ghost Tiger Beetle | Ellipsoptera lepida | 2 |
| A Leaf Beetle | Pachybrachis luridus | 1 |
| A Leaf Beetle | Distigmoptera impennata | 1 |
| A Minute Moss Beetle | Hydraena angulicollis | 1 |
| A Pear-shaped Weevil | Sayapion segnipes | 1 |
| A Straight-snouted Weevil | Eutrichapion huron | 1 |
| Hairy-necked Tiger Beetle | Cicindela hirticollis hirticollis | 1 |
| Sandy Stream Tiger Beetle | Ellipsoptera macra | 1 |
| Birds | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| American Woodcock | Scolopax minor | 3 |
| Bobolink | Dolichonyx oryzivorus | 3 |
| Common Nighthawk | Chordeiles minor | 3 |
| Eastern Whip-poor-will | Antrostomus vociferus | 3 |
| Golden-winged Warbler | Vermivora chrysoptera | 3 |
| Grasshopper Sparrow | Ammodramus savannarum | 3 |
| Least Flycatcher | Empidonax minimus | 3 |
| Red-headed Woodpecker | Melanerpes erythrocephalus | 3 |
| Vesper Sparrow | Pooecetes gramineus | 3 |
| American Bittern | Botaurus lentiginosus | 2 |
| Lark Sparrow | Chondestes grammacus | 2 |
| Northern Goshawk | Accipiter gentilis | 2 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | Buteo lineatus | 2 |
| Rusty Blackbird | Euphagus carolinus | 2 |
| Sharp-tailed Grouse | Tympanuchus phasianellus | 2 |
| Upland Sandpiper | Bartramia longicauda | 2 |
| Black Tern | Chlidonias niger | 1 |
| Black-backed Woodpecker | Picoides arcticus | 1 |
| Boreal Chickadee | Poecile hudsonicus | 1 |
| Brewer's Blackbird | Euphagus cyanocephalus | 1 |
| Common Goldeneye | Bucephala clangula | 1 |
| Dickcissel | Spiza americana | 1 |
| Eastern Meadowlark | Sturnella magna | 1 |
| Evening Grosbeak | Coccothraustes vespertinus | 1 |
| Henslow's Sparrow | Ammodramus henslowii | 1 |
| Kirtland's Warbler | Setophaga kirtlandii | 1 |
| Loggerhead Shrike | Lanius ludovicianus | 1 |
| Olive-sided Flycatcher | Contopus cooperi | 1 |
| Spruce Grouse | Falcipennis canadensis | 1 |
| Western Meadowlark | Sturnella neglecta | 1 |
| Butterflies and moths | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| Chryxus Arctic | Oeneis chryxus | 3 |
| Northern Blue | Lycaeides idas | 3 |
| Cobweb Skipper | Hesperia metea | 2 |
| Dusted Skipper | Atrytonopsis hianna | 2 |
| Phlox Moth | Schinia indiana | 2 |
| Doll's Merolonche | Acronicta dolli | 1 |
| Gorgone Checker Spot | Chlosyne gorgone | 1 |
| Karner Blue | Lycaeides melissa samuelis | 1 |
| Owl-eyed Bird Dropping Moth | Cerma cora | 1 |
| Persius Dusky Wing | Erynnis persius | 1 |
| West Virginia White | Pieris virginiensis | 1 |
| Caddisflies | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| A Fingernet Caddisfly | Wormaldia moesta | 3 |
| A Humpless Casemaker Caddisfly | Brachycentrus lateralis | 3 |
| Dragonflies and damselflies | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| Delta-spotted Spiketail | Cordulegaster diastatops | 3 |
| Forcipate Emerald | Somatochlora forcipata | 3 |
| Plains Emerald | Somatochlora ensigera | 3 |
| Slaty Skimmer | Libellula incesta | 3 |
| Extra-striped Snaketail | Ophiogomphus anomalus | 1 |
| Incurvate Emerald | Somatochlora incurvata | 1 |
| Lake Emerald | Somatochlora cingulata | 1 |
| Mottled Darner | Aeshna clepsydra | 1 |
| Pronghorn Clubtail | Gomphus graslinellus | 1 |
| Sioux (Sand) Snaketail | Ophiogomphus smithi | 1 |
| Spatterdock Darner | Rhionaeschna mutata | 1 |
| Sphagnum Sprite | Nehalennia gracilis | 1 |
| St. Croix Snaketail | Ophiogomphus susbehcha | 1 |
| Swamp Darner | Epiaeschna heros | 1 |
| Zigzag Darner | Aeshna sitchensis | 1 |
| Fishes | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Sturgeon | Acipenser fulvescens | 3 |
| Least Darter | Etheostoma microperca | 2 |
| Lake Chubsucker | Erimyzon sucetta | 1 |
| River Redhorse | Moxostoma carinatum | 1 |
| Grasshoppers and allies | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| Bruner's Spur-throat Grasshopper | Melanoplus bruneri | 2 |
| Clear-winged Grasshopper | Camnula pellucida | 2 |
| Crackling Forest Grasshopper | Trimerotropis verruculata | 2 |
| Forest Locust | Melanoplus islandicus | 2 |
| Huckleberry Spur-throat Grasshopper | Melanoplus fasciatus | 2 |
| Rocky Mountain Sprinkled Locust | Chloealtis abdominalis | 2 |
| Speckled Rangeland Grasshopper | Arphia conspersa | 2 |
| Stone's Locust | Melanoplus stonei | 2 |
| A Spur-throat Grasshopper | Melanoplus foedus | 1 |
| Ash-brown Grasshopper | Trachyrhachys kiowa | 1 |
| Club-horned Grasshopper | Aeropedellus clavatus | 1 |
| Grizzly Spur-throat Grasshopper | Melanoplus punctulatus | 1 |
| Mermiria Grasshopper | Mermiria bivittata | 1 |
| Spotted-winged Grasshopper | Orphulella pelidna | 1 |
| Leafhoppers and true bugs | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| A Backswimmer | Notonecta borealis | 3 |
| Mammals | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Flying Squirrel | Glaucomys sabrinus | 3 |
| Big Brown Bat | Eptesicus fuscus | 2 |
| Little Brown Bat | Myotis lucifugus | 2 |
| Water Shrew | Sorex palustris | 2 |
| Woodland Jumping Mouse | Napaeozapus insignis | 2 |
| Northern Long-eared Bat | Myotis septentrionalis | 1 |
| Prairie Deer Mouse | Peromyscus maniculatus bairdii | 1 |
| Silver-haired Bat | Lasionycteris noctivagans | 1 |
| Mayflies | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| A Flat-headed Mayfly | Maccaffertium pulchellum | 3 |
| A Spiny Crawler Mayfly | Drunella cornuta | 3 |
| A Spiny Crawler Mayfly | Eurylophella aestiva | 3 |
| American Sand Burrowing Mayfly | Dolania americana | 3 |
| A Small Minnow Mayfly | Paracloeodes minutus | 2 |
| A Small Minnow Mayfly | Plauditus cestus | 1 |
| Mussels and clams | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| Slippershell Mussel | Alasmidonta viridis | 2 |
| Buckhorn | Tritogonia verrucosa | 1 |
| Elktoe | Alasmidonta marginata | 1 |
| Fawnsfoot | Truncilla donaciformis | 1 |
| Mapleleaf | Quadrula quadrula | 1 |
| Salamander Mussel | Simpsonaias ambigua | 1 |
| Snuffbox | Epioblasma triquetra | 1 |
| Yellow & Slough Sandshells | Lampsilis teres | 1 |
| Reptiles | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| Wood Turtle | Glyptemys insculpta | 3 |
| Blanding's Turtle | Emydoidea blandingii | 2 |
| Eastern Ribbonsnake | Thamnophis sauritus | 1 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Asclepias ovalifolia | Dwarf Milkweed | 3 |
| Boechera missouriensis | Missouri Rock-cress | 3 |
| Malaxis monophyllos var. brachypoda | White Adder's-mouth | 3 |
| Parnassia palustris | Marsh Grass-of-Parnassus | 3 |
| Vaccinium pallidum | Blue Ridge Blueberry | 3 |
| Asplenium trichomanes | Maidenhair Spleenwort | 2 |
| Carex backii | Rocky Mountain Sedge | 2 |
| Cypripedium arietinum | Ram's-head Lady's-slipper | 2 |
| Eleocharis flavescens var. olivacea | Capitate Spike-rush | 2 |
| Eleocharis quadrangulata | Square-stem Spike-rush | 2 |
| Eleocharis quinqueflora | Few-flowered Spike-rush | 2 |
| Eleocharis robbinsii | Robbins' Spike-rush | 2 |
| Epilobium strictum | Downy Willow-herb | 2 |
| Gymnocarpium robertianum | Limestone Oak Fern | 2 |
| Leucophysalis grandiflora | Large-flowered Ground-cherry | 2 |
| Platanthera hookeri | Hooker's Orchid | 2 |
| Sceptridium oneidense | Blunt-lobe Grape-fern | 2 |
| Utricularia resupinata | Northeastern Bladderwort | 2 |
| Vaccinium cespitosum | Dwarf Bilberry | 2 |
| Valeriana uliginosa | Marsh Valerian | 2 |
| Verbena simplex | Narrow-leaved Vervain | 2 |
| Viola striata | Striped Violet | 2 |
| Amerorchis rotundifolia | Round-leaved Orchis | 1 |
| Botrychium mormo | Little Goblin Moonwort | 1 |
| Calypso bulbosa | Calypso Orchid | 1 |
| Carex livida | Livid Sedge | 1 |
| Carex sychnocephala | Many-headed Sedge | 1 |
| Cirsium hillii | Hill's Thistle | 1 |
| Eleocharis rostellata | Beaked Spike-rush | 1 |
| Galium brevipes | Swamp Bedstraw | 1 |
| Juglans cinerea | Butternut | 1 |
| Littorella uniflora | American Shoreweed | 1 |
| Penstemon hirsutus | Hairy Beardtongue | 1 |
| Potamogeton oakesianus | Oakes' Pondweed | 1 |
| Salix sericea | Silky Willow | 1 |
| Sceptridium rugulosum | Rugulose Grape-fern | 1 |
| Triglochin palustris | Slender Bog Arrow-grass | 1 |
The Northeast Sands 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.
Roughly 75% of the Northeast Sands is forested, playing an important role in the landscape's high water quality, providing extensive forest habitat, supporting local economies and offering many management opportunities. Opportunities exist to maintain large habitat patches and improve connectivity between smaller forest patches; both of these would help avoid problems associated with fragmentation and isolation and should benefit area-sensitive species. Older forests are scarce here, as they are in most of the state, and working forests could include areas with extended rotations, the development of old-growth characteristics and/or stands of "managed old-growth."
Dry forest types are prevalent, but many other types are also significant. Many forests here are now managed for aspen, but there are good opportunities to maintain dry forests of other early successional species such as jack pine and scrub oak, as well as older mesic forests of beech-hemlock, dry-mesic forests of white and red pine and wet-mesic forests of white cedar. Northern Wet-mesic Forests dominated by white cedar are common here; these forests have high ecological value and support numerous rare or uncommon plants and animals, but they are susceptible to negative impacts from hydrological modifications and excessive browse pressure. Good opportunities to protect this fragile natural community occur on the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, within several state wildlife areas and on the Marinette and Oconto County Forests.
Barrens and bracken grassland communities, once a much more common feature here, represent important restoration and management opportunities, and active projects are underway at several locations. Some of these projects could be expanded and/or made more compatible with management of adjoining dry forests. Where possible, early successional forests could be managed in association with remnant barrens and bracken grasslands to increase connectivity between open areas that are now isolated, increasing effective habitat size, reducing undesirable edge impacts and supporting additional open country animals.
Several Northeast Sands streams offer opportunities to protect aquatic habitats of high biodiversity value. There are good opportunities to protect and maintain river and stream corridors, including those of the Menominee, Peshtigo, Oconto, Wolf, Pine, Pike and some of their tributaries. Some of the streams are bordered by bedrock outcroppings, stands of conifers and/or relatively old forest, which support, or have the potential to support, species that are rare elsewhere in the Ecological Landscape and surrounding region.
Bedrock features, such as cliffs, glades and talus slopes, are well represented in some parts of the Northeast Sands, and these merit protection for their unusual biota, as well as the aesthetic and recreational interest they stimulate. Other miscellaneous features of potentially high local and regional ecological value include undeveloped lakes and ponds, bogs, fens, sedge meadows, marshes and alder swamps.
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 Northeast Sands Ecological Landscape. The Northeast Sands 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