forest soils of wisconsin: an overview

F O R E S T S O I L S O F W I S C O N S I N

A N O V E R V I E W

By James E. Johnson, James G. Bockheim and John M. Cain

G3452

FIGURE 1 SOIL REGIONS OF WISCONSIN

THE SOUTHWESTERN RIDGES AND VALLEYS

THE SOUTHEASTERN UPLANDS

THE CENTRAL SANDY UPLANDS AND PLAINS

THE WESTERN SANDSTONE UPLANDS, VALLEYSLOPES, AND PLAINS

THE NORTHERN AND EASTERN SANDY ANDLOAMY REDDISH DRIFT UPLANDS AND PLAINS

THE NORTHERN SILTY UPLANDS AND PLAINS

THE NORTHERN LOAMY UPLANDS AND PLAINS

THE NORTHERN SANDY UPLANDS AND PLAINS

THE NORTHERN CLAYEY AND LOAMY REDDISH DRIFT UPLANDS AND PLAINS

THE EASTERN CLAYEY AND LOAMY REDDISH DRIFT UPLANDS AND PLAINS

THE STREAM BOTTOMS AND MAJOR WETLANDS

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0 30 60 MIles

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INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................2

REGION A—THE SOUTHWESTERN RIDGES AND VALLEYS .....................................................4

REGION B—THE SOUTHEASTERN UPLANDS ........................................................................6

REGION C—THE CENTRAL SANDY UPLANDS AND PLAINS ...................................................8

REGION D—THE WESTERN SANDSTONE UPLANDS, VALLEY SLOPES, AND PLAINS ..............10

REGION E—THE NORTHERN AND EASTERN SANDY AND LOAMY REDDISH

DRIFT UPLANDS AND PLAINS ........................................................................11

REGION F—THE NORTHERN SILTY UPLANDS AND PLAINS.................................................13

REGION G—THE NORTHERN LOAMY UPLANDS AND PLAINS .............................................15

REGION H—THE NORTHERN SANDY UPLANDS AND PLAINS .............................................17

REGION IA—THE NORTHERN CLAYEY AND LOAMY REDDISH DRIFT UPLANDS

AND PLAINS ..................................................................................................18

REGION IB—THE EASTERN CLAYEY AND LOAMY REDDISH DRIFT UPLANDS

AND PLAINS ..................................................................................................19

REGION J—THE STREAM BOTTOMS AND MAJOR WETLANDS.............................................20

FIGURES AND TABLES

FIGURE 1—SOIL REGIONS OF WISCONSIN ......................................INSIDE FRONT COVER

FIGURE 2—DETAIL OF SOIL MAP..................................................................................3

FIGURE 3—PRESETTLEMENT VEGETATION MAP ................................INSIDE BACK COVER

FIGURE 4—CROSS-SECTION OF SOIL REGION A LANDSCAPE .........................................5

FIGURE 5—REPRESENTATION OF SOIL VARIETY ACCORDING TO DEPTH........................7

TABLE 1—PRODUCTIVITY OF WISCONSIN SOILS BY REGION........................................21

TABLE 2—YIELDS AT SPECIFIED AGES FOR TREE SPECIES .............................................24

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the aid of Soil Conservation Service (SCS) personnel in providing the data in Table 1.

George Alley, retired SCS forester, initially developed the data from over 1,000 forested plots located throughout

the state. George’s replacement, Tom Thrall, provided much updated information essential for the publication of

this bulletin.

The following individuals provided helpful reviews of an earlier draft of this report: John Trobaugh (Bureau of

Forestry, now with Georgia-Pacific Corporation), Leonard Kempf (U.S. Forest Service, Chequamegon National

Forest), and Tom Thrall and Frank Anderson (Soil Conservation Service)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1

1For a more detailed discussion of the soils, climate, and landforms in each of these regions, see Soils of Wisconsin, byFrancis D. Hole, available from the University of Wisconsin Press, Box 1379, Madison WI 53701.

Wisconsin possesses a rich forestresource base. With nearly 14.8million acres of commercial

forest, the state ranks seventh nationally inforest acreage. Almost two-thirds of thecommercial forest area has private, non-industrial ownership. The forest consists of awide range of forest cover types, includingnorthern hardwoods (29%), aspen - birch(26%), oak - hickory (19%), swamp conifers(9%), pines (8%), and bottomlandhardwoods (8%).

The soils supporting this vastcommercial forest are as variable as the covertypes. Forest soils generally are defined asthose which currently support forest growthor which developed under forest vegetationand have not changed appreciably due toother uses or vegetation.

A strong interaction exists between thesoils and forest vegetation. To a large degree,soils influence the type and productivity of

forest vegetation. For example, dry, infertileglacial outwash sands may support only jackpine and northern pin oak. These samespecies may be absent from a moist, medium-or fine-textured, nutrient-rich glacial till thatgrows good stands of sugar maple andbasswood. In addition to influencing the typeand productivity of forest vegetation, soils alsoaffect numerous management practices suchas logging, site preparation, and reforestation.Soil and site characteristics such as texture,drainage, infiltration, erodibility, and slopesteepness all influence management practices.An informed land manager takes thesecharacteristics into consideration whendeveloping and implementing a managementplan for a timber stand.

This bulletin discusses forest soils andforest management practices in each ofWisconsin’s ten major soil regions, shown inFigure 1.1 The soil regions are separatedmainly on the basis of geology, landforms,

INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION

2

Landowners can learn

much about woodland

management from

professional foresters.

▲

soil parent materials, and location withinthe state. Soils within these regions havecertain characteristics in common, but theyalso have substantial differences. Within aregion, the soils can differ in depth, texture,natural drainage, slope, and fertility.

This bulletin serves as a supplementto detailed soil maps by describing generalsoil characteristics and patterns on thelandscape within each region. It also brieflydescribes the major forest soils, providessome common forest managementinterpretations, and gives site index andyield estimates for the major tree species ineach of the ten soil regions.

The site indexes were obtainedprimarily by the U.S. Department ofAgriculture Soil Conservation Service. Theywere derived from more than 1,000 forestplots located throughout the state, as well asdata from soil series in Michigan andMinnesota. The yield estimates were derivedfrom normal yield tables showing volumeper unit area as a function of stand age andsite index. These tables assume fully stockedconditions and good managementpractices—no past grazing, removal ofhigher quality trees, etc. In estimatingyield, we assumed a rotation age of 80 yearsfor sawlogs and 40, 50 or 60 years forpulpwood, depending on forest type.Because many of the yield tables wereprepared in the 1930s and 1940s, the yieldsprovided are merely estimates subject torevision as new data are obtained. Themanagement interpretations are based onmany years of research and fieldobservations.

Additional information about soilsnot listed in this bulletin can be obtained bycontacting the nearest Soil ConservationService office. More extensive information isavailable from county soil survey reportswhich contain detailed soil maps (Figure 2).Forest management advice is available fromthe county Department of NaturalResources forester, industrial foresters, andconsulting foresters.

The landscape ofWisconsin has changeddramatically in the last 200years as cropland, pasture,roads, and cities replacedthousands of acres of forest andprairie. Records from explorers,surveyors, and early settlersprovide a fairly accuratedescription of the presettlementvegetation. Most of the statewas covered by forests, and thetree species growing in any areaevolved over a long period oftime as the best-adapted species. Figure 3shows the major presettlement forest typesin Wisconsin.

Different combinations of soils,climate, and topography resulted indifferent types of forests in different areas.To a large extent, the presettlementvegetation indicates the tree species thatshould be likely choices for present-dayforest management, because they are bestadapted to grow in that area.

There is a preliminary classificationsystem relating common understoryvegetation to forest type. The units arecalled vegetative habitat types and thesystem is now fairly well developed for thenorthern and central portions of the state. Ahabitat type is a recognizable plantassociation of overstory (trees) andunderstory vegetation that reflects siteconditions such as climate, soils, andtopography. Habitat types can be recognizedby the presence and/or abundance of keyplant species, and can be used to help inforest management planning. Severalcommon habitat types have been identifiedfor Soil Regions G and H shown in Figure 1.

INTRODUCTION

3

FIGURE 2 ▲

Detailed soil maps provide

specific information on soil

characteristics. The area

depicted is one square mile

(640 acres) with soil

boundaries and soil symbols

plotted on an aerial

photograph background. Maps

similar to this are a part of

published soil surveys for 49

counties. They are also

available in unpublished forms

for many areas in the rest of

the state. A status of soil

surveys in Wisconsin is

available from the Soil

Conservation Service.

Location and ExtentThe Southwestern Ridges and Valleys

Soil Region covers about 11 percent ofWisconsin (3.7 million acres), and is mainlyin the southern half of the Driftless Area.Although primarily an agricultural area, thisregion currently is 30 percent forested withanother 25 percent of the region in clearedpasture.

Topography and GeologyThe topography of the Southwestern

Ridges and Valleys Soil Region is related tothe underlying bedrock and the degree towhich streams have dissected the landscapeby cutting valleys. This region has thelongest and steepest slopes of any region inthe state. The underlying bedrock consistsof level, bedded dolomite and sandstone.The dolomite is fairly hard and resistant toweathering and erosion, while the sandstoneis soft and easily eroded. Where thedolomite has been removed, streams havebeen able to cut deep, wide valleys.Dolomite is the predominant bedrockoccurring near the surface on ridge tops andupper side slopes and sandstone is thepredominant rock exposed on the steepvalley sides.

The soils in this region are formedpartly from the underlying bedrock andpartly from a windblown silty layer calledloess, which was deposited over the regionduring and after the retreat of the glaciers.Because of this loess deposit, the surfacelayer is dominantly silt loam. Typicalsubsoils are silty clay loam, clay loam, orclay in areas of dolomite bedrock, andsandy loam, loamy sand, or sand in areas ofsandstone bedrock (Figure 4).

This region is an interesting mixtureof nearly level and gentle slopes, fertile soilson ridgetops and in valleys, and very steep

land in between. Most of the gentler slopesare in cropland or pasture, and the steeperslopes are forested.

Forest VegetationIn presettlement times, much of this

region was oak - hickory forests, nativeprairies, and prairie-savannas. Sincesettlement and the subsequent ability tocontrol wildfires, non-farmed portions ofthe region have succeeded to stands of whiteoak - red oak - hickory; sugar maple -basswood; and bur oak. The patterns offorest vegetation and timber productivityare closely related to slope position andaspect. The south and west aspects tend tobe warmer and drier than the north and eastaspects. Accordingly, oaks and hickoriespredominate on the south- and west-facingslopes; northern hardwoods may grow alongwith oaks and hickories on the north- andeast-facing slopes.

Forest Soils andForest Management

The three most common forest soilseries in this region are Dubuque, Fayette,and Palsgrove, which collectively occupyabout 64 percent of the area (Table 1).These soils are derived from loess overdolomite, and are characterized by a siltloam surface layer. Common site indexes2

for northern hardwoods and oaks on thesesoils range from 62 to 74 feet; however,planted white pine may easily be 20 feethigher. Final yield at rotation age rangesfrom 7.6 thousand board feet (MBF)/acrefor the Palsgrove soil to 11.9 MBF/acre forthe Fayette soils (Table 1). In addition tosoil series, site factors such as slope positionand aspect (orientation) influence forestproductivity in the Southwestern Ridgesand Valleys Soil Region.

THE SOUTHWESTERN RIDGES AND VALLEYSREGION A

42Site index is defined as the average height of dominant trees in a stand at an age of 50 years.

The highest-value product fromforests in this region is veneer, and manystands contain trees capable of producingveneer logs. Hardwood stands should bemanaged to produce the highest-quality logspossible, with intermediate cuts producingfirewood and low-quality sawlogs. Becauseof the steep slopes and erodible soils,logging roads should be carefullyconstructed, avoiding straight upslope-downslope sections. Following logging,roads should be seeded with a cover crop toreduce erosion.

Planted conifers in this regiongenerally outproduce native hardwoods;however, markets for some softwoodproducts (e.g., pulpwood) are somewhat

limited. Both red pine and eastern whitepine are recommended for planting;however, competing vegetation is generallyheavy and must be controlled by handcutting or herbicide application. Blackwalnut is a popular hardwood species toplant in this region; however, it should beplanted only in sheltered areas on fertile,better-drained soils. Plantations withalternating rows of black walnut and easternwhite pine have the advantages ofproducing a much greater fiber yield (due tothe pine) and better form on the walnuttrees, with the pines acting as “trainers.”

REGION AT H E S O U T H W E S T E R N R I D G E S A N D V A L L E Y S

5

PlattevilleDolomite

St. PeterSandstone

Prairie du Chien Dolomites

Jordan Sandstone

Seaton silt loam

Stonyrockland

steep

Fayette silt loam

Richwoodsilt loamDakota fine

sandy loam

and other valley fill

Orion silt loamMississippi

River

Glacial outwash

Orionsilt loam

Dakota fine sandy loam

Richwoodsilt loam

Seaton silt loam

Fayettesilt loam

O OO OA

C

ABBt1Bt22Bt

BCBC

Bt2Bt1E

AA A

Bt2Bt1A

Bt1Bt2BCC

2C

2CAb

Cb

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5

6C

Depth (ft)

0-2%2-6%0-2%

60% slope0

18Mile

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12-20%

900

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Elevation (ft)

silt

▲ FIGURE 4.

Cross-section of a typical landscape in Soil Region A. Soils on different topographic positions can have very different characteristics.

Location and ExtentThe Southeastern Upland Soil Region

covers about 13 percent of the state (4.2million acres). Forest land in this regionoccupies only about 9 percent of the areaand is largely restricted to farm woodlots.The Kettle Moraine area is the mostextensively wooded. Farmland is thepredominant land use in the region;however, increasing urbanization is resultingin a decrease in farm and forest land.

Topography and GeologyThe Southeastern Uplands have

nearly level, undulating, and rollinglandforms, and soils derived from glacialdrift. Although predominantly an uplandregion, lakes, marshes, and bogs are verycommon. Nearly 10 percent of the region iswet organic soil, and an additional 15percent is wet mineral soil in lowlands.Calcareous drift covers the underlyingbedrock and the drift is capped in manyareas with a layer of windblown loess. Thissilty loess cap ranges from 0 to 5 feet thick.

Forest VegetationPrior to settlement, the southern and

western portions of the SoutheasternUplands were covered with native prairiesinterspersed with oak - hickory forests. Thelevel and gently sloping areas within theregion have been farmed more or lesscontinually since settlement; however, manysteeper lands and shallower or less-productive soils have reverted to forest. Thepredominant timber types are sugar maple -basswood; white oak - red oak - hickory;bur oak on the upland sites; and elm - ash -soft maple on the wetter soils.

Forest Soils and ForestManagement

The major forest soils of theSoutheastern Uplands are the Casco, Fox,Hochheim, McHenry, Miami, and Theresaseries (Table 1). These soils occupy about 42percent of the region. Typically, they have asilt loam surface layer formed in loess withsubsoils derived from calcareous glacialdrift. These soils are typically deep withoutlayers that restrict rooting (Figure 5). Siteindexes for northern hardwoods and oakscommonly range from a high of 70 feet onthe Theresa soil to 53 feet on the Cascosoils. Casco soil has a substratum derivedfrom sandy and gravelly outwash and is notas productive for hardwood species as othersoils in this region.

The highest-value product fromforests in the Southeastern Upland SoilRegion is veneer. Many mixed oak andnorthern hardwood stands are currentlyproducing veneer-quality timber. Sawlogsfor hardwood lumber and fuel wood arealso common products from the forest. Onmany sites, particularly the Casco soils,softwoods such as red and white pine cangreatly outproduce the hardwoods.However, before investing in site conversionfrom hardwoods to softwoods, woodlandmanagers should make sure that adequatepulpwood, pole or sawlog markets areavailable.

A common forest managementproblem in hardwood stands in this regionis adequate regeneration following timberharvesting. Most foresters recommend thatadequate established advance regenerationshould be present before the overstory isremoved. This regeneration, when added to

THE SOUTHEASTERN UPLANDSREGION B

6

sprouts which originate from cut stumps,generally is sufficient to restock cutoverlands. On some sites, it may be necessary tounderplant desired seedlings prior to thefinal harvest. In general, problems withregeneration, particularly red and white oak,

are more common on higher-quality sitessuch as the McHenry, Miami, and Theresasoils than on poorer-quality sites.

REGION BT H E S O U T H E A S T E R N U P L A N D

7

FIGURE 5

Soils may vary greatly with depth. To estimate

the quality of a soil for growing trees, one must

consider the entire rooting zone. Rooting depth is

limited by features such as bedrock, hardpan,

layers of droughty sand, and water tables.

▲

Location and ExtentThe Central Sandy Uplands and

Plains are located primarily in centralWisconsin and in scattered locations alongstreams in the western part of the state.This region occupies about 2.5 millionacres, or seven percent of the state’s landarea. Typically called the “golden sands”because of high crop yields on irrigatedsoils, this region is known for abundantcrops of potatoes and other vegetables,cranberries in the lowlands, and extensivepine forests, which are on the increase.

Topography and GeologyThe landforms in this region are

generally level to gently rolling, withoccasional sandstone outcrops or buttes.The underlying sandstone and Precambrianbedrock in the area is largely covered withthick, sandy, glacial outwash deposits andmoraines. In the eastern part of the region,sandy glacial till is the primary soil parentmaterial.

Throughout most of the CentralSandy Uplands and Plains, the water table isfairly close to the surface. The sand and

THE CENTRAL SANDY UPLANDS AND PLAINSREGION C

8

Aerial view of a typical

landscape in Soil Region C,

showing cropland, pasture, pine

plantations, and oak woodlots.▲

gravel aquifer is a major source of water forirrigated agriculture. In non-irrigated areas,the soils are often subject to extremedrought.

Forest VegetationAlthough the native vegetation of this

region was principally jack pine barrens, oaksavannas and prairie, the forested areas nowconsist of natural stands of mixed oak andpine, northern hardwoods, aspen, andplantations of red and white pine. ExtensiveChristmas tree plantations have also beenplanted throughout the region. About 44percent of the region is now in forest cover,and this amount is slowly increasing. Redpine is the predominant commercial forestspecies in the region, with red pineplantations occupying 85 percent of theforested area. Almost two-thirds of thesestands are less than 30 years old. Thisyoung, developing pine resource willbecome a major source of pulpwood, poles,and sawlogs within the next 20 years.

Forest Soils andForest Management

The major forest soils of the CentralSandy Uplands and Plains are the Dancy,Gotham, Guenther, Menahga, Plainfield,and Sparta series. These soils cover about 60percent of the land area, represent a varietyof conditions, and support different timbertypes. The Plainfield and Menahga soils arethe typical, weakly developed soils derivedfrom sandy outwash; they are commonlyplanted to red pine. The Gotham andGuenther soils are somewhat finer textured,with the lower portion of the Guenther soildeveloped from residual bedrock. Both theGuenther and wetter Dancy soils commonlysupport northern hardwoods and aspen.The Sparta soils in the western part of theregion developed under prairie vegetation.They are sandy, droughty, and best suited topine.

The common site indexes for thesesoils differ somewhat. The Plainfield,Menahga, Gotham, and Sparta soils haveaverage pine site indexes of 55 to 82 feet.The Guenther soils are capable of growing

northern red oak with a siteindex of 68 feet, and theDancy soils have an averagesite index of 60 feet fornorthern hardwoods.Managed stands of red pineon the Plainfield andMenahga soils are capableof producing over 34thousand board feet(MBF)/acre by rotation age(about 80 years) and theyield increases to 59 for redpine on the Gotham soils.

The majorreforestation species onsandy soils in this region isred pine. Although jackpine usually matches redpine in height growth, red pine producesmore total volume and higher-qualitylumber, particularly after 30 years of age.Stand conversion from existing timber typesto red pine involves clearcutting followed bymechanical and/or chemical sitepreparation, hand or machine planting oftwo- or three-year-old seedlings (usually atrates of about 1,000 seedlings/acre), andfollow-up chemical release from competingvegetation.

Some landowners may prefer a lower-cost alternative of growing mixed oak andpine stands. These stands have theadvantage of producing quality hardwoodfuel wood and pine pulpwood, poles orsawlogs. In addition, the stands have ahigher wildlife value than pure coniferstands. On the sandy soils in this region, oaktrees seldom produce high-qualitysawtimber.

Wind erosion is a common problemon agricultural fields, and windbreaks ofpines, northern pin oak, and other speciesare necessary to reduce soil losses, damage toseedlings, and other harmful environmentalimpacts. Planting windbreaks is encouraged,as well as maintaining and regeneratingmature windbreaks.

REGION CT H E C E N T R A L S A N D Y U P L A N D S A N D P L A I N S

9

▲ Sandy outwash soils such as

the Plainfield in Waushara

County are well suited for pine

plantations.

REGION D

Location and ExtentThe Western Sandstone Uplands,

Valley Slopes, and Plains occupy about 3.3million acres, or 9 percent of the state’s landarea. About one-third of this region isforested, with 40 percent of the region incropland and 25 percent in pasture.

Topography and GeologyThis soil region has hilly topography

resulting from stream dissection ofsandstone bedrock. A thin layer of glacialtill covers some of the northern andnortheastern portions of the region. Insome areas, loess deposits provide a silt loamsurface layer. Sandstone outcrops arecommon, as are low cliffs along streamcourses. The Dells of the Wisconsin Riverform a spectacular example of stream-cutexposures of the sandstone bedrock.

Forest VegetationThe native vegetation in this region

included prairies, oak savannas, oak forests,and northern hardwood forests. Today, themajor forest cover type is white oak - redoak - hickory; other common types includewhite oak, bur oak, sugar maple -basswood, white pine, red pine, and jackpine.


The primary forest soils of theWestern Sandstone Uplands, Valley Slopes,and Plains are the Boone, Gale, Hixton,Norden, and Northfield series. These soilsaccount for about 65 percent of the landarea in this region. The Gale, Hixton,Norden, and Northfield soils developed inloamy glacial drift or loess over sandstonebedrock. Site indexes range from 62 to 73feet for northern red oak, with theexception of the Northfield and Boone soilswhich have a site index of 55 feet or less.

Reforestation species on these soilsinclude red and white pine, and jack pineon the Boone soils. Expected final yields forred pine on the Gale, Hixton, and Nordensoils range from about 8 to 12 thousandboard feet (MBF)/acre, but are only 1 to 5MBF/acre on the Northfield and Boonesoils. The finer-textured soils are capable ofsupporting good stands of oak, andattention should be given to growingquality trees to sawlog sizes. Afterharvesting, regeneration to red oak andwhite oak is usually achieved from stumpsprouts and advance-growth seedlings. Amanagement option is growing mixedstands of pine and oak.

THE WESTERN SANDSTONE UPLANDS, VALLEY

SLOPES, AND PLAINS

10

A combination of poor soils

and management can result in

woodlots with little value. This

is an area in Soil Region D

with shallow soils over

limestone bedrock. These

gravelly, droughty soils slow

tree growth.

▲

Location and ExtentThe Northern and Eastern Sandy and

Loamy Reddish Drift Uplands and PlainsSoil Region is located in the east-centralportion of Wisconsin, and is most prevalentin Door, Oconto, Marinette, andOutagamie counties. This region occupiesabout 5 percent of the land area of the state,and is about 60 percent forested.

Topography and GeologyThis region has level to rolling

topography formed largely from glacial tilldeposits. A pinkish, loamy till covers aboutthree-fourths of the region, while theremainder is underlain by lacustrine, orglacial lake bed, deposits. In Door County,the glacial drift is shallow over limestonebedrock, and rock outcrops are common.The soils throughout this region generallyare well drained, and range from thin,weakly developed profiles over bedrock, todeep, well-developed soils in lacustrinedeposits.

Forest VegetationThe native vegetation of this region

included a wide variety of plantcommunities, such as swamp conifers, sedgemeadows, oak savannas, pine barrens, pineforests, boreal forests, and southern mesicforests. Today, the major forest cover typesare sugar maple - beech - yellow birch; sugarmaple - basswood; northern red oak -basswood - white ash; aspen; and northernwhite-cedar. Aspen is a predominant timbertype in the northern portions of the region(Oconto and Marinette counties), whilenorthern white-cedar is the major type inDoor County.


The primary forest soils of the regionare the Emmet, Onaway, Shawano, andSolona series. These soils are generallyformed in sandy or loamy deposits overcalcareous glacial till. The Solona soil iswetter, being typically somewhat poorlydrained, while the Shawano soils areexcessively drained and consist of weakdevelopment in sandy lacustrine deposits.The Onaway, Solona, and Emmet soilstypically support hardwood forests, and arecapable of growing good stands of sugarmaple, northern red oak, and aspen. Averagered oak site indexes on these soils rangefrom 63 to 73 feet. The Shawano soil is bestsuited to growing pines, and the typicallylevel lacustrine landforms are well suited forestablishing plantations.

Natural stands of northern hardwoodsand aspen on the better-quality sites shouldbe managed for the higher-value speciessuch as sugar maple, basswood, yellowbirch, and northern red oak. Although it isprimarily a low-value pulpwood species,aspen also grows well on these sites andshould be managed in pure, even-agedstands. Costs of converting these stands tofaster-growing conifers would probably beexcessive on these sites. The Shawano soil iswell suited for conifer production,particularly red pine, and conversion fromhardwoods to pine may be a viablemanagement alternative. Markets forpulpwood and sawlogs are generallyfavorable in this region, improving theopportunity for the practice of forestry onsmall woodlots.

THE NORTHERN AND EASTERN SANDY AND LOAMY

REDDISH DRIFT UPLANDS AND PLAINS

11

REGION E

12

▲ Good management can result in excellent quality red oak stands. Many soils in Regions B, E, F, and G are capable of supporting

stands like this.

Location and ExtentThe Northern Silty Uplands and

Plains Soil Region is widely scatteredthroughout northern Wisconsin, fromFlorence County in the east to St. CroixCounty in the west. This soil region coversnearly six million acres, or about 16 percentof the state’s land area. The region iscurrently 53 percent forested, with otherimportant land uses being pasture, hayproduction, grain and forage production,and some potato production.

Topography and GeologyThe topography of this broad soil

region is level to gently rolling, determinedlargely by the nature of the parent material,which includes stony glacial till, outwash,and lacustrine deposits. In some areas,weathered Precambrian and Cambrianbedrock is near the surface. A silty layerdeposited by either wind or water coversmost of this region. This “silty cap,” two tothree feet thick, results in fairly productivesoils. For example, Antigo silt loam, theofficial “State Soil,” is located primarily inthe region’s eastern portion. The Antigo soilis well known for its excellent crop-producing capabilities, including northernhardwoods.

Forest VegetationThis soil region was initially vegetated

with species from the northern mesic forest;typically, eastern hemlock, yellow birch,maple, and basswood. Today, the regionsupports some of the state’s most productivenorthern hardwood stands. The dominantforest cover types are sugar maple -basswood; hemlock - yellow birch; northernred oak; and aspen. Red maple, the region’sdominant species, is increasing inabundance, and now represents the largestamount of growing stock volume inMarathon and Taylor Counties.


The Northern Silty Uplands andPlains include a variety of important soilseries (Table 1). These soils occupy nearly2.1 million acres, or about 37 percent of theregion. Generally, these soils are formed insilty sediments over either glacial till oroutwash. Drainage varies from well drainedwith the Antigo soil, to somewhat poorlydrained with the Almena soil, to poorlydrained with the Auburndale soils.

All of these soils represent typicalnorthern hardwood sites, with site indexesranging from 57 feet for red maple on theAuburndale soil to 69 feet for northern redoak on the Withee, Antigo, and Freer soils.Likewise, sawtimber production rangesfrom 4.1 thousand board feet (MBF)/acreon the Auburndale soil to 10.1 MBF/acreon the Withee, Antigo, and Freer soils.

Although hardwood timber stands onthese soils could be clearcut and convertedto conifers, the costs of conversion aregenerally quite high because of the largeamount of competing vegetation, both fromhardwood sprouts, seedlings, and invadingbrush species. In general, these sites shouldbe managed for either northern hardwoods,northern red oak, or aspen. Suitable conifersfor planting on most of these soils includewhite pine, red pine, white spruce, andblack spruce. Spruces are better adapted tothe wetter sites, pines to well-drained sites.Conifer volume growth on these soils mayactually be two to three times that of thenorthern hardwoods; however, theconversion process may be very difficult.

Hardwoods may be managed forsawtimber production, with a small amountof veneer-quality logs produced. On thesesites, rotation age, or the age at final harvest,is commonly 80 years or more. Woodharvested in intermediate cuttings such asthinnings is valuable for both fuel wood and

THE NORTHERN SILTY UPLANDS AND PLAINS

13

REGION F

REGION F

pulpwood. Landowners may use eithereven-aged or uneven-aged systems formanaging northern hardwood stands. Withthe even-aged system, the entire stand oftrees is usually harvested after advanceregeneration has become established

(3-4 feet tall). With the uneven-agedsystem, regular partial cuttings areconducted at periodic intervals, such as fiveor ten years, and regeneration occursfollowing each cutting. Aspen is managedusing the even-aged system of clearcutting.

T H E N O R T H E R N S I L T Y U P L A N D S A N D P L A I N S

14

Northern hardwood stands

such as this are common in Soil

Regions E, F, G, and I.

▲

Location and ExtentSoil Region G, the Northern Loamy

Uplands and Plains, covers more than 5.9million acres, or nearly 17 percent of thestate’s land area. The region extends fromeastern Marinette County to BurnettCounty. About 76 percent of this region iscommercial forest, with most of theChequamegon and Nicolet National Forestslocated on these soils. Other major landuses include dairy farming and potatoproduction.

Topography and GeologyThe topography of the Northern

Loamy Uplands and Plains ranges fromlevel on outwash or glacial till plains to hillyin glacial moraine areas. The distinguishingfeature between this region and Soil RegionF is the lack of a thick, silty surface layer.Although a gritty, silt loam surface isevident in some portions of the region, it isnot more than ten inches thick. The regionfeatures thick glacial drift that is underlainby Precambrian bedrock. About 75 percentof the region has moderately-well toexcessively drained soils, 15 percent of theregion has organic soils, and the remaining10 percent consists of poorly drainedmineral soils.

Forest VegetationThe native forest vegetation

throughout this region consisted ofnorthern mesic forests, pine forests, andswamp conifers in the lowlands. Today thepredominant forest cover types are aspen;sugar maple - basswood; sugar maple -birch; hemlock - yellow birch; and sugarmaple - beech - yellow birch (only in theeastern portion of the region). White spruceis an abundant species in western Oneida

and Forest counties. Maple - birch is themost prevalent forest type in Ashland, Iron,Price, Sawyer, Florence, Forest, Langlade,Lincoln, Menominee, and Shawanocounties.


The forest soils of Region G are quitevariable, with the following soil seriesdominant: Cable, Chetek, Cloquet,Gogebic, Iron River3, Kennan, Padus, andPence. Together these soils cover nearly 3.6million acres, or 62 percent of the region. Ingeneral, these soils have formed in a thinlayer of loamy or silty sediments over eitherglacial till or outwash. Fragipans, denserestricting layers, are common in the IronRiver and Gogebic series. The Chetek,Pence, and Padus soils all have a subsoilconsisting of sandy outwash material. Mostof these soils are well drained, with theexception of Cable, which is very poorlydrained.

In general, these soils are fairlyproductive. The silty and/or loamy surfaceshave a high water- and nutrient-holdingcapacity, and are well suited to growinghigh-quality hardwoods such as yellowbirch, sugar maple, northern red oak, whiteash, and American basswood. Site indexesrange from 56 feet for red maple on Cablesoils to 75 feet for northern red oak on theKennan soil (Table 1). On most of thesesoils, the aspen site index ranges from 67 to76 feet. Final yields on the Kennan soilsmay reach 12 thousand board feet(MBF)/acre for northern hardwoods, whileyields of 4 to 11 MBF/acre are morecommon for the other soils in the region.Soils such as the Pence are particularly wellsuited for conversion from hardwoods toconifers, primarily because of the coarse

THE NORTHERN LOAMY UPLANDS AND PLAINS

15

REGION G

3The Iron River name is no longer used; proposed new name is Wabeno.

REGION G

texture, which creates a soil environmentdrier and less fertile than required foroptimum hardwood growth. Afterconversion, the volume growth may increaseby a factor of four. Although competingvegetation is a problem, these soils areparticularly well suited to growing goodcrops of red pine. The Padus soil isespecially productive for pine, but may bemore difficult to convert because ofcompeting vegetation problems.

Northern hardwoods currentlyoccupying these sites should be managedusing either even-aged or uneven-agedsystems. In general, the uneven-aged system,where regeneration occurs followingperiodic, scheduled cuttings, favors sugarmaple. Regeneration by other species suchas hemlock, yellow birch, ash, basswood,and red oak is more competitive with theeven-aged systems.

Experts have identified forestvegetative habitat types of this part of

Wisconsin. Forest habitat types are distinctunits of vegetation that are considered to beclimax; that is, they will occupy the siteindefinitely if they are not disturbed. Thehabitat type name incorporates bothunderstory and overstory plant specieswhich will eventually dominate the type,although they may not dominate at present.The types are identified using key indicatorplant species and broad soil conditions suchas drainage, texture, droughtiness andprofile development. Major forest habitattypes associated with the soils in this regionare as follows:

T H E N O R T H E R N L O A M Y U P L A N D S A N D P L A I N

16

Soil Series Habitat Type

Iron River Acer-Viola-OsmorhizaPadus Acer-Tsuga-Dryopteris

Acer-Viola-OsmorhizaTsuga-Maianthemum

Pence Tsuga-Maianthemum

Location and ExtentThe Northern Sandy Uplands and

Plains occupy three major areas in northernWisconsin: Bayfield, Douglas, and Burnettcounties in the west, Oneida and Vilascounties in the north-central, and Marinetteand Florence Counties in the northeast. Theregion includes nearly 2.5 million acres, or7 percent of the state’s land area. The regionis 75 percent forested, and is principallyknown for timber production andrecreation. Some cropland and pastures arepresent, but limited in extent.

Topography and GeologyThe Northern Sandy Uplands and

Plains have varied topography, characterizedby kettles, ridges, hills, and outwash plains.The region’s sandy soils are developed inglacial drift, and, to a degree, resemble thesandy soils in Region C. However, thecooler climate and shorter growing season inthe north have produced vegetative and soildifferences between the two regions. Overmost of the region, the sandy drift depositsare deep, varying little with depth. In someareas, bands of clay and/or silt occur in thesubstratum.

Forest VegetationThe presettlement vegetation in this

region included primarily pine barrens andpine forests. The pine barrens oftenconsisted of a mix of jack pine, northern pinoak, and prairie grasses. The pine forests,most extensive in Vilas and OneidaCounties, were comprised of extensivestands of eastern white pine. Today, thisregion is still dominated by pine forests,with the major timber types being oak -

pine, jack pine, red pine, eastern white pine,and aspen - birch. Black spruce, tamarack,balsam fir, and northern white-cedar arecommon in lowlands.


The forest soils of Region H aregenerally very sandy, low in organic matterand fertility, and fairly droughty. Theregion’s main soils include the Au Gres,Chetek, Omega, Pence, and Vilas series.These soils cover about 2.5 million acres, or90 percent of the region (Table 1). All ofthese soils developed in sandy glacialoutwash, and are generally well drained toexcessively drained. The Au Gres series is anexception; it is a wet outwash soil that isusually somewhat poorly drained. Thesesoils are best suited to pine production, andgenerally have a site index of 55 to 60 feetand produce about 32 thousand board feet(MBF)/acre of pine sawtimber in an 80-yearrotation.

Forestry practices in the NorthernSandy Uplands and Plains generally involvepine management, either in natural standsor plantations. Although naturalregeneration of jack and white pine can beachieved using standard even-agedmanagement practices, red pine, thepreferred species on most sites, isregenerated with hand or machine plantingof seedlings following clearcutting. Seedcrops of red pine are generally not sufficientto insure adequate natural regeneration.Plantation management in this region issimilar to the Central Sandy Uplands andPlains. Common habitat types that occur onthese soils include Tsuga-Maianthemum-Vaccinium and Acer-Quercus-Vaccinium.

THE NORTHERN SANDY UPLANDS AND PLAINS

17

REGION H

Location and ExtentThe Northern Clayey and Loamy

Reddish Drift Uplands and Plains is a sub-region of Soil Region I. This sub-region islocated in the northern portions of Douglas,Bayfield, and Ashland counties, andcomprises only about 857,000 acres, or 2percent of Wisconsin’s land surface.Approximately 35 percent of this region is incropland, 20 percent in pasture, and 45percent in forest.

Topography and GeologyThe topography in Soil Region Ia is

gently rolling to flat. The landscape consistslargely of broad plains formed by the loweringof Lake Superior after the glaciers retreated.Soils are derived from the red silt and claythat settled to the bottom of the lake. Theselacustrine deposits are high in carbonates,although in the process of soil development,the carbonates have leached out of the soilsurface. Clay concentrations in these soilsmay range from 50 to 80 percent.

Forest VegetationIn presettlement times, the soils of

Region Ia primarily supported a boreal forestconsisting of balsam fir and white spruce.Today, however, a variety of timber types arecommon throughout the region, includingaspen; spruce - fir; sugar maple - basswood,red maple; and northern red oak - basswood- white ash. Red and white pine are alsofound in some areas.

Forest Soils and Forest ManagementThe major forest soils of Region Ia

include the Hibbing, Ontonagon, Rudyard,Pickford, and Superior series. Collectively,these soils account for about 706,000 acres,or 82 percent of the region (Table 1). Thesesoils are generally fine textured, rangingfrom loams and sandy loams in the Superiorseries to silty clays in the Ontonagon andRudyard series. Drainage also varies from

somewhat poorly drained (Rudyard) andpoorly drained (Pickford) to well drained(Hibbing).

These soils obtained their red colorfrom silts and clays that resulted fromglacially pulverized Precambrian ironformations. The presence of high amountsof silt and clay imparts some uniqueproperties to the soils of this region.Infiltration and permeability are slow,resulting in frequent standing water on thesurface and increased runoff. Erosionproblems can be quite severe on areas withbare soil. These soils are quite fertile, andtend to hold large amounts of moisture,which is favorable for tree growth.

Site indexes on these soils range from45 feet for white spruce on the Rudyard soilto 72 feet for aspen on the Hibbing. TheHibbing soils are the most productive, withaspen yields of 48 cords/acre at rotation age(Table 1). In existing hardwood stands, thecommercially valuable species should bemaintained and encouraged for pulpwoodand/or sawlog production. However, inpoorly stocked areas or abandonedagricultural land, conversion to conifers maybe a viable alternative. Species normallyrecommended for planting on these soilsinclude white and black spruce, and, to alesser degree, red and white pine. In someareas where deer browsing is not a problem,northern white-cedar may be a good coniferto plant. Pine and spruce site indexes as highas 70 feet have been recorded on theSuperior soil, and final yields of 48cords/acre are not uncommon.

Standing surface water caused by poorinfiltration is a major problem affectingseedling survival and early growth. Lack ofaeration frequently kills small seedlings,resulting in plantations with poor stocking.The practice of bedding or furrowing (withseedlings planted on top of the furrow slices)has greatly improved the survival rate andearly growth of conifer seedlings in theregion.

THE NORTHERN CLAYEY AND LOAMY


REGION IA

18

Location and ExtentThe Eastern Clayey and Loamy

Reddish Drift Uplands and Plains are foundchiefly in eastern Wisconsin along the LakeMichigan shoreline and inland as far asWaupaca and Waushara counties. Minorportions of the region also exist in Adams,Marquette, and Sauk Counties. This regioncomprises over 1.7 million acres, or about 5percent of the state’s land area. About 60percent of the acreage is in cropland, 15percent in pasture, and the remaining 25percent in forest and wetland.

Topography and GeologyThe region’s topography and geology

are very similar to those of Region Ia.Overall, the landscape is level to gentlyrolling, and reflects the surface of the glacialLake Michigan clay and silt deposits. Thecarbonate content of the soil and parentmaterial in this region is higher than inRegion Ia, due mainly to more extensivedeposits of shale and dolomite bedrockderived from the Lake Michigan basin inthe northeast. In many areas, the lacustrinedeposits were laid down on top of a reddish-colored glacial drift known as the Valderantill, deposited about 11,800 years ago. Theupland areas consist of soils such as theKewaunee, which are formed from theValderan till.

Forest VegetationThe native vegetation throughout this

region consisted primarily of northern andsouthern mesic forest species, includingsugar maple, basswood, hemlock, and

yellow birch. Today, stands of sugar maple -beech - yellow birch; northern red oak -basswood - white ash; aspen; and elm - ash -soft maple are common. For example, inBrown, Calumet, Manitowoc, andWinnebago Counties, stands of maple andbirch cover nearly 70,000 acres, or abouthalf of all the commercial timberland in theregion. The second most prevalent timbertype is elm - ash - soft maple, which coversan additional 41,000 acres.


The three primary forest soils of thisregion include the Kewaunee, Manawa, andOshkosh series. These soils occupy about1.1 million acres, or 63 percent of theregion. All these soils are fine textured,predominantly silty clay loams. TheManawa is somewhat poorly drained, theOshkosh is moderately well drained, andthe Kewaunee is well drained.

These soils currently supporthardwood stands of maple, ash, birch, oak,and aspen. Site indexes for the hardwoodscommonly range from 60 to 65 feet, andfinal yields range from 27 to 34 cords peracre (5.6 to 7.8 MBF/acre) (Table 1). Forestmanagement recommendations for the soilsin Region Ib are basically similar to RegionIa. Conifers greatly outproduce thehardwoods on these soils, but successfulplantations require careful site preparationand planting practices.

THE EASTERN CLAYEY AND LOAMY


19

REGION IB

Location and ExtentSoil Region J, the Stream Bottoms

and Major Wetlands, is a region widelyscattered throughout the state. Wetlands areabundant in Wood, Portage, Juneau, Adamsand Jackson counties. However, areas ofalluvial, organic, and wet mineral soils occurin most counties. This region occupies 2.8million acres, or about 8 percent of thestate’s land area. Some areas have beendrained for cropland, while others are usedfor hay and pasture. Many of Wisconsin’scranberry bogs are located on these soils.

Topography and GeologyThese soils occur in lowlands, old lake

basins, floodplains, and old glacial drainageways throughout the state. Consequently,the topography is generally flat to gentlysloping. The parent material is usually eitheralluvial material deposited in floodplains ororganic accumulations. However, wetmineral soils influenced by a high perchedor regional water table are also common.Wet lowland areas between glacial featuressuch as drumlins, moraines, and kettle holesare also common landforms associated withSoil Region J.

Forest VegetationThe vegetation of this soil

region is highly variable becauseof the vast differences in soiland climatic conditions. Manywetland areas are vegetated withsedge meadows and wetlandspecies such as cattails andbulrushes. The forest vegetation,however, depends largely on thesoil type and location in thestate. For example, in southernWisconsin, soils derived fromalluvium support stands of elm -green and white ash - red maple;cottonwood; and river birch;

while in the north, similar soils support elm- black ash - red maple; spruce - fir; andtamarack. Organic soils support a variety oftrees, including black spruce, balsam fir,tamarack, northern white-cedar, and tagalder.


There are presently over 30 alluvialsoils in Wisconsin, and their forestproductivity differs greatly depending uponsuch factors as drainage and frequency offlooding. In addition, another 30 to 35organic soils are found statewide.Unfortunately, timber productivity forvarious soil series are not available for thisregion. However, the range in productivitybetween different species and sites may beenormous. On some southern Wisconsinbottomland sites, cottonwoods may havesite indexes over 100 feet, while in northernbogs the black spruce site index may be only20 feet. In general, these soils have seriouslimitations for forestry purposes due to lowproductivity, the absence of high-qualitytimber species, windthrow problems, andproblems with equipment operation.However, with proper management, they dohave some timber production potential andoften good potential for wildlife.

Forest management practices on thesesites should generally attempt to perpetuatethe native species, as they are best adaptedto cope with such factors as wet soils andshallow rooting depths. Where site indexesare high, good-quality hardwood sawtimberor veneer wood may be produced. On poor-quality sites, the final product will bepulpwood or fuel wood. There has been amajor effort in the state to preservewetlands, and proper forest management onthese soils is one type of wetlandpreservation.

THE STREAM BOTTOMS AND MAJOR WETLANDSREGION J

20

Many of the soils in Region J

have serious limitations for

forestry caused by high water

tables. Trees will be shallow

rooted and only water-tolerant

trees will grow well.▲

TABLE 1

21

PRODUCTIVITY OF WISCONSIN SOILS BY REGION

1 Soils in boldface are most common in a region and are referred to in the text.2 Species symbol followed by site index (base age of 50 years) in parentheses.3 Yields based on data contained in Table 2 for asterisked species only or single species listed under “species to favor”

MBF = thousand board feet.

Species symbols: A - aspenAB - black ashAW - white ash BA - basswoodBW - white birch BY - yellow birch C - northern white cedar

F - balsam fir MH - hard (sugar) mapleMR - red mapleOB - bur oakOH - Hill’s (northern pin) oak OR - northern red oakOW - white oak

PJ - jack pinePR - red pinePW - white pine SB - black spruceSW - white spruce T - tamarack

Soil series1 Species to favor2 Additional trees to plant2 Yield at Rotation Age3

MBF/acre Cords/acre

SOIL REGION A FOREST SOILS OF THE SOUTHWESTERN RIDGES AND VALLEYS

Palsgrove OR(62) PR, PW, SW 7.6 33Dubuque OR(66)* , AW(72) PR, PW, SW 9.1 37Fayette OR(74)* , MH(68) PR, PW, AW, SW 11.9 45Bertrand OR(70)* , AW, OW PR, PW, SW 10.5 41Billett OR(64) PR, PW 8.3 35Chaseburg OR(65)* , BA, MH PR, PW, AW, SW 8.7 36Dunbarton OR(58)* , MH(56) PJ , PW 6.2 29LaFarge MH(70)* , OR(66) , AW(80) PR, PW, SW 7.3 54New Glarus OR(58) PR, PW, AW, SW 6.2 29Seaton OW(78)* , OR(68) PR, PW, AW, SW 13.3 49Valton OR(67)* , OW(56) PW(62) , PR, AW, SW 9.4 38

SOIL REGION B FOREST SOILS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN UPLANDS

Theresa OR(70)* , MH(64) PR, PW, AW, SW 10.5 41Miami OW(62)* , OR(57) , AW(70) , MH(55) PR, PW, SW 7.6 33Hochheim MH(57)* , AW(57) , OR(55) PR, PW 4.1 36Fox MH(64)* , OB(80) , OR(58) , AW(83) PR, PW, SW 5.8 46Casco OR(53)* , OH(43) , OB(66) PR(52) , PW 4.4 24McHenry OR(67)* , AW(84) PR, PW, SW 9.4 38Boyer OR(62)* , OW(55) , PW(45) PR 7.6 33Lamartine MH(60)* , AW(63) PR, PW, OR, SW 4.8 40Lapeer OB(50) PR, PW 3.4 21Morley OR(60)* , OW(59) PW, SW 6.9 31St. Charles OR(64)* , MH(60) PW, PR, AW, SW 8.3 35

SOIL REGION C FOREST SOILS OF THE CENTRAL SANDY UPLANDS AND PLAINS

Plainf ie ld PR(61)* , PJ(49) , OB(68) ,OH(48) , PW(49) 34.2 50

Menahga PR(62)* , PJ(64) , A(69) , 35.4 52OH(57) , F(68) , PW(55)

Gotham PR(82)* , PW(63) , OB(68) , OH(54) PJ(55) 59.4 84Guenther OR(68)* , MR(65) , MH(61) , AW(60) PR, PW(53) , PJ 9.8 39Dancy MR(60) SW 4.8 40Sparta PJ(55)* , OH(55) PR 28

P R O D U C T I V I T Y O F W I S C O N S I N S O I L S B Y R E G I O N

22

TABLE 1


MBF/acre Cords/acre

SOIL REGION C continuedBrems PR(65)* , OR(64) , PJ(55) , OH(56) 39.0 56Coloma PW(56)* , OH(49) PR(54) , PJ(52) 50Meridian OR(68) PW, PR, PJ 9.8 39Richford PW(61)* , OR(61) , OH(52) PR(49) , PJ 59.6Tarr PW(60) PJ(54) , PR(48) 57.7Wyocena OR(51)* , OH(53) PR, PJ 3.7 22

SOIL REGION D FOREST SOILS OF THE WESTERN SANDSTONE UPLANDS,VALLEY SLOPES AND PLAINS

Norden OR(62) PR, PW 7.6 33Hixton A(78)* , OR(63) PR, PW 11.4 60Gale OR(73) PR, PW 11.5 44Northfield OR(55)* , OW(54) , OB(50) PJ , PW 5.2 26Boone OH(44)* , OB(40) PW(48) , PJ(41) , PR 1.2 15Elk Mound OR(58)* , OH(49) , OB(42) PW, PJ 6.2 29Urne OR(62)* , MR(84) PW, PR 7.6 33

SOIL REGION E FOREST SOILS OF THE NORTHERN AND EASTERN SANDY AND LOAMY REDDISH DRIFT

UPLANDS AND PLAINS

Onaway OR(65)* , MH(65) , BA(66) , AW(70) PR, PW, SW 8.7 36Solona OR(67)* , MH(68) , AW(70) SW, PW 9.4 38Emmet OR(73)* , MH(65) , A(79) , AW(66) PR, PW 11.3 44Shawano OR(63)* , MH(63) , BA(65) PW(64) , PJ(59) , PR(54) 8.0 34Hortonville OR(67)* , MH(67) PW(63) , PR 9.4 38Poygan OW(66) AB 9.1 37

SOIL REGION F FOREST SOILS OF THE NORTHERN SILTY UPLANDS AND PLAINS

Auburndale MR(57) SW, F(54) , SB 4.1 36Withee OR(69)* , MH(64) , AW(72) , BA(69) PW, SW 10.1 40Freeon OR(65)* , MH(62) , A(80) , AW(66) PR, PW(52) , SW 8.7 36Antigo OR(69)* , MH(66) PW(57) , PR(53) , SW 10.1 40Freer OR(69)* , A(77) , PJ(60) PW(55) , SW 10.1 40Almena MH(66)* , MR(64) , AW(76) , BA(68) SW(65) , PW(60) , F(50) 6.3 49Santiago OR(63)* , MH(61) , A(78) PR, PW, SW 8.0 34Cushing A(76)* , OR(58) , MH(60) PR(61) , PW, SW 10.8 57Goodman OR(67)* , MH(68) , BA(68) PW, PR, SW 9.4 38Marshfield OR(60)* , MR(66) , A(66) (not normal ly p lanted) 6.9 31Otterholt OR(72)* , MH(61) , BA(63) PW, PR, SW 11.2 43

SOIL REGION G FOREST SOILS OF THE NORTHERN LOAMY UPLANDS AND PLAINS

Wabeno MH(62)* , BA(69) , A(69) , BY(61) PR, PW, F(50) , SW 5.3 43Pence OR(69)* , MH(59) , BA(63) , PJ(61) PR(59) , PW(57) , SW 10.1 40Gogebic A(70)* , MH(58) , BA(67) , BY(63) PR, PW, SW 9.0 48Chetek PJ(57)* , OH(56) PR, PW 31Cloquet OR(70)* , A(67) , SW(57) PR(56) , PW(50) 10.5 41Kennan OR(75)* , MH(68) , BA(64) PW(62) , PR, SW 12.3 46Cable MR(56)* , AW(60) , AB(48) , F(46) (not normal ly p lanted) 3.8 34Padus OR(70)* , A(75) , MH(67) , PJ(75) PW(61) , PR(57) , SW 10.5 41Amery A(76)* , OR(65) PW(60) , PR(54) , SW 10.8 57Elderon OR(60)* , MH(59) , BY(62) PR, PW 6.9 31


MBF/acre Cords/acre

SOIL REGION H FOREST SOILS OF THE NORTHERN SANDY UPLANDS AND PLAINS

Omega PR(60)* , PW(56) , PJ(56) 33.0 48Vilas PR(57)* , PJ(62) , PW(56) 29.4 43Pence OR(69)* , MH(59) , BA(63) , PJ(61) PR(59) , PW(57) , SW 10.1 40AuGres A(72)* , PR(59) , PW(55) ,

F(55) , PJ(53) 9.6 51Chetek PJ(57)* , OH(56) PR, PW 31Champion MH(59)* , BA(62) , BY(62) PW, PR, SW(43) 4.6 38Croswell OR(70)* , A(70) PR(57) , PW(57) , PJ(55) 10.5 41Grayling PR(50)* , PJ(47) , OR(44) 21.0 32Kalkaska A(80)* , MH(63) , MR(63) PR, PJ(63) , PW(55) 12.0 63Manitowish MH(58) F(67) , PW, PR 4.3 37Rousseau OR(71)* , A(67) , MH(58) PJ(61) , PR(55) , PW(53) 10.8 42Sayner PJ(65)* , OR(63) , PW(57) PR(59) 44

SOIL REGION IA FOREST SOILS OF THE NORTHERN CLAYEY AND LOAMY REDDISH DRIFT

UPLANDS AND PLAINS

Hibbing A(72)* , PR(59) , PJ(60) , F(51) SW, PW 9.6 51Ontonagon A(57)* , SW(43) PW(42) , F(40) 5.1 27Rudyard SW(45)* , F(45) 24Pickford SW(39) (not normal ly p lanted) 21Superior MH(51)* , BA(49) PW, PR, SW 2.6 27

SOIL REGION IB FOREST SOILS OF THE EASTERN CLAYEY AND LOAMY REDDISH DRIFT UPLANDS AND PLAINS

Kewaunee OR(62)* , MH(58) , AW(73) SW, PW(42) 7.6 33Manawa OR(60)* , MH(57) , AW(64) SW 6.9 31Oshkosh OR(57) PW, SW 5.9 28

SOIL REGION J FOREST SOILS OF THE STREAM BOTTOMS AND MAJOR WETLANDS

Carbondale F(51)* , AB(53) , AW(77) , SW(34) (not normal ly p lanted) 26Houghton MR(82)* , T(50) , PW(41) (not normal ly p lanted)Palms T(61) , AW(74) (not normal ly p lanted)Pella C(33) (not normal ly p lanted)Roscommon A(78)* , PW(50) , SB(49) (not normal ly p lanted) 11.4 60

TABLE 1

23

P R O D U C T I V I T Y O F W I S C O N S I N S O I L S B Y R E G I O N

1 Soils in boldface are most common in a region and are referred to in the text.2 Species symbol followed by site index (base age of 50 years) in parentheses.3 Yields based on data contained in Table 2 for asterisked species only or single species listed under “species to favor”

MBF = thousand board feet.

Species symbols: A - aspenAB - black ashAW - white ash BA - basswoodBW - white birch BY - yellow birch C - northern white cedar

F - balsam fir MH - hard (sugar) mapleMR - red mapleOB - bur oakOH - Hill’s (northern pin) oak OR - northern red oakOW - white oak

PJ - jack pinePR - red pinePW - white pine SB - black spruceSW - white spruce T - tamarack

24

TABLE 2 YIELDS AT SPECIFIED AGES FOR TREE SPECIES IN WISCONSIN

IN RELATION TO SITE INDEX1 (Assumes fully stocked stands under good management.)

Site Index

Species/Forest Type2 Units Age (yr) 30 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 Comment Ref. No.

Upland oaks (OB, OH, MBF/a 80 5.4 8.2 12.5 Int. 1⁄4 rule; aOR, OW) cords/a 80 26 36 46 No thinning

Northern hardwoods (AW, MBF/a 80 1.2 3.5 6.1 Scribner rule bBA, BW, BY, MH, MR) cords/a 80 18 33 47

Aspen (A) MBF/a 50 3 6 9 Scribner rule ccords/a 50 16 33 47

Red pine (PR) MBF/a 80 15 27 39 dcords/a 50 23 41 56

Jack pine (PJ) cords/a 40 12 25 36 d

White pine (PW) MBF/a 80 32 55 74 d

Spruce-fir (F, SB, SW) cords/a 60 16 24 27 29 e

1 Site index is the average height of dominant trees in a stand at an age of 50 years.

2 Species symbols given in Table 1.

MBF/a = thousand board feet per acre

References:

(a) Gingrich, S. F. 1971. Management of young and intermediate stands of upland hardwoods. U.S.D.A. Forest Experiment Station Research Paper NE-195. 26 pp.

(b) Gevorkiantz, S. R. and W. A. Duerr. 1937. A yield table for northernhardwoods in the Lake States. Journal of Forestry 35: 340-343.

(c) Zehngraff, P. J. 1947. Possibilities of managing aspen. U.S.D.A. Forest Service, Lake States Forest Experiment Station Aspen Report No. 21. 23 pp.

(d) Wilde, S.A., J. G. Iyer, C. Tanzer, W. L. Trautmann, and K. G. Watterston. 1965.Growth of Wisconsin coniferous plantations in relation to soils. University of Wisconsin Agriculture Experiment Station Research Bulletin 262. Madison, WI. 80 pp.

(e) Bowman, A. B. 1944. Growth and occurrence of spruce and fir on pulpwood landsin northern Michigan. Michigan State University Agricultural ExperimentStation Technical Bulletin No. 188. East Lansing, MI. 82 pp.

Authors: James E. Johnson was an associate professor of forestry in the College of NaturalResources, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point; he is now an associate professor offorestry and an Extension forestry specialist at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and StateUniversity, Blacksburg, Virginia. James G. Bockheim is a professor of soil science andforestry in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison.John M. Cain is a soils specialist with the Division of Technical Services of the WisconsinDepartment of Natural Resources.

Editor: Meg Gores Design: Jody Myer

University of Wisconsin - Extension, Cooperative Extension, in cooperation with the U.S.Department of Agriculture and Wisconsin counties, publishes this information to furtherthe purpose of the May 8 and June 30, 1914 Acts of Congress; and provides equalopportunities in employment and programming, including Title IX requirements.

This publication is available from your Wisconsin county Extension office or from:Extension Publications, Room 245, 30 N. Murray St., Madison, WI 53715,(608)262-3346.

G3452 FOREST SOILS OF WISCONSIN: AN OVERVIEW I-01-93-1.5M-450-S

forest soils of wisconsin: an overview

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