wisconsin forest habitat type classification system · wisconsin forest habitat type classification...

Forest Habitat Classification Workshop, Minneapolis, MN September 28, 1999

Wisconsin Forest Habitat Type Classification System

John Kotar, Joseph Kovach and Timothy BurgerUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison

Foresters typically classify and map forests by Forest Cover Type

Cover Types do not necessarily reflect site conditions e.g., a jack pine forest is not always “xeric”

anda sugar maple-basswood forest is not always “mesic”

Tsuga

VIBURNUM

H.T.SERIES

AVVbAQV

VACCINIUM ANGUSTIFOLIUM

PMVAcer rub.-Quercus rub.

COPTIS

TMC

10

10

9

8

SUGAR MAPLE

8

10

ATM

OSMORHIZA

AViO

2

1

10

7

5

5

RED PINE

JACK PINE1

Pinus strob. Acer saccharum

QUAKING ASPEN

MAIANTHEMUM CANADENSEACERIF.

QAE

EPIGAEA

MesicRichMedium

Very DryPoor

HEMLOCK

BALSAM FIR

Wet-MesicMed./PoorPoor

DryPoor

Dry-MesicMedium

IRONWOODBASSWOOD

WHITE ASH

Y. BIRCH

RED OAKRED MAPLE

WHITE PINE

Species occurrence on habitat types spanning the moisture-nutrient gradient

John Kotar, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Habitat Types are identifiable by distinct Assemblages (Associations) of understory plants

Cover Types do not necessarily reflect site conditions e.g., a jack pine forest is not always “xeric”

anda sugar maple-basswood forest is not always “mesic”

Tsuga

VIBURNUM

H.T.SERIES

AVVbAQV

VACCINIUM ANGUSTIFOLIUM

PMVAcer rub.-Quercus rub.

COPTIS

TMC

10

10

9

8

SUGAR MAPLE

8

10

ATM

OSMORHIZA

AViO

2

1

10

7

5

5

RED PINE

JACK PINE1

Pinus strob. Acer saccharum

QUAKING ASPEN

MAIANTHEMUM CANADENSEACERIF.

QAE

EPIGAEA

MesicRichMedium

Very DryPoor

HEMLOCK

BALSAM FIR

Wet-MesicMed./PoorPoor

DryPoor

Dry-MesicMedium

IRONWOODBASSWOOD

WHITE ASH

Y. BIRCH

RED OAKRED MAPLE

WHITE PINE

Species occurrence on habitat types spanning the moisture-nutrient gradient


Habitat Types are identifiable by distinct Assemblages (Associations) of understory plants

Species 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35

Actaea rub 1 1 2 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 1Allium tri 2 1 1 1 1 2 1 1Amelanchier sp. 1 1 2 3 1 2 2 3 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 2Amphicarpa brac 1 2 3 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1Aralia nud 2 3 1 2 1 1 1 1 2 3 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 3 2 2 2 1Arisaema tri 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1Aster mac 1 1 2 3 1 2 2 2 1 2 3 1 4 4 1 1 2 4 4 2 1 2 1 3 2 2 3 1 4 1 3 4 2 1Caulophyllum thal 2 2 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 2Chimaphilla umb 1 2 2 1 1Cladina sp. 1 2 2 1 1 1 2 1 1Clintonia bor 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 2Comptonia per 4 3 3 4 3 4Corylus corn 3 1 3 4 1 1 4 3 1 2 3 1 2 1 1 2 3 2 1 3 2 2 2 1 1 2 4 2 2 2 3 2 1Desmodium glut 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 3 2 1 1Diervilla lon 1 2 2 1 1 1 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 2Dryopteris spin 2 2 2 3 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 2 2 2 2 1Epigaea rep 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 1Galium bor 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Galium tri 2 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1Gaultheria pro 1 2 1 2 1 2 2 2 1 2 3 2 1 2 1 1 1 1Hamamelis virg 2 1 1 1 2 2 1 1Maianthemum can 1 2 4 1 4 1 2 1 1 3 2 4 4 1 2 4 2 1 1 3 1 1 1 1 3 4 2 4 3 1 1Melampyrum lin 2 1 2 1 2 1 1Osmorhiza clay 3 1 2 1 2 2 2 1 3 3 1 2 1 2 4 3Polygala pau 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1Pteridium aqui 3 1 4 1 4 2 1 3 3 1 2 2 1 4 3 2 4 3 4 3 2 2 1Rosa sp. 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Rubus sp. 1 2 2 1 1 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 4 1 3 2 3 2 1Sanguinaria can 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 1Thalictrum dio 2 1 1 1 1 1 1Vaccinium sp. 4 4 1 4 2 4 2 2 1 4 1 2 4 4 4 2 3 1 1 1Viburnum acer 1 2 1 2 2 3 1 2 1 2 2 1 3 2Waldstenia frag 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 3 1 2 2 1 1 1

Plot number

Species 1 22 11 29 18 8 25 4 23 12 19 14 32 20 9 28 15 5 30 33 7 31 13 24 3 21 10 34 16 27 17 6 35 26

Maianthemum can 1 1 1 1 1 3 3 4 4 4 2 2 3 4 4 4 3 4 2 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 1Aster mac 1 1 2 1 2 2 3 2 2 3 4 4 3 4 2 3 4 3 4 4 2 1 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 1 1 2Corylus corn 3 3 2 4 3 4 2 3 2 3 2 2 2 3 2 1 4 2 3 1 2 1 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 1Rubus sp. 1 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4 2 2 3 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Amelanchier sp. 1 1 2 1 1 2 2 1 3 2 1 2 2 1 3 2 1 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 1 2 1Vaccinium sp. 4 4 4 3 4 4 4 4 4 2 1 2 1 2 2 2 1 1 1 1Gaultheria pro 1 1 2 1 2 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 1 2 1 1 1 1Waldstenia frag 1 2 2 1 2 3 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 1 1Pteridium aqui 3 4 3 3 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 1Diervilla lon 1 1 1 1 2 2 1 2 2 1 2 2 1 1Aralia nud 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 2 2 3 3 2 2 1 2 2 1 2 3 1 1 1 1 1Dryopteris spin 1 1 1 1 2 2 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 1 2 1 1Clintonia bor 1 1 1 2 2 1 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 2 1Galium tri 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 1 2 2 1Melampyrum lin 2 2 1 1 2 1 1Epigaea rep 1 1 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1Comptonia per 4 4 4 3 3 3Cladina sp. 1 2 2 1 1 1 2 1 1Chimaphilla umb 1 2 1 2 1Galium bor 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Rosa sp. 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Viburnum acer 1 2 1 2 3 3 2 2 2 1 2 2 1 1Polygala pau 1 1 2 1 2 1 1 1 1Desmodium glut 1 2 1 1 2 3 1 2 1 1 1Hamamelis virg 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 1Amphicarpa brac 1 1 2 1 1 1 3 2 1 1 1Thalictrum dio 1 1 1 1 2 1 1Osmorhiza clay 1 1 1 2 1 2 2 3 3 2 4 2 1 2 3 3Caulophyllum thal 1 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 2 2Arisaema tri 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 1Actaea rub 1 1 2 1 1 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 2 1 2 2Sanguinaria can 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 1Allium tri 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1

Plot number


11

Ecological Species Groups of Northern Wisconsin's Upland Forests

8

9

10

1

2

3

4

Wild lily-of-the-valley

Shield fern

Downey yellow violet

Wet-Mesic

Sweetfern

Wild sarsaparilla

Blue cohosh

Viburnum

5

6

Moisture Dry Dry-Mesic MesicMedium Rich V. Rich Poor/Med .Nutrients Poor Poor Medium

Blueberry

Partridgeberry

Sweet Cicesly

Goldthread


Very Rich

5

4

3

2

11 2 3 4 5

Rich

Medium

Poor

Very Poor

Very Dry

Dry

Dry-Mesic

Mesic

Wet-Mesic Wet

VeryWet

Soil

Nut

rien

t Reg

ime

Soil Moisture Regime

QArE

ArQV

PMV

AVVb ATM

TMC

AViO

ATD

Habitat Types of Wisconsin’s Region 3


Very Rich5

4

3

2

11 2 3 4 5

Rich

Medium

Poor

Very Poor

Very Dry Dry Dry-

Mesic Mesic Wet-

MesicWet Very Wet

Soil NutrientRegime

Soil Moisture Regime

4

3

2

1

1 - Very Dry to Dry (VD-D)2 - Dry to Dry-Mesic (D-DM)3 - Dry-Mesic (DM)4 - Mesic (M)5 - Mesic to Wet-Mesic (M-WM)6 - Wet-mesic to Wet (WM-W)

6

North

5

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

VD-D

D-DM

DM M M-WM

WM-W

NORTH

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800 SOUTH

Growing Stock Volume per Acre by Habitat Type Group

Average volume per tree (cubic feet) across habitat type groupsVery Dry to Dry

Dry to Dry-Mesic Dry-Mesic Mesic

Mesic to Wet-Mesic

Wet-Mesic to Wet

Jack Pine 5.6 6.9Red Pine 7.8 12.0 9.4 9.3B.T. Aspen 9.2 12.4 11.7 14.1 11.0Q. Aspen 5.6 7.7 8.6 9.2 8.1 7.5Red Oak 7.3 10.3 14.6 19.6 15.9White Pine 18.3 22.8 43.2 28.1 19.9Paper Birch 7.1 6.8 8.5 7.1 5.7Red Maple 5.1 6.0 7.9 7.0 7.3Sugar Maple 7.7 9.6 8.7Basswood 9.3 12.7 12.9 *Yellow Birch 10.5 9.7 *Hemlock 15.5 12.9 *Balsam Fir 5.4 4.7 3.8White Ash 11.2 9.8 8.8N.W. cedar 6.8 5.2W. Spruce 10.4Black Ash 6.6 5.6Blk. Spruce 3.6Tamarack 5.3

North Very Dry to Dry

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

SM

B

RM

YB

WGA

E

WBO

RO

BPO

BLA

PB

BA

QA

H

NWC

BF

BS

WS

WP

RP

JP

T

%

North Dry to Dry-Mesic

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

SM

B

RM

YB

WGA

E

WBO

RO

BPO

BLA

PB

BA

QA

H

NWC

BF

BS

WS

WP

RP

JP

T

%

North Dry-Mesic

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

SM

B

RM

YB

WGA

E

WBO

RO

BPO

BLA

PB

BA

QA

H

NWC

BF

BS

WS

WP

RP

JP

T

%

Species Composition of the Northern Habitat Type Groups as a Percent of the Total Group Volume

North Mesic

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

SM

B

RM

YB

WGA

E

WBO

RO

BPO

BLA

PB

BA

QA

H

NWC

BF

BS

WS

WP

RP

JP

T

%

North Mesic to Wet Mesic

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

SM

B

RM

YB

WGA

E

WBO

RO

BPO

BLA

PB

BA

QA

H

NWC

BF

BS

WS

WP

RP

JP

T

%

North Wet-Mesic to Wet

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

SM

B

RM

YB

WGA

E

WBO

RO

BPO

BLA

PB

BA

QA

H

NWC

BF

BS

WS

WP

RP

JP

T

%

Species Composition of the Northern Habitat Type Groups as a Percent of the Total Group Volume

(John Kotar, University of Wisconsin-Madison)

F

Short fire cycle

B

Moderate fire cycle

or special regeneration

techniques

C

Moderate fire cycle

White Oak

D

No Fire

Short fire cycle

E

Red Pine White Pine

Moderate fire cycle or

pine regeneration techniques

White Oak Red Maple White Pine (Red Oak)

White Pine Red Maple White Oak (Red Oak)

No Fire or

long fire cycle

G

Fire or

Clearcut

A

Aspen

Pin Oak Black Oak White Oak (Bur Oak)

Jack Pine or

Jack Pine with Aspen

No Fire or

Management

Forest Community Dynamics on Dry Sites (with or without management)

Fire

No Fire or

Management

No Fire or

Management

No Fire or

Management


Oak regeneration techniques

applied

unmanaged or

managed

Mixed Oak Forest

Oak Savanna or

Opening

Recurring fire

Fire Suppression


applied

Fire SuppressionFire

Mixed oak and invader

species


applied

No management or

partial cutting of oaks only


applied

Mixed oak and some

invader species

Mixed oak and Tolerant Hardwoods

Mixed invader species

-- No Oak --

Mixed Tolerant

HardwoodsSpecial

management

No management or

No oak regeneration techniques applied

Tolerant mesic species: Sugar maple Basswood White ash Bitternut hickory

Fire FirePresent Present

No management or

Partial cutting of Oak only

Absent Absent

Invading species:Black cherry Slippery elm Shagbark hickory Ironwood Red maple and many shrub species

No management or

high-grading or

single tree selection

Sugar maple dominated

mesic hardwoods

F G

D E

C

B

A

Forest Community Dynamics (with and without management) on Mesic and Dry-mesic Sites in Southern Wisconsin

John Kotar and Timothy Burger; Department of Forestry, University of Wisconsin-Madison

H

Size/age class ArDe-V AArL ATiDe-Ha ATiCa-Al ATTr

Large/ Old Aspen Aspen Aspen Aspen Aspen

Med./ Med.

Pin oak Black oak

Red oak White oak

Basswood White ash

White ash Basswood White ash

Small/ Young

Red oak White oak White pine

Red maple White pine White oak

Red maple Basswood

Sugar maple

White ash Basswood

Sugar maple

Sugar maple Y. birch Hemlock

Large/ Old

Pin oak Black oak

Aspen

Red oak White oak

Aspen

Basswood White ash

Aspen

White ash Basswood

Aspen

Sugar maple Y. birch

Aspen

Med./ Med.

White pine Red oak

White oak


Basswood Red maple

sugar maple

Sugar maple Sugar maple Y. birch Hemlock

Small/ Young

Red maple White oak White pine

Red maple Ironwood

Sugar maple

Sugar maple Ironwood Basswood

Sugar maple Basswood Ironwood


Large/ Old

White pine Red oak

White oak

Red oak White oak White pine

Sugar maple Basswood White ash

Sugar maple Basswood White ash


Med./ Med.


Sugar maple Ironwood Red maple

Sugar maple Basswood Ironwood



Small/ Young

Red maple White oak White pine

Sugar maple Red maple Ironwood



Sugar maple Hemlock Y. birch

Late (80+)

Forest Community Matrix for Baraboo Hills

Habitat Type Successional

Stage

Early (30-50 yrs)

Mid- (50-80 yrs)

(John Kotar, University of Wisconsin-Madison)

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