A Guide to the Natural History of the Cedarburg Bog: Part 1 James A
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University of Wisconsin Milwaukee UWM Digital Commons Field Station Bulletins UWM Field Station Fall 1985 A guide to the natural history of the Cedarburg Bog: Part 1 James A. Reinartz University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.uwm.edu/fieldstation_bulletins Part of the Forest Biology Commons, and the Zoology Commons Recommended Citation Reinartz, J.A. 1985. A guide to the natural history of the Cedarburg Bog: Part 1. Field Station Bulletin 18(2): 1-48. This Article is brought to you for free and open access by UWM Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Field Station Bulletins by an authorized administrator of UWM Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A GUIDE TO THE NATURAL HISTORY OF THE CEDARBURG BOG PARTI UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MILWAUKEE JAMES A. REINARTZ FIELD STATION University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee Field Station 3095 Blue Goose Rd. 3095 Blue Goose Rd., Saukville, Wisconsin 53080 Saukville,WI 53080 PREFACE The boardwalk that extends to the center of the Cedarburg Bog is the UWM Field Station's most heavily used teaching facility. Research is also conducted Director Millicent Ficken in the Bog, which holds an understandable fascination for researchers and stu- Manager -— Resident Biologist James Reinartz dents of natural history because of its size, complexity, diversity and geo- Field Stations Committee graphical isolation from similar communities. Because of the increasing research Charles Remsen Diane DeSteven and teaching use of the Bog, it has become essential that some of what is known Millicent Ficken Peter Salamun about the natural history of the Bog be assembled and summarized in an easily William Kean Dianne Sealr accessible introduction and guide. The guide contains too much material to fit David Miller Forest Stearns ((. into one issue of the Field Station Bulletin. The first issue contains a narra- James Reinartz Charles Weise tive on each of the vegetation zones through which the boardwalk passes. The second issue has the selected species lists, annotated with natural history notes, which are also arranged by vegetation zones along the boardwalk. The second issue also contains vertebrate and vascular plant species lists for the Cedarburg Bog. An index to both volumes and the literature cited for both MANUSCRIPTS FOR THE FIELD STATIONS BULLETIN volumes are contained in Part I. As research on the Bog continues, I plan to revise this guide periodically to incorporate additional information. The Field The Field Stations Bulletin is a semiannual publication which is intended Station would appreciate suggestions regarding ways that future editions of this to further the educational objectives of the UWM Field Station. It welcomes guide might be improved. manuscripts on any topic in the biological and physical sciences, especially Calling these two issues of the Bulletin a guide, suggests a booklet that is those concerning research conducted in Wisconsin. Natural history of meant to be carried and read while taking the boardwalk. Here, however, I use southeast Wisconsin and the Field Station area is the prime focus of the the word "guide" to refer to the fact that the organization of this publication Bulletin. matches the physical layout of the walk. This guide is not the sort that you Anyone is welcome to submit an article for consideration by the editors would want to read in its entirety while "walking the planks". It may be useful of the Bulletin. All typewritten material should be double-spaced and the to carry in the field as a reference, but it is primarily intended as background general format of articles appearing in the Bulletin should be followed. material. Those having a keen interest in the Bog, or instructors bringing Figures should be submitted in a publishable form, requiring only a classes to the Bog, will want to read it before traveling the boardwalk. While reduction to fit the Bulletin format. it would be impossible to include all that is known about the Bog, this guide contains more detail and more information than the casual nature hiker may wish Please send manuscripts to: Millicent S. Ficken, UWM Field Station. to read. I hope that instructors may find here the raw material upon which to build lessons that they would like to impart to their classes. Some suggestions for class activities that have been used in the Bog are included and I would like If you wish to receive the Field Stations Bulletin and are not already to expand on these in the future. Some teaching aids (e.g., tree cores, bog receiving it, contact Dr. Millicent S. Ficken, UWM Field Station. sediment corers of various types, identification guides, etc.) are available from Please notify the Field Station of address changes. the Field Station upon request. The Station has also begun to assemble a set of laboratory lessons for use in the Bog and contributions will be welcomed. CONTENTS I have come to realize that organizing any guidebook is a formidable task. A guide to the Cedarburg Bog could be arranged in several ways: 1) a linear PREFACE 1 organization to parallel the boardwalk, 2) a seasonal organization, or 3) an INTRODUCTION 4 organization by subject. Most of the readers will experience the Bog from the Characterization of the Wetland 4 boardwalk, so I chose an organization which matches the vegetation zones through Uniqueness, Ownership and History 4 which the walk passes. This organization is not always the most convenient and View from the Hill 5 instructors will recognize many options to move the treatment of topics to Mud Lake 5 different areas. The Basin: Glacial History and Hydrology 8 While I have included selected references for further reading, I did not ZONE 1: THE SHRUBBY "MOAT" 13 present a complete literature review on topics relating to the Bog. Unless Mounds and Moats 13 otherwise referenced, all information about Wisconsin's plant communities was Wi 1 dl i f e Ponds 13 obtained from Curtis (1959). Part II contains selected species lists of the most Poi son Sumac 14 important or conspicuous plants in each vegetation zone. The species lists are Invertebrates 14 annotated with natural history notes; however, I recommend that the guide be used ZONE 2: CEDAR-TAMARACK CONIFER SWAMP 15 in conjunction with identification manuals. Identification notes or keys are not Logging 16 included in this guide. Plant species' ranges were taken from Gleason (1968). Domi nants 16 I have received a great deal of help in the writing and production of the The Bog1 s Microclimate 18 guide. Kate Redmond provided the initial idea for the guide, discussions con- Hydrol ogic Studi es 18 cerning its format and many natural history contributions. Other contributors to The Bog's Mammals 19 the content of the guide include: Susan Borkin, Penny Ficken, Glenn ZONE 3: WILLOW-BOG BIRCH-DOGWOOD SHRUB CARR 20 Guntenspergen, Margaret Kuchenreuther, Andy Larsen, Paul Matthiae, Lee Olsen, Shrub Carrs. 20 Donald Quintenz, Forest Stearns and Charles Weise. Charles Weise prepared the Complexi ty 20 annotated list of vertebrates of the Field Station which appears in Part II of Animal s of the Carr 23 the guide. Forest Stearns provided a great deal of editorial help. Most of the ZONE 4: SEDGE MEADOW-EMERGENT AQUATICS BORDERING THE STREAM 28 information on insects in the guide is due to Susan Borkin, and Lee Olsen pro- Tussocks 28 vided most of the information on plant phenologies. Bernard Lohr drew all the ZONE 5: STREAM 29 illustrations, and Kay Mueller typed many rough, and the final drafts. Animals of the Stream Area 30 Water and Plants .32 Overview 32 ZONE 6: WEST ISLAND 33 Insularity . .33 ZONE 7: SWAMP HARDWOODS-CONIFERS (BETWEEN ISLANDS) 34 ZONE 8: EAST ISLAND .36 ZONE 9: EAST ISLAND TO THE STRING BOG 36 ZONE 10: STRING BOG 38 Formation 38 PI ant Growth 39 Insectivorous Plants 40 Water, Water Everywhere 41 Rare PI ants 42 LITERATURE CITED 43 INDEX.. 46 laboratory lessons for use in the Bog and contributions will be welcomed. CONTENTS I have come to realize that organizing any guidebook is a formidable task. A guide to the Cedarburg Bog could be arranged in several ways: 1) a linear PREFACE 1 organization to parallel the boardwalk, 2) a seasonal organization, or 3) an INTRODUCTION 4 organization by subject. Most of the readers will experience the Bog from the Characterization of the Wetland 4 boardwalk, so I chose an organization which matches the vegetation zones through Uniqueness, Ownership and History 4 which the walk passes. This organization is not always the most convenient and View from the Hill 5 instructors will recognize many options to move the treatment of topics to Mud Lake 5 different areas. The Basin: Glacial History and Hydrology 8 While I have included selected references for further reading, I did not ZONE 1: THE SHRUBBY "MOAT" 13 present a complete literature review on topics relating to the Bog. Unless Mounds and Moats 13 otherwise referenced, all information about Wisconsin's plant communities was Wi 1 dl i f e Ponds 13 obtained from Curtis (1959). Part II contains selected species lists of the most Poi son Sumac 14 important or conspicuous plants in each vegetation zone. The species lists are Invertebrates 14 annotated with natural history notes; however, I recommend that the guide be used ZONE 2: CEDAR-TAMARACK CONIFER SWAMP 15 in conjunction with identification manuals. Identification notes or keys are not Logging 16 included in this guide. Plant species' ranges were taken from Gleason (1968). Domi nants 16 I have received a great deal of help in the writing and production of the The Bog1 s Microclimate 18 guide.