Biotic Inventory and Analysis of the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway a Baseline Inventory and Analysis of Natural Communities, Rare Plants, and Animals
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Biotic Inventory and Analysis of the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway A Baseline Inventory and Analysis of Natural Communities, Rare Plants, and Animals June 2011 Natural Heritage Inventory Program Bureau of Endangered Resources Department of Natural Resources P.O. Box 7921 PUBL ER-830 2011 Cover Photos (clockwise, from left): Long Island, photo by Brad Hutnik; Hine’s emerald dragonfly (Somatochlora hineana) from the study areas, photo by Todd Sima; snow trillium (Trillium nivale) from the study area, photo by Ryan O’Connor; Blanding’s turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) from the study area, photo by Richard Staffen. Copies of this report can be obtained by writing to the Bureau of Endangered Resources at the address on the front cover. This publication is available in alternative format (large print, Braille, audio tape, etc) upon request. Please call (608-266-7012) for more information. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources provides equal opportunity in its employment, programs, services, and functions under an Affirmative Action Plan. If you have any questions, please write to Equal Opportunity Office, Department of Interior, Washington, D.C. 20240. Biotic Inventory and Analysis of the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway A Baseline Inventory and Analysis of Natural Communities, Rare Plants, and Animals Primary Authors: Terrell Hyde, Christina Isenring, Ryan O’Connor, Amy Staffen, Richard Staffen Natural Heritage Inventory Program Bureau of Endangered Resources Department of Natural Resources P.O. Box 7921 Madison, WI 53707-7921 Acknowledgments We extend our appreciation to Bill Carlson, Kate Fitzgerald, Dan Goltz, Brian Hefty, Brad Hutnik, Bill Ishmael, Eric Lobner, Becky Roth, Ann Runyard, Jean Unmuth, Ryder Will, David Wiederholdt, Rebecca Schroeder, and Matt Zine and the South Central Region State Natural Area crew. We also thank the numerous individuals who reviewed this document and provided valuable input. Funding was provided by the Endangered Resources Fund, the Division of Lands, and the Division of Forestry. Primary Authors: Terrell Hyde, Christina Isenring, Ryan O’Connor, Amy Staffen, Richard Staffen Contributors: This project would not have been possible without the efforts and expertise of many people, including the following: Craig Anderson – botany, rare plants Jeb Barzen and Ferry Bluff Eagle Council – eagle winter roost data Matthew Berg – marsh birds Cathy Bleser – ecology, insects, birds, team coordination Julie Bleser – data management Gary Casper – herpetology Andy Clark – botany Barb Duerksen – birds Dawn Hinebaugh – report editing Randy Hoffman – report editing Aaron Holschbach – birds Terrell Hyde – zoology, data processing, GIS Christina Isenring – community ecology, botany, data processing, planning Kathy Kirk – terrestrial insects Janeen Laatsch – plants, communities John Lyons – fishes, report contributions Dave Marshall - fishes Mike Mossman – birds, herptiles, small mammals Ryan O’Connor – botany, community ecology, data processing Dave Redell – bats Scott Sauer – terrestrial insects Kurt Schmude – aquatic invertebrates Todd Sima – aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates William A. Smith – zoology, planning, aquatic invertebrates Amy Staffen – data processing, community ecology Rich Staffen – zoology, planning, data processing, birds, forest raptors Nathaniel Stewart – GIS Paul White – bats Table of Contents Acknowledgments ................................................................................................................... 5 Executive Summary................................................................................................................ 4 Introduction............................................................................................................................. 8 Project Purpose and Objectives .................................................................................... 8 Overview of Methods ................................................................................................. 10 Background on Previous Efforts................................................................................. 14 Special Management Designations............................................................................. 16 Regional Ecological Context ................................................................................................ 18 Western Coulee and Ridges Ecological Landscape.................................................... 18 Regional Biodiversity Needs and Opportunities......................................................... 19 Rare Species of the Western Coulee and Ridges Ecological Landscape.................... 20 Description of the Study Area.............................................................................................. 21 Location and Size........................................................................................................ 21 Ecoregion .................................................................................................................... 23 Physical Environment ................................................................................................. 25 Vegetation................................................................................................................... 27 Natural Communities of the Study Area..................................................................... 35 Rare Vascular Plants of the Study Area...................................................................... 36 Rare Animals of the Study Area ................................................................................. 40 Threats to the Biodiversity of the LWSR ........................................................................... 49 Management Considerations and Opportunities for Biodiversity Conservation for the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway........................................................................................ 59 Landscape Level Priorities.......................................................................................... 59 Community Level Priorities and Restoration Opportunities ...................................... 62 Wisconsin’s Statewide Forest Strategy....................................................................... 71 Management Opportunities for Rare Species ............................................................. 72 Species List ............................................................................................................................ 97 Lower Wisconsin State Riverway 1 References............................................................................................................................ 102 Additional Resources.......................................................................................................... 111 List of Tables Table 1. Field surveys coordinated by the Natural Heritage Inventory during 2008-2009.........................12 Table 2. Major Natural Community Management Opportunities in the Western Coulee and Ridges Ecological Landscape (EMPT 2007 and WDNR 2006b) ...........................................................................19 Table 3. Listing Status for rare species in the Western Coulee and Ridges Ecological Landscape as of 2009. ...........................................................................................................................................................20 Table 4. NHI natural community types, with last observed dates, documented within the study area.......35 Table 5. NHI Working List plants documented within the study area........................................................38 Table 6. Rare animals documented within the study area...........................................................................43 Table 7. Rare species that are either 1) found within one mile of the LWSR and not found on the LWSR, 2) mapped at a low precision, or 3) ranked as historical. No natural communities fit this criteria.............48 Table 8. Widespread non-native invasive species currently known from the LWSR.................................53 Table 9. New or not-widespread non-native invasive species currently known from the LWSR.. ............54 Table 10. Non-native invasive species known from the area surrounding the LWSR, but not currently known from within the LWSR....................................................................................................................55 Table 11. Rare plant species on the LWSR associated with Floodplain Forests. .......................................72 Table 12. Rare plant species on the LWSR associated with Southern Mesic Forest..................................72 Table 13. Rare plant species on the LWSR associated with Oak Barrens and Dry Prairies.......................73 Table 14. Rare plant species on the LWSR associated with Oak Woodland, Oak Openings, and Dry Cliffs.. .........................................................................................................................................................74 Table 15. Bird species of conservation concern found in grassland habitats of the LWSR. ....................76 Table 16. Forest interior breeding birds of the LWSR................................................................................78 Table 17. Sensitive fish species identified in the Lower Wisconsin River (Marshall and Lyons 2008). ...82 Table 18. Federal and State Endangered and Threatened aquatic invertebrate species known from the