Biotic Inventory Report for the Brule River State Forest
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Biotic Inventory Report for the Brule River State Forest An Updated Inventory and Analysis of Rare Plants and Animals and High-quality Natural Communities in Support of a Master Plan update Wisconsin’s Natural Heritage Inventory Program Bureau of Natural Heritage Conservation Department of Natural Resources P.O. Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707 June 2016 PUB-NH-856 2016 Acknowledgments We extend special thanks to Dave Schulz, James Gallagher, Greg Kessler, Colleen Matula, Eric Sirrine, Ryan Magana, and Josh Burling and Annie Maina of Steigerwaldt Land Services, Inc. for their assistance with property access, field surveys, and compiling this report. We are also grateful for support from the Ecosystem Management Planning Team, Drew Feldkirchner, Teague Pritchard, Owen Boyle and Erin Crain. Funding for this project was provided by the Wisconsin DNR Bureau of Forest Management. Primary Author: Ryan O'Connor Contributors: Nick Anich – breeding bird surveys Paula Anich – small mammal surveys Andrew Badje – turtle surveys Matt Berg – Mussel, odonate, and frog calling surveys, aquatic macrophyte point sampling Julie Bleser – data management Andy Clark – plant and natural community surveys Brian Collins – breeding bird surveys Kevin Doyle – plant and natural community surveys, data processing, report writing assistance and review Allen Druckery – data entry Terrell Hyde – data processing Heather Kaarakka – bat surveys Katie Luukkonen – bat surveys Frank Nicoletti – migratory bird surveys Ryan O’Connor – inventory coordination, natural community surveys, data processing Jennifer Redell – bat surveys Amy Staffen –aquatic macrophyte point sampling, data processing, report review Richard Staffen – inventory coordination, data processing, bird, bat, herptile, small mammal surveys, report writing assistance and review Wayne Steffens – beetle surveys Jennifer Summers – bat surveys Paul White – bat surveys Brule River Watershed Re-Survey Project Team (plants and natural communities) Paul Hlina Dr. Nick Danz Dr. Mary Ann Feist Stephanie Glass Reed Schwarting Dr. Loy Richard Phillippe Dr. Emmet Judziewicz Derek Anderson Dr. Brenda Molano Flores Dr. Paul Brent Markum Dr. Jean Mengelkoch WDNR Reviewers: Amy Staffen, Rich Staffen, Kevin Doyle, Ryan Magana, Dave Schulz 2 Biotic Inventory Report Cover Photos: From top right to bottom left: Brule River at Lenroot Ledges (photo by Kevin Doyle, WNDR), wood turtle (photo by Andrew Badge, WDNR), Connecticut warbler (photo by Brian Collins), mink frog (photo by Matt Berg), small yellow lady's-slipper (photo by Kevin Doyle, WDNR), old growth white pine (photo by Ryan O'Connor, WDNR). 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. This publication is available in alternative format (large print, Braille, audio tape. etc.) upon request. Please call (608-264-6271) for more information. Brule River State Forest 3 3 Table of Contents List of Tables ................................................................................................................................... 5 List of Figures .................................................................................................................................. 6 List of Maps ..................................................................................................................................... 6 Appendices ....................................................................................................................................... 6 Brule River State Forest At a Glance ........................................................................... 7 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 10 Purpose and Objectives .................................................................................................................. 10 Overview of Methods .................................................................................................................... 10 Background on Past Conservation Planning Efforts ...................................................................... 13 Special Management Designations ................................................................................................ 14 Description of the Study Area .................................................................................... 16 Location and Size ........................................................................................................................... 16 Physical Environment .................................................................................................................... 16 Vegetation ...................................................................................................................................... 20 Landuse Change and Current Vegetation ...................................................................................... 20 Rare Species and High-Quality Natural Communities of the Brule River State Forest ................ 30 Management Considerations and Opportunities for Biodiversity Conservation .. 33 The Spillway: Headwaters of the Brule and St. Croix Rivers ........................................................ 33 Middle and Lower Brule River ...................................................................................................... 35 Barrens and Northern Dry Forest ................................................................................................... 40 Northern Dry-mesic Forest ............................................................................................................ 43 Seepage Lakes and Shorelines ....................................................................................................... 45 Highway 13 Grasslands and Birds ................................................................................................. 45 Wildlife Action Plan Implementation and the BRRSF .................................................................. 46 Wisconsin’s Statewide Forest Strategy and the BRRSF ................................................................ 52 Non-Native Invasive Species ......................................................................................................... 53 Game Species and Sport Fish ........................................................................................................ 58 Primary Sites: Site-specific Opportunities for Biodiversity Conservation .................................... 59 Future Needs ............................................................................................................... 63 Glossary ....................................................................................................................... 65 Species List ................................................................................................................. 66 Reference List ............................................................................................................. 73 Additional Resources ................................................................................................. 76 4 Biotic Inventory Report List of Tables Table 1. Survey Targets and Methods for Biotic Inventory on the BRRSF 2014-2016. ............................ 11 Table 2. Previous inventory or monitoring work conducted on the BRRSF by NHI and partners. ............ 12 Table 3. Outstanding Resource Waters (ORWs) and Exceptional Resource Waters (ERWs) that flow through the BRRSF. .................................................................................................................................... 15 Table 4. Ecological Landscapes and Associated Land Type Associations on the BRRSF......................... 18 Table 5. Documented rare species and high-quality natural communities of the BRRSF. ......................... 30 Table 6. Rare species associated with the Brule Spillway. ......................................................................... 34 Table 7. Species of Greatest Conservation Need and Rare Plants Associated with Boreal Forest on or near the BRRSF .................................................................................................................................................. 37 Table 8. Summary of Migratory Bird Use near mouth of Brule River. ...................................................... 39 Table 9. Species of Greatest Conservation Need and Rare Plants Found in a Continuum of Barrens to Dry Forest on or near the BRRSF. ..................................................................................................................... 41 Table 10. BRRSF stands with mature, natural-origin red and white pine .................................................. 43 Table 11. Grassland bird species of conservation concern at or near the Highway 13 Grasslands. ........... 46 Table 12. Major and Important Natural Community Management Opportunities by Ecological Landscape for communities that occur on the BRRSF. ................................................................................................ 47 Table 13. Selection of Wisconsin Statewide Forest Strategies Relevant to the BRRSF. ........................... 52 Table 14. Non-native Invasive Species currently