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Proposed Special Conservation Area (SCA) for the Lakewood and Laona Districts of the Nicolet National Forest. Jeanette Jaskula, Monica Hauck-Whealton, and Sarah Wielgus. What is the importance of a Special Conservation Area?. To maintain: - undisturbed water, soil, and air
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Proposed Special Conservation Area (SCA) for the Lakewood and Laona Districts of the Nicolet National Forest Jeanette Jaskula, Monica Hauck-Whealton, and Sarah Wielgus
What is the importance of a Special Conservation Area? To maintain: - undisturbed water, soil, and air - diverse plant and animal communities - habitat for threatened or endangered species dependent on large, undisturbed areas of land - undisturbed reference landscapes
SCA Goals • Preserve 10,000 acres within the Lakewood and Laona Districts of the Nicolet National Forest as one patch or multiple patches • Include areas that can be converted to roadless areas • Include old-growth forest stands and riparian areas
Importance of ForestRiparian Buffers • Trap sediment and associated nutrients (road construction can be the largest source of sediment in forestry operations) • Moderate stream temperatures • Provide cover and important organic debris used as food by stream invertebrates • Reduce the impacts of downstream flooding by reducing upstream flow
Generalized Forest Types • Conifers – Pine, Balsam Fir, Hemlock, Cedar, Tamarack • Lowland Hardwoods – Ash, Elm, Maple • Upland Hardwoods – Birch, Basswood, Beech, Maple • Aspen/Birch • Nonforested areas – sedge meadows, shrub swamps, bogs, marshes
Forest Types in Lakewood SCA Conifer Lowland Hardwoods Upland Hardwoods Aspen/Birch 14% 24% 52% 10%
Average Year of Origin of Forest Types in Lakewood SCA 1963 1964 Year of Origin 1932 1924 Conifers Aspen/Birch Lowland Hardwoods Upland Hardwoods
Percent Acreage of Lowland Conifers in Lakewood SCA Cedar, Aspen, Paper Birch Northern White Cedar 1925 1937 Tamarack 1930 1908 Mixed Swamp Conifers
Year of Origin of Mixed Swamp Conifers in Lakewood SCA 1901-1920 (6%) 1921-1940 (13%) 1880-1900 (81%)
Acres of Old Growth in Forest Types in Lakewood SCA Total Acres Old Growth 65% Acres 32% 24% 29% Conifers Lowland HW Upland HW Aspen/Birch
Total Acreage in Lakewood and SCA for Three Timber Types 29% 12% 26% Acres 0.19% Red, Jack Pine 2.3% Upland Hardwoods 1.5% Aspen-Birch Lakewood SCA
Tiarella cordifolia – Foamflower • Endangered in Wisconsin • Needs rich deciduous woods comprised of sugar maple, yellow birch, and basswood WIDNR
Botrychium mormo – Goblin fern • Endangered in Wisconsin • Associated with northern mesic forests, particularly sugar maple. • Indicator of nutrient rich sites USF&W
Red-Shouldered Hawk • Threatened in WI • Needs unfragmented, mature floodplain forests along rivers • Needs large pines 20-70 ft. tall WIDNR
Percent Acreage of Forest Types in Laona SCA Non-forested Conifer 7 % 28 % 34 % Aspen 8 % Lowland HW 23 % Upland HW
Average Year of Origin for Each Forest Type in Laona SCA 1976 1970 1922 1938 1930 Year of origin Conifer Lowland HW Upland HW Aspen Non-Forested
Percent Acreage of Forest Types in Laona SCA vs. Laona District 38.2 % 26.5 % Percent of Forest Type 1.3 % 2.7 % Upland HW 4 % 2.8 % Aspen Red / White Pine District SCA
Total Acreage Comparisons for Timber Species 26.6% 23% 0.2% Quaking Aspen 0.1% 7% Sugar Maple 1.7% Mixed Hardwoods Laona SCA
SCA Distribution by Type Non-Forested Conifers 13.3% Aspen-Birch 22.6% 12.2% 51.5% Upland Hardwoods
Average Year of Origin by Type Non-Forested Conifers UNK 1935 Aspen-Birch 1971 1923 Upland Hardwoods
Average Year of Origin by Type 1935 1923 1971 Conifer Upland Hardwood Aspen-Birch
Percent of Old-Growth in SCA by Type 100% Total Acres Old Growth Acres 18% 41% Lowland Hardwoods Conifers Aspen-Birch
Algae-Like Pondweed (Potamogeton confervoides) • Threatened in Wisconsin • Grows in shallow water of inland lakes WIDNR
Braun’s Holly Fern (Polysticum braunii) • Threatened in Wisconsin • Grows in Sugar Maple and Basswood areas • Needs cool, shaded sites; sensitive to logging activity • Found in Lakewood and Laona districts WIDNR
Fairy Slipper (Calypso bulbosa) • Threatened in Wisconsin • Grows in Swamp Conifer and Tamarack areas • Prefers sites with old-growth characteristics WIDNR
Total Acres for Forest Types in Lakewood and Laona vs. SCA LKWD/LAONA SCA Acres Conifers Low HW Up HW Aspen Non-forested