Southeast Glacial Plains Landscape

Map showing the Southeast Glacial Plains Ecological Landscape

General Description

The Southeast Glacial Plains Ecological Landscape makes up the bulk of the non-coastal land area in southeast Wisconsin. This Ecological Landscape is made up of glacial till plains and moraines. Most of this Ecological Landscape is composed of glacial materials deposited during the Wisconsin Ice Age, but the southwest portion consists of older, pre-Wisconsin till with a more dissected topography. Soils are lime-rich tills overlain in most areas by a silt-loam loess cap. Agricultural and residential interests throughout the landscape have significantly altered the historical vegetation. Most of the rare natural communities that remain are associated with large moraines or in areas where the Niagara Escarpment occurs close to the surface.

Vegetation

Historically, vegetation in the Southeast Glacial Plains consisted of a mix of prairie, oak forests and savanna, and maple-basswood forests. Wet-mesic prairies, southern sedge meadows, emergent marshes, and calcareous fens were found in lower portions of the Landscape. End moraines and drumlins supported savannas and forests. Agricultural and urban land use practices have drastically changed the land cover of the Southeast Glacial Plains since Euro-American settlement. The current vegetation is primarily agricultural cropland. Remaining forests occupy only about 10% of the land area and consist of maple-basswood, lowland hardwoods, and oak. No large mesic forests exist today except on the Kettle Interlobate Moraine which has topography too rugged for agriculture. Some existing forest patches that were formerly savannas have succeeded to hardwood forest due to fire suppression.

Hydrologic Features

The Southeast Glacial Plains has the highest aquatic productivity for plants, insects, invertebrates, and fish, of any Ecological Landscape in the state. Significant river systems include the Mukwonago, Wolf, Sheboygan, Milwaukee, Rock, Sugar, and Fox. Most riparian zones have been degraded through forest clearing, urban development, and intensive agricultural practices. The Ecological Landscape contains several large lakes, including those in the Madison area and in the Lake Winnebago Pool system. These lakes are important to many aquatic species including the lake sturgeon. Kettle lakes are common on end moraines and in outwash channels. In addition to Horicon Marsh, this Ecological Landscape contains important fens, tamarack swamp, wet prairies, and wet-mesic prairies that contain rare plants and animals. However, most wetlands have experienced widespread ditching, grazing, and infestation by invasive plants. Watershed pollution in the Ecological Landscape is about average according to rankings by Wisconsin DNR, but groundwater pollution is worse than average compared to the rest of the state.

Land Use

The total land area for the Ecological Landscape is approximately 4.9 million acres, of which only 10% is classified as timberland. Only about 4% of the area of this Ecological Landscape is publicly owned. Many of these are the least developed areas in southeastern Wisconsin, and the Kettle Moraine represents the largest contiguous patch of undeveloped land.

Socioeconomics

Socioeconomic data are summarized based on county-level approximations of the Ecological Landscape (referred to as a "region"). Economic data are available only on a political unit basis with counties as the smallest unit. The counties included in this socioeconomic region are Calumet, Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Fond du Lac, Green, Green Lake, Jefferson, Ozaukee, Rock, Sheboygan, Walworth, Washington, Waukesha, Waupaca, and Winnebago ("Southeast Glacial Plains Region"). Although the Southeast Glacial Plains Region is quite urban compared to other state areas, agriculture is very important. Among the regions it ranks third in percent of acreage in farmland, market value of agricultural products per acre, and milk production per acre; and it ranks second in corn production. (Farmland includes all land under farm ownership such as cropland, pastureland, and woodland.) The percentage of agricultural land sold and diverted to other uses is below average. Recreation is also important in this region. It has the highest number of fishery and wildlife areas, the second highest number of state parks and forests, and one of the highest ratios of water to land surface area. Per capita water use is near average. The Southeast Glacial Plains Region is economically prosperous with a well-educated and racially diverse population. The population density (188 persons/ sq. mile) is about twice that of the state as a whole (96 persons/ sq. mile), the second highest population density among the regions. This region has the third lowest population of elderly (over 65) while the proportion of nonwhites, especially Hispanics and African Americans, is one of the highest. The per capita income, average wage, and number of high school and college graduates are all third highest, while the rates of poverty and unemployment are both third lowest among the regions. The manufacturing sector is relatively strong, whereas farming, though very productive, does not provide a large percentage of jobs.

For any questions regarding the maps presented on this site or the "DNR Ecological Landscapes of Wisconsin" handbook, please contact Jeff Schimpff at Jeff.Schimpff@wisconsin.gov. Suggested Citation for Handbook: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. In Prep. DRAFT Ecological Landscapes of Wisconsin. State of Wisconsin, Dept. of Nat. Resources, Handbook. 1805.1. Madison, WI.

Last Revised: Thursday February 08 2006