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Natural Areas Cedarburg Bog The Cedarburg Bog is one of the largest and most diverse wetlands in southern Wisconsin. Its 2500 acres contain deep and shallow bog lakes, submerged and emergent aquatic communities, a small stream, deep and shallow marshes, sedge communities, shrub carrs, swamp hardwoods and large expanses of cedar-tamarack swamp forest. The southernmost string bog in North America lies in the heart of the bog. String bog is a type of patterned vegetation typically found in the large peatlands of northern Canada. In the Cedarburg Bog over 35 higher plant species and 19 species of breeding birds reach or are near the southern extent of their range in Wisconsin. The pH of the Cedarburg Bog is nearly neutral, a result of the region's calcareous groundwater. Access into the heart of the bog is provided by a boardwalk, and a guidebook to the Bog is available. A quantitative survey of the vegetation in the Cedarburg Bog was completed in 1991. The uniqueness of the bog has been recognized by its inclusion in the Wisconsin Natural Area System, and it is also registered as a National Natural Landmark by the Department of the Interior. The Cedarburg Bog Natural Area is also an Experimental Ecological Reserve, part of the National EER network. Sapa Bog In 1983 the Nature Conservancy purchased, and donated to the Field Station, 12 acres of acidic bog called the Sapa Spruce Bog and 11 acres of swamp hardwood. This pristine bog adjacent to the Field Station is the southernmost black spruce bog in the state. It contains southern outliers of many plant species and represents a very different wetland community from that contained in the Cedarburg Bog. A plant species list for the Sapa Bog is available. Access to this bog is allowed for research purposes only. Upland Habitats at the Field Station The Field Station owns almost 80 acres of one of the finest mature beech-maple forests remaining in southeastern Wisconsin. A recent acquisition of 18 acres of high quality beech-maple forest adjacent to the Field Station was purchased by the Nature Conservancy in 1991 for eventual donation to the Station. This parcel is being managed by the Station. Like the Cedarburg Bog, the beech-maple forest has been designated a State Natural Area, and is classified as a National Natural Landmark by the Department of Interior. Approximately 110 acres of old agricultural fields in various stages of succession (including 15 acres still being cropped in hay) are available for experimental research. A history of the use and management of the agricultural and old field areas is maintained as part of our data base. Three of the old field areas are maintained permanently in herbaceous vegetation. Long-range plans for these fields include the introduction of native plants to increase species and community diversity. Prairie species have been planted in several fields. Downer Woods The Downer Woods Natural Area is an 11.1 acre fenced forest on the UWM campus, which became part of the UWM Field Station in the Spring of 1998. Prior to 1998, the woods was not managed as a natural area, and the vegetation bore little resemblance to that of the mature beech-maple forest which must have once occupied the site. Perhaps the most immediately apparent feature of the plant community when the Field Station assumed responsibility for its management was a dense shrub layer of non-native buckthorn and honeysuckle. After the Field Station began managing the site, we started controlling exotic species, constructed a formal trail system, established a permanent grid system and sampled the vegetation of the forest. The plant species list and vegetation data are available on request. Now that the thicket of non-native shrubs has been removed and adequate trails are provided, Downer Woods is being used extensively by neighbors and students for enjoyment of the natural area. Neda Mine Neda Mine, an abandoned iron mine located near the Village of Neda, Dodge County WI, is the site of the largest bat hibernaculum in the Midwest. The property was acquired by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1976; at that time an estimated 75,000 bats were using the mine. More recent estimates suggest that the population has grown to 150,000 - 200,000 bats. The majority of these are little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus), but northern long-eared bats (Myotis septentrionalis), eastern pipistrelle bats (Pipistrellus subflavus) and big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) also occur. In cooperation with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the Field Station is monitoring environmental conditions and bat activity patterns at the mine. The mine is also of geological interest; its cliffs provide an excellent exposure of the Niagara Dolomite and the only accessible exposure of the Neda Iron formation. Nearby, Neda Beechwoods lies on the escarpment and is a well-developed beech stand at the western boundary of beech. Neda Mine and Beechwoods are also Wisconsin State Natural Areas. Benedict Prairie Benedict prairie is a 6-acre tract of virgin prairie along a railroad right-of-way, in Kenosha Co., Wisconsin. The site has a remarkably diverse flora, and a vascular plant species list is available. The prairie is burned frequently and was last burned in the spring of 1996. Woody vegetation on the prairie is cut at least annually. |
