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Prairie Restoration in Wisconsin

© Peggy Hoehne

There are many types of grasslands within the state of Wisconsin. These can be broken down into a number of different descriptions. The broadest breakdown gives us three categories: mesic, dry and wet.

Mesic Prairie, what we often think of as tall grass prairie, is dominated by tall grasses, such as big bluestem and Indian grass. These areas have some water, medium-deep silt or sandy loam soil, and good drainage. By late summer mesic prairie will reach 4 to 6 feet high.

Dry Prairie has little water, dry shallow soil over sand or limestone, and are sometimes called "goat prairies" when located on steep hillsides. Here you will find little bluestem, sideoats grama, and purple coneflowers.

The third type of Wisconsin prairie is Wet Prairie. It will have lots of water, deep clay silt loam or peat soil, and poor drainage. Two species of plants common to the wet prairie are marsh milkweed and prairie cordgrass.

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) further breaks those into: wet, wet-mesic, mesic, dry-mesic, and dry. Wisconsin has actually recognized 108 different natural communities within the state. These categories cover a variety of areas, from peatlands with standing water to sand barrens. For more information on all of these natural communities go to the WDNR site Natural Community Descriptions

Among the most threatened areas are the tallgrass prairies and the oak savannas. Oak savannas occurred where grasslands neared the forest edge and oak trees spread out across the prairie. Settlers sometimes called them "oak openings". These grasslands developed their own micro climate in the shade of the oaks. In the cooler, more even temperatures and moister soils prairie plant species with broader leaves could thrive.

There has been much interest in prairie restoration and Wisconsin has a greater opportunity to restore tallgrass prairies than many other Midwestern states, due to a difference in land usage. Less than one percent of Wisconsin's original prairie still exists today, but with the effort of concerned people more acres are being restored.

It is not just the more commonly envisioned tallgrass prairie that needs the attention of prairie restoration, but all prairie types (wet to dry) and different soil types should be represented. Most opportunities for grassland community restoration occur in southern and western Wisconsin in the former prairie region. This is roughly the area south of I-94. The top priority landscapes for grassland restoration, according to the WDNR, in this area include:
• Blue Mounds Grasslands

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