141

Central Wet-Mesic Hardwood ForestWet-mesic hardwood forests on somewhat poorly drained sandy loam soils on till plains and stream terraces, often on broad flats and gentle slopes adjacent to wetlands and in ecotones between upland forests and wetlands. Soils are saturated for prolonged periods, either because of clayey subsoil horizons that impede drainage or because of high local water tables.

Vegetation Structure & CompositionDescription is based on summary of vegetation data from 23 plots (relevés).•Ground layer typically is continuous (> 75% cover), with lady fern (Athyrium filix-femina) the most abundant species, and Clayton’s sweet cicely (Osmorhiza claytonii) and early meadow-rue (Thalictrum dioicum) usually present. Large-leaved aster (Aster macrophyllus), sweet-scented bedstraw (Galium triflorum), and hog peanut (Amphicarpaea bracteata) are commonly present. Many grass and sedge species occur in the community, including nodding fescue (Festuca subverticillata), bearded shorthusk (Brachyelytrum erectum), starry sedge (Carex rosea), graceful sedge (C. gracillima), long-stalked sedge (C. pedunculata), Pennsylvania sedge (C. pensylvanica), bladder sedge (C. intumescens), bottlebrush grass (Elymus hystrix), woodland millet grass (Milium effusum), and bland sedge (C. blanda).•Shrub layer ranges from sparse to interrupted (25–75% cover). Beaked hazelnut (Corylus cornuta) is present in about 50% of sites and when present, is the most abundant shrub species. Other frequent species include chokecherry (Prunus virginiana), prickly gooseberry (Ribes cynosbati), and nannyberry (Viburnum lentago), along with black ash, basswood, northern red oak, sugar maple, red maple, and blue beech seedlings.•Subcanopy is interrupted (50–75% cover), with sugar maple, basswood, and black ash the most abundant species. Other frequent subcanopy species include ironwood, blue beech, and bur oak.•Canopy usually is interrupted (50–75% cover). Basswood, black ash, and bur oak are the most important canopy trees, often occurring with northern red oak, sugar maple, green ash, and red maple. When present, white pine may be an important canopy species.

Landscape Setting & Soils•Till plains—Common. Landscape is undulating with broad flats and long, gentle slopes. Parent material is noncalcareous sandy loam till with some gravel. Soils have dense, gray, well-cemented subsoil horizons that perch snowmelt and rainfall. Gray and bright soil colors are present above and below the dense subsoil horizons, indicating periodic saturation in these layers. Soils are somewhat poorly drained. Soil-moisture regime is moist. (WSU)•Streamterracesandwave-cutbenchesaroundlakes—Common. Topography is level. Parent material is noncalcareous alluvium or water-washed till. These sites do not flood, but the water table is near the soil surface in the spring and then falls steadily through the growing season. Gray and bright soil colors, indicating periodic saturation, begin at about 6in (15cm) and continue to depths > 60in (150cm). Soils are somewhat poorly drained. Soil-moisture regime is moist. (WSU; MDL; Anoka Sand Plain in MIM)

MHc47 MESICHARDWOODFORESTSYSTEMCentral Floristic Region

142

Natural HistoryIn the past, catastrophic disturbances were rare in MHc47. An analysis of Public Land Survey records indicates that the rotations of catastrophic fires and windthrow were both in excess of 1,000 years. Events that result in partial loss of the tree canopy, especially light surface fires, were much more common, with an estimated rotation of about 140 years. In the historic records, MHc47 shows almost no compositional change among age classes. Young, mature, and old forests were all dominated by a mixture of basswood, bur oak, and sugar maple, with black ash and American elm present at lower abundance. Quaking aspen tended to be more abundant in forests younger than 75 years, paper birch was more abundant in forests under about 105 years, and white pine had greater presence in forests older than about 155 years.

Similar Native Plant Community Classes•MHc36CentralMesicHardwoodForest(Eastern)MHc36 is similar to MHc47 but occurs on drier sites. MHc36 is more likely to have species with affinity for well-drained soils, while MHc47 is more likely to have species with affinity for WF communities.

• MHs38SouthernMesicOak-BasswoodForestMHs38 can be similar to MHc47 but occurs on drier sites. MHs38 is present mainly to the south of MHc47. The ranges of the two communities may overlap where the MIM borders the WSU and MDL.

Native Plant Community Types in Class•MHc47aBasswood-BlackAshForestMHc47a is the only plant community type recognized in this class.

MHc47 Indicator Species (freq%)

MHc47 MHc36Giant goldenrod (Solidago gigantea) 39 2Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.) 57 4Nannyberry (Viburnum lentago) 57 4Tall coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata) 43 4Sensitive fern (Onoclea sensibilis) 48 5Ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris) 39 5Michigan lily (Lilium michiganense) 39 5Black ash (C) 74 11

MHc36 Indicator Species (freq%)MHc47 MHc36

White oak (C) - 11Red-berried elder (Sambucus racemosa) - 11Leatherwood (Dirca palustris) 9 38Big-toothed aspen (C,U) 4 17Paper birch (U) 4 15American spikenard (Aralia racemosa) 22 60Hairy Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum pubescens) 26 67Pagoda dogwood (Cornus alternifolia) 30 76

MHc47 Indicator Species (freq%)

MHc47 MHs38Spotted water hemlock (Cicuta maculata) 43 -Red maple (C,U) 61 1Rose twistedstalk (Streptopus roseus) 57 2Sensitive fern (Onoclea sensibilis) 48 2Side-flowering aster (Aster lateriflorus) 70 4Pale bellwort (Uvularia sessilifolia) 78 5Large-leaved aster (Aster macrophyllus) 83 7Round-lobed hepatica (Anemone americana) 48 5

MHs38 Indicator Species (freq%)MHc47 MHs38

Cleavers (Galium aparine) - 37Box elder (U) - 35White oak (C) - 27Shining bedstraw (Galium concinnum) - 26Canada moonseed (Menispermum canadense) - 24Spreading Jacob’s ladder (Polemonium reptans) - 22Missouri gooseberry (Ribes missouriense) 4 28Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) 4 27

MHc47 - continued -

MESICHARDWOODFORESTSYSTEMCentral Floristic Region

MHc47 - continued -

MESICHARDWOODFORESTSYSTEMCentral Floristic Region

phot

o by

D.S

. Wov

cha

MN

DN

R

St. Croix State Forest, Pine County, MN

144

MH

c47

Cen

tral

Wet

-Mes

ic H

ard

wo

od

Fo

rest

–Spec

iesFrequen

cy&Cove

r

Forb

s, F

ern

s &

Fer

n A

llies

C

layt

on’s

sw

eet c

icel

y (

Osm

orhi

za c

layt

onii)

100

•La

dy fe

rn (

Ath

yriu

m fi

lix-f

emin

a)91

•••

Ear

ly m

eado

w-r

ue (

Thal

ictr

um d

ioic

um)

91•

Sw

eet-

scen

ted

beds

traw

(G

aliu

m tr

iflor

um)

83•

Larg

e-le

aved

ast

er (

Ast

er m

acro

phy

llus)

83•

Hog

pea

nut

(Am

phi

carp

aea

bra

ctea

ta)

83••

•E

rect

, Sm

ooth

, or

Illin

ois

carr

ion-

flow

er *

78•

Larg

e-flo

wer

ed b

ellw

ort

(Uvu

laria

gra

ndifl

ora)

78•

Pal

e be

llwor

t (U

vula

ria s

essi

lifol

ia)

78•

Rug

ulos

e or

Yel

low

vio

let

(Vio

la c

anad

ensi

s or

V. p

ubes

cens

)78

•C

anad

a m

ayflo

wer

(M

aian

them

um c

anad

ense

)78

•T

wo-

leav

ed m

iterw

ort

(Mite

lla d

iphy

lla)

78•

Jack

-in-t

he-p

ulpi

t (A

risae

ma

trip

hyllu

m)

74•

Poi

nted

-leav

ed ti

ck tr

efoi

l (D

esm

odiu

m g

lutin

osum

)70

••W

ild s

arsa

paril

la (

Ara

lia n

udic

aulis

)70

•S

ide-

flow

erin

g as

ter

(A

ster

late

riflo

rus)

70•

Com

mon

enc

hant

er’s

nig

htsh

ade

(C

ircae

a lu

tetia

na)

65•

Mar

ylan

d bl

ack

snak

eroo

t (S

anic

ula

mar

iland

ica)

65•

Wild

gin

ger

(A

saru

m c

anad

ense

)65

••D

war

f ras

pber

ry (

Rub

us p

ubes

cens

)61

•La

rge-

flow

ered

trill

ium

(Tr

illiu

m g

rand

iflor

um)

61•

Wild

ger

aniu

m (

Ger

aniu

m m

acul

atum

)61

•R

ose

twis

teds

talk

(S

trep

top

us r

oseu

s)57

•B

lood

root

(S

ang

uina

ria c

anad

ensi

s)57

•Lo

psee

d (

Phr

yma

lep

tost

achy

a)52

•H

onew

ort

(Cry

pto

taen

ia c

anad

ensi

s)52

•R

ed b

aneb

erry

(A

ctae

a ru

bra

)52

•W

ood

anem

one

(A

nem

one

qui

nque

folia

)52

•C

omm

on s

traw

berr

y (

Fra

gar

ia v

irgin

iana

)48

•S

ensi

tive

fern

(O

nocl

ea s

ensi

bili

s)48

•C

omm

on fa

lse

Sol

omon

’s s

eal

(Sm

ilaci

na r

acem

osa)

48•

Inte

rrup

ted

fern

(O

smun

da

clay

toni

ana)

48•

Rou

nd-lo

bed

hepa

tica

(A

nem

one

amer

ican

a)43

•T

ouch

-me-

not

(Im

pat

iens

spp

.)43

•

Tal

l con

eflow

er (

Rud

bec

kia

laci

niat

a)43

•S

potte

d w

ater

hem

lock

(C

icut

a m

acul

ata)

43•

Ost

rich

fern

(M

atte

ucci

a st

ruth

iop

teris

)39

•••

Mai

denh

air

fern

(A

dia

ntum

ped

atum

)35

•••

Virg

inia

wat

erle

af (

Hyd

rop

hyllu

m v

irgin

ianu

m)

35••

•G

rass

es &

Sed

ges

Nod

ding

fesc

ue (

Fes

tuca

sub

vert

icill

ata)

70•

Pen

nsyl

vani

a se

dge

(C

arex

pen

sylv

anic

a)70

•••

Bea

rded

sho

rthu

sk (

Bra

chye

lytr

um e

rect

um)

65•

Long

-sta

lked

sed

ge (

Car

ex p

edun

cula

ta)

61••

Sta

rry

sedg

e (

Car

ex r

osea

)61

•G

race

ful s

edge

(C

arex

gra

cilli

ma)

52•

Bot

tlebr

ush

gras

s (

Ely

mus

hys

trix

)52

•C

limb

ing

Pla

nts

Virg

inia

cre

eper

(P

arth

enoc

issu

s sp

p.)

78•

Sh

rub

sC

hoke

cher

ry (

Pru

nus

virg

inia

na)

74•

Pric

kly

goos

eber

ry (

Rib

es c

ynos

bat

i)61

•H

awth

orn

(C

rata

egus

spp

.)57

•B

eake

d ha

zeln

ut (

Cor

ylus

cor

nuta

)57

•••

Nan

nybe

rry

(V

ibur

num

lent

ago)

57•

Poi

son

ivy

(To

xico

den

dro

n ry

db

erg

ii)48

•D

owny

arr

oww

ood

(V

ibur

num

raf

ines

qui

anum

)48

•Tr

ees

Can

opy

Subca

nopy

ShrubLay

erfr

eq%

cove

rfr

eq%

cove

rfr

eq%

cove

rB

assw

ood

91••

••70

•••

70•

Bla

ck a

sh74

•••

52••

•78

•B

ur o

ak65

•••

43••

•43

•N

orth

ern

red

oak

57••

•13

••74

•G

reen

ash

43••

9•

48•

Sug

ar m

aple

43••

•52

••••

57••

•R

ed m

aple

39••

•13

••57

•Ir

onw

ood

--

74••

43•

Blu

e be

ech

--

61••

•52

••*

Ere

ct, S

moo

th, o

r Ill

inoi

s ca

rrio

n-flo

wer

(S

mila

x ec

irrat

a, S

. her

bac

ea, o

r S

. illi

noen

sis)

freq

%

cov

er

freq

%

cov

er

MHc47 - continued -

MESICHARDWOODFORESTSYSTEMCentral Floristic Region