Rat Lake Swamp – Popple River Headwaters
Location
Potential Research Topics:
Topics for study include wetland ecology, climate change, peatlands, rare plants, amphibians, bryophytes, and insects.
Ecological and Physical Description
The most important features of Rat Lake Swamp - Popple River Headwaters RNA include an extensive wetland complex of black spruce-tamarack (Picea mariana- Larix laricina) and northern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis) swamp that provides good interior forest habitat for a number of rare plants and animals. Embedded in these wetlands are drumlinoid hills topped with good quality hardwood stands. The southern portion borders a section of the Popple River flowing through conifer swamp as well as uplands. The north end contains Rat Lake, a muck-bottomed hard-water seepage lake with a well-developed bog mat, surrounded by an old-growth eastern hemlock and hardwood forest containing a large component of super-canopy white pine (Pinus strobus). The RNA supports numerous orchid species, and rare birds and plants.
Annual precipitation averages 32 inches (81 cm), 62% of which falls between April and September. Average seasonal snowfall is 73.5 inches (187 cm).
Laona 6 SW (station no. 474582) is about 22 mi (35 km) south of the RNA.
Bedrock of the RNA includes igneous, metamorphic, and volcanic rock. Bedrock is between 50 and 5 feet of the land surface. Geomorphologic processes include till deposition and glacial meltwater deposition. Several prominent glacial eskers rise 50 feet (15 m) or more above the surrounding level wetlands.
The soils of Rat Lake Swamp-Popple River Headwaters RNA are heterogeneous and include the Padus, Carbondale, Goodman, and Stambaugh series.
This RNA protects an important headwater area of the Popple River, a designated State Wild River and a Class IIA and III trout stream. Rat Lake in the northwest corner of the RNA is a shallow, 47-acre bog lake with wetlands surrounding most of its shoreline. Rat Creek is a slow-moving shallow creek that drains from Rat Lake south about three miles (5 km) into the Popple River on the southern boundary of the RNA. Several spring ponds occur in this extensive wetland community.
Flora and Fauna
Common Plant Species
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Category | At Risk | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lonicera canadensis | American fly honeysuckle | Common Shrub Species | ||
| Lycopodium and Huperzia spp | lycopods | Common Herbaceous Species | ||
| Aralia nudicaulis | wild sarsaparilla | Common Herbaceous Species | ||
| Streptopus lanceolatus v. longipes | rosy twisted-stalk | Common Herbaceous Species | ||
| Thelypteris phegopteris | northern beech fern | Common Herbaceous Species | ||
| Clintonia borealis | yellow bluebead lily | Common Herbaceous Species | ||
| Oxalis montana | mountain wood-sorrel | Common Herbaceous Species | ||
| Asarum canadense | wild ginger | Common Herbaceous Species | ||
| Sanguinaria canadensis | bloodroot | Common Herbaceous Species | ||
| Caulophyllum thalictroides | blue cohosh | Common Herbaceous Species | ||
| Botrychium | Common Herbaceous Species | |||
| Botrychium mormo | little goblin moonwort | Common Herbaceous Species | ✔ |
Common Animal Species
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Category | At Risk | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salvelinus fontinalis | brook trout | Common Fauna | ||
| Ameiurus melas | black bullhead | Common Fauna | ||
| Anas platyrhynchos | mallard | Common Fauna | ||
| Anas rubripes) | American black duck | Common Fauna | ||
| Mergus merganser | common merganser | Common Fauna |
Publications
- Robert W. Howe, Lance J. Roberts. 2005. Sixteen years of habitat-based bird monitoring in the Nicolet National Forest
- C. John Ralph, Terrell D. Rich. 2005. Bird Conservation Implementation and Integration in the Americas: Proceedings of the Third International Partners in Flight Conference. 2002 March 20-24; Asilomar, California, Volume 1 and 2