Waupee Lake Swamp
Location
Potential Research Topics:
This would be a good area to study ecological aspects of the flora and fauna of this large contiguous complex of wetland communities. Areas of focus include: amphibians, reptiles, birds, rare plants, regeneration of cedar and the natural dynamics of other wetland tree species complexes and wetland ecological adaptation to climate change.
Ecological and Physical Description
The most important features of Waupee Lake Swamp RNA include a shallow seepage lake surrounded by swamp conifer forest plus thickets of alder and black ash. The north and west edges of the lake are bordered by a muskeg-like forest of stunted tamarack and black spruce. A diverse community of sedges, ericads, orchids, and insectivorous plants is also present, including three rare plants and six rare bird species. Plant communities include northern wet and wet-mesic forest, open bog, northern sedge meadow, and emergent aquatics.
Annual precipitation averages 33 inches (84 cm), 65% of which falls between April and September. Average seasonal snowfall is 65 inches (164 cm).
Lakewood 3 NE (station no. 474523). The station is located about 15 mi (24 km) to the northwest of the RNA.
The RNA is underlain by precambrian metamorphic rock. Because the area was glaciated during the Pleistocene, there are no surface exposures of this rock within the RNA. The present surface material was deposited by the Green Bay lobe during the middle Woodfordian substage of the Wisconsin ice advance. Geomorphologic processes were glacial meltwater deposition. Glacial sediment is less than 30 meters thick and landforms include ground moraine and outwash plains.
Soils are loamy sand over sand. Nutrient status is poor and moisture regime is dry to dry-mesic. Upland soils of the RNA are deep, moderately well-drained and formed in sandy loam aeolian material overlying loamy sand glacial till. The area is covered by 0.5 meter or more of wind-blown sand. Wetland soils are organic, very poorly drained, slightly acid to neutral.
The 34-acre (14 ha) Waupee Lake is a hard-water seepage lake with a maximum depth of 2 feet (0.6 m). The lake’s shoreline is 90 percent coniferous wetland and the entire littoral zone is silt. Waterfowl make moderate use of the lake during migration. Emergent vegetation occupies sixty percent of the lake basin. Waupee Lake has an intermittent outlet at the south end, which drains south through a large wetland area to Little Waupee Creek, a tributary of the North Branch Oconto River.
Flora and Fauna
Common Plant Species
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Category | At Risk | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thuja occidentalis | northern white cedar | Common Tree Species | ||
| Larix laricina | tamarack | Common Tree Species | ||
| Picea mariana | black spruce | Common Tree Species | ||
| Abies balsamea | balsam fir | Common Tree Species | ||
| Fraxinus nigra | black ash | Common Tree Species | ||
| Acer rubrum | red maple | Common Tree Species | ||
| Betula papyrifera | paper birch | Common Tree Species | ||
| Betula alleghaniensis | yellow birch | Common Tree Species | ||
| Tsuga canadensis | eastern hemlock | Common Tree Species | ||
| Cornus canadensis) | bunchberry | Common Herbaceous Species | ||
| Gaultheria hispidula | creeping snowberry | Common Herbaceous Species | ||
| Coptis trifolia | three-leaved goldthread | Common Herbaceous Species | ||
| Ledum groenlandicum | Labrador-tea | Common Herbaceous Species | ||
| Osmunda cinnamomea | cinnamon fern | Common Herbaceous Species | ||
| Calamagrostis canadensis | bluejoint grass | Common Herbaceous Species | ||
| Thelypteris palustris | eastern marsh fern | Common Herbaceous Species | ||
| Potentilla palustris | marsh cinquefoil | Common Herbaceous Species | ||
| Iris versicolor | blueflag iris | Common Herbaceous Species | ||
| Toxicodendron vernix | poison sumac | Common Herbaceous Species | ||
| Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani | softstem bulrush | Common Herbaceous Species | ||
| Typha latifolia | cattail | Common Herbaceous Species | ||
| Nymphaea odorata | American white waterlily | Common Herbaceous Species |
Common Animal Species
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Category | At Risk | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lepus americanus | snowshoe hare | Common Fauna | ||
| Tamiasciurus hudsonicus | red squirrel | Common Fauna | ||
| Odocoileus virginiana | white-tailed deer | Common Fauna | ||
| Ursus americanus | black bear | Common Fauna |
Publications
- Robert W. Howe, Amy T. Wolf, Tony Rinaldi. 1995. Monitoring Birds in a Regional Landscape: Lessons from the Nicolet National Forest Bird Survey
- C. John Ralph, John R. Sauer, Sam Droege. 1995. Monitoring bird populations by point counts