Sessions
Symposium: Wisconsin and Minnesota Monitoring and Assessment
10:40 AM - 12:00 PM Thu
SYMPOSIUM PRESENTER
CO-AUTHOR: Melissa Gibson, WDNR
TITLE: Floristic quality benchmarks for rare and unique wetland plant communities
ABSTRACT: From 2021 to 2023 the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) conducted surveys of six rare and unique wetland plant communities. Our goals were three-fold: 1) to better characterize uncommon wetland communities and their plant species for the purposes of classification and restoration; 2) to develop floristic quality benchmarks to better evaluate ecological integrity of uncommon communities; and 3) to update the conservation status and state rarity rank (S-rank) of these communities, which are used in conservation planning. Community types surveyed were bog relict, forested seep, interdunal wetland, southern tamarack swamp, wet prairie, and white pine-red maple swamp. At each site, we determined the plant community type, conducted a timed meander survey, estimated percent aerial coverage of each plant species, and evaluated anthropogenic disturbance using a standardized field checklist. FQA benchmarks for five condition tiers ranging from least to most disturbed were developed for most communities. These will facilitate more objective site evaluations, permitting decisions, mitigation monitoring, and conservation of these uncommon plant communities. Community descriptions, distinguishing features, and the key to wetland communities were also updated, which will allow practitioners to more accurately determine when they encounter these community types. Preliminary analysis of S-ranks suggests that southern tamarack swamp and wet prairie are highly threatened by anthropogenic disturbance and are in severe decline. In concert with FQA benchmarks, revised S-ranks can help justify and prioritize protection and management of communities by highlighting the best remaining examples of the most imperiled communities.
BIO: Ryan O’Connor is an ecologist with the Natural Heritage Conservation program of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR). He conducts biotic inventory and maintains the WDNR’s natural community classification. He received a master’s degree from the University of Michigan and has worked in the Great Lakes region for more than 20 years. He strives to keep his knee boots wet and his socks dry.