NATIVE PLANT COMMUNITIES AND RARE SPECIES IN
STEVENS COUNTY, MINNESOTA
Minnesota County Biological Survey April 2006
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Barrett
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ative plant communities are groups of native plants that interact with each other
and with their environment in ways not greatly altered by modern human activity
or by introduced organisms. These groups of native species form recognizable units, such
as oak forest, prairie, or marsh, that tend to repeat over space and time. The classification
and description of native plant communities depicted on this map are based on
Minnesota’s Native Plant Community Classification (version 2.0). This hierarchical
classification uses vegetation composition, hydrology, landforms, soils, and natural
disturbance regimes to categorize plant communities first into System Groups, followed
by Systems, Classes, Types, and Subtypes. The native plant communities of Stevens
County are mapped and described at the Type level.
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Pomme
de Terre
Lakes
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UPs23a
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Pomme
deTerre
Lakes
Harstad
Slough
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Donnelly
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Pom me d e Terre River
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The Minnesota County Biological Survey located areas of native plant communities in
Stevens County in 2000 using aerial photo interpretation followed by field surveys of
selected sites. The description and approximate acreage of each native plant community
are based on the results of the Survey. White areas on the map represent land where
modern human activities such as farming, overgrazing, wetland drainage, recent logging,
and residential and commercial development have destroyed or greatly altered the natural
vegetation. Higher quality native plant communities covered approximately 493 acres
(0.1% of the County) at the time of the Survey.
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Swan
Lake
UPs13 Southern Dry Prairie
UPs13d Dry Hill Prairie (Southern)
Dry to dry-mesic prairies on well drained to excessively drained loam or sandy loam or clay loam
soils formed in glacial till on slopes and hilltops. Grasses form a continuous cover with the most
common species being Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans), big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii),
little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium var. scoparium), porcupine grass (Stipa spartea), sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula), and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum). Forbs are scattered
throughout with some of the most common species being purple prairie clover (Dalea purpurea
var. purpurea), silky aster (Aster sericeus), northern bedstraw (Galium boreale), bird’s foot
coreopsis (Coreopsis palmata), prairie phlox (Phlox pilosa var. fulgida), stiff goldenrod (Solidago
rigida), heath aster (Aster ericoides), stiff sunflower (Helianthus pauciflorus), rough blazing star
(Liatris aspera), and long-headed thimbleweed (Anemone cylindrica). Leadplant (Amorpha
canescens) is the most common shrub in this community. Approximate area: 305 acres
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Fish
Lake
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UPLAND PRAIRIE SYSTEM
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WMs83a
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WMp73a
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UPs23 Southern Mesic Prairie
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UPs23a Mesic Prairie (Southern)
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UPs23a
Dry-mesic to wet-mesic prairies on soils that are poorly to well drained loam or silty clay loam,
or gravelly sand loam formed from glacial till or outwash on gently rolling hills. Dominated by a
diverse set of grasses and forbs. The most abundant graminoids are prairie dropseed (Sporobolus
heterolepis), big bluestem, porcupine grass, side-oats grama, little blue stem, Indian grass, and
switch grass. Forbs are abundant with northern bedstraw, purple prairie clover, prairie wild onion
(Allium stellatum), Missouri goldenrod (Solidago missouriensis), silverleaf scurfpea (Pediomelum
argophyllum), and rough blazing star all common. Leadplant can be scattered throughout.
Approximate area: 152 acres
Lake Charlotte
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WET MEADOW/CARR SYSTEM
Lake Cyrus
WMs83 Southern Seepage Meadow/Carr
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WMs83a Seepage Meadow/Carr Type
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Long
Lake
UPs23a
Morris
Crystal
Lake
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UPs13d
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Open, circumneutral wetlands present on poorly drained mucky silt clay loam. The water table is
above the surface in early spring but normally below by mid to late summer. Shrub cover is
typically greater than 25%. Common species include red-osier dogwood (Cornus sericea), wild
black currant (Ribes americanum), Bebb’s willow (Salix bebbiana), and slender willow (Salix
petiolaris). A dense, continuous cover of broad-leaved graminoids dominates the herbaceous
layer. Common species include tussock sedge (Carex stricta) and lake sedge (Carex lacustris).
Forbs are typically not abundant. Those that are common include marsh fern, marsh bellflower
(Campanula aparinoides), marsh marigold, tufted loosestrife (Lysimachia thyrsiflora), Labrador
bedstraw (Galium labradoricum), spotted Joe pye weed (Eupatorium maculatum), common
boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum var. perfoliatum), great water dock (Rumex orbiculatus), bog
aster (Aster borealis), swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata var. incarnata), giant goldenrod
(Solidago gigantea), cattails (Typha spp.), and marsh cinquefoil (Potentilla palustris). Moss
cover is normally low with non-Sphagnum species being most common. Approximate area: 18
acres
UPs13d
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UPs23a
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UPs13d
Clear
Lake
UPs13d
WMp73 Prairie Wet Meadow/Carr
WMp73a Prairie Meadow/Carr Type
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Lake Hattie
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Gorder Lake
RARE SPECIES OF SPECIAL INTEREST
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OTHER MAPPED FEATURES
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Colonial Waterbird Nesting
Primary Roads
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Rare Plants
Secondary Roads
Rare Animals
Railroads
Lakes and Open Water
Hancock
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Similar to the Seepage Meadow/Carr Type but with shrub cover less than 25%. Similar
graminoid and forb species are present and these two communities are closely associated.
Approximate area: 19 acres
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Rivers, Streams, and Ditches
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THE VEGETATION OF STEVENS
COUNTY AT THE TIME OF THE
PUBLIC LAND SURVEY
UPs13d
This map shows the vegetation of Stevens County
as interpreted by Francis J. Marschner using Public
Land Survey records from 1866-1870. The legend
descriptions are slightly modified from Marschner's
original descriptions.
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UPs23a
UPs13d
Brushland
Oak Openings and Barrens
Grassland
Prairie
Wet Prairie
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Bogs and Swamps
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Lakes (open water)
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Dry Wood
Lake
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1:60,000
MINNESOTA COUNTY BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY
Department of Natural Resources
Division of Ecological Services
500 Lafayette Road, Box 25
St. Paul, MN 55155
(651) 296-2835