![]() Prairies and Savannasīefore the mid-1800s, prairies and savannas covered most of southern Wisconsin. ![]() Learn more about how we manage the natural areas in the Land Stewardship section. Explore these communities on free nature walks. See the Arboretum trail map for locations. This page describes many of the Arboretum ecological communities and notes whether they are remnant or restorations. Others might be better classified as “creations,” especially if the area has been drastically modified so that restoring to the previous native community is no longer feasible. For example, some restorations also include areas of remnant vegetation. This process is called ecological restoration and is defined by the Society for Ecological Restoration as “ the process of assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, or destroyed.”Ĭlassifying areas of land as “remnant” or “restoration” can be complex. Restorations refer to once-native ecological communities or ecosystems, lost due to agriculture or development, that are in the process of being recovered or recreated. We manage several remnant areas at the Arboretum and throughout the state. Depending on the size and landscape characteristics, remnants often hold greater plant and animal diversity than disturbed or restored land. ![]() ![]() Remnants offer an opportunity to study and reflect upon what Wisconsin looked like before European settlement. Remnants refer to original, native ecological communities-that is, land that has been left relatively undisturbed since the end of the Wisconsin Glaciation in this area some 15,000 years ago. Since the Arboretum was founded on the idea of studying and re-establishing “ original Wisconsin,” we also categorize these areas as remnants and restorations. The natural areas include woodlands, savannas, prairies, and wetlands. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |