Proposed Special Conservation Area (SCA) for the Lakewood and Laona Districts of the Nicolet National Forest Jeanette Jaskula, Monica Hauck- Whealton, and Sarah Wielgus

What is the importance of a Special Conservation Area? To maintain: - undisturbed water, soil, and air - diverse plant and animal communities - habitat for threatened or endangered species dependent on large, undisturbed areas of land - undisturbed reference landscapes

SCA Goals Preserve 10,000 acres within the Lakewood and Laona Districts of the Nicolet National Forest as one patch or multiple patches Include areas that can be converted to roadless areas Include old-growth forest stands and riparian areas

Importance of Forest Riparian Buffers Trap sediment and associated nutrients (road construction can be the largest source of sediment in forestry operations) Moderate stream temperatures Provide cover and important organic debris used as food by stream invertebrates Reduce the impacts of downstream flooding by reducing upstream flow

Generalized Forest Types Conifers – Pine, Balsam Fir, Hemlock, Cedar, Tamarack Lowland Hardwoods – Ash, Elm, Maple Upland Hardwoods – Birch, Basswood, Beech, Maple Aspen/Birch Nonforested areas – sedge meadows, shrub swamps, bogs, marshes

Forest Types in Lakewood SCA Conifer Lowland Hardwoods Upland Hardwoods Aspen/Birch 52% 14% 10% 24%

Average Year of Origin of Forest Types in Lakewood SCA Year of Origin Conifers Lowland Hardwoods Upland Hardwoods Aspen/Birch

Percent Acreage of Lowland Conifers in Lakewood SCA Northern White Cedar Tamarack Mixed Swamp Conifers Cedar, Aspen, Paper Birch

Year of Origin of Mixed Swamp Conifers in Lakewood SCA (81%) (6%) (13%)

Acres of Old Growth in Forest Types in Lakewood SCA Total Acres Old Growth ConifersLowland HW Upland HW Aspen/Birch Acres 65% 24% 32% 29%

Total Acreage in Lakewood and SCA for Three Timber Types 26% 29% 12% 1.5% 2.3% 0.19% Aspen-Birch Upland Hardwoods Red, Jack Pine Acres LakewoodSCA

Tiarella cordifolia – Foamflower Endangered in Wisconsin Needs rich deciduous woods comprised of sugar maple, yellow birch, and basswood WIDNR

Botrychium mormo – Goblin fern Endangered in Wisconsin Associated with northern mesic forests, particularly sugar maple. Indicator of nutrient rich sites USF&W

Red-Shouldered Hawk Threatened in WI Needs unfragmented, mature floodplain forests along rivers Needs large pines ft. tall WIDNR

Percent Acreage of Forest Types in Laona SCA Non-forested 7 % Conifer 28 % Lowland HW 8 % Upland HW 23 % Aspen 34 %

Average Year of Origin for Each Forest Type in Laona SCA Year of origin Conifer Lowland HW Upland HW Aspen Non-Forested

Percent Acreage of Forest Types in Laona SCA vs. Laona District Percent of Forest Type Upland HW Aspen Red / White Pine District SCA 38.2 % 26.5 % 4 % 1.3 % 2.7 % 2.8 %

Total Acreage Comparisons for Timber Species Laona SCA Mixed Hardwoods Sugar Maple Quaking Aspen 26.6% 23% 7% 1.7% 0.1% 0.2%

SCA Distribution by Type Non-Forested Aspen-Birch Conifers Upland Hardwoods 12.2% 13.3% 22.6% 51.5%

Average Year of Origin by Type Aspen-Birch Non-Forested Conifers Upland Hardwoods 1971 UNK

Average Year of Origin by Type ConiferUpland HardwoodAspen-Birch

Percent of Old-Growth in SCA by Type Conifers Lowland Hardwoods Aspen-Birch Acres 18% 100% 41% Total Acres Old Growth

Algae-Like Pondweed (Potamogeton confervoides) Threatened in Wisconsin Grows in shallow water of inland lakes WIDNR

Braun’s Holly Fern (Polysticum braunii) Threatened in Wisconsin Grows in Sugar Maple and Basswood areas Needs cool, shaded sites; sensitive to logging activity Found in Lakewood and Laona districts WIDNR

Fairy Slipper (Calypso bulbosa) Threatened in Wisconsin Grows in Swamp Conifer and Tamarack areas Prefers sites with old-growth characteristics WIDNR

Total Acres for Forest Types in Lakewood and Laona vs. SCA Acres Conifers Low HW Up HW Aspen Non-forested LKWD/LAONA SCA