Regional Landscape Ecosystems of Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin
SUB-SUBSECTION VI.1.1. Maumee Lake Plain
DISCUSSION: Sub-subsection is a flat, clay lake plain dissected by broad glacial drainageways of sandy soil. The lake-moderated climate and productive loamy soils resulted in early and intensive agricultural development.
ELEVATION: 580 to 750 feet (177 to 229 m).
AREA: 2,309 square miles (5,981 sq km).
STATES: Michigan.
CLIMATE: Climate is somewhat moderated by Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie. Growing season is generally long, ranging from 150 to 180 days; growing season is longer near the shorelines of the Great Lakes and shorter inland (Eichenlaub et al. 1990). Extreme minimum temperature ranges from -18½F to -26½F, with lowest temperatures along the inland edge of the sub-subsection. Snowfall is relatively light, ranging from 30 inches in the south to 50 inches in the north. Average annual precipitation ranges from 30 to 32 inches.
BEDROCK GEOLOGY: Along Lake Erie, lacustrine deposits are more than 100 feet thick along the inland edge of the lake plain, but less than 5 feet thick near the shoreline. The surface lacustrine deposits are underlain by Mississippian, Devonian, and Silurian marine and nearshore bedrock, including sandstone, shale, coal, limestone, dolomite, gypsum, and other evaporites (Dorr and Eschman 1984, Milstein 1987). Bedrock is only locally exposed in stream banks and near the shorelines of Lake Erie. The oldest Silurian bedrock is near the surface in the south. Commercial deposits of rock salt and saline wells occur in the Silurian Salina Formation near Detroit.
LANDFORMS: The southern two-thirds of the sub-subsection is clay lake plain, with several broad channels of lacustrine sand. The northern third is primarily lake plain, with clay soils; but it includes several 1- to 3-mile-wide end moraines (Farrand 1982). These moraines have been reworked by water.
Beach ridges and small sand dunes are common on the sand channels. The clay plain is generally broad and flat.
SOILS: Wet loamy and clayey soils are prevalent. Soil permeability is generally low, and these soils require drainage for agricultural use. Soils are calcareous at shallow depth. Soils in the sand channels are poorly or very poorly drained in depressions and excessively drained on dunes. Sandy soils in lower slope positions are often calcareous, while those on dune ridges are acidic. Sand soils are prone to wind erosion when cultivated. Soils are classified as Alfisols (Ochraqualfs and Hapludalfs) and include Haplaquolls, Udipsamments, and Haplaquepts (USDA Soil Conservation Service 1967).
LAKES AND STREAMS: No natural lakes in the sub-subsection. Major rivers include the Huron, Rouge, Raisin, Clinton, Detroit, and St. Clair. The St. Clair River flows from Lake Huron to Lake St. Clair, and the Detroit River connects Lake St. Clair to Lake Erie.
PRESETTLEMENT VEGETATION: The presettlement vegetation of the clay lake plain differed greatly from that of the sand lake plain. Most of the clay lake plain supported forest, either upland or wetland. In contrast, the sand lake plain supported oak barrens (savanna) on the uplands and wet prairies or marshes in the lowlands (Comer et al. 1993a).
The forests of the clay lake plain responded to differences in slope class and drainage. On flatter portions (10 feet per mile slope or less) of the lake plain or in shallow basins or depressions, lowland hardwoods were prevalent. In closeddepressions, black ash was the common dominant. Where the topography was flat or gradually sloping, black ash was still the dominant species, but American elm and basswood were also common co-dominants. As slope increased slightly and drainage conditions improved, beech, white oak, white ash, and hickory became more common, but were generally less common than black ash and elm. Cottonwood, sycamore, trembling aspen, and [red or silver] maple were other common wetland species of the clay lake plain. Where drainage conditions were improved by streams, there were mesic forests dominated by beech, sugar maple, white oak, [American] elm, and hickory.
The beach ridges and low dunes of the sand lake plain supported open "barrens" or savannas of white and black oak. Small areas of dry prairie also occurred on the ridges, but were much less prevalent than savannas. Depressions and flat portions of the sand lake plain were often poorly drained, supporting wet prairies. Within the wet prairies were small beach ridges that supported scattered white oak, black oak, red oak, ash, and popple [cottonwood]. Elm was common on the moist edges of the prairie and within the swamps. Pin oak, now a common species within the swamps of the sand lake plain, was seldom referenced in the GLO survey notes; pin oak may have been much less prevalent before drainage of the wet prairies and fire exclusion.
Extensive marshes occurred along the entire coast of Lakes Erie and St. Clair. The marshes, which extended into water 4 to 5 feet deep, were 1 to 2 miles wide in places and extended for miles up major rivers such as the Huron. Upland of the marshes, there was typically a broad zone of swamp forest; but locally along Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie, 1- to 3-mile-wide expanses of wet prairie occurred.
NATURAL DISTURBANCE: There were few references in GLO notes to natural disturbances on this part of the lake plain. The only area of extensive windthrown trees was at the extreme north edge of the sub-subsection in parts of St. Clair and Macomb Counties (Comer et al. 1993a). The windthrows were most extensive on the flat, clay lake plain, which supported swamp forest.
Water level fluctuation of the Great Lakes, important for maintaining swamp forest, wet prairie, and marsh vegetation, was not well documented in the GLO notes of this sub-subsection, but was well documented further north along Saginaw Bay of Lake Huron (Sub-subsection VI.5.1 and Subsection VI.6).
PRESENT VEGETATION AND LAND USE: There is a long history of land use by humans, beginning with Native Americans, who farmed the flood plains of the Huron River. They may also have been responsible for fires that maintained the open conditions of the oak barrens and drier portions of the prairies.
The clay soils of the sub-subsection were among the first areas in the State farmed by European settlers. Most clay lands have been ditched and tiled and are among the most valued agricultural lands in the State. Portions of the sand plain were also ditched for agriculture, but the wettest areas remain, either as swamp forest, wet prairie, or marsh. Diking and pumping have allowed vast expanses of wet prairie and some areas of marsh to be farmed. The only remaining tracts of forest are small, usually only 40 to 80 acres.
RARE PLANT COMMUNITIES: Wet, wet-mesic, and dry sand prairie were originally extensive, along with oak savannas or "openings," but these now remain as only small remnants, primarily on State-owned lands. Prairies and savannas on the lake plain are called "lakeplain prairie or oak opening" because of the distinctive flora and fauna.
RARE PLANTS: Most of the species in this sub-subsection are associated with either Great Lakes marshes or lakeplain prairies. Agalinis gattingeri (Gattinger's gerardia), Agalinis skinneriana (Skinner's gerardia), Aristida longispica (three-awned grass), Asclepias hirtella (tall green milkweed), Asclepias sullivantii (Sullivant's milkweed), Cacalia plantaginea (prairie Indian-plantain), Carex hyalinolepis (sedge), Carya laciniosa (shellbark or kingnut hickory), Hypericum gentianoides (gentian-leaved St. John's-wort), Juncus biflorus (two-flowered rush), Juncus brachycarpus (short-fruited rush), Lechea pulchella (Leggett's pinweed), Ludwigia alternifolia (seedbox), Nelumbo lutea (American lotus), Platantheraleucophaea (prairie fringed orchid), Sagittaria montevidensis (arrowhead), Scirpus clintonii (Clinton's bulrush), Silphium perfoliatum (cup-plant), Strophostyles hevola (trailing wild bean).
RARE ANIMALS: Asio flammeus (short-eared owl), Chlidonias niger (black tern), Dysnomia torulosa rangiana (northern riffleshell), Dysnomia triquetra (snuffbox), Elaphe vulpina gloydi (eastern fox snake), Erimyzon oblongus (creek chubsucker), Etheostoma spectabile (orangethroat darter), Euphyes dukesi (Duke's skipper), Falco peregrinus (Peregrine falcon), Obovaria subrotunda (round hickorynut, a mussel), Opsopoeodus vemiliae (pugnose minnow), Rallus elegans (king rail), Simpsoniconcha ambigua (salamander mussel), Sterna forsteri (Forster's tern), Sterna hirundo (common tern), Tyto alba (common barn owl), Villosa fabalis (bean villosa, a mussel).
NATURAL AREAS: State Natural Areas: Dickinson Island; The Nature Conservancy Preserves: Erie Marsh, Highland Cemetery; Michigan Nature Association Preserves: American Lotus Plant Preserve, Sibley Prairie.
PUBLIC LAND MANAGERS: State Game Areas: Petersburg, Pointe Mouillee; State Wildlife Areas: Ford, St. Clair Flats, St. John's Marsh, Erie; State Parks: Algonac, Sterling; State Environmental Areas: Stony Island, Grassy Island, Pointe Mouillee, Monroe, Maumee Bay; State Recreation Areas: Rochester-Utica, Proud Lake; Metroparks: Oakwoods, Lower Huron, Lake Erie, Stony Creek, Metro Beach, Willow.
CONSERVATION CONCERNS: Management and restoration of lakeplain prairies and oak openings are a high priority and have been initiated in both State parks and State game areas. The entire native clam fauna, especially the large unionids, is being threatened by the zebra mussel invasion in the Detroit River.
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