Regional Landscape Ecosystems of Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin

SUB-SUBSECTION VII.1.2. Wiggins Lake

Fine-textured end and ground moraine; northern hardwood forest.

DISCUSSION: This sub-subsection is a narrow band of ground and end moraine that is physiographically a continuation of the Lansing till plain (Sub-subsection VI.4.1), but the growing season of this part of the till plain is shorter.

ELEVATION: 800 to 1,050 feet (243 to 320 m).

AREA: 111 square miles (289 sq km).

STATES: Michigan.

CLIMATE: Growing season ranges from approximately 120 to 130 days (Eichenlaub et al. 1990). Average annual precipitation is 28 to 30 inches; and annual snowfall is 50 to 60 inches, increasing at the inland margin of the sub-subsection. Extreme minimum temperature ranges from -36½F to -40½F, with coldest values along the inland margin. It is primarily this cooler, more northern climate that differentiates this sub-subsection from the Lansing sub-subsection (VI.4.1).

BEDROCK GEOLOGY: Glacial deposits over bedrock are 250 to 450 feet thick; deposits are thickest along the inland edge. The sub-subsection is underlain by Mesozoic (Jurassic) and Paleozoic (Pennsylvanian) bedrock (Dorr and Eschman 1984, Milstein 1987). Jurassic red beds, consisting mainly of sandstone, shale, and clay, with minor beds of limestone and gypsum, are located beneath the entire sub-subsection, as are Pennsylvanian sandstone, shale, coal, and limestone.

LANDFORMS: The topography consists of rolling to moderately sloping ridges, mapped by Farrand (1982) as both end and ground moraine.

LAKES AND STREAMS: Several small branches of the Cedar, Tobacco, and Tittabawassee Rivers flow across the ground moraine and small outwash channels of the sub-subsection. Two small lakes.

SOILS: The soils of the moraines are moderately well to well drained. Soil textures are primarily loams to clay loams. Soils are classified as gently sloping Haplaquepts plus Haplaquods on the lake plain and as gently sloping Glossoboralfs plus Eutroboralfs on the moraines (USDA Soil Conservation Service 1967).

PRESETTLEMENT VEGETATION: The presettlement vegetation was upland beech-sugar maple forest (Comer et al. 1993b).

NATURAL DISTURBANCE: No major natural disturbances recorded by surveyors.

PRESENT VEGETATION AND LAND USE: Large parts of the sub-subsection are farmed, both for row crops and pasture. Steeper sections remain forested.

RARE PLANT COMMUNITIES: None identified to date.

RARE PLANTS: None identified to date.

RARE ANIMALS: None identified to date.

NATURAL AREAS: None.

PUBLIC LAND MANAGERS: None.

CONSERVATION CONCERNS: Most of this small sub-subsection has already been converted to agriculture.

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