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| A savanna before management
activities. |
Why Manage for Savannas:
Necedah
National Wildlife Refuge has three goals that guide our management decisions.
These goals are:
1) To
protect and provide habitat for migratory birds - Savannas
provide habitat for over 100 species of birds. Brown thrashers, blue-winged
teal, yellow warblers, and bluebirds make colorful additions to the
savanna landscape.
2) To
protect and provide habitat for threatened and endangered species
- Wisconsin used to have over 4.1 million acres of savannas. Now, there
are less than 10,000 acres in good condition. As a result, many savanna
species are becoming increasingly rare. The prairie fame flower, Blanding's
turtle, and the federally endangered Karner blue butterfly are all examples
of rare species that require savanna habitat.
3) To
support a natural diversity of plants and animals on refuge lands
- Savannas support a wonderful variety of living things. White-tailed
deer, wild turkeys, wild lupine, mourning cloak butterflies, and the
eastern hognosed snake all make their homes on Necedah's savanna habitats.
The Lupine
Trail and Pair Ponds Trail, listed in the Wildlife Viewing Hotspots
brochure, are two places where you can see savannas that have already
been restored. Come walk these trails and learn about savanna habitat
and the unique plants and animals that live there. You'll be glad you
came!
Necedah's Natural
Heritage
Necedah
National Wildlife Refuge is located in an area known as the Great Central
Wisconsin Swamp. Most of the refuge is relatively flat. Glacial meltwaters
left ridges of well-drained sand rising gently out of the surrounding
wetlands. Tamarack, wet meadows, oak, and jack pine formed a patchwork
of open vistas, forest, and barrens/savanna habitat.
For many
of us, the word savanna brings to mind wind-swept grasslands punctuated
by stately trees that have weathered many storms. But savannas are shaped
by many different forces. Soil type, lightning fires, fires set by aboriginal
peoples for game and berry production, grazing by bison and elk, and
disease all affect the way different savannas look and the types of
plants and animals that live there. These forces kept the land open
and allowed the plants and animals that rely on savanna habitat to survive.
The poorest soils experienced the most frequent fires and the trees
were the most susceptible to drought and disease. These areas supported
some scattered oak and pine, but the most common plants were actually
graceful grasses, brilliant wildflowers dominated by milkweeds and goldenrods,
and low shrubs such as blueberry and sweet fern.
A Changing Landscape
European
Settlement - Several large, intense fires in the early 1900s
led to a program of strict fire suppression in the Necedah area. This
change in philosophy was also taking place across the rest of the country.
Smoky the Bear quickly became a familiar household figure.
As fires
became less common, oak and jack pine slowly began to shade out the
barrens. Many wildflowers, birds, and butterflies such as the Karner
blue found it difficult to survive.
The
Restoration Process - In the 1960's, Necedah Refuge began clearing
wooded areas on sandy soil and using fire to promote grass growth and
improve waterfowl nesting habitat. Thirty years later, these areas not
only provide nesting habitat for mallards and blue-winged teal, but
are some of our best examples of savannas. The refuge plans to restore
17 sites totaling 2,500 acres. Upon completion, over 3,000 acres of
the 44,000-acre refuge will be managed as savannas.
 |
| An
Oak Barren/Savanna after management activities. Open areas have
been created so that wild lupine can grow. This also provides
nesting habitat for other wildlife. |
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