Wisconsin's Oak Savanna
The savanna was among the numerous types of plant communities found in pre-settlement Wisconsin. The environment of the savanna falls between that of forest and prairie. It can be described as having between one and twenty trees per acre. There are 4 plant communities in Wisconsin that exhibit the traits of a savanna: the oak opening or oak savanna, the scrub oak barren, the jack pine barren and the cedar glade. During pre-settlement times, the oak savanna was one of the most characteristic ecological communities in the state, covering 20% of the state's land area. The legendary fires that swept over the prairie created these unique areas. What you see in the demonstration area is a re-creation of an oak savanna. The bur oak, like the one before you, was the most common tree found in the oak savanna community. Its thick, corky bark allowed it to survive the fires when all else was burned to the ground. After settlement the fires were stopped, prairies were converted to cropland, and less fire resistant trees flourished in the oak savanna. The once open stretches of prairie dotted with oaks quickly became closed oak forests.
A Diverse Ecosystem
Grasses and wildflowers were characteristic of the oak savanna, creating a unique environment that was diverse in both plants and animals. Today existing remnants of savanna
this page online
Original Oak Savanna
Before settlement there were 5.5 million acres of savanna in Wisconsin. Today less than .01% remain.
Erected by the Wisconsin Departments of Transportation and Natural Resources.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Environment.
Location. 44° 54.423′ N, 91° 54.429′ W. Marker is near Menomonie, Wisconsin, in Dunn County. Marker is on Interstate 94 at milepost 43,, 1.1 miles east of County Road J, on the right when traveling east. Marker is at Rest Area 61. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Menomonie WI 54751, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Fine Meadows (a few steps from this marker); Dunn County Veterans Memorial (a few steps from this marker); Chippewa Valley White Pine (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Fine Meadows (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); World War I (about 700 feet away); Evergreen Cemetery / Earliest Evergreen Burials (approx. 1.3 miles away); Dr. Stephen Tainter (approx. 1.3 miles away); Stori House (approx. 2.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Menomonie.
Also see . . . Oak Savannas
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on October 21, 2015, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 479 times since then and 64 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 21, 2015, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
