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Nashwauk/Marcell Moraines and Uplands

Ecoregion in MN

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The landscape of this ecoregion was formed by deposits of several lobes of the Wisconsin glaciation, the Rainy Lobe in the east, the Koochiching Lobe in the west, and Wadena Lobe in the small southern lobe of the ecoregion. The deposits include till, drift complexes, moraines, organic deposits that became peat, outwash, and lacustrine deposits from pieces of Glacial Lake Agassiz. The topography is primarily rolling to undulating with steep slopes in outwash areas. The soils in the eastern part of the Rainy Lobe deposits are less developed forest Udepts with patches of moderately decomposed Hemists and sandy forest Psamments, similar to soils in Ecoregions 50n and 50p. In the rest of the ecoregion well drained forest Udalf soils and somewhat poorly drained forest Aqualf soils dominate with patches of Psamments and Hemists interspersed. As with many Northern Lakes and Forests ecoregions, the land cover is forest, wetlands, and lakes, and the density of lakes in the western part of the ecoregion is quite high. The presettlement vegetation was similar to Ecoregions 50p, 50q, and 50r, namely, a mosaic of aspen and birch, white and red pine, jack pine barrens, and conifer bogs and swamps. About 50% of this ecoregion was deciduous, mixed, and evergreen forest and 35% wetlands in 2013.

— EPA

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Ecoregion