Minnesota Seasons - Black Dog Nature Preserve SNA


Black Dog Nature Preserve SNA

More photos…



			Dakota County




Size	126 acres

Maps	MinnesotaSeasons map with GPS coordinates

Parking	N44 47.220 W93 16.540

Hiking Trails	A two mile hiking trail leads into the SNA from the parking area and continues well beyond it to the east.

Ecological Classification	Province	Eastern Broadleaf Forest Province
	Section	Minnesota & NE Iowa Morainal
	Subsection(s)	St. Paul-Baldwin Plains
	Land Type Association(s)	Pig's Eye Alluvial Plain Wescott Moraine

Native Plant Communities¹	Calcareous Fen (Southeastern) Mesic Prairie (Southern) Pin Oak - Bur Oak Woodland Seepage Meadow/Carr

Ownership	Minnesota Department of Natural Resources The Nature Conservancy U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Links	Minnesota DNR U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service The Nature Conservancy

Comments	This SNA lies within the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge. A very small part of the preserve is a wildlife sanctuary and is accessible only to those with a research permit. The sanctuary can be viewed in its entirety from the adjacent railroad tracks.

Images


Birds	Black Dog Lake, which borders the preserve on the north, is an important stop for migrating waterfowl. Some of the birds that can be seen here, along with those listed below, include Great Egret (Ardea alba), Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias), Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus), Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), Willow Flycatcher (Empidonax traillii), Orchard Oriole (Icterus spurius), clay-colored sparrow (Spizella pallida), and Vesper Sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus). Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge Bird Checklist

	American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis) American Robin (Turdus migratorius) Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis) Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus) Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia)

Fungi

	Shaggy Mane (Coprinus comatus)

Insects and Arachnids	Leaf beetles have been released here by the DNR in an effort to control the spread of purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria).

	American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis) eastern pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis) eastern tent caterpillar (Malacosoma americanum) eastern tiger swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) mourning cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) sumac flea beetle (Blepharida rhois)

Mammals

	eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus) eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) whitetail deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

Plants	Several plant species with protected status in Minnesota are found here: Special concern – smooth sawgrass (Cladium mariscoides) Threatened – edible valerian (Valeriana edulis var. ciliata), hair-like beak-rush (Rhynchospora capillacea), sterile sedge (Carex sterilis), whorled nut-rush (Scleria verticillata) Many rare calcareous fen species once found on this site no longer grow here. Water levels have been reduced due to draw down from urban wells. Minnesota DNR Plant List University of Minnesota Herbarium Plant List Plants frequently found in: Calcareous Fen (Southeastern) OPp93c Mesic Prairie (Southern) UPs23a Pin Oak - Bur Oak Woodland FDs37b Seepage Meadow/Carr WMs83a1

	American black currant (Ribes americanum) American elm (Ulmus americana) American plum (Prunus americana) black cherry (Prunus serotina var. serotina) boxelder (Acer negundo) bristly buttercup (Ranunculus hispidus var. nitidus) Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis) cleavers (Galium aparine) common blue violet (Viola sororia) common burdock (Arctium minus) common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale ssp. officinale) common evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) common mullein (Verbascum thapsus) common strawberry (Fragaria virginiana) edible valerian (Valeriana edulis var. ciliata) garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) hoary puccoon (Lithospermum canescens) Indian hemp (Apocynum cannabinum) Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) narrow-leaved cattail (Typha angustifolia) northern pin oak (Quercus ellipsoidalis) plains cottonwood (Populus deltoides ssp. molinifera) quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) red osier dogwood (Cornus sericea ssp. sericea) reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea) smooth sumac (Rhus glabra) smooth yellow violet (Viola pubescens var. scabriuscula) stinging nettle (Urtica dioica ssp. gracilis) Virginia waterleaf (Hydrophyllum virginianum var. virginianum) wild geranium (Geranium maculatum) yellow marsh marigold (Caltha palustris var. palustris)

Visits	5/7/2009