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Cover Design by Arthur Thrall, Lawrence University
TRANSACTIONS OF THE
WISCONSIN ACADEMY
OF SCIENCES, ARTS
AND LETTERS
LXI— 1973
Editor
ELIZABETH McCOY
TRANSACTIONS OF THE
WISCONSIN ACADEMY
Established 1870
Volume LXI
THE NEW ERA OF ACADEMY GREATNESS 1
F. Chandler Young
GOVERNOR EDWARD SALOMON, W. YATES SELLECK,
AND THE SOLDIERS’ CEMETERY AT GETTYSBURG 11
Frank L. Element
MAN’S CREEPING JURISDICTION OVER
OCEAN SPACE 29
John B. Ray
CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN CENTRAL WISCONSIN 45
Maurice E. Perret
PRELIMINARY REPORTS ON THE FLORA
OF WISCONSIN. NO. 63. THE GENUS TRIFOLIUM
—THE CLOVERS 59
John M. Gillett and Theodore S. Cochrane
THE MAMMALS OF DANE COUNTY, WISCONSIN 75
A. W. Schorger
GERMS, LUMBERJACKS, AND DOCTORS IN
NINETEENTH CENTURY MARINETTE 87
Carl E. Krog
THE EASTERN SUBTERRANEAN TERMITE, RETICULITERMES
FLAVIPES (KOLLAR), AND THE COMMON THIEF ANT,
SOLENOPS1S MOLESTA (SAY), IN THE LABORATORY,
WITH NOTES ON OTHER ASSOCIATED ANT SPECIES 95
R. V. Smythe and H. C. Coppel
SOCRATES ON CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE: THE APOLOGY
AND THE CR1TO 103
Peter S. Wenz
DISTRIBUTION OF PHOSPHORUS, SILICA, CHLOROPHYLL a,
AND CONDUCTIVITY IN LAKE MICHIGAN AND GREEN BAY 117
D. C. Rousar and A. M. Beeton
PRE- AND POSTSETTLEMENT POLLEN FROM A SHORT
CORE, TROUT LAKE, NORTH-CENTRAL WISCONSIN 141
Thompson Webb III
MARKET STRUCTURE AND BANK PERFORMANCE:
WISCONSIN 1870-1900 149
Richard H. Keehn
LA QUERELLE DU CID: CLASSICAL RULES
OR POLITICAL EXPEDIENCY? 157
Edmund Roney
THE EFFECTS OF HARVESTING AQUATIC
MACROPHYTES ON ALGAE 165
Stanley A. Nichols
ANNOTATED LIST OF TRICHOPTERA (CADDISFLIES)
IN WISCONSIN 173
Jerry L. Longridge and William L. Hilsenhoff
ORGANISMS, ESPECIALLY INSECTS, ASSOCIATED WITH
WOOD ROTTING HIGHER FUNGI (Basidiomycetes)
IN WISCONSIN FORESTS 185
J. L. Ackerman and R. D. Shenefelt
VACATION RESORTS IN ONEIDA COUNTY (WISCONSIN).
A Study of 1950-1968 Trends and Owner-operator
Characteristics 207
L. G. Monthey and Daniel Zielinski
MAJOR CAUSE OF ALGAE AND WEEDS IN
LAKE MENDOTA
229
M. Starr Nichols
ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF A POSSIBLE
ALLELOPATHIC FACTOR SUPPORTING THE DOMINANT
ROLE OF HIERACIUM AURANT1ACUM IN THE
BRACKEN-GRASSLANDS OF NORTHERN WISCONSIN 235
Dana S. Dawes and N. C. Maravolo
DETERMINATION OF MERCURY LEVELS IN WISCONSIN
RESIDENTS: A PROJECT INVOLVING SECONDARY
SCHOOL STUDENTS 253
Leon M. Zaborowski
NITRATE CONTENT OF WELL WATER IN
WEST-CENTRAL WISCONSIN 259
Milan W. Wehking, Janies W. Pavlik, Paul Strege and Dawn Gilles
AN ORDINATION OF CORTICOLOUS LICHEN COMMUNITIES
IN THE POPPLE RIVER BASIN OF NORTHERN WISCONSIN 267
James A. Jesberger
ABOUT THE AUTHORS AND THEIR PAPERS 285
EDITORIAL POLICY
The Transactions of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters
is an annual publication devoted to original, scholarly papers, some prefer¬
ence being given to the works of Academy members. Sound manuscripts
dealing with features of the State of Wisconsin and its people are especially
welcome, although papefs on more general topics are occasionally published.
Subject matter experts will review each manuscript submitted.
Contributors are asked to submit two copies of their manuscripts to the
Editor. The manuscripts should be typed on 8V2 x 11" bond paper. The title
of the manuscript should be centered at the top of the first page and should
be typed in capital letters throughout. The author’s name should appear
below the title and toward the right hand margin. It should be typed with
capitals and lower case and underlined for italics. Each page of the manu¬
script beyond the first should bear the page number and author’s name for
identification; e.g. 2-Brown, 3-Brown etc. A note on separate sheet should
identify the author with his institution, if appropriate, or with a brief
personal address. Other facts of importance or interest are requested, to
be used in About the Authors to be printed at the end of the volume; this
personal information will be verified with the authors at the time of proof
reading.
The style of the text should be that of scholarly writing in the field of the
author but to minimize printing costs the Editor suggests that the general
form of the current volume be examined. For the Science papers an AB¬
STRACT is requested. Documentary Footnotes may be useful, especially
for the Arts and Letters manuscripts, and should be typed and numbered
for identification as to place in the text; such footnotes as a group should
be separate from the text pages and may occupy one or more pages, as
needed. For the Science papers, or others at the authors’ choice, the refer¬
ences should be typed together on page or pages at the end of the manu¬
script to be printed under REFERENCES. Citations in the text may be
either by number in parentheses or by author and date as is preferred in
the authors’ field.
The cost, of printing the Transactions is great. Therefore, papers in ex¬
cess of 25 printed pages will not normally be accepted. In the rare instance
of such a paper or of some especially costly printing or illustration, the
contributor may be asked to subsidize publication.
Galley proofs and manuscript copy will be forwarded to the author for
proof reading prior to publication; both should be returned to the Editor
within ten days.
Papers received on or before November 1 will be considered for publica¬
tion of the current volume.
Manuscripts should be sent to :
Elizabeth McCoy
Editor: Transactions of the Wisconsin Academy
W.A.S.A.L. Office
1922 University Avenue
Madison, Wi 53705
REPRINT POLICY
Authors of papers which appear in Transactions will be provided by the
Editor with one complimentary copy of the issue in which their work is
published. Single copies only of the article are available to other persons
at 10 cents per page and single copies of the volume at $5.00 per copy from
the Wisconsin Academy office, 1922 University Avenue, Madison, Wi 53705.
Individuals may copy articles from Transactions in limited quantities for
educational purposes without request.
Large orders for copies of the articles should be placed with: Reprint
Division of the American Printing and Publishing Inc., 2909 Syene Rd., Madi¬
son, Wi 53713. Cost will be based upon the length of papers (units by 4
page intervals) and 100 copies is the minimum order. Prices and order
blanks will be sent with the proof and authors should deal directly with this
printer for routine orders up to 500. Very large orders (more than 500)
should be cleared by the W.A.S.A.L. office. Reprints by this plan will be
available within 2 weeks time and can be made either at the time of issue
of the Transactions volume or any time later, if desired. All orders should
be accompanied by institutional purchase order (or requisition #) or full
payment.
F. CHANDLER YOUNG
50th President
WISCONSIN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, ARTS
AND LETTERS
THE NEW ERA OF ACADEMY GREATNESS
Presidential Address
F. Chandler Young
President 1971-72
Stevens Point, Wisconsin
May 6, 1972
Let me start boldly and abruptly. I am convinced that the
Wisconsin Academy is on the threshold of a new era of greatness.
We must recognize this and, in doing so, do our part for the
Academy and for the State of Wisconsin.
These opening remarks are so abrupt that I am at once reminded
of a professorial comment on the first draft of the Introduction
to my doctoral dissertation. My professor wrote: “You let the
clutch out too fast.” You may wonder why I have ignored this sage
advice. Let me simply say this. Whether as speaker or audience,
I have learned how easily after dinner speakers can lose their
audience to the comforts of sleep. I regard my time with you this
evening as precious. I shall not abuse the honor and privilege
granted me by this distinguished audience.
The evidence to support my thesis of Academy greatness in
these coming years derives from a number of observations about
the past and the present which have significance for the Academy’s
future.
I shall begin by drawing upon some of the wisdom in our history.
We do need an awareness of our illustrious past for guidance in
charting our future. I shall continue with some observations of
the present. We need to understand the conditions of the society
in which the Academy exists today. They are quite different from
what they were a hundred years ago. The Wisconsin Academy
itself is stronger than ever before. We need to know about this new
strength.
Then, with an awareness of our past and present, we can look
toward a great future.
Early in my studies of the Academy’s past, I found a sentence of
special interest to me, personally. Thomas Chamberlin had written
about our first president, John Hoyt. In that one sentence charac¬
terizing Hoyt, our first president, he in fact characterized me, your
last president. He wrote: “Though not a special worker in any line
1
2 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
of research, his intellectual sympathies were wide, his aspirations
were high, his dream for the Academy was ambitious. ” My dream
for the Academy is at once ambitious and realistic.
Back in 1872, John Hoyt had reported to the Governor of the
State of Wisconsin. This was when the Academy was just two years
into its first century. Now, in 1972, I report to you, the members
of the Academy. This is when the Academy is just two years into
its second century.
John Hoyt had told the Governor about what little progress had
been made in Wisconsin in the Sciences, Arts, and Letters. He
showed how necessary the Academy was to the State of Wisconsin.
A few quotes from his 1872 address give us some of the thrust and
flavor of his remarks.
In commenting about the Fine Arts in our early history, he
wrote: “The practice in Architecture, both in the construction of
private dwellings and buildings for public use, gave here, as else¬
where in our country, painful proof of a prevailing ignorance of
the principles of art.,, In remarks about the intellectual achieve¬
ments of that era, he wrote: “If [the record] shows that in the
Practical Arts — in the rough work of civilization — we had
achieved marvelous results for a State of but twenty-two years,
it reveals, on the other hand, how little has been accomplished in
those higher fields of human activity, the scientific, literary, and
aesthetic . . . [which are] essential to those high intellectual
achievements which exalt man as an individual and make the other¬
wise half-civilized community an enlightened and refined common¬
wealth.”
We know that the Transactions , the Academy Review, and some
special monographs and papers written for our centennial celebra¬
tion attest to our many worthwhile accomplishments. In these
writings we not only get a sense of our purpose, we also can find
some specifics in our history which we must use. I have time for
only one example.
Charles Sumner Slichter was president of the Academy in 1902.
In his presidential address, I found a paragraph worth repeating.
His address was entitled, “Recent Criticism of American Scholar¬
ship,” and he was discussing the then new Carnegie Institution.
He wrote in 1902 :
The Carnegie Institution should take its chief warning from the un¬
fortunate history of the Smithsonian Institution, which at one time
promised so much for American science. This institution instead of becom¬
ing the one place in the United States where the highest science could
always find a home, has become very largely a routine institution. It
spends its money for salaries and administration in true American fashion
and has a minimum to show for its more than fifty years of existence.
At the present time about four-fifths of its income goes for salaries and
1973]
Young — New Era of Academy Greatness
3
expense of administration. The American is a great man for stipends,
and stenographers, and card catalogs. Fortunate would it have been if
a Helmholtz had had charge of this institution. He would have been so
absorbed in his science that he would have forgotten about his clerks
and typewriters, but his suggestions and plans, given to his scientific
workers, would have made at Washington an institution conspicuous
“for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men.”
We must heed this advice. We must be aware of the ideas re¬
corded in our history. But we must resist the temptation of dwell¬
ing too heavily upon our past. We must understand the present
and then dwell upon our future.
In recent years I have experienced what may be called emotional
attacks. As one who has survived 21 years as a college adminis¬
trator on the Madison campus, I know that these attacks were not
upon my person, but rather upon my position. What bothers me the
most is that these attacks were leveled at an institution devoted
to teaching and research, to intellectual pursuits, to the search for
truth.
My South Hall office was fire bombed in 1968. My Bascom Hall
office window was trashed in 1969. Tear gas has caused me to weep
on more than one occasion.
I have been publicly criticized. In 1968, when I became Vice
Chancellor of Student Aifairs, a local newspaper announced it with
the foreboding headline: ‘‘Young gets UW ‘Hot Spot’ position.”
Some time later, a local paper's front page story about a regent
meeting reported: ‘‘The Regents spent more than three hours
lambasting and questioning UW administrators . . .” In reporting
my answer to a question put to me by the Regents at that meeting,
the article stated: “Young’s answer was drowned out in a chorus
of ‘why not’ from several of the Regents.”
I have been confronted by other angry people. For three and a
half hours a legislative investigating committee questioned me,
not for facts or for information but as an occasion to attack me
verbally, publicly, and politically. One question was, in essence,
why I had permitted the Daily Cardinal to use four letter words.
Another was, in effect, why I did not rid the campus of communists.
On another occasion, eight students entered my office, posted
guards at my door, pointed a camera and a tape recorder at me and
insisted upon an immediate response to thirteen demands.
Another day, during a disturbance, an elderly citizen called me
late at night to demand that I get the students out of the neighbor¬
hood. A little later that same night, a student in the same neigh¬
borhood demanded that I get the police out and ended with the
icy comment, “What is a highly paid administrator like you doing
in bed on a night like this?”
4 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
I could, of course, continue with many similar experiences,, but
I shall cease with a brief account of one more incident. This one
contained a bit of humor, a little reason, and even considerable
decency.
This took place in the height of campus turmoil. An attempt was
being made to halt classes. The idea seemed to be that drawing
attention to a particular issue was more important than the intel¬
lectual pursuits of the campus. Some twenty students were block¬
ing one of the main entrances to Bascom Hall. I went up to the
group and said cheerfully: “It doesn’t look like I can get through
here, does it?” The leader asked me pleasantly: “Are you a stu¬
dent?” I said “No.” Although I was tempted to say thanks for the
compliment. Then the leader asked: “Are you a teacher?” “No,” I
said, “I’m just a Vice Chancellor on my way to a meeting.” With
this, the leader said : “Let the Vice Chancellor through.” He waved
his arm and the group made a path through its midst. As I went
through, my host said eagerly: “Please remember how polite we
have been.”
One hundred years ago we had no dean of students, let alone any
vice chancellor. Students caused trouble, of course, and leaders
in educational institutions constantly worked with the political,
economic, and social forces of the time to the benefit of teaching
and research in higher education. I doubt, however, that the anti¬
intellectual forces have ever been more dramatically visible nor
more intense than at present.
It is the irrationality of man that makes it difficult. Many of the
persons in the emotionally charged sessions of my experience seem
to have rejected the intellectual approach. Whether politically radi¬
cal or ultra conservative, whether in fact in positions of authority
or in fact trying to seize power, some persons seem to prefer
ignorance to knowledge. They seem to prefer persuasive rhetoric
based on falsehoods and half truths rather than facts and the
principles of logic and causality. They seem to like the emotional
comfort of over simplification. They often dismiss the realities
of complexity. They seem to be motivated by fears, hates, and
angers, seemingly derived from perceived threats to their own
well being or to their own belief systems.
It is this kind of irrationality, at work in our society today,
which threatens the interests of our Academy and of the citizens
of the State of Wisconsin. I am not alone in my concern about
threats to the forces of intellect.
Kingman Brewster, Jr., in a recent Phi Beta Kappa address,
expressed this concern when commenting on an orthodoxy of pas¬
sion and politics. He said: “If we should slip into a dark age of
irrationality, far better for the Universities to live meagerly, while
1973]
Young — New Era of Academy Greatness
5
sticking to the integrity of reason, than to prosper elegantly in the
corruption of a new orthodoxy/’
Another intellectual expressed this concern in a somewhat differ¬
ent way. Jacques Barzun, in his book, The House of Intellect ,
arraigns our modern democratic culture for its unfortunate atti¬
tude toward intellectuals. He is intensely critical of our educational
system and at one point is quite caustic in his assessment of the
college graduate: “After sixteen long years of an ordinary edu¬
cation, we observe young men and women of unquestionable gifts,
energy, and zest whose fine intelligence is not matched by strength
of intellect. Freshness of taste and openness to novelty, yes; even
refinement of sensibility, sometimes prematurely delicate. Though
here are college graduates, many of them cannot read accurately or
write clearly, cannot do fractions or percentages without travail
and doubt, cannot utter their thoughts with fluency or force, can
rarely show a handwriting that would pass for adult, let alone
legible, cannot trust themselves to use the foreign language they
have studied for eight years, and can no more range conversation¬
ally over a modest gamut of intellectual topics than they can
address their peers consecutively on one of the subjects they have
studied.”
Perhaps college graduates are less equipped and perhaps less
skilled intellectually than is desired. Nevertheless I believe that
college graduates today are much more aware of the problems of
our society than they were a hundred years ago. Even though their
behaviors may have at times appeared irrational, one underlying
rationale seems to have been to stir things up in ways which make
the public more fully aware of existing problems and thus bring
public pressure to bear on persons in authority to make desirable
changes.
Let me just mention a few of the concerns which students ex¬
press about our society. Each set of problems is exceedingly com¬
plex but each exists and is in need of solution.
Persons tend to be discriminated against if they are different
from the majority in regard to age, sex, color, ethnic origin, or
religious beliefs. What could be more irrational than to treat
persons differently simply because they belong to some minority
group ?
The problem with the military industrial complex is essentially
the misplacement of priorities ; that is, a greater concern for mili¬
tary and economic power than for the well-being of persons.
Poverty and hunger have no rational basis for existence in our
affluent society, yet the prevailing attitude seems to be that these
human miseries have always been and thus always will be a part
of our society. What could be more irrational?
6 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
The value put upon material things seems to be higher than the
value put upon persons and upon our natural environment. For
example, what is the rationale for spending millions on automobiles
and highways at the expense of the well-being of persons, not to
mention the resulting irrevocable damage to our environment?
My main point is that fierce irrational forces are at work. I have
felt these personally. I have found modern day thinkers who are
concerned about this same inattention to intellectual matters and
the same difficulty of making intellectual forces effective. I have
identified some of our urgent problems, seemingly created by
irrational forces and certainly in need of solution by knowledge¬
able, reasonable, intelligent men and women.
Society, of course, had its problems a hundred years ago. The
record shows that the Wisconsin Academy played a part in finding
solutions to these problems then. The Academy did this through the
encouragement of research and the spread of knowledge. The prob¬
lems today are quite different and in my view much more serious
and more urgent than ever before. The mission of the Academy is
still essentially that of providing intellectual strength through
the encouragement of original investigation and through the spread
of knowledge.
Academy greatness in the years to come can be expected because
intellectual strength in the minds of men in every walk of life is
needed more today than ever before and the Wisconsin Academy is
better equipped than ever before to provide that strength.
Let me turn to a brief discussion of a new and growing strength
in the Wisconsin Academy.
On the financial front we are far ahead of John Hoyt’s fondest
dream. In 1872, our assets were less than one thousand dollars
when John Hoyt had expressed the hope of increasing our assets
one hundredfold. Now our assets have been increased a thousand¬
fold. My hope is that we will more than double our current assets
of over a million dollars.
Even though there were special ceremonies during our centen¬
nial celebrations to honor our great benefactor, Harry Steen-
bock, I want to say again how grateful and appreciative we are
for his outstanding gift. We have invested this wisely. We have
used only the income from that investment and have spent this
income cautiously and sensibly. It is interesting to note that Harry
Steenbock was one of us. It is true that we have had some financial
help from the legislature and some from business and industry.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison has helped us in important
ways over the years and continues to do so. Up to now, however,
these other contributions have been relatively small. This tells us
something. First, we must intensify our efforts for financial sup-
1973]
Young — Neiv Era of Academy Greatness
7
port from business and industry. Second, we must think seriously
of ways to approach our own members. We are the ones who under¬
stand the Academy and its importance to society. There are those
among* us who wish to add to our financial assets through gifts or
bequests. We must encourage these people to step forward.
Our membership is larger and more active in Academy affairs
than ever before. A century ago we had only fifty-five members.
Now we have over 1500. More important, there is every indication
that our membership will increase significantly; not simply in
sheer numbers, but also in degree of active participation.
Back in 1955, my only task as an Academy Vice President was
to write a paragraph for the back cover of the Academy Revieiv.
Although it seems strange to be quoting myself, I do believe my
comments then support my present thesis that our membership
will become even stronger than it is today. I had written :
“Many Wisconsin people have the kind of inquiring mind, the degree
of fascination with new knowledge, and the depth of appreciation for
scholarly endeavor to enjoy membership in this Academy. We who are
members can understand how the Academy can enrich one’s life and
contribute to the cultural and intellectual life of the State.”
I should like to identify briefly three conditions of society today
which further convince me about our new growth in membership
participation.
One is the condition of boredom. Perhaps it is our affluence.
Perhaps it is the lack of any need for intellectual effort in many
occupations. Perhaps it is because we have more leisure time or
because we are less preoccupied with our own financial security.
Many persons will welcome Academy activities as a worthwhile
way to fill their leisure time with exciting intellectual and creative
pursuits.
A second condition is that a greater variety of people are be¬
coming interested in higher learning. New egalitarian trends in
higher education are already evident. College populations are
drawing persons to campuses from a much wider base. Ethnic
origin, still an irrational barrier, is now becoming somewhat less
of a reason to bar a person from higher education. Whatever one’s
view may be about women’s liberation, the truth is that more and
more women are being welcomed into the academic ranks. Sons
and daughters of parents in non-professional and non-managerial
occupations are coming to campuses in greater numbers. Age is
now less of a barrier to higher learning and more and more persons
over thirty are seeking higher learning.
A third condition is an increasing general attitude of granting
individuals greater freedom “to do one’s own thing.” There seems
to be a new emphasis on nature and the natural, on encouraging
8 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
each person to live his or her own life, unhampered by the pres¬
sures of conformity or the expectations of others. Perhaps it is a
new kind of individualism.
These conditions of a greater need to escape boredom, an in¬
crease in number of persons entering the intellectual arena, and
a greater concern for freedoms for the individual, present us with
unusual opportunities for new memberships and greater member¬
ship participation.
In addition to our fresh economic power and our revitalized
membership, we have new administrative assistance and new
physical facilities. It is not that we are great “for stipends,
stenographers, and card catalogs.” It is rather that we will be great
because our members, our officers, our Council, our committees,
and our editors can come forth with suggestions, can make plans,
can accomplish tasks and thus make our society conspicuous “for
the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men.” Our highly
competent Executive Director and his limited staff are not re¬
garded as substitutes for volunteers. He and his staff make it
possible for us to carry out our work cooperatively, efficiently,
thoughtfully, and above all, effectively.
Those of us who have participated actively in Academy Affairs
this past year have come to appreciate the importance of competent
administrative help. We have been able to get our house in order,
to care properly for our precious investments, to up-date our con¬
stitution and by-laws, to re-awaken dormant committees and create
new ones, and to introduce new qualities of excellence in our
publications, in our fall gathering, and in our annual meeting.
Taken all around, the Wisconsin Academy is better equipped for
its mission than ever before. It has an illustrious past upon which
to build. Its financial position is strong. Its growing membership
is freer than ever before and more highly motivated than ever
before to engage in activities of the kind we all treasure. The
society in which we live is faced with urgent problems which not
only threaten the quality of life but threaten the very existence
of mankind. These are problems that need solution by the knowl¬
edgeable, reasonable, intelligent, concerned persons of the kind
who are members of our Academy.
This is the threshold to greatness upon which we now stand. But
we cannot stand. We must move forward with renewed enthusiasm
and with a full awareness of our capabilities.
In my view, our most important task is to strengthen the intel¬
lectual and creative forces among the citizenry of the State of
Wisconsin. Intelligent, knowledgeable and reasonable men and
women are everywhere, whether they be rich or poor, craftsman
or professional, worker or manager, man or woman, young or
1973]
Young — New Era of Academy Greatness
9
old, white or of color, urban or rural, or whatever. These are the
thinking men and women. These are the people who shape public
opinion, who use their time and talent for the public good, whether
in occupation or at leisure. They now know or can easily come to
know about “those higher fields of human activity, the scientific,
literary, and aesthetic . . . which exalt man as an individual and
make an otherwise half-civilized community an enlightened and
refined commonwealth.”
Our Long Range Planning Committee has prepared a number of
working papers which many of you have read and discussed. These
are the charts for our future courses of action, for carrying out
our primary mission. We must pay close attention to these ideas
and where there is general agreement we must implement them,
not file them away.
I am especially pleased with the ideas for expanding our ways of
spreading knowledge, of reaching the thinking citizens of the
State. Our new publications committee will explore and hopefully
implement new ideas for our publications. We need also to explore
new uses of radio, television, and other modern communication
devices.
We have been pleased with the ways our Junior Academy has
reached our younger citizens. The new age of majority legislation
shows the respect we have for the young men and women of our
State. The Junior Academy of Science has now become the Junior
Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters. Whether over or under
the age of 18, the younger citizens of our State need opportunities
which will encourage their intellectual pursuits.
We need to cooperate more fully with our affiliated organizations
and seek out other interest groups engaged in activities germane
to our mission. We must learn from them and, where appropriate,
assist them in their task of informing our citizenry.
As we work together in our efforts to spread knowledge, we can
enjoy a personal sense of identity. I think each of us, whatever
his or her own particular creative or intellectual pursuits may be,
likes to belong, to have an identity with a total effort, to share ideas
and information.
As we read through the history of the Academy, we can note
shifts in emphasis regarding the Sciences, Arts, and Letters. In
my view, there is emerging a new emphasis upon the fine arts and
I, for one, sincerely hope that this trend continues. My guess is
that our new president-elect also shares this view.
Finally, I believe that we should devise new ways of cooperating
with the Governor, the legislature, and others in positions of gov¬
ernmental authority. Far too long we have approached our govern¬
ment with a tin cup. We must now approach it with the persuasive
10 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
power of knowledge and reason. We must have the courage to take
positions on issues when there is common agreement. Even if an
issue is so controversial that we cannot reach any agreement, we
should be willing to present both the pros and cons with intellectual
honesty and scholarly objectivity.
In closing let me simply say this. I believe that we are just
entering a new era of Academy Greatness. I hope that you believe
this too and that we will all do our part for the Academy and for
the State of Wisconsin.
GOVERNOR EDWARD SALOMON, W. YATES SELLECK,
AND THE SOLDIERS’ CEMETERY AT GETTYSBURG
Frank L. Klement
Marquette University
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Two Wisconsin residents played an important role in the estab¬
lishment of the Gettysburg-based soldiers’ cemetery, a cooperative
project of eighteen states. Governor Edward Salomon endorsed
the project, promised that Wisconsin would pay its fair share of
the costs, and named a state agent to cooperate with Pennsylvania
authorities. W. Yates Selleck, as state agent and Salomon’s rep¬
resentative, spent considerable time in Gettysburg, lent energy
and ideas to the project, played a role in the dedication cere¬
monies of November 19, 1863, and served as secretary of the
cemetery association.
Governor Salomon, who promised that Wisconsin would be a pay¬
ing partner in the enterprise, was an effective administrator, if
not a popular one. In a way, chance and expediency had made
Salomon their prisoner. Born in Prussia, he accompanied an older
brother to Wisconsin, living first in Manitowoc, then moving to
Milwaukee in 1852 to enter the fields of law and politics. He started
out as a Democrat, but, influenced by Carl Schurz, he deserted
that party for Republicanism and the slogan “Free soil and free
men.” At their state convention in 1861 Republicans gave Salomon
the second spot on the state ticket in a bid for votes of the German-
Americans. The strategy helped put Louis P. Harvey in the execu¬
tive mansion and made Salomon the lieutenant governor. Chance
again intervened. When Governor Harvey was in the Shiloh area
distributing supplies and hospital stores, he fell into the Tennessee
River while stepping from one steamboat to another during the
night and was drowned — elevating Salomon to the governorship.1
While Governor Salomon worked in the glare of the public spot¬
light, W. [illiam] Yates Selleck lived in the shadows, on the fringe
1 Edward Salomon was born at Stroebeck, near Halberstadt, Prussia, on August 11,
1828. He was a student, first at the college at Halberstadt, and then at the University
of Berlin. Political repression, part of the story of the revolutions of 1848, prompted
him to leave for the United States. He settled in Manitowoc, serving successively as
school teacher, county surveyor, and deputy clerk of the circuit court. After moving
to Milwaukee, he read law in the offices of Edward G. Ryan, being admitted to the
bar in 1855. He set up a law practice with Winfield Smith and engaged in politics,
supporting Democratic candidates. He bolted the Democracy to support Lincoln in
1860.
11
12 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
of obscurity. A young man who had come to Milwaukee during
the 1850’s, he found employment' with an insurance firm and
turned to politics as an outlet for his energy. He was one of the
founders of the Young Men’s Republican Club in March of 1860,
and became the organization’s corresponding secretary.2 He sup¬
ported Lincoln for the presidency and became acquainted with the
Salomon brothers. Republican victory in the 1860 elections netted
Selleck an appointment in Washington.3
The young, energetic and imaginative fellow was one of the or¬
ganizers of the Wisconsin Soldiers’ Aid Society, formed by the
state’s residents-in- Washington to furnish aid to sick and needy
soldiers — “and more especially to visit the hospitals and see that
our soldiers are well cared for.”4 Appointment as state agent (more
correctly “State Military Agent”) to oversee Wisconsin’s sick and
wounded soldiers became a full-time job after the Union defeat at
First Bull Run and as more of the state’s volunteers were assigned
to the Army of the Potomac. Selleck felt compelled to defend the
reputation of the Third Wisconsin Regiment which a correspondent
of the New York Times had mistakenly accused of cowardice.5 In
a letter to the Milwaukee Sentinel, Selleck wrote “ ... it is a base
slander and falsehood, and there is not a word of truth in it .”6
Union defeats in such battles as Second Bull Run, Fredericksburg,
and Chancellorsville placed a heavy load upon the shoulders of
Selleck, who performed his duties with a dedication and ability
unmatched by any other state agent in the Washington area.
When word of heavy fighting in the Gettysburg area went out
over the telegraphic wires, both Governor Salomon and state agent
Selleck expressed apprehension. Approximately 6,000 Wisconsin
soldiers served in the Army of the Potomac, and each major battle
brought concern to state authorities and sorrow to many homes.
Selleck left Washington for Gettysburg as soon as reports reached
the capital that the battle was over.7 Taking his assistant, Wil¬
liam P. Taylor, with him, Selleck took the train to Baltimore in
the hopes of securing passage to Hanover Junction and Gettysburg.
But they could not get a train out of Baltimore until July 6, and
then the train ran only as far as Westminister, Maryland. Un¬
able to secure a conveyance of any kind in Westminister, Selleck
and Taylor set out on foot, carrying bundles on their backs. They
reached Littlestown, seventeen miles away, at sundown. Next
morning they “procured a conveyance” which took them the final
2 Milwaukee Sentinel, March 22, 1860.
a Ibid., April 27, 1861.
4 Ibid., June 9, 1861. James R. Doolittle, one of the state’s U.S. Senators, served
as president of the organization while Selleck held the office of vice-president.
5 New York Times, Aug1. 12, 1861.
6 Selleck to “Editor,” Aug. 14, 1862, published in Milwaukee Sentinel, Aug. 20, 1862.
7 Selleck to Salomon, July 9, 1863, published in (Madison) Wisconsin State Journal,
July 15, 1863.
1973] Klement — Soldiers' Cemetery at Gettysburg
13
sixteen miles to Gettysburg. The two state agents found that Wis¬
consin troops had suffered heavy casualties, the famous “Iron
Brigade” (composed of three Wisconsin regiments and one each
from Indiana and Michigan) being decimated in the first day’s
fighting during the three-day battle.8 He visited Col. Lucius Fair-
child, whose left arm had been amputated above the elbow after
the first day’s fearful and fateful battle. He visited hospitals and
noticed a pathetic shortage of supplies. Leaving his assistant to
“make out lists of all the killed, wounded and missing” (Wiscon¬
sin soldiers), Selleck rushed back to Washington and Baltimore to
“procure supplies.” To get back to Washington, the spirited and
solicitous agent rode “17 miles on a locomotive and 69 miles on
the back end of a freight car.”9
Selleck arrived back in Gettysburg late during the afternoon of
July 10, bringing with him “5 boxes of under clothing and other
hospital stores” as well as “three bundles of crutches.” After dis¬
tributing most of the “stores,” Selleck took time to write about
his activities to Governor Salomon. He promised to send a list of
“the killed, wounded and missing” as soon as possible.10
Selleck and Taylor did noble work, angels of mercy to those in
need. “The Wisconsin wounded at Gettysburg,” Selleck’s aide wrote
to a friend, “were better attended to and cared for than those of
any other State — -not even excepting Massachusetts.”11
Taylor could have added that the wounded and sick soldiers re¬
ceived far more consideration than the dead. Many of the dead
soldiers had been buried hurriedly and carelessly. In some cases
no graves had been dug, and the bodies had merely been covered
with spadefuls of dirt ; mounds of soil dotted portions of the battle¬
field, especially that section where the first day’s fighting had been
heaviest. Heavy rains which followed washed off some of the soil
shoveled over the maggot-infested bodies, exposing arms, legs, and
heads. “I saw one entire skull above the ground,” wrote an ob¬
server, “and in many instances hands & feet are sticking
through.”12 A blazing sun and the summer heat hastened the bloat¬
ing and decomposition of the corpses, filling the air with a sicken¬
ing stench. Worse than that, hogs rooting in various portions of
8 The “Iron Brigade,” the only all-Western brigade in the Army of the Potomac,
consisted of the 2nd, 6th, and 7th Wisconsin, the 19th Indiana, and the 24th Michigan.
The story of this “famous fighting unit” is well told in Alan T. Nolan, The Iron
Brigade (New York, 1961). No participant in the Battle of Gettysburg wrote a better
account than a first lieutenant serving cn the staff of John Gibbon, commanding the
Iron Brigade at Gettysburg; see Prank A. Haskell, The Battle of Gettysburg (Madison,
1908).
“Selleck to Salomon, July 9, 1863, published in Wisconsin State Journal, July 15,
1863.
w Ibid.
11 Taylor to Leonard J. Farwell, July 18, 1863, published in part in Wisconsin State
Journal, July 24, 1863.
12 Ellen Mead to “My dear Mrs. Dean,” Aug. 12, 1863, Lucius Fairchild Papers, State
Historical Society of Wisconsin (Madison).
14 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
the onetime battlefield, desecrated the graves and devoured por¬
tions of the rotting human bodies.13 -
In his work as state agent, Selleck became well acquainted with
David Wills, a kindred soul and a Gettysburger whom the governor
of Pennsylvania, after a visit to the battlefield, had named his rep¬
resentative to supervise “the removal of all Pennsylvanians killed
in the late battles, furnishing transportation for the body and one
attendant at the expense of the State.”14 In pursuing their assign¬
ments, Wills and Selleck noticed that many of the markers over
the graves were temporary and inadequate and that some of the
names were faded and quite unreadable. . . three thousand men
lie in and around Gettysburg,” noted one who had tramped over
the battlefield, “in cornfields, in meadows, in gardens, by the way
side, and in the public road, buried hastily where they fell, and
others in long rows, with a piece of box lid or board of any kind,
with the name of the person and the day he died written with lead
pencil, ink, or whatever they had to make a mark with.”15 Time,
aided by sun and rain, made some of the inscriptions quite illegible,
while occasional so-called graves had no headboards at all.
Wills, encouraged by state agents like W. Yates Selleck of Wis¬
consin and Henry Edwards of Massachusetts, envisioned a cooper¬
ative state cemetery as both a possibility and a necessity. Massa¬
chusetts agents had already asked their state authorities to con¬
sider buying a portion of the battlefield — preferably atop Cemetery
Hill — as a burial ground for Massachusetts soldiers whose bodies
had not been returned to the state and whose ill-kempt graves
were scattered here and there, wherever troops had been engaged.
Selleck, like Wills, believed that most of the eighteen states which
had lost sons at Gettysburg would partake in a project to rebury
the dead in a common cemetery created out of a portion of the
battlefield. Encouraged by Selleck and other state agents, Wills
conveyed the idea to his governor, suggesting that Pennsylvania
purchase a plot for the proposed cemetery. He added an impas¬
sioned plea: “Our dead are lying in the fields unburied (that is no
graves being dug) with small portions of earth dug up alongside
of the body and thrown over it. In many instances arms and legs
protrude and my attention has been directed to several places
where hogs were actually rooting out the bodies and devouring
them — and this on Pennsylvania soil. . . . Humanity calls on us
to take measures to remedy this. . . .”16
13 David Wills to Governor Andrew Curtin, July 24, 1863, Curtin Letterbooks, Execu¬
tive Correspondence, 1861-1865, Pennsylvania State Archives (Harrisburg-),
14 (Gettysburg) Adams County Sentinel, July 28, 1863.
15 Andrew B. Cross, head of the Christian Commission of Pennsylvania, in an appeal
(undated) entitled “To the Patriotic of the Land — A Cemetery for those who Fell
at Gettysburg-,” published in Harrisburg Daily Telegraph, July 29, 1863.
10 Wills to Curtin, July 24, 1863, Curtin Letterbooks, Executive Correspondence,
1861-1865.
1973] Klement — Soldiers’ Cemetery at Gettysburg 15
Governor Curtin, busy with affairs of state, authorized Wills
to purchase the necessary acreage for the proposed cemetery, con¬
tact authorities of the other seventeen states, make arrangements
for the reburials, and superintend the entire project. After each
of eight agents (including Selleck) whom he had “consulted,”
endorsed the cemetery proposal “semi-officially,”17 Wills took steps
to purchase seventeen acres atop Cemetery Hill, adjacent to the
local cemetery already established there. He composed a telegram
to each of the governors who should have had an interest in the
cooperative venture. Wills’ telegram of August 1, 1863, to Governor
Salomon read : “By authority of Gov. Curtin I am buying ground
on or near Cemetary [sic] Hill in trust for a cemetery for the
burial of the soldiers who fell here in the defence [sic] of the
Union. Will Wisconsin cooperate in the project for the removal of
her dead from the field? Signify your assent to Gov. Curtin or
myself and details [will] be arranged afterwards.”18
Governor Salomon replied promptly: Yes, Wisconsin would coop¬
erate in the project. The governor, however, was concerned with
the “details,” for he wanted no loose ends which might be used
to hog-tie him politically. Having committed his state, Salomon
instructed W. Yates Selleck, who had returned to Washington, to
go back to Gettysburg and “confer with Mr. D. Wills” in reference
to “the detail of arrangements for removal of the Wisconsin dead
to the Cemetery grounds.”19
Salomon took some influential Republicans, including editor
Horace Rublee of the (Madison) Wisconsin State Journal , into
his confidence. Rublee, in turn, endorsed the cemetery project in
the public press. “Governor Salomon of this State,” wrote Rublee,
“has signified, in response to Governor Curtin’s proposition, the
readiness of Wisconsin to contribute her proportion towards this
laudable and patriotic enterprise.”20
Selleck, meanwhile, returned to Gettysburg to seek out Wills and
ask questions about progress on the cemetery project and about
the so-called “details.” Wills was then negotiating for the purchase
of five plots totalling seventeen acres — he eventually purchased
two plots at $225 per acre, one at $200, another at $150, and the
fifth at $135. 21 Wills also talked to Selleck and other state agents
17 Wills to Curtin, July 30, 1863, ibid.
18 Wills [as agent for Gov. Curtin] to Salomon, Aug. 1, 1863, Telegrams, 1861—1865,
Executive Department (Administration), Archives Section, State Historical Society
of Wisconsin.
19 William H. Watson (Salomon’s military secretary) to Selleck, Aug. 3, 1863,
Letter Books General, Executive Department (Administration), 1861-1865, Archives
Section, State Historical Society of Wisconsin.
20 Wisconsin State Journal, Aug. 24, 1863.
21 David Wills, report of March 21, 1864 (to Gov. Curtin), published in Revised
Report of the Select Committee Relative to the Soldiers’ National Cemetery, Together
with Accompanying Documents as Reported to the House of Representatives of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (Harrisburg, 1865), pp. 7-8.
16 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
about the specifications for the proposed reburials, seeking their
aid and advice in drafting a circular letter to each of the governors
involved in the project.22 Wills and the agents also discussed the
advisability of getting William Saunders, an employee of the De¬
partment of Agriculture and a well-known landscape gardener,
to come to Gettysburg and “lay out” the proposed soldiers’ ceme¬
tery.
After Wills composed his circular letter to the governors, he had
copies printed and put into the mails. Instead of sending Salomon’s
copy he gave it to Selleck to forward to his governor. Selleck
promptly forwarded the circular letter and included a letter of his
own.
In his letter Selleck stated that Wills had purchased “a very
suitable piece of ground, on one of the most prominent parts of
the battlefield,” and urged Salomon to act promptly upon the
cemetery proposal. “It is desirable to have as little delay as pos¬
sible in getting your reply,” he wrote to his governor, “as the
bodies of our soldiers are in many cases so much exposed as to
require prompt attention, and the grounds should be speedily ar¬
ranged for their reception.” Selleck added, “Governor Curtin
authorized me to say to you that if your State desires a conveyance
in fee simple, of your burial ground in this cemetery, Pennsylvania
will make a deed to you for it. Otherwise she will hold the title
in trust for the purposes designated in the circular.”23
Wills’ carefully composed circular letter, dated August 12, stated
that Pennsylvania had purchased a portion of the battlefield “to
be devoted in perpetuity” for a soldiers’ cemetery, that the dead
would be reburied in the new cemetery, that the grounds would
be “tastefully laid out, and adorned with trees and shrubbery,”
and that the “whole expense,” not to exceed $35,000, would be ap¬
portioned among the cooperating states — each “to be assessed
according to its population, as indicated by its number of repre¬
sentatives in Congress.” Wills closed his lengthy letter with the
request that each governor appoint “an agent” to help carry out
the reburial project and serve on the cemetery commission.24
Salomon acted promptly. “You will please state to Mr. Wills,”
he instructed his efficient and capable representative, “that the
32 Wills to Curtin, Aug. 11, 1863, Curtin Letter Books, Executive Correspondence,
1861-1865.
33 Selleck to Salomon, Aug-. 12, 1863, Executive Department (Administration), Civil
War Memorials Correspondence, 1861-1913, Archives Division, State Historical Society
of Wisconsin. The author is indebted to Miss Patricia Hosey, a research assistant in
the History Department and a graduate student [she received her M.A. in May of
1972] at Marquette for locating- the above correspondence — about 20 of these misfiled
letters were pertinent to this article.
24 Wills to Salomon, Aug-. 12, 1863, ibid. The letter, in Wills’ own hand, was evi¬
dently the basis for the printed circular letter which the author found in the David
Tod Papers (Ohio Historical Society) and the Austin Blair Papers (Burton Historical
Collection, Detroit Public Library).
1973] Klement — Soldiers’ Cemetery at Gettysburg 17
State of Wisconsin will bear its portion of the contemplated ex¬
penditure within the limit, and on the basis proposed, and you are
hereby designated as the Agent of this State to act in connection
with Mr. Wills and the agents of other States, in making the
necessary arrangements for completing the work.” The governor
added a timely warning, saying that he would expect a “full re¬
port” which would be laid before the legislature and suggesting
“the preserving of all necessary memoranda for the purpose.”25
Selleck, back in Washington when he received Salomon’s letter
which officially designated him as state’s agent for the Gettysburg
cemetery project, confirmed receipt of his new assignment by re¬
turn mail. “I will follow out your instruction,” he assured his gov¬
ernor, “and preserve all necessary vouchers and memoranda and
report in full in due time.”26 Selleck also promptly informed Wills
of his official appointment as Wisconsin’s agent to work with him
in the transformation of a portion of the battlefield into a national
cemetery,27 and after putting his Washington house in order he
hurried off to Gettysburg.
When William Saunders, charged with “laying out the grounds,”
arrived in Gettysburg, Wills, Selleck, and several other state agents
accompanied him to the site of the proposed cemetery. They walked
over the seventeen-acre tract as Saunders studied the high and
low portions and considered the best spot to locate the central
monument. In time, the eminent landscape gardener recommended
that the monument be placed on the highest reach of ground and
that the parcel to be allotted to each state run toward the common
center, fitting together in a semicircular arrangement. He promised
the services of a surveyor to lay out the 12-foot wide semicircular
parallels, allowing five feet for a walk between the parallels and
seven feet for each grave.28
Selleck spent some of his time during this stay in Gettysburg
calling on the Wisconsin soldiers recuperating in hospitals or in
private homes. He fretted about the intense summer heat, fearing
its effect upon some of the wounded. He was pleased, on the other
hand, that the citizens of the Gettysburg area had been so solicitous
about the welfare of the wounded and sick soldiers. “The people of
Gettysburg,” Selleck reported to Salomon, “are very attentive in
supplying the wants and looking after the comforts of the wounded
soldiers.” Selleck added a sentence about the cemetery project:
“I will write you to-morrow respecting the plans and arrangements
25 Salomon to Selleck, Aug-. 24, 1863, Letter Books General , Executive Department
(Administration), 1861-1865.
20 Selleck to Salomon, Aug-. 30, 1863, Executive Department (Administration), Civil
War Memorials Correspondence, 1861—1913.
27 Selleck to Wills, Aug-. 31, 1863, ibid.
28 Report of William Saunders, published in Revised Report of the Select Committee
. . pp. 37-38.
18 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
proposed for the laying out of the National Cemetery on the late
Battle Field.”29
In the weeks which followed Selleck returned to Washington to
minister to the needs of soldiers in that area while Wills dealt with
the problems arising out of the proposed cemetery. A controversy
developed over the question whether the reburials in the cemetery
would be “by state” or “promiscuous” and for a time Massa¬
chusetts even threatened to withdraw from the venture unless
she could have her way — each state’s soldiers buried together. At
Governor Curtin’s prompting, Wills was tempted to discard his
“promiscuous” plan and surrender to Massachusetts demands.
Then, after Saunders’ surveyor laid out the state sections and
cemetery plots, Wills was ready to publicize the reburial specifica¬
tions and plan the dedication program. Actually, he did not plan
to have the reburying begun until after the grounds were dedi¬
cated in ceremonies he set for October 22, 1863. Nor did he wish
to begin the reburial program until late fall. “I think it would be
showing only the proper respect for the health of this community
not to commence the exhuming of the dead, and removal to the
cemetery,” he wrote to Governor Curtin, “and in the meantime the
grounds should be artistically laid out, and consecrated by appro¬
priate ceremonies.”30
After Wills invited Edward Everett, the renowned Massachusetts
orator, to give the oration for the occasion, he wrote another round
of letters to the governors. He informed them that satisfactory
progress had been made on the cemetery project, that he had set
October 22 as the dedication date, and that Everett had been in¬
vited to give the day’s oration. He asked each governor — including
Salomon — whether his state preferred promiscuous reburials or
grouping by states. And he invited each governor to attend the
ceremonies in person and expressed the hope that each state would
have a good-sized delegation in attendance.31
Salomon again replied promptly. He preferred that Wisconsin’s
dead soldiers, killed at Gettysburg, be buried together, so that im¬
mediate comrades in life could be together in death. “The selection
of Hon. Ed. Everett as orator,” Salomon added, “is eminently
satisfactory.”32
Everett, meanwhile, expressed the desire to give the oration for
the dedication of the cemetery, but commitments in hand would
29 Selleck to Salomon, Aug-. 18, 1863, published in Wisconsin State Journal , Aug-. 19,
1863.
30 Wills to “His Excellency, A. G. Curtin,” Aug-. 17, 1863, published in Report of the
Select Committee . . . (Harrisburg, 1864), pp. 67-68.
31 Wills to Salomon, Sept. 15, 1863, Executive Department (Administration), Civil
War Memorials Correspondence, 1861-1913.
^William H. Watson [for Salomon] to Wills, Sept. 22, 1863, Letter Books General,
Executive Department (Administration), 1861—1865.
1973] Klement — Soldiers' Cemetery at Gettysburg 19
make it impossible to compose and memorize an oration before
November 19. 33 Since Wills had his heart set on Everett as the
day’s orator, he had to change the date of the dedication ceremonies
from October 22 to November 19.
While Wills and Everett were exchanging letters and changing
the date of the proposed ceremonies, Selleck wondered about the
progress of the cemetery project while he performed his regular
duties in the hospitals and army camps in the Washington area.
He fretted about the lack of information from Wills, and since he
was returning to Wisconsin for a hurried trip, he wanted to take
a progress report to his governor. “I intend going to Wisconsin
the last of next week and shall see the Governor,” he wrote on
October 9, “and I desire to be able to give him some information
in reference to the matter.”34 Thus prodded, Wills wrote a brief
note to Selleck, assuring him that he was “pushing the matter”
vigorously and enclosing a W ills-to-Salomon letter. “The enclosed
letter,” Wills wrote to Selleck, “gives you the information desired
in your letter.”35
The “enclosed letter” told Salomon that, at Edward Everett’s
insistence, the proposed date for the dedication ceremonies had
been changed to November 19. The change in dates also made it
imperative that the reburials begin before, rather than after the
official dedication ceremonies. In the first place, heavy frosts and
an early winter might delay the exhumations until spring. In the
second place, there was fear of a pestilence in the Gettysburg area.
Furthermore, Edward Everett had suggested that “it would make
the scene more impressive to have the dead interred in the Ceme¬
tery for the occasion.” Wills added that he had adopted Everett’s
suggestion and planned to make “arrangements” to commence the
“reburials” about the “26th” of the month. The Secretary of War
had promised to furnish “the requisite number of coffins- — supply¬
ing them at the rate of one hundred per day.” Curtin’s competent
agent also expressed the hope that Governor Salomon, with a large
Wisconsin delegation, would be present “to participate with the
consecration exercises” on the 19th of November.36
Consulting Selleck and several other state agents, Wills finalized
the “reburial specifications” and invited interested parties to bid
on the grisly chore. These “specifications” not only set standards
and procedures for exhuming the bodies and reburying them in
the proper plots in the new cemetery, but limited the number of
33 Everett to “My dear Sir” [Wills], Sept. 26, 1863, published in Report of the Select
Committee . . ., pp. 69—70.
34 Selleck to Wills, Oct. 9, 1863, Executive Department (Administration), Civil War
Memorials Correspondence, 1861—1913.
35 Wills to Selleck, Oct. 13, 1863, ibid.
30 Wills to Salomon, Oct. 13, 1863, ibid.
20 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
reburials to one hundred per day. Everything must be done with
care and under close supervision. 37-
After opening the bids on October 22, Wills awarded the con¬
tract to Frederick W. Biesecker, the lowest bidder — the bids had
ranged from a low of $1.59 per body to a high of $8.00. Then
Wills hired Samuel Weaver to superintend the exhumation, identi¬
fication, and reburial of the Union dead.38
While Wills kept a watchful eye on the progress of the reburials
and planned the program for the 19th, Selleck worked long hours
as state agent in and around Washington. He visited sick and
wounded soldiers in the nearby hospitals and performed sundry
miscellaneous chores. He secured furloughs for several of the
“walking wounded,” checked out a report that a Wisconsin soldier
had been “disloyal,” delivered a new regimental banner to the
battle-scarred Seventh Wisconsin, and looked into the case of “2
soldiers at the General Hospital in Baltimore.”39 “Mr. W. Y. Sel¬
leck, the State Agent,” a newspaperman reported, “is again at his
post, and he is busy, as is also his faithful assistant, Wm. P. Tay¬
lor, Esq., attending to the wants of the wounded Wisconsin men
as they come into the [Washington] hospital.”40 Governor Salo¬
mon, on a trip to the national capital, stopped at Selleck’s quarters
to inquire about his work and to say that affairs back home would
prevent him from attending the dedication ceremonies on Novem¬
ber 19.41
Selleck, thus, inherited the unpleasant task of telling Wills that
Wisconsin’s governor would be among the missing at the dedica¬
tion rites. “He also instructs me to inform you,” Selleck wrote,
“that he has authorized me to act for him on behalf of the State
of Wisconsin in the matter pertaining to the Soldiers’ National
Cemetery at Gettysburg.” Selleck added that he was returning with
Governor Salomon to Wisconsin and would not get to Gettysburg
until early in November.42
In late October Wills asked Ward H. Lamon, Lincoln’s confidant,
bodyguard, and U.S. Marshal for the District of Columbia, to serve
as chief marshal for the procession and master-of-ceremonies for
the program of the 19th. Lamon, in turn, wrote to each governor,
asking him to name “two suitable persons” to serve as assistant
37 “Specifications,” dated Oct. 15, 1863, published in Revised Report of the Select
Committee . . pp. 14-15.
38 Report, Wills to Curtin, March 21, 1864, published in ibid.
30 William H. Watson [for Salomon] to Selleck, Aug-. 25, 28, Sept. 10, Oct. 7, 14,
Nov. 7, 1863, Letter Books General, Executive Department (Administration), 1861-
1865.
40 Milwaukee Sentinel, Nov. 17, 1863.
41 Selleck to Wills, Oct. 16, 1863, Executive Department (Administration), Civil
War Memorials Correspondence, 1861—1913.
42 Ibid.
1973] Klement — Soldiers’ Cemetery at Gettysburg 21
marshals on the day of the dedication of the soldiers’ cemetery,
helping to supervise the day’s events.43
Since Selleck had performed his agent’s duties well and since
Washington was much closer to Gettysburg than Madison, Gover¬
nor Salomon asked him to assume the additional responsibility of
serving as assistant marshal in Gettysburg on the day of the dedi¬
cation program. Selleck, therefore, took the train for Gettysburg
to confer again with Wills and to discuss his new responsibilities
with Ward H. Lamon, chief marshal for affairs on the 19th.
Wills, pleased with the cooperation he had received from the
various state agents, let his enthusiasm run away with him. He
expected an “immense concourse of people” to descend upon Gettys¬
burg for the ceremonies and he supposed that most of the gover¬
nors would be present in person with large delegations.44 Caught
up in the enthusiasm emanating from Wills, one newspaper editor
predicted that the consecration ceremonies would be “the most
interesting ever witnessed in the United States” and that the affair
would be “one of the most imposing spectacles of this century.”45
Both Wills and Curtin expected most of the governors to attend
the ceremonies, and they therefore arranged for a special Harris-
burg-to-Gettysburg train, leaving the capital city at one o’clock in
the afternoon. Most of the governors, Curtin assumed, would come
to Harrisburg the day before the ceremonies, then they could pro¬
ceed to Gettysburg together as his guests. “We learn that the Gov¬
ernors of all the loyal States will assemble in this city on the 17th
inst.,” wrote the editor of a Harrisburg newspaper, “where they
will remain until the 18th, and on that day proceed in a body to
Gettysburg” — aboard the governor’s special train. Believing that
no “like assemblage” had ever taken place “in the career of the
country,” the editor hoped that the city’s citizens would give “the
distinguished guests . . . the hospitable welcome for which the
people of the capital of Pennsylvania are celebrated.”46
Evidently Wills had failed to inform Curtin that the governor
of Wisconsin would not be present in person for the ceremonies.
“I will be pleased,” Curtin telegraphed to Salomon on November
12, “to see you at Harrisburg on the seventeenth or eighteenth
on your way to Gettysburg — -arrangements will be made to leave
Harrisburg at one p.m. on the eighteenth for Gettysburg.”47 On
the same day Wills also sent a telegram to Salomon : “Let your
delegation bring your state flag for the nineteenth (19) inst.”48
43 Lamon to Tod, Nov. 5, 1863, Tod Papers.
44 Wills to Curtin, Nov. 7, 1863, published in Adams County Sentinel, Nov. 10, 1863.
45 Harrisburg- Evening Telegraph, Nov. 10, 1863.
46 Ibid., Nov. 13, 1863.
47 Telegrams, 1861—1865, Executive Department, Archives Section, State Historical
Society of Wisconsin.
48 Ibid.
22 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
Selleck witnessed the inundation of Gettysburg- by a human flood.
Some had come on foot, having trudged the dusty sideroads and
the turnpikes ; some had come on horseback, riding either bareback
or in saddle ; many had come in carriages and farm- wagons ; most,
however, had taken one of the numerous special or excursion trains
which had come into the once sleepy city. Every house and shed
and stable was turned into a lodging-house.49 Most of those who
arrived on the 18th spent a part of the day touring the battlefield.
Selleck, delegated to “shepherd” Wisconsin citizens who came to
attend the dedication ceremonies, invited every Wisconsin soldier
or civilian he met to march in the procession and follow the state
flag on its trip from downtown Gettysburg to the top of Cemetery
Hill where a platform had been erected for the formal program.
During the evening of the 18th, Selleck attended a briefing ses¬
sion called by Ward H. Lamon, in charge of the next day’s proces¬
sion and program. Lamon explained the duties of the assistant
marshals and specified on which street corner each state’s delega¬
tion would gather and what place each state had in the procession.50
Earlier, Lamon had spelled out the “proper attire” for his corps
of assistant marshals:
1. Plain black suit (preferably a frock coat), black hat, and white gloves.
2. White satin scarf, five inches wide, to be worn over the right shoulder
and carried across the breast and back to the left hip, and there
fastened with a rosette, the ends to be fringed, and to extend to the
knee. At the center on the shoulder the scarf should be gathered and
mounted with a rosette.
3. Rosette, four inches and raised in center to be made of black and
white ribbon, the outer circle only to be white.
4. Rosette of red, white, and blue on left breast. The initials of state
in center for identification. The saddle cloths on their horses, of white
cambric bordered with black.51
Earlier the Chief Marshal had also instructed Selleck and the other
assistant marshals to secure their own horses and he promised each
a place on the program platform after the procession reached the
top of Cemetery Hill.
Dressed in the assistant marshal’s regalia and mounted on a
horse, Selleck spent the early morning hours of the 19th directing
Wisconsin soldiers and civilians to the street corner assigned the
state’s delegation. As the crowd in downtown Gettysburg swelled
to “immense proportions,”52 it became a milling mass of humanity,
resisting efforts of the assistant marshals to transform it into a
procession.
49 Gettysburg Compiler, Nov. 23, 1863.
50 Entry of November 23, 1863, in Diary of John Hay (microfilm), John Hay Papers,
Library of Congress.
51 Adams County Sentinel, Nov. 17, 1863; Washington Daily Morning Chronicle, Nov.
13, 1863.
52 Gettysburg- Compiler, Nov. 23, 1863.
1973] Klement — Soldiers’ Cemetery at Gettysburg 23
Shortly after ten o'clock, the scheduled hour for the procession
to begin its one-half mile southward trek, President Lincoln
emerged from David Wills' house to take his assigned place in the
cortege. It took nearly an hour for Ward H. Lamon and his assist¬
ant marshals to get the show on the road, down the Taneytown
Road and to the summit of Cemetery Hill. “Pennsylvania,'' an
observant newsman reported, “furnished the largest numerical
representation, Ohio next, Wisconsin third and Massachusetts
fourth."53 Selleck, evidently, had done a good job of rounding up
Wisconsin's soldiers and civilians to march in the state's delegation.
It took time to put the military units in their previously assigned
places atop Cemetery Hill, seat the dignitaries on the 20' x 12'
platform and herd the thousands of marchers into a semicircle in
front of it. Selleck, serving both as Lamon's aide and the state's
representative on the proposed cemetery commission, was the lone
Wisconsin resident to occupy a place on the platform.
Selleck, thus, was in a good position to hear every speaker and
watch the crowd's reaction to each and to the musical numbers.
Borgfield's Band of Philadelphia opened the formal program with
a solemn dirge. The Rev. Thomas H. Stockton, chaplain of the
House of Representatives and a popular Washington preacher,,
gave the invocation — “ a prayer which thought it was an oration."54
The Marine Band then played Luther's hymn, “Old Hundred."55
Next Ward H. Lamon, serving as master of ceremonies, introduced
Edward Everett, orator of the day. Although Everett delivered
his two-hour recitation “with his accustomed grace," it was
“smooth and cold," without “one stirring thought, one vivid pic¬
ture, one thrilling appeal."56 A chorus of twelve members of the
Maryland Musical Association then chanted an ode, drew consider¬
able applause, and set the stage for Lincoln's “few appropriate
remarks."
After Lamon introduced “the President of the United States,"
Selleck watched Lincoln arise from his chair and step forward to
keep his rendezvous with destiny. The crowd interrupted Lincoln's
brief address with applause five times and complimented him with
“tremendous applause" when he finished the dedicatory “remarks."
The responsive audience then gave three cheers for the president
and three more for the governors.57
63 Boston Journal , Nov. 23, 1863.
54 Entry of November 23, 1863, in Diary of John Hay, John Hay Papers.
65 Adams County Sentinel, Nov. 24, 1863.
66 Harper’s Weekly, Dec. 5, 1863.
57 The Cincinnati Daily Commercial, Nov. 23, 1863, and the Washington Daily
MorwAng Chronicle, Nov. 20, 1863, carried the most complete accounts of the program.
Martin R. Potter of the Commercial not only witnessed the ceremonies but sent back
a report which filled seven full columns of type. The best secondary account, marred
by occasional errors of fact, is Louis A. Warren, Lincoln’s Gettysburg Declaration:
“ A Neiv Birth of Freedom” (Fort Wayne, Ind., 1964).
24 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
After Lincoln’s memorable performance, a mixed chorus of
Gettysburgers sang a doleful dirge and finally the Rev. Henry L.
Baugher, president of Gettysburg (Lutheran) Seminary, closed the
formal program with a brief benediction. An eight-round salute,
fired by the Fifth New York Artillery, formalized the end of the
ceremonies. Marshals reformed the military portion of the proces¬
sion to escort President Lincoln back to Gettysburg and the Wills
house, while the civilian portion “dispersed in all directions.”58
“Many lingered until the shades of evening approached,” noted
one newspaperman, “seemingly loath to leave the ground conse¬
crated to the blood of those heroes who fought, and died, and found
a grave there.”59
Selleck returned to Washington, D. C., to pursue his manifold
duties in the nearby camps and hospitals. Later he submitted a bill
of $30.90 for “expenses in attending the consecration of the Na¬
tional Cemetery at Gettysburg.”60
Perhaps Selleck was disappointed that his governor, Edward
Salomon, had failed to attend the ceremonies. Selleck also could
have complained that some Wisconsin men who came to Gettys¬
burg for the dedication of the cemetery, neither marched in the
procession nor gathered around the platform atop Cemetery Hill
to watch and hear the speakers and the music. 1st Lt. Frank A.
Haskell, who had fought in the three-day battle and later wrote a
famous letter which described the encounter, spent November 19
visiting those parts of the battlefield where Wisconsin boys had
fought and died. “We obtained horses,” Haskell wrote to his
brother, “and during the afternoon of . . . the 19th we rode all over
the field ... we had little interest in the ceremonies. . . .”61
The conclusion of the dedication ceremonies did not sever Sel-
leck’s link to the cemetery project. Early in December, Wills wrote
a final round of letters to the cooperating governors — including
Edward Salomon of Wisconsin. The letter set December 17 as the
meeting date of the “commissioners” of the cooperative state
cemetery, and Wills expressed the hope that each of the eighteen
states which had soldiers buried at Gettysburg would have repre¬
sentatives present at the Jones House in Harrisburg to devise “a
plan for the protection and preservation of the grounds,” complete
the work already begun, arrange for the proper adornment and
care of the grounds, and provide for expenses already incurred.62
£8 Cincinnati Daily Commercial, Nov. 23, 1863.
69 Washington Daily Morning Chronicle, Nov. 20, 1863.
60 William H. Watson to Selleck, Dec. 23, 1863, Letter Books General, Nov. 11,
1863-Feb. 18, 1863, Executive Department (Administration).
B1 Frank A. Haskell to Hiram M. Haskell (brother), Nov. 20, 1863, Haskell Papers,
State Historical Society of Wisconsin.
62 Wills to Selleck, Dec. 3, 1863, Executive Department (Administration), Civil War
Memorials Correspondence, 1861—1913.
1973] Klement — Soldiers' Cemetery at Gettysburg 25
Governor Salomon, of course, instructed Selleck to represent the
state at the December 17 meeting of the commission. On that day
twelve commissioners (including W. Yates Selleck) representing
ten states assembled at the Jones House. Wills, presiding over the
ad hoc assembly, suggested formal organization as a commission
or association. The delegates responded by electing Wills as presi¬
dent and Selleck as secretary. The commissioners then adopted
five resolutions, all concerned with the completion and operation
of the eighteen-state “Soldiers’ National Cemetery.”63 On motion
of Commissioner Levi Scoby of New Jersey, Wills appointed a
five-member committee “to procure designs of a monument to be
erected in the cemetery.”64
After the commission concluded its business, Selleck returned to
Washington to resume his chores as state agent and to write a
report on his role in the establishment and administration of the
Soldiers’ National Cemetery. In the concluding paragraphs of this
report he called Salomon’s attention to the fact that the amount
expended for the cemetery nearly doubled that stated by Wills in
“his circular letter of August last.” Selleck listed the reasons : “1st.
There are seventeen acres to be enclosed instead of fourteen as at
first proposed. 2d. The sum to be expended on the Monument,
$25,000,, instead of $10,000, as at first proposed. 3d. That in the
laying out and ornamenting of the grounds and the finishing and
placing of the head-stones to the graves of soldiers, would, if
properly done, be more expensive than at first calculated.”65
Selleck stated that the sum of $63,500, “designated for the com¬
pletion of the Cemetery” should “more than cover the expendi¬
tures”— “if judiciously handled.” Wisconsin’s share of the $63,500,
Selleck projected, should be $2,523.13, or $420.53 for each of her
six members in Congress.66
In his lengthy report, Selleck also stated that many Wisconsin
soldiers, mostly belonging to the “Iron Brigade,” were buried in
that section of the cemetery reserved for “the unknowns.” “Nearly
all of the remains of the Union Soldiers killed in the battle of
Gettysburg,” Selleck added, “have been removed to the Cemetery;
all of those killed in the first day’s fighting have been removed; a
great many of them were not identified ; such, are placed in the lots
that are marked unknown!”®1
63 The cemetery remained a cooperative state venture until 1895, when it became
a national cemetery within the Gettysburg- National Military Park.
64 Report of the commissioners, dated December 17, 1863, and signed by David Wills
as “President” and W. Yates Selleck as “Secretary,” in Tod Papers. A copy of the
printed proceedings is in the Civil War Memorials Correspondence, 1861-1913.
65 Selleck to “His Excellency Edward Salomon,” Dec. 28, 1863, published in Journal
of the Proceedings of the Assembly of Wisconsin . . . 186 Jt (Madison, 1864), pp.
302-306.
66 Ibid.
Ibid.
26 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
The Wisconsin State Legislature, at the governor’s recommenda¬
tion, passed a bill appropriating $2,523 to cover the state’s “share”
of the costs of the Gettysburg cemetery project, indemnifying, in
effect, both Salomon and Selleck for their roles in the cooperative
venture.68
In the days and months which followed, the cemetery project
moved towards its completion. After spring’s mild weather thawed
the frozen ground, the contractor responsible for exhuming the
bodies and reburying them in the appropriate plots of the “Sol¬
diers’ National Cemetery,” returned to his grisly task. The reburial
crew finished its work on March 18, 1864. “And I here most con¬
scientiously assert,” the superintendent of the project proudly
wrote, “that I firmly believe that there has not been a single mis¬
take made in the removal of the soldiers to the cemetery by taking
the body of a rebel for a Union soldier.”69
Of the 3,512 reported buried by March 18, 1864, seventy-three
were recorded as Wisconsin soldiers, including twenty “unknowns”
who could not be identified by name.70
In late March, 1864, the legislature of Pennsylvania passed an
act to incorporate the “Soldiers’ National Cemetery,” thus final¬
izing David Wills’ dream — transforming a portion of the battle¬
field into “a final resting place for those who gave their lives that
the nation might live.” The articles of incorporation listed “W.
Yates Selleck, Wisconsin” as one of the “corporators.”71
Selleck, subsequently, attended two meetings of the Board of
Commissioners of the new cemetery, one on April 6-7 and the
other on June 10, 1864 — both held in Gettysburg. The committee
named to select the design for the national monument to be located
in the cemetery recommended a 60-foot high memorial, with a
massive pedestal twenty-five feet square at the base and the fancy
column crowned with a colossal statue representing the Genius of
Liberty. The monument, completed as designed, would cost $102,-
000. The commissioners, concerned with the burgeoning costs of
the project, adopted a resolution asking Congress to appropriate
“the sum of fifty thousand dollars” toward the monument.72
In late July, 1864, Selleck returned to Milwaukee for a visit
and then took a trip to Madison to report on his work as a com¬
missioner of the “Soldiers’ National Cemetery” and as state agent
in the Washington area. General U. S. Grant’s heavy losses in the
68 Journal of the Proceedings of the Senate of Wisconsin . . . 1864 (Madison, 1864),
p. 709.
69 Samuel Weaver, report of March 18, 1864, published in Revised Report of the
Select Committee . . ., pp. 16—18.
79 Ibid.
71 Milwaukee Sentinel, April 5, 1864.
72 Report, Selleck to James T. Lewis, Feb. 15, 1865, published in Journal of the
Proceedings of the Assembly . . . 1865 (Madison, 1865), pp. 409—411.
1973] Klement — Soldiers' Cemetery at Gettysburg 27
battles of the Wilderness (May 5-6), Spottsylvania (May 8-12),
and Cold Harbor (June 3), taxed Selleck’s resources and multiplied
his work. The Milwaukee Sentinel reported on Selleck’s return
and praised him as an “efficient” state agent.73
During the early months of 1865, as the war moved into its final
phase, W. Yates Selleck wrote his second official report regarding
his role in the establishment of the soldiers’ cemetery at Gettys¬
burg. He addressed this second report to Governor James T. Lewis
who had replaced Salomon as the state’s chief executive early in
January.74 Selleck reported on the April 6-7 and June 10, 1864,
meetings which he had attended and he justified the proposal for
a $102,000 national monument. “Every portion of the work and
material used in and about the Cemetery for its adornment and
preservation,” Selleck stated, “is of the most substantial kind and
put up in the most durable manner, and will, when completed, be
a most attractive and beautiful place; a credit to the country and
a noble monument to the gallant and loyal dead who rest within
its limits.” Wisconsin’s share of the added expenses for the com¬
pletion of the “Soldiers’ National Cemetery” were $2,623.00. And
he asked the governor to request an appropriation from the state
legislature.75
The legislative Committee on State Affairs quickly and quietly
recommended payment of the $2,623 which Selleck requested.
“Other states,” the committee recommendation read, “are con¬
tributing to this national and patriotic object, and Wisconsin,
never behind in all concerning her own and the nation’s honor,
and the lives and memory of her gallant volunteers, will not be so
in helping to complete a work which largely commemorate the
devotion of worthy sons whose deaths have passed to her credit
on the scroll of honor and heroic fame.”76
The end of the war and the demobilization of Wisconsin troops
signified that Selleck’s work as state agent was about at an end.
He tendered his resignation as “Military Agent for the State of
Wisconsin” on May 29, 1865, asking that “it take effect on the
1st of June, 1865.” In his Iketter of resignation he stated that he
had conscientiously looked after “the interests and welfare of Wis¬
consin soldiers” for three years, “rendering to them aid as far as
the means placed in my hands” would allow. “As the rebellion is
7:5 Milwaukee Sentinel , July 29, 1864.
7t The Republicans did not nominate Salomon for re-election, choosing- Lewis in his
stead, a bitter pill for Salomon who had performed his duties efficiently and with
ability. Salomon resumed law practice in Milwaukee. Unhappy that Wisconsin Re¬
publicans had failed to support him for re-election, Salomon moved to New York City
in 1869. After his retirement from law in 1894, Salomon returned to Germany to live
at Frankfort-on-Main, where he died and was buried.
75 Report, Selleck to Lewis, Feb. 15, 1865, published in Journal of the Proceedings
of the Assembly . . . 1865 , pp. 409-411.
76 Report of the Committee on State Affairs, James Ross, chairman, in ibid., 489.
28 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
over and our victorious troops are now about to return to their
homes/’ he concluded, “I feel that my services will not be too much
longer required, and my private affairs need my attention and
impose upon me the necessity of resigning.”77
Although Selleck resigned his post as “state military agent/’ he
remained Wisconsin’s representative on the Gettysburg cemetery
commission. In that capacity, he attended the July 4, 1865 cere¬
monies held in connection with the laying of the cornerstone of the
National Monument — Wisconsin’s governor, James T. Lewis did
not attend.
In a sense, the dedication of the monument indicated that David
Wills’ dream of a national cemetery at Gettysburg had been
realized. Both Salomon and Selleck had helped Wills transform his
dream into a reality. Salomon supported the project from the very
beginning, always cooperating with both Wills and Selleck. And
W. Yates Selleck, as a competent and conscientious state agent,
worked closely with Wills to develop, promote, and finalize the
project, transforming a portion of the battlefield, consecrated by
the blood of the “Iron Brigade” and other Wisconsin troops, into
“a final resting place” for “the honored dead.”
77 Selleck to “His Excellency, Jas. T. Lewis, Gov. of Wisconsin,” May 29, 1865,
published in Milwaukee Sentinel, June 23, 1865. Six months after resigning- as state
agent, Selleck left Wisconsin for Connecticut. The Milwaukee Sentinel of Jan. 26, 1866,
carried the following story: “W. Y. Selleck, Esq., of this city, leaves to-day for Hart¬
ford, Conn., where he has accepted the responsible position of Special Adjusting Agent
of the Traveler’s Insurance Company. Mr. Selleck is well known to a great number
of Wisconsin soldiers as late the efficient Military State Agent of Wisconsin in
Washington. The duties of this office were performed with great faithfulness and
tact, and many a hundred of the Badger State’s ‘boys in blue’ will hold his name in
grateful remembrance for the valuable service which he has rendered them, and will
unite with his friends in Milwaukee in wishing him success in the new horizon in which
he is now to labor. We congratulate the insurance company in securing so efficient
an agent.”
MAN’S CREEPING JURISDICTION OVER
OCEAN SPACE
John B. Ray
University of Wisconsin —
Whitewater
ABSTRACT
For the past three decades scientists have been identifying the
wealth of natural resources existing in the oceans and have been
developing the technology to extract and to utilize these resources.
Following such developments, coastal states unilaterally have begun
to declare larger segments of ocean space under their jurisdiction
and sovereignty. Recent trends include : the seaward extension of
the territorial sea from a small band of three miles to a maximum
of two hundred miles ; the establishment of exclusive fishery zones ;
the creation of conservation zones designed for pollution and fishery
control; and the extension of sovereignty over the adjacent conti¬
nental shelf beyond the limits of national jurisdiction. Immediate
definitive action toward the creation of a viable international ocean
regime, beneficial to all mankind, is essential to prevent a future
competitive scramble for ocean space.
As population pressure expands and technology advances, enor¬
mous stresses are being placed upon the earth’s natural resources ;
thus the world community is beginning to focus greater attention
upon the chemical, biological, and geological resources of ocean
space. Scientists are recognizing that the rewards to be had from
the oceans are substantial; but to whom do these rewards belong?
Are they the exclusive possession of the coastal states or are they
a common heritage of all mankind? The problem of ownership of
the seas’ resources is becoming an increasing source of world con¬
flict as vested interests expand.
In past centuries, geographers have viewed the oceans in the
dual role as highways for ships and as hunting grounds for fisher¬
men. With the age of discovery, the oceans assumed a new dimen¬
sion as avenues of conquest. Ultimately these activities led to a
period of saltwater imperialism as continents were discovered,
settled, and penetrated by Europeans. At first, sailing ships carry¬
ing goods of commerce linked these continents. Later with the
invention of the steamship these commercial endeavors were
29
30 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
intensified. The steamship, too, along with other technological
advances in shipping made possible easier connections with distant
fishing grounds and greatly enlarged the fish catch.
Yet while the surface of the oceans was being utilized more and
more intensively by man, the ocean depth, including the seabed,
continued to be shrouded in mystery and legend with little thought
given to exploitation.
In time, however, the seas began to lend themselves to tunneling,
the laying of cables, and submarine travel. Today they are a prin¬
cipal area of military deployment and maneuver and harbor mili¬
tary weapons and equipment. And much to the exacerbation of
marine geographers and other thinking people around the world,
the ocean environment has become an open sewer for man with
every conceivable pollutant poured into it, including the recent
atomic waste and mustard gas.
Problems associated with the surface of the oceans are centuries
old. Yet the question of the continental shelf has emerged only
recently, in fact since 1945. In that year President Truman issued
his historic Proclamation No. 2667 in which the United States
laid claim to the subsoil and seabed of the adjacent continental
shelf, beyond the limits of national jurisdiction, but not to the
superjacent waters which lay above. This document, commonly
known as the Truman Declaration, marks the beginning of a new
era in ocean exploitation.
This era is recognized as one of rapid technological advances,
opening up both the biological and mineral resources of the seabed
to possible exploitation. In addition, this era has produced a new
period in international relations in which the continental shelf
and superjacent waters are being subject to an unprecedented
number of exclusive and competing national controls for which
there are no bases in law or custom, yet against which there is
little effective counter in international law enforcement.
Over the last three and one-half centuries, a complex body of
international law has evolved concerning the oceans, much of
which has been incorporated into the four United Nations’ Geneva
Conventions on the Law of the Sea adopted in 1958. 1 Unfortu¬
nately, these conventions have proven to be of limited value in
resolving international conflicts over access to ocean resources.
It appears that self interest and power, rather than any adherence
to principles laid down by the Geneva Conventions, most often
determine the course a state shall take in these matters.
1 These conventions include : The Convention on the Territorial Sea and the Con¬
tiguous Zone, The Convention on the High Seas, The Convention on Fishing and
Conservation of the Living Resources of the High Seas, and the Convention on the
Continental Shelf.
1973] Ray — Creeping Jurisdiction Over Ocean Space 31
“Never have national claims in adjacent seas been so numerous,
so varied, and so inconsistent,” wrote Boggs (1) two decades ago.
This geographer might well have been describing the increasingly
accelerated pace at which coastal states are presently carving out
interest areas within adjacent seas. Table 1 summarizes the current
patterns of claims exercised by coastal states in terms of the
breadth and status of the territorial sea, exclusive fishing zones,
conservation zones, and the continental shelf. The date shown in
parentheses after each country indicates the year in which a
specific claim was declared.
A three mile territorial sea has been commonly recognized in
the past, but there is no prohibition against broader claims as long
as these claims are recognized by the community of nations. This
pattern of expanding claims (Tables 1 and 2) can be most con¬
fusing, but a degree of rationale is evident in the fact that the
maritime powers maintain modest claims for themselves and gen¬
erally object to wider claims by other coastal states that would
restrict movement in any way upon the high seas.
The 1958 Geneva Convention on the Territorial Sea and the
Contiguous Zone is imprecise in not stating a maximum breadth
for the territorial sea. It did, however, recommend that the breadth
of this zone should not exceed 12 miles (4). A discernible upward
trend in territorial sea claims can be noted in Tables 1 and 2 ; and
yet except for a bloc of Latin American with 200 mile claims, the
trend is toward consolidation of a 12 mile limit in keeping with
the recommendations set forth in the Geneva Articles.
According to the 1958 Geneva Convention on the Continental
Shelf, a coastal state may exercise the sovereign right of exploring
and exploiting both the biological and mineral resources of the
continental shelf adjacent to its coast to a depth of 200 meters
(658.2 ft.) or beyond that limit to where the depth of the super¬
jacent waters permits exploitation of such natural resources (5).
This last exploitability clause has precipitated a rash of claims
to exclusive jurisdiction over the shelf beyond the 200 meter mark.
As a result there are in 1973 54 such claims as opposed to 20 in
1960. Basing its claims upon the exploitability clause, a coastal
state could presumably move its boundaries seaward to any dis¬
tance from the coast provided the state has the technology to ex¬
ploit the seabed resources. Unlikely, yet somewhat unsettling, this
clause could ultimately lead to the division of the ocean floor
among coastal states based upon the median line concept.
More specific functional claims, in Table 3, reveal few claims
in excess of 12 miles. However, those claims exceeding 12 miles
include a number of exclusive fishing zones and fishing conservation
zones. By these methods, coastal states hope to accomplish two
TABLE 1. BREADTH OF THE TERRITORIAL SEA AND RELATED ZONES (2)
32 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
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TABLE 1. (CONTINUED)
34
Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
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1973] Ray — Creeping Jurisdiction Over Ocean Space
35
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TABLE 1. (CONTINUED)
36
Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
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1973] Ray — Creeping Jurisdiction Over Ocean Space
37
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TABLE 1. (CONTINUED)
38
Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
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TABLE 1. (CONTINUED)
40 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
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1973] Ray — Creeping Jurisdiction Over Ocean Space
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42 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
TABLE 2. TERRITORIAL SEA CLAIMS, 1960 and 1973
* Source of 1960 data was Brown (3).
distinct goals; 1) to prevent foreign nationals from taking fish
and depleting the fisheries near their shores; and 2) to provide
adequate breeding stock to replenish existing fisheries. The coun¬
tries of the Indian subcontinent and of west Africa (Table 1),
for example, are attempting to protect their coastal fisheries from
the covetous assault of the technologically advanced fishing coun¬
tries until such time as they are able to develop the technology to
effectively exploit the waters themselves.
Canada among the world states has shown unusual concern for
the problems of ocean pollution by creating a 100 mile pollution
prevention zone within the Arctic (Tables 1 and 3). The immediate
stimulus for this legislation was the historic 1969 round-trip
voyage of the U.S. Tanker SS Manhattan from a United States
east coast port to Prudhoe Bay, via the Northwest Passage (6).
Its general purpose was to demonstrate the feasibility of utilizing
ice-breaking supertankers to carry petroleum from the Alaskan
North Slope to Atlantic seaboard markets. The success of the ven¬
ture and the subsequent creation of the pollution prevention zone
a year later, underlined the urgency with which the Canadians
view the necessity of protecting the delicate ecosystem of the
Arctic.
TABLE 3. FUNCTIONAL ZONE CLAIMS IN EXCESS
OF THE TERRITORIAL SEA CLAIMS, 1973*
* Compiled from Table 1.
1973] Ray — Creeping Jurisdiction Over Ocean Space 43
CONCLUSION
One of the most urgent problems of our time is the unilateral
action taken by coastal states in extending their political control
over large segments of ocean space that were once free and open
to all peoples of the world community.
It is apparent that present trends cannot be permitted to con¬
tinue, otherwise they may precipitate a collapse in the present
law of the sea. It is also apparent that these trends cannot be
reversed until new regimes of political control are developed to
deal with the new situation. Each year that elapses without the
establishment of some form of international control, the domain of
vested interests expands ; and the area of ocean space to which an
international regime might be applicable shrinks.
Geographers and other social scientists view with anticipation
the Geneva Convention on the Law of the Sea which is scheduled
to convene in the spring of 1974. The ultimate goal of this con¬
vention will be to establish a broad international regime of prudent
ocean management over the last remaining frontier on earth.
Within this regime will be built expanded opportunities for the
small as well as the large states, the underdeveloped as well as the
technologically advanced states, and the landlocked as well as the
coastal states. Based upon international cooperation, the harvest
of chemical, biological, and geological resources of ocean space
will indeed be exploited and utilized as a common heritage, bene¬
ficial to all mankind.
REFERENCES
1. BOGGS, S. WHITTEMORE. 1951. National Claims in Adjacent Seas.
Geographical Review, 41 : 186.
2. Compiled from: Ocean Science News, 1972, 1973. New York Times, 1971,
1972, 1973. Christian Science Monitor, 1971, 1972, 1973. International
Legal Materials, The American Society of International Law, New
York, Vol. X, No. 6, November, 1971. FAO, Legislative Series, No. 8,
Rome, 1969.
3. BROWN, E. D. 1971. The Consequences of Nonagreement, Proceedings of
the Sixth Annual Conference of the Law of the Sea Institute. Univer¬
sity of Rhode Island, Kingston. Lewis M. Alexander, ed., 1971, p. 14.
4. United Nations Conference on the Law of Sea. Convention on the Terri¬
torial Sea and Contiguous Zone, April 29, 1958. (U.N. Doc./Conf.
13/L52, Article 24).
5. United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea. Convention on the Con¬
tinental Shelf, April 29, 1958. (U.N. Doc. A/Conf. 13/L. 55, Article 1).
6. BILDER, RICHARD B. 1970. The Canadian Arctic Water Pollution Pre¬
vention Act: New Stresses on the Law of the Sea. Michigan Law Re¬
view, 69: November 1970, 3.
CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN CENTRAL WISCONSIN
Maurice E. Perret
University of Wisconsin —
Stevens Point
In rural areas and in small towns, America is not the melting
pot that idealists would like to see. Even though most of the farm
land has been permanently occupied for more than a century, in
many regions one ethnic group is still predominant. Immigrants
from Europe generally came in groups settling at one place. They
formed homogeneous communities of people with the same back¬
ground : language, religion, education, customs, political affinity,
and although mass immigration has long since come to a stand¬
still, many communities that were established by foreign pioneers
have persisted.
Central Wisconsin shows a number of such ethnic groups (see
Map 1). In Portage County, for instance, we find areas of concen¬
tration of Polish, German, Scandinavian, Bohemian people, to
which we may add the Amish who, although they came to this
country more than two hundred years ago, form a definite ethnic
group which still has more pecularities than any other foreign
group. Polish people occupy the central part of the county; their
area of concentration expands north to Marathon County and west
to Wood County. There are also a number of clusters of Polish
farms in all other towns. Scandinavian people are in the eastern
part, towards Waupaca County where this ethnic group is well
represented and where we find, for instance, the village of Scandi¬
navia; there are also a few clusters of Scandinavian farms in the
south. We note three areas of German people ; the largest around
Kellner, a smaller one in the northwest, both related to larger Ger¬
man colonies in Wood County. A third area of Germans is around
Almond. We find small clusters of Amish south of Amherst. Finally,
a number of Bohemian farmers are located near the Wood County
line, west of Junction City.
Each ethnic group presents some distinctive features. For in¬
stance, in the Polish section, we find still a few log constructions,
farm houses, barns, sheds, where the logs are assembled according
to the half-notch system (Fig. 1). Polish people are devout Cath¬
olics : In the region where they live, they have built several large
45
46 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
MAP 1. Areas of concentration of non Anglo-Saxon ethnic groups in Portage
County, in 1972.
(P = Polish, S = Scandinavian, G = German, A = Amish, B .= Bohemian)
MARATHON CO.
Kilometers
brick churches, some of which are dedicated to saints venerated
in Poland : Saint Casimir, Saint Bronislava, Saint Adalbert, Saint
Stanislaus. One may see also, along rural roads, small brick
shrines containing a crucifix or statues of the Virgin Mary and
of saints (Fig. 2) or high wooden crosses, with a crucifix pro¬
tected by a small tin roof, sometimes in a small enclosure full of
flowers (Fig. 3). They are similar to crosses also found along
rural roads in Central Europe. Often, near the farm house are
small statues of the Virgin Mary or of saints. In the cemeteries,
numerous monuments have crosses and many epitaphs are in
Polish. One may also see some “zoraw”, the well with a pole used
1973] Perret — Cultural Diversity in Central Wisconsin
47
FIGURE 1. Log construction near Stevens Point (Polish Farm house)
to pull up the buckets of water (Fig-. 4). In the area where Polish
are settled, we find many taverns, established at road intersec¬
tions. Some of them have large ball-rooms, used especially at
weddings. A few place names are typical : Polonia, Torun named
after a city in Poland, Pulaski School after the Polish hero of the
Indepedence War of the United States, and Lake Glisczinski.
Scandinavian farms present numerous buildings. In their re¬
gion we may see some old fences of the split rail type (Fig. 5)1.
There are also some log constructions, especially tall granaries,
in which the logs have been assembled according to the dove-tail
system (Fig. 6)2. Scandinavians do not favor taverns. The town
of New Hope is completely “dry”. In the cemeteries, many epi¬
taphs are in Norwegian, Danish or Swedish and the monuments
have no crosses. These farmers are Lutheran and in their region,
we find some isolated Lutheran churches. A few place names refer
1 Although typical of Scandinavian farms in Wisconsin, the split rail fences do not
seem to have been brought from the Northern countries of Europe, as no example
of them is found in the open air museums of Oslo, Copenhagen and Stockholm.
Norwegians probably saw them on some farm when they were coming to Wisconsin
and adopted them here.
- It seems that neither in Norway, nor in Sweden, nor in Denmark, the dove-tail
system of assembling logs has been used in rural constructions. In the open air
museums of the Northern countries, the only buildings with this system are from
cities in Sweden. All rural constructions seem to use the double notch assembling
system and have protruding log ends. The only rural building that is with dove-tail
assembled logs is a cabin built in 1871 by a Norwegian in Kindred, South Dakota,
and brought to the open air museum at Oslo. As in Wisconsin, the ends of the logs
have been sawed to form square corners.
]
48 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
FIGURE 2. Shrine on a farm near Stevens Point (Polish)
1973] Ferret — Cultural Diversity in Central Wisconsin
49
FIGURE 3. Cross with a crucifix, near Stevens Point
(Note the small tiny roof above the crucifix.) (Polish)
50
Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol.
FIGURE 4. “Zoraw” — Pole or bascule well near Stevens
Point (Polish)
1973] Perret — Cultural Diversity in Central Wisconsin 51
FIGURE 5. Split rail fence near Rosholt, Portage County (Scandinavian)
FIGURE 6. Log granary, near Nelsonville, Portage County (Scandinavian
farm)
52 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
to Scandinavian settlers : The village of Rosholt was named after
one Norwegian who came from Waupaca County where he was
born. Lake Budsberg and Lake Reton bear names of Norwegian
families.
Germans have also some log constructions. They used the half¬
notch assemblying system, in the same manner as the Poles.
German farmers are Protestant, mostly Lutheran, but there are
also members of the Moravian sect and they have a church in
Kellner. In the cemeteries, before the first World War most epi¬
taphs of Germans were in the German language and many had
verses. The village of Kellner was named after one of the early
German settlers.
The Amish are new settlers. They are not pioneers but they
bought old established farms. Since their religion opposes modern
ways of life and modern technique, they are dressed in their tra¬
ditional garb. The women wear plain color dresses and white
aprons and have at all times a white headdress; when thev go
out they are draped in a black cape and wear a black bonnet. Men
wear black suits without buttons, shirts without collars, and black
felt hats. The young men are clean shaven but they grow a beard
when they get married. They speak between themselves their own
German dialect. They have their own one-room school-house and
on Sundays, they gather at one farm or another for the religious
services. They shun electricity, motors, telephone, radio, television
and for that reason, one does not see electrical wiring, automobiles
or tractors on their farms, but they use teams of horses for their
farm work, and for traveling they have horse-drawn buggies.
The present situation is not definitive. It is but one stage in
the evolution of the landscape. The first occupation of the land
by farmers was different and in most places, the present land-
owners are not descendants of the first settlers, nor do they be¬
long to the same ethnic group.3
The region was first inhabited by Indians who never were nu¬
merous. Some mounds are the only trace of their presence here.
Except the Wisconsin River, there is in the county no place name
of Indian origin. The first white settler was a Frenchman, John
Baptist Dubay who established in the early 1830’s a trading post
near the Wisconsin River, north of Stevens Point and he became
the first postmaster of the post office called Eau Pleine, the only
3 Maps 1 and 2 are based on the names of landowners as given in the platbooks.
They give a generalized picture. Most areas, however, do not form compact blocks
but among farms of the majority group are some farms of other background and
sometimes land belonging to corporations or to the government. Some names could
not be attributed with certainty to one ethnic group, there may be therefore some
slight errors. In the areas where no ethnic group is indicated, there may be in some
places a majority of Anglo-Saxon farmers, in other places no clear majority of one
ethnic group, elsewhere the land is owned by the government, by corporations or
institutions, or by owners who are not farmers.
1973] Perret — Cultural Diversity in Central Wisconsin 53
name of French origin in Portage County. A few years later, the
region which had large stands of white pines, attracted lumber¬
men. Sawmills were erected along the Wisconsin River and on
its tributaries : Mill Creek on the west side and the Plover River
on the east side. Most newcomers were Yankees from the East,
with some Canadians and Irishmen (one of these was the first
foreigner to apply for citizenship in Portage County, in 1845).
Following the lumbermen came some farmers who settled on the
land. Although mostly Yankees, there were some groups of French¬
men, Englishmen, Scots, and after the great famine in Ireland,
a number of Irishmen. As early as 1846, one Norwegian came
with the lumbermen and in 1850, a group of Norwegians settled
in the eastern part of the county and in the neighboring part
of Waupaca County. A few Danes joined them. Three distinct
German settlements were founded in the early fifties ; two were
Protestant, in the towns of Almond and Grant, the third one was
Catholic in the town of Sharon. The last important group to ar¬
rive in Portage County were the Poles. A few individuals, coming
about 1860 to the towns of Sharon and Stockton, were followed
by a continuous stream of immigrants of the same background.
At present the farmers of Polish origin constitute the largest
ethnic group. About fifteen years ago, a few Amish families,
coming from Iowa, bought farms in the vicinity of Amherst. Their
number has increased to some twenty five families and may still
increase, since a recent judgment of the Supreme Court gave the
Amish of Wisconsin the right to keep their children out of public
schools.
The oldest known plat map of Portage County shows the situa¬
tion in 1876, and most probably the names of the farm owners are
those of the original settlers or of their direct descendants. (Map
2 is based on it) . We find the large Scandinavian colony in the
eastern part of the county. The village of Rosholt is indicated, but
only for reference, as it did not exist in 1876. The Polish colony
has Polonia for center and extends west beyond the Wisconsin
River. We notice three German settlements, the largest near Al¬
mond, others around Kellner and in the town of Sharon. There
is a small French colony in the town of Buena Vista (which in¬
cidentally was not named by Spanish speaking immigrants but
by Yankees4). Irish farmers are found in three locations, in the
towns of Dewey, Stockton and Lanark. The rest of the county
was partly occupied by Yankee farmers or was still in woods,
swamps, prairies, either in the hands of the government or be¬
longing to corporations or to some landowners who were not
4 At the origin there was a tavern named after another tavern in Southern Wiscon¬
sin which had received its name just after the battle of Buena Vista.
54 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
MAP 2. Foreign colonies in Portage County, in 1876.
(G = German, P = Polish, S = Scandinavian, I = Irish, F = French)
MARATHON CO.
6 2 4 6
4 6
t-HH
6
o
cn
oo
Kilometers
farmers. This explains why most of the place names are of
Anglo-Saxon origin, some named after cities from which immi¬
grants came, such as Belmont in the state of New York, Amherst
in Nova Scotia, Lanark in Scotland; others after names of early
settlers or prominent local citizens, such as Alban, Bancroft, Car-
son, Ellis, Fancher, Heffron, Keene, Nelsonville, Stevens Point,
Stockton, Whiting; some in honor of great men of the time:
Garfield, Custer, Dewey, Grant; others after natural features:
Linwood, Pine Grove, Sunset Lake, Wolf Lake.
The comparison between Maps 1 and 2 shows the changes that
took place in one hundred years. In 1876, most of the clusters of
non-Anglo-Saxon farmers formed foreign colonies. Until the first
1973] Ferret — Cultural Diversity in Central Wisconsin 55
World War there were immigrants from Europe and therefore
one still could speak of foreign colonies. But in 1970, almost all
the farmers were born in this country and are American citizens.
One might expect that after the end of mass immigration the
foreign colonies would become gradually assimilated and by now
would have become a more or less homogeneous whole that might
be called rural America in opposition to the urbanized parts of
the country. This is not true and the map of 1970 shows that if
some colonies have in fact decreased and even completely van¬
ished, others have developed and continue to develop. They can
no longer be designated as foreign colonies, but they are formed
of a number of families of the same ethnic background who stay
together. We shall speak therefore of areas of concentration of
non-Anglo-Saxon ethnic groups.
The changes between 1870 and 1970 are due to several causes.
The Irishmen left their country after the Great Famine and for
them, farming was probably connected with hardship. They did
not teach their children attachment to the land, and so their
sons and daughters left the farm to go to the cities. At present
only a few isolated farmers are of Irish origin. However, traces
of the Irish occupation remain, such as churches; for instance
Saint Patrick in the town of Lanark, Saint Mary in the town of
Stockton, or cemeteries in which many monuments indicate Irish
names and often carry the name, parish, county of birth in Ire¬
land. The Germans in the town of Sharon were not numerous
and their group dissolved. Their church, Saint Martin, built in
1866, was also used by Catholics of other ethnic groups, but in
1971, it ceased to be used regularly. The German colony near
Almond has decreased, probably because the children did not
stay on farms but went to the cities. Around Kellner the number
of German farms increased and there is another area of German
farms in the northwestern part of the county. Both are near the
Wood County line and are in part an expansion of the large German
colonies in that county.
The Scandinavian colonies increased first through immigration,
but as English is a language close to the Scandinavian languages,
many of the children did not remain on farms and moved to the
cities. After a period of development, the area of concentration
of Scandinavian people has decreased.
The French group was small and soon vanished, not leaving
any trace, except the names of a few farmers scattered in the
county.
The Polish people seem to have found in Portage County the
region that was most suitable to them. The climate is similar to
Poland. The land is almost similar to some regions in Poland, and
56 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
although there are sections where conditions are not very good for
agriculture, this county has become what is probably the largest
rural Polish colony in America. The Poles have large families;
ten children are not exceptional. As the English language is very
different from Polish, foreign born Poles have much difficulty
to learn it and continue to speak Polish at home. Therefore chil¬
dren of Polish descent, born here, have often a strong accent and
for that reason do not mix easily with other people. Many of the
children become farmers; others may go to the cities and work
in factories ; a few get a higher education, but most remain in the
region. In Stevens Point, the Polish element is important not
only in industry, but also in businesses, in administration and in
the professions. Until the first World War, immigration of indi¬
viduals or families coming from the old country was important.
After the war Polish immigrants still continued to come, not
directly from Europe, but from American cities, especially from
Chicago. From Poland, they had gone to Chicago where they
started to work in factories, but they left the big citv for
Stevens Point or for farms in Portage County when they had an
opportunity to find an occupation similar to what they were doing
in their home-country.
For the Amish also, farming is the way of life that suits them,
in fact it is the only way of life allowed in their religion. As
they have large families and as each boy will eventually have a
farm of his own, their colonies expand and when there is no more
land available in the vicinity, they migrate to some other region.
Therefore their colony in Portage County may increase in the
future.
In Portage County, the population of the villages and towns
also reflects the ethnic groups that are represented in the sur¬
rounding area and as a consequence there are typical church de¬
nominations. This is particularly noticeable in small towns with
populations around five hundred inhabitants. Rosholt started as
a Scandinavian center and has only one church, which is Lutheran.
Amherst which had Yankees as first inhabitants has one Meth¬
odist and one Episcopal church representing the first group of
settlers; it has besides one Lutheran church (Missouri synod)
for the German group, another Lutheran church for the Scandi¬
navian group and one Catholic church for the Polish element.
Almond which was started by Yankees has one Methodist and
one Baptist for the Anglo-Saxon group, one Lutheran church
for the German element and one Catholic church for the people
of Polish or Irish origin ; it has besides one Seventh Day Adventist
church. Stevens Point, the county seat, has four Catholic churches ;
originally two were for the Poles, one for the Germans, one for
1973] Perret — Cultural Diversity in Central Wisconsin
57
the Irish; it has two Lutheran churches, one having- at the origin
German parishioners and the other Scandinavian ones. There are
besides several other churches (Episcopal, Presbyterian, Meth¬
odist. Baptist, etc.) and one Jewish synagogue, either for the
Yankees, or for immigrants who came directly to the city, or for
people who left the church of their ancestors to adopt a new faith.
At first some of the churches were very exclusive. St. Mary’s
at Custer in the town of Stockton, which was the church of the
Irish community would accept Polish people only as associate
members with limited privileges; until 1930, persons of Polish
origin could not be buried in the churchyard. At present, how¬
ever, there is no longer any discrimination, but in many churches,
especially the rural ones, one ethnic group is still dominant.
How long will Central Wisconsin still show a cultural diversity?
It seems that in the near future the number of Polish farms will
still increase and occupy more space. So will also the Amish
farms. Both ethnic groups have special interest in farming. Scan¬
dinavian and German farms will probably decrease in number,
as in these ethnic groups families are smaller and many children
get a higher education and quit the farm. Perhaps with time the
differences between ethnic groups may become weaker and even¬
tually there may be one unified American group, but this time
seems very remote and may never come.
REFERENCES
1. ROSHOLT, MALCOLM. 1959. Our County, our Story: Portage County,
Wisconsin. Portage County Board of Supervisors, Stevens Point, Wis¬
consin.
2. NASH, G. N. and F. R. MORGAN (compilers and publishers). 1876. Map
of Portage County, Wisconsin. Milwaukee.
3. Atlas and Plat Book, Portage County, Wisconsin. 1972. Rockford Map
Publishers, Inc., Rockford, Illinois.
PRELIMINARY REPORTS ON THE FLORA OF WISCONSIN
No. 63. THE GENUS TRIFOLIUM— THE CLOVERS1
John M. Gillett
Plant Research Institute, Canada Department of Agriculture , Ottawa
and
Theodore S. Cochrane
Herbarium , University of Wisconsin , Madison
The clovers were classified by Bentham and Hooker (1865) in
the tribe TRIFOLIEAE, the third of eleven tribes recognized in
their order Papilionatae. From the other genera included : Ononis
L., Parochetus Buch.-Ham., Trigonella L,, Medicago L. and Meli-
lotus Adans. — Trifolium L. was distinguished by its capitate inflo¬
rescences, marcescent petals with fused claws and membranous
legumes. The chief features of the Trifolieae include the herba¬
ceous, rarely shrubby habit ; the pinnate, rarely palmate 3-foliolate
leaves ; the leaflet veins often extending into the teeth ; the stipules
adnate to the petioles; the axillary, rarely terminal peduncles;
the flowers 1-many in bracteate racemes ; the diadelphous or mona-
delphous 10 stamens with apically dilated filaments ; and the in-
dehiscent legumes.
The tribe is apparently a natural one, for it has remained rela¬
tively stable in content and circumscription. Taubert (1891) main¬
tained the same classification. Hutchinson (1964) described it in
much the same way as his predecessors but emphasized also the
uniformity of the anthers and the estrophiolate seeds. By ex¬
cluding the genus Ononis and establishing a new tribe for it, he
removed the monadelphous member. Hutchinson also added Fac-
torovskya , a monotypic genus described by Eig (1927).
The distribution of the species, habitat information and dates
of flowering and fruiting were compiled from specimens kindly
made available by the directors and curators of the following
herbaria: Iowa State Bniversity-Ames (ISC), University of Iowa-
lowa City (IA), Milwaukee Public Museum (MIL), University
of Minnesota (MIN), University of Wisconsin-Madison (WIS),
University of Wiseonsin-Milwaukee (UWM), University of Wis-
eonsin-Oshkosh (WSO), University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
(WSP), University of Wisconsin-Superior (WSS) , University of
1 Contribution No. 836 from the Plant Research Institute, Canada Department of
Agriculture, Ottawa, Canada, in part.
59
60 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
Wisconsin Center-Rock County (ULJ). Each dot or circle on the
maps represents an exact location where a specimen was collected,
while triangles designate county records without specific locations.
The numbers within the map insets record the amount of flower¬
ing and fruiting material available and indicate the months when
a species may be expected to flower or fruit in Wisconsin. Vege¬
tative specimens and those in bud or immature fruit are not in¬
cluded. The year of earliest collection within each county is re¬
corded for the non-cultivated species. Except for the flowers of
Trifolium arvense, T. aureum, T. campestre and T. dubium the
illustrations are redrawn and rearranged from Fassett 1939, pp.
35, 41.
1. TRIFOLIUM L. Clover
Annual, biennial, or perennial herbs with palmately, rarely
pinnately, 3-foliolate (in Wisconsin) or 5-7-foliolate leaves; leaf¬
lets denticulate or serrulate, the conspicuous stipules adnate to
the petiole. Flowers sessile or pedicellate, naked or bracteate, in
heads or short head-like spikes, racemes, or umbels, rarely in two’s,
three’s, or solitary. Involucre absent, small, or a large dentate or
lobed ring. Calyx campanulate to tubular; lobes subequal or the
abaxial longer, the adaxial pair more or less connate. Petals mar-
cescent, nearly free or united into a tube, the claws usually fused
to the staminal sheath, to each other, or to both. Standard oblong
or obovate; wings narrow, longer than the keel. Stamens diadel-
phous, occasionally nearly monadelphous by partial union of the
free stamen. Filaments all or only 5 of them dilated at the apex;
anthers uniform. Ovary with 8 or fewer ovules, if 8 then several
aborting. Style filiform, curved upward, the stigma capitate or
hooked. Fruit a short legume enclosed by the mareescent calyx
and corolla, thin-walled or membranous, indehiscent or dehiscent
by the ventral or dorsal suture or both. Seeds 1-3, occasionally 4,
estrophiolate (without a caruncle).
Trifolium contains 250-300 species, the majority of which are
native to Asia Minor and the eastern Mediterranean region. Euro¬
pean species extend from Scandinavia to Spain; some extend into
North Africa and eastward to Siberia, possibly to western China.
A small group is endemic to tropical Africa from Ethiopia to South
Africa. The North American species, numbering perhaps 60, occur
chiefly from British Columbia to Mexico along the western moun¬
tains and plains, with but few in the southeastern United States.
About 20 species are found in South America from southern Peru
and southern Brazil to central Chile and Argentina. Twenty species
(Hermann 1953) occur either in cultivation or as weeds in North
1973]
Gillett and Cochrane — Reports on The Clovers
61
62 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
America. Eight of the nine Wisconsin species, all European intro¬
ductions, were treated earlier by Fassett (1939). The native Tri¬
folium reflexum L., found in neighboring Illinois, (Jones 1963),
has not yet been reported from Wisconsin.
Key to Species
A. Standard obovate, straight or curved downward; heads 5-15
mm thick, the flowers yellow; calyx 5-veined; fruit stipitate
in the calyx; petioles usually shorter than the leaflets. (Sect.
CHRONOSEMIUM)
B. Annual; terminal leaflet stalked and petiolulate; stipules
ovate, those of the upper leaves about one-half the
length of the petiole ; legume 3-6 times the length of the
style ; seeds ellipsoid, the testa lustrous. _
_ 1. T. CAMPESTRE (T. procumhens)
BB. Biennial; terminal leaflet subsessile, merely petiolulate;
stipules oblong-lanceolate, equaling or exceeding the
petiole; legume 2 times the length of the style; seeds
ovoid, the testa dull. _ 2. T. AUREUM (T. agrarium).2
AA. Standard oblong, curved upward; heads 15-35 mm thick, the
flowers pink, red, purple, or white (never yellow) ; calyx 5-,
10-, or many-veined; fruit sessile or essentially so; petioles
usually longer than the leaflets.
C. Calyx tube gibbous, greatly inflated and strongly vescicu-
lar in fruit, the upper side much more pubescent than
the lower; corolla resupinate; rare cultivated species.
(Sect. GALEARIA) _ 3. T. RESUPINATUM.
CC. Calyx tube not gibbous, not inflated nor vescicular in
fruit, glabrous or uniformly pubescent; corolla not re¬
supinate ; common cultivated and naturalized species.
(Sect. TRIFOLIUM).
D. Stems pubescent; flowers ebracteate, sessile; calyx tube
pubescent; petal claws united into a tube.
E. Perennial or biennial; well developed leaflets 10 mm
or more wide, 1-2 times as long as broad; heads
globose to broadly ovoid, sessile or subsessile on pe¬
duncles rarely more than 4 mm long, subtended by
a stipular involucre; flowers 12-18 mm long, the
calyx ferruginous-pilose. _ 4. T. PRATENSE.
EE. Annual; leaflets 5 mm or less wide, 3-6 times as
long as broad ; heads ovoid to cylindric, on peduncles
4 mm or more long, not subtended by an involucre;
flowers 4-7 mm long, the calyx densely pink- or gray-
villous. _ 5. T. ARVENSE.
1973] Gillett and Cochrane — Reports on The Clovers 63
DD. Stems glabrous or glabrate; flowers minutely bracteate,
pedicellate; calyx tube glabrous; petal claws free. (Sect.
AMORIA)
G. Stems creeping, rooting at some nodes, 1-1.25 mm
thick {fide Fassett 1939) ; heads borne on scapes
6-30 cm long, the flowers white ; calyx with 10 incon¬
spicuous veins, the lobes shorter than the tube, the
sinuses glabrous; stipules scarious, thin and
wrinkled, pale brown or tinged with green or purple.
_ 6. T. REPENS .
GG. Stems erect or ascending, 2-5 mm thick; heads
borne on axillary peduncles 2-10 cm long, the flow¬
ers becoming pink with age ; calyx with 5 prominent
veins, the lobes equaling or exceeding the tube, the
sinuses pubescent; stipules partly herbaceous, firm
and green. _ 7. T. HYBRIDUM.
1. Trifolium campestre2 Schreber in Sturm Deutschl. FI. Heft.
XVI : 13. 1804.
Low Hop Clover, Large Hop Clover Map 1, Fig. 1.
Trifolium procumbens of Am. authors, not L. Sp. PI. 2: 772.
1753, nom. ambig.
Annual 5-40 cm tall, simple or with ascending slender branches,
the stems thinly appressed-pilose. Petioles of lower leaves 1-1.5
times as long as the leaflets, those of the upper about equal to or
shorter than the leaflets. STIPULES semi-ovate, acute, dentate
or entire, mostly 5-8 mm long, about 1/2 the length of the petioles.
Leaves pinnately 3-foliolate; LEAFLETS obovate, 4-15 mm long,
fine-strigose along the midveins below, denticulate above the mid¬
dle, cuneate; terminal leaflet borne on a rachis segment 1—3 mm
long, petiolulate like the sessile to subsessile laterals. HEADS
axillary, 7-15 mm long, globose to broadly ovoid or becoming hem¬
ispherical by reflexion of the flowers, the peduncles about as long
as or shorter than the leaves. Flowers (10-) 20-40 (-53). CALYX
strongly bilabiate, 1.5 mm long, the adaxial lobes short, deltoid,
0.2 mm long, the laterals and abaxial linear-subulate, each tipped
2 Linnaeus (1753) described 40 species of Trifolium, a number of which have been
transferred subsequently to other genera. Because of obvious practical difficulties
none of these Linnaean species has been properly typified. According to Dandy
( 1958) two of those included here, namely T. agrarium L. and T. jjrocumbens L.,
bear names which have been misapplied consistently and are considered by him to be
uomina ambigua. The names T. aureum Pollich and T. campestre Schreber therefore
were taken up by Dandy and subsequently employed by Coombe (1968) in his treat¬
ment for the Flora Europaea. For the purpose of this treatment we are following
their usage, reserving judgment on the application of these names until their typifi-
cation problems can be satisfactorily resolved.
64 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
by 1 or 2 stiff hairs. COROLLA yellow , 3.5-6 mm long, the stand'
ard obovate when flattened, hooded and enveloping the other petals,
becoming sulcate-striate ; wings divergent, somewhat spoon-shaped
and twisted, 4 mm long. Ovary stipitate, the stipe 1 mm long;
style 1/3 to 1/6 the length of the legume. LEGUME oblongoid,
2-2.5 mm long, usually 1-seeded ; SEED ellipsoid, yellow, lustrous,
1.2-1. 5 mm long, 0.6 mm wide, n — 7 (Larsen 1956) ; 2n = 14
(Karpechenko 1925; Bleier 1925; Kliphuis 1962; Gadella and
Kliphuis 1963).
Native throughout Europe except for the extreme North and
East, North Africa and western Asia, widely naturalized in North
America; infrequent throughout Wisconsin in dry disturbed hab¬
itats, from pastures, fields, open woods and roadsides with such
weeds as Agropyron repens, Medicago lupulina, Oxalis stricta
and Daucus carota to railroad ballast, landfill and city lots. Flow¬
ering 23 June to 15 August; fruiting 6 July to 4 October.
Trifolium campestre is self-compatible and may set seed inde¬
pendent of pollinators. In Europe pollinators include Hymenoptera,
Diptera and Lepidoptera (Knuth 1908).
Trifolium dubium Sibth. (Fig. 4), Little Hop Clover, can be dis¬
tinguished readily from the similar T. campestre by its smaller
heads (5-8 mm in diam), which have fewer flowers (5-20), its
shorter corollas (2. 5-3. 5 mm long), whose standards are scarcely
or not at all sulcate-striate, and its calyx lobes, which are about
equal in length to the tube. Introduced from Europe and natural¬
ized near the coasts, T. dubium occurs only sporadically inland.
There is ample reason to doubt that one collection from Wisconsin
(Sheboygan: Goessl s.n., 1 Sept. 1914, MIL, WIS) was procured
from the locality given or that the plant was a legitimate ad-
ventive. The only other specimen confirming the presence of the
species in the state is also a Goessl collection: Wood Co.: Marsh¬
field, a few plants, roadsides {2987, 21 Sept. 1915, MIL) ,
Trifolium dubium and especially T. campestre are easily con¬
fused with the ubiquitous black medick, Medicago lupulina. The
following key will help distinguish them from the latter species.
A. Stems rounded, the stipules fused to the petioles for one-half
or more of their length; inflorescenses globose to very short- ,
cylindric heads, 8-15 mm long, 3-40-flowered, the peduncles
thinly appressed-pilose ; flowers reflexed after anthesis ; calyx
teeth very unequal; corollas 2.5-6 mm long, the standard
serrulate about the middle, persistent in fruit; legumes ob¬
longoid, brown _
_ TRIFOLIUM CAMPESTRE and T. DUBIUM.
1973] Gillett and Cochrane — Reports on The Clovers
65
AA. Stems angled, the stipules fused to the petioles for less than
one-half of their length ; inflorescences compact spiciform
racemes, 7-10 mm long, 10-50-flowered, the peduncles densely
pilose, often glandular; flowers not reflexed; calyx teeth
nearly equal; corollas 1.5-3 mm long, the standard entire,
deciduous; legumes subreniform, black at maturity. _
_ MEDICAGO LUPULINA.
The flower structure in many species of section Chronosemium,
which includes all the Hop Clovers, differs markedly from that
in red and white clovers. Instead of turning upward at the apex,
the standard remains straight, acting as a hood which surrounds
the other floral parts. In this it is aided by the presence of strong
parallel veins. The wings flare outward, but because the base of
the blade is adnate to the base of the keel, the whole structure
moves downward under the weight of a pollinator, exposing the
stigma and staminal sheath. Another feature of particular in¬
terest is that the base of the wing blade bears a triangular ap¬
pendage rather than an orbicular one. The acuminate apices of the
two blade appendages form a yoke mechanism which straddles the
staminal sheath, when the wing-and-keel mechanism is depressed.
It acts as a mechanical guide to return the structure to its original
position surrounding the staminal sheath and style after the de¬
parture of a pollinator.
2. Trifolium aureum2 Pollich Hist. PI. Palat. 2 : 344. 1777.
Hop Clover, Yellow Clover Map 2, Fig. 2.
Trifolium agrarium of Am. authors, not L. Sp. PI. 2: 772.
1753, nom. amhig.
Annual or biennial 15-40 cm tall ; stems appressed-pilose, striate,
erect with ascending branches. Petioles of lower leaves about 10
mm long, those of the upper 1-2 mm long. STIPULES oblong-
lanceolate, acuminate, 8-20 mm long, equaling the petioles. Leaves
palmately 3-foliolate; LEAFLETS obovate-elliptic, to 2.5 cm long,
retuse with a minute mucro, denticulate above the middle, entire
and cuneate below, the terminal subsessile and merely petiolulate
like the laterals. HEADS ovoid-cylindric, the top flattened in age,
axillary and terminal, 20-80-flowered, the peduncles equalling or
exceeding the leaves. CALYX 2.5 mm long; tube 1 mm long,
the adaxial lobes deltoid, 0.6-0. 9 mm long, about 3/2 the length
of the linear abaxial and laterals. COROLLA gold-yellow, turning
brown in age, marcescent, 5-6.5 mm long; standard obovate,
the parallel veins strongly sulcate, serrulate about the middle;
wings spoon-shaped, flared outward, 1/3 the length of the stand-
66 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
ard. Ovary stipitate, the stipe 1-1.5 mm long, the style 1/2 or
more the length of the legume. LEGUME oblongoid, 3-3.5 mm
long, 1-seeded, the SEED ovoid, pale yellow-green, dull, 1-1.2
mm long, 0.8 mm wide. 2 n — 14 (Wipf 1939; Wulff 1939; Love &
Love 1956) .
Native to Europe, introduced and naturalized in North America;
an infrequent weed in the northwestern two-thirds of Wisconsin
along railroads and roadsides, such as near Windfall Lake, Forest
Co., near a jack pine planting with Oenothera, Apocynum, Achillea
millefolium and Hieracium aurantiacum (Kruschke K— 65— 4-9, 13
July 1965, MIL), in pastures, fields and disturbed woods. Flower¬
ing 6 June to 4 August; fruiting 22 June to 22 October.
Trifolium aureum often behaves as a perennial because cropping
prevents or delays flowering.
The base number of x = 7 is common in section Chronosemium,
but x — 8 has also been recorded.
3. Trifolium resupinatum L. Sp. PI. 2: 771. 1753.
Persian Clover Map 2, Fig. 3.
Glabrous, procumbent, ascending or erect annual 1-4 dm tall,
with many basal branches. Petioles of basal leaves several times
longer than the leaflets, the upper leaves subsessile. STIPULES
membranous, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, narrowly attenuate-
aristate, the tip 0.6-1. 8 mm long. Leaves palmately 3-foliolate;
LEAFLETS 5-20 mm long, obovate to oblanceolate, sharply den¬
ticulate or serrulate, the apex round to acute, cuneate, the ex¬
current veins terminating in numerous minute teeth. HEADS
axillary, hemispherical, small, 5-10 mm in diam in flower, larger
and globose in fruit, 6-20-flowered, the peduncles about equalling
the leaves. CALYX 1.7-2; 7 mm long, about 20-veined, strongly
bilabiate, the tube white to pale green with a dark green basal
band, woolly-pilose adaxially, nearly glabrous abaxially, at ma¬
turity inequilaterally inflated to 8 mm, transparent and regularly
reticulately veined; adaxial lobes setaceous, 0.5 mm long, the
laterals and abaxial subequal, narrowly triangular. COROLLA
pink to violet, resupinate ; tube about equalling the calyx before
inflation; standard oblong when flattened, refuse, 4-6 mm long;
wings and keel 2 mm long. LEGUME compressed-ovoid to orbicu¬
lar, 2 mm in diam, 1-seeded; SEED ovoid, 1.2 mm long {fide Isely
1948). 2 n — 14 (Wipf 1939) ; 2n — 16 (Bleier 1925; Karpechenko
1925 ; Evans 1962) .
Native to Europe and North Africa, locally naturalized in the
southeastern United States where sometimes used for forage and
green mulch; in Wisconsin recorded only from lawns that have
1973] Gillett and Cochrane — Reports on The Clovers
67
been seeded earlier in the year, this handsome species an occasional
component of lawn seed mixtures. The following specimens have
been seen from the state : Dane Co. : Madison, Clifford Ct., Randall
Ave. ( Fassett 10297 , 21 Sept. 1939, WIS) ; Milwaukee Co. : Milwau¬
kee, Ivanhoe Place and Terrace Ave. ( Shinners 1463, July 1939,
WIS) ; Rock Co.: Beloit ( Truman , 1935, fide Fassett 1939, p. 38) ;
Walworth Co. : Delavan, 118 S. 4th St. (Wadmond s. n., 12, 27 July
1935, WIS). Flowering July and August.
4. Trifolium pratense L. Sp. PI. 2: 768. 1753.
Red Clover Map 3, Fig. 5.
Trifolium pratense var. sativum Schreb.
Trifolium pratense var. sativum forma flavicans (Vis.) Hayek
Trifolium pratense forma leucochraceum Aschers. & Prantl
Trifolium pratense forma alhiflorum Puskal
Trifolium pratense forma semipurpureum (Strobl) Aschers. &
Graebn.
Cespitose perennial or rarely biennial 2-6 (-10) dm tall. Stems 1-
several, erect to decumbent, glabrate or more commonly pilose to
villous. Lower leaves long-petiolate, the upper subsessile. STIP¬
ULES narrowly ovate to oblong, 1-3 cm long, membranous, with
strong reticulate venation, adnate to the petiole for most of their
length, the free portion triangular, abruptly contracted to a seta¬
ceous tip 4-8 mm long. Leaves palmately 3-foliolate; LEAFLETS
of basal leaves ovate, obovate or even orbicular, those of the upper
leaves oblong-lanceolate or elliptic, 1-3 (-5) cm long, essentially
entire, the apex rounded to retuse, pilose below, glabrate above.
HEADS 1 or 2, terminal, globose to ovoid, sessile or on peduncles
rarely more than 4 mm long, subtended by an involucre of stipules
of the upper pair of leaves. Flowers 40-150, 12-18 mm long.
CALYX narrowly campanulate, 10-nerved, 10 mm long; tube 4 mm
long, ferruginous-pilose, the throat ringed with hairs within;
lobes subulate, the abaxial 5-6 mm long, the equal adaxial and
laterals 3-4 mm long, the tips with a few divergent pilose hairs.
COROLLA tubular, pink to red-violet or rarely yellowish or white ;
standard oblong-oblanceolate, retuse. LEGUME oblong-ovoid,
1-seeded, the SEED ovoid, 1.8 mm long, 1.1 mm wide, yellow to
brown, n — 7, 14 (Povilaitis & Boyes 1956) ; 2 n — 14, 28 (Karpe-
chenko 1925 and many others; cf. Love & Love 1956).
Introduced from Europe and freely naturalized throughout
North America; a ubiquitous weed and commonly cultivated crop
throughout Wisconsin on fertile but well drained soil, in old fields,
pastures, farmyards, edges of woods, disturbed deep-soiled prairies,
68 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters
[Vol. 61
1973] Gillett and Cochrane — Reports on The Clovers
69
along roadsides and railroads, growing with Bromus inermis,
Fragaria virginiana, Melilotus alba , Linaria vulgaris , Taraxacum
officinale and Achillea millefolium. Flowering 24 May to 12 Oc¬
tober; fruiting 27 June to 1 November.
Trifolium pratense , the most widely cultivated forage clover, is
exceedingly polymorphic in both natural and cultivated states,
hence the large number of published binomials that apply to it.
However, considerable study is needed to resolve the status and
nomenclature of any infraspecific taxa which might be recognized.
Such study would be complicated by the large numbers of cultivars
selected and developed through its long period of cultivation.
Because of the long tubular corolla, any nectar, which is secreted
at the base of the staminal sheath, is available only to long-tongued
insects. Thus bumblebees are more successful pollinators than
honeybees. Because the stigma protrudes beyond the anthers, pollen
is obtained from visiting insects immediately upon depression of
the keel-and-wing mechanism. Cross fertilization is necessary for
seed production; very few seeds are produced by plants isolated
from pollinators.
Trifolium incarnatum L. (Fig. 7), Crimson Clover, is a villous
annual or winter annual with broadly obovate to suborbicular leaf¬
lets, blunt stipules, dark blood-red flowers in narrowly ovoid to
spike-like cylindric heads and densely villous calices, which in fruit
have the sinal veins thickened and constricted to form a narrow
orifice and the linear-subulate lobes widely divergent. Native to
South and West Europe, now widely naturalized throughout
Europe and parts of the Mediterranean region (Coombe 1968),
cultivated in the southeastern United States as a forage plant and
for soil improvement. The single Wisconsin collection is probably
an escape from cultivation: Dane Co.: Madison ( T release s.n.,
8 Sept. 1883, WIS).
5. Trifolium arvense L. Sp. PL 2 : 769. 1753.
Rabbitfoot Clover, Old Field Clover Map 4, Fig. 6.
Annual 5-30 (-40) cm tall ; stems rather delicate, simple or more
often branched, with appressed or spreading short-villous pubes¬
cence, the hairs white when fresh, turning brown on herbarium
material. Petioles of lower leaves to 1.5 cm long, shorter than the
leaflets , the upper leaves subsessile. STIPULES ovate-oblong with
long setaceous tips. Leaves palmately 3-foliolate; LEAFLETS
5-20 mm long, linear-lanceolate or usually narrowly oblong to
oblanceolate, cuneate, minutely serrulate near the apex, blunt with
70 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
a mucronate tip. HEADS axillary and terminal, subglobose to more
often short-cylindric, 5-30 mm long, 1 cm thick, subsessile or on
peduncles 5-30 mm long. Flowers 10-180. CALYX pink- or gray-
villous, 4-7 mm long ; tube weakly 10-veined, the throat unthick¬
ened and glabrous; lobes setaceous, essentially equal, 2.8-5 mm
long, plumose. COROLLA white to pink, much shorter than the
calyx, 4 mm long, the standard oblong. LEGUME broadly ovoid,
1.3 mm long, indehiscent, the SEED pale yellow, 0.9 mm long.
2 n = 14 (Karpechenko 1925 ; Bocher & Larsen 1958 ; Kliphuis 1962 ;
Gadella and Kliphuis 1963 and many others) ; 2n — 16 (Evans
1962).
Native to Europe, Asia Minor, North Africa and the Canary
Islands; a scattered advent! ve in Wisconsin on dry sandy or grav¬
elly soils, mostly forming colonies along road shoulders with such
species as Matricaria discoidea, Mollugo verticillata, Ambrosia
artemisiif olia and Polygonum arenastrum , occasionally in quarries,
fields, lake shores and open woods, such as in jack pine barrens
near Spring Brook, Washburn Co., with Potentilla, Ceanothus
americanus, Lithospermum caroliniense and Centaur ea maculosa
( Heidel 314, 14 July 1966, WIS). Flowering 30 June to 19 Septem¬
ber; fruiting 14 July to 10 October. Because it is self-pollinated,
seed production takes place throughout the flowering period.
Trifolium arvense is extremely polymorphic, with many de¬
scribed varieties and forms.
6. Trifolium repens L. Sp. PL 2: 767. 1753.
White Clover Map 5, Fig. 8.
Glabrous or glabrate perennial with repent stems rooting at
some nodes, 10-50 cm long. Petioles 5-15 (-20) cm long depending
on local conditions. STIPULES thin-membranous to scarious, pale
brown with dark veins, 8-15 mm long, ovate to ovate-lanceolate,
truncate or obtuse, abruptly tapered to a short subulate tip. Leaves
palmately 3-foliolate ; LEAFLETS obcordate to broadly elliptic,
1-3 cm long, broadly cuneate, the margin sharply denticulate to
serrulate above, the apex rounded to shallowly retuse, often with
characteristic white markings toward the base and light, prominent
veins. HEADS globose, hemispherical in age, 15-25 (-30) mm in
diam; peduncles axillary, 6-25 (-30) cm long , arising from the
repent stems and usually overtopping the leaves. Flowers (17-)
25-80 (-105) white or pink-tinged fading to brown, sweet-scented ;
pedicels slender, curved, 1-1.5 mm long, elongating in fruit to 5
mm, each subtended by a scarious lanceolate bract, the terminal
flowers on the raceme axis often aborted. CALYX tube campanu-
1978] Gillett and Cochrane — Reports on The Clovers
71
late, 2.5 mm long, white with dark green lobes, 10-veined, some¬
times with additional nerves, these often reticulately connected;
lobes narrowly triangular, 2-3 mm long, the adaxials somewhat
united at the base and longer than the others, about equaling the
tube, separated by a narrow, acute sinus, the remaining sinuses
broad. COROLLA 8-12 mm long, the standard oblong when flat¬
tened; wings 7 mm long; keel 6 mm long. LEGUME linear-
oblongoid, 4-5 mm long, 3-4-seeded, constricted between the seeds.
SEEDS yellow to orange, dull, 1 mm long, n — 16 (Tiemann and
Schreiter 1961) ; 2n = 32 (Atwood and Hill 1940 and many
others) ; 2 n = 32, 48 (Moriya and Kondo 1950) ; 2n = 64 (Levan
1942).
Native to Europe, planted in lawns and widely naturalized
throughout cool temperate North America, on dry to moist but
well-drained soil along roadsides and paths through woods, in fields,
pastures and disturbed areas in general; in Wisconsin a common
weed growing with Melilotus spp., Trifolium hybridum, Pastinaca
sativa, Prunella vulgaris, Plantago rugelii, Achillea millefolium
and Cirsium arvense. As one of the most ubiquitous weeds known
to man, white clover quite probably has a broader distribution than
any other species of Leguminosae. Flowering 21 May to 4 (25) Oc¬
tober; fruiting from 5 June to 14 October.
Of the many described segregate taxa, Coombe (1968) recognized
six subspecies in his treatment for the Flora Europaea. Of the
many cultivars selected from this almost entirely cross-pollinated
species, perhaps the best known is cv. ‘Ladino,’ sometimes referred
to as “giant” because of its large size. Both wild and cultivated
types exhibit great variability not only in their morphology but
also in their productivity, persistence and ability to establish them¬
selves in various habitats.
7. Trifolium hybridum L. Sp. PL 2 : 766. 1753.
Alsike Clover Map 6, Fig. 9.
Trifolium hybridum var. pratense Rabenh.
Trifolium hybridum var. elegans (Savi) Boiss.
Subglabrous perennial 15-60 (-80) cm tall; stems someivhat
stout and succulent, erect or decumbent, rarely procumbent,
branched above. Petioles of lower leaves to 10 cm long, progres¬
sively shorter upward but never sessile. STIPULES partly
herbaceous, light green, ovate to oblong-lanceolate, 10-30 mm long,
attenuate to long slender tips. Leaves palmately 3-foliolate ; LEAF¬
LETS to 25 (-35 or more) mm long, ovate to obovate, rhombic, or
elliptic, cuneate, rounded to retuse at the apex, sharply serrulate
72 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters
[Vol. 61
9. TRIFOLIUM HYBRIDUM
r0i & r
TRI FOLIUM REPENS
_ A£
1973] Gillett and Cochrane — Reports on The Clovers 73
to denticulate above. HEADS axillary, globose, hemispherical in
age, 2-3.5 cm in diameter, on peduncles 2-10 cm long. Flowers
20-60 (-80) , each subtended by a setaceous bract, borne on slender
pedicels 1-2 mm long, these becoming deflexed and elongating in
fruit to 7 mm. CALYX tube campanulate, 10-veined, the sinuses
obtuse, pubescent, their nerves usually obscure, those of the lobes
prominent; lobes linear-subulate, the adaxials 3 mm long, longer
than the subequal abaxial and laterals and shorter than to usually
almost tivice the length of the tube. COROLLA white, turning pink
and finally brown, 7-11 mm long, the tube 4 mm long; standard
obovate when flattened, 6-8 mm long ; wings 7 mm long ; keel 6 mm
long. LEGUME linear-oblongoid, 3-4 mm long, 2-4-seeded, the
SEEDS dull black when mature, 1.2 mm long, n — 8 (Kawakami
1930) ; 2n — 16 (Turesson 1962; Love and Love 1956; Gadella and
Kliphuis 1966).
Native to Europe from Portugal east to the Caucasus and
Turkey; widespread throughout Wisconsin, undoubtedly in every
county, most frequently in moist to dry fallow or cultivated fields
and pastures, along roadsides and margins of woods where it is
associated with the same species as Trifolium repens. Flowering
26 May to 30 September; fruiting 20 June to 14 October.
Superficially resembling Trifolium repens when prostrate as
the result of grazing, but easily distinguished by its pink flowers
and calyx morphology. In Clover phyllody, suspected to be caused
by Aster Yellow virus in both species, the flower parts are con¬
verted into leaf-like structures, making identification difficult. Posi¬
tion of parts and presence of normal floral parts among the
abnormal heads will aid in identification. Some of the bizarre forms
described for these two species probably represent infections by
this virus.
Bibliography
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442, 485-488. Reeve & Co., London.
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44: 319-328.
Kliphuis, E. 1962. Chromosome numbers of some annual Trifolium species
occurring in the Netherlands. Acta Bot. Neerl. 11: 90-92.
Knuth, P. 1908. Handbook of Flower Pollination. Clarendon Press, Oxford.
Larsen, K. 1956. Chromosome studies in some Mediterranean and South Euro¬
pean flowering plants. Bot. Not. 109: 293-307.
Levan, A. 1942. Plant breeding by induction of polyploidy and some results
in clover. Hereditas 28: 245-246.
Linnaeus, C. 1753. Species Plantarum, ed. 1. Vol. 2. Stockholm.
Love, A. and D. Love. 1956. Cytotaxonomical conspectus of the Icelandic flora.
Acta Horti Gotoburgensis 20: 65-291.
Moriya, A. and A. Kondo. 1950. Cytological studies of forage plants. II.
Legumes. Jap. J. Genet. 25: 131-134.
Povilaitis, B. and J. W. Boyes. 1956. A cytological study of autotetraploid
red clover. Amer. J. Bot. 43: 169-174.
Radford, A. E., H. E. Ahles, and C. R. Bell. 1968. Manual of the Vascular
Flora of the Carolinas. Univ. of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill.
Taubert, P. 1891. Leguminosae, in Engler, A. and K. Prantl, Die Natiirlichen
Pflanzenfam. Vol. II, 2. Wilhelm Engelmann Verlag, Leipzig.
Tiemann, H. and J. Schreiter. 1961. Chromosomen Studien in der Gattung
Trifolium und phylogenetische Betrachtungen zum Weissklee (Trifolium
repens L.). Ziichter 31: 270-273.
Turesson, G. 1962. Results of colchicine doubling in the red, alsike and white
clover. Agric. Hort. Genet. 20: 111-135.
Wipf, L. 1939. Chromosome numbers in root nodules and root-tips of certain
Leguminosae. Bot. Gaz. 101: 51-67.
Wulff, H. D. 1939. Chromosomenstudien an der schleswigholsteinschen Angio-
spermen-Flora. IV. Ber. Deutsch. Bot. Ges. 57 : 424-431.
THE MAMMALS OF DANE COUNTY
A. W. Schorger
University of Wisconsin
Deceased May 26, 1972
Dane county comprises 789,100 acres. The eastern portion of
the county is rolling and level, while the western is very hilly and
has some steep slopes. The extreme western portion is especially
so, since it contains some Driftless Area (unglaciated). Most of
the county originally consisted of prairies and oak openings, with
little forest land. Peat lands covered 52,288 acres.
At the present time, the eastern half of the county is so intensely
cultivated that it contains a lower population of small mammals
than the western. Most of the trapping on which this report is
based was done in the western half of the county. There is a
large element of luck in trapping, since in spite of the large num¬
ber of trap nights only one rare mammal, an Arctic Shrew, was
caught. This study reports approximately 16,500 trap nights be¬
ginning in 1940.
The nomenclature follows Jackson’s Mammals of Wisconsin
(Jackson, 1961).
SPECIES
Opossum (Didelphis marsupialis virginiana) — The opossum was
a comparatively rare mammal in Wisconsin prior to the early
1930’s. It is now common in the county.
Cinerous Shrew (Sorex cinereous cinereous) — The cinerous
shrew is one of the more common shrews and is found in a wide
variety of habitats. Sometimes it approaches being abundant. On
April 30, 1944, I caught four on the south side of Lake Wingra in
thirty-seven traps.
Saddleback Shrew (Sorex arcticus laricorum) — Locally this
mammal is known as the Arctic Shrew. It is about 120mm in
length including the tail of 42mm. In winter a band of black
extending the entire length of the back is bordered with brown.
This shrew is found in moist or wet places, and is not common.
Specimens have been taken in the marshes adjoining Lake Wau-
besa and in the Cherokee marsh.
75
76 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
Pigmy Shrew (Microsorex hoyi hoyi) — This species is rare and
is known from a single specimen taken by Clough (1965) in the
Cherokee marsh.
Big Short-tailed Shrew (Blarina brevicauda kirtlandi) — The big
short-tailed shrew is common and is widely distributed. In the fall
of 1969 Larry Flaten and a neighbor trapped thirty-five on their
lots in east Madison. I have taken specimens with white spots.
Little Short-tailed Shrew (Cryptotis yarn a harlani) — This rare
shrew is known only from a skull found in a great horned owl pel¬
let near Klevenville, January 31, 1932, which is now preserved in
the U.S. National Museum (Nelson, 1934).
Prairie Mole (Scalopus aquaticus machrinus) — The prairie mole
is common, especially in the western half of the county. A farmer
at Riley informed me that his cat often brought specimens to the
house but would never eat them. It appears frequently above
ground, and I have found roadkills even in winter. So far, I have
not encountered it east of the Yahara River. In my collection is
an entirely white specimen taken by Jeff Glasbrenner in the town
of Marietta, Crawford County, on June 1, 1969.
Little Brown Bat (Myotis lucifugus lucifugus) — This is prob¬
ably our most common bat. As evidence of its abundance, 124 were
killed at Lake Barney July 2, 1969, by treating the state barn with
ammonia gas. It is sometimes seen in broad daylight.
Eastern Long-eared Bat (Myotis keenii septentrionalis) — The
long-eared bat is rare in the county and is represented by a single
specimen in the Museum of the Zoology Department at the Uni¬
versity of Wisconsin — Madison.
Silver-haired Bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans) — This tree bat is
fairly common. I took a specimen from my yard September 6,
1965, and have examined three others submitted to the State Labo¬
ratory of Hygiene for possible rabies. There is a specimen in the
Museum taken in the Arboretum September 24, 1939.
Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus fuscus) — The big brown bat is
common and winters frequently in buildings. On October 17, 1963,
I caught one in the attic of my home in a snap trap baited with pea¬
nut butter. The nose of the bat was on the bait.
Red Bat (Lasiurus borealis borealis) — This bat is the most com¬
mon of tree bats. It frequently roosts in bushes as low as five or
six feet.
Hoary Bat (Lasiurus cinereus cinereus) — The hoary bat is un¬
common, and although it occurs in summer there is no breeding
record. The following specimens have been taken : two were
caught in the Arboretum on September 7, 1944, and another was
found on July 28, 1956, on a barb wire fence, also in the Arbore-
1973] Schorger — The Mammals of Dane County 77
turn. On June 22, 1969, I received a crippled specimen found in
the yard of William F. Fey, 5509 Barton Road, Madison.
White-tailed Jack Rabbit (Lepus toivnsendii campanius) — The
jack rabbit is not native, and its presence in Dane County is due
to spreading from plantings. A few years ago it was not uncom¬
mon near Belleville and Pine Bluff, but I have no recent records.
My latest record is a roadkill found in Section 25, Town of Madi¬
son, on October 28, 1951.
Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus mearnsii) — The cottontail is
common throughout the county where it is the most popular game
animal. Its population fluctuates. It occurs regularly on University
Heights and various other parts of the city of Madison. On August
12, 1946, I saw a roadkill within two blocks of the capitol. Between
November 10, 1942, and February 28, 1943, 731 rabbits were shot
and trapped in the Arboretum. It was estimated that this was two-
thirds the cottontail population. Shooting was continued each win¬
ter only from 1942-43 until 1964-65, with a high of 415 killed in
1954-55 and a low of 36 killed in 1959-60.
On March 4, 1954, George Knudsen showed me two rabbits in
willow trees east of the bridge at University Bay. One was resting
about 4 feet from the ground on a mat of twigs growing from the
trunk. The other was 6 feet from the ground on the lowest limb
of a large perpendicular willow. It was impossible to reach the limb
except by climbing the trunk. On the fifth day both rabbits were
in the same places but only the one on the twigs remained on the
sixth day.
Woodchuck (Marmota monax monax) — Woodchucks were for¬
merly numerous, but it is now unusual to see one in the county.
For many years farmers have decimated their ranks, and many so-
called sportsmen have made it a business to shoot them. Their food
is almost entirely vegetable though they will not disdain meat, at
least after coming out of hibernation. One spring in northern Ohio
I set out to climb to the nest of a red-tailed hawk that I had found
previously. The Irish setter with me killed a cottontail and, as it
was out of season, I put the rabbit into a hollow log. On returning
the dog showed great interest in the log. With a long pole I ejected
a greatly distended woodchuck. It had consumed nearly the whole
of the cottontail.
Striped Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus tri-
decemlineatus) — The 13-lined ground squirrel is an abundant ro¬
dent. Its favorite habitat is land covered with short grasses. Rong-
stad (1965) found that adults had a 29 percent annual survival
rate in the Arboretum, and juveniles 16 percent. On September
25, 1965, I saw one busily engaged in collecting the small acorns
78 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
of the bur oak. Insects are important in the diet, and meat is eaten
readily. It will frequently be seen feeding on roadkills including
its brethren. Van Meter (1881), editor of the New Richmond
Republican, wrote that he saw a ground squirrel eating a mouse
that it dropped on being approached. The victim was fresh and
bleeding. The head and shoulders had been devoured.
Franklin’s Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus franklinii) — This
ground squirrel is of local distribution. Occasionally it is found
on high ground, especially near hazel thickets, but at present is
confined largely to the edge of marshes. There was a small colony
on the southern edge of the former University Bay marsh. For¬
merly there was a large colony near the present site of the sewage
disposal plant, Section 30, town of Blooming Grove.
On August 14, 1970, I visited the home of Mrs. Joan Ohlin,
Section 8, town of Burke, on the edge of Cherokee Marsh. She
had phoned me that she had shot one of many spotted gray animals
living in her yard. They were identified as S. franklinii. Mrs.
Ohlin said that they appeared most frequently in the evening and
that on one occasion she counted 17 of them. There were numerous
burrows in the yard.
Gray Chipmunk (Tamias striatus griseus) — The chipmunk is
common and periodically abundant. It is found regularly on Uni¬
versity Heights and other parts of the city.
Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis hypophaeus ) — The color
of the gray squirrel in county districts is usually normal, but in
Madison and its suburbs it varies greatly. Some are white on the
belly, others brown. With a few the entire pelage is yellow or
isabelline. Some have a body of normal color and the tail yellow,
while on the grounds of the Mendota State Hospital the tail may
be white. The black phase is unusual. I have seen only four ex¬
amples in the county, three of which were in Madison.
Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger rufiv enter)— In 1912, the fox squir¬
rel was the only squirrel to be found on University Heights, and
since that time it has been almost entirely replaced by the gray
squirrel. Fox squirrels with a black belly are rather rare. Thure
Kumlien collected one at Busseyville on August 26, 1880, which
he thought would be of interest to the University of Wisconsin.
In the collection of the Department of Wildlife Ecology is a speci¬
men shot near Mt. Horeb on September 7, 1963. I have a female
collected on the campus on September 27, 1962. Though not preg¬
nant, it weighed 866 grams. This is the heaviest squirrel that I
have handled.
The afternoon of August 16, 1963, I met Harry E. Stanz, Jr.,
formerly with the Wisconsin Conservation Department, at the
corner of Princeton and Kendall Avenues, within a block of my
1973] Schorger — The Mammals of Dane County 79
home. He told me that in the forenoon while walking past 1817
Kendall a large fox squirrel killed one of two young gray squirrels
at the base of a tree. When the young one screamed, an old gray
squirrel came running across the street but on arrival did not
interfere with the attack. We went to the tree and found the dead
young. It was a male gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) 307mm
in length and weighing 178.5 grams. The dead squirrel showed
no lacerations except on the nose where a piece had been bitten out.
The fox squirrel was recognizable by having an incomplete tail.
In spite of my daily attempts I was unable to find this squirrel
until an entire month had passed. It was then seen within 100
feet of the tree where the gray squirrel was killed.
Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus huclsonicus minnesota) — This
squirrel is rare, and no specimen for the county is known. The
sole reason for including it is a statement by Knipping (1950)
that he examined for parasites a specimen taken in Dane County
on December 1, 1948.
Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys volans volans) — The flying squirrel
is common and sometimes becomes a nuisance in houses. During
cold weather several may be found in the same den. On March 3,
1935, in the School Woods, town of Cross Plains, I routed 12
from a crack in an old oak. I have also found as few as three in
the hole of a woodpecker.
Beaver (Castor canadensis michiganensis) — The beaver is pres¬
ent in small numbers. In June, 1948, there was an occupied beaver
dam on Dunlop Creek and in December, 1949, there was a dam on
Black Earth Creek near Cross Plains. On March 21, 1953, I saw
three fresh skins at the farm of the Wisconsin Conservation De¬
partment in the Mazomanie bottoms. I explored Blums Creek,
town of Mazomanie, on March 27, 1954. There was a new dam
about one-fourth of a mile from its mouth. At its entrance into
the Wisconsin River there were many trees which had been felled
long before. One cottonwood was two feet in diameter. On March
18, 1964, there were three abandoned dams and a house on the
Sugar River two miles west of Verona. The beavers must have
arrived by way of the Rock and Pecatonica Rivers. On the same
date there was a new dam on the old site at Blums Creek.
Harvest Mouse (Reithrodontomys megalotis pectoralis ) — This
mouse is not common. It occupies many diverse habitats from
thick crabgrass on high ground to the edge of marshes. I have
specimens taken in the Pheasant Branch marsh, the Mazomanie
marsh, and on high ground near Cross Plains.
Prairie White-footed Mouse (Peromyscus maniculatis hairdii) —
The prairie white-footed mouse is limited to grasslands and usually
shuns cultivated fields. As a result, its habitat now is greatly re-
80 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
stricted. On November 5, 1944, I caught 16 in 50 traps set along the
railway near Middleton where there was a dense growth of sweet
clover, on the seeds of which they were feeding. When the prairies
and oak openings were in primitive conditions, it must have been
the most abundant Peromyscus.
Northern White-footed Mouse (Peromyscus leucopus novebora-
censis — The northern white-footed mouse occurs commonly in
wooded and brushy areas. It is not uncommon in the city, where
I have taken several specimens at University Heights.
Meadow Vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus pennsylvanicus) — The
population of the meadow vole is cyclic and at times it is very
abundant. There is a die-off about every four years. The largest
specimen that I have handled was a nonpregnant female that
weighed 59.5 grams.
Prairie Vole (Microtus ochrog aster ochrog aster) — This vole is
found on high grassy areas and is local in distribution. It is less
numerous than the meadow vole.
Pine Vole (Microtus pinetorum scalopsoides) — This vole is un¬
common. There are specimens in the Museum from the town of
Vermont and the northwest shore of Lake Mendota. In spite of
special attempts to trap this vole, I have never taken but one
specimen, and this was near Cross Plains.
Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus zibethicus) — The muskrat is com¬
mon in the marshes of Dane County. There are overland move¬
ments in spring, and some are killed on the highways. I have found
roadkills on University Avenue. It is the most valuable fur bearer
in the county. In addition to storing the rhizomes of aquatic
plants, it will also invade cornfields and store the ears.
Norway or Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus) — The first definite
date for the appearance of the Norway rat in the county was
1854. In summer and fall many rats move into fields, especially
cornfields, but most of them winter in buildings. It is sometimes
found along lakeshores where it survives on dead fish. Errington
(1935), in the early winter of 1930-31, found them living in holes
in the banks of Lake Kegonsa where they subsisted on dead fish,
ducks, and other animal matter.
It is impossible to exterminate this rodent, and the only alterna¬
tive is to keep it under control by poisoning. Dr. Karl Link found
that dicumarol was an effective rat poison and is known as
Warfarin. It was used in the village of Middleton in the fall of
1950, and most of the rats were exterminated. Rats have the ability
to detect poisons and in some cases become more or less immune
to them.
House Mouse (Mus musculus domesticus) — This mouse is com¬
mon and familiar to all. Though usually found in buildings, in
,
1973] Schorger — The Mammals of Dane County 81
summer it will range a considerable distance into the country.
In September, 1943, I caught two in the sedges at the edge of the
former marsh at University Bay.
Jumping Mouse (Zapus hudsonius hudsonius) — The jumping
mouse is found in grassy areas, especially low meadows and
marshes. It is sometimes abundant. In the fall of 1967, in the
marsh on the west shore of Lake Waubesa, I trapped 17 in an
area of about one acre. One of these had a white tip to the tail.
In the fall of 1950 I caught three specimens with white tail tips
at the western end of Six Mile Creek Marsh, town of Springfield,
Dane County. The white tip is supposed to be characteristic of
Napaeozapus (Schorger, 1951).
Coyote ( Canis latrans thamnos) — The coyote was once numerous.
It is doubtful that it has been completely eliminated. In May, 1920,
two students found a den containing eight young on the north
shore of Lake Mendota. J. R. Smith, of the present Department
of Natural Resources wrote to me that he killed one near Mazo-
manie in 1948. Peter Rindisbacher, Swiss artist, came to Lafayette
County in 1826, and painted a small picture of a coyote which
is in the files of the Wisconsin Historical Society.
Timber Wolf (Canis lupus lycaon) — The timber wolf occurred
in small numbers. Black and white phases were known. The last
date of capture was January 18, 1888, when five gray wolves
were seen near Lake Wingra and two of them were killed.
Red Fox (Vulpes fulva fulva) — The red fox is common and is
found usually in open country. The typical red fox is readily
distinguished by the color and the white tip of the tail. Three
variations in the pelage occur occasionally. These are the black
or silver, cross, and Sampson. The cross fox has a dark cross on
the shoulders and back. The Sampson fox, which is rare, lacks
the guard hairs. Only the silver fox has been recorded for the
county. The heaviest red fox that I have examined was a male
weighing 13 lbs.
Gray Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus ocythous) — The gray fox
is common and found principally in woodlands. It is the only fox
that has the ability to climb trees. Two females taken at Token
Creek weighed 9 lbs. 4 oz. and 10 lbs. 5 oz.
Black Bear (Euarctos americanus americanus ) — The black bear
was never more than locally common in the county as there was
so little woodland. At intervals there was a migration from the
north apparently encited by a lack of food. The last bear mentioned
for the county was in 1879.
Raccoon (Procyon lotor hirtus) — The raccoon is common and on
occasion is found in almost any part of the city of Madison. At
one time a pair raised its young in a sewer two blocks from my
82 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
house. On October 16, 1967, a roadkill (female) was found that
weighed 17 lbs. 4 oz. Henry Murphy, formerly of Belleville, stated
that the largest raccoon that he ever caught weighed 29 lbs. He
caught one that was light yellow with pink eyes and called a
“sand coon.”
Least Weasel (Mustela rixosa allegheniensis) — The least weasel
is quite common and occurs most frequently at the edge of marshes.
I have specimens that drowned in the trout pools at the Nevin
Fish Hatchery. On July 20, 1949, I caught a half grown specimen
on the Nakoma Hill as it ran across the road. I have a specimen
given me by Cleveland Grant that was captured at Mineral Point
on March 15, 1961. This appears to be the only record for Iowa
County.
Short-tailed Weasel (Mustela erminea bangsi) — This is probably
the most common weasel although there are no skins from the
county. I have seen them alive on several occasions and have found
roadkills. The roadkills were so crushed as to be unpresentable.
Long-tailed Weasel (Mustela frenata noveboracensis) — The long¬
tailed weasel is less common than the short-tailed weasel. There
is a specimen in the collection of the Department of Wildlife Ecol¬
ogy taken in the Arboretum on January 5, 1946. I have found road¬
kills on August 9, 1939, and August 28, 1946.
Mink (Mustela vison letifera) — The mink is decidedly aquatic.
Owing to the abundance of lakes and streams in the county it is a
common mammal. It is active principally at night, although I have
on several occasions encountered it in broad daylight. Due to its
fondness for fish it has been trapped on numerous occasions at the
Nevin Fish Hatchery. It is the chief enemy of the muskrat.
Badger (Taxidea taxus jacksoni) — though not common the
badger is distributed throughout the county. Occasionally it is
found on the edge of Madison. On August 6, 1970, Robert Ellar-
son observed a bloated roadkill near the Kapec Orchards, a short
distance west of Madison.
Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis hudsonica) — The striped
skunk is common and well known from its obnoxious odor. It is
unimportant in the fur trade. It has no aversion to dwellings and
on August 28, 1961, I found a roadkill within half a block of Ran¬
dall Stadium.
Otter (Lutra canadensis canadensis) — At present the otter is
found principally along the Wisconsin River. Formerly it occurred
throughout the county, but currently it is rare in the interior.
On February 5, 1948, Dr. Harland W. Mossman photographed
otter tracks found at University Bay.
Puma (Felis concolor schorgeri) — The former status of the
1973] Schorger — The Mammals of Dane County 83
puma is uncertain. There is but one specific record. Locke states
in 1840 that the puma still existed in the Blue Mounds region.
Canada Lynx (Lynx canadensis canadensis) — The lynx appar¬
ently was never common. Several specimens have been killed in
the county. At the second regular meeting of the Wisconsin
Academy of Sciences on July 19, 1870, the following donation to
the Museum of the Academy was presented: “A lynx, killed near
Madison, and presented by Jacob Seiter.” On June 14, 1936, Her¬
bert Stoddard informed me that he assisted Ed. Ochsuer mount
a lynx killed near Middleton in 1907.
Bobcat (Lynx rufus superior ensis) — The bobcat was formerly
common in the county but is now extinct.
Elk (Cervus canadensis canadensis) — There is no record of a
live elk having been seen in the county as it was probably ex¬
terminated prior to 1800. Numerous antlers have been found by
seining in the county, and a nearly complete skeleton was found
in Lake Wingra (Schorger, 1954).
White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus borealis) — At the
time of settlement, deer were plentiful, but being shot at every
opportunity they became nearly extinct by 1880. At the present
time deer are found throughout the county. In the early 1930’s
wild deer entered the Arboretum and have been there ever since.
It sometimes enters the suburbs and causes destruction by dashing
through windows.
Bison (Bison bison bison) — There is no definite record of the
bison in Dane County, but it is included as it formerly ranged
throughout the entire southern portion of the state. In 1922, Thure
Kumlien stated that: “the early settlers found buffalo horns in
the vicinity of Lake Koshkonong” (Schorger, 1937).
HYPOTHETICAL REPORTS
Snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus phaeonotus) — In December,
1873, a Madisonian hunted near Westport which was then a post
office on the border of sections 21 and 22, town of Westport. The
woods and brush were swarming with huge “Jack Rabbits.”
Though he had hunted in the area for years he had never seen
game of this kind previously. After killing several, he brought
home only two on account of their weight. It would be preferable
that so confusing a note as to species had never been printed. The
date is too early for a jack rabbit. In weight the hare is only a
little heavier than the cottontail, but the long hind legs give the
impression of greater size. If the rabbits were snowshoes, they
should have shown sufficient white to be conspicuous. No color
was mentioned. It is quite probable that the snowshoe occurred
in the tamarack swamps, particularly in the eastern part of the
84 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
county. Formerly there was considerable tamarack along the Ya-
hara in the town of Westport. The snowshoe was found in the sur¬
rounding counties of Jefferson, Dodge, and Sauk. Snyder (1902)
was informed by hunters “of a very large, big-eared rabbit, oc¬
curring in a tamarack swamp near Lost Lake,” town of Calamus,
Dodge County. Jebez Brown (1855) lived near Ironton, Sauk
County. On January 11, 1858, he shot one of two white rabbits,
and on the following November 27, he shot another. Canfield
(1870) dismisses it with “seldom seen.” In view of the slight
amount of suitable habitat in Sauk County, it is surprising that it
occurred at all.
Red-backed Vole (Clethrionomys gapperi gapperi) — This vole
has yet to be taken in the county. The stomach of a snowy owl
collected on Lake Mendota on February 14, 1961, according to
Keith (1963), contained the remains of four red-backed voles.
From the enamel pattern I identified them as pine voles (Microtus
vinetorum) . The identification was confirmed by John L. Paradiso,
U.S. National Museum. The red-backed vole has not been taken
closer to Madison than Beaver Dam.
Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum dorsatum) — There is no definite
reference to show that the porcupine was indigenous. Several porcu¬
pines have been taken in the county, but in all cases it is highly
probable that they were escapes or liberations after having been
brought into the county.
SUMMARY
Fifty-three species are recognized as having occurred in this
south-central Wisconsin area in recent times. Bison, elk, bobcat,
puma, lynx, black bear, and timber wolf have been extirpated;
jack rabbits have been present for a time as the result of plantings.
White -tailed deer have largely recovered from the overexploitation
of the 19th century. Aquatic mammals, such as the beaver and
otter, are as easily taken as land mammals and still exist in small
numbers.
The only native mammal that shows an increase in numbers
is the opossum, which has moved steadily northward in the present
century.
REFERENCES
BROWN, JEBEZ. 1855-72. Unpublished diary. Wisconsin State Historical
Society.
CANFIELD, W. H. 1870. Outline sketches of Sauk County. Third sketch.
Baraboo. 39 pp.
CLOUGH, G. C. 1965. Physiological effect of botfly parasitism on meadow
voles. Ecology, 46:344-46,
85
1973] Schorger- — The Mammals of Dane County
ERRINGTON, P. L. 1935. Food habits of mid-west foxes. J. Mammol., 16:
192-200.
JACKSON, H. H. T. 1961. Mammals of Wisconsin. Madison. 504 pp.
KEITH, L. B. 1963. A note on snowy owl food habits. Wilson Bull., 75:
276-77.
KNIPPING, P. A., B. B. MORGAN and R. J. DICKE. 1950. Preliminary list
of some fleas from Wisconsin. Trans. Wis. Acad. Sci., Arts and Lett.,
40:199-206.
LOCKE, J. 1840. Earthwork antiquities in Wisconsin territory. In D. D.
Owen, Report of a geological exploration of Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois.
26th Cong., 1st Ses. House Doc. Vol. 6, No. 239, Ser. No. 368.
NELSON, A. L. 1934. Notes on Wisconsin mammals. J. Mammol., 15:252-53.
RONGSTAD, O. J. 1965. A life history study of thirteen lined ground squir¬
rels in southern Wisconsin. J. Mammol., 46:76-87.
SCHORGER, A. W. 1937. The range of the bison in Wisconsin. Trans. Wis.
Acad. Sci., Arts, Lett., 30:117-30.
SCHORGER, A. W. 1951. Zapus with white tail-tip. J. Mammol., 32(3) :362.
SCHORGER, A. W. 1954. The elk in early Wisconsin. Trans. Wis. Acad. Sci.,
Arts, Lett., 43:5-23.
SNYDER, W. E. 1902. A list with brief notes of the mammals of Dodge Co.,
Wis. Bull. Wis. Nat. Hist. Soc., 2:113-26.
VAN METER, A. C. 1881. New Richmond Republican May 11.
GERMS, LUMBERJACKS, AND DOCTORS IN
NINETEENTH CENTURY MARINETTE
Carl E. Krog
University of Wisconsin Center —
Marinette
Unlike many frontier communities Marinette had the services
of physicians from the very beginning of settlement. Dr. Jonathan
Hall, who came to Marinette from upstate New York, owned and
operated a sawmill during the 1840’s and 1850’s. His mill failed
during the late 1850’s, but he remained, providing medical services
for the growing community during the 1860’s. A second New
Yorker, John Sherman, worked for Hall as a timber cruiser and
bookkeeper until the 1860’s, when with Hall’s encouragement he
went to Chicago to study medicine at Rush Medical School. The
first school teacher, community historian, founder of the first
church, Pioneer Presbyterian, organizer of the first Masonic Lodge
in the region, reform mayor, “Old Doc Sherman” was one of the
most influential members of the settlement in converting what was
once a lumbering camp into a permanent village.
The Chicagoans and Milwaukeeans who owned most of the large
Marinette lumber companies regarded the growing settlement on
the south bank of the Menominee river as a kind of unwanted by¬
product of their sawmills. The community grew from a population
of 400 in 1860 to 4,000 in 1880, and quadrupled in population dur¬
ing the last two decades of the nineteenth century, attracting
merchants and professional people. Both groups suffered from
outside competition ; the merchants from the lumber company
stores and the village doctors from itinerant physicians who like
many of their lumberjack patients were transients, interested in
making a few dollars as they passed through the community.
In July, 1886, citizens learned that a Dr. Edward Fishblatt was
coming to Marinette. Former professor of Atlanta Medical Col¬
lege and present editor of the Neiv York Medical and Surgical Re¬
view, Fishblatt specialized in chronic diseases. Among his credits
were curing patients suffering from ruptures, piles, tumors, and
kidney infection, as well as helping the lame to walk, and young
men troubled by impotency. Physicians like Fishblatt visited the
community about once every six weeks and appear to have at¬
tracted a large number of patients.1
1 Marinette Eagle, July 3, 1886, August 28, 1886, and December 4, 1886.
87
88 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
Medical practices and facilities in Marinette gradually improved
during the last decade and a half of the nineteenth century. As
early as April, 1875, the Marinette Eagle announced plans for a
workers’ hospital. The plans called for a program whereby a
worker would pay one dollar the first month and fifty cents each
month thereafter for hospitalization. Nothing came of the plan,
though the need for hospitalization remained.
Both lumberjacks and sawmill workers followed hazardous oc¬
cupations and accidents were frequent. There was a high rate of
turnover in the lumbering industry, and young inexperienced
crews increased the accident potential. Falling trees, drownings in
the river during log drives, and lack of protective screens and
guard rails in the sawmills took their toll. (Drunkenness does not
appear to have been a major contributing factor.) It was reported
that 120 men were injured in the woods of Menominee river pinery
during the winter of 1898-1899 alone. The close, unhygienic con¬
ditions of the lumber camps made epidemics a constant threat.
Lumberjacks, welcomed in small towns for the money they spent
on services, spread their camp-bred diseases to the urban popula¬
tion. Smallpox remained a continuous scourge to lumbering towns
down to the early years of the 20th century.2
The need for medical service in the lumber camps was obvious,
but because of the remote location of many camps and the improvi¬
dent habits of lumberjacks, doctors were reluctant to leave lumber¬
ing towns. A partial solution was found by three Marinette physi¬
cians, Doctors Frank Gregory, J. A. Somerville, and H. E. Mann
during the middle of the 1880’s. The employees of the Peshtigo
Company, living and working at Peshtigo Harbor, a community
of nearly five hundred, had had difficulty securing the services of
physicians. Located at the mouth of the Peshtigo River, Peshtigo
Harbor was fourteen miles from Marinette. Marinette physicians
charged five dollars a call at the harbor, a prohibitive sum for a
laborer earning a dollar or a dollar-and-a-half a day. The three
doctors entered into an agreement with the Peshtigo Company to
furnish medical care to all employees of the company at a rate of
$1.25 per month for a married man and his family, and $0.75 a
month for a single man. The patient had his choice of the doctors.
The Peshtigo Company agreed to deduct the fee from each man’s
pay and remit the sum collected to the doctor designated to re¬
ceive it.
The Menominee River Hospital was organized in 1886, and three
years later a branch was opened in Menominee. The Marinette and
Menominee Hospital Company was incorporated the same year,
2 George Engberg, “Labor in the Lake States Lumber Industry, 1830-1930”. Unpub¬
lished, Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Minnesota, 1949, p. 229. Quoted figures were
taken from the Mississippi Valley Lumberman XXX, March 24, 1899.
1973]
Krog — Germs , Lumberjacks, and Doctors
89
with Dr. H. E. Mann, president, and Dr. J. A. Somerville, secre¬
tary and treasurer. Hospital confinement, except in very serious
cases, was rare in the late nineteenth century, yet by the early
1890’s the two hospitals were treating over five hundred cases an¬
nually. Because of the high number of accidents in the lumber
camps, the Marinette hospital reported that it had an average of
25 patients daily.3
The first hospital quarters were primitive. A boarding house
served as the first hospital building. Injured lumberjacks some¬
times arrived in railroad baggage cars, hand cars, and in one case,
strapped to a log which served as a splint and stretcher for a man
with a broken thigh. Patients were hand-carried by physicians
and attendants to the hospital operating room. Chloroform and
ether were the only anesthetics and lysol the major disinfectant.
In spite of the primitive working conditions and equipment, diffi¬
cult and serious operations were performed from the beginning.
A Caesarean section was done a few months after the hospital
opened. Several months later, a young man entered the hospital
with typhoid fever. He remained for the next half century. To pay
his hospital bill, John E. Boren began working for the hospital.
Shortly, he was made superintendent of the hospital. A number
of his descendants became physicians and have continued to serve
the community. Time brought improvement in hospital equipment
and staff experience. In 1889, Dr. T. J. Redlings, a graduate of the
University of Wisconsin-Madison, came to Marinette following
two years of graduate study in Germany. Redlings brought the
first microscope to the community. Successful in detecting the ever¬
present typhoid germ, he helped lead the community fight to sup¬
press the disease.4
To provide medical service and insure payment from the notori¬
ously improvident lumberjacks, the Menominee River Hospital or¬
ganized a hospital insurance program. Under its jovial salesman,
James J. Stephens, who visited the lumber camps, the hospital pro¬
vided a dual program for medical protection. In exchange for a
five dollar annual ticket, a lumberjack received all the hospital
care he might need, including physician’s service and surgery. For
ten dollars a year the ticket holder received the same hospital care,
plus a dollar a day while hospitalized.
Both the lumbering industry and village prospered and grew
during the 1880’s. The late 1880’s marked the peak production
years and the busy sawmills attracted a large labor force. The
growing population demanded increased municipal services — serv-
3 Marinette Eagle, February 11, 1893; Frederick Burke papers; State Historical
Society of Wisconsin, Madison.
4 Frederick Burke papers, State Historical Society of Wisconsin, Madison, Marinette
Eagle-Star, November 8, 1933 and November 14, 1933.
90 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
ices which could only be provided by a city government. In spite
of the opposition of some of the mill owners, Isaac Stephenson, the
community’s most prominent lumberman, went ahead with plans
to incorporate the settlement and in March, 1887, Marinette joined
the ranks of Wisconsin cities. At incorporation, Marinette already
had a sizeable population and according to the United States Cen¬
sus of 1890, the three year old city ranked eleventh in the state,
well ahead of Wausau, Kenosha and Manitowoc.
A number of serious problems which required the immediate
attention of new municipal government had accumulated during
the decade of 1880’s. The first to be faced by Marinette’s new gov¬
ernment was that of a public water supply. Was water to be taken
from the bay or from the river, which was closer and hence
cheaper? Would a private company or the city provide the water?
The city decided that the bay was less polluted than the river.
The city lacked the revenue to build its own waterworks. Incor¬
poration had not changed the lumber companies’ under-taxation.
The local lumber powers, aware that the city’s chief industrial
days were numbered, were not interested in investing in a water
utility. With the decision that the bay was less polluted than the
river, the city signed a 25 year contract with the American Water
Works and Guarantee Company. The company, owned mainly by
capitalists from Boston and New York, agreed to lay 12 miles of
pipe, build 125 fire hydrants, and provide free water for both pub¬
lic buildings and churches. The contract appeared to be most fa¬
vorable for Marinette. The installation of Marinette’s water system
was to cost 20 per cent less than neighboring Menominee’s. Mari¬
nette was to secure 125 hydrants at $46 per hydrant to Menomi¬
nee’s 94 at $73 apiece.5
The bargain soon revealed itself to be short-lived and short¬
sighted. In 1895, Dr. John Coulter of the city health department
reported that he believed the increased number of sick people in
the city was due to impure water. Marinette-Menominee with a
total of 28,000 people living at the mouth of the Menominee river,
dumped a large amount of offal into the bay. The report of the
water company’s chemist of Western University, Allen, Pennsyl¬
vania, did not say that the water was fit to drink. The report on
the city’s water from a University of Wisconsin chemist was more
explicit — the water was impure. The wealthy people in Marinette
continued to rely on their private wells.6
Nothing was done to remedy the situation by either the city or
the water company until a severe epidemic of typhoid fever struck
in 1899. In March, 33 deaths from typhoid were attributed to the
5 Marinette Eagle, July 13, 1887 and March 13, 1888.
0 Marinette Eagle, March 30, 1895 and April 27, 1895.
1973]
Krog — Germs , Lumberjacks , and Doctors
91
impure water. Finally, in October, 1899, an agreement was reached
between the city and the water company. The water company
agreed to install a water filter at the cost of $25,000. In return,
the city agreed to pay half of the operating cost for seven years.
The water company, in turn, received a 25 year charter and the
hydrant rental was raised to $1250 annually. These changes forced
the city to raise its tax rate on $1,000 of property from 3% to
3. 5%. 7
A water filter was vital for the city’s health. Of the water users
in Marinette in 1899, 894 or 84 per cent used city water, but only
13 per cent bothered to boil it. Of 69 cases of typhoid fever re¬
ported that October, 66 used city water. At the end of the year
the death rate, including those from typhoid, was 14.72 per 1,000.
Without the typhoid deaths, the death rate would have been only
8.69. After the installation of the water filter, the scourge of
typhoid fever gradually decreased. During the 12 months after
April 1, 1900, only two out of 199 deaths were attributed to typhoid
fever, giving the city a death rate of 12.23 per 1,000 in 1900.
Nevertheless, as late as 1903, three years after the water filter
installation, the city health commissioner reported 89 cases of
typhoid with eight deaths.8
After 1900, pure milk, like pure water, was important in cutting
the death rate in Marinette. Regulation began in 1894 when the
city passed an ordinance with the specific aim of ending the un¬
sanitary conditions of some dairies. In the late winter of 1897,
both Marinette and Menominee passed ordinances demanding
tuberculin tests for dairy cattle in the two-county area providing
milk for the two cities.
The problem of a high infant mortality rate persisted, nonethe¬
less, during the first years of the 20th century. In 1902, children
under the age of five accounted for 39% of the deaths in Marinette.
The year was a marked improvement over 1900 when children
under five accounted for half of the deaths in the city. Progress
was gradual and uneven. As late as 1908, the city health depart¬
ment could proudly report that “only” seven infants had died of
cholera infantum during the warm days in the middle of Septem¬
ber of that year. The death rate in Marinette continued to go down
after 1900, with the purification of milk and water probably the
most significant factors in the decline. In 1900, the death rate was
14.43; 1901, 12.22; and 1902, 10.76. Many of the other causes of
death were further reduced as the century progressed. Other ma¬
jor causes of death listed by the city health commissioner in 1902
7 Marinette Eagle , October 7, 1899, October 21, 1899, June 18, 1899, and January 6,
1900.
8 Marinette Eagle-Star } January 8, 1904 and October 28, 1902.
92 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
included: respiratory ailments, 21; pneumonia, 16; tuberculosis,
15; external violence, 18; typhoid fever, 7 ; and diphtheria, 7.°
Along with impure milk and water, Marinette’s citizens faced
the hazards of consuming diseased beef. The United States Con¬
gress had passed the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906, following
the national uproar over Upton Sinclair’s book The Jungle, which
realistically described conditions in the Chicago stockyards. The
federal government, however, inspected interstate meat only.
A few meat peddlers in Marinette bought old and diseased cattle
from nearby farmers and sold the meat at cut-rate prices directly
to customers from their carts. City authorities seized a cow from
such a cart to inspect it in March, 1909, but before the cow could
be checked, it disappeared.
A few months later, a cow which was being led to a butcher col¬
lapsed in the main business district. The peddler claimed that the
animal was merely tired, but he hastily buried the carcass before
investigation could begin. A few months earlier, the city attorney
had recommended that the city council pass an ordinance forbidding
the selling of cows for slaughter during gestation, but nothing
had been done. The tale of the cow’s death was too much for a
number of prominent housewives, who signed a petition asking the
Marinette city council to pass a meat inspection act similar to that
of Milwaukee. They demanded a strict sanitation code providing
for the inspection of meat markets and peddlers’ carts, and pro¬
hibition of selling wild boars as pork and sick and unborn calves
as veal. The city inspection code was passed.10
In passing its code, Marinette was following the lead of large
cities in the United States, which during the decade of the nineties,
were spending large sums on sanitation and health departments
with gratifying results. In Milwaukee the death rate in 1891 was
21 per 1,000; in 1898 it was 11.92. The death rate in Denver de¬
clined from 23.71 to 11.55 during the decade of the 1890’s.
The city of Marinette with 16,000 people spent $472.55 on its
health department in 1900. To match the expenditures of Denver
that year, Marinette would have had to spend $4,503 and to match
Milwaukee, $5,271.
Nonetheless, the death rate in the city compared favorably with
the national rate, which was 17 per 1,000 in the first year of the
20th century. The life expectancy of an American male in 1900 was
only 49 years, the nation’s three deadliest killers being tubercu¬
losis, typhoid fever, and pneumonia. In 1921 the death rate in
9 Marinette Eagle, July 7, 1894, April 3, 1897, July 23, 1901, and Marinette Eagle-
Star, October 28, 1902, and October 7, 1908.
10 Marinette Eagle-Star, April 8, 1909, March 25, 1909, June 29, 1909, and Febru¬
ary 14, 1910.
1973]
Krog — Germs, Lumberjacks, and Doctors
93
Marinette was 11.3. The rate in neighboring- Green Bay was 16.7 ;
Wausau, 11.3; Ashland, 18; Manitowoc, 12.2; and Oshkosh, 13. 3. 11
Humming sawmills and a bustling community left in their wake
a need for better medical care and an effective city government
to provide minimum municipal services. The group insurance plan
of the Peshtigo Company and the Menominee River Hospital both
brought medical care to lumberjacks and sawmill employees where
none had existed. Through the persistent efforts of Dr. John Coul¬
ter, the community was able to secure pure water. These efforts of
the last century paved the way for a longer life expectancy for
Marinette citizens in this century.
11 Marinette Eagle, March 10, 1900, Statistics from Wisconsin State Board of Health,
Bureau of Health Statistics, Madison, Wisconsin.
THE EASTERN SUBTERRANEAN TERMITE,
RETICULITERMES FLAVIPES (KOLLAR), AND THE
COMMON THIEF ANT, SOLENOPSIS MOLEST A (SAY),
IN THE LABORATORY, WITH NOTES ON OTHER
ASSOCIATED ANT SPECIES
R. V. Smythe and H. C. Coppel
University of Wisconsin —
Madison
Lestobiotic ants, those which rob and prey on termite broods
or disabled termites, are generally of the genera Solenopsis, Mono -
monorium, or Carebara (Escherich, 1909; Hegh, 1922). The ants
have minute, pale yellow, blind or myopic workers and nest in the
interstices of the nests of larger ants or termites. The workers
gain access to the nurseries of their prey by excavating tenuous
galleries and devour the brood. Solenopsis molesta and the Euro¬
pean S. fugax Latreille both inhabit termitaria. S. molesta is “not
infrequently” found in the nests of Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) ,
R. lucifugus (Rossi), and R. virginicus (Banks) (Wheeler, 1936).
S. texana has similar habits in the southern states and S. caro-
lensis Forel and S. truncorum Forel, occur in termite nests in
North Carolina (Forel, 1928).
A cluster of 2,000 termite eggs was found about 18 in above the
ground under the bark of a dead elm tree at Janesville, Wisconsin
in 1963. One to 2 ft above the egg mass was a colony of S. molesta,
also under the bark. Once disturbed, the ants swiftly removed their
eggs and larvae as well as the termite eggs below them. Within 10
min after the termite eggs were uncovered, the thief ants had
collected and carried off considerably more than the termites had,
and moved them out of sight. On four other occasions that sum¬
mer, colonies of S. molesta were found under the bark of dead elm
trees. On two occasions, R. flavipes was active in runways and
tunnels adjacent to the ants; on one occasion the ants were active
in abandoned termite runways beneath the bark ; and on one occa¬
sion the ants were on a tree where there was no termite activity.
These observations prompted laboratory studies on the interaction
of R . flavipes with S. molesta, particularly, and with other associ¬
ated ant species generally.
95
96 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
MATERIALS AND METHODS
It was considered probable that any interrelations between S.
molesta and R. flavipes would be initiated by the ants. Thus, in
all the experiments, the termites were established first in various
containers and S. molesta individuals were added later. In tests
with other ant species, the ants were sometimes established first
and sometimes the termites. Varying numbers of ants and ter¬
mites were used in the different tests and these details will be in¬
cluded in the discussion of each particular test. Most of the activity
occurred at the base of the test units, consequently, the cultures
were observed by placing the unit on a wooden rack beneath which
was placed a magnifying mirror and a desk lamp to enhance the
illumination. When not under observation, the containers were
maintained at 25 °C.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Two experiments were initiated, in which 200 R. flavipes and 50
termite eggs each were added to a clear plastic unit (4 x 7.5 x 10.5
in) containing damp earth and two small (0.5 x 3 in) pieces of
wood. Twenty-four hours later the eggs in one unit (Exp. 1)
had been moved and were not seen again. After 1 mo, a colony
FIGURE 1. Nest cavity of Solenopsis molesta with ant tunnels and tunnels
of Reticulitermes flavipes. Experiment 1.
1973] S my the and Coppel — Notes on Ant Species 97
of 50 S. molesta adults and 20 larvae were added. The ants quickly
hollowed out an area in the dirt at the bottom of the unit and de¬
posited their larvae in its center. The ant “nest” was surrounded on
all sides by termite tunnels (Fig. 1) . Within the first week the ants
constructed minute passageways from the nest cavity to the termite
tunnels 4 and 5 (Fig. 1, CA and DB). During the second week the
ants moved through tunnels 2, 3, 4, and 5 which they blocked off
for their own use. The ants erected earthen walls in the termite
tunnels and created a circle of diameter about 3 in, which excluded
the termites. The ant nest was approximately at the center of the
circle. Toward the end of the third week, 5 dead termites were
observed in tunnels 1, 6, 7, and 8. On the 25th day 7 dead termites
were seen in a ring around the ants’ nest. We offer no explana¬
tion for this phenomenon and it was not repeated.
The termites dug intermittently at the earthen wall blocking
their entrance to tunnel 4. One soldier was always close behind
the few digging workers. These workers often became excited
and retreated quickly, shaking violently (vibrating their bodies
on stiff legs). A termite worker finally broke through to tunnel 4
but remained in 3 with only his antennae in the ant tunnel. During
this termite activity the ants rarely utilized the portion of tunnel
4 below A but moved their larvae from the center of the nest
and piled them in the cavity as far as possible from the scene of
activity.
The termite which had penetrated the ant tunnel remained in
the same position for about 1 min at which time an ant began
moving toward him. The ant slowly moved to within 1 cm of the
termite, then quickly turned and retreated. The worker termite
withdrew and was replaced by a soldier termite who placed his
head into the confluence of the two tunnels. Within a few minutes
4 ants moved down tunnel 4 toward him. The leading ant moved
to within a few mm of the termite and retreated just as it ap¬
peared the soldier would lunge. The following 2 ants immediately
turned around about 15 mm from the termite and withdrew. The
fourth ant moved directly to the termite’s mandibles and rapidly
turned around. Only after the ant had reversed himself did the
soldier lunge. The ants then began to block tunnel 4 from A up¬
ward for about 15 mm. A similar wall of dirt was established in
tunnel 5 upward from B and a much smaller wall was erected at D.
The latter barrier was only about 2 mm thick. The termites began
to penetrate and widen the ant tunnel DB, apparently having
gained access to it from a tunnel in the soil not visible from below.
One termite reached the thin earth barrier at D and slowly began
to remove some of the dirt. The termite activity greatly activated
the ants which immediately and rapidly began bolstering the
98 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
earthen wall from the other side. For about 2 hr the termites
slowly broke down the wall while the ants rapidly strengthened it.
The end result was a barrier about 1 cm thick. At this point the
termites neglected \\e barrier and retreated. During the frenzied
activity by the ants, some of them seized their larvae and removed
them from the nest cavity and thus out of sight. Within 8 hr after
the cessation of activity by both species, the ants moved most, if not
all, of their larvae to their original position in the nest, and nothing
unusual occurred for the next 6 months.
The ants in the second unit (Exp. 2) immediately established
themselves in a cavity (X) on the floor of the container (Fig. 2).
About 12 ant larvae were placed in the nest. As in the first experi¬
ment, the ants were completely surrounded by termite tunnels.
For the first week no ants moved on the bottom of the container;
however, as never more than 25 ants were visible in the cavity, it
was assumed that they had established or usurped tunnels not visi¬
ble from below. On the tenth day, some ants were observed in
tunnel 1. They established a tunnel (CA) from their nest cavity
to the termite tunnel and blocked off a portion of the tunnel with
earthen walls. Two days later the ants tunneled (DB) to termite
tunnel 2 and moved in it. They erected no visible barrier at B
X - ANT NEST
. « ANT TUNNEL
— « termite tunnel
FIGURE 2. Nest cavity of Solenopsis molesta with ant tunnels and tunnels
of Reticulitermes flavipes. Experiment 2.
1973] Smythe and Copy el — Notes on Ant Species 99
but often seemed to move upward through the soil at this point
in a tunnel not visible from below.
Termites moving along tunnel 3, after the erection of the ant
wall at A, seemed to be aware of the barrier and only rarely did
a termite turn off 3 and enter 1 moving toward A. On all but one
of these sporadic occasions the termite did not proceed to A but
turned around and re-entered 3. Once, a termite moved to the wall
at A, waved his antennae slowly with their tips in contact with
the barrier, then quickly backed away, reversed himself, and re¬
turned to tunnel 3. The termites never tried to break through any
of the ants’ earthen walls nor did the ants attempt to extend their
range. After 9 weeks the experiment was discontinued.
The following tests were initiated to obtain data on the behavior
of the ants toward termite eggs. In test A, an 8 dr shell vial was
ys filled with soil and 25 ants were added. After 48 hr, 15 termite
eggs were placed in a cluster on top of the soil. Two ants almost
immediately found the eggs and picked up several. Within 30 sec
about a dozen ants had converged on the eggs and had placed
them in a pile under a small piece of bark which extended partially
into the soil. Several ants frequently handled the eggs with their
mandibles. For 3 days the ants “cared for” the eggs by handling
them and moving them. On the fourth day the eggs showed signs
of shrinkage and the ants subsequently abandoned them.
For test B, 20 cc of moist soil were placed in a clear plastic
zipper case (2 in diam. x 1.4 in high) and 25 ants were added.
After 48 hr, 2 termite eggs were placed on the soil surface. For 2
days the ants showed no interest in the eggs. An additional 15
ants were introduced and after 6 hr the termite eggs had disap¬
peared. The contents of the test unit were carefully examined but
no eggs were found. Probably they were eaten by the ants.
Test C replicated B but used 15 termite eggs instead of 2. Within
3 hr the ants had located the eggs and moved them underground
where they could not be seen. After 2 days, the test unit was ex¬
amined. The eggs were in good condition in a little pocket near
the bottom of the container. One egg appeared close to hatching.
It was immediately transferred to a new container with moist
earth and ants but the ants ignored it and the termite died with
only its head free of the egg. It is not known whether S. molesta
or other ant species assist young termites in emerging from their
eggs.
Attempts were made to induce the ants to steal termite eggs
from an established termite colony. Twenty cc of moist earth
were placed in a zipper case with 15 termites and 40 termite eggs.
The termites located the eggs almost immediately. A termite would
pick up one or more eggs, carry them a short distance and drop
100 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
them. This was repeated many times. After 20 hr the termites had
gathered about 12 eggs under a small piece of wood at the soil sur¬
face. Fifteen ants were added to the test chamber. Within 2 hr they
had tunneled to the bottom along the wall of the container and
hollowed out a small chamber. In the meantime, some of the ants
and termites were on the soil surface. The two species moved
freely among each other without evidencing any hostile behavior.
Occasionally, when the antennae of the 2 species touched, the ant
would hastily jerk backward, then continue as before. The ter¬
mites rarely backed away. After 24 hr the ants had established
several tunnels through the soil. These were not contiguous with
the termite tunnels. Both species moved freely in their respective
tunnels and seemed indifferent or unaware of the other’s presence.
Careful observation for 6 consecutive days revealed nothing un¬
usual in the behavior of either species. Neither made any attempt
to extend its domain. Occasionally 1 or 2 individuals of both species
would contact each other on the soil surface with the same results
as described previously. After 1 week the termites began moving
more and more on the soil surface which is a preliminary indica¬
tion of an unhealthy colony. An inspection of the eggs showed
early signs of shrinkage. In 10 days the termites appeared un¬
healthy and the experiment was discontinued. Similar experiments
produced no significant results. Although the termites frequently
grouped clusters of their eggs, the ants were never seen to steal
them.
Though S. molesta never was seen to steal guarded termite
eggs, they readily seized unguarded eggs and at times appeared
to care for or tend them. The extent of this practice or its bio¬
logical significance is not known. An interesting behavioral ac¬
tivity of the ant was in walling off and usurping for its own use
the termite tunnels adjacent to its nest. Additionally, there was the
evident lack of hostility between the two species when they encoun¬
tered each other on the soil surface.
INTERACTION OF R . F LAV I PE S WITH
OTHER ANT SPECIES
A cluster of approximately 5,000 termite eggs was found about
5 ft from the ground under the inner bark of a large, partially
dead elm on July 30, 1963. Immediately after exposure of the
eggs, many Aphaenogaster tennessensis (Mayr) ants moved up
under the inner bark at the base of the tree from their nest in the
ground and began moving large numbers of termite eggs. Oc¬
casionally the ants would seize the termites which were also at¬
tempting to remove their eggs, but primarily the ants concen-
1973] Smythe and Coppel — Notes on Ant Species 101
trated on the eggs. When all the eggs were removed, the ants re¬
turned to their nest. Similar behavior records for A. tennessensis
have not been reported in the literature. Limited laboratory studies
were undertaken, but none gave any evidence of similar (egg¬
stealing) behavior. Laboratory studies indicated a strictly preda¬
tory relationship between the ant and termite.
Camponotus pennsylvanicus DeG., Tapinoma sessile (Say), and
Lasius sp. may be considered as inquiline ants. Laboratory experi¬
ments suggested that C. pennsylvanicus and R. flavipes, given suf¬
ficient room and a preponderance of termites, will establish a rela¬
tionship best described as indifferent neighbors. Field observa¬
tions suggest that once this relationship is established, it will exist
even under conditions of great agitation. However, crowding and
a preponderance of ants destroy the inquiline relationship and
the ants kill the termites.
Laboratory experiments with T . sessile indicated that regardless
of whether the ants or termites were established first, after 1
week a condition of indifferent tolerance with no direct contact
between the two species resulted. Although King (1897) reported
a close association between R . flavipes and T. sessile in field obser¬
vations, no such relationship was indicated in the laboratory stud¬
ies. The two species were not observed together in the field.
Lasius sp. and R. flavipes were frequently found closely asso¬
ciated in the field (Smythe and Coppel, 1964). On one occasion,
a weathered piece of wood lying on the ground was overturned
and both species were seen moving together on the ground. Labora-
try tests indicated that Lasius sp. occasionally would usurp por¬
tions of the termites’ tunnels for its own use. After several days,
however, the ants would withdraw and the termites would rein¬
habit their former territory. Mixed cultures of the two species in¬
variably stabilized with the termites inhabiting tunnels in the bot¬
tom half of the test unit and the ants living in the upper half of the
soil and on the soil surface. Frequently, tunnels of the two species
would connect but no intermingling of the species occurred. Occa¬
sionally, the termites would erect barriers in the connecting tunnels
but after several days they would remove them and thereafter re¬
side as indifferent neighbors. Gorging the ants with honey and then
introducing them to a termite inhabited unit in a small wire cage
for 48 hours, so that the odors of the two species could inter¬
mingle without any physical contact, eliminated all ant aggressive¬
ness.
SUMMARY
The eastern subterranean termite, R. flavipes, and the common
thief ant, S. molesta, may coexist harmoniously in uncrowded labo-
102 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
ratory cultures. Encounters on the soil surface between the two
species showed no evidence of hostility. The ants continuously
walled off and usurped portions of termite tunnels close to their
nests. Unguarded termite eggs were removed by the ants ; however,
in the studies undertaken guarded eggs were not removed. A. ten-
nessensis rapidly removed exposed termite eggs in the field. In the
laboratory, the ants C. pennsylvanicus , T. sessile, and Lasius sp.
generally had an inquiline relationship with R. flavipes, which was
often reflected as a neighborly indifference with or without contact.
The relationship with Lasius sp. seemed particularly compatible.
Under either crowded conditions or a preponderance of ants this
was modified in favor of the ants.
REFERENCES
ESCHERICH, K. 1909. Die Termiten oder Weissen Ameisen. Werner Klink-
hardt, Leipzig. 198 pp.
FOREL, A. 1928. The social world of the ants. Vol. II, G. P. Putman’s Sons,
Ltd., New York. 445 pp.
HEGH, E. 1922. Les termites. Louis Desmet-Vexteneuil, Brussels. 756 pp.
KING, G. B. 1897. Termes flavipes Kollar and its association with ants.
Entomol. News 8: 193-196.
SMYTHE, R. V. and H. C. COPPEL. 1964. Preliminary studies on ant-ter-
mite relationships in Wisconsin. Proc. North Centr. Branch Entomol. Soc.
Amer. 19: 133-135.
WHEELER, W. M. 1936. Ecological relations of Ponerine and other ants to
termites. Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts Sci 71 : 159-243.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Research supported by the College of Agricultural and Life
Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, and by the Research
Committee of the Graduate School from funds supplied by the
Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation and the Office of Naval
Research, Naval Biology Program, under contract No. N00014-67,
NR306-012. The authors gratefully acknowledge Dr. A. C. Cole,
Department of Entomology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville,
who identified the ant species.
SOCRATES ON CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE:
THE APOLOGY AND THE CRITO
Peter S. Wenz
University of Wisconsin —
Stevens Point
In the Crito (50a-52b)1 Plato represents Socrates as defending
what at least appears to be the view that one ought never disobey
either a law or a lawful command of the state. But in the Apology
Socrates is represented as condoning disobedience. First (29d) he
states that he would “never stop practicing philosophy” even if
so ordered by the jury at his trial. Second (32c-d) , Socrates
proudly tells of his disobedience to the Thirty Commissioners when
they ordered him to go to Salamis to get Leon.2 Thus, there is at
least an apparent inconsistency between the Apology and the Crito
on the question of disobeying the law.
There are two general approaches to this apparent inconsistency.
One is to admit that there really is such an inconsistency and then
to explain why or how it arose. The second is to offer an interpre¬
tation of either or both of the two dialogues in question accord¬
ing to which the inconsistency is merely apparent and never really
arises. In this paper I shall critically review various attempts
along these two lines (sections I and II, respectively),3 and then
present my own analysis, an attempt of the second type, an inter¬
pretation of the Crito according to which it is perfectly consistent
with the Apology .
I
First, it might be maintained that the two dialogues really are
inconsistent and are so due to Plato’s inability to detect the incon¬
sistency. This, however, is incredible, since the inconsistency is,
if anything, quite apparent. It is difficult to believe that anyone
with the ability to write the Apology and the Crito would simul¬
taneously have the inability to detect the apparent inconsistency
between them.
1 All references to the dialogues will be noted in the text. All quotes are drawn
from Plato: Collected Dialogues eds. Hamilton and Cairns, Random House (1963).
2 A third incident, recounted at 32b, is Socrates’ refusal to allow a group of naval
officers to be tried en bloc , but here it is made clear that Socrates was upholding,
not disobeying the law. So this case does not constitute an instance of Socrates’ dis¬
obeying either a law or a lawful command of the state.
3 For sections I and II, I am indebted to A. D. Woozley’s “Socrates on Disobeying
the Law” in The Philosophy of Socrates, ed. G. Vlastos, Doubleday (1971).
103
104 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
A second explanation for the (supposed) inconsistency is that
Plato was conscientiously reporting an inconsistency he had found
in Socrates’ philosophical position. But this is of little help because
it merely trades the unlikely view that Plato was unable to detect
the contradiction, for the equally unlikely view that Socrates lacked
the intellectual ability to detect it.
Then it might be suggested that Socrates did not hold these
inconsistent positions simultaneously; he changed his mind be¬
tween his trial and the appointed time for his execution. But this,
too, seems very unlikely, both because the time involved was quite
short (about a month), and because Socrates insists in the Crito
that the position he is there taking on the question of disobeying
the law is the only one consistent with his earlier philosophical
teaching.
Finally, Grote considered the two dialogues to be really incon¬
sistent but attributed this inconsistency to deliberate falsification
on Plato’s part. He maintained that the view expressed by Socrates
in the Crito (that one ought never disobey the law) was neither
genuinely Socratic nor believed by Plato to be genuinely Socratic.
It was included by Plato to protect the memory of his teacher as
a patriot from those who, according to Xenephon (and justly,
according to Grote), accused Socrates at his trial of “inducing
his associates to disregard the established laws. . . .” Thus, the
inconsistency is due to the fact that the Apology is genuinely
Socratic and the Crito is not.
There are, however, at least three difficulties which make it seem
improbable that this view is correct. First, there is no evidence
(aside from its inconsistency with the Apology) to support the view
that the Crito is not genuinely Socratic. Second, it is difficult to
believe that Plato could have thought he would get away with the
publication of such a falsification, when Socrates had been dead
only a relatively few years. And finally, we have no reason to be¬
lieve that Plato was given to such intellectual dishonesty; quite
the contrary, the Parmenides seems to be evidence of Plato’s ex¬
traordinary philosophical candor.
In sum, whereas none of the above explanations for the incon¬
sistency between the Apology and the Crito can be conclusively
refuted, the accuracy of each seems quite implausible. So let us
see if a more plausible account can be given by those who try to
show that there really is no inconsistency to be explained.
II
It might be suggested first that the doctrine in the Crito is
merely that one ought not to disobey the law, leaving one the op¬
tion to disobey particular commands or judicial decisions which,
1973]
Wenz — Socrates on Civil Disobedience
105
one feels, do not accurately reflect the law. Thus, Socrates can dis¬
obey the command of the Thirty Commissioners to get Leon and
the judicial decision to cease philosophizing, because these are, in
Socrates’ opinion, inaccurate reflections of the law. But this will
not do. Socrates mentions in the Crito no such distinction between
the law and a judicial or executive interpretation of it. Instead,
he makes it quite clear that, since the rule of law would be de¬
stroyed were individuals to substitute their own opinions for those
of the court, the duty to obey the law entails the duty to obey the
judgment of a court (50b and 51b-c) . And this appears incon¬
sistent with the passage in which Socrates declares his unwilling¬
ness to abide by a judicial decision ordering him to cease philoso¬
phizing. So the appearance of inconsistency remains.
One might, of course, adopt a natural law position and say that
according to Socrates, no statute, executive command or judicial
decision which prescribes what is immoral is to be considered a
law (or to have the force of law). Thus, Socrates can disobey the
command of the Thirty Commissioners to get Leon and the judicial
decision to cease philosophizing without thereby disobeying the
law because each of these orders, in Socrates’ opinion, prescribes
an immoral action, the former because it involves the execution
of an innocent man, the latter because it constitutes disobedience
to the gods (and we know from the Euthyphro that Socrates
thought the gods commanded only what was morally obligatory).
This approach contains an important element of truth. For it
certainly does seem to be the case that Socrates’ reason for refus¬
ing both to get Leon from Salamis and to cease philosophizing was
that he considered compliance in these cases to be immoral. But
that does not mean that Socrates was a natural law philosopher
who felt that immoral statutes, executive commands and judicial
decisions lack the force of law. Indeed, in neither the Apology nor
the Crito does Socrates distinguish between moral and immoral
statutes, executive commands and judicial decisions in such a way
as to state or imply that the former have, whereas the latter lack
the force of law. In the Crito , in fact, just the contrary is the case.
Socrates there argues (51d-e) that living in a state constitutes an
implicit agreement to abide by its laws. Thus, when political power
changes hands in the state, the individual should, according to
Socrates, find out how the new regime does things and then either
resolve to obey its laws, or move to a different state. In this way,
Socrates acknowledges at least the legal legitimacy of even an im¬
moral, de facto government, and in so doing acknowledges that so
long as the Thirty are in power, their way of doing things (rule
by decree) is the law and is legally binding, just as the Democ-
106 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
racy’s way of doing things is the law and is legally binding when
it is in power.
Socrates does not, then, question the legality of the order given
to him by the Thirty to get Leon from Salamis, nor would he ques¬
tion the legality of a court order enjoining his further philosophi¬
cal activity. The point is, rather, that because of the immorality
involved in compliance, Socrates refused to obey these orders
despite the fact that he considered them to be legal. This is what
makes him a civil disobedient.
Finally, Professor A. D. Woozley in a recent article, “Socrates
on Disobeying the Law,” claims that the doctrine in the Crito that
“a man must either do whatever his city orders him to do or must
persuade her where the rightness of the matter lies (51c)” enables
one to reconcile Socrates’ injunction in the Crito against disobey¬
ing the law with his declaration in the Apology that he is prepared
to disobey a judgment banning him from further philosophizing in
Athens. Woozley argues that the doctrine (contained in the Crito)
that one must either persuade the state or obey its orders, pre¬
supposes that one always has the right at least to attempt moral
persuasion of the state. Thus, it is perfectly consistent with the
Crito for Socrates, in the Apology, to refuse a court order to cease
philosophizing, since such an order is equivalent to an order to
cease his attempted moral persuasion of the state and Socrates’
position in the Crito (on Woozley’s reading of 51c) is that men
always have the right to such attempts at moral persuasion. As
Professor Woozley puts it,
The disobedience to a lawful command which he (Socrates)
is not prepared to countenance in the Crito is of a kind which
would do violence and injury to the law. . . . And all dis¬
obedience to lawful command is of this kind, with the single
exception of attempting to convince the state that it is wrong
in the law or command concerned.
But this permitted exception to the rule of obedience is precisely
what he had proposed to follow in the Apology when he declared
his willingness to disobey a judicial order to cease philosophizing.
Thus, Socrates’ willingness to disobey such an order is perfectly
consistent with everything in the Crito.
There are, however, some grave difficulties with this approach.
First, consider the passage at 51c in which Socrates says that “a
man must either do whatever his city orders him to do or must
persuade her where the rightness of the matter lies.” It is not at
all clear that this passage implies Socrates’ adherence to the prin¬
ciple that one always has the right to attempt moral persuasion
of the state. For the passage is part of an analogical argument
1973]
Wenz — Socrates on Civil Disobedience
107
(50e-51c) in which the laws are compared to one’s parents.
Socrates, speaking for the laws, argues that just as one ought to
show respect for one’s parents, even more so ought one to show
respect for one’s country and its laws, because “compared with
your mother and father and all the rest of your ancestors, your
country is far more precious, more venerable (and) more sacred”
(51b). The point is that an individual should take no liberty with
his country that he would not take with his own parents. But
earlier (51a) one of the liberties denied the individual relating
to his parents was that of answering back when scolded. This
would seem to mean that an individual can speak only if his par¬
ents give him permission. So if he disagrees with one of his
parents’ commands, it is only if his parents give him permission
to speak and if, upon speaking, he convinces them that he is right,
that he may do as he had originally thought correct.
Continuing the analogy, then, between one’s country and one’s
parents, when the laws say, “If you cannot persuade your country,
you must do whatever it orders,” they are properly understood as
meaning if your country grants you the right to speak, and if,
upon speaking, you persuade your country, then, and only then,
may you do as you had originally thought correct. But if your
country refuses to let you answer back, then it is not your right
to do so, any more than it would be your right to answer back your
parents when scolded. So the passage at 51c will not support Prof.
Woozley’s interpretation; it is not evidence of Socrates’ belief that
an individual always has a right to attempt moral persuasion of
his country on any and all matters.
Indeed, Socrates next quotes the Athenian laws as saying, “We
give (the individual) the choice of either persuading us or doing
what we say.” (52a) The option, then, of attempting moral persua¬
sion of the state is given by the laws and presumably, therefore,
did not exist before it was so given. Thus, it is not, according to
Socrates in the Crito, an “inalienable right.”
Nor is it an inalienable right according to Socrates in the Apol¬
ogy . For he there notes (37b) that some cities require several days
for the completion of a trial for a capital offense, and predicts that
if such were the practice in Athens, his chances of acquittal would
be considerably enhanced. But, he says, he will nevertheless abide
by the Athenian rule which leaves him only one day to persuade
the jury of his innocence, thus, again acknowledging, this time in
the Apology, that the state has a right to limit and control the
extent of his attempts to persuade it.
So one cannot account for Socrates’ refusal to obey a court order
enjoining his philosophical activities by any such appeal as Prof.
Woozley’s to a Socratic belief that an individual always has the
108 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
right to attempt moral persuasion of the state on any and all mat¬
ters. For there appears to be no such Socratic belief in either the
Crito or the Apology.
Another difficulty with Woozley’s approach is that even if one
were to permit his reading of 51c, the Crito and the Apology would
still be unreconciled on the issue of disobeying the law. This is the
case because Socrates' disobedience to the command of the Thirty
Commissioners to get Leon still cannot be justified on the grounds
that “a man must do whatever his city orders him to do or must
persuade her where the rightness of the matter lies." In the first
place,, Socrates states, “When we came out of the Round Chamber,
the other four went off to Salamis and arrested Leon, and I went
home" (32d). There is no indication in the passage that he even
so much as tried to convince the Thirty Commissioners that it was
wrong to execute Leon of Salamis. Instead, he simply listened to
what they had to say and then went home. In the second place, and
this is the really important point, even if he had tried to convince
them where the rightness of the matter lay, the fact remains that
he did not succeed in so convincing them, and should, therefore,
according to the rule stated in the Crito, have obeyed the order.
Thus, unless we are to suppose that Socrates considered the order
to be illegal (which, I have already argued, is quite unlikely), we
must conclude that his disobedience to the command of the Thirty
still appears inconsistent with the Crito.
Ill
How, then, can one reconcile the Apology and the Crito on the
question of disobeying the law? I will begin by explicating Socrates'
views on this matter as they appear in the Apology. Then I will
offer an interpretation of the Crito according to which it is com¬
pletely consistent with the views explicated from the Apology.
We have already seen in the Apology that Socrates is not willing
to do evil. It is for this reason, after all, that he disobeys those
laws, executive commands and judicial decisions which require
him to do what he considers to be immoral; it is for this reason
that he refuses to participate in the unjust execution of Leon and
would refuse to cease philosophizing even if so ordered by the
court at his trial. This is the grain of truth in the attribution to
Socrates of the natural law position considered above, namely,
that the Apology represents Socrates as refusing to do evil under
any circumstances, whether that evil be a requirement of law, a
requirement of a legally sanctioned executive tribunal, or a re¬
quirement of a legally constituted court of law.
So Socrates in the Apology is not willing to do evil under any
circumstances. But he is willing to suffer evil ; he is willing to put
1973] Wenz — Socrates on Civil Disobedience 109
the location and duration of both his body and his material posses¬
sions at the disposal of the state. This is evident in his behavior upon
receiving a guilty verdict at his trial. He refuses to cease philoso¬
phizing (for this he considers immoral). Otherwise, however,
despite the fact that he is innocent of the charges for which he
was convicted, he is willing to suffer a great range of personal
inconveniences. He is willing to pay a fine, and will even put all his
material possessions at the disposal of the state. He is willing to
go to prison (he did so for a month). He is willing to accept the
penalty of exile. But he will also accept, and even prefers to accept
the penalty of death. Thus Socrates demonstrates his willingness
to put the location and duration of both his body and his material
possessions at the disposal of the state.
His encounter with the Thirty Commissioners reveals the same
willingness. Socrates tells us that after receiving the order of the
Thirty to go to Salamis and get Leon, he went home thinking it
not unlikely that he would be punished by death for disobeying.
The clear implication is that Socrates would not have attempted
to evade such a punishment; he would have allowed the state
to dispose of him, even though it was under the immoral rule of
the Thirty. Thus, again, Socrates demonstrates in the Apology his
willingness under any circumstances to put the location and
duration of his body at the disposal of the state (material posses¬
sions not being in question in this case.)
Socrates’ position in the Apology , then, is this : He will do with
his body only what is moral; he will not use it for such immoral
purposes as going to Salamis to get Leon, and he will not cease
to employ it in the practice of philosophy. But the location and
duration of his bodily existence, as well as that of his material
possessions, he leaves at the disposal of the state. He will allow
the state to dispossess him, imprison him, exile him and put him to
death. And he will allow the state to do these things at any time
they wish, for any reason they wish; Socrates imposes no condi¬
tions on the state, least of all that it should so inconvenience him
only when it has just cause.
If this position sounds strange to our modern ears, it is because
it follows from a belief we no longer share: — Socratic dualism,
the belief that the soul is all-important, the body and material
possessions, unimportant. Thus, Socrates says to his accusers at
his trial that they are not harming him because they are only af¬
fecting him bodily and materially and these are unimportant. But,
he says, they are harming themselves because their intentions are
evil, unjust, and this evil harms their souls, which is important.
Other statements of this dualism can be found throughout the
Socratic dialogues, most notably in the Gorgias (477a) and the
110 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
Crito (54b). But the important point here is that it appears in
the Apology and is manifested in Socrates’ combined zmwillingness
to do evil, since that would harm is soul, and willingness to suffer
evil, to put the location and duration of his body and his material
possessions at the disposal of the state.
I shall now attempt to show that the text of the Crito is such
as to render quite plausible an interpretation of that dialogue
according to which it is perfectly consistent with the Socratic
position just uncovered in the Apology. Toward this end, the first
thing I would note is that the form of reasoning in the Crito is
very much like that employed in a judicial opinion of a modern
appellate court. In such a judicial opinion one usually finds that
there is: 1) A specific decision to be made, 2) that that decision
is made by appeal to a general principle from which it (the specific
decision) follows deductively, and 3) that the general principle
is itself supported by a) appeals to the consequences of certain
acts, in conjunction with b) some (often inexplicit) ethical max¬
ims which entail that it is immoral that such consequences be so
brought about. Consider, for example, a case (Case I) arising
from a girl’s broken engagement. She broke the engagement due
to the persuasion of her father. Now her former fiance wishes to
sue the father for damages due to the alienation of affection (on
the part of the girl towards her former fiance) resulting from
the father’s persuasion of the girl to break the engagement. The
question before the court is 1) whether or not such a suit is to be
allowed. The decision is made that such a suit will not be allowed,
this specific decision being based on 2) the explicitly stated general
rule that the court should not interfere with the parent-child re¬
lationship. 3) The general rule is itself supported by a) the be¬
lief that such judicial interference would have the consequence
of weakening the parent-child relationship and that the per¬
formance of certain filial duties would thereby be put in general
jeopardy, in conjunction with b) the ethical maxim that such filial
duties ought to be performed.
Suppose now that a new case is before the court. A bank was
robbed and the man performing the robbery did so with the
advice and encouragement of his father. The question before the
court is whether or not this father can be prosecuted as an ac-
cesory for his part in helping to plan the robbery. The defend¬
ant in this case (Case II) claims the decision in our prior case
(Case I) as a precedent; he claims that the general rule in that
case governs the present case as well. That general rule was
explicitly stated to be that the court should not interfere with
the parent-child relationship. The defendant argues that prose¬
cution of the father in the present case would constitute such in-
1973]
Wenz — Socrates on Civil Disobedience
111
terference and is, therefore, precluded by the dicision in Case I.
The prosecution would, of course, argue that the meaning of
the general rule established by the judge in Case I cannot be de¬
termined solely by reference to the literal meaning of the words
used by the judge in stating that rule. To determine what rule the
prior judge himself meant to establish in his opinion, we must
look also to 1) the particular decision made in the case in which
the rule was originally stated, and 3) the justification there
given for the rule. This is so because the regulation of human con¬
duct by general rules is (as Aristotle noted) a very difficult matter.
It is very difficult to state a general rule, whether as parent, mor¬
alist, judge or legislator, which covers all of those cases you wish
to be covered and none of those you wish to leave uncovered. And
this is why it is common practice when attempting to determine
exactly what a given general rule was originally meant by its author
to entail, to consult, besides the literal wording in which the rule is
stated, 1) the context in which that rule is stated and 3) the justi¬
fication given in that context for the rule.
In the case of our legal example, then, the prosecutor would
note that the justification offered by the judge for the general
rule in Case I was that the performance of certain filial duties
that ought to be performed would be jeopardized by judicial inter¬
ference with the parent-child relationship. Thus, it would seem
that the judge in Case I originally meant the rule against such
judicial interference to apply only to those cases which involve
(or at least might reasonably be construed to involve) the jeopardy
of such filial duties. But helping to plan a robbery is not a filial
duty at all. So, the prosecutor could argue (and rightly as I think) ,
the general rule laid down in Case I cannot be used as a precedent
in the present case, despite its literal wording, because the justifi¬
cation for that rule makes it clear that the judge in Case I origi¬
nally meant it to apply only to cases which could at least be reason¬
ably construed to involve filial duties.
Returning now to the Crito , notice that the form of reasoning
is very similar to that employed in Case I. As in a modern legal
case, 1) there is a specific decision to be made, namely, whether or
not Socrates ought to escape. 2) That decision is made by appeal
to a general principle from which it (the particular decision) fol¬
lows deductively, the general principle in the Socratic case being
stated as the rule that one ought never to disobey the law. And
3) the general principle is itself supported by appeals to the conse¬
quences of certain acts (acts of disobedience destroy the rule of
law in a society), in conjunction with some ethical principles
which entail that it is immoral for such consequences to be so
brought about. In the Socratic case the ethical principles are a)
112 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
“Never return evil for evil” which, given the view that destroying
something is doing it evil, entails that one ought not disobey (and
thereby destroy) even unjust laws, and b) “You have a duty and
an obligation to uphold the laws which raised you (and to which
you have since given your tacit consent by remaining in the state) ,
from which it again follows that disobedience, because it destroys
the laws, is morally wrong.
This form of reasoning is, I submit, itself sufficient to warrant
at least the suspicion that the Socratic case is similar to Case 1
also in the respect that a better understanding of 2, the general
rule, is forthcoming upon a consideration of 1, the specific decision
deduced from that rule, and 3, the justification given for the rule.
What is more, however, this suspicion is enhanced by the fact
that in the Crito, just as in Case I, the subject matter is such that
the general rule is a rule for the regulation of human conduct.
One can reasonably suppose that Socrates might, at least, experi¬
ence the same difficulties as others (moralists, parents, judges and
legislators) who attempt to regulate human conduct by general
rules. He, like they, might find it difficult to frame rules which,
when construed according to the literal meanings of the words
used, cover all those cases he wished to cover and none of those he
wished to leave uncovered. It is thus again plausible, at least, that
we can here, as in Case I, obtain a more accurate understanding
of the general rule Socrates meant to endorse in the Crito if we
consider, in addition to the literal meaning of Socrates’ statement
of the rule, those other elements in the total reasoning process
which were so helpful in discovering the meaning of the general
rule in Case I.
I shall, then, offer an interpretation of the general rule in the
Crito . Consider the justification given in the Crito for the general
rule that one ought never disobey the law. The claim is a) that
such disobedience destroys the law (thus doing it evil) and one
ought never do evil even in return for evil, because doing so is
wrong and one should never do what is wrong (49a-50a). It is
then argued b) that the laws are analogous to one’s parents and, like
one’s parents, deserve special respect. They are, therefore, the
last things that one ought to disobey and thereby destroy. So
again, because disobedience destroys the laivs, one ought not to
disobey. Lastly, it is claimed c) that one ought to keep one’s agree¬
ments and that remaining in a state upon attaining maturity
constitutes an implicit agreement to uphold the laws of that state
(51d-52d). So yet again, because disobedience destroys the state’s
laws, one ought not to disobey.
Thus, just as the claim central to the judge’s justification
for the general rule stated in Case I was, “Legal interference with
1973]
Wenz — Socrates on Civil Disobedience
113
the parent-child relationship will jeopardize the performance of
filial duties,” so in the Crito the claim central to Socrates’ justifi¬
cation for his general rule is, “Disobedience destroys the laws.”
Accordingly, it seems at least plausible that just as the judge in
Case I was taken to really mean , “The court ought not to interfere
with the parent-child relationship, when such interference might
reasonably be construed to jeopardize the performance of filial
duties,” so in the Crito Socrates can be taken to really mean, “One
ought never to disobey the law, when such disobedience might
reasonably be construed to destroy the laws of the state.”
But if Socrates really meant in the Crito to disallow only such
disobedience as might reasonably be construed to destroy the laws
of the state, then it is not at all inconsistent with the Apology.
For in the Apology Socrates leaves the location and duration of
both his body and his material possessions at the disposal of the
state. And clearly no individual threatens the laws with destruction
who places the location and duration of his body and his material
possessions at the disposal of the state. A state surely does not re¬
quire, in addition, dominion over the individual’s soul. For order
in the state, even if it is modelled upon order in the soul, as Plato
would have it, is nevertheless order among human activities in the
material world of sense perception. Therefore, a sufficient condition
for a state to be capable of maintaining its order (be that order
good or evil) is that it be able to order the activities of those indi¬
viduals who come in contact with it. And this sufficient condition
can be met in either of two ways. Either the individual can act
in conformity with the state imposed order, or his contact with
the state can be ended. Socrates chooses the latter course. He
will not act in conformity with the state-imposed order, but he will
leave the location and duration of both his body and his material
possessions at the disposal of the state, allowing the state to con¬
trol the extent of his contact with it, and giving the state, thereby,
the ability to withstand whatever disruptive effects his disobedience
might have.
So while Socrates, and others engaging in a similar practice
of civil disobedience, may disturb the state temporarily, they pose
no danger of destruction to that state or its laws. Thus, Socrates’
disobedience in the Apology is not the type disallowed in the Crito ;
it is not such disobedience as might reasonably be construed
as destructive of the laws of the state because it reserves to the
state control over the location and duration of both body and ma¬
terial possessions, and this is all the state needs to preserve its
laws. The Crito and the Apology are, then, perfectly consistent
on the question of disobeying the law.
114 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
CONCLUSION
Socrates’ position was, then, that of a moral man in an immoral
society which required him, occasionally, to participate in its im¬
morality; it required him, for example, to aid in the execution of
Leon, and might have required him to cease philosophizing. There
were, in addition, the following complications: 1) Socrates thought
it immoral to destroy anything, including the immoral laws of
the state in which he lived. 2) His were times of political unrest
when the state, and its laws, were all too easily overturned and
destroyed. And 3) he had a very exaggerated view of the dis¬
ruptive effects of civil disobedience.
What could Socrates do under these circumstances to preserve
his moral integrity? There seem to be only two alternatives, both
of which were recognized by Socrates. One is that he could move
to a different state, a state which is moral or which, if it is im¬
moral, will at least not require of him participation in its immoral¬
ity. Socrates clearly considered this alternative morally acceptable
(51d and 37d). But he rejected it on other grounds, grounds of
patriotism and sentiment.
What, then was the moral alternative available to him if he
did not wish to leave his country? “Political civil disobedience,”
as that term is currently defined,4 will not do because such diso¬
bedience is purposefully disruptive. It constitutes an appeal, through
disobedience, to the conscience of other members of the society
in an attempt to effect the elimination of a given immoral law
or policy. But in Socrates’ case the state, unlike our own but simi¬
lar to some of the so-called “developing nations,” was in a very
precarious political position and could easily have been destroyed.
And Socrates considered it immoral to destroy the state. He could
not, then, risk the purposefully disruptive tactic known as politi¬
cal civil disobedience because under such conditions of instability,
there may be little, if any difference between disruption and sedi¬
tion, each being as likely as the other to destroy the state. So
political civil disobedience was not Socrates’ other moral alterna¬
tive, and he never mentions it.
This is, by the way, one respect in which Socrates’ practice
of civil disobedience differs from that of Martin Luther King.
For whereas both King and Socrates were civil disobedients and
gadflies on the state, King employed civil disobedience as a weapon
in support of his activities as a gadfly, and Socrates did not. In¬
stead, Socrates attempted to effect changes in the state’s moral
behavior solely by verbally confronting its leaders and its citizens
4 See The Morality of Civil Disobedience by Robert T. Hall, Harper Torchbooks
(1971).
1973]
Wenz — Socrates on Civil Disobedience
115
with their own immorality. He did not, like King, use civil dis¬
obedience as a method for promoting such confrontation. And the
reason is clear. Socrates considered disobedience to be extremely
disruptive, as he makes clear in the Crito. He considered it im¬
moral to destroy the state, and he, unlike King, lived in a state
that was on the brink of destruction. Thus, while Socrates was a
political gadfly, which he did not consider to be overly disruptive,
he was not, like Martin Luther King, a political civil disobedient.
Socrates was, then what is currently defined as a “moral civil
disobedient.” To preserve his moral integrity while remaining in
the state, he had to disobey when the state ordered him to partici¬
pate in its immorality. But, realizing the potential for disruption
of any civil disobedience, he did so in the least disruptive manner
possible so as to insure avoiding the immorality of destroying the
state. Thus, so far as we know at least, Socrates did not encourage
imitation on part of the others who, like him, were ordered by
the Thirty to get Leon from Salamis. He did not ask them to
join him in his disobedience of the order because his disobedience
was not political; it was not designed to effect a change in any
law or policy. Socrates’ only political tactic was verbal confronta¬
tion; his civil disobedience was purely moral, designed only to
maintain his own moral integrity.
But Socrates thought that even such disobedience might inspire
imitation and thereby cause sufficient disruption to destroy the
state. To insure that this would not occur, to insure that whatever
imitators he might attract would not cause sufficient disruption
to destroy the state, Socrates, consistent with his belief that the
soul alone is of worth, put the location and duration of both his
body and material possessions at the disposal of the state, insuring
thereby that neither he, nor any others who imitated his prac¬
tice, would jeopardize the state’s existence by their disobedience.
So far as an example for others is concerned, however, it is one
thing to illustrate one’s commitment to putting one’s body and
material possessions at the disposal of the state by paying a small
fine, and quite another to do so by accepting the death penalty.
The latter illustrates the commitment much more vividly and
convincingly. So Socrates, when speaking of his past disobedience
(to the command of the Thirty) made clear his willingness at that
time to accept the death penalty for that disobedience. And then,
to prove the sincerity of his commitment, he decided to sacrifice
whatever philosophizing he might be able to pursue in other coun¬
tries, and goaded the court at his trial into giving him the death
penalty, and then refused the advice of his friends to escape that
penalty.
116 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
Thus, his every action seems to indicate that Socrates was a
civil disobedient living in times of political unrest who considered
it immoral to destroy the state in which he lived, who had an
exaggerated view of the disruptive effects of civil disobedience,
and who therefore took every precaution to minimize the disrup¬
tion his disobedience might cause. He never encouraged others to
disobey the law ; he never used disobedience as a tactic for effecting
change in the state’s laws or policies; he had a willingness to
put the location and duration of his body and his material posses¬
sions at the disposal of the state; and he chose the most dramatic
method possible to illustrate that willingness for any who might
want to imitate his disobedience. He was, in short, a perfectly
consistent moral (as opposed to political) civil disobedient.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This paper owes much to the helpful advice of my colleagues
in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Wisconsin-
Stevens Point, and particularly of J. Baird Callicott. Its remaining
deficiencies are, of course, my own.
DISTRIBUTION OF PHOSPHORUS, SILICA, CHLOROPHYLL a,
AND CONDUCTIVITY IN LAKE MICHIGAN AND
GREEN BAY1
D. C. Rousar and A. M. Beeton
Center for Great Lakes Studies
University of Wisconsin —
Mihvaukee
ABSTRACT
In July 1971 seventeen stations in central Lake Michigan and
twenty-one stations in southern Green Bay were sampled at vari¬
ous depths to determine the spatial distribution of total phos¬
phorus, silica, chlorophyll a, and conductivity. Water from Lake
Michigan averaged 10.4 /xg P/liter as total phosphorus, 1.0 mg
Si02/liter as soluble reactive silica, 3.0 /xg chlorophyll a/liter as
total chlorophyll, and 256.1 /xmhos/cm as specific conductance. Cor¬
responding values from Green Bay were 87.8 /xg P/litey, 0.9 mg
Si02/liter, 32.9 /xg chlorophyll a/liter, and 257.7 /xmhos/cm. Surface
concentrations of phosphorus, chlorophyll, and conductivity varied
little in the lake but decreased markedly along a 10 mile transect
extending from the mouth of the Fox River to a station in the bay.
Silica was uniformly distributed in the bay but showed some
inshore-offshore differences in the lake. Vertical differences in the
parameters tested were minor at most of the stations in Green Bay.
Conductivity and phosphorus were relatively constant with depth in
Lake Michigan. However, silica increased with depth at all stations
except one, and chlorophyll was highest at the 30 m depth of 13
of 17 stations. Comparisons of the results with published data are
discussed.
INTRODUCTION
Long-term chemical changes have occurred in Lake Michigan.
Beeton (1969) reported substantial increases in total dissolved
solids, sulfate, and chloride during the past 90 years (and pro¬
vided information on the growth of human population in the drain¬
age basin). Published data on increases in nutrients, or eutrophi¬
cation, for a similar time period are generally inadequate. No
trend in phosphorus was found by Beeton due to insufficient and
1 Contribution No. 71, Center for Great Lakes Studies.
117
118 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
conflicting data. Levels of various forms of nitrogen representing
the entire lake are poorly known, but from the period 1928 to
1966 inorganic nitrogen (nitrate) decreased, while organic nitro¬
gen (albuminoid ammonia) increased at a Milwaukee water purifi¬
cation plant intake (Beeton 1969). Schelske and Stoermer (1971),
using data from municipal water intakes near Chicago, cited a
decrease of at least 4 mg Si02/liter from 1926 to 1970. They
have hypothesized that accelerated eutrophication is causing de¬
pletion of silica in surface waters of Lake Michigan during sum¬
mer stagnation due to diatom production.
From the standpoint of spatial distribution of chemicals in Lake
Michigan and Green Bay, surveys by the U. S. Public Health Serv¬
ice in 1962 and 1963 demonstrated major horizontal (inshore-
offshore) differences in total soluble phosphate, silica, and con¬
ductivity (FWPCA 1968). Depletion of silica in epilimnetic waters
during thermal stratification has been reported (Beeton and Mof¬
fett 1964, Schelske and Callender 1970).
The objectives of this study were twofold. One was the spatial
distribution of the parameters tested and their interrelationships.
The other was the comparison of results with previous data to
see if nutrient enrichment had occurred.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
All sampling was done onboard the R/V “NEESKAY” of the
Center for Great Lakes Studies. Station numbers, locations, depths,
and dates of sampling are listed in Table 1. Ports and coastal
geographic features mentioned in the text are depicted on Figs.
1 and 2. All stations were sampled in July 1971, but only the
numbered stations in Lake Michigan were sampled by the U. S.
Bureau of Commercial Fisheries in 1954 (Beeton and Moffet 1964).
Water samples were collected with either a plastic 9-liter Van
Dorn sampler or by Teflon-lined 2-liter Nansen bottles. Tempera¬
tures were recorded by reversing thermometer or manually from
a bucket. Unfiltered water was put into 250 ml pyrex bottles
which were brought back to Milwaukee for conductivity and total
P analysis. Samples for pigment assay were prefiltered through
a 250 pm nylon mesh into polyethylene bottles and stored in the
dark no longer than two hours before being refiltered. Water to
be analyzed for silica was put in polyethylene bottles and filtered
through 0.45 pm HA Millipore filters of 47 mm diameter within
a day after collection. This filtered water was then stored in
polyethylene bottles.
Total phosphorus was determined by the method of Gales et al.
(1966) with the following modifications. A 10 or 35 ml aliquot
1973] Rousar and Beeton — Phosphorus Distribution 119
TABLE 1. STATION LIST WITH LOCATIONS, DEPTHS,
AND DATES SAMPLED
of thoroughly shaken sample was pipetted into a 50 ml pyrex
flask. Then 10 ml of a 0.11 M (0.3g. per sample) aqueous solu¬
tion of potassium peroxydisulfate, K2 S2 08, was added followed
by one ml of sulfuric acid solution. The flasks were then covered
by 30 ml pyrex beakers and autoclaved at 15 PSI for 30 minutes.
After cooling, all samples, standards, and blanks were diluted to
50.0 ml with distilled water. Two ml of molybdate solution was
120 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
FIGURE 1. Lake Michigan stations and geographic features mentioned in
the text. Numbered stations sampled by Beeton and Moffett (1964). All
numbered and x-numbered stations sampled in July 1971.
added, mixed, and followed by two drops of a 4% solution of
SnCl2 in glycerine. The absorbance of the resulting heteropoly
blue was measured by a Hitachi Perkin-Elmer 139 spectropho¬
tometer set at 720 nm and using 10 cm cuvets. This measurement
was made no later than 20 minutes after addition of the color-
1973] Rousar and Beeton — Phosphorus Distribution
121
imetric reagents. Instrument values were then converted to con¬
centrations reading from a standard curve with 5, 10, 20, and 40
fxg P/liter standards. The standard deviation relative to the arith¬
metic mean (coefficient of variation) was 3.6% at 9 jmg P/liter
concentration.
Soluble reactive silica was determined by the heteropoly blue
method (A.P.H.A. 1965) with the following modification. The
122 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
HC1 solution was made by diluting 210 ml concentrated HC1 with
130 ml distilled water. Other reagent solutions were not modified.
To 50 ml of sample, 2.5 ml of molybdate solution, 1.0 ml diluted
HC1, 1.0 ml oxalic acid solution, and 2.0 ml reducing agent were
added sequentially at 5 minute intervals. A Fisher Electrophotom¬
eter II, with a red 650 nm filter and 2.5 cm diameter pyrex
cells, was used to measure absorbance of the reduced molybdosili-
cate complex no sooner than 30 minutes after addition of the
reductant. The coefficient of variation was 1.3% at 1.3 mg Si02/
liter concentration.
Chlorophyll a and phaeo-pigments were measured by the methods
of Strickland and Parsons (1968). A Model III G. K. Turner
fluorometer equipped with a high sensitivity phototube, Corning
CS. 5-60 filter for the excitation light and Corning CS. 2-64 filter
for the emitted light was used. The fluorometric procedure was
calibrated spectro-photometrically using the equations:
fig chlorophyll a/ liter = - - - -
* , . , /r, 26.7 [1.7 (665a) -6650] x v
ug phaeo-pigments/hter — - - - ^ - — -
V x 1
where 6650 is the extinction at 665 nm before acidification, 665a
the extinction at 665 nm after acidification, v the volume of 90%
acetone used for extraction (ml), V the volume of water filtered
(liters), and 1 the path length of the cuvet (cm). The derived
factor for door 3 was then substituted into the equation :
ixg chlorophyll a/liter = door factor x fluorometer reading. This
value was called total chlorophyll a. “Active” chlorophyll a was
calculated from
jug “active” chlorophyll a/liter = F
D'
- 1
(Rb-Ra) where F
D
is the factor for door 3, RB and RA are the relative fluorescences
R
before and after acidification, respectively, and r is the ratio —
i\A
Concentrations of phaeo-pigments were determined by subtracting
“active” chlorophyll a from the total chlorophyll a.
Aliquots (10-250 ml) of prefiltered water were filtered through
two 2.4 cm diameter Reeve Angel glass filters (834 AH grade)
at one-third atmospheric pressure, extracted with 90% acetone in
a tissue grinder, diluted to 10 ml, and centrifuged. Five ml of
supernatant were then transferred to pyrex tubes and measured
fluorometrically. Dilutions with 90% acetone were made as re¬
quired. Two drops of 5% HC1 were next added, the solution mixed
by inverting, and the fluorescence after acidification recorded. The
coefficient of variation was 5.6% at 5.9 jig chlorophyll aj liter.
1973] Rousar and Beeton — Phosphorus Distribution 123
A Leeds and Northrup electrolytic conductivity bridge (Cat. No.
4959) was used to measure specific conductance of unfiltered wa¬
ter stored in glass stoppered pyrex bottles. Samples were brought
to 25 C before testing.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Lake Michigan
Total Phosphorus
Total phosphorus ranged from 4.5 to 23.0 p g P/liter, with an
average of 10.4 (see Center for Great Lakes Studies Special Re¬
port No. 13 for complete tabulation of data). Assuming that a
difference of 10% or more between values from the surface (2m)
and maximum depth sampled (60-90 m except stations 32 and x3)
is significant (i.e., greater than twice the standard deviation), ten
stations showed an increase, four stations no difference, and
three stations a decrease in total phosphorus with depth. All sta¬
tions along the Milwaukee-Grand Haven transect showed an in¬
crease with depth, and the 60 and 70 m depth of station 13 had
the highest concentrations of total P of all Lake Michigan samples.
These relatively high values might reflect nutrient enrichment from
nearby urbanized drainage basins. Only station 32 along the Frank¬
fort to Sturgeon Bay transect showed increase in total P with
depth.
Total phosphorus values at depths of 2 m and 15 m were aver¬
aged to approximate epilimnetic concentrations (Fig. 3), except
for station x3 where the metalimnion was less than 1 m from the
surface. An epilimnetic average for all stations was 9.9 pg P/liter.
The stations on the northern transect had slightly higher average
values than those on the southern transect, but the reason for this
is not clear.
Levels of total phosphorus found by Beeton and Moffett (1964)
show greater variation but little difference from those reported
here when data from the same stations at approximately similar
dates are compared. They analyzed unfiltered water samples for
total phosphorus, using a modification of Harvey (1948) which
included mineralization by adding sulfuric acid and autoclaving
at 25 PSI for seven hours. Their average value for Lake Michigan
exclusive of the extreme southern end was 13 pg P/liter (Beeton
1969). The U. S. Public Health Service collected water from vari¬
ous depths at seven stations located in a 20 mile wide strip from
Sheboygan, Wisconsin to Little Sable Point, Michigan, as part of
a more extensive lake survey in 1962-1963. Risley and Fuller
(1965) and Verber (1966) discussed various aspects of the
USPHS study and reported an average of 0.02 mg PCb/liter (6.5
124 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
FIGURE 3. Approximate epilimnetic concentrations of total
phosphorus in yg P/liter obtained by averaging values from
depths of 2 and 15 m for each station except station x3 where
only the surface value is given.
1973] Rousar and Beeton — Phosphorus Distribution 125
ng P/liter) as total soluble phosphate for the above strip of lake.
However, average values of 0.0 1 and 0.06 mg P04/liter (13.0 and
19.6 fxg P/liter) were found in the southern end of the lake. Since
the water samples were filtered prior to mineralization and color
development, the quantity of phosphorus determined was called
total soluble phosphate. This fraction of total phosphorus does not
include phosphorus associated with particulate matter removed by
filtration. The minimum detectable concentration of their analysis
was 0.01 mg P04/liter (FWPCA 1968), which corresponds to 3.3
fxg P/liter.
Holland (1969) presented data from a transect between Stur¬
geon Bay, Wisconsin and Ludington, Michigan for April to No¬
vember 1965. Total P averaged 7.8 yg P/liter inshore and 6.3 jxg
P/liter offshore for 2, 5, and 10 m depths. Schelske and Stoermer
(1971) state that except in grossly polluted areas the concentra¬
tion of total phosphorus is less than 10 fig P/liter in Lake Michi¬
gan. From May 1970 to October 1971 surface water (4m) samples
from five stations along a Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Ludington,
Michigan transect (two stations are 3 miles from harbor break¬
waters, the other three are one-fourth, one-half and three-fourths
of the distance from the two ports) have been analyzed for macro¬
nutrients (Fee 1971). The average total phosphorus for the in¬
shore station nearest Milwaukee was 15.2 /xg P/liter from 39
samples, and the average for all other stations was 8.4 jxg P/liter
from 156 samples. Unfiltered water was mineralized by boiling
with H2S04 and H202, neutralized, and analyzed colorimetrically
as described by Schmid and Ambiihl (1965). This information is
summarized in Table 2.
Since phosphorus can occur in a wide variety of dissolved and
particulate forms — or fractions — in natural waters, the analysis
for total phosphorus should preclude the difficulty of measuring
and interpreting these variable fractions (Rigler 1964). The use
of filters and their porosities, the completeness of mineralization
(A.P.H.A. 1971), the sensitivity and stability of colorimetric prod¬
ucts, the types of instrumentation, and differences in analytical
skills can produce variances that make comparisons of the above
results problematic. Thus no conclusions can be drawn about gen¬
eral changes in total P from central Lake Michigan during the
past 17 years.
Soluble Reactive Silica
Soluble reactive silica from all depths sampled ranged from 0.4
to 1.9 mg Si02/liter and averaged 1.0 mg Si02,/liter. All Lake Mich¬
igan stations exhibited increasing silica concentrations with depth
probably due to greater assimilation by diatoms in the euphotic
126 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
TABLE 2. Published total phosphorus values for central Lake Michigan
zone than in deeper water. However, station x3 was homogeneous
throughout most of the water column. The surface value at this
station was markedly higher than those at other stations (Fig. 4)
but of the same order of magnitude as hypolimnetic values. This
observation gives support to the contention that station x3 was in
an area of up welling. The relatively high value of 1.8 mg Si02/liter
at 250 m probably reflects near-bottom hypolimnetic water. The
similarly high values at 60 m and 70 m at station 13 correlate
positively with the total phosphorus concentrations and may indi¬
cate nutrient enrichment producing greater primary production
with subsequent sedimentation and decomposition.
Epilimnetic values at stations nearest shore on the Frankfort-
Sturgeon Bay and Milwaukee-Grand Haven transects were dis¬
tinctly lower than offshore stations on the transects (Fig. 4). This
suggests inshore-offshore differences in depletion of silica due to
diatom production (Holland and Beeton 1972). The epilimnetic
average of all stations was 0.65 mg Si02/liter with a range of
0. 4-1.0 mg Si02/liter.
The silica values given by Beeton and Moffett (1964) were con¬
sistently higher than ours, generally in the 2 to 4 mg Si08/liter
1973] Rousctr and Beeton — Phosphorus Distribution
127
FIGURE 4. Approximate epilimnetic concentrations of soluble
reactive silica in mg Si02/liter obtained by averaging values
from depths of 2 and 15 m for each station except station x3
where only the surface value is given.
128 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
range. However, their determinations were made on unfiltered
samples stored for longer periods of time, and some silica may
have been released from particulate matter. They clearly demon¬
strated an increase in silica with depth during thermal stratifica¬
tion. Ayers et at. (1958) found an average of 2.1 mg Si02l/liter
(range of 1.6 to 3.7 mg Si02/liter) for surface water and an over¬
all average of 2.4 mg Si02/liter (range 1.4 to 4.8 mg Si02/liter)
for 81 samples collected from all depths along three transects:
Montague, Michigan-Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Pentwater, Michigan-
Manitowoc, Wisconsin; and Manistee, Michigan-Sturgeon Bay,
Wisconsin. Samples were collected on 9 and 10 August 1955 by
several vessels. Silica was analyzed as the yellow molybdosilicate
complex according to the ninth edition of Standard Methods
(1946). They reported an analytical reproducibility of 0.2 ppm
silica.
The U. S. Public Health Service survey of 1962-1963 found an
average of 2.9 mg Si02/liter (range of 1.8 to 5.1 mg Si02/liter)
within the 20 mile wide strip mentioned above (Risley and Fuller
1965). They followed the colorimetric heteropoly blue method of
the eleventh edition of Standard Methods to measure silica. The
minimum detectable concentration was 0.02 mg Si02l/liter
(FWPCA 1968).
Although most of their stations were either north or south of
ours, Schelske and Callender (1970) found average surface (2 m)
values of 0.15 (±0.07) mg Si02/liter during July 1969 at 16 sta¬
tions in the southern basin and 0.26 (±0.07) mg Si02/liter during
August 1969 at 18 stations in the northern basin. Samples taken
1 m from the bottom had higher values than those from the sur¬
face of all Lake Michigan stations except three. The average bot¬
tom value was 1.25 mg Si02l/liter for 28 samples. Their HA Milli-
pore filtered samples were frozen until analyzed, and freezing can
reduce levels of soluble reactive silica (Kobayashi 1967; Burton
et al, 1970). As mentioned in the introduction, Stoermer (1971)
referred to dramatic decreases in silica from inshore water around
Chicago over a period of 44 years.
An average of 0.8 mg Si02/liter from 158 surface water samples
collected along a Milwaukee-Ludington transect from May 1970
to October 1971 has been reported (Fee 1971). Twenty of these
samples taken at different dates in July 1970 and July 1971 aver¬
aged 0.5 mg Si02/liter. (See Table 3 for a listing of published
values.)
Considering variations in sample pretreatment, storage, and
analytical methods the evidence for a long-term decrease in silica
is suggestive but not conclusive.
1973] Rousar and Beeton — Phosphorus Distribution 129
TABLE 3. PUBLISHED SILICA VALUES FOR CENTRAL
LAKE MICHIGAN
Chlorophyll a and Phaeo-pigments
Total chlorophyll a for all Lake Michigan samples ranged from
0.4 to 6.9 and averaged 3.0 /xg chlorophyll a/liter, and phaeopig-
ments were usually detectable. Comparing surface samples with
those taken from the greatest depth for each station and making
the same assumption as with total phosphorus, 14 stations had
chlorophyll a concentrations increase with depth, two stations no
difference, and one station decrease. Coupled with the low surface
values relative to bottom values was the concentration of total
chlorophyll a at the 30 m depth. The maximum station value oc¬
curred at the 30 m depth for 13 of 14 stations excluding 12, 32,
and x3; and this value ranged from 3.7 to 6.9 with an average of
5.3 /xg chlorophyll a/liter. This may be a result of settling of
phytoplankton from the epilimnion and metalimnion into the up¬
per part of the hypolimnion where increased density retards sedi¬
mentation.
Epilimnetic total chlorophyll a in Lake Michigan averaged 2.2
/xg chlorophyll a/liter and ranged from 0.8 to 5.3 (Fig. 5). Values
130 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
were somewhat higher along the northern transect than along
the southern.
Stoermer (1967) found that during thermal stratification there
is an evident concentration of phytoplankton at, or just below, the
level of the thermocline; but the vertical distribution of total cell
numbers was strikingly uniform before stratification developed.
From April to November 1965 inshore Lake Michigan surface
waters (2 m) averaged 2.4 yg chlorophyll a/liter and offshore wa¬
ters 1.5 (Holland 1969). These values agree fairly well with ours,
but limited published information on chlorophyll a in Lake Michi¬
gan prevents meaningful comparison.
Specific Conductance
This parameter ranged from 215.9 to 273.3 /mihos/cm at 25 C
and averaged 256.1 for all Lake Michigan samples. Fig. 6 also
shows no apparent spatial distribution patterns. Beeton and Chand¬
ler (1963) reported an average specific conductance of 225.8
/xmhos/cm at 18 C (approximately 262 at 25 C using a conversion
factor of 1.16 based on a .01M KC1 solution) for Lake Michigan.
Risley and Fuller (1965) found an average of 220 /unhos/cm for
water in the previously described 20 mile wide strip and higher
average values south of this area.
Green Bay
Total Phosphorus
Values for all samples ranged from 30.5 to 430 fig P/liter and
averaged 87.8. Excluding stations 1, 3 and 7 the average was
47.7 fig P/liter. Thermal stratification was observed only at station
26, where epilimnetic total phosphorus was greater than that found
in the hypolimnion. Except for station 14, all other stations showed
little relative variation in total phosphorus with depth.
The most striking aspect of Fig. 7 is the steep concentration
gradient from the mouth of the Fox River to station 10. This
gradient probably results from the dilution of grossly polluted
river discharge by water from Green Bay. No discrete pattern of
mixing of bay and river water was seen north of station 10,
perhaps due to strong southerly winds during sampling. The aver¬
age surface total phosphorus from Green Bay was several times
higher than the comparable average value in Lake Michigan.
The U. S. Public Health Service (FWPCA 1968) sampled Green
Bay between 26 June and 17 July 1963 and determined total soluble
phosphate levels to average 0.20 mg P04/liter from the mouth of
the Fox River to about ten miles lakeward and 0.06 mg P04/liter
in an area 10 to 30 miles from the south end of the bay. These
concentrations correspond to 65 and 19.6 fig P/liter, respectively.
1973] Rousar and Beeton — Phosphorus Distribution
131
FIGURE 5. Approximate epilimnetic concentrations of total
chlorophyll a in Mg/ liter obtained by averaging values from
depths of 2 and 15 m for each station except station x3 where
only the surface value is given.
132 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
FIGURE 6. Approximate epilimnetic concentrations of specific
conductance in /mihos/cm at 25 C obtained by averaging values
from depths of 2 and 15 m for each station except station x3
where only the surface value is given.
1973] Rousar and Beeton — Phosphorus Distribution 133
FIGURE 7. Surface concentrations of total phosphorus
in j u-g P/liter from 2 m depth.
In August and October 1966 the Wisconsin Department of Natu¬
ral Resources (Wis. Div. Res. Dev., 1968) analyzed surface and
bottom samples for total phosphorus. Five samples taken 1, 4 and
10 miles from the mouth of the Fox River averaged 90 /xg P/liter
and six samples from 20 to 30 miles lakeward averaged 64 /xg
P/liter. There was no apparent difference between samples taken
134 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
1 m from the bottom and 1 m from the surface, and the
range was 32 to 150 jxg P/liter. Their analysis included evaporat¬
ing unfiltered water to dryness with Mg (N03)2, igniting, dissolv¬
ing, and reacting with ammonium molybdate and stannous chloride.
Between 1965 and 1968 the same laboratory (State of Wisconsin
1968) measured total P from 15 Fox River samples taken from
FIGURE 8. Surface concentrations of soluble reactive silica in
mg’ SiOa/liter from 2 m depth.
1973] Rousar and Beeton — Phosphorus Distribution 135
the State Highway 54 bridge in Green Bay and the De Pere dam
and obtained an average of 230 fig P/liter with a range of 80 to
400 fig P/liter.
Holland (1969) found an average total P of 37.6 fig P/liter for
water taken from 2m at three stations about 20 to 30 miles from
the south end of the bay. Sager et al. (1971) have reported con¬
centration ranges of 0.321-1.08 and 0.044-1.065 mg total phos-
phate-P, /liter for the mouth of the Fox River and lower Green
Bay, respectively.
Thus, the waters of southern Green Bay contain high and vari¬
able amounts of total phosphorus, and they are clearly higher
than those occurring in central Lake Michigan. No change in con¬
centration levels since 1963 can be perceived for similar reasons
given regarding Lake Michigan.
Soluble Reactive Silica
Except for low values at station 1, the distribution of silica in
Green Bay did not suggest any gradients or spatial differences
(Fig. 8). Values ranged from 0.4 to 1.5 and averaged 0.9 mg
Si02/liter. As noted above, wind-driven currents may have tem¬
porarily increased mixing of tributary and lake water.
The U. S. Public Health Service (FWPCA 1968) reported aver¬
ages of 1.7 mg Si02/liter from the mouth of the Fox River to 30
miles from the lower end of the bay in June and July 1963.
Schelske and Callender (1970) in August 1969 detected 0.25 and
1.84 mg Si02,/liter at the surface and bottom of their station 5,
which was located in the area of the bay sampled by us. The
paucity of data disallows any statement on the change of silica
concentration over a period of years.
Chlorophyll a and Phaeo-pigments
Total chlorophyll a ranged from 7.0 to 144 fig/ liter for all sta¬
tions ; and, excluding stations 1, 3 and 7, averaged 19.6 fig chloro¬
phyll a/liter. Fig. 9 shows a pronounced increase in pigment con¬
centrations from station 10 in the bay to station 1 near the mouth
of the Fox River. The data of Fig. 9 indicate much higher levels
of chlorophyll a in Green Bay than in Lake Michigan as well as
higher relative amounts of phaeo-pigments in the former.
Holland (1969) measured chlorophyll a from three stations
situated about 20 to 30 miles from the south end of the bay at a
depth of 2 m from April to November 1965 and obtained an aver¬
age of 10.4 fig/ liter. This compares with an average value of 18.6
fig chlorophyll a/liter from 2 m samples for our stations 15-27.
Sager (personal communication) obtained a range of 1.2-57.4 and
an average of 21.9 fig chlorophyll a/liter from seven stations situ-
136 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
FIGURE 9. Surface concentrations of total chlorophyll a in
jug/liter from 2 m depth.
ated near the mouth of the Fox River and extending to about 40
miles north of the river. Samples were collected monthly during
June, July, and August 1971, from 1 m depth. He also noted a
gradient in the lower bay with high values near the mouth of the
Fox River. Monthly samples at the confluence of the Fox River
with Green Bay from June 1970 to October 1971 have yielded a
1973] Rousar and Reeton — Phosphorus Distribution
137
range of 0.2 to 80 and an average of 24 /mg chlorophyll a/liter. He
prefiltered samples through a 10 /un nylon bolted cloth, then fil¬
tered with a 0.8 Millipore filter, extracted with 90% acetone
in a tissue grinder, and measured spectrophotometrically. His pre¬
filtering may have produced noticeably lower results than ours.
FIGURE 10. Surface concentrations of specific conductance in
/unhos/cm from 2 m depth.
138 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
Specific Conductance
This measurement ranged from 205.9 to 376.0 /xmhos,/cm and
averaged 257.7 for all Green Bay samples. Again, there is a clear-
cut increase in values from station 7 to station 1 (Fig. 10). All
other stations have similar concentrations which vary little with
depth. Average specific conductance values from Lake Michigan
and Green Bay excluding bay stations 1, 3, and 7 differ by only
5%. Generally, this physical property appears to be more ecologi¬
cally conservative or biologically independent than the other pa¬
rameters studied.
Sager et al. (1971) found specific conductance values ranging
from 348-525 and 240-555 /unhos/cm at 25 C, from the mouth of
the Fox River and lower Green Bay, respectively.
SUMMARY
A comprehensive characterization of the trophic state of a body
of water should include analysis of the interrelationships between
basin morphometry, seasonal environmental influences, and key
physical, chemical, and biotic properties of the water itself. Sam¬
pling should be conducted the year-round from a sufficient number
of sites that together represent the body of water as a whole. Our
samples covered much offshore and some inshore water of the
central region of Lake Michigan and the southern quarter of
Green Bay, but they missed littoral and near-bottom areas. Sea¬
sonal or shorter period changes in trophic conditions cannot be
adequately described by sampling an area once. Moreover, the
minimal number of chemical and physical tests conducted here
limits discussion. Long-term changes in the macronutrients studied
by us can be obscured by analytical differences, small numbers of
samples combined with unrepresentative coverage, and conflicting
results. Thus, published nutrient data have not adequately quanti¬
fied eutrophication rates in Lake Michigan and there is conse¬
quently a great need for a suitable water quality monitoring pro¬
gram to be established on a lakewide basis. Additionally, nutrient
inputs from the drainage basin, groundwater, atmosphere, and
other sources should be measured — as well as various factors af¬
fecting nutrient output — in order to cope with nutrient budgets
and cycles.
Nevertheless, the instantaneous productivity can be estimated
from a single sampling, and this study demonstrated a higher
standing crop of phytoplankton in southern Green Bay — especially
near the Fox River: — than in the central region of Lake Michigan
in July of 1971.
1973] Rousar and Beeton — Phosphorus Distribution
139
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KOBAYASHI, J. 1967. Silica in fresh water and estuaries, p. 41-55. In:
H. C. Golterman and R. S. Clymo [eds.], Chemical environment in the
aquatic habitat. N. V. Noord-Hollandsche Uitgevers Maatschappij, Am¬
sterdam. 322 pp.
RIGLER, F. H. 1964. The phosphorus fractions and the turnover time of
inorganic phosphorus in different types of lakes. Limnol. Oceanogr. 9:
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PRE- AND POSTSETTLEMENT POLLEN FROM A SHORT
CORE, TROUT LAKE, NORTH-CENTRAL WISCONSIN
Thompson Webb III
Brown University —
Providence, R. I.
ABSTRACT
Pollen extracted from a short core collected in Trout Lake shows
the drastic changes in the composition of the vegetation around
the lake since logging and settlement of this area. The proportion
of pine pollen decreases by one-half. The proportion of hemlock
pollen also decreases. At the same time, the values for birch, oak,
alder, ragweed, and pigweed all increase. These changes indicate
the removal of white and red pine from the surrounding forests
and the clearance of some of the cut-over land. Secondary succes¬
sion by birch and the growth of weeds are favored by these
activities.
INTRODUCTION
Recent work (Davis, 1967; McAndrews, 1966; Ritchie, 1967;
Lichti-Federovitch and Ritchie, 1968; Webb and Bryson, 1972;
and Wright, 1968) indicates the importance of records of modern
pollen for the interpretation of assemblages of fossil pollen. Analy¬
sis of the surface sediments of lakes and peat bogs provides records
of the contemporary pollen rain. These samples of the modern
pollen can be correlated with modern vegetation and with spectra
of fossil pollen, thus providing a link between the fossil data and
the vegetation they reflect. A major problem in the use of modern
samples is that, unlike the fossil spectra, the modern spectra indi¬
cate not only the effects of climate and soils on the vegetation but
also the effects of man’s activities, e.g., logging and settlement.
In particular, pollen of herbs, especially ragweed (Ambrosia) ,
appears in greater proportion in contemporary sediments than
in sediments deposited prior to the massive disruption of the
natural landscape (Davis et ah, 1972; McAndrews, 1966). It is
important, therefore, to investigate the changes in pollen records
that are related to the land’s settlement by white men and to iden¬
tify, as well as possible, the effects of logging and land clearance
practices on these records.
141
142 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
Short cores of bottom sediments from lakes provide a convenient
means for studying these changes. In general, a short column of
sediments will contain pollen from both settlement and presettle¬
ment times. A comparison of the pollen in the presettlement record
with the pollen deposited after settlement will reveal the elements
in the modern records related to man’s activities.
For this purpose, pollen samples were extracted and analyzed
from a short core taken from Trout Lake (46° 03' N, 89° 40' W) in
Vilas County, Wisconsin. According to a map of the early vegeta¬
tion of Wisconsin (Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Sur¬
vey, 1965), Trout Lake lies in a region of pine forests (Fig. 1),
which dominate on the sandy outwash deposits of this region
(Curtis, 1959; Hole and Lee, 1955). According to the vegetation
map of this area, white and red pines (Finns strobus and P. resin -
osa , respectively) were dominant in forests that included red maple
(Acer rubrum), red oak (Quercus borealis), white birch (Betula
papyrifera) , sugar maple (Acer saccharum) , and hemlock (Tsuga
canadensis) (Curtis, 1959). In addition to these species, Potzger
and Richards (1942) found balsam fir (Abies balsamea) growing
fairly abundantly in two tracts of primeval forest near Trout Lake.
METHODS
In 1966, a field crew led by G. Fred Lee of the Water Chemistry
Department of the University of Wisconsin-Madison used a 4-in.
90° W
FIGURE 1. Section of northern Wisconsin showing the location of Trout
Lake (T), Lake Mary (M), and Gillen Nature Reserve (G) within Vilas
County. The indicated vegetation data are taken from a map by the Wis¬
consin Geological and Natural History Survey (1965). Clear areas represent
northern hardwoods; cross-hatched, boreal forest; vertical lines, conifer
swamps; horizontal lines, pine forests; and stippled, pine barrens.
1973]
Webb — Pollen From Trout Lake
143
piston corer to obtain a 105-cm core (WC-59) from the south bay
of Trout Lake. The sediments consisted of greenish-gray to black
gyttja (Bortleson, 1971). The core was divided into 5-cm segments
and portions of each segment were separated for pollen analysis.
During 1967, subsamples taken from eight of the top 13 5-cm
segments were processed by standard palynological procedures
(Faegri and Iversen, 1964), which remove most of the unwanted
sediments and leave a concentrate quite rich in pollen. This residue
was placed in glycerine and mounted on microscope slides. The
pollen grains were identified at between 250 and lOOOx magnifica¬
tion on a Zeiss® microscope, and counts of over 300 grains were
made for each sample.
DESCRIPTION AND COMPARISON OF THE RESULTS
Table 1 contains the numbers of grains counted in each sample;
Fig. 2 is a diagram of the percentage values. A pollen sum includ¬
ing all but aquatic pollen types was used to calculate the per¬
centages plotted on the diagram.
Two zones are readily recognizable on the diagram, with the
zonal boundary lying between 35 and 40 cm depth. In the lower
zone, pine dominates the record, with values of 65-70%; while
hemlock values are 5-10% and birch about 15%. Above 35 cm,
the proportion of pine drops first to 55% and later to 35% ; hem¬
lock values are unchanged at first but decrease in the upper three
samples, ultimately to less than 2%. The values for birch rise to
30%; oak, to 10%; and ragweed, to 20%. The values of alder,
chenopods, and fir also increase. These changes are all related to
the logging and settlement of this area by white men.
The pollen spectra for the core are quite similar to others avail¬
able for this area. In the lower zone, the pollen values resemble
those found by Potzger and Richards (1942) within the upper
strata of four sites they investigated near Trout Lake. These sites
were all within the pine forest and their values of pine pollen were
all higher, while those of birch and hemlock were lower than the
values of these pollen types at sites within the northern hardwoods
(e.g., Lake Mary [Webb, in preparation] and Gillen Nature Re¬
serve [Potzger, 1942 ; see Table 2] ) . A clear separation of these
two forest types is present in these presettlement spectra, and
the pollen spectra at Trout Lake reflect the pine forests that grew
around Trout Lake prior to logging in the late 1800s.
The changes in the pollen spectra that occur above 35 cm are
quite similar to those found in pollen data extracted from short
cores within the pine region in Michigan’s lower peninsula (Webb,
in preparation). Some of these changes are also evident in the
TROUT LAKE, VILAS COUNTY, WISCONSIN
144 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
\
\
V*
%
^ ‘
<9 %
<s>.
r,
'Vo
V
’S'
* I
w
9k°&\
X~3
I I
m
r~~i
UJ
UJ
— !
H
H
UJ
CO
UJ
cr
o.
I:-.
□
B
o
<\fi
o.
2-,
FIGURE 2. Diagram of the pollen percentages for the levels counted in Trout Lake, Wisconsin.
1973]
Webb — Pollen From Trout Lake
145
TABLE 1. NUMBER OF POLLEN GRAINS COUNTED
TABLE 2. POLLEN PERCENTAGES IN PRESETTLEMENT SAMPLES
FROM PINE AND NORTHERN HARDWOOD FORESTS
Potzger and Richards (1942).
2Webb (1971).
3Potzger (1942).
upper one or two samples of some of the sites studied by Potzger.
At Bog C (Potzger and Richards, 1942), Gilbert Bog, and Birge
Bog (Potzger, 1942), in particular, the pine values decrease and
the oak and birch values increase. Potzger did not comment on
these changes in either of his two papers describing these sites;
his discussion concerned only the zones of longer duration in his
diagrams. Had Potzger used a finer sampling-interval, counted the
herbaceous pollen, and been looking for man-induced changes, he
might well have added an extra zone to each of his diagrams.
146 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
The pollen spectra of the upper zone at Trout Lake were com¬
pared with modern spectra collected in northern Wisconsin (Davis
et ah, 1969; Webb, 1971). These spectra were from either pine or
northern hardwood forests. The Trout Lake spectra most resembled
the modern spectra from regions of pine forests. The distinction
between the Trout Lake spectra and the spectra from the northern
hardwoods, however, is not as great as it was in presettlement
times.
The changes in the pollen record reflect the cutting of the pine
forests and their replacement by open land, with increased numbers
of herbs, and the secondary growth of forests, with increased
numbers of birch and oak. According to Curtis (1959), white birch
is among the first trees to invade bare soils in the successional
sequence within the region of pine forests. Increased growth of
oaks in this region may have been favored by an increased inci¬
dence of fire (Braun, 1950) shortly after the cutting of the pines.
The decline in hemlock at 15 cm, paralleling a rise in both rag¬
weed and pigweed, may be related to land clearance for settlement.
The continued depression of hemlock values may also be related
to the increase in the deer population in this area. A study by
Deboer (1947) shows that deer may be able to eliminate the repro¬
duction of hemlock and, thereby, decrease the numbers of hemlock
relative to other trees in stands.
However, not all environmental changes in the region were
caused by man. After the 1800s, the climate of this area changed
somewhat. Maps by Wahl and Lawson (1970), showing the re¬
corded temperatures and precipitation in the 1850s, indicate that,
compared to the period from 1931-60, northern Wisconsin annually
was about 2°F cooler and received an additional 3 in. of precipi¬
tation. The climatic change to warmer and drier conditions might
partially account for the rise in herbs and oak pollen. In this region,
however, the effects of these climatic changes are probably small
compared to the effects wrought by man, although there is no way
of completely separating the effects of these two factors.
Independent of this study, Bortleson (1971) completed a chemi¬
cal analysis of the sediments in core WC-59. Although both organic
carbon and organic nitrogen decrease sharply in the three samples
above 40 cm, no evidence for increased erosion of inorganic mate¬
rial from the uplands was found. Some peculiarities in the chemical
profiles led Bortleson (1971) to suggest the mixing of the sedi¬
ments by bottom convection currents. The regularity and con¬
sistency in the pollen profiles, however, dictate against excessive
mixing by the currents.
1973]
Webb — Pollen From Trout Lake
147
CONCLUSIONS
Man’s activities have had a severe effect on the vegetation around
Trout Lake. The pollen record in the uppermost sample is still
dominated by pine and birch but the ratio between these two pollen
types has changed drastically. Whereas pine pollen was over four
times more abundant than birch in presettlement time, pine is now
only slightly more frequent than birch. The values for oak have
doubled and the proportions for herbs and shrubs have increased.
Although the pollen values still place the modern spectrum in the
pine-forest region, the modern spectrum is not as clearly distin¬
guishable from samples collected in the northern hardwood region,
as were the presettlement spectra. These differences between the
modern spectrum and the presettlement spectra must be considered,
when modern data are used to aid interpretation of profiles of fossil
pollen.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Contribution No. 162 of the Great Lakes Research Division, The
University of Michigan.
Major support for this work came from NSF grant GA-10651X,
to R. A. Bryson and J. E. Kutzbach at the Center for Climatic
Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Some support during
the writing of this paper was provided by NSF grant GB-24836, to
Margaret B. Davis, Great Lakes Research Division, University of
Michigan. I thank G. F. Lee and G. C. Bortleson for making the
core available to me, R. Willard for laboratory assistance, and
L. Brubaker for a critical reading of the manuscript.
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WAHL, E. W. and T. L. LAWSON. 1970. The climate of the mid-nineteenth-
century United States compared to the current normals. Monthly Weather
Rev. 98:259-265.
WEBB, T. III. 1971. The late- and postglacial sequence of climatic events in
Wisconsin and east-central Minnesota: Quantitative estimates derived
from fossil pollen spectra by multivariate statistical analysis. Ph.D.
thesis, University of Wisconsin, Madison. 161 pp.
WEBB, T. Ill and R. A. BRYSON. 1972. Late- and postglacial climatic
change in the northern Midwest, USA: Quantitative estimates derived
from fossil pollen spectra by multivariate statistical analysis. Quart. Res.
2:70-115.
WRIGHT, H. E., JR. 1968. The roles of pine and spruce in the forest history
of Minnesota and adjacent areas. Ecology 49:937-955.
Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey. 1965. The early vegetation
of Wisconsin (Map). Wis. Geological and Natural History Survey,
Madison.
MARKET STRUCTURE AND BANK PERFORMANCE:
WISCONSIN 1870-1900
Richard H. Keehn
University of Wisconsin —
Parkside
INTRODUCTION
This paper is a summary of the author’s study of nineteenth
century Wisconsin banking.1 The study is not intended as a com¬
plete history of Wisconsin banking but explores certain questions
of historical interest with respect to Wisconsin economic develop¬
ment which also have applicability to current problems of bank
regulation and control.2 The primary purpose of the study is to
outline the changing statewide and local market structure of the
commercial banking industry in Wisconsin from 1853 through 1914
and to use this information to explore the major determinants of
individual bank performance with special emphasis on the impact
of local market structure on individual bank lending performance.
Economic historians have emphasized the importance of in¬
creased and improved financial intermediation in the process of
economic growth and development, and the existence of under¬
developed capital markets are seen as a barrier to the mobility
of funds which tends to retard development. Increased and im¬
proved intermediation and institutional innovation should improve
the efficiency with which financial intermediaries provide financial
services, increase the mobility of funds between areas and indus¬
tries, and possibly raise aggregate savings rates. In the United
States where geographical distances were substantial and trans¬
portation and communication relatively undeveloped, improved
and increased intermediation should have been of considerable im¬
portance.3 It has also been suggested that many bankers in the
1 Richard H. Keehn, Market Structure and Bank Performance: Wisconsin, 1870-1900
(Madison, unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, University of Wisconsin, 1972). The findings
reported in this paper are from this source.
2 The major studies of the history of Wisconsin banking are: Leonard B. Krueger,
History of Commercial Banking in Wisconsin, University of Wisconsin Studies in the
Social Sciences and History, No. 18 (Madison, the University of Wisconsin, 1933) ;
Theodore Andersen, A Century of Banking in Wisconsin (Madison, State Historical
Society of Wisconsin, 1954).
3 Lance Davis, “The Investment Market, 1870-1914: The Evolution of a National
Market”, The Journal of Economic History, Vol. XXV, (September, 1965), pp. 355-
356.
149
150 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
United States in the nineteenth century were in relatively monopo¬
listic positions which enabled them to exploit their customers to
varying degrees, but very little is known about the influence of
bank market structure on the actual performance of individual
banks.4 Bank regulatory authorities are interested in the impact
of bank market structure on the performance of individual banks
and the issues examined are of interest to these agencies.
METHODOLOGY
A model of individual bank behavior and performance is devel¬
oped that conforms to conditions in nineteenth century Wisconsin.
The model generates predictions about bank performance with
respect to loan rates and loan output, and it is used to explore the
major potential influences on bank behavior and performance.
Banks operate in two markets which it is profitable to separate
because of differing elasticities of demand. The loan market tends
to be geographically limited because high transfer costs (defined
to include information, transportation, convenience and communi¬
cation costs) protect each local market to a considerable degree
from “outside” competition. Loan customers usually do not have
access to financial institutions outside their local area. An indi¬
vidual bank also operates in the investment market which tends
to be regional or national in scope and the bank has little or no
influence on prices charged and the elasticity of demand approaches
infinity. Because of the limited scope of the loan market, the firm
can exert some control over price and bank behavior and per¬
formance will be influenced by the competitive conditions in that
market — the number of rivals and the concentration of assets.
Bank output is defined as earning assets. To maximize profits a
bank will invest in earning assets to the point where marginal
cost equals marginal revenue in the market where the elasticity
of demand is greatest (usually the investment market). It will
invest in loans to the point where the marginal revenue from loans
equals the marginal revenue from investments. The major hypothe¬
sis tested is that the structure of the local loan market will exert
a measurable influence on the loan performance of individual banks.
The model indicates that the more concentrated the local banking
market the more the monopoly power that can be exerted by the
firm or firms in that market. Profit maximization entails lower loan
ratios and higher loan rates in less competitive markets, ceteris
paribus. Other factors exert an influence on the loan demand curve
facing an individual bank and these factors must be considered in
4 Richard Sylla, “Federal Policy, Banking Market Structure and Capital Mobiliza¬
tion in the United States, 1863-1913,” The Journal of Economic History _, Vol. XXIX
(December, 1969), pp. 657-686.
1973] Keehn — Market Structure and Banking 151
estimating the impact of structure on performance. These variables
include demand, organizational form, and internal factors. Specific
hypotheses about the potential impact of these variables on bank
performance are tested along with the primary hypothesis.
Market structure, a measure of competition in local loan mar¬
kets, is measured by the number of banks in the relevant market,
by the share of total bank market assets controlled by the largest
bank in the market, and by variations of the Herfindahl Index —
the sum of the squares of each bank’s market share.5 Non-bank
intermediaries were examined but were quantitatively unimpor¬
tant throughout the period and were not specifically included in
the tests. Individual bank performance is measured by the ratio
of loans to total assets. Higher loan ratios imply larger credit
extensions to the local area and this is generally regarded as
favorable for that area.
Local bank loan markets were defined in two ways. The first
treated each county as the local market and used structural meas¬
ures based on this geographical area. Within each county banks
faced similar conditions and were protected to some extent from
outside competition. In many cases this market may be too broad ;
banks probably operated in more restricted markets in many areas
and time periods. An alternative approach defined the relevant
market as the city or town. This measure is considerably narrower
but may be more realistic. As expected, concentration was much
higher in the latter case.
DATA
The hypotheses were tested with data on each bank in Wiscon¬
sin for census years 1870-1900, obtained from the records of the
various state and national agencies charged with bank supervision.
Balance sheet data on individual banks provided most of the neces¬
sary information. Detailed information on county and local markets
was developed from these and other sources. Multiple regression
analysis was used to estimate the relative importance of the fac¬
tors suggested by the model as potentially influencing bank lend¬
ing with special emphasis on the structural variables. Succeeding
cross-sections were then compared in order to isolate changes in
the determinants over time. Throughout the period commercial
banks were the major financial intermediary in Wisconsin and the
major changes within the financial sector was the rapid increase
in the number of banks; for this reason attention is centered on
these institutions.
5 For a discussion of these measures see: William Paul Smith, “Measures of Bank¬
ing Structure and Competition,” Federal Reserve Bulletin , (September, 1965), pp.
1212-1222.
152 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
Why History ?
The issues studied are of both historical and current interest,
and examining them with historical data has several advantages.
The relatively long period involved (1870-1900) encompasses a
time of rapid change and growth in the state’s financial sector
and economy. The diversity within the state increased greatly over
the period in terms of local banking markets and the economic
development of various regions within the state. A viable manu¬
facturing sector developed to complement the agricultural base;
Milwaukee developed as a major urban center and other cities
grew rapidly as centers of population and industry, yet many areas
remained essentially undeveloped throughout the period.
Another advantage is that three distinct bank types operated
during the period and the differences between these were substan¬
tially greater than those existing between member and non-member
or state and national banks today. Private (unincorporated) banks
faced virtually no regulation or control except that faced by the
average business firm. State banks operated under supervision and
control that limited their activities in some ways at least. National
banks operated under a well defined set of regulations and were
closely supervised in an attempt to influence their behavior, espe¬
cially with respect to portfolio policy. Despite the controls imposed
on state and national banks between 1870 and 1914, banking was
less restricted than in earlier and later periods. The existence of
two bank types regulated to differing degrees and an essentially
unregulated segment presents an opportunity to study the effec¬
tiveness of these regulations in altering bank behavior and per¬
formance.
While entry into nineteenth century banking was more restricted
than into other industries, it was relatively easy compared with
more recent experience. A potential private banker faced virtually
no restraints; state and national charters imposed certain condi¬
tions and standards on potential entrants but beyond assuring
compliance with entrance requirements, regulatory authorities,
state or national, exercised almost no administrative control over
entry, and potential entrants were freer to respond to market
forces than in more recent periods.6 In one respect nineteenth
century Wisconsin banks faced limitations similar to those in re¬
cent periods; banks were generally not permitted to branch and
the prohibition was made explicit for state banks in 1909. Because
branch banks were virtually non-existent, it was impossible to
compare the performance of branch and unit banks.
0 The Wisconsin Commissioner of Banking- attempted to deny a new state charter
in 1914 on the grounds that another bank was not needed in the area but he was
overruled by the Board of Appeal which claimed that the Commissioner did not have
the power to pass on charter applications. See Wisconsin State Journal (Madison),
July 9, 1914 and Milwaukee Sentinel, July 17, 1914.
1973] Keehn — Market Structure and Banking 153
Major Findings
Unit banking* predominated in nineteenth century Wisconsin and
this pattern has continued to the present. The number of banks
increased from 97 in 1870 to 776 in 1914 and the number of per¬
sons per bank declined from 10,782 in 1870 to 3,681 in 1900. The
prohibition of branching and poor communication and transporta¬
tion acted to limit market size, and were primarily responsible
for this pattern of small independent unit banks. Bank sector as¬
sets, loans and deposits, total and per capita, expanded substan¬
tially from 1853 through 1914, but the growth of the banking sec¬
tor was uneven, and private, state and national banks exhibited
different patterns with respect to the rate of growth of assets.
Changes in the total number of banks changed the structure of
county and local banking markets as well. The number of counties
with two or more banks increased from 13 to 61 between 1870
and 1900, while the number of cities and towns with banks in¬
creased from 31 to 221. The average banking market — -county
or city — remained quite concentrated by usual standards; 29 of
70 counties had less than four banks in 1900 and many banking
markets appear to have been monopolistic or oligopolistic.
Bank size and population of town where located were positively
related, reflecting the influence of market size on bank size (espe¬
cially in the absence of branching and in the face of high transfer
costs). The average national bank was larger than the average
state bank and tended to locate in larger cities and towns, reflect¬
ing, in part, the higher capital requirements of national banks.
Private banks tended to be smaller and to locate in places that
state and especially national banks found unprofitable. Average
national bank size increased substantially between 1870 and 1900,
but average size of state and private bank exhibited little increase
over the period.
A study of the regression coefficients indicates that structural
variables— -the number of banks or various measures of concen¬
tration in each local market, county or local — had little influence
on bank lending performance as measured by the loan : total asset
ratio. These results were fairly constant over time, did not change
much as additional variables were added or deleted from the equa¬
tions, and were similar whether counties or towns were used as
local markets. In general, differences between markets in the de¬
gree of local bank competition were of little help in explaining
inter-bank variation in loan ratios. These results conflict with the
hypothesis that structure exerts a measurable influence on bank
performance and are at odds with studies of the structure-per¬
formance relationship in banking in the 1950’s and 1960’s, which
usually found a statistically significant but small impact of struc-
154 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
ture on performance.7 These conflicting results can be reconciled
by examining entry conditions. Entry into banking markets in the
nineteenth century was much easier than in more recent times
(especially since 1933). 8 There was virtually no administrative
control, and while charter requirements did impose some restric¬
tions, these were not burdensome. Entry into banking was more
difficult than into other industries but not by much. This relative
freedom of entry meant that banks in apparently restricted mar¬
kets were faced with the possibility of new competitors and new
banks did, in fact, enter more and more markets over time. Poten¬
tial and actual entry tended to make most banking markets com¬
petitive despite appearances to the contrary, acted as a constraint
on the behavior of existing banks, and made bank performance in
different markets relatively insensitive to variations in local com¬
petitive conditions. This interpretation is consistent with the ob¬
served increase in the number of banks in the state from 97 in
1870 to 362 by 1900 (and 776 by 1914). It is also consistent with
economic theory which indicates that inability to block entry of
new Arms will weaken monopoly power of existing firms.
Apparently monopolistic or oligopolistic banking markets existed
throughout the period despite the rapid entry of new banks, but
these do not appear to have been the result of direct restrictions
or the restrictive features of the National Banking Acts. The con¬
tinued existence of markets with one or a few banks and/or high
concentration ratios can be explained by product differentiation
advantages of existing banks and by limited market size which
tended to limit entry of new banks in many cases. New banks did
enter local markets when these expanded in size to accommodate
additional firms. The restrictive features of a national bank char¬
ter tended to force national banks to locate in cities and towns of
above some minimum size but the prohibition of state bank notes
did not affect the entry of state and private banks after about
1880 when deposit banking developed rapidly.9
Organizational form should exert a measurable influence on
7 For example see : Richard C. Aspinwall, “Market Structure and Commercial Bank
Mortgage Interest Rates’’, The Southern Economic Journal, Vol. XXXVI, (April
1970), No. 4, pp. 376-384; Eric Brucker, “A Microeconomic Approach to Banking
Competition’’, Journal of Finance, Vol. XXV, (December 1970) No. 5, pp. 1133—1141;
Franklin R. Edwards, Concentration and Competition in Commercial Banking: A Sta¬
tistical Study (Boston, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, 1964) ; George G. Kauf¬
man, “Bank Market Structure and Performance : The Evidence from Iowa”, The
Southern Economic Journal, Vol. XXXII (April 1966) pp. 429—439; Paul A. Meyer,
“Price Discrimination, Regional Loan Rates and the Structure of the Banking In¬
dustry”, The Journal of Finance, Vol. XXII, (March 1967) No. 1, pp. 37-48; Al-
marin Phillips, “Evidence on Concentration in Banking Markets and Interest Rates”,
Federal Reserve Bulletin, (June 1967), pp. 916-926.
8 Sam Peltzman, “Entry in Commercial Banking”, Journal of Law and Economics,
Vol. VIII, (October 1965), pp. 11-50.
9 These conclusions are at variance with those of Sylla, “Federal Policy”, pp. 6 5 7 —
686.
1973]
Keehn — Market Structure and Banking
155
individual bank loan ratios. National and state bank regulations
were designed to alter bank portfolio decisions usually in the di¬
rection of greater safety, and therefore should lower bank lending
below the level desired, if unregulated. The specific hypothesis
is that national banks should have lower ratios than state banks
because of more restrictive regulations, while private banks should
have higher loan ratios than state banks because of freedom from
virtually all regulation and control. The regression coefficients in¬
dicate that national banks did tend to invest less in loans than
state banks, ceteris paribus. This might have been partially re¬
sponsible for the excellent safety record of these institutions, but
the impact on the economic development of the local area, the state
and nation is not clear. Private banks tended to have lower loan
ratios than state banks, ceteris paribus; this unexpected result
probably relates to the unsophisticated management and small
size which limited a private banker’s ability to diversify and offset
the advantage of virtually no regulation.
The most consistent and significant influence on individual bank
lending was the capital or net worth to total asset ratio. Portfolio
theory suggests that net worth and loan ratios should be positively
related because a high net worth ratio allows a bank to assume
more risk in the form of loans in striving for higher yield. The
regressions indicate that the ratios were in fact negatively asso-
ciated and the coefficients were large and significant (at the five
percent level) in all but 1880. Net worth ratios reflect differences
in risk between banks; bank size and net worth ratios were in¬
versely related indicating that small banks were riskier than
larger units on the average. Minimum capital requirements also
forced some small banks to maintain higher than desired net worth
ratios given the level of earning and total assets.
Other financial variables exerted a mixed influence on individual
bank lending. The impact of absolute bank size was somewhat un¬
stable but there is an indication that larger banks had higher loan
ratios, reflecting (possibly) a greater ability to diversify and to
take advantage of possible economies of scale. A high ratio of in¬
terest earning to total deposits was associated with marginally
higher loan ratios, indicating that banks tended to lend a greater
share of these deposits, ceteris paribus. There is no indication that
increased competition in local markets was associated with a higher
percentage of total deposits earning interest, as has been suggested
by proponents of the prohibition of interest payments on demand
deposits and the limitations on the rate paid on time deposits.
Efforts to account for differences in demand or scale between
markets were not very successful. Demand measures were gen¬
erally not significant and the coefficients quite small, probably re-
156 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
fleeting the use of inappropriate measures more than the actual
unimportance of demand factors per se. Location size (popula¬
tion), population change, market assets and market assets per
capita were all tried as a measure of the scale of the market.
Several of the variables were correlated with other independent
variables which contributed to the insignificant results.
Additional information on bank performance was developed
from the income and expense data reported for national banks
beginning in 1870. The data are divided into Wisconsin country
national and Milwaukee national banks but are not available on
an individual bank basis. These data are used to examine addi¬
tional areas of bank performance that have received considerable
attention from economists recently. Costs per unit of earning as¬
sets of Wisconsin national banks appear to have declined up to
some minimum level of output and then remained relatively con¬
stant over a wide range and there is little evidence in support of
the notion of economies of large scale. The rate of return on in¬
vestment in national banking remained relatively high and appar¬
ently above rates on alternative investments of comparable risk.
Above normal profits and relative ease of entry combined to attract
an increasing number of new banks into the market. This increased
entry of banks of all types evidently was unable to substantially
reduce returns to equity because demand for banking services was
shifting rapidly at the same time.
Various interest rate data confirm that substantial differences
in interest rates charged on loans existed within the state and
between Wisconsin and other areas in the nineteenth century. It
has been suggested that these differentials reflected differing de¬
grees of monopoly power in various markets and that the decline
in the differentials between areas resulted from institutional
changes, improving the mobility of funds which, along with the
erosion of entry barriers, increased bank entry and competition
in many local markets. The regression results suggest that inter¬
market differences in structure had little impact on individual bank
performance as measured by the loan ratio. Differentials in inter¬
est rates are best explained by the existence of positive and high
transfer costs between markets. Institutional changes, including an
increasing number of banks and the development of new financial
institutions, acted to lower transfer costs, broadly defined, but were
only one of several factors tending to do so.10 Improvements in
transportation and communication, for example, acted to reduce
transfer costs and therefore interest rate differentials between
regions, so these differentials would have declined somewhat even
in the absence of various institutional changes.
10 This conclusion differs from that of Davis, “The Investment Market”, pp. 355-
399.
LA QUERELLE DU CID: CLASSICAL RULES
OR POLITICAL EXPEDIENCY?
Edmund Roney
Ripon College —
Ripon
For years historians and scholars interested in the development
of the drama in France have puzzled over the curious set of cir¬
cumstances that, in 1637, led the recently established French
Academy to officially condemn Pierre Corneille’s Le Cid, the finest
and most popular play that had yet been produced in France.
Among the many questions to which “la querelle du Cid” has given
rise, the most fascinating has been, why did Cardinal Richelieu
revise his attitude toward the play during the summer of 1637?
Shortly after the initial production of Le Cid, Richelieu requested
two command performances of the play at his own palace. When
it was published, he permitted Corneille to dedicate it to his
favorite niece, then Madame de Combalet (later the Duchesse de
Rambouillet) . The ennoblement of Corneille’s family occurred in
January of 1637 with no objection from the Cardinal. In March,
a pamphlet war broke out. Many pamphlets attacked Le Cid and
its author, while some defended both. One of the attackers, George
de Scudery, suggested that the matter be turned over to the newly
formed French Academy for its resolution. According to an early
account, Histoire de VAcademie frangaise, written in 1653 by Paul
Fontanier Pellisson and l’Abbe d’Olivet, the Academy was reluctant
to take up the matter because its rules restricted it to scrutinizing
only the work of its own members and Corneille was not a mem¬
ber in 1637. The book cites a letter written by Corneille dated
June 13, 1637 to M. de Boisrobert, one of Richelieu’s secretaries
and an official of the Academy, in which Corneille, after clarifying
his objection to having the Academy criticize his play, stated:
The gentlemen of the Academy may do what they please, since you write
me that MONSEIGNEUR would be pleased to see their judgment. If that
would entertain His Eminence, then I have nothing to say.1
This comment of Corneille’s was evidently deemed sufficient to
give the Academy jurisdiction in the affair. Pellisson states that,
1 Pellisson et d’Olivet, Histoire de VAcademie francaise. Livet, ed. Paris: Didier
et Cie., 1858, pp. 86-89.
157
158 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
when the Academy still resisted undertaking the work, Richelieu
instructed one of his servants to
Tell the gentlemen that I wish this thing to be done, and that I will
esteem them as they esteem me.2
When the Academy finally took up the matter, it was assigned to
Jean de Chapelain, who, in a letter to Boisrobert dated July 81,
1637, wrote that a “judgment” of Le Cid had been sent to Riche¬
lieu prior to that date. This letter refers to a personal interview
between Chapelain and Richelieu, which, in the later light of Pel-
lisson’s description of the same event, demonstrates that Chape¬
lain was being subjected to a considerable amount of personal
pressure regarding his role in the affair. Chapelain commences the
letter with a reference to the critique he had written of Le Cid
in the Academy’s name. He mentions a number of criticisms that
he had received from Richelieu on it and asks Boisrobert to relay
his answers to those criticisms, should he catch the Cardinal in a
propitious moment of leisure. He protests that the public will take
the Academy for a poor judge, if it fails to find anything good to
say about Le Cid?
Pellisson reports that, according to the Academy Registers,
Chapelain first presented his notes on June 30, 1637, and that it
was ordered that his work be combined with that of messieurs de
Bourzeys and Desmarests. He states that the Academy Registers
do not show that this was done, but that Chapelain then delivered
the manuscript in his own writing to Richelieu.4 This document
was returned to the Academy with marginal notes both in the hand
of Richelieu and in that of Citois, his personal physician. Riche¬
lieu’s final comment was that the work needed a few handfuls of
flowers, or compliments.5 The Academy then turned the manuscript
over to a committee composed of Messieurs de Serizay, de Cerisy,
de Gombauld and Sirmond on July 17, 1637. When the galley
proofs of this revision were sent to Richelieu, they evidently dis¬
pleased him to such an extent that he had the printing stopped
immediately and asked Chapelain and the committee to report to
him immediately. This is undoubtedly the interview referred to
above by Chapelain in his July 31 letter to Boisrobert. Pellisson
records that Chapelain and two of the committee were advised
of the Cardinal’s wishes in no uncertain terms.
2 Ibid.
3 Lettres de Jean Chapelain, Tamisey de Larroque, editor, 2 vols., (Paris: Im-
primerie nationale, 1880-1883), Vol. I, p. 156.
4 Pellisson, op. cit., p. 91.
5 Collas, George, editor. Les Sentimens de V Academe franc a-ise sitr la Tragi-comedie
du Cid ; d’apres le Manuscrit de la main de Chapelain conserve a la Bibliotheque
Nationale avec les corrections, une introduction et des notes. Paris : Librairie Alphonse
Picard, 1912.
1973] Roney — La Querelle Du Cid 159
Richelieu spoke so intensely to Chapelain that he ivent so far
as to seize the tassels of his collars from time to time, as one is
apt to do unconsciously ivhen, in talking with another, one has a
strong desire to convince him of something .6
Chapelain’s July 31, 1637 letter to Boisrobert assumes a much
clearer aspect in view of this incident, which occurred on the same
day. There is no need to search for a letter from Boisrobert bear¬
ing the criticisms Chapelain attempts to answer in his letter
because Chapelain evidently received them at first hand on that
very day from Richelieu himself. That is why he timidly requests
that Boisrobert communicate his answers to the Cardinal’s criti¬
cisms “in a moment of leisure.”
There appears to be little doubt that, after his initially favor¬
able reaction to Le Cid, Richelieu became concerned with the quar¬
rel that followed and influenced the Academy to condemn the play.
The puzzling question is, Why? How could the first minister of
France have become involved in a literary quarrel at a time when
he was vigorously prosecuting foreign wars on three fronts and
engaged with domestic conspiracies? Some understanding of the
background of the problems with which Richelieu was confronted
in 1637 is necessary to the elucidation of this question.
Throughout the entire period of Richelieu’s tenure as first min¬
ister of Louis XIII, he was faced with serious domestic and foreign
problems. The internal unity and security of France were period¬
ically endangered by the relative independence of the Protestant
seaports from royal authority, the power of many French nobles
to resist or obstruct the power of the King, and dissensions within
the Royal Family itself. These dangers were intensified by the
external threat of the House of Hapsburg, whose dominion in
Spain, Italy, Austria, Germany and the Netherlands at times con¬
stituted virtual encirclement of France. The tendency of some sea¬
ports to side with England in periods of crisis made the eventual
isolation of France a clearly forseeable prospect. Richelieu attacked
these problems with great skill. He secured France’s flank through
his successful completion of the siege of La Rochelle. He reduced
the insurrectionary power of the French nobility through his
destruction of unnecessary internal fortifications and further dis¬
ciplined their tendency toward lawlessness through a strict en¬
forcement of his edict against duelling. To counter the military
actions that Spain was carrying out in the Valtelline, Padua, Man¬
tua, Franche Comte, the Netherlands and Wallenstein’s victories
in Bohemia, Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden was encouraged and
subsidized to combat the Hapsburgs in Germany through the
treaty of Barwalde.
0 Pellisson, op cit., p. 92.
160 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
While implementing these policies, Richelieu was subjected to
the severe harassment of constant plotting against not only his
own power, but the crown of Louis XIII. In the same year that he
moved against the independence of the feudal aristocracy, 1626,
the revolt of the “Conspiracy des Dames” broke out. Led by the
King’s brother, Gaston d’Orleans, it was supposedly a reaction to
Louis’ plan to wed Gaston to Mile. Montepensier. In his Histoire
de France (1756) le pere Daniel states that one of the conspira¬
tors in this plot, Henri de Talleyrand, the Marquis of Chalais,
attempted to implicate Queen Anne in the conspiracy. His con¬
fession indicated that the aim of the plot was to depose the King,
break off his marriage to Anne of Austria, and marry her to
Gaston d’Orleans.7 Daniel states that this was the main reason for
the prolonged aversion Louis XIII conceived for Anne, which
lasted, even after the birth of an heir, until his death. On his death
bed, when the Queen is said to have requested M. de Chavigny to
tell the King that she had never been guilty of what had been
inputed to her in the “affaire de Chalais,” the King responded,
“In my present state, I am obliged to pardon her, but I am not
obliged to believe her.”8
On November 12, 1630, the famous “Day of Dupes” incident
took place. The King’s mother, Marie de Medicis, who had helped
Richelieu to power and then turned against him, combined with
Anne of Austria to attempt to persuade Louis XIII to dismiss
Richelieu. They almost succeeded, but at the last moment, the King
decided to retain Richelieu. This provoked Gaston d’Orleans to
head another revolt, this time to free the King and the country
from the tyranny of Richelieu. It was crushed at Castelnaudry.
Following the death of Gustavus Adolphus at Lutzen in 1632,
and the conclusion of the Treaty of Prague in 1635, whereby the
Emperor Ferdinand of Austria was reconciled with most of the
German princes, Richelieu decided that the time had arrived for
France to commence open participation in the Thirty Years War.
Hostilities were accordingly commenced against Spain in Italy and
the Netherlands on May 29, 1635. At first the war went well for
the French, but in the summer of 1636, after receiving reinforce¬
ments from Austria, the Spanish invaded France from the Nether¬
lands, crossed the Somme River, took Corbie and threatened Paris.
On August 22nd the King led his army out of Paris and re-took
Corbie on November 14, 1636. The Spanish retired across the
Somme, but fighting continued on French soil through January
and February of 1637. (It seems indeed curious that at this same
time, a play celebrating a legendary Spanish hero should com¬
pletely capture the hearts of Paris.)
7 Le Pere Daniel, Histoire de France , 1756, t. XIII, p. 515.
8 Ibid.
1973]
Roney — La Querelle Du Cid
161
On November 21, 1636, six weeks before the first performance
of Le Cid, Gaston d’Orleans again revolted and fled to Blois. In
league with the Comte de Soissons, the aim of this plot was to
assassinate Richelieu. At the last minute, the King’s brother backed
out of the plot, but it was only after strong intimidation that he
was finally reconciled with the King on February 8, 1637. In the
summer of 1637, a similar reconciliation was effected with the
Comte de Soissons to prevent his becoming a tool of the Spaniards.
To further complicate matters, the Queen was discovered to be
in correspondence with the enemies. This correspondence might
have been innocent enough and of a purely personal nature, since
they were her relatives. Her brother, Phillip IV, was the King of
Spain and another brother, the Cardinal Infanta, commanded the
Spanish and Austrian armies in the Netherlands. Because of the
war, any communications with her relatives of which the King
was not advised had to be considered suspect. Suspicion was fur¬
ther increased by Anne’s intimacy with the Duchesse de Chevreuse,
an implacable enemy of Richelieu, who had been closely associated
with the attempts of the Queen Mother in exile, Marie de Medicis,
to subvert the power of France.
Richelieu and the King had been aware of this correspondence
for some time. They had learned that it was conducted from the
Convent of the Val-de-Grace, where the Queen was in the habit
of retiring for her religious devotions. Her letters were carried
by her personal messenger, La Porte, to the secretary of the Eng¬
lish ambassador, who then transmitted them to Brussels. By this
means, she communicated with the Marquis de Mirabel, the Cardi¬
nal Infanta, the Duke d’Olivares, the Queen of England, the Duke
of Lorraine and the Spanish court. In the last week of July, just
prior to his interview with Chapelain about Le Cid, Richelieu had
intercepted a letter from the Marquis de Mirabel to the Queen, but
he had been unable to intercept the Queen’s response. The King
now ordered the Chancellor and the Archbishop of Paris to make a
detailed search of the Queen’s apartments in the Val-de-Grace
convent. On the 12th of August La Porte was arrested; on the
13th the Val-de-Grace was searched, and on the 17th, the Queen
was interrogated, confessed, and was reconciled with the King.
During the period covered by “la querelle du Cid ,” from January
to December, 1637, Richelieu was extremely preoccupied with
affairs of state. It seems incredible that he could have been in any¬
way connected with the literary dispute. The first reference to
Richelieu in connection with it appears in one of the pamphlets
of the dispute written by Corneille, the Lettre Apologitique which
mentions the three performances of Le Cid at the Louvre and its
two performances at the “Hostel Richelieu.” Two performances in
162 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
Richelieu's own palace was clearly a high mark of personal favor
on the part of Richelieu. If he had seen anything objectionable
about the play at this time, he would never have singled it out for
such an honor. To this may be added the facts that he did nothing
to prevent the ennoblement of Corneille’s family and did not object
to Corneille’s dedication of the play to his niece, Madame de
Combalet. The spurious legend that he was personally jealous of
Corneille because of the enormous success of Le Cid is flatly contra¬
dicted by the facts of his initial acceptance of the play.
A more plausible legend is that Richelieu opposed Le Cid because
it presents the practice of dueling in a favorable light. If this were
so, one would suppose that his opposition would have been immedi¬
ate. He is not known to have protested the favorable references
to duels in many other plays of the period, including his own
L’Aveugle de Smyrne. His edicts against dueling were not directed
against stage duels, which invariably involved affairs of honor,
but to brawling breaches of the King’s peace. Had Le Cid contained
anything of this nature, Richelieu’s animosity toward it would
have been displayed in January, when he witnessed it, and not six
months later.
The next connection between Richelieu and Le Cid appears in
Corneille’s letter to Boisrobert dated June 13, 1637, indicating
the Cardinal’s desire to see the matter turned over to the Academy.
There is no indication that he was hostile to the play at this time.
The marginal notes in the hand of Richelieu and Citois on
Chapelain’s first draft of Les Sentimens de V Academie francaise
sur le Tragi-comedie du Cid are also relatively noncommittal.
It is not until Chapelain’s July 31, 1637 letter to Boisrobert that
it appears that Richelieu had developed a strong partisan interest
in the quarrel. Pellisson’s account of the interview between Chape-
lain and Richelieu on that date substantiates this sudden preoccu¬
pation on Richelieu’s part with a condemnation of Le Cid . The
obvious question is, what happened at that time to awaken Riche¬
lieu’s animosity toward the play? In the last week of July, 1637,
Richelieu had intercepted incriminating correspondence between
Queen Anne and the Marquis de Mirabel. This led directly to the
Val-de-Grace incident. Could there have been any connection be¬
tween this event and Richelieu’s attitude toward Le Cid?
To substantiate this possibility, some connection would have to
be found between the Queen and the play. In the opinion of the
court historian, Jean Sirmond, the play had caused the Queen to
instigate the ennoblement of Corneille’s family.9 It is possible that
this was only an unusual reflection of the extent to which the play
e Le Souhait du Cid in Gaste, La Querelle du Cid , (Paris: H. Welter, 1819), p. 186.
1973]
Roney — La Querelle Du Cid
163
pleased the Queen, as it did many others in Paris. It is also possible
that she or her supporters saw in the play, which was adapted
from a Spanish original, a sympathetic presentation of a problem
very similar to the one in which the Queen found herself. The main
dramatic problem in Le Cid focuses on Chimene, once Rodrigue
decides to avenge his father. Chimene’s problem then becomes a
question of whether her primary loyalty is to her family honor or
to Rodrigue. She does not arrive at any really satisfactory solution
to her difficulty, but, in the course of coping with it, the play gives
a very thorough exposition of the problem.
Queen Anne had problems too, as previously indicated. Their
source was a situation basically similar to that of Chimene, i.e., a
conflict between her father's family and her husband. There are
obvious differences in detail between the character Chimene and
the Queen. Chimene is not married to Rodrigue as the Queen was
to Louis XIII, and Rodrigue fights Chimene’s father, while Louis
was at war with his Queen’s brothers. The situation is not at all
unusual historically. Many queens have found themselves in similar
circumstances. Anne’s sister-in-law, Henrietta Marie, Queen to
King Charles I of England was caught up in a comparable conflict
of interests during the same period.
To an audience trained by '‘Romans a clef” to discover allusions
to contemporary events in literary works,, it would have been a
simple matter to discover analogies between Chimene and Queen
Anne. In Le Souhait du Cid , Sirmond links both of their names in
answering Le Cid’s critics. “I am one,” he writes, “who hates those
who do not love Chimene, and infinitely honors she who, by pro¬
curing the author’s nobility, has judged her favorably.”10
If supporters of the Queen had commenced to draw analogies
between Chimene and Queen Anne, this would certainly explain
Richelieu’s sudden desire in the last week of July, 1637 to see the
play condemned. It was precisely at this same time that he dis¬
covered evidence leading him to suspect the Queen of treason. This
also would explain his initial favorable reception of the play and
the subsequent continuance of Richelieu’s patronage to Corneille.
Obviously he had no personal animosity toward the play or its
author. What he was concerned with was the political use that the
Queen’s supporters might attempt to make of the unusual artistic
success of Le Cid and the notoriety of the quarrel that followed it.
He was far too absorbed in major affairs of state to take more than
a passing interest in the quarrel until it became apparent that his
enemies might be able to use it for their own political advantages.
So, he took steps to neutralize it. Even then, his manner of han¬
dling it was discreet. He did not permit himself to become embit-
10 Gaste, loc. cit.
164 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
tered against Corneille. He knew that Corneille could not be held
responsible for political interpretations that others might read into
his play. The most discreet way to dispose of the issue was to turn
it over to the Academy and make sure that they did not fail to
condemn Chimene’s behaviour as immoral, which they eventually
did.
One of the results of the quarrel and its culminating document,
Les Sentimens de VAcademie francaise sur le Tra gi-come di e du
Cid, was the popularization of the “rules” of French neo-classical
drama to the extent that by 1640, they were generally known,
accepted and followed by French dramatists, and this led directly
to the great seventeenth century period of neo-classicism. It would
not, however, be accurate to say that the primary nature of the
quarrel was a dispute over these “rules.” Although discussion of
the rules entered into some of the pamphlets, the majority of them
were concerned with the expression and refutation of jealousy,
envy and personal abuse. This was the primary nature of the dis¬
pute up to the final week of July, 1637. At that time, the concur¬
rence of a major political event with the quarrel gave strong
political overtones to it. When Queen Anne’s treasonous activities
were disclosed, the possibility that the play might be considered
as a plea on her behalf led to its being condemned. Richelieu’s
motivation in securing this condemnation from the Academy was
therefore entirely political. He was far too busy with affairs of
state to concern himself seriously with the rules of drama or the
petty squabbles of his poets. It was his purely political interest that
pressured the Academy against its will to turn out Les Sentimens.
In all probability, it would never have been produced without the
Cardinal’s insistence because not only were the members of the
Academy adverse to such an undertaking, but Corneille himself
was strongly opposed to it, and the laws of the Academy required
an author’s consent before consideration of his work. Without the
pressure that Richelieu applied to Corneille through Boisrobert,
even the flimsy pretext of consent that the Academy was forced to
act upon would have been lacking.
THE EFFECTS OF HARVESTING AQUATIC
MACROPHYTES ON ALGAE1
Stanley A. Nichols
University of Wisconsin —
Madison
ABSTRACT
A study in the University Bay of Lake Mendota was under¬
taken to determine whether control of aquatic macrophytes, by
means of harvesting, would lead to an increased algal problem. A
significant increase in algal biomass was found 1-year after 2-
years of harvesting, in shallow water areas (depth 1 m). This
increase was concomitant with a decrease in macrophytes. In the
deeper water (average depth 1.3 m) , a drop in macrophyte
biomass was accompanied by a drop in algal biomass. Productivity
differences were also found between the shallow and deep water
areas. In the deep water, peak productivity for algae and macro¬
phytes occurred at nearly the same time. Peak macrophyte produc¬
tivity was accompanied by low algal productivity in shallow water.
INTRODUCTION
The heavy growth of rooted aquatic plants with their attached
filamentous algae constitutes a distinct problem for use of the
lakes in the Madison, Wisconsin area. In proposing management
solutions to the problem, questions must be answered about the
relationships between the algae and the macrophytes. Is there a
mutualistic relationship between them, an antagonistic relation¬
ship, or no relationship? If there is a mutualistic relationship, a
treatment method that would eliminate one member of the pair
should eliminate the other. If the relationship is antagonistic, a
treatment which discourages one member may encourage the other
member. If there is no relationship between the two, one is dealing
with two separate problems.
A quick review of the literature would support the hypothesis
that there is an antagonistic relationship between the two. Hasler
and Jones (1949) conducted experiments to determine if dense
growths of large aquatic plants, in small silo ponds, had a signif-
1 Arboretum Journal paper No. 83, August, 1971.
165
166 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
icant inhibiting* effect on the growth of phytoplankton and rotifers.
With the greatest density of macrophytes, the phytoplankton and
rotifer populations were minimal. Goulder (1969) substantiated the
work of Hasler and Jones with data on the macrophytes and algae
in two ponds in northeast England. In the pond with substantial
amounts of macrophytes, algal productivity rates were very low,
while in the macrophyte free pond, the algal productivity rate
remained high.
Langhans (from Hasler and Jones, 1949) proposed the idea that
an antibiotic may be secreted by the large aquatic plants which
inhibit the growth of algae. Curtis (from Hasler and Jones, 1949)
suggested that perhaps large plants were favored by early spring
conditions and emerge before the plankton. Embody (1928), Ben¬
nett (1942), Wiebe (1934) and later Fitzgerald (1968, 1969a,
1969b) maintained that higher aquatic plants and phytoplankton
are in direct competition with each other for nutrient materials.
Certainly other causes such as different pH requirements, lower
light threshholds for macrophytes, and bacterial action might also
be factors.
The objectives of this study were to determine whether control
of aquatic macrophytes would lead to an increased algal problem,
as predicted by previous workers.
DESCRIPTION OF THE AREAS
This study was undertaken in University Bay, a small bay on
the south side of Lake Mendota, Dane Co., Wisconsin. It lies
between Picnic Point and the University of Wisconsin campus.
The bay is 0.8 km wide and 1.2 km long, with an area of approx¬
imately 106 ha. Lake Mendota has been the site of intensive
limnological investigations for many years. The limnological con¬
ditions are, therefore, well documented. Poff and Threinen (1962)
should be consulted for a review of the limnological conditions
found in the lake. Two specific areas within University Bay were
selected as study sites (Fig. 1). The first site, Stand Z, lies in
shallow water, uniformly 1 m deep, inside a sandbar which would
hinder general circulation with the lake. Stand Y is deeper, with
a depth ranging from 1.0-1. 6 m, and is outside the sandbar.
METHODS
The study was designed to test both the long and short term
effects of harvesting. It lasted 3-years and was carried out in con¬
junction with a larger study of harvesting on macrophyte plants.
For this study, two 30 m by 30 m plots were constructed (Stand
Z and Stand Y), with a 100 m2 sections deleted in the upper right
1973]
Nichols — Effects of Harvesting on Algae
167
FIGURE 1. Hydrographic map of University Bay showing stand locations.
corner of each plot (Fig. 2). The stands were delineated with
plastic coated line attached to looped concrete reinforcement rods.
Each stand was further divided into 100 m- plots. This peimitted
eight different treatments to be tested. After the first year s study,
each plot was divided into two 5 by 10 m subplots. One subplot
was treated, and the other was left as a control to study the ef¬
fect of one year’s harvest. At the beginning of the third year, the
control and treatment plots were reversed so the effect of two
years harvest could be studied.
168 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
FIGURE 2. Plot location and treatment method in each stand, 1968. In 1969
the treatment methods were reversed, i.e., 1A was given the treatment that
1AA was given in 1968. Each plot is 5 by 10m. J — June, JL — July, A — August,
S — September.
The harvest intensities varied from one to three times during
the summer. One plot was harvested three times, once each in
June, July, August. Two plots were harvested twice, one during
June and July and the other during July and August. Three plots
were harvested once either in June, July or August. Any plot
might then be harvested once, twice, or three times during the sum¬
mer of one or two years. Three areas were used as controls and
were not harvested, but were sampled. Figure 2 will better define
the plot size, sampling and treatment methods. It should be noted
that no plot was specifically harvested twice, once in June and
once in July, but this information could be obtained from the
1973] Nichols — Effects of Harvesting on Algae 169
plot harvested three times. Harvesting was accomplished by cutting
all the plant material in the 50 m2 plot, as close to the bottom as
possible, using a sickle or diver’s knife.
At the middle of each month and prior to each harvest, two
random, 1-m2 samples were taken from appropriate harvest and
control areas. The macrophytes and filamentous algae, were col¬
lected in each sampling area. The dry weight, per square meter,
for the macrophyte species and for filamentous algae was ob¬
tained by separating the samples, oven drying and weighing the
tissues.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The short term effects of harvesting were tested with the Pear¬
son product-moment correlation coefficient. No significant corre¬
lations were found between the biomass of algae and the biomass
of macrophytes during the months immediately following treat¬
ment. This would indicate that a reduction of macrophyte biomass
did not have any significant effect on algal biomass during the
year of treatment.
The design was then analyzed to see if there was any signifi¬
cant increase in algal biomass with the long term reduction of
macrophyte biomass. Different treatments, for each month, by
stands, were compared for 1-year after 1-year’s harvesting, and
1-year after 2-year’s harvesting. A Student’s t-test for the signifi¬
cance between two means was used to compare the control with
each treatment by month. The results are summarized in Tables
1 and 2.
TABLE 1: MEAN BIOMASS OF ALGAE IN STAND Z, IN g/m2
June _
July -
August _
September
1-year after 1-year previous harvesting
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
28.1
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.1 0.1
0.1 0.1
1-year after 2-years previous harvesting
Differences between control and treatment significant at *90% and **95% level.
170 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
TABLE 2: MEAN BIOMASS OF ALGAE IN STAND Y, IN g/m2
1-year after 2-years previous harvesting
Difference between control and treatment significant at *90% and **95% level.
From these data the following conclusions might be drawn.
In the shallow water stand (Stand Z) there was a significant in¬
crease in filamentous algae in areas that had been harvested heavily
for the previous 2-years. In this area it would appear there may
be an antagonistic relationship between algae and macrophytes.
By decreasing the macrophyte biomass in this area, for a long
period of time, a natural, biological control of filamentous algae
might be eliminated.
In the deeper water stand (Stand Y) an antagonistic relation¬
ship is not apparent. There is less pattern to the significant differ¬
ences and, when they occur, it appears that a decrease in macro¬
phyte biomass leads to a decrease in algal biomass. Here it would
appear that harvesting is a good control measure for both plant
types.
There is a large, but not statistically significant, difference be¬
tween some means. This is primarily due to the unusually large
variance found in these particular populations.
To investigate further the relationship between the two plant
types, the productivity of the algae was compared to the produc¬
tivity of Myriophyllum spicatum L., the major macrophyte species.
Here again a definite difference is noticed between the stands
(Fig. 3). In the deep water areas, the production rate peaks at
about the same time for both M. spicatum and algae. In the shallow
water area the case is just the opposite,
1973]
Nichols — Effects of Harvesting on Algae
171
FIGURE 3. Production rates of Myriophyllum spicatum L. and algae, 1969.
1 — Stand Z, algae. 2 — Stand Z, M. spicatum . 3 — Stand Y, algae. 4 — Stand Y,
M. spicatum. M — May, J — June, JL — July, A — August, S — September. Let¬
ters indicate mid-month.
CONCLUSIONS
From the data it appears that the relationship between the
algae and macrophytes is different between the two stands. These
differences lead to different management recommendations.
In the shallow water areas there appears to be an antagonistic
relationship between the algae and macrophytes. The competitive
action takes place in a period of active growth, macrophytes being
the most successful competitor. Nutrient competition, as proposed
by Fitzgerald (1968, 1969a, 1969b), would therefore be a likely ex¬
planation. If a prolonged intensive harvesting program was used
172 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
in these shallow water areas, an increase in algal biomass would
be expected.
In the deep water area the antagonistic relationship is not
apparent. Here any harvesting method that was beneficial for
reducing macrophyte biomass also appeared to be beneficial in
reducing algal biomass.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The author wishes to express his thanks to Mr. David Nelson
for a basic literature review, to Dr. Grant Cottam for critical read¬
ing of the manuscript, and to Mr. Jere Mossier for starting the
experiment and collecting some of the initial data.
The work was supported in part by the United States Depart¬
ment of Interior as authorized under the Water Resources Re¬
search Act of 1964, Public Law 88-379, OWRR #B-019-Wis.,
Agreement No. 14-01-0001-1968, and the University of Wisconsin
Arboretum.
REFERENCES
1. BENNETT, G. 1942. Management of small artificial lakes. Bull. Ill. Nat.
Hist. Survey 22: 357-376.
2. COTTAM, G. and S. NICHOLS. 1970. Changes in water environment re¬
sulting from aquatic plant control. Tech. Report OWRR B-019-Wis., The
Univ. of Wis. Water Res. Center, Madison, Wisconsin, 27 pp.
3. EMBODY, G. C. 1928. Principles of pond fertilization. Trans. Amer. Fish.
Soc. 58: 19-22.
4. GOULDER, R. 1969. Interactions between the rates of production of
freshwater macrophytes and phytoplankton in a pond. Oikos 20: 300-309.
5. HASLER, A. and E. JONES. 1949. Demonstration of the antagonistic
action of large aquatic plants on algae and rotifers. Ecology 30: 359-364.
6. FITZGERALD, G. 1968. Detection of limiting or surplus nitrogen in algae
and aquatic weeds. J. Phycol. 4: 121-126.
7. - . 1969a. Field and laboratory evaluations of bioassay for nitro¬
gen and phosphorus with algae and aquatic weeds. Limnol. Oceanogr. 14:
206-212.
8. - . 1969b. Some factors in the competition or antagonisms among
bacteria, algae, and aquatic weeds. J. Phycol. 5: 351-359.
9. POFF, R. and C. THREINEN. 1962. Surface water resources of Dane
County, Wisconsin Cons. Dept., Madison. 66 pp.
10. WIEBE, A. 1934. Nocturnal depressions in the dissolved oxygen in fish¬
ponds with special reference to an excess of coarse vegetation and of fer¬
tilizers (Texas). Trans. Amer. Fish. Soc. 64: 181-188.
ANNOTATED LIST OF TRICHOPTERA
(CADDISFLIES) IN WISCONSIN1
Jerry L. Longridge and William L. Hilsenhoff
University of Wisconsin —
Madison
Caddisflies in Wisconsin were first studied by Vorhies in 1908.
He found larvae of 50 species in southern and central Wisconsin,
and suggested that probably 100 species or more were present in
the state. More recent studies by Ross (1938, 1941, 1944, and 1946) ,
Flint (1960), and Yamamoto and Wiggins (1964) list records of
112 species from Wisconsin. An intensive study of the Pine-Popple
River in northeastern Wisconsin yielded 149 species of caddisflies
(Longridge and Hilsenhoff 1972) and demonstrated that previous
records of Wisconsin’s Trichoptera were scattered and incomplete.
Because of the importance of caddisflies as food for fish and
indicators of water quality, a study was initiated in April 1970
to determine the distribution and abundance of the caddisfly
fauna in Wisconsin. Collections were made in nine 24-mile square
study areas (Fig. 1 and Appendix 1) that were selected as repre¬
sentative of the state on the basis of geographical location, soil
type, geology, and vegetation. Light-traps (Longridge and Hilsen¬
hoff 1972) were run at sites along selected streams in these areas
(Appendix 1) and adults were collected from banks of other
streams with a sweep-net. As a result 208 species are now known
from Wisconsin.
The records listed below are for adult male caddisflies, except
when noted otherwise. The study areas in which they were collected
are noted by abbreviations (N, NW, NE, etc.) from Figure 1. Col¬
lections from the Pine-Popple River system (PP) and from
counties outside the study areas are also listed. All specimens
have been preserved in 70% ethanol and deposited in the Uni¬
versity of Wisconsin Insect Collection.
List of Species
RHYACOPHILIDAE
Rhyacophila acropedes Banks — N and NE ; 10 June-26 Aug.
R. fuscula (Walker) — PP; 27 Aug.
R. vihox Milne — EC ; 28 May.
1 Published with the approval of the Director of the Research Division, College of
Agricultural and Life Sciences. Research supported in part by the Wisconsin Depart¬
ment of Natural Resources.
173
174 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
FIGURE 1. Locations of the nine 24-mile square study areas.
GLOSSOSOMATIDAE
Agapetus hessi Leonard and Leonard — NC; 25 June.
Glossosoma intermedium (Klapalek) — N, NW, NC, EC, SW, SE,
SC, PP and Sauk; 28 Apr. -2 5 Aug.
G. nigrior Banks— N, NW, NE, NC, WC, SC, SW and PP; 28
Apr. -13 Sept.
Protoptila erotica Ross — NW, WC, EC, SC, SW and PP; 10 June-
24 Aug.
P. maculata (Hagen) — EC and PP; 10 June and 15 July.
P. tenebrosa (Walker)— N, NW, NE, NC, WC, SC and PP; 6
June-18 Aug.
1973]
Longridge and Hilsenhoff — Caddisflies
175
PHILOPOTAMIDAE
Chimarra aterrima Hagen — NE, EC, SC, PP and Sauk ; 15 May-
13 Aug.
C. feria Ross— NW, NE, NC and PP ; 28 May-27 Aug.
C. oh scar a (Walker)— NW, NE, NC, WC, EC, PP, Langlade
and Sawyer; 21 May-27 Aug.
C . soda Hagen — NE, NC, EC and PP; 3 June-27 Aug.
Dolophilodes distinctus (Walker) — NW, NE, PP and Sauk;
4 Mar.-l Nov.
Wormaldia moestus Banks — Listed in Ross 1944.
PSYCHOMYIIDAE
CyrneUus marginalis (Banks) — NW, WC, SW, Dane and Pepin;
28 July-20 Aug.
hype diversa (Banks)— N, NW, NE, NC, WC, EC, SC, SW and
PP; 15 May-18 Aug.
Neureclipsis himaculatus (Linnaeus) — NC, WC, SC, PP and Por¬
tage; 8 June-13 Aug.
N. crepuscularis (Walker) — NW, NE, WC, SC, SW, PP, Dane
and Outgamie; 9 June-20 Aug.
Nyctiophylax vestitus (Hagen) — N, NE, NC, WC, EC, SC, SW,
SE, PP and Douglas ; 9 June-18 Aug.
Phylocentropus placidus (Banks) — N, NW, NE, NC, WC, EC, PP
and Vilas ; 9 May-27 Aug.
Polycentropus aureolas (Banks)- — N, SC and PP; 25 June-18 July.
P. centralis Banks — N and EC; 10 June and 7 July.
P. cinereus Hagen— NW, NE, NC, WC, EC, SC, SW, SE and PP ;
5 June-26 Aug.
P. confusus Hagen — NC, NE, PP and Sawyer; 9 June-15 July.
P. crassicornis Walker — WC; 15 June, $
P. flavas (Banks) — NE, SE and PP; 9 May-31 July.
P. glacialis (Ross) — Listed in Ross 1944.
P. interruptas (Banks) — NW, NC, WC, PP, Shawano and Wash¬
burn; 15 June-31 July.
P. nascotius Ross — Listed in Ross 1944.
P. pentus Ross — NC and PP ; 7 June-23 June.
P. remotas Banks— NW, NE, NC, WC, SC, SE and PP; 21 May-
17 Aug.
P. weedi Blickle and Morse — NC, SC and PP; 11 June-13 and Aug.
Psychomyia flavida Hagen — N, NW, NE, NC, WC, EC, SC, SE,
PP, Douglas, Langlade, Portage and Sauk; 9 May-13 Sept.
176 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
HYDROPSY CHID AE
Cheumatopsyche analis (Banks) — NW, NE, NC, WC, EC, SC, SE,
PP, Clark, Dodge and Vilas; 3 May-13 Aug.
C. aphanta Ross — EC and PP ; 10 June and 12 Aug.
C. campyla Ross — NW, NE, EC, SC, SW, SE, Dane and Rock;
21 May-20 Aug.
C. gracilis (Banks) — NW, NE, NC, SC and PP; 8 June-17 Aug.
C. minuscula (Banks) — NE, NC and PP; 10 June-15 July.
C. oxa Ross — NW, NE, NC, EC, SC, SW, SE, Outagamie and Por¬
tage; 15 May-17 Aug.
C. pasella Ross — NW, NE, NC and SW; 9 June-17 Aug.
C. sordida (Hagen) — NW and NE ; 20 June -17 Aug.
C. speciosa (Banks) — NW and WC; 15 July-18 Aug.
Diplectrona modesta Banks — NE, NC and EC; 9 June-11 June.
Hydropsyche arinale Ross — Waukesha; 19 Aug.
H. betteni Ross— NW, NC, WC, EC, SC, SW, SE and PP; 21 May-
12 Aug.
H. bidens Ross — NW and Dane; 11 July and 17 Aug.
H. bifida Banks— NW, WC, EC, SW, SE, PP and Barron; 21 May-
18 Aug.
H. bronta Ross — PP; 3 June-12 Aug.
H. cheilonis Ross — NW, NC, EC, SC, SE and PP; 7 June-13 Sept.
H. cuanis Ross — EC and SE ; 21 May and 10 June.
H. dicantha Ross — NC, PP and Price; 23 June and 19 July.
H. hageni Banks — NW and PP ; 28 May-17 Aug.
H. morosa Hagen — NE, NC, EC and PP; 28 May-11 Sept.
H. orris Ross — NW, WC, SC, SW, SE and Dane; 1 June-18 Aug.
H. phalerata Hagen — NW ; 17 Aug.
H. placoda Ross — NW, WC, PP and Dane; 19 June-17 Aug
H . recurvata Banks — WC, Oneida, Portage and Vilas; 21 May-18
Aug.
H. riola Denning — N, NC and WC; 23 June-18 Aug.
H. scalaris Hagen — EC and PP; 15 July and 10 Aug.
H. simulans Ross — WC, SC and SW; 3 May-18 Aug.
H. slossonae Banks— N, NW, NC, WC, EC, SC, SE, PP, Monroe
and Washburn; 21 May-15 Nov.
H. sparna Ross — NW, NE, NC, WC, SW and PP; 28 May-26 Aug.
H. vexa Ross — NE, NC and PP ; 27 May-29 June
H. walkeri Betten and Mosely — NE, NC and PP; 9 June-12 Aug.
Macronemum zebratum (Hagen) — NE, NC and PP; 21 June and
16 July.
Parapsyche apicalis (Banks) — N and SW ; 10 June-5 Aug.
Potamyia flava (Hagen) — WC, SW, SE, Dane and Sauk; 2 May-
3 Sept.
1973] Long ridge and Hilsenhoff — Caddis flies 177
|
HYDROPTILIDAE
Agraylea multipunctata Curtis — N, NW, WC, SC, SE and PP; 21
May-2 Sept.
Hydroptila ajax Ross — NW and EC; 10 Aug.-17 Aug.
H. albicornis Hagen — NE and PP; 9 June-12 Aug.
H. amoena Ross — N, SC and PP; 28 May-25 June.
H. armata Ross-— NW and SE; 21 May-17 Aug.
H. berneri Ross — NW, NE, SC and SW ; 5 Aug -24 Aug. ; $ ’s.
H. consimilis Morton — WC, SE and PP; 15 June-18 Aug.
H. grandiosa Ross- — NE, SE, EC and PP; 9 June-12 Aug.
ti. hamata Morton — PP; 29 May-12 Aug.
H. jackmanni Blickle — NC, WC and SW ; 11 June-23 June.
H. perdita Morton— NW, WC(, EC and SE; 21 May-18 Aug.
H. scolops Ross — NW, NE, NC, EC, SW and SE; 9 June-26 Aug.
H. spatulata Morton — NW, EC and SW; 10 June-18 Aug.; $ ’s.
H. ivaubesiana Betten — NE and PP; 28 May-13 Aug.
H. wyomia Denning — NE; 9 June-20 June.
Ithytrichia clavata Morton — NE and SC; 18 June-17 Aug.
Leucotrichia pictipes (Banks) — NW, WC and PP; 10 June-3 Aug.
May atrichia ayama Mosely— NW, NE, NC, WC and PP; 12 Aug.-
24 Aug.
Ochrotrichia spinosa (Ross) — Listed in Ross, 1944 from North
Lake, Wis.
0. tar satis (Hagen) — WC and SW ; 5 Aug -18 Aug.
Orthotrichia americana Banks — NW, NE, WC, EC, SC and Dane;
9 June-20 Aug.
0. cristata Morton — PP; 15 July.
Oxyethira forcipata Mosely — SE and PP; 10 June and 3 Aug.
O. pallida (Banks) — Listed in Ross 1944.
O. serrata Ross — PP; 10 June-15 July.
Stactobiella delri (Ross) — PP; 10 June-15 July.
8’. palmata (Ross) — PP; 9 June-23 June; $ ’s.
PHRYGANEIDAE
Agrypnia straminea Hagen — PP; 12 Aug.
A. vestita (Walker) — PP; 17 Aug.
Banksiola crotchi Banks — NC, SW and PP; 8 June-15 July
B. smithi Banks — PP; 12 Aug.
Fabria complicata (Banks) — PP; 10 June.
Hagenella canadensis (Banks) — NC, N and PP; 10 June-15 July
Oligostomis ocelligera (Walker) — NC; 28 May and 4 June.
Phryganea cinerea Walker — NW, NC, SE and PP; 8 June-17 Aug
P. sayi Milne — Listed in Ross 1944.
178 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
Ptilostomis ocellifera (Walker) — NC and PP; 7 June-28 June.
P. semifasciata (Say) — NE, NC, WC and PP; 28 May-8 July.
LIMNEPHILIDAE
Anabolia bimaculata (Walker) — NC and PP; 15 July-12 Aug.
A. consocia (Walker)— N, NE, NC, WC, EC and PP; 12 June-25
Aug.
A. ozburni (Milne) — N, PP and Dane; 29 June-3 Aug.
A. sordida (Hagen) — Brown; 3 July; 9.
Apatania incerta (Banks) — Listed in Flint 1960.
A. zonella (Zetterstedt) — N; 7 July; 2.
Arctopora pulchella (Banks) — NE ; 28 June; 2.
Asynarchus montanus (Banks) — PP and Dane; 4 June-16 July.
Frenesia missa (Milne) — PP and Sauk; 19 Oct. and 5 Nov.
Glyphopsyche irrorata (Fabricius) — PP; 27 Aug.
Hesperophylax designatus (Walker) — N, NE, SC, SW, SE and PP;
27 Apr.-24 Aug.
Hydatophylax argus (Harris) — NW, NE, NC, WC and PP; 7
June-8 July.
Ironoquia lyrata (Ross) — N; 25 Aug.
I. punctatissima (Walker) — SC and PP; 13 Aug. and 19 Oct.
Leptophylax gracilis Banks — PP; 8 July.
Lenarchulus pulchellus (Banks) — PP; 29 June.
Limnephilus argenteus Banks — PP; 3 June-10 June.
L. canadensis Banks — NC and Clark; 23 June-11 July.
L. externus Hagen — PP; 13 Sept.
L. hyalinus Hagen — N, NC and PP; 12 Aug.-26 Aug.
L. indivisus Walker — WC and PP; 12 Aug.- 13 Sept
L. infernalis (Banks) — PP; 13 Sept.
L. janus Ross — PP; 14 July-12 Aug,
L. minusculus (Banks) — SE; 21 May
L. moestus Banks — N and PP; 10 June-12 Sept.
L. ornatus Banks — PP ; 28 May-12 Aug.
L. parvulus (Banks) — SE and PP; 21 May-29 June.
L. perpusillus Walker — N ; 7 July; 2 .
L. rhombicus (Linnaeus) — SW and PP; 10 June-29 June.
L. sericeus (Say) — N, NC, PP and Door; 10 June-13 Sept.
L. submonilifer Walker — N, NW, PP and Dane; 28 May-30 Sept.
N eophylax autumnus Vorhies — Listed in Ross 1944.
N. concinnus McLachlan — N and PP; 7 July and 13 Sept.
N. fuscus Banks — PP and Manitowoc; 18 May-1 Oct.
N. oligius Ross — NW, NC and Calumet; 17 Aug.-l Oct.
Onocosmoecus quadrinotatus (Banks) — N, NE and PP; 24 Aug.-l 3
Sept.
179
1973] Longridge and Hilsenhoff — Caddisflies
Platycentropus amicus (Hagen) — NW, NE, NC and PP; 17 July-
13 Sept.
P. radiatus (Say) — NC, EC and PP; 23 June-10 Aug.
Pycnopsyche agalona Ross — NC and PP; 26 Aug.-14 Sept.
P. guttifer (Walker)— N, NE, NC, EC and PP; 10 Aug.-l Oct.
P. lepida (Hagen)— N, NW, NE, NC, WC, EC, SC, PP and Grant;
12 May-13 Sept.
P. limb at a (McLachlan) — N, NE and PP; 12 Aug.-13 Sept.
P. scabripennis (Rambur) — NE and PP; 12 Aug.-l 3 Sept.
P. subfasciata (Say) — NW, NE, NC and PP; 12 Aug -13 Sept.
MOLANNIDAE
Molanna blenda Sibley — N, NW, NE, NC and PP ; 9 June-12 Aug.
M. flavicornis Banks — NW, NE, PP, Shawano and Washburn;
9 May-17 Aug.
M. tryphena Betten — N, NW, NE, NC, SC and PP ; 9 June-13
Sept.
M. uniophila Vorhies — NW, NE, NC, EC, SW, PP and Kenosha;
9 June-26 Aug.
ODONTOCERIDAE
Psilotreta indecisa (Walker) — NE and PP; 10 June and 20 June.
LEPTOCERIDAE
Athripsodes alagmus Ross— PP and Dane; 11 July and 15 July.
A. ancylus (Vorhies) — NC, WC and PP; 8 June-15 July.
A. angustus (Banks) — NW, EC and PP; 15 July-17 Aug.
A. annulicornis (Stephens) — NW, NE, NC and PP; 28 May-29
June.
A. arielles Denning — N and NW ; 18 June and 7 July.
A. cancellatus (Betten) — NC and PP ; 23 June and 15 July.
A. dilutus (Hagen) — NE, NC and PP; 3 June-15 July.
A. flavus (Banks) — Listed in Ross 1944.
A. erraticus Milne — PP; 28 May-10 June.
A. mentieus (Walker) — Listed in Ross 1944.
A. miscus Ross — N, NW, SC, Barron, Chippewa, Iron and Por¬
tage; 19 June-11 July.
A. punctatus (Banks) — NW, NC, EC, SW and Dane; 10 June-
20 Aug.
A. resurgens (Walker) — NE and PP; 9 June-12 Aug.
A. tarsi-punctatus (Vorhies) — NW, NC, WC, SC, SW, PP and
Dane; 8 June-18 Aug.
A. transversus (Hagen) — PP; 29 June-12 Aug.
180 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
Leptocella albida (Walker)— NW, NE, WC and SE; 3 Aug.-24
Aug. ; $ ’s.
L. Candida (Hagen) — NW, NC, WC, SW and Dane; 11 June-26
Aug.
L. exquisita (Walker) — NW, EC, SC and Dane; 15 July-17 Aug.
L. pavida (Hagen) — PP; 26 Aug.-ll Sept.
Leptocerus americanus (Banks) — NW, WC, SC, SW, PP, Dane
and Rock; 11 June-13 Aug.
Mystacides longicornis (Linnaeus) — NW, NC, Kenosha and Sauk;
10 June-17 Aug.
M. sepulchralis (Walker)— NW, NE, NC, EC, SC, PP, Ashland,
Langlade and Pepin; 3 June-26 Aug.
Oecetis avara (Banks) — N, NW, NE, NC, EC, SC, SW, PP and
Price; 10 June-17 Aug.
O. cinerascens (Hagen) — NW, NC, WC, EC, SC, SE and Dane;
7 June-2 Sept.
O. immobilis (Hagen) — NC and SC; 13 Aug. and 26 Aug.
O. inconspicua (Walker)— N, NW, NE, NC, WC, EC, SW, SE,
PP, Dane and Pepin ; 21 May-2 Sept.
O. ochracea (Curtis) — PP; 15 July-12 Aug.
0. osteni Milne — NW and C; 13 Aug. and 17 Aug.
O. persimilis (Banks) — NW, NC and PP; 23 June-17 Aug.
Setodes incerta (Walker) — NC and PP ; 23 June-12 Aug.
S. oligia (Ross) — PP; 8 July-12 Aug.
Triaenodes aba Milne — Listed in Ross 1944.
T. baris Ross — PP; 29 June-15 July.
T. ignita (Walker) — NW ; 19 June.
T. injusta (Hagen) — NW, NC and PP; 19 June-12 Aug.
T. frontalis (Banks) — SC; 13 Aug.
T. marginata Sibley — PP; 15 July.
T. tarda Milne — N, NW, EC and SC; 10 Aug.-25 Aug.
T. sp. a — NC and PP; 23 June-15 July.
GOERIDAE
Goera stylata Ross — EC, SE and PP; 21 May-29 June.
LEPIDOSTOMATIDAE
Lepidostoma bryanti (Banks) — N, NW, NC, WC, EC, SW, PP and
Iron; 7 June-7 July.
L. costalis Banks — SC; 13 Aug,
L. griseum (Banks) — PP; 12 Aug.
L. sackeni (Banks) — NE, WC, SE, PP and Columbia; 3 Aug.-24
Aug.
L. togatum (Hagen) — NW, NE, NC, SC and PP; 5 June-13 Sept.
1973]
Longridge and Hilsenhoff — Caddisflies
BRACHYCENTRIDAE
181
Brachycentrus americanus (Banks) — N, NW, NE, NC, SW, SC
and PP ; 5 May-27 Aug.
B. lateralis (Say) — PP; 29 May-3 June.
B . numerosus (Say) — NW, SC, SW, SE, PP, Marathon and Sauk;
29 Mar.-3 June.
B. occidentalis Banks — -N, NE, WC, SC, SW, and PP; 29 Apr.-29
May.
Micrasema rusticum (Hagen) — NE, NC and PP; 5 June-23 June.
M. ivataga Ross — PP; 15 July.
SERICOSTOMATIDAE
Sericostoma distinctum (Ulmer) — PP; 8 July-12 Aug.
HELICOPSYCHIDAE
Helicopsyche borealis (Hagen)— N, NW, NE, NC, EC, SC, SW,
SE, PP, Oconto and Portage; 9 June-27 Aug.
Appendix 1. Location of study areas and streams, and dates in
1970 on which light-traps were run.
Northern (N) in Bayfield and Ashland Counties (R4-7W in the
south and all the Bayfield Peninsula north of T47N and east of
R7W) .
E. Fk. Cranberry R. (T50N, R7W, S-20) — 19 June, 7 July,
25 Aug.
Jet. Little Sioux R. and Big Sioux R. — -7 July, 25 Aug.
Jet. Sand Cr. and Racket Cr. — 19 June, 7 July, 25 Aug.
Siskiwit R. (T51N, R6W, S-35)— 7 July, 25 Aug.
Northwestern (NW) in Burnett and Polk Counties (T37-40N,
R15-18W, the St. Croix R. acting as the northwestern boundary).
McKenzie Cr. (T37N, R15W, S-36) — 18 June, 17 Aug.
St. Croix R. (T40N, R18W, S-30) — 18 June, 17 Aug.
Wood R. (T37N, R17W, S-30-14)— 18 June, 17 Aug.
Yellow R. (T39N, R16W, S-2)— 18 June, 17 Aug.
Northeastern (NE) in Forest, Florence and Marinette Counties
(T36-39N, R15-18E) .
Halls Cr. (T39N, R18E, S-30)— 24 Aug.
Johnson Cr. (T39N, R18E, S-14) — 20 June, 24 Aug.
Little Popple R. (T38N, R18E, S-23-24) — 24 Aug.
182 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
Peshtigo R. (T36N, R16E, S-33)— 9 June.
South Branch Pike R. (T36N, R18E, S-36) — 20 June, 24 Aug.
Northcentral (NC) in Lincoln, Oneida, Price and Taylor Coun¬
ties (T33-36N, R2-5E) .
Averill Cr. (T33N, R5E, S-21-28) — 26 Aug.
Johnson Cr. (T35N, R5E, S-9-16) — 23 June.
Little Somo R. (T36N, R4E, S-24). 23 June.
North Branch Levitt Cr. (T43N, R2E, S-16) — 8 June, 11
June.
Ottertail Spring (T35N, R1E, S-36) — 8 June.
Scott Cr. (T36N, R4E, S-31) — 23 June, 26 Aug.
Sheepranch Cr. (T33N, R2E, S-15-22) — 8 June.
Sprit and Squaw Cr. (T34N, R4E, S-3) — 23 June, 26 Aug.
Wood R. (T33N, R3E, S-33) — 23 June, 26 Aug.
W estcentral (WC) in Buffalo, Dunn and Pepin Counties (T23-
26N, R11-14W except in the southwest corner where Lake Pepin
forms the border) .
Chippewa R. (T26N, R11W, S-4) — 18 Aug.
Chippewa R. (T25N, R13W, S-21) — 15 June,
Duscham Cr. (T26N, R12W, S-21) — 15 June.
Red Cedar R. (T26N, R12W, S-19) — 15 June, 18 Aug.
Rock Cr. (T26N, R11W, S-15) — 15 June, 18 Aug.
Spring Cr. (T24N, R13W, S-7) — 15 June, 18 Aug.
Eastcentral (EC) in Calumet, Fond du Lac, Manitowoc and
Sheboygan Counties (T15-18N, R7-10E).
Branch Onion R. (T15N, R21E, S-29) — 10 June, 10 Aug.
Mullet R. (T15N, R21E, S-5) — 10 June, 10 Aug.
Onion R. (T14N, R21E, S-10) — 10 Aug.
Brook Town Eaton (T18N, R21E, S-27-26) — 10 June.
Southcentral (SC) in Adams, Marquette and Waushara Coun¬
ties (T16-19N, R7-10E) .
Bird Cr. (T19N, R10E, S-33-34)— 13 Aug.
Carter Cr. (T19N, R8E, S-19-20) — 25 June.
Lawrence Cr. (T17N, R8E, S-32) — 5 May.
Mecan R. (T17N, R10E, S-28) — 25 June, 13 Aug.
Mecan R. (T18N, R9E, S-16)— 13 Aug.
Togatz Cr. (T17N, R9E, S-7) — 25 June, 13 Aug.
Southwestern (SW) in Crawford, Richland and Vernon Counties
(T9-12N, R1-3W, except along the south edge where the Wisconsin
River acted as the boundary).
1973]
Long ridge and Hilsenhoff — Caddis flies
183
Core Hollow Cr. (T10N, R2W, S-14) — 11 June, 5 Aug.
Melancthon Cr. (T12N, R1E, S-3) — 11 June, 5 Aug.
Pier Sprg. (T10N, R1W, S-13) — 5 Aug.
Pine R. (T10N, R1E, S-27)— 5 Aug.
Wisconsin R. (T9N, R1E, S-35) — 11 June, 5 Aug.
Southeastern (SE) in Jefferson, Rock, Walworth and Waukesha
Counties (T2-5N, R14-17E).
Brook Bluff Road (T4N, R17E, S-10) — 27 April, 21 May,
3 Aug.
Scuppernong R. (T5N, R16E, 8-24) — 21 May, 3 Aug.
Spring Whitewater L. (T3N, RISE, S-3) — 21 May, 3 Aug.
Sugar Cr. (T3N, RITE, S-15) — 21 May, 3 Aug.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We wish to thank Dr. Herbert H. Ross, Dr. Glenn B. Wiggins,
Dr. Oliver S. Flint, Jr., and Mr. Toshio Yamamoto for their help
in the identification of species collected in this study. We also wish
to extend our appreciation to Mr. Steven Billmyer who assisted
in collecting many of the caddisflies.
REFERENCES
FLINT, O. JR. 1960. Taxonomy and biology of nearctic limnephilid larvae
( Trichop tera ) , with special reference to Eastern United States. Entomol.
Amer. 40: 1-20.
LONGRIDGE, J. L. and W. L. HILSENHOFF. 1972. Trichoptera (caddis¬
flies) of the Pine-Popple River. Wis. Dep. Nat. Resources Tech. Bull. #54,
pp. 20-30.
ROSS, H. H. 1938. Lectotypes of North American caddisflies in the Museum
of Comparative Zoology. Psyche 45: 1-61.
- . 1941. Descriptions and records of North American Trichoptera,
with synoptic notes. Trans. Amer. Entomol. Soc. 73: 125-168.
- . 1944. The caddisflies or Trichoptera of Illinois. Ill. Nat. Hist. Survey
Bull. 23: 1-326.
■ - . 1946. A review of the nearctic Lepidostomatidae (Trichoptera).
Ann. Entomol. Soc. Amer. 39: 265-291.
YAMAMOTO, T. and G. B. WIGGINS. 1964. A comparative study of the
North American species in the caddisfly genus Mystacid.es (Trichoptera:
Leptoceridae) . Can. J. Zool. 42: 1105-1126.
ORGANISMS, ESPECIALLY INSECTS, ASSOCIATED WITH
WOOD ROTTING HIGHER FUNGI (BASIDIOMYCETES)
IN WISCONSIN FORESTS
J. K. Ackerman and R. D. Shenefelt
Lakeland College — Sheboygan
University of Wisconsin —
Madison
ABSTRACT
A general survey of insects associated with macro-fruiting
bodies of forest fungi was made by collecting 511 lots of fungi
over a four year period which involved 112 species of fungi in
56 genera. Forty-seven of these were specifically associated with
wood and 30 cause damage of importance to the timber industry.
The study was undertaken primarily to determine whether or not
insects might be useful in control of these injurious forms. A total
of 25,379 organisms were obtained from the mushrooms and brack¬
ets, with 15,314 belonging to insects in 13 orders. The insects en¬
countered ranged from visitors to those totally dependent on the
fungus for development. The majority of organisms, though not
necessarily linked to the fungi, were capable of developing in them.
Parasites, predators and microorganisms formed a complete ecolog¬
ical community within one macro-fruiting body. Studies of life
cycles, population development, host destruction, host ranges and
seasonal movement of organisms into and out of fruiting bodies
were made.
To determine whether insects may play a role in regulating the
abundance of forest fungi in Wisconsin and to assess the possibil¬
ities of their being useful as biotic agents for control of wood-
rotters, a preliminary survey of the insects associated with the
fungi was conducted and their relationships with the hosts ex¬
amined. Basidiomycetes, especially the Agaricaceae, Hydnaceae,
Thelophoraceae (soft-bodied mushrooms) and Polyporaceae
(brackets) are the major agents causing heart-rot of trees. It has
been known for over 100 years that their sporophores provide
microhabitats for a variety of arthropods, and that many of these,
especially insects, actually feed upon fungal tissue.
185
186 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
Several authors (Anderson 1936; Austin 1933; Barnes and Bux¬
ton 1953; Kessel and Kessel 1939a, 1939b; Pielou 1966; Pielou and
Matthewman 1966; Pielou and Verma 1968; Weiss 1920; Weiss
and West 1920, 1921) have listed insect genera and species found
on or in various fungi. A few have conducted ecological studies
on fungus-related fauna (Falcoz 1921, 1927, 1930; Graves 1960,
1965; Graves and Graves 1966a, 1966b, 1968, 1969; Heatwole
1968; Hubbard 1892; Lawrence 1967; Liles 1956; Pace 1967) and
a specialized vocabulary relating to the fungus microhabitat was
presented by Graves (1960).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Over a four-year period (1966-69) 511 lots of fungi were col¬
lected in 21 counties (32 sites) in Wisconsin (Figure 1). In the
field the samples were placed in individual plastic bags and upon
return to the laboratory each was transferred to an ice cream
carton provided with a water wick [dental roll inserted through
the bottom] and a Saran-wrap cover. Paper towels were placed
in the cartons to help maintain humidity or to prevent accumula¬
tion of moisture in the bottoms. After six months at room tem¬
perature the fungi were subjected to cold treatment, one week at
40 °F followed by two to four weeks at 0°F, in an attempt to break
any resting or dormant state of the insects. Emerging organisms
were preserved in 80% ethyl alcohol, pinned or used in rearing.
Methods of rearing varied with the organisms involved. Larvae
of fungus gnats (Mycetophilidae) were successfully reared in
petri dishes containing Czapek’s Agar covered with a piece of filter
paper on which a piece of the fungus involved was placed. Petri
dishes containing a layer of slightly moist soil, half of which was
covered by a piece of filter paper, and containing a piece of fungus
were satisfactory for the rearing of Thalymus fulgidius Erickson
(Ostomidae). Glass vials, provided with strings in contact with
water and plugged with cotton, served for the incubation of
individual pupae.
THE HOSTS
Consideration was given to insects on both wood attacking and
non-wood attacking fungi as knowledge of the alternate hosts for
potentially valuable insects was essential. Table 1 gives the fungi
studied, those starred being important to the timber industry. All
of the fungi except Sarcoscypha (#172, 173) belong to the Basidi-
omycetes. The numbers shown for “Location by County” refer to
the numbers given in Fig. 1.
1973] Ackerman and Shenefelt — Wood Rotting Insects
187
0
Figure 1. Distribution of collection sites.
ORGANISMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FUNGI
The animals occupying or visiting the fungi are presented in
the faunal check list. A total of 25,379 organisms was obtained
from the fruiting bodies. Of this number 10,165 were arthopods
other than insects, i.e., centipedes, millipedes, mites, and spiders,
or were snails. Insects, representing 13 orders, comprised the
remaining 15,214 specimens and were associated with 13 of the
17 families of fungi (Table 2).
vOl-
ec-
ion
Mo.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
TABLE 1. COLLECTION DATA FOR THE FUNGI.
Col¬
lec¬
tion
No.
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
Ackerman and Shenefelt — Wood Rotting Insects
TABLE 1. (CONTINUED)
189
Location by county**
5, 8, 11, 15
8, 11
8, 20
8, 10, 16
3, 11
2, 3, 16
10
5
12
10
5, 6, 10
1, 4, 8, 10, 16
2, 10
1, 5, 10, 12, 18
14
2, 5, 10, 12, 16
17
8
2, 10
8
5
1
10
2
8, 10
10
10, 11, 16, 17
2
2, 5, 6, 11, 16, 17
2, 10
8, 16
21
10, 16, 20, 21
20
5
1, 2, 10, 11
1, 10
10
2, 16
2, 8, 16
16, 21
10, 16
8, 16
10
9
2, 8, 12, 16
19
2
16
2
10
1, 2, 3, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16
2
2, 6
7
2, 10
10, 20, 21
16
11
5, 10, 11, 16, 21
11, 16
2
2
16
2, 3
15
2, 16, 20
3
3
10
2, 5, 8, 10, 11, 16
10
5
190 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
TABLE 1. (CONTINUED)
^Indicates fungi considered important to the timber industry in Wisconsin (Newman 1919).
**Numbers under “Location by County” refer to numbers on Fig. 1
TABLE 2. RELATIONSHIPS OF THE INSECTA AND THE
FAMILIES OF FUNGI.
1973] Ackerman and Shenefelt — Wood Rotting Insects
191
FAUNAL CHECK-LIST
Listed here are all the animals obtained. The numbers refer to
the ‘‘Collection Number” given in Table 1.
AC ARINA (Mites)
Acaridae : Tyrophagus putrescentiae — 108
Belbidae: Relba sp. — 44
Camisiidae: Camisia sp. — 68
Caraboididae : Undetermined— -43
Ereynetidae : Undetermined — 169
Galumnidae : G alumna sp. — 49
Oribatulidae : Scheloribates sp. — 19
Parasitidae: Undetermined nymphs — 43, 108, 112, 113, 124, 134,
139, 128
Ologamasus sp. — 44
Pergamasus sp. — 10
Zerconidae: Zercon sp. — 50
ARACHNIDA (Spiders)
Agelenidae : — 1
Araneidae: — 2, 17, 46, 116
Clubionidae: — 2, 18, 139
Dictynidae: — 2, 17, 57, 62
Gnaphosidae : — 32
Hahiidae : — undetermined
Linyphiidae: — 15, 37
Lycosidae : — 17
Micryphantidae : — 9, 32, 46, 167
Pisauridae : — 55
* _ 1 V
Theridiidae 9, 17, 37, 38, 55, 57, 69
Thomisidae: — 9, 17, 34, 50
PHALANGIDA (Daddy-long-legs)
Undetermined -17, 40, 74, 124
CHILOPODA (Centipedes)
Geophilidae: Geophilus sp. — 25
Lithobiidae: Nadabius sp. — 38
Neolithobius mordax Koch — 99
Paitobius sp. — 2
192 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
DIPLOPODA (Millipedes)
Julidae : Cylindroiulus sp. — 46, 129
C. caeruleocinctus (Wood) — 113
Ophyiulus pilosus (Newport) — 25, 99
Nemastomatidae : Nopoiulus sp. — 113
GASTROPODA (Snails)
Anguispira alternata (Say) — 17, 27
I) erocer as laeve (Muller) — 10
D. reticulatum (Muller) — 2
Euconulus cher sinus (Say) — -17, 62
Vallonia parvula (Sterki) — 2, 50, 142, 162
Zonitoides nitidus (Muller) — 17, 42, 46, 50, 84
INSECTA (Insects)
BLATTARIA
Blattidae: Parcoblatta sp. — undetermined
COLEOPTERA
Anobiidae : Gator ama semibistriata Mance — 37
Lasioderma serricorne (Fabricius) — 9, 63, 84, 129
Anthribidae: Euparius marmoreus Oliver — 37, 38, 46, 65
Carabidae : Agonium sp. — 2
Carabus vinctus Weber — undetermined
Pterostichus sp. — 5
Chrysomelidae : Gastroidea polygoni (Linnaeus) — unde¬
termined
Ciidae: Ceracis sallei Mellie — 17, 31, 32, 37, 75, 164
C. singularis (Dury) — 32, 62, 164
C. thoracicornis (Ziegler) — 17, 31, 37
Cis americanus Mannerheim — 17, 38, 62, 139
C. fuscipes Mellie — 17, 25, 31, 32, 37, 50, 65
C. levettei (Casey) — 36, 37, 38, 50, 62, 66
C. subtilis Mellie— 17, 32, 37, 38, 65
Dolichocis manitoba Dury — 17, 38, 50
Malacocis brevicollis (Casey) — 32, 37,, 38, 50, 63
Octotemnus laevis (Casey) — -17, 31, 32, 38, 50, 73, 81
Rhopalodontus americanus Lawrence — 36, 57, 62, 124, 143
Sulcacis curtulus (Casey) — 32, 37, 38, 50
Cryptophagidae : Toramus pulchellus LeConte — 139
Cucujidae: Ahasverus advena (Waltl) — undetermined
Curculionidae : Sitophilus oryzae (Linnaeus) — 99
Elateridae: Undetermined — 86, 122, 124, 144
Endomychidae : Lycoperdina ferruginea LeConte — 162, 164,
165
1973] Ackerman and Shenefelt — Wood Rotting Insects
193
Erotylidae : Triplex sp. — 2
T. thoracicornis Say — 1, 2, 3, 53, 126, 132, 139
Mycetophagidae : Tritoma affinis Wickham — 2, 17
Melandryidae : Eustrophinus sp. — 2
Penthe obliquata (Fabricius) — undetermined
Teratoma sp. — 139
Nitidulidae: Glischrochilus quadrisignatus Say — 44
Phenolia grossa (Fabricius) — 46
Orthoperidae : undetermined — 53
Ostomidae: Thymalus fulgidius Erickson — 1, 17, 31, 33, 50,
52, 85
Tenebroides sinuata LeConte — 17
Ptiliidae : Pteryx duvalli Matthews — 37
Staphylinidae : Bryoporus sp. — undetermined
Lordithon sp. — undetermined
Mycetoporus sp. — 2, 17, 19, 52, 57, 74, 102, 103, 109, I'll,
116, 121, 124, 149, 162, 53
N eotrochus sp. — 88
Oxyporus femoralis Gravenhorst — 124
Stenus sp. — 20
T achinomorphus sp. — 2, 37, 46
Tribe Tachyporini sp. — 2, 149
Tachyporus sp. — 9
Tenebrionidae : Hoplocephalus viridipennis (Fabricius) — 62
Boletotherus cornutus Panzer — 37, 60, 62
Diaperis maculata Olivier — 2, 17, 38, 57, 62
COLLEMBOLA
Entomobryidae : Cyphoderus sp.— 2, 9, 32, 37, 44, 50, 63, 74,
114
Drepano cyrtus sp. — 57, 78
Folsomia elongata McGill — 30, 108, 139, 172
Lepidocyrtus pusillus Linnaeus — 14
Proisotoma minuta (Tullberg) — 57
Ptenothrix marmoratus (Packard) — undetermined
Salina sp. — 44, 50, 57
Tomocerus flavescens (Tullberg) — 57
Tomolonus sp. — 57
Poduridae: Podura aquatica Linnaeus — 2, 32, 37, 129, 139
Onychiurus subtenius Folsom — 30, 53, 57
Microgastrura sp. — 2, 31, 118
Sminthuridae : Sminthurides lepus Mills — 171
Sminthurinus niger (Lubbock) — 31, 42
S. quadrimaculatus maynardi Snider — 151, 173
S. quadrimaculatus quadrimaculatus (Ryder)- — 17, 44, 75
Sminthurius facialis Banks — 32, 62, 78, 105, 114, 173
194 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
CORRODENTIA
Thyrsophorus sp. — 32, 36, 37
Caecilius sp. — 36, 37, 78
DIPTERA
Anisopidae : Anisopus alternatus Say — 2, 4, 17, 36, 40, 80, 92,
124
Anthomyiidae : Anthomyia pluvialis (Linnaeus) — 2
Cecidomyiidae : Epimyia Carolina Felt — 50
Johnsonomyia rubra Felt — 31, 50, 116
Henria ( —Leptosyna) quercivora Felt — 116
Miastor metraloas Meinert — 15, 17, 25, 32, 37, 41, 50, 61,
63, 66, 73, 74, 76, 85, 107, 110, 124, 147
Mycodiplosis sp. — 5, 16, 17, 31, 32, 37, 38, 50, 53, 57, 61,
63, 75, 85, 86, 99, 122, 124, 135, 147
Mycophila lampra Pritchard — 20, 31, 32, 37, 46, 50, 53,
62
Neocatocha marilandica Felt — 15, 17, 31, 32, 50, 53, 62,
100, 116
Chironomidae : Procladius sp. — undetermined
Chloropidae : Eugaurax vittatus Sabrosky — 152
Oscinella sp. — 32
O. melancholica (Beck) — 4, 6, 9, 17, 32, 76, 86, 100, 108,
111, 124, 167
Tricimba sp. — 2, 17, 24, 37
T. spinigera Malloch — 4, 17, 27, 109, 116
Drosophilidae : Chymomyza sp. — 101
C. amoena (Loew) — 50
Drosophila sp.— 17, 38, 63, 6, 83, 85, 86, 90, 99, 101, 103,
109, 111, 115, 116, 124, 126, 144, 146, 147
D. busckii Coquillett — 2, 14, 46, 84, 92, 99, 102, 108, 116,
124, 146
D. duncani Sturtevant — 2, 15, 99, 116
D. falleni Wheeler — 4, 6, 9, 10, 15, 17, 20, 56, 82, 83, 85,
86, 89, 91, 101, 102, 103, 108, 109, 111, 114, 116, 118,
124, 125, 128, 135, 139, 144, 146, 147
D. putrida Sturtevant — 4, 17, 37, 57, 82, 124
D. recens Wheeler— 2, 99, 84, 50, 102, 124, 146, 152, 173
My codrosophila sp. — 17, 52, 86
M. dimidiata (Loew) — 17, 50, 52, 124
Muscidae: Cyrtoneuropsis rescita (?) — 2, 101, 102
Fannia canicularis Linne — 2, 6, 17, 46, 84, 86, 89, 107,
108, 110, 124, 125, 144, 146, 154
Graphomya maculata (Scopoli) — 2, 3, 89
Musca domestica Linnaeus — undetermined
Muscina assimilis Fallen — 89
1973] Ackerman and Shenefelt — Wood Rotting Insects
195
M. stabulcins (Fabricius) — 6, 84, 101, 102, 114, 146, 149,
46
Myospila meditabunda (Fabricius) — 89
Ophyra leucostoma Wiedemann — 17, 62, 162
Phaonia bysia (Walker) — 128, 149
Mycetophilidae : Coelosia sp. — 34
Cordyla sp. — undetermined
C. v olncr is Johannsen — 129, 135
Exechia perspicua Johannsen — 18, 44, 87, 88, 112, 133
E. quadrata Johannsen — 18
Megalopelma glahanum var. socium Johannsen — 2, 6, 34
Mycetophila sp. — 75, 129
M. caudata Staeger — 17
M. extenta Johannsen — 109
M. fisherae (Laffoon) — 10, 17, 44, 101, 124, 125, 128,
129, 132
M. jucunda Johannsen — 53, 129
M. scalaris Loew — 56, 93
M. socia Johannsen — 50, 124
M. trichonota Loew — 126
Mycomya (= appendiculata ) hirticollis (Say) — 5, 15, 57
M. ornata Meigen — 15
N euratelia desidiosa Johannsen — undetermined
Rymosia akeleyi Johannsen — 133
R. filipes Loew — 2, 32, 34
R. inflata Johannsen — 2, 17, 32, 36, 37, 52
R. triangularis Shaw — 18, 32, 34, 113, 121
Sciophila quadratula (Loew)— 6, 15, 46, 50, 56, 99, 118
Trichonota sp. — 101
T. triangularis Johannsen — 57, 75, 147
Trichosia sp. — 75
Otitidae : Undetermined — undetermined
Phoridae: Megaselia agarici Lintner — 76, 99, 124, 160
M. fungicola Coquillett — 31, 50, 73, 76, 82, 101
M. longipennis Malloch — 2, 3, 15, 17, 18, 31, 50, 53, 55,
84, 86, 88, 91, 101, 105, 108, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 118,
121, 124, 125, 128, 132, 135, 139, 143, 144, 145, 146, 149,
160, 172, 46
Platypezidae : Platypeza anthrax Loew — 1, 2, 4, 10, 25, 37, 52,
55, 72, 75, 84, 86, 97, 108, 111, 124, 137, 157
Scatopsidae : Scatopse fuscipes Meigen — 2, 37, 46, 50
Sciaridae: Bradysia sp. — 2, 17, 25, 31, 32, 37, 46, 50, 113
Lycoria oscellaris — 15
Tipulidae : Dricanoptycha septemtrionis Alexander — 53
Limonia indigence (Osten Sacken) — 31, 124
196 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
L. macateei (Alexander) — 53, 124
L. sociabilis Osten Sacken— 124
Faradelphomyia ( = Oxy discus) cayuga (Alexander) — ■
124
Phalacrocera sp. — 63, 86, 92, 110, 124
Ulomorpha sp. — 62, 124, 149
U. pilosella (Osten Sacken) — 124
Ula longicornis Dietz — 124, 149
U. paupera Osten Sacken — 62, 124, 149
HEMIPTERA
Anthocoridae : Asthenidea temnostethoides Reuter — 17
Orius sp. — 139
Xylocoris galactinus (Fieber) — 2
Aradidae : Aradus sp. — undetermined
Lygaeidae: Ischnorrhynchus resedae (Panzer) — 52
Miridae : Fulvius brunneus (Provancher) — 17, 32
Reduviidae: Empicoris sp. — 38, 55
HYMENOPTERA
Braconidae: Aspilota sp. — 2, 3, 17, 37, 80, 97, 124, 139, 149,
169
Ascogaster sp. — 38
Colast es polypori Mason — 57
Eubadizon sp. — 17
Meteor us sp. — 50
M. betulini Mason — 33
Neoblacus sp. — 32
Synaldis acutidens Fischer — 89
Diapriidae : Aneurhynchus sp. — undetermined
Eulophidae : Euplectrus sp.— 124
Hemiptarsenus sp. — 103
Stenomesius sp. — 32, 37
Formicidae: Lasius sp. — 17
Aphaenogaster (or Myrmica) — 101
Ichneumonidae : — 15, 18, 32, 35, 37, 75, 161
Perilampidae : Chrysolampus sp. — 2, 9, 32, 44, 50, 53, 56, 83,
126
Pteromalidae : Gastrancistrus sp. — undetermined
Moranila sp.— 32
Spalangia sp.- — 17, 62
LEPIDOPTERA
Geometridae : — 2, 88
Heliozelidae : Antispila sp. — 32
Tineidae : Homosetia sp. — 38, 40
Tinea rileyi Dietz — 31, 74
1973] Ackerman and Shenefelt — Wood Rotting Insects 197
ODONATA— 36
ORTHOPTERA
Locustidae : — 75
PLECOPTERA
Taeniopteryx nivilas Fitch — 32
THYSANOPTERA
Cryptothrips rectangularis Hood — 76
Hoplothrips sp. — 46, 53
H. major Hood — 53, 76
Haplothrips subtilissimus Haliday — 100
Roles of the Fauna
Complete ecological communities have formed within the macro-
fruiting bodies of the fungi, with organisms adopting the same
roles and exhibiting the same interrelationships as found on
broader scales elsewhere in our environment. The roles range
from that of the chance visitor (mycetoxene) to total dependence
on the fruiting body for development (mycetobiont) . An inter¬
mediate role is played by the mycetophile which can develop on
or in a fruiting body but is not restricted to it. In addition there
are parasites and predators and microorganisms present, all main¬
taining an intricate balance within the fruiting bodies.
INSECTA
BLATTARIA — In most cases roaches are apparently simply
visitors.
COLEOPTERA — Many beetles have been associated in the past
with various kinds of fungi and 18 families were encountered in
the Wisconsin forms examined. With a few exceptions, the beetles
preferred woody bracket fungi. Members of the Endomychidae,
Elateridae, Erotylidae and Melandryidae exhibited a preference
for the soft-bodied Cantharellaceae, Boletaceae and Agaricaceae.
Their presence in such fungi perhaps may be accounted for by
the fact of more moisture in these microhabitats than in the
brackets or puffballs. The staphylinids, which were both myce-
tophagic and predators, did not discriminate between kinds of
fungi, possibly because their presence depended on available prey.
Ciids were definitely associated with heart-rot causing fungi and
destroyed much of the fruiting bodies with which they were as¬
sociated. The ostomid, Thymalus fulgidius Erickson, was also
extremely efficient in destroying sporophores, especially those of
Daedalea unicolor.
COLLEMBOLA — The literature and ecological associations of
Collembola with fungi were reviewed by Graves (1960). Spring-
198 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
tails are common inhabitants of fungi and have caused consider¬
able damage in commercial mushroom beds (Austin 1933; May¬
nard 1951). They were common inhabitants of many of the fungal
types collected, being especially abundant in older brackets.
DIPTERA — It has been generally known for more than 150
years that many varieties of flies were in some manner associated
with fungi. In 1839 Dufour conducted an extensive study of dip-
teran-fungal associations (Buxton, 1960). In 1841 Canzanelli de¬
scribed life-cycles for some fungus-feeding flies and two species
of Sciaridae were reared on mushroom mycelia (Thomas, 1929).
However, even today very little is really known about these insects,
their specific biologies and the types of associations they enter
into with the fungi ; even their taxonomy is not well worked out.
This order was the most ubiquitous in the present study. Four¬
teen families of flies were reared from most of the fungus species.
With the exception of the Ciidae (Coleoptera) , fly larvae appeared
to effect the greatest destruction of their hosts. Even when they
occurred in relatively tough, leathery brackets the destruction
was noticeable. Most of the flies encountered were at least my-
cetophiles, with several tipulids, mycetophilids, platypezids, chlo-
ropids and scatopsids being mycetobionts. In most cases the life
cycles of the flies have become adjusted to fit with the life-span of
the fungal fruiting bodies. For example, several of the fungus gnats
(mycetophilids) completed their entire development in from two
to three weeks, that being the life-span of the mushroom fruiting
body in which they were developing. Apparently in some instances
rapid decline of the sporophores was associated with microorgan¬
isms introduced by the insects.
HEMIPTERA — The true bugs have been considered as chance
visitors to fungi. Some were predacious, e.g., anthocorids, nabids
and reduviids and appeared to be preying upon fungal inhabitants.
Others such as Aradus sp. and Fulvius brunneus (Provancher)
were fungus feeders and may be completely dependent on the
fungus for survival.
HOMOPTERA — The single cicadellid encountered was a visitor.
HYMENOPTERA — The Hymenoptera formed an integral part
of the fruiting body community. They parasitized mycetophages
and helped to keep their populations under control. Meteorus
betulini Mason (Braconidae) was found parasitizing Thymalus
fulgidius Erickson (Ostomidae: Coleoptera). Aspilota sp. (Bracon¬
idae) seemed to utilize phorid flies as hosts, as did Synaldis
acutidens Fischer. The ants appeared to be merely visitors.
LEPIDOPTERA — Members of this order, as a group, have
not been considered common fungus inhabitants, though some au=
1973] Ackerman and Shenefelt — Wood Rotting Insects 199
thors have found a few associated with fungi (Rehfous 1955;
Forbes 1923; Pielou 1966a, 1966b, 1968; Crumb 1956). However,
with the exception of the geometrid, the Lepidoptera encountered
appeared to be at least mycetophiles.
ODONATA — This was strictly a visitor.
PLECOPTERA — The plecopteron in a fungus was probably a
chance visitor.
THYSANOPTERA — Several species of thrips have been re¬
ported as being fungus feeders (Graves, 1960). A few are pre¬
dacious, but those observed during this study were feeding on the
plants. They were associated with relatively old, partially decayed
brackets in both wet and dry conditions.
CHILOPODA
This group of arthropods occasionally occurs in fungi and they
have been considered to be predacious (Williams, 1928).
DIPLOPODA
Diplopods are known to occur occasionally in fungi, being usually
saprophagous or herbivorous (Williams, 1928). Incidentally, all
the millipedes encountered had been introduced from Europe.
GASTROPODA
Snails are usually considered adventitious in fungal fauna. Six
species were found but their roles in the microhabitats are un¬
known. They appeared to scar the surfaces of soft brackets after
which small flies (midges, drosophilids) laid eggs in the areas
involved.
ACARINA AND ARACHNIDA
Spiders and mites form an important part in the fauna on fungi.
The predatory spiders find readily available prey of many kinds,
so it is not surprising that several families were encountered.
Many mites are phytophagous and others parasitic.
FOOD WEBS
The fungal habitat supports a highly complex community ex¬
hibiting intricate food relationships. Attempts to portray food in¬
terrelationships are usually incomplete because of a lack of data,
and those shown here form no exception. Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate
partial food webs occurring in wood fungi and soil fungi respec¬
tively. The food webs diagrammed are based primarily on the asso¬
ciations encountered during this study.
200 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
FuItIus brunneus
Hoplothrlps
FIGURE 2. A partial food web for communities from wood associated fungi.
1973] Ackerman and Shenefelt — Wood Rotting Insects
201
* Lvooperdlnla f erruglneal
Triplex thoraclcomls
Collembola
Coleoptera Larvae
Aradidae
Mvcetoporus sp
Dlptera Larvae
Anlsopus alteraatus
Fannla canlcularls
Scatopse fusclpes
Oph.vra leucostoroa
Otltldae
Cordyla volucrls
Rhymosla f lllpes
Platypeza anthrax
Sclarldae —
Mlastor sp.
h.vcophlla
I"l)ros^>hC^la<^
Staphyllnldae Larvae
Nitldulldae Larvae
FIGURE 3. A partial food web for communities associated with soil fungi.
The wood substrate forms the basal portion of the food web
for wood-associated fungi. It is from this substrate that the fungi
draw their nourishment and eventually fruit. Their fruiting bodies
and spores then comprise the second level of the food web and are
the substrate which supports the faunal community. Fungus
feeders utilize the mycelia and spores. These animals are in turn
preyed upon by various predators and parasitized by mites and
Hymenoptera. A secondary level is also formed by microorganisms
growing in a fruiting body which in turn are fed upon by organ¬
isms sheltering in the fungus and which serve as hosts and prey
for parasites and predators. This same kind of picture may be de¬
veloped around soil fungi, except that the basal substrate is formed
by soil, leaf litter, etc.
202 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
SUCCESSIONAL STAGES
Ecological conditions within a fungal fruiting body do not
remain static throughout the life span of the fruiting body. Graves
(1960) provided a scheme for classifying the successional stages
of the conk microsere. The results obtained here support his
scheme, which worked well for the woody, bracket type of fungal
fruiting body. However, it did not apply to softbodied forms which
have a very short life span. In these, it appeared that most of the
organisms had already entered by the time the fruiting body was
ready to sporulate. From the collections examined it appeared that
only parasites and predators moved into the fruiting bodies after
sporulation had begun.
The stages occurring in soft fruiting bodies could be divided as
follows : Stage 1 — early development, prior to sporulation ; Stage
II — period of sporulation; Stage III — period of liquefaction and
decomposition.
During Stage I females seek out the fruiting bodies for oviposi-
tion. During this stage there may also be some initial larval devel¬
opment. During Stage II fly larvae complete their development and
enter the pupal stage. Beetles may also complete most of their
development during this time, but at a slower rate than the flies.
At this point many insects appear to leave the fruiting bodies to
pupate in the soil or leaf litter in the vicinity of the fruiting bodies.
During Stage III the fruiting body is completely destroyed and
many of the flies and beetles which had pupated emerge. These
successional stages in softbodied fungi may succeed one another
with extreme rapidity and the entire process be completed in a
matter of two to three weeks. Collembola, parasites, predators and
chance visitors can be found during both Stages II and III.
Not only did the fungal fauna change with the condition of the
fruiting body and the species of fungus involved, but it also
changed with the time of year in which the fruiting bodies were
collected. This is exemplified in Fig. 4 which depicts the seasonal
changes in fauna for 183 fruiting bodies of Daedalea confragosa
taken from the same collection site in Sauk County. The numbers
indicate the relative abundance of each organism during the
months involved. As shown, different orders become dominant at
different times, and within orders there is a succession of species.
While the successions appear to be quite definite, they are subject
to a large number of meteorological, physical, chemical and biolog¬
ical factors which it is not possible to analyze at the present stage
of the investigation or indeed without the aid of numerous, well-
controlled experiments directed toward that end. The study of
such successional series would be very important in choosing
insects for biological control programs. In all probability a series
1973] Ackerman and Shenefelt — Wood Rotting Insects
203
FEBRUARY
Cynipidae
Oscinella sp.
Rhymosia inflata
PARASITE
MYCETOPHILE
MYCETOPHAGE
MARCH
Stenomesius sp.
Cynipidae
Graphomyia sp.
Oscinella sp.
Miridae
Neocatocha marilandica
Mycophila lampra
Rhvmosta filipes
Collembola
Cis subtilis
Rhymosia inflata
_ 3 parasite
— MYCETOPHILE
MYCETOPH
MYC^OPHAGE
358
i
77
MAY
Cecidomyliidae |^7 MYCETOPHILE
Cis subtilis -------- MYCETOPHAGE
JULY
Oscinella sp.
Pteromalidae
Perilampidae
Mycetophilidae
Rhymosia triangularis
Cecidomy iidae
Antispila sp.
Octotemnus laevis
C orrodentia
Sciaridae
Cis fuscipes
Sulcacis curtulus
Collembola
Cis fuscipes
Malacocis brevicolis
Pteromalidae
Ceracis sinqularis
CeraciS Sallei
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
H2
^12
— — — — — — — MYCETOPHAGE
PARASITE
rzs r ^Mvr ftp
/ PHAGE
156
FIGURE 4. Faunal succession in fruiting- bodies of Daedalea confragosa.
(Based on 183 fruiting bodies).
204 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
of insects, active at different times of the year within Stage I for
soft-bodied forms and Graves’ Stages I and II for bracket fungi
would be needed.
CONCLUSIONS
Fungal fruiting bodies form complete and highly complex
ecological communities. Several groups of insects showed potential
as possible biological control agents for some timber destroying
fungi and should be studied in greater detail. These include Ciidae,
Ostomidae (especially T. fulgidius) , Tenebrionidae (especially B.
cornutus) , Drosophilidae, Muscidae and Mycetophilidae. Detailed
studies of faunal successions related to stages of decay of the fruit¬
ing bodies and to season of the year should be conducted.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Research supported by the Research Division, College of Agri¬
cultural and Life Sciences, University of Wisconsin and by the
Guido Rahr Foundation, the Wisconsin Department of Natural
Resources and the University Research Committee.
Deep appreciation and thanks are expressed to:
R. F. Patton, project advisor; M. P. Backus and D. Myron for
assistance and guidance in naming fungi; the many individuals
and organizations who so graciously aided through either identify¬
ing or verifying identifications of the insects : D. M. Anderson,
R. E. White, G. B. Vogt, P. M. Marsh, D. L. Wray, W. W. Wirth,
C. W. Sabrosky, G. C. Steyskal, J. M. Kingsolver, Wm. Shear,
D. M. Wheeler, T. E. Woodward, W. Robinson, R. P. Narf, B.
Branson, E. Cook.
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VACATION RESORTS IN ONEIDA COUNTY
(WISCONSIN) A Study of 1950-1968 Trends and
Owner-operator Characteristics
L. G. Monthey and Daniel Zielinski
University of Wisconsin —
Madison and W aukesha
INTRODUCTION
Oneida County, located in the Northern Highland Region of
northeast Wisconsin, has long been part of a well-known, concen¬
trated resort area. Together with Vilas County, just to the north,
this prime recreation-resort district embraces almost 30% of
Wisconsin’s named lakes and has included over 25% of the state’s
vacation-resort establishments.
This is one of the most scenic counties of Wisconsin. Bedecked
with millions of evergreen trees and more than 1,100 sparkling
fresh-water lakes, Oneida County has attracted sportsmen, vaca¬
tioners, and recreational travelers since the 1880’s, when the
first “tourist resorts” were established here. A few of the p re-
1900 establishments are still in existence and still attracting vaca¬
tioners. Some of the earliest resorts were developed on the sites
of old logging or lumber camps and from pioneer farmsteads, when
the whole area was referred to as the “Cutover Country.” Their
location was also determined, to some extent, by the early high¬
way pattern (a meager “network” of dirt roads and sand trails)
and by railroad lines, which constituted the main transportation
system of that area prior to 1920 and continued to be important
for at least three decades thereafter. Rhinelander, the County’s
principal city and its county-seat town, has been an important
railroad center for approximately ninety years. It was only
natural that some of the original resort establishments would
locate on the larger, more attractive lakes near railroad stops
or reasonably close to the few good roads of that pre-automobile
era. Most of the resorts, however, were started during the 1920’s
and 1930’s, the period between the two world wars. A majority
of these are still in existence today.
A “landmark” study by C. W. Loomer and associates of the
University of Wisconsin showed that Oneida County had more
than 600 resort establishments in 1950. These investigators clas-
207
208 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
sified them by type of business, and they reported that 90%
were of the self-service (housekeeping) variety. Recent studies
by the authors and others have shown that, despite sizeable de¬
clines in total resort numbers, the proportion in the self-service
category — mostly seasonal resorts which usually provide little more
than lodging plus a boat — is still approximately 90%.
Despite its continued importance in the tourist-recreation in¬
dustry of Wisconsin, Oneida County has “lost” more resorts since
1950 than any other county in the state. From Loomer’s original
total of over 600, the number had dropped to 438 establishments by
the year 1968. A more detailed study of the nature and causes
of this trend seemed appropriate.
Why was the decline in numbers so much greater here than in
most other resort areas of the state? Also, why have the trends
here been somewhat different from the general trends in the
statewide lodging business? For example, Oneida County’s tourist¬
housing capacity dropped almost 14% during the 1960’s, while
the state’s over-all capacity (in Bedroom Units, or B.U.) declined
scarcely at all. Also, whereas the state showed a 15% increase in
the number of motel-type establishments during the 1961-68 pe¬
riod, Oneida County had a gain of 50% !
The basic data for this report were obtained from mailing lists
and inspection records of the Department of Health and Social
Services. The methods used to compile and classify the data on
resorts and other T-L establishments were similar to those em¬
ployed in previous studies (1, 2). The information on owner-
operator characteristics, opinions and related topics was obtained
through extensive field interviews and surveys conducted by
Zielinski in 1967 and 1968.
Detailed data on the number, type, seasonality, and bedroom-
unit (B.U.) capacity of Oneida T-L establishments, including the
changes between 1961 and 1968, are presented in a series of appro¬
priate tables and graphs. Several of these relate specifically to
resort-type establishments. Pertinent data, as well as significant
changes or trends derived therefrom, are discussed briefly. Part
II of this report presents a summary of the more interesting
findings in the owner-operator study.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Oneida County, like many other resort areas of Wisconsin, has
undergone some substantial changes in the type and number of
tourist-lodging businesses since 1950, mainly within the last 10
years.
As previous studies have shown, the number of smaller Wis¬
consin establishments, mainly the tourist courts and cottage re-
1973] Monthey and Zielinski — Vacation Resorts 209
sorts, has declined rather markedly. The number of motel-type
establishments has generally increased. Statewide, there has been
a sizable increase in the number of establishments with more than
100 bedroom units and a sizable decrease in the number of those
with less than 20 B.U. However, despite a net decrease of about
12% in the total number of establishments, Wisconsin’s capacity
to house visitors has remained virtually unchanged since 1958,
when it was approximately 80,000 B.U. in total.
Oneida County has been, figuratively speaking, a “bellwether”
in the so-called resort industry of Wisconsin. The resort business
has showed more change since 1960 than any other segment of
the tourist-lodging industry, with the possible exception of the
motel business.
Changes in the resort business are characterized mainly by
losses in the number of establishments, particularly in the smaller
cottage-resort enterprises. Oneida County appears to be in the
forefront of this trend, since it has lost over 23% of its resort-type
establishments (and almost 19% of its resort-guest capacity)
since 1961, as this study will show.
First, however, let us examine the overall changes in the
tourist-lodging industry of Oneida County. The total number of
T-L establishments declined about 200 between 1950 and 1968,
and approximately 160 of these were identified as “resorts.” For
our purposes, a resort is defined as a T-L facility (excluding
campgrounds and trailer parks) that is located in or near a rec¬
reational or scenic area. However, in practice this definition is
difficult to use because of the many types of establishments that
would fit such a broad interpretation. Thus, we have relied upon
the owner-operator’s designation for his business. If he (or she)
labeled it as a “resort” or resort-type establishment, we have
placed it in this category also. The same rule was applied to the
other classifications of tourist-lodging establishments (e.g. motels)
used herein.
As mentioned earlier, the major changes or trends in the num¬
ber and type of T-L establishments, both statewide and in Oneida
County, occurred during the 1960’s. The 1961-1968 data for
Oneida County are summarized in Table 1 for the four main
classes of T-L establishments. During this eight-year period, the
County lost two hotels but gained 12 motels — reflecting a net in¬
crease of 211 B.U. for the two categories. Meanwhile, there was
a loss of 134 resort-type establishments and 16 other-type busi¬
nesses, resulting in a net decrease of 1,092 B.U. for these two
categories. Thus, Oneida County showed an over-all decrease of
140 T-L establishments and 881 B.U. during the period. This was
primarily in the resort category, where the loss of establishments
210 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
TABLE 1. OVER-ALL SUMMARY CHANGES IN THE TYPE AND B.U.
CAPACITY OF ONEIDA COUNTY TOURIST-LODGING
ESTABLISHMENTS BETWEEN 1961 AND 1968.
ran 23% compared to 14% for the state as a whole. Taking all
T-L classes into account, the decreases were 20% and 12%,
respectively.
The T-L establishments of Oneida County are highly seasonal
in nature, running 90.2% in 1961 compared to a statewide average
of 74.3% for all Wisconsin T-L businesses that year. (A seasonal
operation, by definition, is one which stays open for business less
than nine months in a given year.) It is interesting to note that
the degree of seasonality among Oneida County establishments
changed only slightly during the eight-year period, dropping from
90.2% to 89.0%. In other words, the percentage of year-round
establishments increased from 9.8% to 11.0% in this county, com¬
pared to 25.7% to 26.8% statewide. Both changes are of small
magnitude but show the same general trend.
In terms of B.U. capacity, however, the trend toward year-round
operations has been somewhat more pronounced. In Oneida
County, the percentage of bedroom units available on a year-round
basis rose from 14.1% to 17.1% during the 1961-1968 period,
compared to 40.7% to 46.5% for the state.
As Table 2 indicates, however, Oneida County showed signifi¬
cant declines in both seasonal and year-round establishments of
the resort-type category. There were also net decreases in the B.U.
capacity in both cases, although the decline in seasonal B.U. was
considerably greater than that for year-round B.U. Table 2 shows
additional detail on the seasonality of various types of T-L estab¬
lishments in Oneida County. It is noteworthy that, although the
county had a net decrease of only 10% in year-round establish¬
ments during the 8 years (with even a small gain in B.U.
capacity), it lost nearly 21% of its seasonal T-L businesses, pri¬
marily the resort types.
With respect to the general trends in this county’s T-L industry,
it is of interest to compare what has happened here with the state¬
wide changes and trends during the same period of years. Tables
1973]
Month ey and Zielinski — Vacation Resorts
211
TABLE 2. CHANGES IN SEASONALITY AND B.U. CAPACITY FOR
THE VARIOUS TYPES OF TOURIST-LODGING ESTABLISH¬
MENTS IN ONEIDA COUNTY (1961-1968).
3 (a) and 3 (b) summarize information on the number and ca¬
pacity of various types of T-L establishments, with 1961-1968
state data and the county figures side by side.
First, we can readily see that the per cent changes vary con¬
siderably between this county and the state as a whole. Table 3 (a)
presents data on the changes in number and type of establish¬
ments. In Oneida County the net decrease of 10% in hotels of the
traditional type is less than one-half of the average statewide
decline. While hotels are of minor importance in the county’s T-L
economy, they are nevertheless “hanging on” better, and they
continue to provide over one-third of Oneida’s year-round lodgings
(B.U. capacity).
This County’s 50% gain in motel-type establishments during
the 8 years was over three times the statewide gain. Although
they still comprised only 6.3% of the Oneida’s T-L establishments
in 1968, the 36 motels already were providing more year-round
B.U. than 438 resorts during that year. In fact, the hotel-motel
community of Oneida County (less than 10% of the total busi¬
nesses) was offering 67% of the available year-round units —
which are so important to fall and winter trade!
With respect to the number of resort-type establishments, the
eight-year decrease in Oneida County was almost double the
average statewide decline — 23.4% compared to 13.9%. Almost
98% of those lost were seasonal cottage-type establishments, aver¬
aging about 7 B.U. per resort. The fourth category, “Other” es¬
tablishments, which comprises about one-seventh of Oneida Coun¬
ty’s T-L businesses, declined at a uniform rate of about 17%
both statewide and in the county during the eight years.
212 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
TABLE 3 (a). CHANGES IN NUMBER AND TYPE OF TOURIST¬
LODGING ESTABLISHMENTS IN ONEIDA COUNTY COM¬
PARED TO STATEWIDE TRENDS FOR 1961-1968
All in all, Oneida County lost 19.7% of its T-L businesses be¬
tween 1961 and 1968, while the average statewide decline was
11.6%. Thus, Oneida County’s rate of decrease was 1.7 times
greater than the statewide rate, and accounted for approximately
one-sixth (15.7%) of all T-L business “drop-outs” in the entire
state during the 1960’s.
Table 3 (b) shows the changes in B.U. capacity for various
types of T-L establishments, including the total, for both county
and state during the 1961-1968 period. Here again, percentage
changes in Oneida County vary widely from the average state¬
wide changes. Whereas the total B.U. capacity of all Wisconsin
T-L establishments has changed very little (only —0.7% since
1960), Oneida County lost 13.7% — or about one-seventh of its
capacity.
Looking ahead, it is quite possible that new motel-type enter¬
prises, which have already shown significant increases in the
county, will fill this housing “gap” eventually. However, it may
take ten years or longer, because of concurrent declines in the
capacity of resort-type facilities. During the 1961-1968 period,
Oneida County motels gained approximately 230 B.U., whereas
TABLE 3 (b). CHANGES IN BEDROOM-UNIT (B.U.) CAPACITY FOR
VARIOUS TYPES OF LODGING ESTABLISHMENTS IN ONEIDA
COUNTY COMPARED TO STATEWIDE TRENDS FOR 1961-1968.
1973] Mont hey and Zielinski — Vacation Resorts 213
resort-type establishments lost nearly 1,000 B.U. Meanwhile,
county hotels and other-type establishments (the two remain¬
ing classes) showed a net decrease of about 130 B.U. or 14.7%.
These figures, taken together, account for the overall decrease of
881 B.U. during the eight years.
It is interesting to note the compositional changes in Oneida
County’s T-L industry during the 1960’s and how these changes
differ from comparable statewide trends. Figure 1 illustrates the
compositional changes for state and county establishments in
graphic form.
The percentage makeup of the B.U. composition in the county
differs more widely from state averages than for establishments
only. In 1961, only 18% of Oneida County’s tourist-housing
capacity was in non-resort facilities compared to 50% for the
state. Eight years later, the corresponding percentages were 23%
and 55%, respectively. The biggest change, of course, was in the
percentage of total B.U. provided by motel-type establishments.
This segment of the industry increased by 55% for the state as
a whole, while it virtually doubled in Oneida County. However,
only one-tenth of the county’s visitor-housing units were pro¬
vided by motels in 1968, compared to about 25% of the statewide
total. Figure 2 illustrates the above changes and differences in
B.U. capacities.
Although the trend toward a higher percentage of year-round
B.U. is quite evident in both the state and county data, the pro¬
portion of such units (in relation to the total B.U.) was much
smaller in Oneida County than for the state in both 1961 and
1968. This relationship is portrayed graphically in Figure 3,
which suggests a need for more year-round accommodations in
the Oneida area.
If recent past trends continue, these new year-round establish¬
ments are likely to be of the motel or motel-hotel type. Only a
handful of new resorts have been built in Oneida County during
the 25 years since World War II. However, quite a few of the
older places — perhaps as many as 50 percent— have either ex¬
panded or “modernized,” or both, since 1950. Despite this fact,
the number of small- and medium-sized resorts has dropped
sharply since 1961. Actually, the rate of decline has been accel¬
erating since 1964, as the statistics show when we examine them
on a year-by-year basis for both the county and the entire state.
Table 4 (a) shows the 1961-1968 changes in the number of
resort-type establishments by size class for both Oneida County
and the state. No attempt was made to separate the resorts into
type categories, e.g. self-service (“housekeeping”) vs. American
Plan, European Plan, etc. However, recent observations and sur-
214 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
Number of Establishments
Number of Establishments
FIGURE 1. Changes in the establishmental composition of the Tourist-Lodging
Industry between 1961 and 1968, comparing Oneida County trends with state¬
wide changes.
Wisconsin (Statewide) Oneida County
1973]
215
Month ey and Zielinski — Vacation Resorts
Total Bedroom Units (thousands)
r\> c* -p- vji o>
o o o o o o
- 1 — — - f — - 1 - 1 - r
Hotels
Motels
Resorts
Others
Total Bedroom Units (thousands)
-* rv> -P" ' vji o^
1 - — - f ’ i r J t
Hotels
Motels
Resorts
Others
FIGURE 2. Changes in the Bedroom-Unit composition of the Tourist-Lodging
Industry between 1961 and 1968, comparing Oneida County trends with the
statewide changes.
Wisconsin (Statewide) Oneida County
216 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
19 6 8
FIGURE 3. Proportional-scale graphs showing the per¬
centage of year-round accommodations (B.U.) in both
1961 and 1968, comparing statewide data with that for
Oneida County (see inset).
1973] Monthey and Zielinski — Vacation Resorts 217
veys have shown that less than 10% of the resort-type establish¬
ments — both Oneida County and statewide — provide full restau¬
rant services, although 17% of Wisconsin’s 4,100 resorts had a
restaurant permit in 1968. Presumably, about half of this group
obtained the annual permit in order to sell coffee, sandwiches, and
other snacks to their clientele.
As mentioned earlier, Oneida County lost almost one-fourth
of its resort-type establishments between 1961 and 1968, com¬
pared to a statewide decrease of 14%. However, there was no
consistent trend among the various resort-size categories, except
that large resorts (30 B.U. and higher) showed the smallest
numerical and percentage declines, and the medium-sized resorts
(10 to 29 B.U.) showed somewhat smaller declines than the small¬
sized group (1 to 9 B.U.). These two general trends pertain to
both the county and statewide figures during the 8 years. The
net decrease in Oneida County (135 establishments) showed the
following 1961-1968 losses : 99 small-sized resorts ; 35 medium¬
sized ; 1 large-sized. It is interesting to note that the first two
figures are almost exactly 20 percent of the statewide losses in
these two major size groups. In the large-sized category (30 B.U.
and up), Oneida County dropped one and the state gained one —
or virtually no change.
The small-sized resorts were divided into two categories; (1)
those with less than 5 B.U. and (2) those with 5 to 9 B.U.
[Table 4 (a)]. This separation brings out an important difference
between the county’s trend and the statewide change. The num¬
ber of very small resorts in Oneida County dropped at a rate
three times greater than the statewide decrease between 1961 and
1968, while the decline in the 5 to 9 B.U. group was almost identi¬
cal to the statewide decline. Why? Probably the most likely reason
is that the older and smaller resorts in this “mature,” highly
scenic recreation area suddenly became a hot commodity in the
real-estate market during the 1960’s. Several realtors verified this
supposition and further stated that these very small resorts were
not only the least profitable ones to operate but they also carried
the smallest price tags. Hence, more of them were put up for
sale, and there were more potential buyers in this lower-price
range. Many of these establishments (or the land areas they
once occupied) have since been converted to residential uses,
either to substantial summer dwellings or to year-round homes.
This county has been a leader in second-home developments since
1960.
There is one other significant difference in these data on trends
for the county and the state. The medium-sized group (10 to 29
B.U.) showed a 1961-1968 decline of 17.7% in Oneida County
218 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
compared to a statewide decrease of 11.4%. This category was
also separated into two groups; (1) those with 10 to 19 B.U.,
and (2) those with 20 to 29 B.U. In comparing county vs. state¬
wide trends for 1961-1968, the first group followed the state¬
wide pattern rather closely, showing losses of 16.7 % for the
county and 12.5% for the state. However, when we examine the
20 to 29 B.U. segment, we note a loss of 22.2% for the county
and of only 5.5% for the state. Aside from the fact that group 2
is much smaller numerically than group 1, there is some difficulty
in explaining the difference between county and state for this
medium-to-large category. One possible reason could be the ap¬
parent high mortality rate in small American-Plan resorts, par¬
ticularly those which had a limited capacity and served fewer
than 75 guests in total, since 1960. Perhaps the greater loss of
medium-size resorts in Oneida County is associated with a higher
percentage of these “ailing” establishments; this needs to be
checked out in more detail.
Table 4 (b) is similar to the foregoing one, except that it
shows the resort trends in bedroom units rather than number of
establishments for each size category. It would appear that Oneida
County's larger resorts have decreased in average size, while
statewide statistics reflect a 10% increase in average size (from
43 B.U. to 47 B.U.) for resorts in this category.
The other significant change in resort B.U. capacity involves
the small-resort category (less than 10 B.U.). Statewide, the
B.U. capacity of these small operations declined 16%, while the
county totals showed a 25% drop. As Table 4 (b) shows, most of
the county’s B.U. loss in this group involved the very small es¬
tablishments (1 to 4 B.U.).
TABLE 4 (a). CHANGES IN NUMBER OF RESORT-TYPE ESTABLISH¬
MENTS (BY SIZE CLASS) IN ONEIDA COUNTY (1961-1968), COM¬
PARED TO STATEWIDE CHANGES FOR THE SAME PERIOD.
1973] Monthey and Zielinski — Vacation Resorts 219
TABLE 4 (b). CHANGES IN B.U. CAPACITIES FOR RESORT-TYPE ES¬
TABLISHMENTS (BY SIZE CLASS) IN ONEIDA COUNTY, COMPARED
WITH STATEWIDE CHANGES FOR THE SAME PERIOD (1961-1968).
Part II Owner-operator Study
In view of the foregoing data and the trends derived there¬
from, one might reasonably ask the following questions:
Why have numerous resorts gone out of business in this scenic,
long-established resort area? What social, personal, and economic
factors seem to have a bearing on this striking decline in resort
numbers? What type of operators, in general, have been managing
Oneida County resorts in recent years? What happens to the land
and buildings used by these establishments after they are closed?
In an effort to get some answers to these questions and to
gather more facts on the traditional “resort industry,” several
researchers have conducted a variety of studies in this area. The
work of Zielinski (1966-1970) in Oneida County is appropriate
to this report, since it includes data from active resorters, former
operators, town assessors, realtors, and county officials.* The
information in this section of the paper is based to a considerable
extent on his findings and conclusions.
A group of 83 “retired” resorts was studied by interviewing
the former operators and/or their spouses. This group repre¬
sented about one-half of the county’s 162 resort “drop-outs” dur¬
ing the 1950-1967 period. These people were asked why their
establishments went out of business. Their responses to this
question are summarized in Table 5.
As can readily be seen, most of the reasons are of an economic
nature. Even the leading answer given, i.e. old age, illness or
death of the operator (or spouse), suggests economic considera¬
tions too, since it appeared that no other person was able or
willing to take over and continue the resort as a business. It is
* Zielinski’s full report has been submitted to the Department of Geography, Uni¬
versity of Wisconsin — Madison, as Thesis for a Ph.D. degree.
220 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
TABLE 5. THE REASONS GIVEN BY OPERATORS FOR THE SALE OR
DISSOLUTION OF SPECIFIC RESORTS IN ONEIDA
COUNTY DURING THE PERIOD 1950-1967.
*In some cases, the information was obtained “second hand” from town assessors or nearby resort
operators.
also likely that many of these entrepeneurs viewed their resort,
not only as a business, but also as a personal service for guests
who had become good friends down through the years. Often¬
times, this type of a clientele will tend to “go its own way,” when
death occurs and/or ownership changes.
When these resorts went out of business, they were frequently
subdivided for other uses. About 70% of these 162 Oneida County
resorts were either parcelled or fully subdivided for use as sum¬
mer cottages or year-round homes. Approximately one in ten be¬
came private “clubs” for the family and its special guests, while
another one-tenth had old facilities removed and the land cleared
for subsequent redevelopment (usually by the next owner). The
final group of inactive resorts, about 9 percent, remained in es¬
tate or was otherwise idle.
In order to shed light on certain other questions, particularly
the owner-operator characteristics of current establishments, Zie¬
linski conducted an interview-survey of 103 Oneida County re¬
sorts during 1967. This sample was carefully selected so as to
be quite representative of the county’s resort industry.
A significant number of the 103 resort operators interviewed
were found to be relatively “new” owners. One in eight had
owned their establishments 3 years or less, and almost one-third
reported ownership of less than 7 years. On the other hand, al¬
most two-fifths (39%) of them had owned their present resort
property for 16 years or longer. The latter group included 25
owner-operators who had built their present facilities ; some dur¬
ing the late 1940’s and early 1950’s, but others in the 1930’s or
earlier. Thus, it appears that 70% of the resort operators in
Oneida County would fall into one of two main categories, which
are almost equal in size : ( 1 ) short-term owners — 6 years or less ;
1973]
Month ey and Zielinski — Vacation Resorts
221
(2) long-term owners — 16 years or longer. The mean length of
ownership for the 103 respondents was 13.3 years.
About one-fourth of the owner-operators surveyed had originally
purchased (or otherwise acquired) their present resort property
without a concrete recreational or business objective in mind.
When interviewed, this group mentioned such things as (1) a
good retirement project, (2) a healthful outdoor life, (3) a good
investment opportunity, and (4) a chance to live in Northern
Wisconsin, as their reasons for acquisition.
Relatively few “young” people were found in this sizable
sample of Oneida County operators, and a fairly high percentage
of them were either retired or semi-retired. Their ages ranged
from 33 to 80 with a median age of 57 years. Of the 100 who
answered this query, 47% were 61 years or older, 28% were
68 or older, and 6% were 74 or more. One out of 10 said they
were semi-retired and 29% indicated full retirement. Neverthe¬
less, a high percentage of the group reported supplemental income
through outside employment or from other sources.
Only 26% of these operators said that the resort business was
their major occupation on a full-time basis. Almost one-half
(46%) indicated that it was their principal occupation but said
they had part-time employment elsewhere. Over one-fourth of
them (28%) had a major occupation other than the resort busi¬
ness. Most of the part- or full-time work was located in or near
Rhinelander, the largest city of the area, and it is interesting
to note the types of “off-resort” employment involved. Personal
services (27%) and factory work (25%) accounted for over one-
half of the job opportunities utilized. Other types were: business
and retail sales — 14.6%; professional and clerical — 12.5%; con¬
struction — 8.3%; logging and local government — 4.2%; others —
8.3%.
Of the 103 owner-operators interviewed in this 1967 survey,
almost two-thirds lived on the resort property throughout the
year. In fact, there appears to be a definite trend toward year-
round residency. Virtually all of these resorts (98%) were owner-
operated establishments, and there was definite absentee owner¬
ship in only one case.
The prior occupations of present resort operators were de¬
termined in this study, and they were found to vary greatly.
Almost one-half of the group (48.4%) had a background in fac¬
tory work or in business (mostly retail trade). The following
list shows the principal prior vocations of 95 Oneida County
operators :
222 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
Factory workers (hourly) _ 26.3
Business and retail trade _ 22.1
Personal services _ 14.7
Construction _ 7.4
Sales and advertising _ 7.4
Professional (includes teaching) _ 7.4
Military and administrative _ 6.4
Farming and odd jobs _ 4.2
* Others _ 4.1
100.0
* Oddly enough, only 2 operators said they had been associated with another tourist-
type establishment before buying their own business.
When queried as to their sources of professional help or in¬
struction in resort operations, three-fourths of these operators
said they had received none. Of the remainder, 24 indicated some
help from University Extension (three who said “resource agent”
are included), while three others mentioned commercial sources.
Within this group, 22 stated that the instruction they received
dealt with either modernization of facilities or housekeeping and
management methods.
This group of 103 resorters was also asked to list the skills
and personal qualities required for operating a successful resort
business. Surprisingly, only 14 suggested business and manage¬
ment skills as necessary ingredients. Two-thirds of the operators
said it was largely a matter of good personal relationships with
the clientele. About two-fifths mentioned the quality of being a
“jack of all trades” (repair and maintenance), while one-eighth
stressed cleanliness. Only two operators felt that prior experience
in the hospitality business was important — probably the same two
who had mentioned their own touristry experience in answering
a prior question!
An interesting comment on this matter of prior occupation
came from a leading official of the Better Resorts Association, a
Rhinelander area resort group that stresses quality service and
good facilities. He said : “Most people in the resort industry know
little or nothing about running an effective resort operation. They
tend to be poor resort managers, even if they were previously
successful in some other type of business.”
Several studies during the early 1960's have indicated that a
resort business was a relatively poor investment, characterized by
low returns in relation to the inputs of labor and money. A re¬
port by Fine and Tuttle, in 1962, for example, indicated that
38% of Wisconsin's vacation-resort enterprises operated at a loss
1973]
Monthey and Zielinski — Vacation Resorts
223
in 1961 ; of those which showed a profit, three-eighths netted
under $2,500. A 1965 report by Staniforth and others of resorts
in the Oneida County area indicated that all measures of income
related to the resort business were low. After deducting costs,
only 25% of the enterprises showed any net return for the labor
and management contributed by the operator, his family, and
other employees (if any). However, the net worth for most of
the resorts studied was rather high, because of the appreciation
in value of lakeshore properties and the low-debt situation of
resort owners themselves.
The following Table 6 indicates the 1966 gross income figures
for 75 of the 103 resorts included in this study.
TABLE 6. GROSS INCOME FOR 1966, AS REPORTED BY
75 RESORT OPERATORS
These data support the conclusion that low income does indeed
characterize the resort industry. In 1966, about 70% of the 75
resorts in this study had a gross income under $5,000 ; and over
half of these (36%) grossed less than $2,000 for the year. The
most likely reasons for this low-income situation appeared to be
as follows ;
(1) the extremely short operating season ;
(2) the small size of resort ;
(3) the low weekly rate charged ;
(4) the lack of supplemental resort income
(other than cottage rentals).
Although Oneida County resorts in this study were open for
business an average of 17 weeks per year, their “effective season”
was generally about 10 to 11 weeks. In fact, most of the operators
questioned said that their family trade (the so-called “bread and
butter” business) started on or after June 21, when school vaca-
224 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
tions begin, and ran through Labor Day (a total of less than 80
days) .
Three-fourths of the resorts surveyed did not have any signifi¬
cant supplemental income besides cottage rentals.* The average
annual per-cottage income for 60 of these resorts came to $605,
or $55 per week for an 11-week season. This group had a mean
cottage number of 4.7 and a mean income per resort of $2,856.
In this study, resort size could not be related, in any significant
way, with the income per cottage. Some small resorts had a rela¬
tively high per-cottage income, while some of the larger estab¬
lishments had a low general figure. For example, resorts with
three cottages per establishment had a range of annual income
per cottage all the way from $97 to $833, while those resorts with
10 or more cottages had income ranging from $417 to $1,100 per
cottage.
With self-service (housekeeping) resorts in Oneida County,
there seemed to be no relationship between gross resort income and
the amount of advertising expenditure per establishment. Further¬
more, there was only a weak relationship between the B.U.
capacity of self-service resorts and the size of their advertising
budgets. In general, those with more than 10 B.U. spent about
twice as much for advertising as those with fewer than ten. But
the mean expenditure for advertising in 1966, based on inter¬
views with 86 of the 103 resorts, was only $160 per establishment.
Only three of these resorts topped the $1,000 level, and 16 spent
nothing on promotion. One used television commercials, two used
radio services, and only eight used newspaper advertising in
their own name. Most of the promotional expense involved high¬
way signs, brochures, and association or chamber of commerce
dues.
In addition to small advertising budgets, Oneida County resorts
allocated a relatively small amount of money for maintenance and
repairs in 1966. On the average, only $900 a year was spent
by 43 resorts in the sample survey. Almost one-half of the es¬
tablishments spent less than $400 for repairs and four-fifths spent
less than $1,000 each in that year.
When asked about their plans for the improvement of existing
(1967) facilities, over three-fifths (63%) of the resort operators
said that they had no such plans. Of the 94 establishments answer¬
ing this question, 25 volunteered the information that they were
thinking about selling their resorts and therefore were not plan¬
ning to improve their facilities.
In this regard, two major handicaps have been the high cost
* The principal source of additional income lies with food and beverage sales. Only
23% of the resorts in this study had either a beer bar or a full liquor license.
1973] Monthey and Zielinski — Vacation Resorts 225
of such improvements and the inability of resort establishments
to obtain long-term loans from their local lending agencies. This
has made it most difficult to build, purchase, expand or modernize
a resort — or even to maintain the quality of the plant. Conse¬
quently, almost no new resorts are now being constructed, and
there is very little expansion and/or modernization of existing
facilities in this County at present.
This study found that almost 90% of the establishments sur¬
veyed were in operation before 1950, and about 70% of the cot¬
tages were built before that date. No new resorts were constructed
during the 1961-67 period, and only a few new cottages were
added. The average land acreage per resort was found to be 32
acres.
Quality classes were established for the 103 resorts studied
in 1967, with the help of information from the town tax assessors.
A summation of these “ratings” is as follows :
Class “A” — Deluxe (modern, excellent condition) _ 7.0%
Class “B” — Modern (fair to good condition) _ 49.0
Class “C” — Semi-Modern (poor to fair condition) _ 37.0
Class “D” — Sub-Modern (very poor condition) _ 7.0
In general, the operators of these establishments tended to rate
their own places higher than did the assessors or the researchers
making this study.
Within Oneida County, there was a considerable variation
among the townships with respect to changes in resort numbers
and capacity between 1950 and 1967. Of the 20 governmental
Towns in the county, 15 lost resorts, two showed no change, and
only one had a net increase during the period ; two Towns had no
resort establishments. Eleven Towns had 20 or more resorts
apiece in 1950, and 9 of these still had 20 or more establishments
in 1967. Two of the largest Towns in area, Minocqua and Three
Lakes, have also been the most important in Oneida’s resort in¬
dustry. Each of them had more than 90 resort-type establishments
in 1950, but both showed sizable decreases by 1967.
Table 7 gives data to show trends for the 11 Towns which had
20 or more resorts apiece in 1950. These Towns contained ap¬
proximately 85% of the county’s resorts in both 1950 and 1967.
They varied considerably in the degree of change that took place
over the 18 years. Only the Town of Nokomis showed a net in¬
crease in resort establishments. Ten of the 11 “resort towns”
showed significant declines, but the net decreases ranged from
8.7% in the Town of Woodruff to 38.5% in the Town of Three
Lakes.
It is interesting to compare the latter with the Town of Minoc¬
qua, the other “big” resort town in Oneida County. According
226 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
TABLE 7. CHANGES IN RESORT NUMBERS AND B.U. CAPACITY FOR
THE LEADING RESORT TOWNS OF ONEIDA
COUNTY (1950-1967).
*This figure is undoubtedly low. since many of the very small (non-commercial) resorts with one or
two cottages did not get tallied during the 1946-1955 period.
to the Board of Health information, each of them had over 90
resort-type establishments in 1950. But, whereas Three Lakes lost
almost 39% of theirs during the period 1950-1967, Minocqua
showed a more modest decrease of about 14%. In terms of bed¬
room units, Three Lakes dropped 29% compared to 14% in
Minocqua.
Zielinski believes that the relative increases in real estate taxes
and property assessments during the 1960’s were important fac¬
tors in the above differences. For example, the Town of Three
Lakes had the highest ratio (0.25) of real estate taxes to gross
resort income for any resort town in the county. Moreover, this
town had the highest assessment ratio (102.2% in 1966) in the
county, almost a four-fold increase over the assessment ratio
(28%) in 1963. This may be why nearly one-half of the town’s
resort operators interviewed in the 1967 survey were planning on
selling their establishments. Almost all of those interviewed re¬
ported increases of several hundred dollars in their 1966 real-estate
tax, compared to the year before.
To summarize this comparison, the Town data showed that
the ratio of resort “dropouts” to resorts still in operation (1966-
1967) was twice as high for the Town of Three Lakes as for
the Town of Minocqua. At the same time, the ratio of real estate
taxes to gross resort income was four times higher in the Town
of Three Lakes than in the Town of Minocqua (0.25 compared to
0.06). This could well be a major factor in the decision of some
owner-operators in the Three Lakes area to go out of the resort
business.
1973] Monthey and Zielinski — Vacation Resorts 227
The primary reason for the large real estate tax increases in
the county during the years following 1960 has been the dramatic
appreciation of market values in lakeshore property. Prominent
realtors in both Rhinelander and Three Lakes reported that lake
frontage in their areas that was selling for $2 to $8 per “front foot”
in 1950 was moving at $40 to $50 by 1967. Since 1960, the rate
of value appreciation of “good” shoreline property has averaged
about 10% a year.
Another factor in tax increases has been the tendency on the
part of local assessors to raise the property assessment, which
had ranged from 20 to 40% of market value, toward the 100%
level throughout northern Wisconsin. This trend toward full valu¬
ation, prompted by state tax authorities, has led to major adjust¬
ments, mostly upward, in the real estate taxes for lakeshore
property. This is particularly true in those townships where a
high percentage of the mercantile tax base consists of riparian
land, particularly lakeshore developments.
Because of the strong demand for recreational real estate
(especially water-based lands), either for private use or long-term
investment, the value of lakeshore property continues to spiral
upward. In recent years, many people have felt sufficiently “well
off” to pay the market price for lakefront lots, despite high taxes,
in order to build a summer cottage, retirement home, or year-
round residence. Others have acquired such property as an invest¬
ment for the future.
On the other hand, many resort establishments that are holding
a large piece of high-tax shoreline, and operating a low return
business thereon, are being encouraged to sell or subdivide their
holdings, usually at a handsome profit. To many resorters, this
has been an attractive alternative to the growing problem of
mounting costs and high property taxes. Oftentimes the price
offered to them for the resort is 50% to 150% higher than their
total investment to date, and this has promoted both real-estate
activity and resort sales.
Resort conversions of this kind have caused a gradual disap¬
pearance of the traditional resort industry in some areas, and
this appears to be the case in several Oneida County townships
at present. Looking ahead, this changing usage and function of
commercial resort-recreation lands could become a major trend
throughout Northern Wisconsin.
REFERENCES
1. MONTHEY, L. G. 1964. The resort industry of Wisconsin. Trans. Wis.
Acad. Sci. Arts Lett. 53(A); 79-94.
2. MONTHEY, L. G. 1970. Trends in Wisconsin’s tourist-lodging industry.
Trans. Wis. Acad. Sci. Arts Lett. 58: 71-99.
MAJOR CAUSE OF ALGAE AND WEEDS IN
LAKE MENDOTA
M. Starr Nichols
University of Wisconsin —
Madison
ABSTRACT
Because of low partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere and the resulting low total solubility, atmospheric
carbon dioxide is not the major source of carbon for algal
and plant growths in hard water lakes. Bicarbonates of calcium
and magnesium in the lake water are the major source. This is
shown by the lowering of the hydrogen ion concentration of the
lake water during extensive growths, causing a rise in pH to 9.5
to 10.0 and above following rapid growth during hot weather. At
times the pH rise causes precipitation of marl deposits in cal¬
careous waters.
The perennial problem of the summer growth of algae and
weeds in Lake Mendota has caused much speculation and comment.
That it is a real problem is attested to by many lake-edge dwellers
and users of this lake for recreational purposes.
The cause is rooted in the process of green plant growth. The
many contributory causes often are spoken of as pollution by
man, and rightfully so in some respects. Green plants grow in
lake waters in the same manner as grass grows on our lawns,
trees grow in the forest, and the corn crop grows in the farmer’s
field. These plant growths, both in water and on land, are im¬
portant to man as the source of the oxygen we breathe and the food
we eat.
The sun is the energy source to produce these growths of green
plants. Photosynthesis is the name of the process by which the
plants capture solar energy. The chlorophylls in algae and aquatic
weeds, using solar energy, convert carbon dioxide and lake water
into extensive growths of plant tissue and at the same time lib¬
erate pure oxygen from the process. The chemical expression of
this conversion is given in the following equation : C02 + 2HL>0 +
chlorophylls + solar energy - > HCOH + H20 + 02 + potential
energy. The HCOH represents the simplest organic compound of the
photosynthetic process. This conversion expressed in pound units
229
230 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
means that 44 pounds of carbon dioxide and 18 pounds of lake
water are converted into 30 pounds of organic plant growth repre¬
sented by HCOH in the equation and 32 pounds of free oxygen
gas. This oxygen becomes, therefore, a part of the oxygen in the
lake or released to the atmosphere which we breathe. It is this
process that maintains the oxygen in the atmosphere at 20.99
per cent by volume. Note that no organic wastes or “pollution”
are involved as such in the process.
SOURCES OF CARBON DIOXIDE
Some of the carbon dioxide used by the green plants growing
in Lake Mendota, comes directly from the air by simple solution.
The quantity of carbon dioxide present in the air by volume is
320 parts per million parts of air. Because of its small vapor pres¬
sure, 0.243 millimeters of mercury (Henry’s Law), only small
amounts become dissolved in the lake water. At 20 C and average
air pressure, only 0.55 parts per million by weight of carbon
dioxide will be dissolved in water. The total amount in the atmos¬
phere is so very great as to constitute by weight about one pound
over every square foot of surface of the earth both land and
water (1) or about 13,000 tons per square mile.
Carbon dioxide in the air is in equilibrium with the carbon
dioxide in all surface water — lakes, rivers, and oceans — on the
earth’s surface. It is from this large reservoir of carbon dioxide
in the atmosphere plus that produced by decay of plant and ani¬
mal residues that green plants with chlorophylls and solar energy
are able to fix, in usable energy packets, the complete energy
food for life on this planet, and the oxygen to use it.
A major source of usable carbon dioxide for the algae and
weeds growing in Lake Mendota water, is found in its alkalinity.
This alkalinity consists of the bicarbonates of calcium and magne¬
sium represented by the following formulae: Ca(HC03)2 and Mg
(HC03) 2 respectively. The ~HC03 of these formulae represent H20
and C02 and it is a part of this C02 which becomes available for
the production of growths of algae and weeds. From the alka¬
linity of 160 pounds per million pounds of lake water there is
available 44 pounds of carbon dioxide for every million pounds of
Lake Mendota water. Since there are 478,370,000 cubic meters of
water in Lake Mendota (2) which expressed in pounds would be
1,000,000,000,000 pounds = 500,000,000 tons. In this 500,000,000
tons of water there would be 22,000 tons of carbon dioxide avail¬
able from bicarbonates for photosynthesis of algae and weeds.
Since 44 pounds of carbon dioxide under the action of chloro¬
phyll and solar energy could produce 30 pounds of algae and weeds,
we have in Lake Mendota waters sufficient carbon dioxide in form
1973] Nichols — Cause of Algae in Lake Mendota 231
of bicarbonates to produce more than 15,000 tons of algae and
weeds. If only carbon dioxide dissolved from the air was avail¬
able, less than 200 tons of algae and weeds could be produced.
The 15,000 tons divided by the acreage on Lake Mendota, 9,728
acres (15.2 sq. miles (2)), gives a crop of 1. 8 tons per acre —
equivalent to a small crop of alfalfa on land.
Note. As the bicarbonate (carbon dioxide) is used by the lake
plants, there is a continuous addition of carbon dioxide from the
air and from carbon dioxide from decay processes. The lowering
of the hydrogen ion concentration of lake water to pH 9 or 10
or higher shows the rapid decrease of bicarbonate ion to approach
only normal carbonates of calcium and magnesium to be present
at times in late summer, when algal growth has been rapid. It
is at this stage of growth that marl formation takes place. During
times of slow growth or no growth, the hydrogen ion concentra¬
tion rises and the pH drops to 7.8 or 8.0 and the bicarbonates of
calcium and magnesium are at least partially formed again.
SOURCES OF OTHER FOOD FOR ALGAE AND WEEDS
Not mentioned in the above conversion equation for photosyn¬
thesis are the 3 pounds of nitrogen, 0.33 of a pound of phosphorus
as compounds, and trace quantities of magnesium and other min¬
erals in solution in the Mendota lake water.
Lake Mendota is partially spring-fed with water containing
nitrate nitrogen. Streams such as Yahara River, Token Creek,
Six-Mile Creek, Pheasant Branch, Merrill Springs Creek and Uni¬
versity Creek furnish drainage water containing bicarbonates,
both nitrogen and phosphorus compounds and small amounts of
other minerals. Rain and snow contribute 8 to 10 pounds of nitro¬
gen in form of compounds each year for every acre of Lake Men-
dota’s surface, or a total of more than 40 tons of actual nitrogen.
Attempts are being made to curtail the input to the lake of
nitrogen and phosphorus from farm operations but the seepage
(base flow) flow found by Minshall, Nichols and Witzel (3)
would add slightly more than one pound of nitrogen per acre
per year from the 89,600 acres (140 square miles) of land
draining into Lake Mendota; this represents 44 tons of nitrogen
as fertilizer loss from farm practice. In addition to this nitrogen
from seepage flow, the amount of phosphorus in farm loss from
seepage flow was found to be 0.09 pounds (1 pound of phos¬
phorus is equivalent to 4.6 pounds P205)* From 140 square miles
of drainage entering Lake Mendota this loss would amount to
four tons of phosphorus per year. The above values were calcu¬
lated from a survey of drainage seepage of Southwestern Wis-
232 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
consin farm land in which sampling was made from streams drain¬
ing 643 square miles during the year 1969. Samples were obtained
when there was no flood flow and represented the basic flow or
seepage flow. Samples were obtained from 38 streams with flows
ranging from two cubic feet per second (over 1.22 million gal¬
lons per day) to 31 cubic feet per second (19 million gallons
per day). Over 500 separate analyses were made.
The amount of fertilizer nitrogen and phosphorus from surface
drainage will be considerably more than from seepage flow. From
another research project by the same workers (4) it was found
that the average loss per acre per year from surface drainage
was 2 pounds of nitrogen and 0.46 pounds of phosphorus. These
values, applied to Lake Mendota drainage waters, would add 89
tons of nitrogen and 20 tons of phosphorus. The drainage areas
of these experiments were planted to corn and were fertilized
with manure only at the time of planting. No cultivation was
used. The percentage of the land in Dane County planted to corn
was given by the Dane County Agricultural Agent, Mr. Thomas
O’Connell, as about 34 percent on the average. Out of 600,000
acres of farm land, 204,000 acres would be planted to corn.
While the values of seepage flow should properly apply to the
drainage into Lake Mendota, the runoff of surface flow might
be less accurate when calculated from a small experimental plot
of 0.1 acre of crop land, as the basis for Lake Mendota fertilizer
input. The values over three calendar years were rather uniform,
however, varying only from 1.25 to 2.8 pounds per acre per year
for nitrogen fertilizer and from 0.3 to 0.55 pounds per acre per
year for phosphorus.
AVERAGE VALUES OF ELEMENTAL
COMPOSITION OF THE BIOSPHERE
The biosphere includes both animal and vegetable living bodies.
The average composition of body substance of the biosphere on
a dry weight basis is given in the following Table 1, calculated
from results given by Edward Deevey Jr. (5).
TABLE 1. ELEMENTS PRESENT IN BIOSPHERE (DRY WEIGHT)
Element
% wt. Element
°7c wt.
Hydrogen _ 0.66
Oxygen _ 52.30
Carbon _ 40.00
Nitrogen _ 0.50
Calcium _ 0.38
Potassium _ 0.26
Silicon _ 1.21
Magnesium _ 0.87
Phosphorus _ 1.26
Sulfur _ 0.45
Aluminum _ 0.56
Total _ 98.55
1973] Nichols — Cause of Algae in Lake Mendota 233
The small percentage not accounted for in this table would in¬
clude elements not determined such as iron, manganese, boron,
zinc, selenium, vanadium, chromium, molybdenum, iodine, fluorine,
copper, sodium and cobalt. It is to be noted that 93 percent of
the weight of growth consists of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen,
the principal constituents of plant carbohydrates such as starch
and cellulose-type compounds of algae and weeds.
Nitrogen and sulfur are essential elements in proteins, and phos¬
phorus is an essential element in metabolism of animal and plant
tissue. One atom of magnesium is needed for each molecule of
chlorophyll Silicon is needed in the shells of diatoms (algae).
Calcium is a principal skeletal element of animals.
SOURCES OF CALCIUM AND MAGNESIUM BICARBONATES
IN LAKE MENDOTA WATER
The natural recycling in soils of waste organic matter such as
animal manures, corn stalks, straw, weeds and other waste or¬
ganic matter by aerobic and anaerobic decay converts the carbon
in these wastes to carbon dioxide. The conversion may be rapid
or slow depending on the availability of soil nutrients and micro¬
bial activity. The carbon dioxide formed by decay is dissolved
by rain water and the carbonic acid formed attacks the calcium
and magnesium carbonates present in the soil naturally or added
as agricultural lime, and as this carbon dioxide charged water
passes deeper, it dissolves the carbonates present in the rock strata
to form the soluble bicarbonates of calcium and magnesium.
These bicarbonate waters are intercepted for our domestic water
supply and the drainage water from soil and springs often con¬
tain large amounts of bicarbonates, as are found in Lake Men¬
dota. Madison city water intercepted at depths of from 200 to
1,000 feet by our deep wells contains nearly double the bicarbo¬
nates of the water of Lake Mendota.
SUMMARY
1. Carbon dioxide and water have always been the principal
quantity of food materials used by algae and weeds and, in fact,
all plant growth; they contribute more than 90 percent of the
weight of these growths in terms of dry weight of tissue.
2. In the absence of carbon dioxide or a deficiency from sources
other than the atmosphere, the low partial pressure of carbon
dioxide in the air limits the rate and quantity of solution of this
gas in lake water to the extent that large and extended blooms
of algae and weed growths would be materially limited. In lakes
with a low bicarbonate content, carbon dioxide could be a critical
factor for extensive growths of algae and weeds.
234 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
3. In the case of Lake Mendota there is an ample supply of
carbon dioxide available in the bicarbonates, while the air acts
only as a slowly available reservoir.
4. Minerals such as nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur and traces
of many other elements must be in adequate supply in these bi¬
carbonate waters, if growths of algae and weeds occur in sufficient
quantity to become a nuisance.
5. There seems to be an adequate supply of phosphorus and
nitrogen in Lake Mendota water from drainage into the lake from
farm land, through precipitation (rain and snow), and from
springs flowing into the lake at the bottom. Nitrogen and phos¬
phorus are also furnished by a rapid recycling of these elements
and their compounds. Phosphorus is available for metabolic ac¬
tivity of growing algae. Both phosphorus and nitrogen become
readily available through active decomposition of dead algae and
weed substance by organisms of decay. These decay processes
are active continuously both day and night and summer and win¬
ter (but less active in cold temperatures).
6. While the use of fertilizers are necessary for world food
production, agriculturists are cognizant of the losses by land
drainage. Contour plowing is one of the steps already taken by
many farmers to retain fertilizers not immediately used by plants,
and to prevent erosion losses. Current practices for manure han¬
dling also help to keep drainage levels low.
REFERENCES
1. BOLIN, BERT. 1970. The carbon cycle. Sci. Amer. 223 (Sept.) : 124.
2. NEESS, JOHN C., WILLIAM W. BUNGE, JR. 1956. Unpublished manu¬
script of E. A. Birge on the Temperature of Lake Mendota. Part 1.
Trans. Wis. Acad. Sci. Arts and Lett. 45: 193-237.
3. MINSHALL, NEAL, M. STARR NICHOLS, and S. A. WITZEL. 1969.
Plant nutrients in base flow of streams in southwestern Wisconsin.
Geophys. Union, Water Resources Res. 5: 706-713.
4. MINSHALL, NEAL, STANLEY A. WITZEL, and M. STARR NICHOLS.
1970. Stream enrichment from farm operations. Proc. Amer. Soc.
Civil Engin., Sanit. Engin. Div. 96: 513-524.
5. DEEVEY, EDWARD JR. 1970. Mineral cycles. Sci. Amer. 223 (Sept.) :
148.
ISOLATION AND CHARACTERISTICS OF A POSSIBLE
ALLELOPATHIC FACTOR SUPPORTING THE DOMINANT
ROLE OF HIERACIUM AURANTIACUM IN THE
BRACKEN -GRASSLANDS OF NORTHERN WISCONSIN
Dana S. Dawes and N. C. Maravolo
Lawrence University—
Appleton
Possible allelopathic effects of Hieracium aurantiacum were in¬
vestigated to elucidate their role in stabilizing the bracken-grass¬
lands. These areas, where Hieracium is common, displayed im¬
paired invasion by the tree species characteristic of the northern
forests.
Extraction and chromatography of soil taken from Hieracium
stands in Vilas County, Wisconsin contained seven phenolic com¬
pounds. Extraction of sand in which Hieracium had grown showed
these same seven substances. Three of these were tentatively iden¬
tified as ferulic acid, vanillic acid, and umbelliferone. Bioassays
with Abies balsamea, Lactuca saliva, and Pinus strobus consistently
revealed the presence of several active inhibitors of both germina¬
tion and hypocotyl growth. At least two of these were non-
phenolic. Other active fractions were correlated with the presence
of phenolic compounds.
Abies and Pinus seeds planted and grown in sand which had pre¬
viously supported Hieracium had normal germination and shoot
growth; however, survival was greatly reduced in both species.
The possible physiological action of the phenolic inhibitors is
considered, particularly their role in hormonal control and mineral
nutrition.
INTRODUCTION
In northern Wisconsin there is a prairie community dominated
by bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum) , and the grasses Danthonia
spicata, Bromus kalmii, Agropyron trachycaulum, and Oryzopsis
asp eri folia. Curtis (1959) defines this as the bracken-grassland
(Fig. 1). Following glaciation, most of this area was forested.
These openings probably originated with the intensive logging and
subsequent fires in the late 1800’s. Since that time, much of the
cleared area has undergone natural succession, invasion of trees,
235
236
Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
FIGURE 1 (Top) — Bracken-grassland in Vilas County, Wisconsin.
FIGURE 2 (Bottom) — Hieracium aurantiacum, common orange hawkweed
1973]
Dawes and Mar avoid — Bracken-Grasslands
237
and gradual return to xeric or dry-mesic forest. The bracken-
grassland has remained free of trees. One of the proposed explana¬
tions for this stability is the introduction by established plants of
a chemical agent detrimental to the other species (Levy, 1970).
This allelopathic agent could affect either the germination or the
growth of other species, or both. This, in turn, would hinder the
migration, ecesis, or competition of these plants so as to retard
succession (Muller, 1966). Allelopathy may also alter the species
composition by only allowing the establishment of tolerant species
(Whittaker and Feeny, 1971).
Curtis suggested that several important bracken-grassland spe¬
cies may affect the community in the former way. One of these was
Hieracium aurantiacum, common orange hawkweed (Fig. 2). Al¬
though Hieracium aurantiacum was not considered a dominant
species by Curtis, he found it in 63% of the areas studied. Levy
(1970), working with three similar community types in the same
region of northern Wisconsin, found frequency values for Hiera¬
cium of 100, 100, and 87%.
Curtis suggested that Hieracium obtained complete local domi¬
nance through production of a potent allelopathic agent. Guyot
(1957) observed a similar pattern of dominance in another mem¬
ber of the same genus, H. pilosella. It has been reported that water
soluble substances which inhibit the germination and growth of
other species have been extracted from soil in which this species,
as well as two other Hieracium species had grown (Becker and
Guyot, 1951a and b).
This evidence suggests that allelopathic agents may be present
in the soil near Hieracium and that these compounds may play an
important role in preventing the establishment of trees in the
bracken-grassland. This would account for the preservation of the
pioneer community, but no conclusive evidence supporting the sug¬
gestion exists.
The most common method of demonstrating allelopathic effects
employs a bioassay, based upon defined responses by biological
material exposed to suspected compounds. An assay analyzing
the germination and growth of selected seeds was used in this
study. The most meaningful bioassays for allelopathy are those
which employ plant species likely to be found near the suspected
plant in the field. Preliminary work was done in and around the
bracken-grasslands to determine the species of trees most likely to
invade the areas.
Soil was removed from Hieracium stands, extracted, and assayed
for the presence of allelopathic substances. To show conclusively
that these compounds were produced by Hieracium alone, a similar
238 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
extraction was done of washed sand in which isolated Hieracium
plants had grown.
Whittaker (1971) suggested that allelopathic substances gener¬
ally fall into two major chemical groups, each associated with a
particular macroclimate. In arid regions, terpenes and related
volatile inhibitors predominate (Whittaker, 1971; Muller, 1965;
Muller, Lorber, and Haley, 1968; Muller and del Moral, 1966).
Phenolic compounds are prevalent in more humid areas (Whit¬
taker, 1971; Whittaker and Feeny, 1971). The bracken-grasslands
areas in Wisconsin are located in an area with high humidity, and
moderately high rainfall (105 days per year with at least 0.01
inches of rain, Curtis, 1959). It seemed probable that if allelo¬
pathic agents were being produced by Hieracium, they were
phenolic.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
During September, 1971 a survey was made of 12 bracken-
grasslands, primarily in Vilas County, Wisconsin. At each site,
the primary tree species surrounding the area were identified, and
the nature of the upper soil horizon determined.
At a large bracken-grassland near Boulder Junction, Wisconsin
several 6250 cm3 soil samples were taken from under heavy stands
of Hieracium. The samples were kept on ice, returned to the labo¬
ratory and then frozen to slow microbial decomposition. Prior to
use these samples were air-dried at room temperature for a mini¬
mum of three days.
Intact H. aurantiacum plants were collected from a site near
New London, Wisconsin. The plants were rinsed with tap water,
and transplanted to quartz sand, which had been washed in 2M
HC1 followed by several rinses of distilled water. The plants were
watered twice weekly with Hoaglund’s nutrient solution and at
other times with tapwater.
The removal of the phenolic compounds from the soil and the
sand was based on a modification of the technique developed by
McPherson, Chou, and Muller (1971). This process is based on
the principle that phenolic compounds are more soluble in base
than in acid; and that when subsequently extracted in a diethyl
ether-acid partition, the phenols will be more soluble in the ether.
Phenols are readily recovered from ether by drying.
A 100 g sample of air-dried soil or sand was first screened to
remove plant material and large soil particles. One hundred-fifty
milliliters of 95% ethanol were added and the pH of the solution
adjusted to 13.0 with 2M NaOH.
The soil-alcohol suspension was placed in a mechanical shaker
for 24 hr. The pH was periodically readjusted to 13.0. After re-
1973]
Datves and Maravolo — Bracken-Grasslands
239
moval from the shaker, the suspension was centrifuged for 10 min
at 1,500 x g to remove suspended soil particles. The pH of the
supernatant fluid was adjusted to 7.0 with 2M HC1, and the fluid
then dried for 24 hr at 65 C. The residue was ground to a powder
and added to a flask containing 100 ml each of 2M HC1 and diethyl
ether. The ether layer, containing the phenols, was separated and
dried at room temperature. This residue was redissolved in 10 ml
of methanol for chromatography.
The methanolic solution was applied to 7.5 x 57 cm strips of
Whatman #3 chromatography paper. The phenols were separated
by descending chromatography in 2% aqueous acetic acid (v/v).
After the solvent front had reached the bottom of the paper, the
chromatogram was removed and dried overnight at room tempera¬
ture.
Abies balsamea and Pinas strobus seeds were obtained from
F. W. Schumacher Company (Sandwich, Massachusetts). Before
use, the seeds were vernalized to break dormancy, by refrigerat¬
ing the seeds at 4 C for at least two months.
The bioassays for allelopathic agents were a modification of the
technique of McPherson, et al. (1971). Each chromatogram was
divided into 10 5.0 cm fractions and each fraction into 25 cm2
squares. These paper squares were placed on sponge pads (6 x 6 x
1 cm) in petri plates (Muller, 1965). Seeds from Abies, Pinas or
Lactuca were placed on top of the paper. Another sponge was
placed over the seeds to insure contact with the paper. Untreated
Whatman #3 paper served as a control. After adding 20 ml of
distilled water, the petri plates were sealed with tape to prevent
desiccation. Three replicates were made of every experiment and
incubated at 18 C and 85% relative humidity during the bioassay.
The duration of the bioassay varied with the species used. Abies
and Pinas seeds were treated for three weeks; Lactuca for four
days. Lactuca seeds were used to provide a rapid estimation of
general toxicity.
At the end of the treatment period, the total numbers of germi¬
nated and ungerminated seeds were determined and the mean
germination percentage calculated. Hypocotyl (root) length of
each germinated seed was determined to the nearest 0.1 cm for
the two tree species, and average values were calculated.
The effects of possible soil-borne allelopathic agents on later
seedling growth were investigated by using sand in which Hiera-
cium had grown as a substrate for seedlings. Similar sand which
had not supported Hieracium was used as a control. After the
intact Hieracium plants had been carefully removed, 10 tree seeds
of either Abies or Pinas were placed 1 cm deep in the sand of
each pot. Five replicates were made of each. These seeds were
240 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
maintained in the greenhouse and watered twice weekly with
Hoaglund’s solution.
After three months, total germination and mean height (near¬
est 0.1 cm) were determined. A determination was also made of
the number of seeds that had germinated but later died. These
data were compared with the total germination to measure the
degree of seedling mortality.
The identification of phenols in the Hieracium soil extracts es¬
tablished by spraying the chromatogram first with 20% aqueous
Na2C03 and then with 25% (v/v) aqueous Folin-Ciocalteau re¬
agent (Krebs, Heusser, and Wimmer, 1969). The characterization
of the individual phenols was based on three additional criteria:
fluorescence under ultraviolet (UV) light of wavelengths 253 nm
and 366 nm, and Rf values. As each chromatogram was examined,
the location, and color and intensity of each phenolic fraction was
noted, and identified as phenol A to G.
Many phenols have been implicated in allelopathy. These include
caffeic acid (del Moral and Muller, 1969), para-coumaric acid
(Muller, et al., 1968; del Moral and Muller, 1970; Hanawalt, 1971),
ferulic acid (del Moral and Muller, 1970; McPherson, et ah, 1971),
hydroquinone (McPherson, et al., 1971; Hanawalt, 1971), para-
hydroxybenzoic acid (McPherson, et al., 1971; McCalla, 1971),
syringic acid (McPherson, et al., 1971; McCalla, 1971), 7-hydroxy-
coumarin (umbelliferone) (McPherson, et al., 1971), and vanillic
acid (McPherson, et al., 1971; McCalla, 1971).
The fluorescence and Rf values in 2% acetic acid of samples of
each of these eight common allelopathic phenols were established
and compared with those of the substrate isolates.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Populus tremuloides , P. grandidentata, Betula papyrifera, Abies
balsamea, Pinus strobus, and P. resinosa occurred most frequently
in the forests immediately surrounding the bracken-grasslands.
The two Populus species were the only trees that had invaded the
grasslands to any extent. Some Abies and a very few Pinus strobus
were seen. The upper soil horizons varied from loamy sands to
sandy clay loams.
The results of the Lactuca seed bioassay (Fig. 3) showed de¬
creased germination in all fractions. Germination was greatly re¬
duced in fractions 1, 3, 4, 6, and 7. It was also reduced, to a lesser
extent, in fraction 9. Fraction 6 had the lowest germination per¬
centage. Figures 4 and 5 depict the results of the Abies bioassay
of chromatogram fractions. The presence of fractions 1, 5, 7 and
10 slightly enhanced germination. Fractions 4 and 9 reduced ger¬
mination slightly, and fractions 3, 6, and 8 reduced germination
1973]
Dawes and Maravolo — Bracken-Grasslands
241
100
80
60
40
20
1
3 4
6 7 8 9 10
FRACTION
FIGURE 3. Effects of chromatographic fractions on the germination
of Lactuca sativa after four days.
by a large degree. Again fraction 6 had the lowest per cent germi¬
nation. There was no germination in fraction 2 for this species.
The Pinus strobus bioassay (Fig. 6) reduced germination in all
samples. Germination was inhibited by more than 50% by frac¬
tions 1, 3, 4, 6, and 10. Fractions 3 (Rf 0.2-0. 3), 6 (0.5-0. 6) and
9 (0.8-0. 9) inhibited germination in all three species.
All fractions except 3 reduced hypocotyl growth of Abies, com¬
pared with controls. The most inhibitory fraction was 9; 5 and
242 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
FRACTION
FIGURE 4. Germination of Abies balsamea on chromatogram fractions
after three weeks.
6 also reduced growth by at least 20%. Pinus hypocotyl growth
was enhanced by fractions 2, 4, 8, and 9, but markedly reduced
in 1, 5, and 10.
Sand that had supported Hieracium for six weeks slightly en¬
hanced Abies germination, but reduced that of Pinus (Table 1).
Mean heights of Abies and Pinus were reduced by 8 and 11%
respectively. Study of Abies seedling mortality revealed that, ah
1973]
D caves and Maravolo — Bracken-Grasslands
243
FIGURE 5. Hypocotyl growth of Abies balsamea seeds exposed to
chromatogram fractions for three weeks.
though 90% of the control seedlings survived for three months,
only 62% of the experimental seedlings did. Pinus survival reached
80% in the controls, but only 27% in the experimental seedlings.
Seven phenols were detected with the Na^COs/Folin-Ciocalteau
spray in extracts from both field soil and washed sand in which
tiieracium had grown. The Rf values in 2% acetic acid and UV
characteristics for these isolates are summarized in Table 2 ; char-
244 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
FRACTION
FIGURE 6. Germination of Pinus strohus seeds exposed to chromato¬
gram fractions for three weeks.
acteristics for eight known allelopathic phenols appear in Table 3.
On this basis, three of the seven phenolic isolates were tentatively
identified. The mean Rf for ferulic acid was 0.36; that of phenol
A, 0.34. Both bands were blue or light blue under both UV wave¬
lengths. Umbelliferone (7-hydroxycoumarin) , Rf 0.57, resembled
phenol D (Rf 0.60) under UV. Vanillic acid, Rf 0.63, and isolate
E, Rf 0.63, both absorbed short (253 nm) UV, but E was not de-
1973]
Dawes and Maravolo — Bracken-Grasslands
245
TABLE 1— PER CENT GERMINATION, AVERAGE HEIGHT, AND
SEEDLING SURVIVAL AFTER THREE MONTHS OF
A. BALSAMEA AND P. STROBUS
TABLE 2— CHARACTERISTICS OF UNKNOWN PHENOLIC COM¬
POUNDS ISOLATED FROM HIERACIUM SUBSTRATE
detected.
tected in long* (366 nm) UV. Perhaps this reflected concentration
differences.
Chromatographic fraction 6, which strongly inhibited germina¬
tion in all three species, included phenolic isolates C and D (um-
belliferone) . The inhibition by fractions 4 and 5 correlated with
the phenols A and B respectively. Compounds E and F appeared
in fraction 7, and G in fraction 8. Although fractions 3 and 9 in¬
hibited germination in Lactuca, Abies, and Finns, neither re¬
sponded positively to the Na2C03/Folin-Ciocalteau reagent. The
inhibitory effect of phenols on germination has been well docu¬
mented (Abdul-Wahab and Rice, 1967; McPherson, et al., 1971).
246 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
Key to abbreviations used, abs — absorbs light, It — light.
The physiological mechanism through which the phenols affect
germination is less clearly understood.
The correlative influence of hormones is paramount in mediating
germination. Gibberellin activity is especially important in seeds
possessing complex mechanisms of dormancy. Exogenously ap¬
plied gibberellins can break seed dormancy in several species.
Increasing levels of endogenous gibberellins have been associ¬
ated with release from dormancy (Wareing, 1969). If the in¬
hibitors isolated in this study affect gibberellins, they would in¬
directly influence germination. Corcoran (1971) demonstrated
that when several tannin-related plant phenols were applied to
intact plants, they acted as gibberellin antagonists; they negated
the effect of exogenously applied gibberellins. This same principle
may be expressed during germination, causing the observed de¬
crease in germination.
Fractions 1, 5, 6, and 10 inhibited hypocotyl growth of the two
tree species; Abies growth was not inhibited to as great of an ex¬
tent as Pinus, Because fraction 10 contained no Folin-Ciocalteau
positive compounds, the inhibition there must be due to a non-
phenolic compound. The origin compound (fraction 1) gave a pos¬
itive reaction to the reagent and showed some biological activity.
Fractions 5 and 6 also reduced growth. These latter fractions con¬
tained three phenolic compounds.
As with germination, the inhibitory effects of phenols on hypo¬
cotyl growth has been well demonstrated. Vazquez, et al. (1968)
have shown that umbelliferone inhibited the root growth of sev¬
eral woody species. Wang, et al. (1967) observed that vanillic
and ferulic acids inhibited both root and shoot growth of several
agricultural species. McPherson, et al. (1971) demonstrated that
1973]
Daives and Maiuvolo — Bracken-Grasslands
247
several phenols, including- umbelliferone, ferulic acid, and vanillic
acid suppressed hypocotyl growth of Lactuca sativa.
The physiological basis for this response is probably also based
upon hormonal balance. The most important hormone involved
with root growth is auxin (Thimann, 1969). Phenols are well
known to interfere with auxin balance by either inhibiting or
enhancing auxin oxidation (Waygood and MacLachlan, 1961).
Consequently, some phenols increase auxin levels, others decrease
them (Tomaszewski and Thimann, 1966). This situation seems
to be expressed by Pinus (Fig. 7). Fractions 2, 4, and 9 elicited
greatly increased hypocotyl growth. The lack of any detectable
phenolic activity in fraction 2 suggests that the enhancement in
this fraction might be due to a non-phenolic compound. The inhi¬
bition by fraction 10 was also apparently due to a non-phenolic
substance.
Germination of Abies and Pinus seeds in Hieracium sand was
not reduced; total growth was reduced slightly (Table 1). Seed¬
ling mortality was increased by more than three times in Pinus
and four times in Abies . Germination followed by death has been
reported in Panicum reptans and Euphorbia renif ormis when
these seeds are exposed to allelopathic agents in the soil (Holm,
1971). Buchholtz (1971) postulates that the intact plant may be
affected because nutrient uptake is affected by allelopathy. Knypl
(1970) found that coumarin, a compound closely related to these
phenols, caused chlorosis in cucumber cotyledons. This chlorosis
was overcome by the addition of KC1 to the substrate. The enzy¬
matic and structural role of inorganic ions in plant growth makes
these responses understandable. If seed-stored ions are quickly
consumed during germination and no supplement made available,
death would occur within the course of the bioassay.
These experiments have shown that Hieracium aurantiacum
releases, through some means yet unelucidated, at least seven
phenolic compounds, as well as several non-phenolic ones, into the
soil. Several of these compounds are detrimental to the germina¬
tion, growth, and survival of Abies balsamea and Pinus strobus.
Several other genera important to the bracken-grasslands demon¬
strate some degree of allelopathic activity: Agropyron (Levy,
1970) ; Antennaria (Woods, 1960) ; Aster (Woods, 1960) ;
Erigeron (Woods, 1960) ; Pteridium aquilinum (Levy, 1970;
Whitehead, 1964) ; and Solidago (Woods, 1960). This widespread
occurrence of allelopathy probably has a profound influence on
succession and partially explains the stability of the bracken-
grasslands.
The principal trees invading these areas were Populus grandi-
dentata and P. tremuloides. Abies balsamea and Pinus strobus
248 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
FRACTION
FIGURE 7. Effect of chromatogram fractions on hypocotyl growth of
Pinus strobus after three weeks.
occurred with less frequency. This may, to some extent, reflect the
influence of allelopathy. Except under special conditions, the two
Populus species do not grow from seed. Instead, reproduction
usually derives from suckers, shoots which develop on horizontal
roots of established trees. Examination of the possible inhibitory
effects of allelopathic agents on aspen sucker growth, while an
intriguing problem, is beyond the scope of these studies.
1973] Dawes and Maravolo — Bracken-Grasslands 249
Of the tree species used in these studies, Abies was least affected
by the allelopathic agents. Seed germination, seedling growth, and
survival were all suppressed less than in Finns (Fig. 4-7, Table 1).
This was supported by field observations. While both of these
species occur in low numbers, Abies is much more common than
Finns. A similar report of succession paralleling tolerance to
allelopathic agents has been made by Rice (1971).
Certainly other important processes affect invasion of bracken-
grasslands by trees. Many of these areas possess strong relief, and
form ideal basins for cold air drainage, forming frost pockets. The
lower leaves of aspen growing in these areas are often injured by
frost. Abies , which invades the grasslands in small numbers, is
the most frost-resistant tree in the region. A substrate consisting
of a dense mat of plant litter is often present, which could prevent
other seeds from reaching the soil. Locally high temperature may
also retard tree growth. Community dynamics may also be in¬
fluenced by small mammals and birds. The relative importance of
each of these factors probably varies from one locale to the other
(Levy, 1970). In some rare areas, all of them may combine to
exclude trees.
With techniques for elucidating allelopathic effects so well devel¬
oped, the phenomenon of allelopathy and its role in bracken-
grassland stability warrant further investigation. Conclusive iden¬
tification and quantification of the phenolic and non-phenolic
inhibitors produced by Hieracium are needed, as well as further
evidence of allelopathy by the other genera implicated. A determi¬
nation of the physiological modes of action of these compounds is
also needed.
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MULLER, C. H. 1966. The role of chemical inhibition (allelopathy) in vege-
tational composition. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club. 93: 332-351.
- , and R. del MORAL. 1966. Soil toxicity induced by terpenes from
Salvia leucophylla. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club. 93 : 130-137.
- , R. B. HANAWALT, and J. K. McPHERSON. 1968. Allelopathic
control of herb growth in the fire cycle of California chaparral. Bull. Tor¬
rey Bot. Club. 95: 225-231.
- , P. LORBER, and B. HALEY. 1968. Volatile growth inhibitors pro¬
duced by Salvia leucophylla: Effect on seedling growth and respiration.
Bull. Torrey Bot. Club. 95: 415-427.
RICE, E. L. 1971. Some possible roles of inhibitors in old-field succession,
p. 128-132. in Biochemical Interactions Among Plants, National Academy
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THIMANN, K. V. 1969. The auxins, p. 1-45. in Malcolm B. Wilkins (ed.)
The Physiology of Plant Growth and Development. McGraw-Hill, New
York.
TOMASZEWSKI, M. and K. V. THIMANN. 1966. Interactions of phenolic
acids, metallic ions, and chelating agents on auxin-induced growth. Plant
Physiol. 41 : 1443-1454.
VAZQUEZ, A., J. MENDEZ, M. D. GESTO, E. SEOANCE, and E. VIEITEZ.
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WANG, T. and T. CHUANG. 1967. Soil phenolic acids as plant growth
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1973]
Dawes and Maravolo — Bracken-Grasslands
251
WAYGOOD, E. R., and G. A. MacLACHLAN. 1961. Inhibition and retarda¬
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WHITEHEAD, D. C. 1964. Identification of p-hydroxybenzoic, p-coumaric,
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WHITTAKER, R. H. 1971. The chemistry of communities, p. 10-18. in Bio¬
chemical Interactions among Plants. National Academy of Sciences,
Washington.
WHITTAKER, R. H. and P. P. FEENY. 1971. Allelochemics : chemical inter¬
actions between species. Science. 171: 757-770.
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Bot. Rev. 26: 546-569.
DETERMINATION OF MERCURY LEVELS IN WISCONSIN
RESIDENTS: A PROJECT INVOLVING SECONDARY
SCHOOL STUDENTS
Leon M. Zaborowski
University of Wisconsin —
River Falls
ABSTRACT
One of the many questions concerning mercury in the environ¬
ment is the extent of mercury contamination in humans. To
determine the level of contamination of Wisconsin residents, hair
samples were obtained from 200 high school students throughout
the state. After decomposition of the hair, mercury content was
found by flameless atomic absorption. Hair shampoos were tested
as possible sources of mercury.
INTRODUCTION
A great deal of concern has been generated in the past few years
as a result of the pollution of much of the environment by mercury
(1-6). Since 1950 there have been a number of instances of acci¬
dental mercury poisonings from the ingestion of contaminated
food. However, these were considered to be localized problems and
it was not until 1970 that the general public came to realize the
widespread nature of this problem. It is now known that a good
percentage of the lakes and rivers in this country contain signifi¬
cant amounts of this element and that regular consumption of fish
from contaminated waterways can lead to elevated and possibly
dangerous levels of mercury in humans.
A recent report by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Re¬
sources (7) pointed out the contamination of the Flambeau, Wis¬
consin, Chippewa, and Menominee Rivers and Lake Superior by
mercury. (Fig. 1). Based on this information it has been suggested
that people avoid eating fish from these waters more than once a
week. Because of the widespread nature of this highly toxic en¬
vironmental pollutant and its long half-life in the human system
(roughly two months), it is important to determine the level of
mercury contamination in man. To find out what has been happen¬
ing in the State of Wisconsin, contact was made with at least one
253
254 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
high school chemistry class in every county in the state to get four
samples per class for analysis.
Testing people for mercury can be done in a number of ways.
Samples of urine or blood can be analyzed; however, obtaining
200 to 300 of these samples through the mail is not practical.
Sampling people by use of a lock of hair is more feasible. Hair
readily picks up mercury from the body because of the presence
of sulfhydryl groups in its protein. Reaction of these groups with
dimethyl mercury, an extremely toxic form of mercury which is
now believed to be formed in the environment by the action of cer¬
tain bacteria on elemental mercury, can be written as :
2RSH »+ (CH3)2Hg - >- Hg(SR) 2 + 2CH4
1973] Zaborowski — Mercury Levels in Students 255
Because hair does not interact chemically with the body once it
grows out of the scalp, it constitutes a calendar of body chemistry.
However, it seems reasonable to assume that the average person’s
contact with mercury is relatively constant; thus any section of
hair should give a representative result.
The analysis of the hair, or any other appropriate material, for
mercury can be done by flameless atomic absorption. Prior to
analysis the sample is decomposed in concentrated sulfuric acid and
hydrogen peroxide followed by treatment with water and potassium
permanganate. After decomposition of excess permanganate with
hydroxylamine hydrochloride the Hg2+ is reduced to elemental
mercury by reaction with Sn2+ :
Sn2+ + Hg2+ - ^ Sn4+ + Hg°f
At this point air is bubbled through the sample solution and the
mercury vapor is carried through the cell and the instrument read.
EXPERIMENTAL
A Coleman MAS-50 Flameless Atomic Absorption Instrument
was used (any commercial or home-made spectrophotometer can
be used ; however, there must be ample room in the lamp compart¬
ment for placement of the absorption cell (8-10). For home-made
instruments a BOD bottle or glass acid bottle, of about 300 ml
volume, with a ground glass neck fitted with a fritted glass bubbler
can be used as a sample bottle).
The following chemicals were needed: 98% H>S04 ; 30% H;02 ;
0.15% NHoOH-HCl solution; 10% SnCL in 0.5 N H2S04. The
following mercury free solutions were needed (available from
Coleman Instruments) : 5% KMn04; 18 N H2S04; 4 N HN03;
0.15% NH20H-HC1; 10% SnCL ; mercury standard containing
1 jug Hg per ml.
The analyzer was standardized over the range to be used (0.1
to 3.0 ng is reasonable) by preparing samples with known total
mercury and noting the per cent transmittance. The Coleman
mercury free reagents were used to prepare the standard solutions.
The desired microgram amount of mercury standard was pipetted
into the sample bottle followed by the addition of 115 ml of distilled
water, 5 ml each of Coleman HN03 and Coleman H2S04. The solu¬
tion was then treated drop wise with Coleman 5% KMn04, with
swirling, to a “permanent” purplish-red color. Five ml of Coleman
NHoOH-HCl solution was added with swirling. After this addi¬
tion, if the sample did not turn clear in about 15 seconds,
NH2OH-HCl crystals were added until an uncolored solution was
obtained. Finally, 5 ml of Coleman SnCl2 solution was added and
the bubbler immediately inserted, making sure that the stopper
256 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
provided a good seal. The lowest per cent transmittance (% T)
was recorded.
Since mercury free reagents were not used (except for the
KMn04) on all the collected samples (for the sake of economy),
a blank was run to determine the mercury content of the laboratory
reagents. Twenty-five ml of concentrated H2S04 and 2 ml of 30 %
H202 were added to the sample bottle and warmed in a water pan
on a hot plate at 100 C for 4 hours, followed by cooling to room
temperature in an ice bath. Then 100 ml distilled water was slowly
added, in increments, while cooling. The solution was treated drop-
wise with Coleman 5% KMn04 to the “permanent” purplish-red
color and NH2OHHCl added, followed by SnCl2 as directed above,
and the reading taken.
The accurately weighed (to the nearest 0.0001 g) 0.1-0.2 g
sample of hair was used (roughly the amount in an average spit-
curl). It had been freshly washed, as hair sprays, tonic, etc. could
introduce a weight error. To the sample, in a 50 ml volumetric
flask or other suitable container, was added 25 ml concentrated
H2S04 and 2 ml of 30% H202, followed by warming to 60-70 C in
a water pan on a hot plate for % hr. The solution should finally
be pale yellow. After cooling, the solution was carefully washed
into a sample bottle with 100 ml of distilled water, cooled and
treated dropwise with the KMn04 solution to a “permanent”
purplish-red color. The analysis was completed with addition of
NH2OH*HCl and SnCl2 as described in the standardization section,
and the reading taken.
Once the standard samples had been run the transmittance data
were converted to log (1/%T) and plotted vs micrograms of
mercury, with a straight line resulting. The micrograms Hg in the
blank and in the samples were then determined from the graph.
The micrograms Hg in the blank was subtracted from the micro¬
grams Hg in each sample, the difference divided by the sample
weight to yield ppm Hg in the sample.
RESULTS
It is difficult to state a definite upper limit of safety regarding
the mercury level in humans. In addition, different individuals are
affected to a varying degree by the same mercury level. Ten parts
per million of Hg in hair is sometimes used as a guide, higher con¬
centrations indicating above normal contact with mercury. For
example, dental assistants have shown mercury levels of 12-45
ppm. A large sampling of the general public would show concen¬
trations of up to 7 ppm as common and persons who eat sea food
regularly as high as 40 ppm. Mercury poisoning occurs at about
1973]
Zaborowski — Mercury Levels in Students
257
PPM Hg (1970
FIGURE 2
175 ppm and above. Some symptoms of poisoning include loosening
of the teeth; tingling of hands, feet, or lips; ataxia; constricted
visual field; and emotional disturbances (11, 12).
The results of analyzing over 200 Wisconsin students showed
that the vast majority of them fell in the normal range with the
mode falling between 0 and 2 ppm (Fig. 2). Ten samples gave
results in the range of 21 to 68 ppm with one high value at 137
ppm. Some of these high results are in question as they came from
small hair samples, thus increasing the possibility of experimental
error. It is interesting to note that many of the hair samples high
in mercury came from people living close to one of those state
waters reported to contain fish high in that element. For example,
two samples from Wausau yielded values of 22.3 and 57.2 ppm.
One source of error in testing hair for mercury was the possibility
of contamination from mercurials, if present, in some hair sham¬
poos which might react with the hair surfaces. Tests of fifteen
different brands showed thirteen to contain essentially no mercury,
while two brands had 1.5 and 3.1 ppm Hg, levels low enough to
be considered insignificant.
258 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
REFERENCES CITED
1. AARONSON, TERRI. 1971. Mercury in the environment, Environment,
13: 16.
2. BOYLE, ROBERT H. 1971. The catch is, should you eat it? Sports Illus.
35 (July 12) : 46.
3. Environment Staff Report. 1971. Mercury in the air, Environment 13: 28.
4. GOLDWATER, LEONARD J. 1971. Mercury in the environment, Sci.
Amer., 224 (May) : 15.
5. GRANT, NEVILLE. 1971. Mercury in man, Environment 13: 2.
6. Mercury: Anatomy of a pollution problem, 1971 Chem. Eng. News, 49
(July 5) : 22.
7. KLEINERT, STANTON J., and DEGURSE, PAUL E. 1971. Mercury
levels in fish from selected Wisconsin waters, Research Report 73,
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
8. HATCH, W. RONALD, and OTT, WELLARD L. 1968. Determination
of submicrogram quantities of mercury by atomic absorption spec¬
trophotometry, Anal Chem. 40: 2085.
9. KLEIN, DAVID H. 1972. Some general and analytical aspects of environ¬
mental mercury contamination, J. Chem. Ed., 49, 7.
10. RECHNITZ, G. A. 1962. Simplified atomic absorption spectrophotometer,
J. Chem. Ed., 39: 475.
11. STECHER, P. G. (Ed), The Merck Index, 8th ed., Rahway, New Jersey:
Merck and Company, Inc., 1968, p. 662.
12. WEAST, R. C., Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 47th ed., Cleveland,
Ohio: The Chemical Rubber Company, 1966, p. B-120.
NITRATE CONTENT OF WELL WATER IN
WEST-CENTRAL WISCONSIN
Milan W. Wehking, James W. Pavlik,
Paul Strege and Dawn Gilles
University of Wisconsin —
River Falls
ABSTRACT
As a matter of local concern, a survey of wells in Pierce and St.
Croix Counties in west-central Wisconsin was undertaken. A total
of 124 wells in the two county area were included in the survey.
The nitrate content of these well waters was in the range 0-124
p.p.m. with an average value of 23.0 p.p.m. Of the wells sampled 20
(16.5%) were found to contain nitrate in excess of 45 p.p.m.
Examination of the data acquired on the water from these wells
revealed an inverse relationship between nitrate content and well
depth. The average depth of wells yielding water containing less
than 45 p.p.m. nitrate was 249 feet. Wells containing more than
45 p.p.m. averaged 188 feet. Further examination of the data
revealed that 26.3% of the wells with depths of 150 feet or less
yielded water with a nitrate content in excess of 45 p.p.m. In con¬
trast, only 12.2% of the wells with depths greater than 150 feet
exceeded this value.
The relationship observed was not perfect in that some very
deep wells contained large amounts of nitrate, while some shallow
wells were nearly nitrate-free. It is quite obvious that other factors
influence the entry of nitrate into underground waters.
The nitrate content of drinking water has aroused concern
among public health officials in recent years. This is particularly
true where ground water is serving as the source of drinking
water. It has been well documented that wells improperly located
with respect to barnyards, feedlots, cesspools or septic tanks are
subject to contamination by nitrogen from these sources (2, 3, 6,
7, 8). Agricultural fertilizers, especially those applied in the solid
form, are a potential source. All nitrate salts are water soluble
and the nitrate ion readily percolates through the soil. Much dis¬
agreement exists on the contribution that commercial fertilizers
259
260 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
make to the nitrate content of ground waters. In certain instances,
inorganic fertilizers clearly seem to be responsible for large quan¬
tities of nitrate in ground waters (5, 11). In nearly all of these
cases, however, it appears that overapplication of fertilizer or
application on very porous soils was responsible. An extensive
study carried out in Missouri gives some indication of the con¬
tribution of fertilizers to the nitrate content of ground waters (4),
at least in that geographical region. This investigation showed the
contribution of inorganic fertilizers to be low. On the other hand,
animal wastes or anhydrous ammonia may be applied to cropland
as a source of nitrogen. If these forms are used, it is necessary
that the nitrogen undergo oxidation to nitrate, if these sources
are to be effective plant fertilizers. The necessary oxidation is
catalyzed by enzymes which are produced by bacteria normally
present in soils. Nitrosomonas catalyzes the oxidation of ammonia
to nitrite which in turn is oxidized to nitrate via a reaction
catalyzed by Nitrobacter. These bacteria are autotrophic, synthesiz¬
ing organic carbon compounds from carbon dioxide, water and
getting their energy by the oxidation of ammonia and nitrite. As
a result, all nitrogen applied as fertilizer represents a potential
source of nitrate.
We must not, of course, overlook some of the more obvious
sources of nitrate. Decomposing vegetation represents a vast
potential source of nitrogen which eventually becomes nitrate.
The contribution from this source depends upon the amount of
organic nitrogen present, rate of decomposition, amount of vege¬
tative covering, rate of nitrogen uptake by this vegetative covering,
and quantity of rainfall.
It has also been shown that nitrate can be leached from geological
formations. Chalk and Keeney (1) reported that limestone con¬
tained significant quantities of nitrate. As the two county area
covered by the present investigation is underlain by limestone, this
also represents a potential source. Assignment of any portion of
the nitrate content of ground water to any specific source is difficult
and cannot be done reliably. Due to this difficulty, it appears the
controversy over inorganic fertilizers in this respect has just
begun.
Both humans and domestic animals are adversely affected by
excessive amounts of nitrate in drinking water. The U.S. Depart¬
ment of Interior Water Quality Criteria set 10 p.p.m. nitrate-
nitrogen (or 45 p.p.m. as ~N03 ion) as the permissible level in
drinking water for humans but set the desirable level at “virtually
absent’' (9). No standards for animals were established.
Nitrate ion per se is not harmful to the human body. The
presence of nitrate reductase-producing intestinal organisms, how-
1973] Wehking, Pavlik , Strege and Gillen — Nitrate Content 261
ever, leads to the formation of nitrite which is harmful. Members
of the coliform group of bacteria are capable of reducing nitrate to
nitrite and are believed to be responsible in the case of infants,
especially those whose diet is high in carbohydrates. When ab¬
sorbed into the blood stream, the nitrite bonds to the hemoglobin
forming nitrohemoglobin. This form of hemoglobin cannot carry
oxygen and its presence causes the victim to show symptoms of
oxygen deficiency. Nitrite may also oxidize the ferrous (Fe+2)
iron of hemoglobin to ferric (Fe+3) iron. The resulting methemo-
globin is incapable of carrying oxygen.
The primary objective of this investigation was to determine the
amount of nitrates present in well water in Pierce and St. Croix
Counties, Wisconsin. Geologically, these two counties are predomi¬
nated by Prairie du Chien dolomites, Platteville-Galena limestones
and St. Peter sandstones ; all three being of Ordovician age. These
Ordovician formations are underlain by Cambrian sandstones
from which major towns of these counties tap their water supplies.
These sandstones are being tapped from three hundred to four
hundred feet below the surface and consequently should have low
nitrate levels. The occurrence of glaciation after the deposition
of these Ordovician and Cambrian sediments, however, dumped
much glacial till down to depths of one hundred feet in places.
Many of the local farm wells are tapping this till due to its high
pore space. In this situation it might be anticipated that nitrate
levels would be higher than that of water found in rock formations
below.
As west-central Wisconsin is predominantly agricultural, the
ground water receives nitrates from the variety of sources men¬
tioned previously. It was the intent of this investigation to find
the proportion of wells containing excessive amounts of nitrate
and to determine if any relationship existed between nitrate con¬
tent and geographical location of the well and/or well depth.
EXPERIMENTAL
A total of 124 wells were included in this survey. The wells were
chosen randomly and all were within the boundaries of Pierce
and St. Croix Counties, Wisconsin. Water samples were collected
after the pump had been in operation for a few minutes to avoid
collecting water which had been standing in the well pipes for a
time. The samples were placed in dark containers and returned
to the laboratories for analysis. Information on the depth of the
well was also obtained at the time of sample collection.
Nitrate analyses were performed by the Brucine Method for de¬
termination of nitrate as described in Standard Methods for the
262 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
Lxamination of Water and Waste Water (10). Absorption meas¬
urements were made with a Spectronic 20 spectrophotometer at
410 nm. A calibration curve was prepared with a series of solu¬
tions containing known concentrations of reagent grade KN03. The
concentration of nitrate in the well water samples was then deter¬
mined directly from this calibration curve.
Duplicate analyses of each sample were performed to ensure
reproducibility. Every fifth sample analyzed was a solution of
known nitrate concentration. This was done to determine the re¬
liability of results obtained for the well water samples. The results
are expressed as p.p.m. ~N03, i.e. nitrate ion.
During the course of the investigation concern arose over the
effect of iron (Fe+2 and Fe+3) on the results of the nitrate
analyses. In several of the samples, a small amount of sediment
appeared after the sample vials had been allowed to stand undis¬
turbed. It was determined that this sediment contained a great
deal of iron. A series of solutions was therefore prepared contain¬
ing 22 p.p.m. nitrate and various concentrations of ferrous or
ferric iron. The effect of soluble iron on the results of the nitrate
analysis is demonstrated by the results in Table 1.
The effect of soluble iron on the results of nitrate analyses per¬
formed by the Brucine Method can be observed in the results
tabulated in Table 1. Presence of Fe was unimportant until the
concentration exceeded 10 p.p.m. As none of the well water samples
contained this much iron, it was of no further concern during
this investigation.
TABLE 1. EFFECT OF FERROUS AND FERRIC IRON ON
NITRATE DETERMINATION
1973] Wehking, Pavlik , Strege and Gilles — Nitrate Content 263
A summary of the data obtained during this investigation is
given in Table 2. Further information as to the frequency with
which specific nitrate concentrations occurred can be gained from
Fig. 1. An examination of this figure reveals that the nitrate con¬
tent of these well waters varied widely, with the majority contain¬
ing concentrations of less than 20 p.p.m. Nevertheless, 20 (16.5%)
of the wells yielded water containing nitrate in excess of 45 p.p.m.
Of the 124 wells included in this survey, information as to the well
depth was available on 68 of the wells. To determine if these were
representative of the total, a comparison of results obtained was
made (Table 2). This table shows that the mean, median and
range of nitrate concentrations found were nearly identical, indi¬
cating no difference between the two groups of wells.
The data acquired from those wells for which depths were known
were examined for relationship between well depth and nitrate
content. The data are summarized in Table 3 and reveal that such
a relationship does indeed exist. This table indicates that as well
depth increased, the average nitrate content decreased. This is by
no means a perfect correlation, as some of the deepest wells con¬
tained excessive nitrate, while some very shallow wells (<50 feet)
were nearly nitrate free. This might be expected, however, in an
area underlain by limestone, as faults in the subterranean struc-
TABLE 2. SUMMARY OF DATA
TABLE 3. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WELL DEPTH
AND NITRATE CONTENT
264 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
ture, of which there are many, allow surface water to reach depths
of several hundred feet quite rapidly. This table does indicate, how¬
ever, that a deep well is less likely to contain large amounts of
nitrate. Further evidence of this can be observed by an examina¬
tion of Table 4. Excessive quantities of nitrate are found with
DISTRIBUTION OF RESULTS
PPM NO"
3
FIGURE 1
TABLE 4. FREQUENCY OF EXCESSIVE NITRATE (OVER 45 P.P.M.)
1973] Wehking, Pavlik, Strege and Gilles — Nitrate Content 265
much greater frequency in wells which are less than 150 feet deep
than in those which are deeper (Table 4).
No relationship was found to exist between geographical loca¬
tion and nitrate content of wells. Those wells containing more than
45 p.p.m. nitrate were found to be distributed fairly evenly
throughout the two county area.
SUMMARY
In summary, one would have to say that no conclusions can be
reached from the results of this study as to the origin of nitrate
in ground water. It was, however, clearly evident that shallow
wells (<150 ft) have a greater probability of containing excessive
quantities of nitrate (i.e. in excess of 45 p.p.m.) than do deep wells
(>150 ft).
REFERENCES
1. CHALK, P. M. and KEENEY, D. R. 1971. Nature, 229, 42.
2. DEUTSCH, M. 1963. U. S. Geol. Surv. Water Supply Paper 1691, 71 pp.
3. GILLHAM, R. W. and WEBER, L. R. 1969. Jour. Water Pollution Con¬
trol Fed., 41, 1752.
4. KELLER, W. D. and SMIGH, G. E. 1967. Geol. Soc. Amer. Spec. Paper
No. 90, 59 pp.
5. “Poisoning1 the Wells,” Environment, J anuary-February, 1969, pp. 16-23,
45.
6. SMITH, G. E. 1965. Mo. Agr. Expt. Sta. Spec. Rept. 55:42-52.
7. SMITH, G. E. 1967. Amer. Assoc. Adv. Sci., No. 85, pp, 173-186.
8. STEWART, B. A., VIETS, F. G., JR., HUTCHINSON, G. L., and KEM¬
PER, W. D. 1967. Environ. Sci. Tech., 1, 736.
9. United States Department of Interior, Federal Water Pollution Control
Administration, Report of the Committee on Water Quality Criteria, U.S.
Dept. Int., 234 pp., April 1968.
10. Standard Methods of the Examination of Water and Wastewater, 12th
ed., 1965. American Public Health Association, Inc.
11. WARD, P. C. 1970. Nitrate and Water Supply: Source and Control,
Twelfth Sanit. Engin. Conf. Proc., Engin. Pub. Off., pp. 14-26, Univ. of
Ill., Urbana.
(
AN ORDINATION OF CORTICOLOUS LICHEN
COMMUNITIES IN THE POPPLE RIVER
BASIN OF NORTHERN WISCONSIN1
James A. Jesberger
University of Saskatchewan
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
INTRODUCTION
Lichen communities of Wisconsin have been investigated over
broad geographic regions by Hale (1955) and Culberson (1955).
These and other studies by Barkman (1958), Beals (1965a), Brodo
(1961), Coleman et al. (1956), and Pearson and Lawrence (1965)
suggest that lichens are ecologically sensitive. This would seem
to indicate that an ecological investigation of them might best
be approached by an intensive examination of a small, environ¬
mentally uniform region. The Popple River Basin provides such
an area. It is small and has a comparatively uniform temperature.
The presence of the river and the nightly summer fog keeps the
humidity uniform during most of the growing season. The en¬
vironmental complexes presented by different forest types were
variables that could be controlled somewhat in selection of the
sites to be sampled. The vegetational and physical features of the
region are discussed in other papers of the Popple River series
and in Curtis (1959).
The present analysis of the lichen communities of the watershed
is on the basis of: (1) interspecific association of species of li¬
chens; (2) comparison of similarities and interrelationships among
the lichen communities on different tree species and in different
stands; (3) examination of the environmental specificity exhibited
by the lichen species.
FIELD METHODS
Ten forest communities along the Popple River in Forest and
Florence Counties, Wisconsin, were sampled in August, 1968. Each
stand was sampled by the quarter method (Cottam and Curtis,
1956), using five points per stand except in stand 2, where ten
1 This is paper No. 8 in the series “Studies on the Pine-Popple Rivers Area of
Northeastern Wisconsin.
267
268 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
points (40 trees) .were used. At each point the basal area and
identification of each of the trees sampled was recorded and an
estimate of the per cent canopy was made. Lichens were collected
from belt transects twenty inches wide encircling the tree, one
located at the base and one centered at breast-height (1.4 m.) on
the tree. The stands were picked for their accessibility and close¬
ness to the river, i.e., within a distance of one quarter of a mile.
The following is a list of the tree composition of each stand and
its Continuum Index value (C.I.) (Curtis, 1959) . The Continuum
Index value is calculated by multiplying the importance value of
each tree species in the stand (a value obtained by integrating
size of individuals, number of individuals, and ubiquity of dis¬
tribution) by the adaptation number of the species (an assigned
ranking from 1 to 10 depending upon association with bur oak
or sugar maple) . The resulting weighted values are then summed
to give an index value which ranges from 300 for a pure stand
of bur oak to 3000 for a pure stand of sugar maple. These represent
a continuum from xeric to mesic habitats and the C. I. index num¬
ber of each of the ten following stands will give an idea of the
approximate position of the stand along this continuum.
STANDS : Stand 1 : Lowland swamp, canopy 70%, C.I. 1254 ;
Thuja occidentalis (35%), Abies balsamea (24%) , Picea glauca,
Acer rubrum, Fraxinus nigra, and Betula lutea. Stand 2 : Low¬
land site, canopy 90%, C.I. 2714; with Acer saccharum (70%),
Betula lutea (10% ) , Ulmus americana (10% ) , and Os try a vir-
giniana. Stand 3: Upland site, C.I. 588; with Pinus resinosa
(80%) , Betula papyrifera, and Populus tremuloides. Stand 4 :
Lowland site, dense ground layer of ferns, canopy less than 50%,
C.I. 1573 ; with Prunus serotina (40%, Picea glauca (15% ) , Pop¬
ulus tremuloides (25% ) , Acer rubrum (15% ) , and Betula lutea.
Stand 5 : Upland site, canopy less than 50%, C.I. 1567 ; with Pinus
resinosa (50%) , Ulmus americana (25%), Prunus serotina, Abies
balsamea, and Acer rubrum. Stand 6 : Lowland site, dense ground
cover of ferns, C.I. 1375 ; with Populus tremuloides ( 90 % ) , Prunus
serotina, and Picea glauca. Stand 7 : Mixed, dry site, C. I. 1627 ;
with equal amounts of Pinus strobus, Picea glauca, Populus tremu¬
loides, and Betula papyrifera. Stand 8 : Lowland site, dense
growth of ferns and Viburnum, C.I. 1350 ; with predominantly
Populus tremuloides and some saplings of Ulmus americana and
Fraxinus nigra. Stand 9 : Upland site, little ground cover, canopy
90%, C.I. 2508 ; with Acer saccharum (60% ) , Ulmus americana
(15%), Tilia americana (15%), and Populus tremuloides. Stand
10 : Lowland swamp, C.I. 1405 ; with Thuja occidentalis (25%) ,
Abies balsamea (55% ) , Acer rubrum (10% ) , and Picea glauca.
1973] Jesherger — Lichen Communities in Popple River
269
STATISTICAL METHODS
The lichens collected at breast-height and base were treated
separately. Frequency per stand was calculated in percentage of
belt transects on which the lichen occurred in the stand sampled.
The frequency per species of tree was calculated by the per cent
with which each of the 99 species of lichens occurred on a given
species of tree in the total of 220 trees studied. The lichen species
with frequencies greater than 2.3% are given in Table 1 together
with their frequencies at the base and at breast-height on the 12
most abundant tree species. The frequencies of the less frequent
species are given later in the paper.
Cole’s index values of interspecific association (Cole, 1949)
were calculated for those species attaining a frequency greater
than or equal to 2.3% and are given in the upper right of Tables
2 and 3. These values will range from +1 for a perfect positive
association (the one species always associated with the other)
to a —1 which would mean that the two species were never found
together. A 0 value would mean that they were randomly asso¬
ciated. As an example in Table 2 Caloplaca cerina gives a value
of 1.0 with Caloplaca holocarpa and was thus always associated
with it, but with Gr aphis scripta it gives a value of —1.0, indi¬
cating that the two were not found together. On the other hand
Caloplaca cerina is randomly associated with Candelaria concolor
as shown by the value 0 in the appropriate position in Table 2.
To test the statistical significance for all joint occurrences for
which the Cole’s index values were computed, the Chi-square values
with Yates Correction Factor (Yates, 1934) were calculated by
the usual 2x2 contingency table. These Chi-square values are
presented at the lower left of Tables 2 and 3. A Chi-square value
of 3.841 or higher is significant at the 5% level, and one of 6.635
or higher is significant at the 1% level.
An index of similarity, a percentage measure of the vegetational
affinities between stands or trees, ranging from 0 to 100, was
calculated for the 12 most common tree species and the ten dif¬
ferent stands. The index was calculated according to the formula
2 w"
— k a discussion of which can be found in Beals (1960, 1965a)
or Bray and Curtis (1957). A comparison of the lichens occurring
at the base and those occurring at breast-height in the stands was
also made using the index of similarity. Chi-square values with
Yates Correction Factor were calculated to test the statistical sig¬
nificance of joint occurrence or lack of joint occurrence of the lichen
species of Table 1 with the common tree species of the study. The
270 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [VoL 61
TABLE 1. FREQUENCIES AT BREAST-HEIGHT AND BASE ON THE
12 COMMON TREE SPECIES OF THE 48 LICHEN SPECIES
SHOWING THE HIGHEST FREQUENCY IN THE STUDY.
UPPER VALUES GIVEN FOR EACH LICHEN ARE ITS
FREQUENCY AT BREAST-HEIGHT ON THE TREE,
THE LOWER VALUE DESIGNATES ITS FRE¬
QUENCY AT THE TREE BASE.
(Table I continued on next page)
1973] Jesherger — Lichen Communities in Popple River
271
Table I. (Continued from preceding page, with headings abbreviated.)
results are shown in the glyphs in Figs. 1 and 2. To read these
glyphs first examine the legend at the bottom of Fig. 1. As an
example take Parmelia sulcata (P. sul.) toward the center left
of the figure. The glyphs indicate positive association with Acer
rubrum , negative association with Populus tremuloicles, Prunus
serotina , and Acer saccharum when the glyphs are read in clock¬
wise fashion. Likewise the glyphs on Rinodina halei (R. h.) at
the lower right indicate negative association with Populus tremu-
loides and positive association with Acer saccharum and Ulmus
americana.
SPECIES INTERRELATIONSHIPS
The ordinations in Figs. 1 and 2 were derived by the methods
used by Beals (1965a, 1965b). The axes of the ordination are not
in themselves significant but are only useful to graph the points.
It is the interrelationship of the points alone that is useful. The
closer the points are grouped together the more closely the species
are associated. The more distant the points, the more negative is
the association of the species. For example on Fig. 1 there is a
closely grouped number of points in the center with such species
as Ramalina fastigiata, Buellia punctata, Parmelia subaurifera,
Parmelia aurulenta, Lecanora coilocarpa, Usnea comosa, etc.
272 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
TABLE 2. MATRIX OF COLE’S INDEX VALUES AND CHI-SQUARE
VALUES WITH YATES CORRECTION FACTOR FOR LICHEN
SPECIES WITH A FREQUENCY GREATER THAN OR EQUAL
TO 2.3% AT BREAST-HEIGHT ON THE TREE. COLE’S
INDEX VALUES ARE IN UPPER RIGHT HALF, CHI-
SQUARE VALUES ARE IN LOWER LEFT HALF.
Lichen
species
- »-
o o w b x -i -i
5 n
•H
S3
o
3
3
a
o
+>
s
r—S
E
3
1973] Jesberger — Lichen Communities in Popple River 273
274 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
TABLE 3. MATRIX OF COLE’S INDEX VALUES AND CHI-SQUARE
VALUES WITH YATES CORRECTION FACTOR FOR LICHEN
SPECIES WITH A FREQUENCY GREATER THAN OR EQUAL
TO 2.3% AT THE BASE OF THE TREE. COLE’S INDEX
VALUES ARE IN UPPER RIGHT HALF CORNER, CHI-
SQUARE VALUES ARE IN LOWER LEFT HALF.
20.
21.
22.
23.
2l+.
25-
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
3k.
35.
36.
37.
36.
39.
1+0.
O. pulicaris 0
P. auruienta .07
P. caperata
P. orinita
P. galbina 6.77
P. rudecta 1.25
P. saxatilis
P. subaurifera 1.87
P. sulcata 9.00
P. laevigata 0
P. multipuncta 0
P. ciliata
f. ciliata
?. ciliata
f.fibrillosa 8.91
P. grisea 1.1+
P. orbicularis ,
f. orbicularis ‘i‘°3
P. orbicularis
f . rubr opulchra
1.15
R. fastigiata 0
R. halei .95
R. pyrina 0
U. comosa 0
X, polycarpa .38
1. 86
0
.01
.21+
.52
.81+
0
0
0
0
.15
.1*
.33
1.98
8.7
1.97
0
1.35
o
0
.08
1+1+ 1.55
o o
0
0
kh
.10
.55
o
2.91 1.17
3.75 .18
o
0
.06
-.05
o
.05
o
0
0
'.hh
o
0
0
0
.20
.33
0
0
0
.61+ .93
2.1+0 7.93
2.53 .02
0
0
.67
0
0
0
0
.58
• Hi
2.59
0 0 .08
0 0 .05
.82 .17 11.08
3.75 5.37 7.58
0 3.16 1.38
0 2.3U 12.H+
.1+1 .56 1.12
3.05 .18
.81+ .05
0 10.19
o
2.76
0
1.67 12.30
0 0
0 0
0 0
.21+
0
0
0
0
0
.83
2.59 6.91
0 0
.25 0
0 12.20
.51 13.79
i.ol+ 1+5.60
5.03 17.22
0 8.75.
1.1+9 0
1.79 1.39
0 .98
0 0
.57 .38
0
0
0
0
0
0
.17 1.92
0
0
1.72 6.76
.01+ .97
1.1+1+ 9.12
.16 .87
.20 1.03
.08 2.15
.93 1.55
0 .07
0
0
0
.08
0
.29
0
.06
0
0
0
0
0
.37
.52 1,80
25
0 .1+8
0 0
.11+ ,30.1+6
0 .32
0 .03
.22 1.1+1+
0 6.67
.08 2.92
.16 .56
0 0
0
.02
0
1.01
0
3.81+
8.95
0
.01
0
1.01
0
.06 3.51 13.
0 .28
.33
.0!+
• 36
0
.17 18.02 I+.78 6.63
0
0
.1+8
.37
0 11
0
0
0 15.
2.05 20
.17 5.52
0 .23
,11+ 0
.03 2.62
.58 1.1+9
.02 3.25
.16 0
1.11
.1+2
0
1.1+0
0
0
.75 2.25
.07
1.22
.28
.17
.17
O
0
0
.18 .60
5.57 3.99
.07 1.73
0 0
0 .22
.59 0
0 11.15
0 .10
.1*7 .69
5.07 1+.31
I.02 13,
.59 8.03 6
.22 .11+
0
1.26 1
6.11
.13
.1+1
0
39.79 1.57
.03 0
2.81+
.12
0
0
.1+9
0
0
0
0
0
0
,80
,1+8
,81
,66
,21+
0
0
.33
.17
.79
0 8
0
0 8,
0 2.
0
0 13.
0
51 .20
05 1.38
61 .01
13 .06
05 0
02 28.67
25 .01+
1973] Jesherger — Lichen Communities in Popple River-
275
polycarpa
276 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
«r
A . c.
B.s. b.1.
i-t
C.cer ,
L . ve .
E ,m.
P . orb . rub .
i<
L .va .
^ ;
A
H.p.
1 P . sax .
C.s. P . c i 1 . c i 1 .
P .gr
B.c.
P . su 1 .
R;f‘* iB.p.
1% 1 L,CV • P.au.
.sub. *» * ^ R-P* ®
•j* ix p C.conc.
L) . c . P • ga • P>C1- 1 .f.fib.
C.p.
P.r.
**0.p.
P . cr .
P .mu 1 .
C . cr . ^
L.s.
*
BASE
f ^
C .com . * c .ch
P . cap.
G.s.
P .or b . orb ,
t-
R.h.
FIGURE 1. Two dimensional ordination of lichen species at the tree base
on the basis of their Cole’s index value. Glyphs indicate statistically signifi¬
cant positive or negative association with the common tree species. Position
and shape of glyphs for the different tree species and the sign indicating
negative association are given in the table below the ordination. See the text
for further directions. Initials of lichen species are from lichens of Table 1.
1973] Jesberger — Lichen Communities in Popple River
277
FIGURE 2. Two dimensional ordination of lichen species at breast-height
on the trees on the basis of their Cole’s values. Symbols the same as in
Figure 1.
showing closer association to each other than to the group of
species toward the top of the ordination. The latter group encom¬
passed by Bacidia suffusa , Caloplaca cerina, Physcia ciliata, and
Physcict orbicularis presents another such group. Although an
ordination only approximates the species interrelationships that
are present in the ecosystem (Beals, 1965b), examination of Figs.
1 and 2 reveals a number of significant species groups or micro¬
environments.
Considering the parameters that control the distribution of the
various lichen species and the extreme ecological sensitivity of the
lichens to these parameters, it seems logical to assume that species
which occur close together on the ordination do so because of simi¬
lar microenvironmental specificity. Microenvironmental specificity
is that property of a lichen species which restricts its distribution
to microenvironments in which the physical and biological proper-
278 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
ties satisfy the physiological requirements of the lichen through¬
out the year, especially during critical periods of growth in the
spring and fall.
A comparison of Figs. 1 and 2 shows that species interrelation¬
ships at breast-height are similar to those found at the base.
Some of the lichen species exhibit a high degree of microenviron¬
mental specificity as shown by their negative association with
several tree species, and positive association with only one tree
species. Other lichen species find suitable microenvironments on
several tree species. The lichens on Populus tremuloides suggest
that several microenvironments may exist in environmental com¬
plexes occupied by P. tremuloides. This is shown, for example,
by the spacing between two groups of lichen species that show
positive association with Populus tremuloides. One group may be
found toward the upper right in Fig. 1 and more widely spaced
but toward the upper right in Fig. 2 and is composed of Caloplaca
cerina, Physcia ciliata f. ciliata, and Physcia grisea. The other
group is composed of Xanthoria poly car pa and Physcia ciliata f.
fibrillosa and is toward the center in Fig. 1 and toward the right
center of Fig. 2. Other examples of such situations can be seen on
examination of Figs. 1 and 2. Microenvironmental specificity is
further considered in the Discussion.
DISTRIBUTION OF MICROENVIRONMENTS
The ordination of Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 were derived from the
index of similarity values according to the method used by Beals
(1960, 1965a) and Bray and Curtis (1957). They provide a spatial
ordering in three dimensions based on a simple expression of the
amount each tree or stand has in common with all the other trees
or stands. As before, the axes of the ordination are not in them¬
selves significant. It is the interrelationships of the points that
are meaningful.
In Figs. 3 and 4, the stand interrelationships are different be¬
tween the base and breast-height (e.g. stands 3, 4 and 5 are far
apart when the base communities are plotted, and close together
when the breast-height communities are plotted). This suggests
that the microenvironments at the base and at breast-height are
not necessarily correlated. In Figs. 5 and 6, the pattern of the
species is remarkedly similar, suggesting that gross environ¬
mental factors are operating similarly for the base and the breast-
height.
Stands occurring close together on the ordination would be ex¬
pected to possess environmental complexes with closely related
microenvironments. Thus an analysis of the distribution of rare
species among stands would give a greater degree of biological
1973] Jesherger — Lichen Communities in Popple River
279
FIGURES 3, 4, 5 and 6. Three dimensional ordination of stands (Figures
3 and 4) and trees (Figures 5 and 6) on the basis of their lichen communities.
Radii of the circles indicate magnitude of position in the 3rd axis. Initials
for tree species are for those tree species of Table 1.
validity to the ordination and support the previous statement.
Supporting this reasoning is the observation that a rare species
is so because it exhibits a high degree of specificity for a micro¬
environment that is rare. Thus, if two stands have a larger num¬
ber of rare species in common, it can be assumed that their en¬
vironmental complexes provide similar microenvironments. The
proximity of Stands 1 and 10 in Figs. 3 and 4 suggests that they
possess similar environmental complexes with closely related mi¬
croenvironments. Analysis of the occurrence of rare species shows
that these stands have seven rare species in common. Conse¬
quently their arrangement in the ordination has increased bio¬
logical validity. This idea does not hold true for all comparisons
280 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
of position in the ordination. Stands 2 and 9 have no rare species
in common. This, however, could be due to the age difference of
the stands. The trees of Stand 2 have an average basal area twice
that of trees from Stand 9. Curtis (1959) stated that as a woods be¬
comes more mature, its interior environment changes. The two
stands have only seven common species in common. Stand 5, which
is placed in the middle of both ordinations (see Figs. 3 and 4), has
one of the most diverse lichen floras and also is the most diverse
stand with regard to tree composition.
An analysis of the spatial arrangement of trees species was
attempted in order to explain the positioning of tree species that
was arrived at in Figs. 5 and 6. The arrangement is close to that
found by Curtis (1959), when he ordinated the trees of the forests
of northern Wisconsin.
When the occurrence of the rare species on the trees is com¬
pared with the ordinations of the tree species, the occurrences
of the rare lichens are not necessarily correlated with the prox¬
imity of the tree species on the ordination. A difference can be
seen in the ordination position of some of the tree species, when
ordinations at breast-height and base are compared. This is prob¬
ably a result of the environmental complex at the two levels vary¬
ing more sharply in some stands than in others. Trees that occur
close together in Figs. 5 and 6 can be seen to be close together in
the glyphs on the ordinations of Figs. 1 and 2.
ADDITIONAL OBSERVATIONS
Acer saccharum supported the greatest number of species,
45, followed by Populus tremuloides, 42, Ulmus americana, 39,
Thitja occidentalis , 38, and Prunus serotina, 36. Pinus resinosa,
one of the most abundunt tree species, had only 28 species of
lichens on it. Stand 1 with 49 species supported the most species
of lichens, followed by Stand 5 with 48, Stand 4 with 45 and
Stand 10 with 42. Stands 2, 6, 8 and 9 had the lowest num¬
ber of lichen species with 25-27. These stands were also the lowest
in diversity of trees.
Thuja occidentalis and Acer saccharum were found to support
the greatest number of rare species, 15 and 14 respectively. Nine
of those on T. occidentalis were unique to Thuja , and 4 of the 6
on Populus tremuloides were unique to Populus. Every stand had
at least one rare species that was unique to it except for Stands
3 and 6. All stands had at least two rare species, with Stands 1
and 10 having the greatest number, 15 and 12.
A definite preference for environmental complexes is suggested
in the distribution of the different lichen growth forms. Stand 1
was found to support the most fruticose species at breast-height,
1973] Jesberger — Lichen Communities in Popple River 281
9, while Stand 10 supported the most fruticose species at the
base, 10. Stands 6, 8 and 9 had no fruticose species at the base,
while Stand 2 had only one. Stand 1 supported the greatest num¬
ber of crustose species, 14 at each level. Within Stand 5 the
greatest number of foliose species were found, 22 at breast-height
and 18 at the base.
Of the 99 species found, 65 occurred at both levels while 19
were restricted to breast-height. Calculation of index of similarity
values showed that Stand 3 was the most uniform in composition
from base to breast-height, having an index value of 91. Stand 7
exhibited the greatest difference between the two levels with an
index of only 56. Stand 5 had the most species in common be¬
tween the two levels, 26. The index of similarity between the base
and breast-height for all the trees was 70. The above observa¬
tions will be further evaluated in the Discussion.
DISCUSSION
Microenvironmental specificity can be seen as the controlling
force in the distribution of lichen species. Though the glyphs in
Figs. 1 and 2 suggest that the lichens are distributed according
to specificity for a particular tree species, Culberson (1955)
found that on examination of the physical characteristics of the
bark, the results obtained could not fully explain the distribu¬
tion of lichen species. The microenvironment inhabited by the
lichen results from the interaction of the physical and biological
factors of the environmental complex in which the tree occurs.
Microenvironmental specificity being a property of a lichen
species, it can be assumed that no two species have exactly the
same microenvironmental specificity. Hale (1955) in examining
the distribution of lichens along the continuum (Curtis, 1959)
found that no two species had identical peaks on the continuum,
i.e., no two species had the same amplitude of tolerance to the
environmental complexes occurring along the continuum, even
though they did overlap in varying degrees.
A wide variation was observed in the number of lichen species
that a particular tree species or stand supported. The reason for
this is either that a stand or tree supports a large number of
lichen species because it possesses a large number of microenviron¬
ments, or else a large number of the species present have ampli¬
tudes of tolerance that overlap. The real situation probably re¬
sults from a combination of the two situations.
From these results it can be suggested that future investiga¬
tions of distribution patterns should be directed at delimiting
the nature of the parameters that control lichen distribution, and
investigation of the amplitude of tolerance of the individual lichen
282 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
species to each of these parameters. If the above approach is used,
a better understanding of the complex nature of microenviron¬
mental specificity may be achieved.
ADDITIONAL SPECIES REPORTED
Those species previously unreported from Wisconsin are indi¬
cated by*.
The following species were found on rocks in and along the
Popple River: Arthonia sp., Bacidia albescens (Kremp.) Zw.*,
Caloplaca f randans (Th. Fr.) Oliv., Catillaria chalybaeia (Borr.)
Mass., Dermatocarpon fluviatile (G. Web.) Th. Fr., Lecanora
caesiocinera Nyl., Lecanora polytropa (Ehrh.) Rabenh., Lecidea
cineroatra Ach., Rinodina ioivensis Zahlbr., Sphinctrina gelasinata
(With.) Zahlbr.*, Staurothele clopima (Wahlenb.) Th. Fr., Rhizo-
carpon sp.
The following species were found on burned decomposed stumps
along the Popple River: Alectoria nidulifera Norrl., Bacidia chlo -
rococca (Grawe) Lett., Cladonia fimbriata (L.) Fr., Cladonia
gracilis (L.) Willd., Cladonia verticillata (Hoffm.) Schaer., Leca¬
nora symmicta (Ach.) Ach., Lecidea berengeriana (Mass.) NYL.,
Lecidea carnulenta (Tuck.) Fink*, Lecidea scalaris (Ach.) Ach.
The following species were found on the ground and on moist
moss-covered logs : Cladonia grayi Merr., Cladonia mitis Sandst.,
Cladonia rangiferina (L.) Wigg., Peltigera canina (L.) Willd.,
Peltigera horizontalis (Huds.) Baumg., Peltigera polydactyla
(Neck.) Hoffm., Stereocaulon tomentosum Fr.
The following species were found on trees in the study area or
on trees along the river. Frequencies are given for those lichen
species that were found on trees used in the statistical analysis
of lichen communities. Alectoria americana Mot. 1.3%, Anaptychia
palmatula (Michx.) Vain, Anaptychia pseudospeciosa Kurok. 5%,
Arthonia radiata (Pers.) Ach., Bacidia bacillifera (Nyl.) Fink
1.2%*, Bacidia fuscornbella (Hoffm.) Bausch. 1.2% Bacidia in-
compta (Borr.) Anzi. 0.9%, Bacidia schweinitzii (Tuck.) Schneid.
0.5%, Bacidia sphaeroides (Dicks.) Zahlbr. 0.9%, Bacidia stig-
matella (Tuck.) Zahlbr. 1.8*, Biatorella microhaema Norm.
0.5%*, Buellia disciformis (Fr.) Mudd, Caloplaca aurantiaca
(Lightf.) Th. Fr. 1.8%, Cetraria ciliaris Ach. 1.3%, Cetraria halei
Culb. 1.4%, Cetraria oakesiana (Tuck.) 0.5%, Cladonia botrytes
(Hag.) Willd. 0.5%, Cladonia capitata (Michx.) Spreng. 0.5%,
Cladonia crispata (Ach.) Flot. 0.9%, Cladonia fimbriata (L.) Fr.
1.3%, Collema conglomeratum Hoffm. 0.5%, Conotrema urceola-
tum (Ach.) Tuck. 1.8%, Haematomma cismonicum Beltr. 0.5%,
Lecania dimera (Nyl.) Th. Fr. 1.3%*, Lecanora coilocarpa (Ach.)
Nyl. 2.0%, Lecanora hypoptoides Nyl. 1.4%*, Lecanora pallida f.
1973] Jesberger — Lichen Communities in Popple River 283
pallida (Schreb.) Rabenh. 1.4%, Lecanora pallida f. rubescens
Imshaug and Brodo, Lecidea cadubriae (Mass.) Hedl.*, Lecanora
sambuci (Pers.) Nyl. 0.5% *, Lobaria quercizans Michx. 0.9%,
Lobaria pulmonaria (L.) Hoffm. 0.9%, Micarea prasina (Fr.)
Korb. 1.3%, Ochrolechia pallescens (L.) Mass. 0.9%, Pachyphiale
fagicola (Hepp.) Zw. 0.5%*, Parmelia bolliana Mull. Arg. 0.9%,
Parmelia f randans Nyl. 0.5%*, Parmelia ulophyllodes (Vain.)
Sav. 0.9%, Peltigera aphthosa (L.) Willd. 2.0%, Peltigera canina
(L.) Willd. 0.5%, Peltigera polydactyla (Neck.) Hoffm. 0.5%,
Pertusaria amara (Ach.) Nyl. 0.9%, Pertusaria pertusa (L.)
Tuck. 1.4%, Pertusaria pustulata (Ach.) Duby 0.5%, Physcia
millegrana Degel. 1.3%, Physcia orbicularis f. albociliata Thoms.
0.9%, Physcia stellaris (L.) Nyl. 1.3%, Physcia tribacoides Nyl.
0.9%, Pyrenula nitida Weig. 0.9%, Pyxine sorediata (Ach.) Mont.
0.9%, Rinodina ascociscana Tuck. 0.5%, Usnea cavernosa Tuck.
0.45%, Usnea dasypoga (Ach.) Rohl. 0.45%, Usnea glabrescens
(Nyl.) Vain. 0.9%, Usnea substerilis Mot. 0.45%, Usnea trichodea
Ach., Xanthoria fallax (Hepp.) Arn. 1.3%.
FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS
The species of lichens present in the Popple River Basin indi¬
cate that no air pollution has occurred in the area studied (Skye,
1968). Many of the species present are dependent on the main¬
tenance of the present environmental complexes and could be ex¬
pected to change their distribution as the environmental complexes
change. Such man-made catastrophes as fire and cutting could
also alter the environmental complex and cause a change in the
lichen communities.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I wish to thank Dr. J. W. Thomson for his generous assistance
in taxonomic problems and in the preparation of this manuscript
and also for the encouragement that he offered throughout the
study. I also wish to thank Frank Barth for his help in the col¬
lection of field data, Dr. Edward Beals for the advice he offered
on statistical and ordination techniques and for critically reading
the manuscript, and Dr. Grant Cottam for the suggestions he of¬
fered throughout the study and for critically reading the manu¬
script.
REFERENCES
BARKMAN, J. J., 1958. Phytosociology and ecology of cryptogamic epiphytes.
Van Gorcum, Assem.
BEALS, EDWARD W., 1960. Forest bird communities in the Apostle Islands
of Wisconsin. Wilson Bull. 72: 156-181.
284 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
- , 1965a. Ordination of some corticolous cryptogamic communities in
south central Wisconsin. Oikos 16: 1-8.
- , 1965b. Species patterns in a Lebanese Poterietum. Vegetatio 13:
69-87.
BRAY, J. R., and J. T. CURTIS, 1957. An ordination of the upland forest
communities in southern Wisconsin. Ecol. Monogr. 27 : 325-349.
BRODO, I. M., 1961. A study of the lichen ecology in central Long Island,
New York. Amer. Midi. Nat. 65: 290-310.
COLE, L. C., 1949. The measurement of interspecific association. Ecol. 30:
411-424.
COLEMAN, BABETTE BROWN, W. C. MUENSCHER and D. R. CHARLES,
1956. A distributional study of the epiphytic plants of the Olympic Penin¬
sula, Washington, Amer. Midi. Nat. 56: 54-87.
COTTAM, GRANT, and J. T. CURTIS, 1956. The use of distance measures
in phytosociological sampling. Ecol. 37 : 451-460.
CULBERSON, W. L., 1955. The corticolous communities of lichens and bryo-
phytes in the upland forests of northern Wisconsin. Ecol. Monogr. 25:
215-231.
CURTIS, J. T., 1959. The vegetation of Wisconsin: an ordination of plant
communities. Madison, Wisconsin.
HALE, M. E., 1955. Phytosociology of corticolous cryptogams in the upland
forests of southern Wisconsin. Ecol. 36: 45-63.
PEARSON, L. C., and D. B. LAWRENCE, 1965. Lichens as microclimate
indicators in northwestern Minnesota. Amer. Midi. Nat. 74: 257-268.
SYKE, ERIK, 1968. Lichens and air pollution. Acta Phytogeographica
Suecica. 52.
YATES, F., 1934. Contingency tables involving small numbers and the Chi-
square test. J. Roy. Stat. Soc. Suppl. 1: 217-235.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS AND THEIR PAPERS
FRANK L. KLEMENT, Professor of History at Marquette University,
Milwaukee, Wi, is “without doubt the best informed student of the
American Civil War in Wisconsin. Characteristically . . . this work is
another example of his digging out an unusual vignette in ground that
has been combed fine by historians ... To the scholars and buffs who
have spent hours in the Gettysburg literature and trod over the rolling
field and woodlands Element’s manuscript reawakens memories of the
somber November day when President Lincoln participated in the dedi¬
cation ceremonies . . . Professor Element has turned up some new
material about the battlefield that will honor Wisconsin so long as men
remember the Iron Brigade.”
Such are the words of the reviewer, John Patrick Hunter, him¬
self a Civil War buff and President of the Civil War Round Table of
Madison. Our readers will value his judgment and enjoy Prof. Element’s
paper the more for knowing that he and Mr. Element are friends.
JOHN B. RAY, Professor of Geography-Geology at the University of Wis¬
consin — Whitewater has struck a timely note ! Now we can understand
why Chile contests the presence of American fishing boats and we will
be alerted to the much more important problems of Ocean Space with
which the Geneva Convention will have to grapple in the spring of 1974!
MAURICE E. PERRET, Professor of Geography at the University of Wis¬
consin — Stevens Point contributes some very personal geography — the
antithesis of Ocean Space geography. Wisconsin readers, many of us
with ethnic and cultural backgrounds of those very groups in Portage
County, will look around us for survival of cultural features in our
own counties. And as The Bicentennial of 1976 approaches we can take
pride in the pioneer heritage of our State and Nation.
JOHN M. GILLETT AND THEODORE S. COCHRANE. Dr. Gillett is
now of the National Museum of Canada, Botany Division, Ottawa,
Ont., Canada. This is paper No. 836 of the Plant Research Institute,
Canada Department of Agriculture. Dr. Cochrane is Curator I of the
Herbarium, Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin — Madison.
The paper is also No. 63, as part of a longtime series on the Flora
of Wisconsin, initiated in the 1920’s under Prof. Norman Fassett and
currently under direction of Prof. Hugh litis. For the information
of our botanical readers many of the earlier papers in this series have
been published in the Transactions.
A. W. SCHORGER, Emeritus Professor of Wild Life, University of Wis¬
consin — Madison. It is sad to record that this is the last paper of Arlie
W. Schorger to appear in the Transactions. It was received and ac¬
cepted before his death on May 26, 1972, and is virtually untouched
by the Editor. We are glad to publish it as he wished, and we call
attention to his many and valued works which have appeared in
Transactions.
285
286 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
CARL E. KROG, Assistant Professor of History at the Marinette Campus,
University of Wisconsin — Marinette. This lively account of the early
days in Marinette is interesting, as we look forward to the Bicentennial
year 1976. Is there nothing new in Wisconsin? Prepaid medical care,
hospitals struggling to survive in a sparsely settled area, concern over
safe drinking water and contaminated foods are problems today as they
were in 19th Century Marinette. Your Editor (a bacteriologist) agrees
that “Germs” should be the first word of the title, since they precede
these problems!
R. V. SMYTHE AND H. C. COPPEL. Prof Coppel and his associate Dr.
Smythe, now entomologist at the Wood Products Laboratory, Gulf¬
port, Miss, have provided a fascinating record of confrontation be¬
tween termites and thief ants. To some of us it comes as a surprise
that termites are found in the wild in Wisconsin, but, if so, it is well
to know that their enemies are not far away.
PETER S. WENZ, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Wisconsin —
Stevens Point has provided a thoughtful and logical explanation of a
seeming discrepancy in Plato’s writings of Socrates. Few citizens of
today would go as far as Socrates in viewing our relation to our
government nor would we think of the citizen’s relation to the state
in terms of philosophy. But then we are not Socrates and it is good
to have Prof. Wenz to analyze for us.
D. C. ROUSAR AND A. M. BEETON. Drs. Rousar and Beeton are both
on the staff of the Center for Great Lakes Studies, University of Wis¬
consin — Milwaukee. This paper is typical of the comprehensive studies
now going on concerning the Great Lakes, particularly Lake Michigan.
It will be from such data that the pollution status of Lake Michigan
will be ascertained and hopefully controlled before it is too late.
THOMPSON WEBB III. Dr. Webb is now of the Department of Geological
Sciences, Brown University, Providence, R. I. To an amateur like
this Editor, it has always been amazing that pollen grains are pre¬
served, let alone are recognizable in the debris of lake sediments. But
fortunately they are so and thus analysis of their numbers and kinds
is helpful in assessing the changes induced by man’s settlement of the
area. Every bit of evidence should be examined as it may bear upon
the rate of such change. Hopefully then we may see a way to resist, to
stabilize the desirable diversity that once existed.
RICHARD H. KEEHN, Assistant Professor of Economics, Division of So¬
cial Sciences, University of Wisconsin — Parkside, Kenosha, Wi, has as¬
sembled the banking history of Wisconsin for a period before the memory
of most present bankers. But the paper tells more than the history —
it shows the effects of market structure including the very local market
of many of the early banks. To those interested in bank regulation,
both state and federal, there should be interesting points bearing upon
the reasons for present regulations.
1973]
About the Authors and Their Papers
287
EDMUND RONEY, Associate Professor of Drama at Ripon College, Ripon,
Wi, has given us a tantalizing story of the controversy over the play
Le Cid and in his covering letter he said it was “one chapter of a de¬
tailed analysis of the causes and nature of La Querelle du Cid.” One
wonders (and looks forward to future papers of Prof. Roney) what
more can there be?
STANLEY A. NICHOLS is a Specialist in the Environmental Resources
Unit of the Extension Division, University of Wisconsin — Madison,
and as such has some important things to say to the public. Seeing
the overgrowth of aquatic weeds, we might clamor for cutting them
ruthlessly, as we do the terrestrial weeds in our gardens. It takes an
environmentalist to see in perspective the large weeds and the tiny
but potent algal weeds. When he concludes from a 3-year study, that
the macrophyte: algal relations are different in shallow vs deeper water,
it gives one pause. The problem is complex.
JERRY L. LONGRIDGE AND WILLIAM L. HILSENHOFF of the De¬
partment of Entomology, University of Wisconsin — Madison, are un¬
doubtedly writing for the professional entomologist but indirectly for
the fisherman and the rest of us, when they contributed this annotated
list of caddisflies — “food for fish and indicators of water quality.” One
is impressed by the precision of their records of time and place of the
catches of each of the 208 species, and by the last simple statement of
their text: “All specimens have been preserved in 70% ethanol and
deposited in the University of Wisconsin Insect Collection.”
J. L. ACKERMAN AND R. D. SHENEFELT. Miss Jacqueline Ackerman
is now Instructor at Lakeland College, Sheboygan, Wi, and Prof. Shene-
felt is a member of the Department of Entomology of the University
of Wisconsin — Madison. With the present day interest in ecosystems
and the scarcity of real knowledge of the food of many lower animals,
this paper assumes greater reader appeal than it would, say 5 or 10
years ago. The intricate pattern of basidiomycetes and their wood sub¬
strate and of the insects and their basidiomycete substrates form an
incredibly complex web. Truly the insects, whether visiting or preda¬
tory or parasitic, can set up a small world of their own within a
single macrofruiting basidiomycete. And we who do not know such
things would call that mushroom wormy!
L. G. MONTHEY AND DANIEL ZIELINSKI, respectively Extension Spe¬
cialist in Recreation Resources Center at the University of Wisconsin —
Madison and Instructor in Geography, University of Wisconsin Center —
Waukesha have dug out the facts on the Oneida County resort situa¬
tion in a very thorough manner. The people of Oneida County and those
trying to improve the economy and suggest better and wiser use of
the beautiful Oneida area will find much of interest in this record.
288 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 61
M. STARR NICHOLS. The readers will be interested to know that Dr.
Nichols is Emeritus Professor of Sanitary Chemistry, long retired and
now living in a retirement home (Oakwood Lutheran Home on the
Mineral Point Road, Madison, in case his friends wish to write or
visit him). It is typical of Dr. Nichols to puzzle over hard problems
and to see in them aspects that others neglect. Who is to know who is
right about the major cause of superfluous growth of Algae? At least
Dr. Nichols’ reasoning is sound and perhaps will stimulate some algolo-
gist to bring forth the supporting data. May we all in retirement be
as interested in current problems as is Dr. M. Starr Nichols!
DANA S. DAWES AND N. C. MARAVOLO. Dr. Nicholas Maravolo and stu¬
dent Miss Dana Dawes of the Department of Biology, Lawrence Univer¬
sity, Appleton, Wi, have put to the test of chemistry what in other years
might have remained a chance observation that orange hawkweed had
something to do with maintaing the bracken openings in a pine forest.
Thus this bit of ecological theory is now backed by the comparatively new
technic of chromatography in chemistry. Truly ecology is multi-disci¬
plinary.
LEON M. ZABOROWSKI. With all the talk about mercury in the Wis¬
consin environment, Dr. Zaborowski, Professor of Inorganic Chemistry
at the University of Wisconsin — River Falls, did something about it,
and in the process involved some cooperating students. Chemistry stu¬
dents in at least one high school in every county of the state were
asked to sacrifice their hair, but only a lock of it, to be analyzed for
mercury !
MILAN W. WEHKING, JAMES W. PAVLIK, PAUL STREGE AND
DAWN GILLES. Prof. Wehking, Associate Professor of Chemistry and
his students, Mr. Pavlick and Miss Gilles, at the University of Wisconsin —
River Falls have pointed to another area where the well water may con¬
tain 45 p.p.m. nitrate, presumed to exceed the safe level. This is not
surprising. Wells in other counties show a similar range, when the facts
are known from actual analyses.
JAMES A. JESBERGER, now of the Department of Biology, University
of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Sask., Canada, was invited to contribute this
paper as representing Nonvascular Plants in the Wild Rivers Series.
With apology to Dr. Jesberger for the long delay in publication, it is
hereby designated No. 8 in the Series. This too is a paper for the spe¬
cialist but this Editor no doubt can speak for the rest of the Academy
readers in admiring the precise detail of the work.
WISCONSIN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, ARTS AND LETTERS
OFFICERS
President
Louis W. Busse
University of Wisconsin — •
Madison
309 Pharmacy Building
President Elect
Richard W. E. Perrin
9825 Concordia Ave.
Milwaukee, Wi 53222
V ice-Presid en t — S cien ces
Robert E. Esser
University of Wisconsin — •
Parkside
1001 S. Main Street
Racine, Wi 53403
V ice-President — A rts
Robert E. Gard
University of Wisconsin — •
Madison
719 Lowell Hall
Madison, Wi 53706
1972-73
V ice-President — Letters
Donald Emerson
University of Wisconsin — •
Milwaukee
Garland Hall
Milwaukee, Wi 53201
T reasurer
Edward Schneberger
6818 Forest Glade Court
Middleton, Wi 53562
Secretary
Jean Cronon
5601 Varsity Hill Drive
Madison, Wi 53705
Librarian
Jack C. Clarke
University of Wisconsin — •
Madison
4232 Helen White Hall
APPOINTED OFFICIALS
Executive Director and
Editor — Wisconsin Academy Review
James R. Batt
W.A.S.A.L. Office
1922 University Ave.
Madison, Wi 53705
Editor — Transactions
Elizabeth McCoy
University of Wisconsin — Madison
Department of Bacteriology
Director — Junior Academy
LeRoy Lee
W.A.S.A.L. office or
2215 Wood Road
Middleton, Wi 53562
F. Chandler Young
Norman C. Olson
William B. Sarles
Adolph A. Suppan
John W. Thomson
Walter E. Scott
ACADEMY COUNCIL
PAST PRESIDENTS
Aaron J. Ihde
J. Martin Klotsche
Carl Welty
Henry A. Meyer
Robert J. Dicke
Stephen F. Darling
Joseph G. Baier
Ralph N. BuckstafT
Katherine G. Nelson
Otto L. Kowalke
Henry A. Schuette
includes the above officers, officials and past presidents.
Sou • 13
uj 1\*J 0,3
rRANSACTIONS OF THE
WISCONSIN ACADEMY
OF SCIENCES, ARTS
AND LETTERS
;
LXII— 1974
Editor
ELIZABETH McCOY
TRANSACTIONS OF THE
WISCONSIN ACADEMY
Established 1870
Volume LXII
TOWARD A NEW MATURITY: THE WISCONSIN ACADEMY IN
ITS SECOND CENTURY Presidential Address 1
Louis W. Busse
A HEMLOCK RELICT ALONG LAKE MICHIGAN,
SHEBOYGAN COUNTY, WISCONSIN 11
Thomas Foster Grittinger
THE ROTH CASE: THE BURGER COURT
AND JUDICIAL RESTRAINT 19
Warren R. Wade
WILD SOILS OF THE PINE-POPPLE RIVERS BASIN 37
Francis D. Hole
THE NOVEL AS A VEHICLE TO TELL THE STORY OF
THE MENOMINEE INDIAN 51
William Steuber
LAKE WINGRA, 1837-1973: A CASE HISTORY OF HUMAN IMPACT 57
Paul C. Baumann, James F. Kitchell, John J. Magnuson
and Terrence B. Kayes
A HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE EVOLUTION OF ENERGETICS
Robert T. Balmer
95
THE ORIGIN OF THE WORD “DOLLAR” — THE NAME
OF OUR UNIT OF ACCOUNT 111
Edward E. Popp
HISTORY OF BIOLOGICAL CONTROL ATTEMPTS AGAINST
INSECTS AND WEEDS IN WISCONSIN 115
J. W. Mertins and H. C. Coppel
NUTRIENT SOURCES FOR LAKE MENDOTA— 1972 133
William C. Sonzogni and G. Fred Lee
AN EVALUATION OF THE USE OF THE EEG TECHNIQUE
TO DETERMINE CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS
IN HOMESTREAM WATER 165
Jon C. Cooper, G. Fred Lee, and Andrew P. Dizon
STUDIES ON THE Ca, Mg and Sr CONTENT
OF FRESHWATER CLAMSHELLS 173
G. Fred Lee and William Wilson
HYDROLOGY AND TROUT POPULATIONS OF COLD WATER
RIVERS OF MICHIGAN AND WISCONSIN 181
G. E. Hendrickson and R. L. Knutilla
TEMPERATURE OPTIMUM OF ALGAE LIVING IN THE OUTFALL
OF A POWER PLANT ON LAKE MONONA 195
Thomas D. Brock and James Hoffmann
A CORRECTION IN SET THEORY 205
William Dilworth
THE FISCHER COLLECTION 217
James La Malfa
A PRELIMINARY SPATIAL ANALYSIS OF QUALITY OF LIFE
IN MILWAUKEE COUNTY, WISCONSIN 227
Richard A. Karsten, Harold McConnell, and Thomas D. Patterson
PRIMES AND FAREY SEQUENCES 245
Arthur Marshall
PRELIMINARY REPORTS ON THE FLORA OF WISCONSIN.
NO. 64. ADOXACEAE— MOSCHATEL FAMILY 247
Theodore S. Cochrane and Peter J. Salamun
PRELIMINARY REPORTS ON THE FLORA OF WISCONSIN.
NO. 65. DIPSACACEAE— TEASEL FAMILY 253
Peter J. Salamun and Theodore S. Cochrane
PRELIMINARY REPORTS ON THE FLORA OF WISCONSIN.
NO. 66. CYPERACEAE II— SEDGE FAMILY II.
The Genus Cyperus — The Umbrella Sedges 261
Brian G. Marcks
ANTIMYCIN— BEYOND TELEOCIDE 285
Mary Ellen Antonioni
ARBOVIRAL ANTIBODY SURVEY OF WILD MAMMALS
IN SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN 303
Omar M. Amin and Wayne H. Thompson
DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS OF
WILD MAMMALS IN SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN 311
Omar M. Amin
SAMPLING AND ANALYSIS OF BOTTOM SEDIMENTS
OF SOME WISCONSIN LAKES 327
Laverne C. Strieker and Robert N. Cheetham, Jr.
STUDIES ON AQUATIC OLIGOCHAETA IN INLAND
WATERS OF WISCONSIN
Richard P. Howmiller
A HISTORY OF THE VEGETATION OF EAU CLAIRE
COUNTY, WISCONSIN
William J. Barnes
EDITORIAL POLICY
The Transactions of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters
is an annual publication devoted to original, scholarly papers, some preference
being given to the works of Academy members. Sound manuscripts dealing
with features of the State of Wisconsin and its people are especially desirable,
although other papers of merit are also acceptable. Subject matter experts
will review each manuscript submitted.
Contributors are asked to submit two copies of their manuscripts to the
Editor. The manuscripts should be typed on 8V2 x 11" bond paper. The title
should be at the top of the page, typed in capital letters throughout. The
author’s name and brief address should appear below the title and toward the
right hand margin. It should be typed with capital-lower case style and the
address portion underlined for italics. Each page of the manuscript beyond
the first should bear a page number and author’s name for identification;
e.g. 2-Brown, 3-Brown, etc. A note on separate sheet, submitted with the
manuscript, should identify the author with his institution, if appropriate,
or with a personal address for the Editor’s use in correspondence.
The style of the text should be that of scholarly writing in the field of the
author but to minimize printing costs the Editor requests that the general
form of the current volume of Transactions be examined and followed so far
as possible. For the Science papers an ABSTRACT is requested. Documentary
Footnotes may be useful, especially for the Arts and Letters manuscripts, and,
if needed, should be typed as a group on separate sheets and numbered for
citation in the text. Such FOOTNOTES will be published at the end of the
text in place of BIBLIOGRAPHY. For BIBLIOGRAPHY of Science papers
or of any papers at the author’s choice, references should be assembled alpha¬
betically and typed on sheet or sheets as needed; citations in the text are
usually by author and date in parentheses. The style of references will be
standardized as in the current volume, to promote accuracy and reduce print¬
ing costs.
The cost of printing the Transactions is great. Therefore excessively long
papers will not ordinarily be accepted. In the rare instance of such a long
paper or of some especially costly printing or illustrations, the author may
be asked to subsidize publication.
Galley proofs and manuscript copy will be forwarded to the senior author
for proof reading prior to publication; both should be returned to the Editor
within ten days.
Authors of papers which appear in Transactions will be provided by the
Editor with one complimentary copy of the volume in which their work ap¬
pears. Reprints can be made at publication or at later time by offset printing
and are available in multiples of 100. Prices and forms for the orders will be
sent to authors at time of publication or are obtainable from the Academy
office upon request. Single copies only are available to other persons at 10
cents per page for papers or $5.00 for a volume of Transactions from the
W.A.S.A.L. office at 1922 University Ave., Madison, Wis. 53705.
Papers received on or before November 15 will be considered for publication
in the 1975 volume of Transactions. Manuscripts should be sent to the Editor
at the W.A.S.A.L. office above.
LOUIS W. BUSSE
51st President
WISCONSIN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, ARTS
AND LETTERS
TOWARD A NEW MATURITY: THE WISCONSIN ACADEMY
IN ITS SECOND CENTURY
Presidential Address
Louis W. Busse
President 1972-73
Ripon, Wisconsin
April 27, 197S
President-elect Perrin, Members of the Council, Colleagues of the
Academy, and Friends :
On the First of February, 1870, J. W. Hoyt and 104 of Wiscon¬
sin’s finest scholars, governmental leaders, and noted citizens cir¬
culated about the state a “Call for a Meeting to Organize.” The
Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters was about to be
born. It was to be, in the words of the authors of the Call, . . an
institution that shall be of great practical utility and lasting honor
to the State.”
For a number of years the idea for such an institution had
been in the hearts and minds of many. As the language of the Call
indicates, the founders of the Academy were motivated by the
premise that “. . . the prosperity and power of a State depend not
more upon its material resources than upon the culture of its
people and the extent of their knowledge of nature and man.” They
incorporated this belief within the charter through the listing of
such purposes as:
1. Researches and investigations in the various departments of the mate¬
rial, metaphysical, ethical, ethnological and social sciences;
2. A progressive and thorough scientific survey of the State, with a
view to determining is mineral, agricultural and other resources;
3. The advancement of the useful arts, through the applications of science,
and by the encouragement of original invention;
4. The encouragement of the fine arts by means of honors and prizes
awarded to artists for original works of superior merit;
5. The formation of scientific, economical and art museums;
6. The encouragement of philological and historical research, the collection
and preservation of historic records, and the formation of a general
library; and
7. The diffusion of knowledge by the publication of original contributions
to science, literature and the arts.
It was, as can be seen, an undertaking cast in a philosophy and
purpose of substantial magnitude. That the Academy was to suc-
1
2 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
ceed in the fulfillment of much of what it had been charged to
accomplish, given its financial limitations, is a high tribute to its
leadership and to its membership. Through the course of nearly
all its first century of existence, the Wisconsin Academy achieved
despite, not because of, its monetary resources. The question must
always remain: What proud paths might we have traveled and
realized what goals had there been a more adequate fiscal base?
I submit to you, however, that a comparable question must be
answered today. While the coffers of the Academy are far from
overflowing, the fact remains that, thanks to the generosity of such
as our late colleague, Dr. Harry Steenbock, our friend and fellow
member, Dr. Elizabeth McCoy, and others, we are now in a posi¬
tion to realize goals dreamed of by our illustrious founders and to
travel some of the paths chartered by these people. We can no
longer plead lack of monetary resources for future failures.
In looking toward a new maturity, there are several ways to
look at the Academy. One of them might be to consider the
Academy as a 100 years old adolescent, who never quite reached
maturity because of a shortage of one essential hormone — that of
fiscal resources (money). Suddenly in 1969 he received a $950,000
injection — and now, as a rapidly growing youth, is trying vigor¬
ously to find himself and to mature.
Or, we can look at ourselves as a 100 year-old institution or
organization, seeking renewal with the vitality of a youngster
stimulated by the faith of several individuals in our goals and
objectives and their generosity to help us achieve or make progress
toward these goals. When we mention the vitality of a society or
institution or organization we must include the vitality of its indi¬
vidual members. The society and its members are one and the same.
A society or an organization decays when its institutions and indi¬
viduals lose their vitality. As I have viewed the Academy over
these past three years, I see members of long standing and new
members demonstrating a new vitality and interest which speaks
well for our future.
You know, one of the fascinating things I have found in the
Academy is its resilience — its constant ability to renew itself. When
organizations and societies are young, they are flexible and fluid,
not yet paralyzed by rigid specialization. As they age, however,
vitality diminishes, flexibility gives way to rigidity, creativity
fades in this environment and finally there results a loss of capacity
to meet challenges from unexpected directions. I view the Academy
as now at the beginning of a new maturing period. This is neces¬
sary for we cannot and should not remain forever with the con¬
fusion of youth. The question to which the Academy will have to
seek the answer is : How can it become a mature organization and
1974] Busse — Second Century of Wisconsin Academy 3
still retain the flexibility and adaptability characteristic of youth
which permit the ever renewing process, when, in fact, the proc¬
esses of maturing are essentially those that reduce flexibility and
adaptiveness.
I do not have the answer, of course, but I would assume that the
first step would be to recognize the facts : to know the difference ,
that is, the difference between maturity and rigidity or lack of
flexibility. So, I would urge our future leaders and especially our
members to constantly be on the alert for the appearance of those
disastrous side effects of the maturing process and to treat these
quickly as they appear. In this kind of an organization, the ever-
renewing process can take place, and then what matures is an
organization or framework within which continuous innovation,
renewal and rebirth can occur. I think this is what we all want for
the Academy and with your help we can develop this kind of
organization.
Now, before an organization can proceed toward its major
objectives and program goals, it must have a certain stability. It
must have its machinery in working order. It must solve its day-
to-day operating problems and get out from under these uncer¬
tainties. It must get out of the confusion of youth.
I thought tonight I might make a portion of my message to you
in the form of a “report from your President.” This is not to set
a precedent for future presidents. However, your Academy has had
three busy years-— two under the leadership of Norman Olson and
F. Chandler Young, and this past year with me and Dick Perrin.
These were good years for me and I greatly appreciated the oppor¬
tunity to serve with all of these people.
I would like to indicate some of the significant events or hap¬
penings over this past year for I think they reflect stages in the
maturing process that the Academy is now going through, and
they give proof to the claim that we are getting our house in order
and going on to greater accomplishments.
THE FIRST EVENT
Of great significance to the Academy was our success in clarify¬
ing our tax status with the Internal Revenue Service. As some of
you know, due to errors in previous reporting to the Revenue Serv¬
ice we were classified as a private foundation and our income from
our investments, thus, would be taxable. This classification was an
intolerable situation for the Academy. Therefore, competent legal
counsel was retained and the Academy’s income, operating
expenses, and contributions were properly identified and estab¬
lished. A brief was prepared and submitted to the I.R.S. and just
last month we were notified of our new classification as a tax-
4 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
exempt foundation. This had to be established in order for the
Academy to continue to develop to its full potential. It pleases me
to be able to report our success in this effort. The amount of staff
time which went into this effort was enormous and how our Direc¬
tor was able to keep anything else going is testimony to his effort.
In this relation also I must acknowledge the help of Walter Scott
and express my appreciation for the tremendous help he was in
leading us and supplying us with information on the Academy.
In order to protect the Academy from any further mistakes in
this area and because of the increasing activities of the Academy
which may have legal implications needing interpretations, I have
recommended to the Council (and they have approved) the con¬
tracting of legal services on a retainer basis. We have secured the
services of the law firm of Werner, Lathrop, Heany, which handled
our tax case.
One of the other events which gave me real pleasure was to
observe and work with Bob Dicke and our Facilities Committee.
Bob was persistent and insistent that a basement office in a lumber
yard was no place for a distinguished organization such as ours.
Bob believed in the “shock technique.” He first came to the Council,
as many of you know from our meeting last fall, and presented a
plan which involved an expenditure of some $350,000. First, he got
all of us to agree that our location at that time just was
not acceptable and then in turn he agreed that maybe $350,000
was a little high and that he and his Committee would look again.
So, when he came back with a request to the Academy to purchase
a $70,000 building, which was on University Avenue and just off
campus, we were relieved to get off that easily.
I am especially enthused with our new headquarters building
at 1922 University Avenue, which the Academy has purchased and
is remodeling for its needs. It was purchased with capital gains
from our investment trust for $67,500. Our distinguished member,
Dr. Elizabeth McCoy, suffered through this agonizing period with
us, and very early in our deliberations offered us a location on her
farm or estate along with a contribution of $22,500 to remodel a
building there. This we considered very seriously but hesitated
only because of the distance from the campus and central city.
However, when she saw Bob’s and my pleasure at the opportunity
of the University Avenue site she couldn’t resist and said, “This
is what you need; it’s the right location; and it is fitting for the
Academy.” After another two seconds she said, “What’s more, I’ll
round it off to $25,000 toward the purchase or remodeling, which¬
ever you wish.” Ladies and Gentlemen, that’s why you have a home,
a headquarters building, an image if you will, and one in which
you may feel happy and comfortable for many years.
1974] Busse — Second Century of Wisconsin Academy 5
It’s a charming* little building*, a delightful place for the staff to
work in, and an extremely pleasant place to visit. I know you will
be pleased and I urge you to come and see it and experience the
revitalization, the renewed effort that this facility has stimulated
in all of us. We will be moving* in on Tuesday, May 1 and although
it will not be completely furnished, we might be able to find you
a chair to sit down on.
The acquisition of the building and the contracting for remodel¬
ing and redecorating services has taken a tremendous number of
hours of staff time this past month, so if some of the daily routine
or deadline schedules were not met, please bear with us for another
month or so.
Another event, with rather severe implications for the Academy,
was the establishment by the Governor of a task force on the status
of the arts and humanities in Wisconsin with Dean Adolph Suppan,
a past president of the Academy, as its Chairman. The task force
did hold several meetings in the state and in Madison, but for some
reason neither I nor our staff were made aware of the work of
this committee until just a few months ago. The recommendations
of the Committee were already formulated and the Governor
already had in his budget the funds for the establishment of a State
Board for the Arts and Humanities. This board is to disperse the
funds contributed to the arts in Wisconsin by the National Endow¬
ment for the Arts and thus will relieve the Arts Council of the
state of this responsibility.
As many of you know, this situation resulted in the resignation
of Mr. Lauch as Executive Director of the Arts Council and the
publishing in the Milwaukee Journal of an interview with him in
which he denounced the work of the task force and took serious
exception to the creation of this new board or state agency.
Even though it was late to intervene, I felt that the implications
for the Academy were so great that appearance was necessary in
opposition to the bill at the hearing before the Joint Finance Com¬
mittee. Mr. Batt and I appeared there and spoke in opposition and
presented the Committee with much material relating* to the
Academy’s activities in the Arts and Humanities. Needless to say,
the Committee was very surprised there was such an organization
closely connected to the State by charter, already performing these
functions, and seemed pleased to be made aware of this alternative.
I can inform you that the staff of this committee considered three
alternatives for the responsibility:
1. To leave in the hands of the Arts Council;
2. To place in the hands of the Academy of Sciences-Arts-Letters ;
3. To follow the Governor’s recommendation for a new State Board.
6 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
Mr. Davis, of the Committee, informed us that the Committee is
recommending going along with the Governor’s proposal.
In spite of this, the Academy will continue to maintain a vigor¬
ous program for the Arts and Letters, and will work with the
Board, if and when one is created.
Two other areas in which progress has been made in the past
two years has been in membership and publications — the vitality
and life blood of our organization.
We have increased our membership by approximately 300 and
quadrupled our life memberships. The new membership directory
has been published and it makes an impressive appearance. Mem¬
bership drives will continue and in the meantime all of us as indi¬
viduals can help tremendously by each bringing in a new member
next year. Doubling our membership next year would be an
encouraging step.
I am particularly pleased with the improvement of our publica¬
tions this past year and I hope that you are too. The TRANSAC¬
TIONS has always been an exemplary publication. Now, the
ACADEMY REVIEW has been expanded and takes on a new look,
and I think does the Academy proud. The last two issues were
particularly good and carried a good balance between our three
cultures.
In addition, you now have received an issue or two of the
ACADEMY TRIFORIUM, our new monthly newsletter, designed
to keep you informed of Academy developments in a more up-to-
date manner. I think it is interesting and will help to keep the
Academy in the forefront of our minds and our interest.
Publications, to my mind, are the life blood of the Academy and
will determine its future. I think it is essential that the Academy
have an extensive publishing program for it is only through this
mechanism that we can really create and maintain the image and
the status we seek. Our publications will determine whether the
mass of the membership continues to remain in the Academy or
to withdraw for lack of contact with our programs and objectives.
This is costing the Academy money ; however, early results seem
to indicate it will also bring in money. Nevertheless, the budget for
1973-74 will show a significant increase in the item for publica¬
tions. In addition, this cannot be accomplished without increased
manpower and so our budget will show that we have acquired the
full time services of Miss Monica Janigh. One could say that we are
doing it with womanpower instead of manpower.
Seriously, I think our staff, Jim, Nancy, Marie and Monica, are
doing an excellent job in their areas of Academy responsibility and
we owe them a vote of thanks for their dedication.
1974] Busse — Second Century of Wisconsin Academy 7
These accomplishments, I like to think, are in the category of
getting our house in order :
1. Our status as a tax-exempt organization
2. A house befitting our image with adequate space and facilities to do
our job
3. Publications reflecting our progress toward our goals and objectives.
4. Membership buildup
Significant progress has been made in all of these this year.
We are now just in the process of assessing our future role and
goals, hopefully exhibiting the vitality, flexibility, and adaptabil¬
ity necessary to assure our success. There are two things I would
like to mention in this regard.
First is the reorganization of our Junior Academy, which has
been growing rapidly under the direction of Mr. LeRoy, Lee. More
high schools are participating, more students are participating,
more institutes for both school and summer months, are being
organized. I think over 600 students have been at the various
institutes this past year.
In our reorganization, we will be dropping the Junior Academy
nomenclature and thus not have a separate organization. Instead,
we will have a youth program in which these students are associate
members of the Academy which will make them feel more a part
of us-— an example of our adaptability and flexibility. I look for
this aspect of our activity to mushroom over the next years and
I am sure that it will require a full-time director for this program
in a few years. As an example, the Academy, through the efforts
of LeRoy and Jim, is the recipient of a grant of $7,500 from the
Atomic Energy Commission to sponsor institutes on our energy
crisis at the high school level. There is no end to the kinds of pro¬
gramming the Academy can sponsor and develop for these young
people. However, as we involve ourselves more with the young
crowd, or to put it the other way, as we take the young people more
into our establishment, we must be prepared to accept change and
to have the framework which will accept and permit constructive
changes.
Second, I would like to mention some of our efforts to decide our
future roles and objectives. In this respect I would like to express
my appreciation to Bob Gard and Don Emerson for their contribu¬
tions. In the role of stimulators , particularly in the Arts and Let¬
ters, the Academy is embarking on the following pathways:
1. The Council has authorized an Academy literary award of $5,000 for
the best book published by a Wisconsin author or author with Wisconsin
heritage, to be given in 1976 as a part of the Bicentennial celebration.
2. We are giving citations in “The Theatre” category and Professor Gard
informs us he has already had the pleasure of presenting one award on
8 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
behalf of the Academy before an audience of 600-700 people in Stevens
Point, who were thrilled at the recognition bestowed upon them by our
organization.
3. We are also establishing a Citation for the best book in Science pub¬
lished by a Wisconsin author and it will be presented by and for the
Wisconsin Library Association.
4. Our Fall Gathering probably will be held in Ft. Atkinson this Sep¬
tember 22 and 23 in conjunction with the Wisconsin Regional Writers
Association and the dedication of the Wisconsin Authors Hall of Fame.
I mention all of these items to you because they indicate to me
two things : ( 1 ) the Academy is actively seeking to find its role
in its relationship to the specialty organizations making up the
Arts and Letters; and (2) is attempting to bring them into our
Academy home and to nourish them as individuals in any way we
can. I think this is marvelous progress, and much credit should go
to our Vice Presidents and to our Executive Director.
In this same vein, Dick Perrin will be appointing a committee to
study the feasibility and mechanism by which the Academy could
enter into a cooperative arrangement with the U. W. Extension
Division in support of a faculty member who would work at the
Academy offices. This person would study the role of the Academy
as a co-ordinator for all of the Arts and Letters organizations in
the state and develop a procedure by which the activities of these
organizations could come under the umbrella of the Academy. In
addition, he will determine how the Academy can help these organ¬
izations to fulfill their goals and objectives. If this were to come
about and prove to be successful, I can visualize a similar role in
the Sciences and with this kind of work power the Academy should
be able to fulfill the goals and objectives so forcefully stated in our
Charter of 1870. I do look for this to happen!
In closing, let me say these have been three wonderful years.
I hope I may continue to serve the Academy in the future. As you
know, Wisconsin is one of the few Academies of Science which
encompasses the Arts and Letters as well. As a pharmacist and
scientist one of the real pleasures of this opportunity to serve you
was the chance it gave me to meet and know so many people in the
other cultures, and to know and understand the working of the
mind of the artist and the writer. I hope similarly it gave the artist
and the writer a closer view of the thinking and the orientation
of the minds of the scientists and professionals. I no longer think
of the artist and writer in an adversary relationship and I hope
they too can begin to see professionals and scientists in non¬
adversary relationships.
I think it is extremely important to stable progress in our
Academy that these adversary relationships between these cultures
be reduced and that this be replaced by mutual understanding. It
1974] Busse — Second Century of Wisconsin Academy 9
seems to me that this is a particularly significant role for the
Academy to perform, and since it is an organization of all three
cultures it is ideally suited to perform it. Members of the Academy,
if the Academy can accomplish this for me, I know it can accom¬
plish it on a much greater scale for the people of our state. I urge
you to make this a major effort in the next years.
It has been an honor and a pleasure to serve you.
And now it is my privilege and pleasure to turn the reins of the
Academy over to your President-elect, Richard Perrin, who now
becomes your President for the coming year. I hope I give the
Academy to you in as good a state as it was when it was turned
over to me by President Young. I know the Academy will be in
good hands. Members, your new President, Mr. Richard Perrin.
A HEMLOCK RELICT ALONG LAKE MICHIGAN,
SHEBOYGAN COUNTY, WISCONSIN
Thomas Foster Grittinger
University of Wisconsin — Center
Sheboygan County — Campus —
Sheboygan
Hemlock ( Tsuga canadensis (L). Carr.)* had been reported
along Lake Michigan as far south as Sheboygan County by sur¬
veyors (Goder, 1955). The southernmost stands mapped along the
lake are listed as relicts in Manitowoc County; however a few
scattered hemlocks can still be found within 50 feet of the shore¬
line in Sheboygan County (Goder, 1955). This report is an analysis
of a well established stand composed mostly of hemlock, found east
of Oostburg in Sheboygan County (Fig. 1). Despite the southern
location of this northern community and its disjunct nature, it is
rich in species and the hemlock is vigorous.
This hemlock stand lies on old dunes between the more recent
dunes to the east and the swampy swales covered with lowland
hardwood to the west. Farther west a steep bluff of Nippissing
age separates the agricultural uplands from the forested lowlands
along Lake Michigan. The bluff appears to provide a wind shadow
from the prevailing dry westerly winds. East of the hemlock the
younger dunes support white pine (Finns strobus L.) , white cedar
( Thuja occidentalis L.) , white birch ( Betula papyrifera Marsh.),
and green ash ( Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marsh, var. subinteger-
rima (Vahl) Fern.). This forest buffers the hemlock community
from the easterly and northeasterly winds off Lake Michigan. The
hemlock stand thus receives protection from both the prevailing
summer winds and the winter storms.
The proximity to Lake Michigan has a major impact on the
climate. Lake effects such as a cooling in the spring and early
summer when onshore breezes are common, a high frequency of
local fogs, postponement of the first killing frost in the fall, delay
of bud opening in the spring, as well as persistence of snow cover
near the shore in the winter when the lake acts as a cloud gener¬
ator and a heat and moisture source are well known (U.S. Dept.
Comm., 1961 ; Bruncken, 1910 ; Whitford and Salamun, 1954 ; and
Lyons, 1970). These climatic effects account for the southward
extension of northern forests along the lake. Northern species have
* The nomenclature used here is according- to Fernald (1950).
11
12 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
FIGURE l
been recorded as far south as Grant Park in Milwaukee County
(Bruncken, 1910; and Whitford and Salamun, 1954).
SAMPLING METHODS
The quarter method was used to examine tree composition and
structure in the stand. The trees reported include stems over 4
inches in diameter at breast height (d.b.h.). Quadrats 4x4 meter
square were used for shrubs and saplings, and 1x1 meter quad¬
rats were used for herbs and seedlings. Saplings included stems
with diameters of 1 to 4 inches, seedlings with diameters below
1 inch, and shrubs, multistemmed woody species that generally
do not reach tree size. Quarter points and the quadrats were
placed at 50 foot intervals along compass lines. To cover most of
the stand, three compass lines were used with a total sample of
50 quarter points and quadrats of each size. Relative frequency,
relative density, and relative dominance were calculated for tree
species and these values were summed to give an importance value
(Cottam and Curtis, 1956). Quadrat data provided relative fre¬
quency and frequency.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The community includes many species typical of the northern
coniferous forests and even the boreal forest (Curtis, 1959) ; see
1974] Grittinger — Hemlock Relict Along Lake Michigan
IB
Tables 1, 2, and 3. For example, hemlock, beech ( Fagus grandif olia
Ehrh.) , red-berried elder (Sambucus pubens Michx.) , Solomon’s
Seal ( Polygonatum pubescens (Willd.) Pursh), and club-moss
(Lycopodium lucidulum Michx.), all species that achieve their
highest presence values in the northern mesic forest, are common
throughout this community. White pine, red maple (Acer
rubrum L.), white birch, and wild sarsaparilla (Aralia nudi -
caulis L.) , characteristic of the northern dry-mesic forests, are
present; white pine is especially common on the dune ridges. The
northern wet-mesic forests contain yellow birch (Betula lutea
Michx.), black ash (Fraximus nigra Marsh.), and white cedar.
Yellow birch is found throughout the stand; black ash and white
cedar are frequent in the low, moist depressions between dune
ridges. Species of the boreal forest, mountain maple (Acer spi-
catum Lam.), large-leaved aster (Aster macrophyllus L.) , blue-
bead-lily (Clintonia borealis (Ait.) Raf.), wild lily-of-the-valley
(Maianthemum canadense Desf.) , star-flower ( Trientalis borealis
Raf.), fly-honeysuckle (Lonicera canadense Bartr.), and twisted-
stalk (Streptopus roseus Michx.) are also present in this stand.
Viola Selkirkii Pursh., which occurs in this community, is noted
by Fassett (1959) as present along the northern borders of Wis¬
consin, “south to Clark and Door Counties, and in cold canyons
at Devil’s Lake and the Dells of the Wisconsin River”. Many other
species found here with low frequencies also exhibit their highest
presence values in northern Wisconsin. Northern species seen but
not encountered in the quadrats include goldthread (Coptis groem
landica (Oeder) Fern.) and bunchberry (Cornus canadensis L.).
Northern plant communities are reasonably frequent near Lake
TABLE 1. PHYTOSOCIOLOGICAL DATA ON TREE SPECIES1
Average distance between individuals = 13.6 feet Trees/acre - 235.6
Quarter method, 50 points used
2 Importance value = relative frequency + relative density + relative dominance
14 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
TABLE 2. FREQUENCY VALUES FOR SHRUBS AND SAPLINGS
TABLE 3. FREQUENCY VALUES FOR SEEDLINGS AND HERBS
Michigan in Sheboygan County. This forested strip consists largely
of white pine and hardwoods on mesic sites or black ash and white
cedar on lower areas. Hemlock is infrequent and appears to be a
disjunct species.
In this community hemlock represents by far the most important
tree species, with an importance value of 138.2 (Table 1). Other
1974] Gritting er- — Hemlock Relict Along Lake Michigan 15
trees found include in descending order of importance : red maple,
yellow birch, white birch, sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.),
beech, white pine, red oak ( Quercus rubra L.), basswood ( Tilia
americana L.), green ash, white cedar, black ash, and mountain
ash ( Pyrus americana (Marsh.) DC.). This is in contrast to the
stands examined by Stearns (1951) where sugar maple, with a
relative frequency of 89%, a relative density of 41.8%, and a rela¬
tive dominance of 28%, had the greatest importance value; hem¬
lock followed the sugar maple with a relative frequency of 67.6%,
a relative density of 22.3%, and a relative dominance of 23.8%.
Numerous large trees gave hemlock high relative dominance. Old
hemlock stumps in the stand suggest the possible ages, of these
large trees. Three stumps ranged in age from 118 years for a 24
inch diameter stump to 184 years for a 29 inch stump. However
estimation of hemlock from stem diameters is subject to error,
largely because hemlock tolerates suppression (Curtis, 1959).
Stearns (1951) found that hemlock may experience several periods
of suppression before finally reaching a position of dominance in
the canopy. In this community, hemlock attains a greater size than
other species save for white pine. The white pine also has a high
relative dominance but is not present as seedlings, or saplings,
although it is present in various sizes as trees. Although no hem¬
lock seedlings were encountered in the quadrats (Table 3), they
were often seen on old stumps (Fig. 2).
Hemlock shows a high relative density, compared to relative
frequency. Favorable sites for seed germination are rotting stumps
and logs, and tip-up mounds; all of these microhabitats are com¬
mon in this community. The stumps resulted from the infrequent
removal of a few trees. Relatively shallow root systems, and loose
sandy soil account for the high percentage of windthrown hemlock.
The importance of windthrow in creating sites for germination
and in opening the canopy for hemlock has been documented
('Coder, 1955). Reproduction on stumps is seen in this community
(Fig. 3). Thus hemlock creates its own environment for reproduc¬
tion (Coder, 1961). Since the microhabitats so created tend to
occur in specific limited situations, clumping of trees inevitably re¬
sults. The presence of dense island-like groupings of hemlock was
noted by Stearns (1951).
Hemlock is considered preferred deer food (Swift, 1946) ; how¬
ever, the deer population is low in this area perhaps because many
of the lakeshore cottages and nearby homes are occupied through¬
out the year. Hemlock, if browsed, has little chance for recovery
(Curtis, 1959). Elsewhere along Lake Michigan, deer populations
16 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
FIGURE 2
have grown rapidly and browse lines are visible in places within
Milwaukee County (Forest Stearns, personal communication).
In addition to hemlock, other trees appear capable of continuing
in the community under present conditions. Both red maple, and
especially sugar maple, in all size classes are present throughout.
Yellow birch was found in many sizes, with many exhibiting the
prop rooted condition mentioned by Curtis (1959) ; this condition
is the result of seedling development on rotting logs and stumps
with the subsequent decomposition of the log or stump. In spite
of this unique method of early development, yellow birch reproduc¬
tion is very successful on moist, mineral soil surfaces (Curtis,
1959), and heavy windfall or partial cutting will permit an in¬
crease in yellow birch reproduction (Stearns, 1951). White birch
apparently owes its presence to localized disturbances, since it is a
gap-phase tree found in small openings in the forest (Curtis,
1959). Beech can be expected to continue reproducing in this com¬
munity; this species maintains itself by vegetative reproduction
(Ward, 1956).
The origin of this community is tied to long term lake level
changes, to the development of sand dunes and their stabilization,
and to continuing disturbances. After the moving dunes are colo¬
nized and stabilized by vegetation, an orderly process of plant
succession takes place, which eventually terminates in a mesic
1974] Gritting er — Hemlock Relict Along Lake Michigan
17
FIGURE 3
forest (Cowles, 1899; Olson, 1958a and b; and Curtis, 1959).
However since 800 to 1000 years are required to progress from
initial stand to a climax mesic forest, such uninterrupted succes¬
sions are very rare (Curtis, 1959). Disturbance is indicated by
white pine, white birch, and red oak. The presence of white pine
as scattered individuals of uneven age in a mixture of hemlock and
climax hardwoods is due to relatively small openings caused by
windfall or some other purely local influence (Nichols, 1935). The
presence of continuing disturbance in this community is further
demonstrated by hemlock and yellow birch which require wind-
produced clearings in order to compete with sugar maple in a
mixed stand of sugar maple, hemlock, and yellow birch (Stearns,
1949). Stearns (1951) further suggests that where hemlock exists
18 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
in clans or dense groups, it is probably due to mass establishment
following some occurrence which not only opened up the forest
canopy but which also coincided with favorable seed years and
favorable climatic conditions. The preference of pure stands of
hemlock for very moist situations may be related to the increased
frequency of heavy windfall in shallow rooted trees and with the
moisture requirements for seed germination (Stearns, 1951).
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The author is indebted to Dr. F. W. Stearns for advice and
encouragement.
REFERENCES
BRUNCKEN, E. 1910. Studies in plant distribution. 9. The shore of Lake
Michigan. Bull. Wis. Nat. Hist. Soc. 8:145-157.
COTTAM, G. and J. T. CURTIS. 1956. The use of distance measures in phyto-
sociological sampling. Ecology 37:451-460.
COWLES, H. C. 1899. The ecological relations of the vegetation on the sand
dunes of Lake Michigan. Bot. Gaz. 27:95-117, 167-202, 281-308, 361-391.
CURTIS, J. T. 1959. The vegetation of Wisconsin. The University of Wis¬
consin Press. Madison. 65/ pp.
FASSETT, N. C. 1959. Spring flora of Wisconsin, 3rd ed. The University
of Wisconsin Press. Madison. 189 pp.
FERNALD, M. L. 1950. Gray’s manual of botany, 8th ed. American Book
Co. New York. 1632 pp.
GODER, H. A. 1955. A phytosociological study of Tsuga canadensis near
the termination of its range in Wisconsin. Ph.D. thesis, University of
Wisconsin.
GODER, H. A. 1961. Hemlock reproduction and survival on its border in
Wisconsin. Trans. Wis. Acad. Sci. Arts Lett. 50:175-182.
LYONS, W. A. 1970. Numerical simulation of Great Lakes summertime con¬
duction inversions. Proc. 13th Conf. Great Lakes Res. 1970. Internat.
Assoc. Great Lakes Res. 369-387.
NICHOLS, G. E. 1935. The hemlock-white pine-northern hardwood region of
eastern North America. Ecology 16:403-422.
OLSON, J. S. 1958a. Lake Michigan dune development. 2. Plants as agents
and tools in geomorphology. Jour. Geol. 66:345-351.
OLSON, J. S. 1958b. Lake Michigan dune development. 3. Lake-level, beach,
and dune oscillations. Jour. Geol. 66:473-483.
STEARNS, F. W. 1949. Ninety years change in a northern hardwood forest
in Wisconsin. Ecology 30:350-358.
STEARNS, F. W. 1951. The composition of the sugar maple-hemlock -yellow
birch association in northern Wisconsin. Ecology 32:245-265.
SWIFT, E. 1946. A history of Wisconsin deer. Wisconsin Conservation De¬
partment Pub. 323. Madison. 96 pp.
U.S. Department of Commerce, Weather Bureau. 1961. Wisconsin Clima¬
tological Data.
WARD, R. T. 1956. The beech forests of Wisconsin — changes in forest com¬
position and the nature of the beech border. Ecology 37:407-419.
WHITFORD, P. B. and P. J. SALAMUN. 1954. An upland forest survey of
the Milwaukee area. Ecology 35:533-540.
THE ROTH CASE: THE BURGER COURT AND
JUDICIAL RESTRAINT
Warren R. Wade
Univei'sity Wisconsin —
Stout Menomonie
When the United States Supreme Court announced its decision
in Roth v. The Board of Regents of the State Colleges1 on June
29, 1972, it made a ruling of landmark significance in the law
governing academic personnel matters. The Court held that non-
tenured faculty members have no constitutional right to a statement
of reasons or to a hearing in cases regarding non-retention.
The Roth case was surrounded by a great deal of notoriety and
publicity which caused many individuals and groups, in addition
to the plaintiff, Dr. David Roth, an Assistant Professor at Oshkosh
State University, to become interested in its outcome. Several
other non-tenured faculty members whose contracts had not been
renewed by the Wisconsin State University System were anxiously
awaiting the Court ruling. At the same time, college presidents,
vice-presidents, deans, and department chairmen throughout Wis¬
consin quivered at the mere mention of the possibility that the
lower federal courts’ decisions (which maintained that non-
tenured faculty were constitutionally entitled to a statement of
reasons and a hearing in a non-retention case) would be sustained.
Although most college administrators in the rest of the country
probably had not heard of the Roth case, several state and national
associations, representing their interests, had filed amici curiae
briefs on behalf of the defendant-appellant Wisconsin State Uni¬
versity Board of Regents, arguing that detrimental results would
occur if the lower court decisions were not reversed.2
The Roth case is unique because it marked the first time that
the Court had addressed itself to the issue of what procedural
rights the Constitution guarantees a non-tenured teacher. This
paper approaches Roth as a case study attempting to identify the
kinds of factors and events capable of generating a legal contro¬
versy of sufficient magnitude to cause the nation’s highest judicial
1 408 U.S. 654 (1972).
3 Briefs were filed by the following- : the Board of Governors of State Colleges and
Universities of Illinois ; the Board of Regents of Regency Universities of Illinois, the
Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois University ; the American Association of State
Colleges and Universities ; and the American Council on Education and the Associa¬
tion of American Colleges ; by Attorneys Albert E. Jenner, Chester T. Kamin, and
Richard T. Franch, 135 South La Salle Street, Illinois 60603.
19
20 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
tribunal to deem it worthy of a hearing. The development of the
controversy is traced from its origin in late November, 1968 to its
final adjudication on June 29, 1972 and includes a description of
the original plaintiff, Roth, the charges made against him, and
an analysis of the three federal court opinions in the case.
EVENTS LEADING TO THE NON-RETENTION DECISION
The events leading to the non-retention of Dr. David Roth in
the Political Science Department at Oshkosh State University, Osh¬
kosh, Wisconsin (now known as the University of Wisconsin —
Oshkosh), were extremely complicated, as evidenced by the con¬
flicting interpretations of Roth’s actions as well as the events
surrounding the case. Although several of the charges against Roth
can be accurately documented, many diverse opinions were offered
as to their verity or falsity. Out of the numerous interviews with
many of the parties involved, including Roth himself, and through
extensive examination of reports, legal briefs, newspaper articles,
and federal court opinions, this writer has attempted to make a fair
judgment as to why Roth’s contract was not renewed for the 1969-
1970 academic year in addition to the important legal and consti¬
tutional implications for state control of educational disciplinary
matters.
The events leading to Roth’s non-retention initially arose out of
the suspension of ninety-four Oshkosh black students after a con¬
frontation involving the occupation of President Roger Guiles’
office on November 21, 1968. The black students were protesting
against President Guiles’ alleged insensitivity to their demands for
more black instructors, additional black studies courses, a black
culture center, and better counseling services for black students.
President Guiles, arguing that it was administratively and finan¬
cially impossible for him to do so, refused to agree to the demands
whereupon one student yelled, “Do your thing.” With this, bedlam
broke loose. His desk and files were overturned and their contents
scattered around the room. Typewriters were thrown on the floor,
tables were overturned, draperies were torn, and a calculator was
thrown out the window, causing damage in excess of $7,000. All
ninety-four students were arrested and immediately suspended
from classes.
Although Roth had not been involved with black students on the
Oshkosh campus prior to the disturbance in the president’s office,
in the two or three weeks following it he became the center of
attention. One Oshkosh faculty member maintained that Roth acted
more like a student leader than a faculty member during these
1974]
Wade — The Roth Case
21
weeks. Indeed, Roth, by his own admission, said that he gave ad¬
vice and support to numerous student groups.
On December 2, 1968, a meeting was scheduled between the
Oshkosh administration and the parents of the suspended black
students. Roth admitted dismissing his class in International Rela¬
tions which was scheduled at the same time, and he encouraged his
students to join him at the meeting. Three days later Dr. Raymond
Ramsden, Vice-President of Academic Affairs, sent Roth a note
indicating that he wanted to discuss this action with him. Roth
refused to respond to the Vice-President’s request.
Between the end of Thanksgiving recess and Christmas vacation,
Roth was accused by the Oshkosh Administration of not teaching
material pertinent to his International Relations course. Several
students claimed in depositions that fifty to seventy-five per cent
of the class time between these periods was devoted to discussing
the black student riots and related matters. Roth freely admitted
this, arguing that the Oshkosh events constituted a “microcosm of
international conflict.” Arthur Darken, Dean of Letters and Science
and an international relations scholar, admitted this was a good
analogy. But he maintained that Roth greatly overused what should
have been an illustrative point in one lecture.
On Friday, December 20, 1968, the Wisconsin State University
Board of Regents convened in special session to make a final de¬
cision on the academic status of the ninety-four suspended students
in response to a court order issued by United States District Judge
James Doyle.3 Roth led a group of students and faculty in present¬
ing a petition to the Board asking for the reinstatement of the
ninety-four students. When the petition was being presented to the
Board an incident allegedly occurred that compounded David Roth’s
problems at Oshkosh. He was accused of saying, “Here it is, you
racist pigs.” No administrator or faculty member interviewed at
Oshkosh admitted to having heard Roth make the statement. Roth
himself denied it. However, two members of the Board of Regents
maintained this is what he said. Whether or not he actually made
the statement is therefore unclear. As one high administrative
official at Oshkosh stated, “I have heard from reliable sources that
he did say it, and I have heard from equally reliable sources that
he didn’t say it.”
At any rate, no mention of this particular allegation was made
in the official memorandum from Dean Darken to President Guiles
and Vice-President Ramsden which recommended that Roth not
be retained.4 Instead, Dean Darken emphasized the fact that Roth
3 See Marzette v. McPhee, 294 F. Supp. 562 (1968).
‘Dated January 28, 1969, and reprinted as Exhibit C in the Appendix to the appel¬
lant State of Wisconsin’s Brief at pp. 120-126.
22
Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
was scheduled for three classes on Friday, December 20, during
which time he was in attendance at the Board meeting. He stated :
... if this is to be overlooked or simply ‘winked at’ because Dr. Roth was
casting himself in the role of a ‘liberal spokesman’ the door is opened to
all professors to cut their classes whenever they believe one of their
personal or social objectives would be served in this way. Faculty are
engaged to teach and it is simply not acceptable that they fail to meet
classes for such reasons as prevailed here.5
Roth admitted that he did not teach his classes on the day that
the Regents were meeting in Oshkosh. However, he maintained he
was absent on December 20 due to illness. He went instead to his
office and the Board meeting because he thought that these de¬
mands on him would be less than in the classroom. The administra¬
tion, needless to say, viewed this as a gross breach of professional
ethics and responsibility.
Dean Darken was also disturbed by several public statements
Roth made to the press. Darken said they “indicate a very unschol-
larly approach to the truth and the search for knowledge that make
it doubtful he has the qualities of scholarship desirable in a faculty
member.” The Dean also indicated that Roth said: “Many of us
feel that the authoritarian and autocratic structure of this univer¬
sity is no longer tolerable,” and “The state universities will not be
able to keep good professors if they are told they can’t teach this
or that in their classes.” Darken argued that Roth never made any
attempt to specify what was authoritarian and autocratic nor did
he mention any instances where any faculty were told “what to
teach or what not to teach.”6
Furthermore, according to Dean Darken, Roth advised students
not to go to an informational meeting to learn of the progress being
made on the demands of the black students. He was reported to
have said, “We won’t talk to any Mickey Mouse committee.”
Darken concluded :
If a college professor cannot be expected to encourage a rational approach
to a problem of our day, who can be expected to do it? . . . What is
involved here is not the freedom of the faculty member to explore com¬
peting views in search of the truth in his class or research but the use
of unsubstantiated allegations of a grave nature in a tense and possibly
inflammatory campus situation. This behavior is not consistent with what
the University has a right to expect from a faculty member in the way
of scholarship.7
Finally, Roth did not give a two-hour written final examination
in his International Relations course for freshmen, which is
required at Oshkosh, despite an official directive from the Vice-
5 Ibid., p. 121.
0 Dean Darken’s memorandum, pp. 122-123.
7 Ibid.
1974]
Wade — The Roth Case
23
President for Academic Affairs,8 Instead, Roth used a group proj¬
ect which had been done earlier in the semester in lieu of a final.
Dean Darken’s memorandum stated:
The final examination, especially in lower level and freshman courses
serves an important purpose and it is not tolerable for a first year faculty
member in one of his first teaching assignments to cavalierly decide he
won’t give a final examination to students and breach a major all-univer¬
sity policy that is in the interest of the students.9
PROCEDURES LEADING TO THE NON-RETENTION
DECISION
The procedures leading to the non-retention of Dr. David Roth
began on Dcember 17, 1968 when the Political Science Tenure
Committee (composed of the department chairman, who was not
tenured, and the four tenured members of the department) voted
unanimously to retain all of the non-tenured faculty members,
including Roth. Apparently, there were some reservations about
retaining Roth, but the general feeling was that there wasn’t suffi¬
cient evidence of misconduct to warrant non-retention at the time
of the December 17 meeting which, of course, was prior to the
December 20 incident at the Board of Regents meeting.
Prompted by the December 20 incident, however, as well as by
some additional public statements made by Roth early in January,
and also by his failure to give a final examination, Dean Darken
asked the four tenured members of the department to meet in his
office on Friday, January 24, 1969. At this time the Dean informed
them of his recommendation not to retain Roth. He then told them,
if they chose to do so, they had until 4:00 p.m. Monday, January
27, to reconsider their recommendation in light of Roth’s actions
since the December 17 meeting. On Monday the committee cast one
vote for retention and two against it, with two abstaining. Roth
was informed of his non-retention for the 1969-1970 academic year
both by telephone and by registered letter on January 30.
DAVID ROTH IN THE FEDERAL COURTS
On February 14, 1969, through attorneys provided by the Wis¬
consin Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, David Roth
filed suit in the Federal District Court for Western Wisconsin,
Judge James Doyle presiding. In the complaint it was alleged that
Roth’s contract had not been renewed merely because he had exer¬
cised his constitutional rights of freedom of speech on matters of
8 Vice-President Ramsden wrote, in a memorandum to all faculty, dated December
17, 1968 : “Every class, with exceptions listed below, will end with a 2-hour final writ¬
ten examination to be given during- the time arranged for it in the schedule. If you
are of the opinion that a two-hour final written examination is inappropriate for a
course not listed, please make this known to me by 4 :00 p.m. Friday, December 20.’’
0 Dean Darken’s memorandum, p. 120.
24 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
university policy and practice. Furthermore, it argued that to
refuse to renew his contract without providing him a statement
of the charges made against him and an opportunity to respond
to them at a formal hearing was a denial of his constitutional right
to due process of law.
Judge Doyle unexpectedly held this case under advisement for a
whole year, finally handing down a decision on March 12, 1970.
Judge Doyle agreed with Roth’s complaint and ordered:
Substantive constitutional protection for a university professor against
non-retention in violation of his First Amendment rights or arbitrary non¬
retention is useless without procedural safeguards. I hold that
minimal procedural due process includes a statement of the reasons why
the university intends not to retain the professor, and a hearing if the
professor appears at the appointed time and place.10
He further stated that if the defendants, that is, the university
officials, elected not to abide by the above order requiring a state¬
ment of reasons and a hearing, they
. . . shall be required, on or before June 1, 1970 to offer the plaintiff a
contract as a member of the faculty of the university for the academic
year 1970-1971, on terms and conditions no less favorable to him than
those contained in his contract for the academic year 1968-1969.11
The Wisconsin Attorney General applied to the Seventh Circuit
Court of Appeals for a stay of execution of the lower court’s deci¬
sion pending appeal, which was routinely granted. The case was
argued before the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals on December
5, 1970. The Seventh Circuit Court issued its opinion on July 1,
1971, sustaining Judge Doyle’s decision. Speaking for a divided
court, Judge Thomas Fairchild agreed that a hearing and a state¬
ment of reasons were constitutionally required. He said :
Although the principle announced by the district court applies by its
terms to all non-retention decisions, an additional reason for sustaining
application in the instant cases, and others with a background of con¬
troversy and unwelcome expressions of opinion is that it serves as a
prophylactic against non-retention decisions improperly motivated by
exercise of protected rights.13
Chief Circuit Judge F. Ryan Duffy dissented on the grounds that
the decision would have the effect of making the federal courts the
“final arbiters of all similarly situated cases.” Duffy added:
In my view, the state’s interest in preserving a workable system of tenure
which includes, almost by definition the ability to select freely and
maturely its non-tenured teaching personnel, far outweighs any expectancy
which the plaintiff David Roth might have had in continued employment
at Wisconsin State University ... I further believe that the majority’s
10 310 F. Supp. 972 (1970), 978.
11 Ibid., p. 980.
12 446 F. 2d. 806 (1970), Circuit Judge Otto Kerner sided with Judge Fairchild.
1974]
Wade — The Roth Case
25
holding is both unprecedented and represents an unwarranted intrusion of
the Federal Judiciary into state educational systems.1'1
The stage was set, then, for an appeal to the United States
Supreme Court, and the Board of Regents decided almost imme¬
diately to go ahead with an appeal.
THE SUPREME COURT DECISION
The United States Supreme Court granted certiorari on October
26, 1971. 14 Oral arguments in the case were presented on January
18, 1972, and a decision was handed down on June 29, 1972. 15
The opinion of the court was delivered by Justice Stewart and
joined in by Justices White, Blackmun, and Rehnquist. Chief Jus¬
tice Burger filed a concurring opinion. Justices Douglas, Brennan,
and Marshall dissented. Justice Powell did not participate in the
decision.
Stewart's opinion began with a brief statement of the facts, a
review of applicable state statutes, and a summary of the lower
court opinions. Clearly, according to Stewart's opinion, Roth did
not have any tenure rights to continued employment. At that time
all teachers in the Wisconsin State University System were gov¬
erned by statutory tenure which said that a teacher acquired tenure
after being employed continuously for four years.16 A non-tenured
teacher under Wisconsin law was entitled to nothing more than
his initial one-year appointment. State statutes definitely gave uni¬
versity officials complete discretion over whether or not to renew
a non-tenured teacher's contract. While the Board of Regents rules
did not provide any protection for a non-tenured teacher whose
contract was not renewed, the Court indicated that they did pro¬
vide for a hearing and a statement of reasons if a teacher was
dismissed during the school year before the term of his contract
was up.17
According to the Court, the main issue was whether Roth “had
a constitutional right to a statement of reasons and a hearing on
the University’s decision not to rehire him for another year. We
hold that he did not.”18 The remainder of the opinion is devoted
to a statement of the rationale for this conclusion. While the Court
did not disagree with Judge Doyle's standard of simply weighing
the interest of the plaintiff in having his contract renewed against
the university's interest in refusing to renew his contract, it held
that it was necessary to go beyond this. Before weighing the inter-
13 Ibid.
14 404 U.S. 909 (1971).
15 408 U.S. 593 (1972).
1(1 1969 Wisconsin Statutes, Chapter 37.31.
17 408 U.S. 567 (1972).
18 Ibid., 569.
26 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
ests, the Court held that it was necessary to first determine “the
nature of the interest at stake/’19
In order to determine “the nature of the interest at stake” the
Court specified that it had to be decided whether or not the interest
was specifically protected under the Fourteenth Amendment’s pro¬
tection of liberty and property. The Court first considered the
liberty aspect. It stated that liberty included:
not merely freedom from bodily restraint but also the right of the indi¬
vidual to contract, to engage in any of the common occupations of life,
to acquire useful knowledge, to marry, establish a home and bring up
children, to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience,
and generally to enjoy those privileges long recognized ... as essential
to the orderly pursuit of happiness by free men.20
If the university had made charges against him which could seri¬
ously damage his position in the community by implying, for
example, that “he had been guilty of dishonesty and immorality,”
then, the Court concluded, that would have been a completely dif¬
ferent situation. The Court would also have disapproved if the
university had in some way placed a stigma on him that took away
his freedom to continue engaging in his profession.21 However,
the Court decided that the university had done neither of these
things. In finalizing its discussion of the liberty issue the Court
held :
Hence, on the record before us, all that clearly appears is that the
respondent was not rehired for one year at one university. It stretches
the concept too far to suggest that a person is deprived of ‘liberty’
when he simply is not rehired in one job but remains as free as before
to seek another.22
The Court also maintained that the plaintiff had not proven that
the decision not to renew his contract was based on his free speech
activities. The Court stated : “Whatever may be a teacher’s rights
of free speech, the interest in holding a teaching job at a state
university, simpliciter, is not itself a free speech interest.”23
Next, the Court’s opinion discussed the property issue, admitting
that an individual’s property rights or interests may take a wide
variety of forms. The Court cited several cases defining those prop¬
erty interests. For example, the Court said that it had held that
welfare benefits are a property interest safeguarded by procedural
due process.24 Similarly, the Court stated that it has held that
public college professors cannot be dismissed from their positions
19 Ibid., 570-571.
20 Meyei's v. Nebraska , 262 U.S. 390 (1922), 399, cited by Justice Stewart at 408
U.S. 564 (1972), 572.
21 408 U.S. 564 (1972), 573-574.
22 Ibid., 575.
23 Ibid.
2* Ibid.
1974]
Wade — The Roth Case
27
without procedural due process25 and that they cannot be sum¬
marily dismissed during the terms of their contracts.26 Moreover,
the Court has maintained that even a substitute teacher who had
been employed two months could not be dismissed because of her
refusal to sign a loyalty oath.27 From these decisions, the Court
argued that a definition of property interests emerged :
To have a property interest in a benefit, a person must have more than
an abstract need or desire for it. He must, instead, have a legitimate
claim of entitlement to it. It is a purpose of the ancient institution of
property to protect those claims upon which people rely in their daily
lives, reliance that must not be arbitrarily undermined. It is a purpose
of the constitutional right to a hearing to provide an opportunity for a
person to vindicate those claims.38
The Court then made the distinction that property interests are
not created by the Constitution but by laws or rules enacted or
understandings promulgated by states. Hence, the plaintiff-respond-
ent’s property interest in having his contract renewed at Oshkosh
State University was created and limited by the terms of his
appointment which specifically secured his interest in employment
from September 1, 1968 to June 30, 1969.29 Indeed, the Court indi¬
cated the terms “made no provision for renewal whatsoever.”
Thus, it concluded its assessment of the property interest and the
entire opinion by saying:
In these circumstances, the respondent surely had an abstract concern
in being rehired, but he did not have a property interest sufficient to
require the University authorities to give him a hearing when they
declined to renew his contract of employment.
IV
Our analysis of the respondent’s constitutional rights in this case in
no way indicates a view that an opportunity for a hearing or a statement
of reasons for non-retention would, or would not, be appropriate or wise
in public colleges and universities. For it is a written Constitution that
we apply. Our role is confined to interpretation of that Constitution.
We must conclude that the summary judgment for the respondent
should not have been granted, since the respondent has not shown that
he was deprived of liberty or property protected by the Fourteenth
Amendment.30
DISSENTING AND CONCURRING OPINIONS IN ROTH
Justices Brennan and Marshall filed separate dissenting opinions.
They argued for a broader definition of liberty and property, say¬
ing that both plaintiffs were entitled to a statement of reasons and
25 Slochower v. Board of Education, 350 U.S. 551, cited at 408 U.S. 564 (1972), 577.
28 Weiman v. Updegraff, 344 U.S. 183, cited at 408 U.S. 564 (1972), 577.
'2' Connell v. Higginbotham, 403 U.S. 207, cited at 408 U.S. 564 (1972), 577.
28 408 U.S. 564 (1972), 577.
29 408 U.S. 564 (1972), 577-578.
30 Ibid., 578-579.
28 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
a hearing on the disputed issues.31 Justice Douglas in a more
lengthy opinion argued that a statement of reasons and a hearing
were necessary to guarantee individual rights against arbitrary
action. He stated:
When a violation of First Amendment rights is alleged, the reasons for
dismissal or for non-renewal of an employment contract must be ex¬
amined to see if the reasons given are only a cloak for activity or atti¬
tudes protected by the Constitution.33
Chief Justice Burger wrote a concurring opinion for the express
purpose of emphasizing one central point that he felt had been
obscured in the majority opinion. That point was that disputes
between a state educational institution and one of its teachers is a
matter of state concern and state law. Burger raised the doctrine
of abstention, as he has done in many other opinions since being
appointed to the Court. He concluded :
If relevant state contract law is unclear, a federal court should, in my
view, abstain from deciding whether he is constitutionally entitled to a
prior hearing, and the teacher should be left to resort to state courts on
the questions arising under state law.33
ASSESSMENT OF ROTH DECISION
The Roth case was an extremely complicated controversy arising
out of unusually explosive circumstances. As is true in any
emotionally-charged crisis, whether it be an automobile accident,
a robbery, or a riot, reasonable men can view the same factual
circumstances and come to completely opposite conclusions. This
was certainly true of the Roth case, and it became more and more
apparent with every individual interviewed, and every document,
report, newspaper article, or legal brief. A deep schism was created
over the personality of David Roth between those who regarded
him as politically naive and those who saw him as a political
revolutionary.
To the people of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Roth presented himself
as a true revolutionary bent on the complete destruction of the
university and the American political system. His public state¬
ments, which were widely published in the press in Oshkosh and in
Madison and Milwaukee, lent a good deal of substance to that col¬
lective impression.
One faculty member characterized Roth as a “bright, personable,
abrasive bastard.” Another observed that:
when he set his mind to it he could be very charming, but when he got
tired-up he was a real fireeater. When there was controversy he seemed
31 408 U.S. 564 (1972), 587-592, 604-605.
33 Ibid., 579.
33 Ibid., 582.
1974]
Wade — The Roth Case
29
to thrive on the smoke of the battle. He had a sort of ‘Dr. Jekyll-Mr.
Hyde personality/
Roth characterized himself as having been “very immature and
naive” throughout the whole Oshkosh crisis. He felt that “speaking
out against injustice” was his responsibility as a member of the
academic community:
My non-retention resulted from a personality conflict because I embar¬
rassed the administration by criticizing their policies and their lack of
sensitivity to blacks. This was perceived by them as disloyalty to the
university and being in favor of violence.
During the four hours this writer spent with Roth, he certainly
gave the impression of being naive and trusting. For example, in
the middle of the evening he suddenly announced that he had to
leave to meet a friend but that I was free to go through all of his
files on my own. He was gone for over two hours. Needless to say,
this was quite surprising in that I was a total stranger to him.
Throughout the interview he came across as a very personable,
calm, and likable individual. Indeed, the evening was a very pleas¬
ant one.
However, if Roth had been more politically astute he could very
easily have taken many of the same stands, while remaining within
the bounds of professional ethics and responsibility as well as civil
discretion. In fact many of the things that he did and said (and
allegedly did and said) demonstrate such incredible naivete that
one might begin to question whether he might not have been
deliberately projecting this as a facade in the hope that it might
advance his cause.
After all, David Roth was definitely not a provincial person
from the homogeneous socio-economic political environment of a
rural community. He had graduated from Claremont Men’s College,
a small liberal arts college with a reputation for academic excel¬
lence located in Claremont, California (on the eastern edge of Los
Angeles County). He had gone to the University of California Law
School at Berkeley for two years. He had lived in cosmopolitan
San Francisco, while obtaining a master’s degree from San Fran¬
cisco State College. He had traveled extensively in the Philippines
and the Far East, while doing research for his doctoral disser¬
tation at the Claremont Graduate School, Claremont, California.
Finally, he had spent a year in Berkeley, California doing research,
prior to coming to Oshkosh. With this kind of background he should
have been able to discern the legitimate modes and boundaries of
dissent in a more sophisticated manner than he demonstrated in
the 1968-1969 academic year at Oshkosh.
Whatever David Roth’s intent was, however, an extensive in¬
vestigation of the circumstances and events surrounding and lead-
30 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
ing up to the federal litigation in the Roth case leaves little doubt
that the Oshkosh administration acted in a reasonable manner.
They made the decision not to renew Roth's contract mainly because
this was the most rational action they could take. Had they allowed
Roth to remain on the faculty, they would have been taking a
calculated risk of his escalating his protest actions and thus in¬
flaming an already dangerous situation. Roth's actions in dismiss¬
ing classes on two separate occasions in order to pursue his own
political objectives, his extensive use of the classroom podium to
discuss irrelevant material, his failure to give a final examination,
and his refusal to honor a request from the Vice-President of
Academic Affairs for a meeting all forced the Oshkosh adminis¬
tration to refuse to renew his contract.
IMPLICATIONS OF THE ROTH DECISION
The United States Supreme Court's decision in Roth was char¬
acteristic of the reasonable restraint the Burger Court has
demonstrated in matters of federal-state relationships. Its stance
regarding judicial activism is quite different from that of the
Warren Court. If this case had come before the Court one or two
years earlier, a vastly different decision would probably have been
reached. However, the majority opinion rightly recognized the
difficulties likely to be created when a federal court involves itself
in matters that might more prudently be left to the states.
One problem that would probably have occurred if the lower
court decision in Roth had been sustained is that an administrator
would be extremely reluctant to decide against renewing an indi¬
vidual's contract if he knew that this would oblige him to file formal
charges and go through a formal hearing. By the nature of the
case the definition of good teaching is rather subjective and precise
documentation of bad teaching is very difficult. After all, a teacher
can always be defended by such arguments as (1) every instructor
has some bad days, (2) he was not feeling well, (3) some students
think he is wonderful, or (4) whatever his faults, he is improving.
The burden of proof in a formal, adversary hearing procedure thus
falls on the administrator instead of the teacher. As a practical
matter probably very few contracts would go unrenewed given
this kind of situation. How many administrators could reasonably
be expected to non-retain a professor when the benefits of his non¬
retention might very well be overshadowed by the bitter rhetoric
and controversy caused by the hearing? If, as a matter of policy,
an administrator did decide to proceed with hearings under such
circumstances, he would probably have to keep a dossier on every
faculty member, dating and documenting every incident that might
1974]
Wade — The Roth Case
31
conceivably bear upon a teacher’s competence. This is a prospect
that would not be welcomed by many, especially not by those who
are the strongest advocates of extensive hearing procedures.
Moreover, if Roth had been upheld, faculty members who would
ordinarily be releasable would have an incentive to create ambigu¬
ous and volatile situations which would make it very difficult, if
not impossible, to remove them. A dissident faculty member could,
for example, set himself up as an outspoken defender of a minority
group in order later to be able to accuse the administrators of being
racist or bigoted for not renewing his contract, and in many re¬
spects Roth did exactly that.
Justice Douglas’ dissenting opinion in Roth is a classic example
of the limits of adjudication arising from our judicial adversary
system. The Court simply does not have the required investigatory
powers similar to those available to state (and national) legisla¬
tures. For example, his opinion flippantly glosses over the events
and circumstances, in the case that could not be covered adequately
in the appellate briefs and oral arguments. This is how he charac¬
terized Roth’s behavior:
Though Roth was rated by the faculty as an excellent teacher, he had
publicly criticized the administration for suspending an entire group
of 94 black students without determining individual guilt. He also
criticized the university’s regime as being authoritarian and autocratic.
He used to discuss what was being done about the Black episode; and
one day, instead of meeting his class, he went to the meeting of the
Board of Regents.31
As a result, he concluded that the district and circuit court de¬
cisions should be sustained.
The problem with his capsulization is that is grossly oversimpli¬
fies a very complex set of circumstances and events. It completely
ignores the intensity and the magnitude of Roth’s actions and the
context in which they occurred. The fact that Roth attended a
Board of Regents meeting is portrayed as a petty irregularity
instead of the blatant breach of professional responsibility that it
seemed to be according to most reports. Moreover, it ignores the
other occasion when he failed to meet his classes, that is, when he
attended the meeting between the Oshkosh president and the
parents of the black students. It also fails to note the fact that he
violated an explicit university rule by failing to give a written
final examination. And it fails to mention his insubordination when
he cavalierly spurned the request to meet with his Vice-President
for Academic Affairs.
Finally, if the lower courts’ decisions had been sustained, the
traditional distinction between tenured and non-tenured faculty
408 U.S. 564 (1972), 576.
32 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
would have been obliterated. Instant tenure, with all its ensuing
rights and privileges, would have been created for all faculty
merely upon signing an initial employment contract. Such a rule
would have been in direct contradiction of accepted practice on
the part of 1,080 colleges and universities with 300,000 faculty
members and 6,000,000 students.35 It would have meant that all
non-tenured, non-retained faculty members could have appealed
their cases.
The amount of administrative and faculty time that would have
had to go into investigating, documenting, and holding hearings
would have been staggering. In the Wisconsin State University
System, for example, there were some 206 non-tenured faculty
contracts that were not renewed for the 1970-1971 academic year
alone.36 The cost of paying the investigating administrators’
salaries as well as the legal expenses incurred would have been
overwhelming. The federal courts, of course, would not have ever
had to face these particular consequences.
In short, the Roth case raised this basic question: is there any
rational justification for distinguishing between the rights enjoyed
by tenured faculty and those to which non-tenured faculty should
be entitled ? Why should one group of faculty members have greater
rights than another? In criminal law the granting of certain pro¬
cedural rights to one group of alleged criminals, while granting a
different set to another, would be considered unconstitutional be¬
cause it would be a denial of “the equal protection of the law.”
In Roth Judge Doyle and the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals
said in effect that there was really no rational basis for making
such a distinction, although they never specifically discussed
whether the distinction was constitutionally valid or even rationally
defensible. By so doing they seemed to make educational disci¬
plinary cases more closely akin to criminal proceedings and, in the
process, take away the right of a professional group to organize
and regulate their profession according to their own free choice.
The primary reason for differentiating between the rights of
tenured faculty and non-tenured faculty is, of course, that only
performance or experience can provide a sound basis for the pre¬
sumption by an institution that a new teacher has attained a degree
of excellence deserving of tenure. Initial appointments cannot
ordinarily be made on grounds providing sufficient assurance that
a person will reach this standard of excellence. For this reason it
35 Amici Curiae in support of the State of Wisconsin’s Petition for a Writ of Cer¬
tiorari, p. 2, written by the Honorable Robert W. Warren, Attorney General of Wis¬
consin, Assistant Attorney General Charles A. Bleck, and Assistant Attorney General
Robert D. Martinson, October Term, 1971, all at 114 East, State Capitol, Madison,
Wisconsin, 53702.
30 Ibid., p. 13.
1974]
Wade — The Roth Case
33
is inherently unfair to assume that a non-retention decision, made
early in an instructor’s affiliation with an institution, represents a
denial of academic freedom rather than a reasonable assessment
of his ability as a teacher and a scholar.37
If the Supreme Court had affirmed the Roth decision, the federal
judiciary would have been allowed to expand its role in school
disciplinary cases, and where some federal judges might have gone
from this point, if given encouragement, is anyone’s guess. Public
policy would have gradually ceased to reflect the wishes of the
people as expressed through their elected representatives on state
and local governing boards. Instead, it would have reflected the
judgment of a few appointed federal judges far removed from the
express wishes of the people.
Fortunately, the Supreme Court made a decision in Roth that
promises to arrest the continued expansion of the federal judiciary
in educational disciplinary cases. The Court seems to be moving
in the direction of giving the job of policy-making back to state
and local governments not only in the area of educational discipline
but also in other areas where continued expansion of judicial
policy-making occurred during the Warren Court era.
There is no doubt that local and state governing boards, as well
as the voters who either directly or indirectly select them, occasion¬
ally make decisions that by most rational standards of measurement
are wrong. But in a democratic republic such as the United States,
do they not have the right to be wrong? And do they not have the
right to be free from having a decision superimposed on them by
federal courts against deliberate policy decisions they have made?
Then, too, careful analysis of the two lower court decisions in the
Roth case demonstrates that it is at least an open question whether
they will be any less reasonable in their decisions than some federal
judges have been.
To the extent that federalism has been challenged by the lower
federal court decisions in Roth and in numerous other educational
disciplinary cases at both the secondary and higher educational
levels, federal judges (and to some extent the legal profession
itself) have done a disservice to American society. They have
raised relatively minor injustices into constitutional issues which
have strained the federal system. If the Burger Court had not
reversed the district and circuit court’s decisions in Roth and hence
reversed the trend established in educational disciplinary cases
in the later 1960’s, the state and local governments’ ability to con¬
trol educational policy in their own schools and colleges would have
continued to decrease. Further erosion of state control of educa-
37 William S. Van Alstyne, “Tenure, A Summary, Explanation, and Defense,” AAUP
Bulletin, LVII (September, 1971), pp. 332-333.
34 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
tional disciplinary matters could have contributed to the death of
federalism which the framers of the Constitution believed vital to
the cause of freedom.
REFERENCES
JENNER, ALBERT E., JR., KAMIN, CHESTER T., and FRANCH,
RICHARD T. Brief of the Board of Governors of State Colleges and
Universities of Illinois, the Board of Regents of Regency Universities of
Illinois, the Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois University, the
American Council on Education and the Association of American Colleges
as Amici Curiae, in David F. Roth v. The Board of Regents of State
Colleges in the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.
Chicago: United States Law Printing Co., 1970.
MARZETTE V. McPHEE, 294 F. Supp. 562 (1968).
ROTH V. BOARD OF REGENTS OF STATE COLLEGES, 310 F. Supp. 972
(1970), 446 F. 2d 806 (1971), 408 U.S. 654 (1972).
FINAL REPORT OF THE SPECIAL PROBLEMS COMMISSION, P. J.
Thompson, Chairman. Released by Wisconsin State University — Oshkosh,
December 15, 1969. (Mimeographed)
STEINGLASS, STEVEN H., and REYNOLDS, ROBERT L. Brief of Ap¬
pellee in David F. Roth v. Board of Regents of State Colleges, in the
United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit . Madison,
Wisconsin: Gilman Press, Inc., 1970.
- . Brief of the Respondent to a Petition for a Writ of Certiorari to
the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, in the Board
of Regents of State Colleges v. David F. Roth, in the Supreme Court of
the United States. Madison, Wisconsin: Gilman Press, Inc., 1971.
WARREN, ROBERT W., and BLECK, CHARLES A. Brief of the Appellants
in David F. Roth v. The Board of Regents of State Colleges, in the
United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Madison, Wis¬
consin, State of Wisconsin Bureau of Documents, 1970.
• - , and MARTINSON, ROBERT D. Petition for a Writ of Certiorari
to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, in the
Board of Regents of State Colleges v. David F. Roth, in the Supreme Court
of the United States. Madison, Wisconsin: State of Wisconsin Bureau of
Documents, 1971.
ADDENDUM
After this paper went to press, a federal court jury in Madison,
Wisconsin, on November 9, 1973, awarded David Roth, now an
assistant professor of political science at Purdue University, $6,746
in damages because, in their judgment, his constitutional rights
of free speech were violated. The damages were assessed against
Oshkosh administrators, President Roger Guiles, Vice-President
Raymond Ramsden, Dean Arthur Darken, and two members of
the Oshkosh Political Science Tenure Committee, David Chang and
Charles Goff, all of whom participated in the decision not to retain
Roth.
It must be understood that Roth was awarded these damages in
a civil suit which he hied after the United States Supreme Court
1974]
Wade — The Roth Case
35
in 1972 had ruled on the procedural question that the due process
clause of the Fourteenth Amendment did not require that a non-
tenured professor be given a hearing in a non-retention proceeding.
Hence, it must be emphasized that the civil suit for damages, con¬
cerning the substantive question as to whether Roth’s constitutional
right of free speech had been violated, has no direct legal bearing
on the procedural decision handed down by the Supreme Court.
In spite of the jury’s verdict to the contrary, I must respectfully
disagree and stand by my own conclusions which are based upon
an extensive investigation of the events and related constitutional
issues.
WILD SOILS OF THE PINE-POPPLE RIVERS BASIN1
Francis D. Hole
University of Wisconsin — Madison
and
Wisconsin Geological and
Natural History Survey
The preservation of wild rivers involves the protection of the
surrounding ‘‘wild” soils. The usage of the term is new as applied
to soils, but the concept is old. Wild soils are those which still
function as integral parts of their native ecosystems. They have
not been domesticated through drastic human manipulation of plant
and animal populations and of the soils themselves, with resulting
modifications in local cycling of nutrients and water. It is note¬
worthy that modern soil classification does not adequately
recognize the difference between a wild soil and its cultivated
counterpart, both of which are given the same name! This is an
ecological error, which may be corrected by recognizing wild and
domesticated variants of soils.
The purpose of this paper is: 1) to summarize and interpret,
in the context of the ecosystems of the Pine-Popple Rivers Basin,
field and laboratory data obtained on soils of the area by the Wis¬
consin Geological and Natural History Survey, particularly during
the study in Florence County in 1958-1961 (Hole et al, 1962) ;
and 2) to delineate some future studies of wild soils to which the
Basin is well suited.
LITERATURE REVIEW AND METHODS
The Pine-Popple Rivers Basin has been clearly delineated in
maps recently published by Mills (1972) and Becker (1972), show¬
ing what portions of Forest and Florence Counties are included in
it. Table 1 traces changes in terminology for the five general kinds
of soils that have been recognized in the Basin since 1885. For an
explanation of the technical classification terms given in paren¬
theses for 1962 in Table 1, and throughout Table 2 and Fig. 2, the
reader is referred to the new U.S.D.A. soil classification scheme
(Soil Conservation Service, 1973). The terms used in the legend of
Fig. 1 of this paper are simplified.
1 This is paper No. 9 in a series of studies of the Pine-Popple Wild Rivers area of
northeastern Wisconsin ; the publication of which began in volume 60 of these
Transactions.
37
TABLE 1. SOME DESIGNATIONS OF FIVE GENERAL KINDS OF SOILS IN THE PINE-
POPPLE RIVERS BASIN
38 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters
[Vol. 62
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2 Whitson et al., 1916 (Soil map of Northeastern Wisconsin).
3Whitson et al., 1921 (Soil map of Northern Wisconsin).
4Hole et al., 1962 (Soil map of Florence County, Wisconsin).
TABLE 2. A CLASSIFICATION OF MAJOR SOIL SERIES IN THE PINE-POPPLE WILD RIVERS BASIN1
1974]
Hole — Wild Soils of Pine-Popple Rivers Basin
39
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40
Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
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1974] Hole — Wild Soils of Pine-Popple Rivers Basin
41
Field methods used were those for general or reconnaissance
soil mapping. These are described in the Soil Survey Manual (Soil
Survey Staff, 1951). Soils were observed at intervals of about one
half to two miles. Laboratory analyses are reported elsewhere
(Hole et al., 1962) .
Bouma and Hole (1971) presented evidence that two portions of
a body of soil may behave very differently, where one portion is
undisturbed under native vegetation and the other is managed for
agricultural purposes. “Management-induced structural changes
can strongly alter hydraulic properties of a soil. These changes
may be of sufficient magnitude and continuity to consider recog¬
nition of hydraulic soil phases of established soil series. .
SOILS AND SOILSCAPES OF THE PINE-POPPLE
RIVERS BASIN
Soils
The soils occupy the area of the “vast unbroken forest” lying
on either side of the “thin blue thread” of each wild river (Mills,
1972). Of the forty-two kinds of soils (classified at the soil series
level) and two kinds of miscellaneous land types (Alluvial soils and
Granitic Rockland) described in the soil survey report for Florence
FIGURE 1. General soil map and block diagram of the Pine-Popple Wild
Rivers Basin. Legend: C = clayey soils (Hibbing and Ontonagon); F = loca¬
tion of the village of Fence; LA = loamy soils including rock outcrops and
Ahmeek loams; LE i= loamy soils including Pence and Iron River loams and
sandy loams; P t= peat; Sa = sandy soils (Omega, Vilas); Si = silty soils
(Stambaugh, Goodman, Fence, Bohemian). Dotted lines are soil boundaries
adapted from Hole et al., 1968. Large lakes are labeled L.
42 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters
[Vol. 62
FIGURE 2. A classification chart for major great groups of
soils in the Pine-Popple Wild Rivers Basin. The Haplorthods,
Eutroboralfs and Udorthents are well drained members of
their respective orders. Haplaquods, Haplaquepts and all
Histosols are poorly to very poorly drained under natural
conditions. See Table 2.
County, twenty-six soils (Table 2 and Fig. 2) and one land type
are shown in Figs. 3 through 6. Nineteen of these soils are Spodo-
sols (Podzols), which essentially consist in cross-section (profile
view as shown in Fig. 6 for Vilas, Crivitz, Pence, Hiawatha, and
Au Train soils) of four main horizons (layers) : surface organic
horizons (the 01 horizon is forest litter; the 02 is humus) ; a
bleached pale mineral topsoil (A2 or albic horizon) ; a dark brown
subsoil (Bhir or spodic horizon enriched in humus and iron) and
yellowish brown to reddish brown glacial drift (C horizon: initial
material). Wetland soils include peats (Histosols) and poorly
drained mineral soils (Aquepts, Aquolls) which have black topsoil
(Al) and grey (anaerobic and gleyed) subsoil. Some clayey soils
(Gray Wooded soils: Eutroboralfs), including the Ontonagon and
Hibbing series, have a subsoil enriched in clay (Bt or argillic hori¬
zon) instead of iron and humus.
1974] Hole — Wild Soils of Pine-Popple Rivers Basin
43
portions of the Basin. The forest cover on these wild soils is not shown. (Fig.
courtesy of the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey.)
FIGURE 4. Silty soils (Si in Fig. 1) and sandy soils (Sa) of the Pine-
Popple Wild Rivers Basin. Goodman silt loam is over glacial till, Stambaugh
silt loam is on glacial outwash sand and gravel, Fence (and Tipler) silt
loam on acid glacial lake beds, and Bohemian (and Brimley and Bruce)
silt loam on calcareous lake beds; Vilas sand (and associated Randville)
on deep outwash sands. The forest cover on these wild soils is not shown.
The unlabeled upland on the extreme right is occupied by Ontonagon soils
in this idealized sketch. (Fig. courtesy the Wisconsin Geological and Nat¬
ural History Survey.)
44 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
It is interesting that the Basin contains many upland soils that
are “hybrids”, that is consisting of a Spodosol (Podzol) over a
Eutroboralf (Gray Wooded) all in a single soil profile (Beaver,
1966). The horizon sequence in these “double” soil profiles is
typically: 01, 02, A2, Bhir, A'2, B't, C. The prime symbol (') in
the fifth and sixth horizons indicates that they are in the second or
lower sequence. These two horizons are commonly fragipan hori¬
zons in the Pine-Popple Rivers Basin. The term fragipan (Olson
and Hole, 1967) denotes compactness and resistance to water move¬
ment and root penetration. Double soil profiles (bisequal soils) with
two light colored A2 horizons and two somewhat dark B horizons
are shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 for soils named Fence, Tipler,
Bohemian, Brimley, Superior, Ulby, Padus and Stambaugh. Theo¬
ries about the formation of the soils are described elsewhere (Hole
et at., 1962; Buol et al., 1973). Soil profiles, like those illustrated
in the sketches, took thousands of years to form and represent an
impressive environmental record. In deciphering this record, re¬
searchers look for evidence of the influence on soil of different for¬
est types and climates, past and present, as discussed by Milfred
et al. (1967) and Buol et al. (1973).
HIBBING ONTONAGON RUD- PICK- BERG- SUPER- MANISTEE UGLY MENOMINEE
silty clay siltyctay YARD FORD LAND IOR loamy sandy loamy sand
loam loam silty silty clay sand sand loam
clay clay loam
loam loam
FIGURE 5. Clayey soils (C of Fig*. 1) include Hibbing (on glacial till) and
Ontonagon (on lake clays) with associated more poorly drained soils (Zim,
Tromald; Rudyard, Pickford, Bergland). Where sandy coverings occur, Su¬
perior and associated sands and loamy sands are found. Vilas and Hiawatha
sands are very deep (Sa of Fig. 1). The forest cover on these wild soils is not
shown. (Fig. courtesy the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey.)
1974] Hole — Wild Soils of Pine-Popple Rivers Basin
45
OMEGA VILAS CRIV- PENCE feDUS STAMBAUGH HIAWATHA AU TRAIN
sand sand ITZ sandy loam silt loam sand sand
loamy loam
sand
FIGURE 6. Loamy soils (LE, Fig. 1) are chiefly Pence sandy loam and the
deeper Padus loam* with peat (P, Fig. 1) in deep kettles; and Vilas sand and
Emmert gravelly sandy loam on esker ridges (of which there are about 200
in the Pine-Popple Basin). The forest cover on these wild soils is not shown.
(Fig. courtesy the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey).
Soils capes
Soils are observed not only in the two-dimensional exposures
called soil profiles, but also in geographic bodies and patterns of
soil bodies on the landscape. A soilscape is the portion of a land¬
scape consisting of the soils (Buol et al., 1973). Fig. 1 shows in
a very general way the arrangement of major soil groupings in the
Pine-Popple Rivers Basin. The eastward change that Mills (1972)
observed from the canoe, from “gravelly, richer soils of the upper
river ... to poor sand in the lower stretches” is indicated in the
Figure by the dotted boundary between silty (Si) or loamy (LE)
soils and sandy (Sa) soils. Soilscapes are shown in much greater
detail in the idealized sketches of Figs. 3 through 6. Throughout
the Basin droughty soils (such as Vilas and Emmert) and wetlands
(such as Bergland and Bruce mineral soils and peat) are typically
in close proximity (within a mile or less). Tree-tip mounds and
associated pits are common microtopographic features in the forest
(Gaikawad and Hole, 1961).
46 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
Factors of soil formation. The bedrock of the Basin consists of
Precambrian volcanic and metamorphic rocks, some of which are
exposed in the river channel bottom, as noted by Mills (1972).
Glacial drift as much as 250 feet thick was deposited over the bed¬
rock by continental glaciers, the last of which melted away from
the Basin about 11,000 years ago or soon thereafter (see Bryson
and Wendland, 1967). Coarse wind-blown silt was laid down in a
blanket as much as a foot or two thick locally. Land forms include
moraines, drumlins, eskers, outwash and lacustrine plains. Since
glaciation, soils have formed from these materials under shifting
continental climatic zones and biotic communities.
The biotic factor has been the most dynamic. Coniferous and
mixed forest plant communities and associated fauna have left their
impress on the soils of the Basin, as Wilde et at. (1949) and Hole
et al. (1962) have discussed elsewhere, and as research in the area
can be expected to elucidate in the future.
Soil processes
Soils of wild river forest lands perform important functions in
the hydrologic and nutrient cycles. Water is absorbed and stored
in soil, from which the vegetation draws vast quantities and
transpires them during the growing season. The relatively small
portion of the annual rainfall that is not used by vegetation perco¬
lates to the water table, and moves to bogs, lakes, and rivers (Hole,
1974). Some small brooks flow for considerable distances almost
out of sight below a mat of roots of hemlock, cedar and other hy¬
drophilic plants. With the spring melting of snow and frozen sur¬
face soil on uplands, before deciduous trees have leafed out, some
water moves laterally (down-slope) through the upper soil horizons
over the fragipan.
Except where rivers form cutbanks (which are comparatively
rare in the Basin), the soils are shielded by vegetation from run¬
ning water and they serve to filter out sediment, even much fine
colloidal material. On the other hand, the aqueous extracts of the
living plants, decaying wood and soil organic matter in the forest
do contribute dark humic material to the wild rivers, giving them
their characteristic yellowish brown tint. Black and Christman
(1963) found that waters colored by organic materials from wilder¬
ness lands are surprisingly uniform over the continent and typically
contain fulvic acids (about 90% of the organic fraction) and hymato-
melanic and humic acids, ranging in all from 10 to 120 grams per
liter with seasonal variability. These materials occur as negatively
charged colloidal particles, as well as dissolved substances (Birge
and Juday, 1934) . Iron (0.1 to 2.0 ppm in water) is commonly asso¬
ciated with the organic matter. These data are not from the Pine-
1974] Hole — Wild Soils of Pine-Popple Rivers Basin 47
Popple Rivers Basin but probably represent conditions in the lakes
and streams there. The humus in wild rivers stimulates the growth
of algae somewhat, perhaps because it carries nutrient elements
in exchangeable form.
Nutrient cycling involves: 1) both mineral and humus portions
of the soil, in which is present a complete complement of elements
needed by native plants ; and 2) the above-ground forest vegetation.
The first category has always been considered to include fallen
logs, branches, needles, leaves, and fruiting bodies. These, along
with residues of associated decomposers, make up the surficial or¬
ganic horizons of the soil. However, the bulk of the forest consists
of dead wood of the standing boles and large branches. This wood
differs from that of fallen logs of the soil proper only in the higher
proportion of relatively undecomposed material. It is difficult to
categorize this bulky dead organic matter as waste, because it con¬
tributes so importantly to the forest community by giving both
mechanical support and nutrients to the living portion. Mills (1972)
observed during his canoe trip that “a barn overgrown by popple
decays into oblivion.” That oblivion includes tangible wild soil. A
roadside picnic grounds built by the Depression era Civilian Con¬
servation Corps near the Highway 139 bridge over the Popple
River was by 1970 overgrown with popple, grass and briars. “We
observed nature struggling to heal the scars inflicted by man.”
OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDIES OF WILD SOILS
“No other geographic region has such a variety of life forms
and such an ability to manifest the effect of environmental factors
as does the forest” (Wilde et al., 1949). Our knowledge of inter¬
actions between soils and native plants is far from complete. Most
effort in soil survey has gone into the characterization and mapping
of soils for agricultural, silvicultural and engineering purposes.
Priority has been given to the demands for food and fiber for peo¬
ple and domestic animals, and materials for their shelter; the
demand for stable soil conditions for the support of roads, buildings
and pipelines ; and the demand for soil conditions suitable to absorb
and filter water and, locally, liquid wastes. The soils that research¬
ers have observed to a depth of four or five feet in cultivated fields
(which occupy little of the area of the Pine-Popple Rivers Basin)
are in an ecological sense “decapitated” soils. They have lost the
root mass of the original forest and the humus and forest litter
layers, as well as the standing, three-storied forest itself. They
have been made more compact than they were, and very probably
conserve water and nutrients less efficiently than they did before
the impact of man’s activities (Bidwell and Hole, 1965). Accel-
48 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
erated soil erosion has occurred on cultivated fields by water and
wind, and on slopes above road-cuts, by slump during thaws in
spring.
The unusual opportunities that the Pine-Popple Rivers Basin
offer for the study of wild soils may be indicated by the following
topics.
(1) Relationships between individual species of plants and soils.
We know that well developed Spodosols (Podzols) commonly occur
under hemlock trees (Tsuga canadensis), (Milfred, et al, 1967),
but need to investigate less obvious influences of other plant species
on soil genesis in natural forest ecosystems of the Basin.
(2) Relationships between plant communities and soils. We
know that mixed hardwood-conifer forest litter supports more
earthworm (Lumbricus terrestris) activity than do pure coniferous
stands. This is part of the reason for the presence of an Al horizon
in the mixed forests and its absence in many coniferous stands.
Many such synecological details of soil genesis need to be worked
out in the Basin.
(3) Relationships betiveen individual species of animals and
soils. Birds bring to soils grit regurgitated from their crops and
nutrients in the form of excreta. Soils under roosting sites of crows
( Corvus sp.), for example, receive notable deposits of these two
kinds of materials. The work of beavers ( Castor sp.) in flooding
low-lying soil bodies alter soil properties over considerable areas,
and these changes await serious study. One could list many species
of animals whose influence on soils has not been documented
carefully.
(4) The influence of human activity on soils. Comparative soil
studies are needed between fields, pastures, second growth forests,
selectively cut forests, and undisturbed forests. Of particular in¬
terest would be : 1) differences from site to site in the water budget,
which could be measured by recently developed physical methods
(Bouma et al., 1973) , and 2) effects of different methods of harvest¬
ing forest products in areas adjacent to the Rivers (Boyle and Ek,
1972).
CONCLUSION
The wild soils of the Pine-Popple Rivers Basin function to sup¬
port forests and thus to influence the natural temperature, chemis¬
try and steady flow regimes characteristic of these wild rivers. A
general soil survey has been made of the watershed, particularly in
the Florence County portion, but detailed soil ecological work has
scarcely begun. The opportunities for long-term research on wild
soils are excellent in the Basin.
1974] Hole — Wild Soils of Pine-Popple Rivers Basin 49
LITERATURE CITED
BEAVER, ALBERT J. 1966. Characteristics and genesis of some bisequal
soils in eastern Wisconsin. Ph.D. Thesis. University of Wisconsin,
Madison.
BECKER, GEORGE. 1972. Annotated list of the fish of the Pine-Popple Basin.
Trans. Wis. Acad. ScL, Arts and Lett. 60:309-329.
BIDWELL, O. W., and F. D. HOLE. 1965. Man as a factor of soil formation.
Soil Sci. 99:65-72.
BIRGE, E. A., and C. JUDAY. 1934. Particulate and dissolved organic matter
in inland lakes. Ecol. Monographs 4:440.
BLACK, A. P., and R. F. CHRISTMAN. 1963. Characteristics of colored sur¬
face waters. Am. Waterworks Assn. J. 55:753-770.
BOUMA, J., and F. D. HOLE. 1971. Soil structure and hydraulic conductivity
of adjacent virgin and cultivated pedons at two sites: a Typic Argiudoll
(silt loam) and a Typic Eutrochrept (clay). Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. Proc.
35:316-319.
BOUMA, J., W. A. ZIEBELL, W. G. WALKER, P. G. OLCOTT, E. McCOY,
and F. D. HOLE. 1973. Soil absorption of septic tank effluent. Inform.
Circ. 20, Wis. Geological and Nat. Hist. Survey, University of Wisconsin-
Extension, Madison.
BOYLE, J. R., and A. R. EK. 1972. An evaluation of some effects of bole and
branch pulpwood harvesting on site macronutrients. Canad. J. Forest Res.
2:407-412.
BRYSON, R. A., and W. M. WENDLAND. 1967. Radiocarbon isoclines of
the retreat of the Laurentide ice sheet. Tech. Rept. 35, Dept. Meteorology,
Univ. Wisconsin, Madison.
BUOL, S. W., F. D. HOLE, and R. J. McCRACKEN. 1973. Soil genesis and
classification. Ia. State Univ. Press.
CHAMBERLIN, T. C. 1883. Geology of Wisconsin, Vol. I (with soil map,
1882). Commissioners of Public Printing.
GAIKAWAD, S. T., and F. D. HOLE. 1961. Characteristics and genesis of a
Podzol soil in Florence County, Wisconsin. Trans. Wis. Acad. Sci., Arts
and Lett. 50:183-190.
HOLE, FRANCIS D. 1974. Wisconsin soils, (in press, Univ. Wis. Press). Wis.
Geological and Nat. Hist. Survey. University of Wisconsin-Extension,
Madison.
HOLE, FRANCIS D., G. W. OLSON, K. O. SCHMUDE, and C. J. MILFRED.
1962. Soil survey of Florence County, Wisconsin. Wis. Bui. 84, Soil series
59, Wis. Geological and Nat. Hist. Survey, University of Wisconsin-
Extension, Madison.
HOLE, F. D., M. T. BEATTY, C. J. MILFRED, and A. J. KLINGELHOETS.
1968. Soils of Wisconsin (Wall Map, Scale 1:710,000). Wis. Geological
and Nat. Hist. Survey, University of Wisconsin-Extension, Madison.
MILFRED, C. J., G. W. OLSON, and F. D. HOLE. 1967. Soil resources and
forest ecology of Menominee County, Wisconsin. Bui. 85, Soil series 60,
Wis. Geological and Nat. Hist. Survey, University of Wisconsin-Exten¬
sion, Madison.
MILLS, J. 1972. Canoeing on the wild rivers Pine and Popple. Trans. Wis.
Acad. Sci., Arts and Lett. 60:239-263.
OLSON, G. W., and F. D. HOLE. 1967. The fragipan in soils of northern
Wisconsin. Trans. Wis. Acad. Sci., Arts and Lett. 56:174-184.
Soil Conservation Service. 1974 (in press). Soil Taxonomy of the National
Cooperative Soil Survey. USDA. Gov. Printing Office, Washington, D. C.
Soil Survey Staff. 1951. Soil Survey Manual. USDA Handbook No. 18. Gov.
Printing Office, Washington, D. C.
50 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
WHITSON, A. R., W. J. GEIB, CARL THOMPSON, CLINTON B. POST,
A. L. BUSER, L. R. SCHOENMANN, and ARTHUR E. TAYLOR. 1916.
Reconnaissance soil survey of northeastern Wisconsin. Bui. 37, Soil Series
12, Wis. Geological and Nat. Hist. Survey, University of Wisconsin,
Madison.
WTHITSON, Y., J. DUNNEWALD, and CARL THOMPSON. 1921. Soil survey
of northern Wisconsin. Bui. 55, Soil Series 27, Wis. Geological and Nat.
Hist. Survey, University of Wisconsin, Madison.
WILDE, S. A., F. G. WILSON, and D. P. WHITE. 1949. Soils of Wisconsin
in relation to silviculture. Pub. No. 525-49. Wis. Conservation Dept.,
Madison.
THE NOVEL AS A VEHICLE TO TELL THE STORY
OF THE MENOMINEE INDIANS
William Steuber
Madison
What is to be done about the American Indian? The question
has never been successfully answered. It has been a puzzle ever
since Columbus reached the Caribbean and thought he had found
India. The American Indian was an annoying problem to the early
pioneers, to the westward settlers, to the United States Army, to
every president and Congress from George Washington through
Richard Nixon. The Indian question has been particularly trouble-
some in recent years with the take-over at Alcatraz, at Wounded
Knee, and with the occupation of the Bureau of Indian Affairs in
our nation’s capital.
Wisconsin still puzzles over the Indian much as our forefathers
did before we became a state. Currently the Menominee are in
the headlines. Two decades ago they were prosperous, second only
to the oil-rich Oklahoma Indians. Under pressure from Congress,
they voted to terminate their reservation and become free citizens,
supporting their own county. Today they are poverty ridden, and
have successfully pleaded to again become wards of the federal
government. The processes are now underway to disestablish
Menominee County and to reestablish the Menominee Indian
Reservation.
There are no easy answers to Indian problems, either among the
Indians themselves, or in the Congress of the United States, Wis¬
consin, or anywhere.
The American Indian is still a generous natural resource. We
made fortunes from him, giving him beads and brandy for his
beaver. We traded cheap promises for good land. We put his profile
on our pennies and our nickels, but let him own very few of them.
We are not finished merchandising Indians. We are now capital¬
izing our guilt, our compassion, our social consciousness in a flood
of belated attention with varying motives. Jane Fonda and Marlon
Brando have been typically loud in Indian causes. One wonders
how much of this is truly for the Indian, how much for their own
publicity.
Or take so many of the present books that seem to speak for the
Indian. The accounts seem so stylized. Find an old Indian. Take
51
52 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
a tape recorder. Ply him with whiskey. Let him cry and sing his
heart out. Then take your notes and your tapes, rewrite his story
into the current pattern of popular guilt, twist his halting words
into your ideology, into your sense of timing, into your telling
phrase, your witticism, your creation of something intimate, some¬
thing significant.
One becomes highly suspect of ghost-written accounts, as-told-to
presentations, two-person authorships and their ability to bulge,
perhaps rupture, the honest line between fiction and non-fiction.
Such dubbed-in writing may appear to present solid and substan¬
tial fact which in reality may be highly manipulated and distorted
by the views, motivations, aims and skills of the co-author. A
strong compulsion to take such liberties may be based on present
reader preference for non-fiction, and better sales, over true novels.
Nevertheless, the novel is a writing form of historic power and
honesty. In the hands of a Charles Dickens, an Upton Sinclair, a
John Steinbeck, its created characters become more alive than
actual people. Social problems are shown in the glare of truth, and
a great strength is born to help solve those problems.
The Menominee Indians today are a troubled minority people,
protesting white dominance more intensely now than at any other
time in history. In order to understand and appreciate the prob¬
lems of the Menominee Indian today, one should know how he lived
before the white people overwhelmed him. One should know his
basic weaknesses in the presence of a different culture, his beliefs,
his fears, how he handled his world when he alone walked it.
The Great Lakes Menominee, before the white man, were a small
and prosperous tribe. They had wild rice, maple sugar, beaver,
sturgeon, bear and deer, wild fowl and passenger pigeon, in such
plenty that food was no problem. They had abundant time to
contemplate the mysteries, to instruct their young in countless
legends and traditions, and to perform the endless rituals that
would please the spirits.
All Indians were dominated by spirits. Every rock, tree, bush,
wind, animal, stream, lake, storm or fire was a spirit. Christian
missionaries, recognizing no such spirits, seemed to the Indian
to be hopelessly insensitive. Only when God was described as the
Great Spirit, could spiritual communication begin.
In the dream fast, a young person would go alone for three or
four days without food, water, or shelter until in his parched
delirium a spirit would come to be guardian and confessor to him
for the rest of life. Elation and sense of great power came.
No Indian tribe north of Mexico had any kind of fermented or
distilled liquor. When they were first treated to it by the white
1974]
Steuber — Novel Tells Story of Indians
53
man, they felt the same elation, the same power, the same com¬
munion with all their spirits as their dream fast had given them.
They quickly looked upon liquor as something good, something
holy. With this extra appeal, in addition to the pleasure to the
palate and the warming glow, Indians readily became alcoholic.
Indians before the white man came had no cows, goats, or sheep.
Yet every child had milk for the first three years of his life. He
nursed many months after he had learned to run and talk, but
once he was weaned he never tasted milk again in all his life. Milk
was for babies and only for babies. When the settlers came and
brought their cows, and the Indians saw grown children and white
adults drink milk they were horror stricken. To them it was a filthy
abomination, a perversion of the worst kind. They turned their
heads in utter disbelief and disgust.
White traders took Indian wives. They were a great help to the
trader in getting him accepted among the tribes. It was a great
honor for an Indian woman to be so chosen, and some became so
proudly arrogant nobody could stand them.
But when the settlers came, as desperately as they needed
women, no settler would ever take an Indian wife because they
were no help at all.
They could not fry an egg.
They could not set a table.
They could not make a bed.
They could not milk a cow.
All primitive people become highly agitated by thunder and
lightning. Thunder quickly becomes a part of their mythology.
This was as true for the ancient Greeks and early Norsemen as
for the American Indian, whose thunderbird is traditional with
every tribe.
Even today, with all our modern sophistication, we too pay
homage to thunder and its company. We pay high premiums for
wind and hail insurance. Public utility companies and cities install
lightning protection and keep emergency crews on standby during
storms. We all keep our radios on during a tornado watch. There
still are many farm families who get everybody up in the middle
of the night to sit out a storm.
Try to imagine then, the fear that thunder and lightning could
bring to an uninformed but imaginative Indian, crouching under
bark slabs that leaked, that blew off with the wind, under an angry
heaven striking at him with all the fury of the universe. His fear
of lightning and thunder so overwhelmed him that he could find
peace only through the mystic power of his medicine man. Only
when the medicine man stripped naked and ran chanting all around
54 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
the camp were the thunderers appeased and the camp made safe
again.
Over and over again, Indian spokesmen tell us that Indians are
not interested in the white-man’s ambitions, or white economics,
or white life styles, nor even white definitions of freedom or
equality. The red man tells us that he does not want to imitate any
other race, or be like any other people. He says he wants only to
be an Indian and to be left alone so that he can be an Indian.
Certainly one must accept that as a noble and a simple request.
To be a brother to the deer and the bear, to be in accord with every
tree and babbling brook, to walk as a natural creature of the
woodland, to live in intimacy with all the spirits of the rocks and
rains and winds, to live only with what Mother Nature sets before
one, surely this is the ideal life.
This dream to go back fascinates, and is symbolic to young
idealists, to the human-rights people, the ecologists, the nature
scientists. It certainly must appeal to every thoughtful citizen who
holds dear his own freedom.
All the natural riches of wholly Indian North America — vast
beds of wild rice, maple groves bleeding rich sap, streams alive
with sturgeon and beaver, the great plains black with buffalo, the
woodland skies darkened with wild fowl, berries from spring to
fall in every marsh and upland, grapes and nuts beyond all gather¬
ing. With all this boundless treasure, Nature working alone took
more than three square miles of land to support each Indian.
If the Indians today could live primitively by themselves, it
would be the highest priced living the earth has ever known. We
would have to remove 197 million other Americans. We would
have to take down our cities, bulldoze our highways back into the
soil, abandon our farms, and return everything to the native
prairies, marshes, and forests. Only then could an Indian live his
ideal life as an Indian.
This is the dilemma the Indian creates for himself and for us.
This is why the Indian himself makes it so difficult to help him.
This is why, after four hundred years of trying we still cannot
answer the Indian question either to his satisfaction or to ours.
Nature can renew, nature can replenish, nature can go on no
matter how violently she has been insulted, but nature cannot go
backward. Only in fiction, only in make-believe, can we go back
to relive the days that once were.
GO AWAY THUNDER, a novel published in 1972, is a tale of
the Menominee Indians many generations before Columbus. It is
wholly sympathetic to the Indian viewpoint. As fiction, it can go
1974]
Steuher — Novel Tells Story of Indians
55
back, it can re-live the times when the Menominee were the giants
of the Great Lakes woodland.
Through nearly three hundred years of the fur trade, the wood¬
land Menominee homeland on the north and west shores of Lake
Michigan remained undisturbed, its culture intact. Once the Euro¬
pean demand for beaver hats declined there was no economic
reason whatsoever for a white man to stay in Menominee country.
Nothing much was asked of the Menominee until lumbermen
took notice of the finest stand of white pine the world has ever
seen on their ancestral lands. American enterprise, needing lumber
and lots of it for expanding America, easily negotiated treaties
to take the Menominee land. By that time we had already passed
the middle of the 19th century, our nation was approaching the
astonishing age of one hundred years, and we were affluent enough
to have money to put into carefully detailed studies of the people
who were here before we were.
The Bureau of American Ethnology as a part of the Smithsonian
Institution began a series of cultural studies of Indian tribes, a
series of studies continuing for many decades. The remarkable
Menominee, essentially living the same as their ancestors long
before the first white man in America, were studied and docu¬
mented, their chiefs and medicine men explaining their traditions
and values.
From these detailed ethnic studies, from the much earlier ex¬
plorers’ and traders’ notes, from the early missionary documents
it is possible to piece together a story of Menominee life when
Indians alone occupied the northern woodland. With this authentic
documentation, GO AWAY THUNDER was written. It recreates
one year of early Menominee tribal life in the long long parade
of mankind. The title, GO AWAY THUNDER expresses an awe,
a fear, a plea to the unknown, a prayer to the mysteries by the
primitive American Indian. GO AWAY THUNDER is also a
symbolic cry toward the coming of the white man, the most awe¬
some thunder of all.
This has been my work to find out about earlier Indians for a
better understanding of the Indian of today. I have now com¬
pleted, as a following novel entitled BEAVER, BRANDY, BEADS
AND BELLS, the amazing story of their first contact with white
civilization.
Later, after much more research, I intend to put into a third
Menominee novel the continuing conflict between these proud
Indians and white culture today.
I
LAKE WINGRA, 1837-1973:
A CASE HISTORY OF HUMAN IMPACT1
Paul C. Baumann, James F. Kitchell,
John J. Magnuson and Terrence B„ Kayes
University Wisconsin — Madison
ABSTRACT
Lake Wingra is a shallow, eutrophic lake bordered on one side
by the City of Madison and on the other by the University of Wis¬
consin Arboretum. This paper recounts the history of the biological
and hydrographic changes which occurred in the lake between 1837
and 1973. In the early 1900’s, the area, depth and drainage patterns
of the lake and adjoining wetlands were extensively altered by the
activities of man. Early management practices (e.g. introduction
of carp in the late 1800’s, fish rescue and stocking operations dur¬
ing the 1930’s and carp removal programs during the 1930’s, 1940’s
and 1950’s) had marked and often unexpected effects. The lake
once had extensive bordering marshes, diverse aquatic macrophyte
communities, and large northern pike and yellow perch populations.
It now has few connecting marshes, dense stands of Eurasian water
milfoil and is dominated by stunted bluegill and yellow bass. The
number of macroinvertebrate species has been reduced ; many
larger forms have been eliminated. Since 1969, Lake Wingra and
its watershed have been a major study site of the International
Biological Program. Hopefully, ecosystem concepts derived from
this project and the lessons of history will facilitate more ecolog¬
ically sound management decisions.
INTRODUCTION
During the 1960’s, the effects of cultural eutrophication on fresh
waters became increasingly apparent to scientists and the general
public (Hasler, 1973). Other planned and accidental disturbances
by man have proven highly important in producing major changes
in aquatic ecosystems. Among these, physical changes produced by
dredging, draining and damming, introduction of non-native
species, and activities associated with intensive recreational use
(e.g., rough fish removal, weed cutting, sport fishing) have sig¬
nificantly altered many aquatic systems. All have occurred at Lake
Wingra.
1 Contribution No. 141, US-IBP, Eastern Deciduous Forest Biome and journal paper
No. 86, University Wisconsin Arboretum.
57
58 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
Lake Wingra, Dane County, Wisconsin, is a shallow, hard-water
lake with a surface area of 140 hectares and a maximum depth of
6.4 meters (Poff and Threinen, 1962). A dense littoral macrophyte
community almost completely dominated by one species, Myriophyl-
lum spicatum (Nichols and Mori, 1971) , classifies the lake as highly
eutrophic according to the scale of Swindale and Curtis (1957).
“Whole-basin” mixing probably provides sufficient nutrients to sup¬
port a rich algal flora throughout the growing season. Fish and
invertebrate populations are also dense. Recreational use of the lake
is intensive.
The lake has been the site of substantial scientific investigation
because it is near the University of Wisconsin and its Arboretum.
A chronology of investigations prior to 1968 concerning Lake
Wingra is as follows: Birge (1891), Juday (1914), Cahn (1915),
Pearse (1916, 1918), Pearse and Achtenberg (1918), Pearse
(1921), Domogalla and Fred (1926), Wright (1928), Tressler
(1980), Tressler and Domogalla (1931), Leopold (1937), Juday
(1938), Frey (1940), Noland (1951), Threinen and Helm (1954),
Neess, Helm, and Threinen (1957), Helm (1958, 1964), and Sachse
(1965). Unpublished data and a variety of maps are in the files
of the University of Wisconsin Arboretum Committee and the Uni¬
versity of Wisconsin Archives. Noland (1951) summarizes much
of the earlier records of the Wisconsin Department of Natural
Resources (unpublished data in Water File).
The Lake Wingra basin is now under intensive investigation as
an Eastern Deciduous Forest Biome site of the International Bio¬
logical Program (IBP) (Adams et al., 1972). This project did not
officially start until July 1, 1970, but preliminary investigations
began in 1968. As part of the Analysis of Ecosystems Project,
studies are being conducted to “secure an understanding of our
emerging man-dominant ecosystems” and for “development of
mathematical models and simulation of complex events in the eco¬
system over extended periods of time.” One major reason for this
site’s selection is that the “Lake Wingra watershed is representa¬
tive of the situation existing in many watersheds throughout the
eastern United States for it is markedly influenced by the activities
of man.” The site “offers an opportunity to assess relative impor¬
tance of city versus natural areas,” being bordered to the north
by the city of Madison and to the south by the University of Wis¬
consin Arboretum (Anonymous, 1969).
The purpose of our paper is to collect, in one narrative, the
diverse information available on Lake Wingra. We briefly describe
the white man’s settlement of the watershed, depict the hydro-
graphic and biological history of the lake, and qualitatively evalu¬
ate changes related to human impact.
1974] Baumann , Kitchell, Magnuson, Hayes — Lake Wingra 59
SETTLEMENT
Lake Wingra and the extensive marshlands surrounding it were
used by the Winnebago Indians as a major hunting and fishing
ground as late as 1925. “Winnebago tradition had it that the
swamp would take over entirely when the last red man left the
shores” (Sachse, 1965).
In 1837 Moses Strong came to the Madison area to make surveys
for establishment of the new state capitol. At that time some 500
to 1,000 Winnebago Indians were camped around Lake Wingra.
The Winnebago liked to camp by the lake because of the “great
abundance of fish in its waters and game on its shores” (Brown,
1915). After the financial crash of 1857, Levi B. Vilas, owner of
an enormous tract north and south of Lake Wingra, sold several
parcels of land. In 1865 Frank M. Grady settled a tract southwest
of the lake, and “by the seventies a few isolated homesteads dotted
the north shore” (Sachse, 1965).
During these early years, Dead Lake (later the Winnebago name,
Wingra [Duck], was adopted) was relatively inaccessible. In 1841
only Indian trails penetrated to the lake, and an old territorial road
(now Fish Hatchery Road) skirted the southeastern marshland. In
her “Map of Lake Wingra before 1915,” Sachse shows many of
Madison’s major streets in approximately their present-day loca¬
tions, and shows trails following the north and south margins of
the marshland.
Aside from agricultural activities, major physical alterations of
the watershed did not begin until 1905, when dredge and fill opera¬
tions began in the construction of Vilas Park. Between 1911 and
1920 the Lake Forest Land Company made its abortive attempt to
build a “model suburb” in the southern lowlands. Urbanization of
the north shore followed the sporadic development of Nakoma and
westward expansion of Madison, beginning about 1910 (Sachse,
1965).
Throughout the early years, Wingra’s rich populations of musk¬
rat, waterfowl, game fish and turtles were heavily exploited. Since
then the lake, its biota and surrounding marshland have been dra¬
matically altered by the influence of man. In his 1934 reminiscences
of the 1870’s, L. B. Rowley stated the point simply: “. . . it isn’t
the same lake at all” (Sachse, 1965).
HYDROGRAPHY
From earlier scientific papers, unpublished theses, public rec¬
ords, maps and accounts of private citizens, Noland (1951) col¬
lected detailed information about the hydrographic history of the
Wingra basin. His accounts did not, however, reconstruct a picture
of the basin’s original nature.
60 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
The Original (ca. 1900) Shoreline and Wetlands
Reconstruction of Wingra’s original hydrography is difficult
because scientific investigations were not done before the period of
maximum hydrographic change, and early accounts are conflicting
and unclear. The lake’s surface has been reported to be 217 hec¬
tares (Pearse and Achtenberg, 1918), 81.0 hectares (Juday, 1938),
133 hectares (Noland, 1951), and 140 hectares (Poff and Threinen,
1962). An example of semantic confusion is the frequent but unde¬
fined use of the word “marsh.” This term describes a variety of
conditions. To avoid further confusion, we use the fresh-water
classifications described by Smith (1966).
Our attempt to reconstruct the original shoreline and surround¬
ing marshland is a stepwise alteration of present-day maps
accounting for known and inferred hydrographic changes in the
past.
Figure 1 indicates present shorelines, local geographic refer¬
ences, and other physical characteristics of the area adjacent to the
lake. The lake is 262.9 m above sea level, 1 m higher than Lake
Monona (United States Geological Survey, 1959). According to
Nichols and Mori (1971), the present spillway dam (Fig. 1) main¬
tains a 0.6 m head between lake level and Murphy’s Creek. The
creek falls the remaining distance to Lake Monona. The dam and
McCaffrey Drive isolate Gardner Marsh from the lake proper. The
channels in this wetland measure 0.3 to 0.6 m below lake level (our
observation) and drain into the creek above Fish Hatchery Road.
Except at the outlet, a strip of high ground separates marsh from
creek ( Fig. 1 ) . The northwestern two-thirds of the wetland is pri¬
marily a mixture of shallow and deep fresh marsh. The southeast¬
ern third is dominated by shrub swamp, which becomes increas¬
ingly dry toward the outer margins. The ponds and channels in
Gardner Marsh are open freshwater areas, although vegetation is
dense in some parts. Both Redwing Marsh and the marsh west of
Edgewood Bay (Fig. 1) are deep fresh marsh, but become rapidly
shallow shoreward. The western wetland, including Wingra Marsh
and Wingra Fen (Fig. 1), is a patchwork of fresh meadow and
shrub swamp. Shallow fresh marsh borders the lake’s southwest¬
ern shore and merges with a narrow bank of deep fresh marsh
toward open water. The lake’s water originates from surface run¬
off, springs and, along the urbanized shore, storm sewers and drain
pipes (Noland, 1951). Spring water enters the lake directly and
via Ho-nee-um Pond and Gorham, Nakoma, Big Spring, East
Spring and Marshland creeks (Fig. 1).
Early accounts (Birge, 1891; Cahn, 1915; Juday, 1914; Rowley,
1934 in Sachse, 1965) agree that the entire shoreline was marshy
and marsh areas were more extensive. They also suggest that the
1974] Baumann, Kitchell, Magnuson, Hayes — Lake Wingra
61
.5
0
JL
1 KM
J
FIGURE 1. Lake Wingra, adjacent wetlands, and major streets ( _ ) in
early 1970’s. Combined from field observations and maps by the U.S. Geo¬
logical Survey (1958) and the University of Wisconsin Arboretum Committee
(no date) .
lake had a greater area. Data collected by Noland (1951) provide
two reasonable explanations. Early water levels were higher, about
1.3 m above Lake Monona or about 0.3 m above the present level.
The outlet was located just above the bridge at Fish Hatchery
Road (Fig. 1), and upper Murphy Creek and much of Gardner
Marsh were probably part of the original lake.
A hypothetical shoreline (Fig. 2A), taking account of the above
information, was made by designating a point above Fish Hatchery
Road as the original outlet and by drawing a line midway between
the lake’s present shoreline at 262.9 m and the 263.4 m contour line
determined from a U.S. Geological Survey Map (1959). Earth-
moving operations were assumed not to have appreciably altered
the contours.
Additional information substantiates the proposed shoreline in
Fig. 2B. Both Rowley (Sachse, 1965) and a map made by Moritz
62
Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
N A
FIGURE 2 A. Pre-1900 reconstruction of Lake Wingra, its wetlands and
littoral zone. Scaled to map by U.S. Geological Survey (1959).
in 1904 (this map is currently in Wisconsin Historical Society
Archives) indicate that Gardner Marsh originally extended to
what is now Fish Hatchery Road. The road probably marks
the outer boundary of the original lake’s emerging vegeta¬
tion. Higher water must have covered the southern end of the
strip now separating Gardner Marsh from Murphy Creek. Because
land-fill operations created the peninsula at Vilas Park (Juday,
1914; Noland, 1951), the original shoreline must have been con¬
tinuous from Murphy Creek along the northern edge of the present
Vilas Park Lagoons (Figs. 1 and 2A). The higher water probably
covered much of Edgewood Point. An incomplete survey done in
1834 (Wilcox, 1936) confirms the proposed shoreline of the eastern
half of the lake. Two spillway dams maintain a 0.3 m head between
Ho-nee-um Pond (Fig. 1) and the lake (Sachse, 1965). A soils map
by Retzer (1950) suggested that the island separating pond from
lake was formed by dredge spoils, so the hypothetical shoreline was
placed along the western edge of the pond.
The area deeper than 2.0 m on the present contour map (Fig. 3)
likely represents the original pelagic zone of the lake and is indi¬
cated as such in Fig. 2A. Maximum depth was probably about 4.3
1974] Baumann, Kitchell, Magnuson, Hayes — Lake Wingra
63
N
B
i _ i - 1 - - - 1
I .5 0 1 KM
i _ I _ i _ i
FIGURE 2B. An early (1904) map of Lake Wingra redrawn from an original
by Moritz. Depth contours are given in feet. Streets identified are those with
same names today.
m in the area midway between what is now Edgewood Bay and the
southern shore (Fig. 2B). The remainder of the basin was largely
a gradual and regular slope to all shorelines north and south with
extensive shallow littoral zones to the east and west.
The wetland originally surrounding Lake Wingra “covered a
wide area in all directions except the adjoining high land on the
north side and a wooded knoll on the southwest about twenty acres
in extent” (Rowley (1934) in Sachse, 1965). Water from springs
in and around the margin of the wetland drained into the lake.
In the northeast, the marshland’s outer edge was probably defined
by Reynolds Spring, which was situated “just south of the old
Dividing Ridge” (Noland, 1951) and had a creek as its outlet. In
the west and southwest the wetland extended “to Monroe Street
and Nakoma Road” and took “in the flat part of what is now the
Nakoma Golf Grounds” (Fig. 1) (Rowley (1934) in Sachse, 1965).
Apparently the original wetland extended almost up to the 266.6
m contour line (Fig. 2A). The “Map of Lake Wingra Before 1915”
64 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
THE LAKE WINGRA DRAINAGE BASIN
including- approximate depth contours of the lake at 1 m intervals.
(Sachse, 1965) verified the proposed outer margin. The area from
this wetland margin to proposed shoreline was likely a mixture of
fresh meadow and shrub swamp. Cahn (1915) reported that the
Western wetland was covered with up to 30 cm of water in May
and was muddy through summer and autumn.
! Moritz, a geologist, surveyed the lake and site of Vilas Park
prior to construction. His map (1904) indicates that the original
northeastern shoreline roughly corresponded with what is now
Vilas Park Drive (Fig. 1) and that the eastern region of the lake
was a broad, shallow area extending to Fish Hatchery Road. We
located Moritz’s map after having reconstructed the lake based on
contour lines for Fig. 2A. In general, the margins of the littoral
zone area proposed in our reconstruction are confirmed by Moritz’s
map suggesting that the area of the lake was approximately 265
hectares. The current area of the lake is 137 ha. (see Huff et al.,
1973, for a detailed summary of present physical characteristics).
Thus, prior to major construction activity, the area of Lake Wingra
was approximately 1.9 times greater. Including the surrounding
marsh and wetlands, the area was about 3 times greater than that
at present.
1974] Baumann, Kitchell, Magnus on, Hayes — Lake Wingra 65
Major Changes to Shoreline and Wetlands
The assumption made in Fig. 2A, that the 263.4 m contour line
has not changed appreciably, is probably correct. But some changes
have occurred and are documented below, primarily from Noland
(1951). The east and southeast end of the original lake and wet¬
land was most altered. This area now includes the lowland east of
Murphy Creek, the full length of the creek, Gardner Marsh, the
sections east of the marsh to Park Street and south beyond Carver
Street as well as the south and east sides of the lake proper (Figs.
1 and 2A).
In 1905 and 1906 (Fig. 1, present streets as landmarks), a chan¬
nel was dredged from the bridge of Fish Hatchery Road in an arc
along Wingra Drive to a point south of Randall Avenue. A wooden
lock and spillway dam were erected below the bridge to maintain
the lake at its original level. In 1907 and 1908 the creek’s entire
length below the bridge to Lake Monona was dredged. Though
documentation was not found, spoils from these operations were
probably used to fill adjacent wetlands.
Between 1914 and 1920 the Lake Forest Land Company
attempted to build a “model suburb” in the southern wetland
beyond the 263.4 m contour line. At this time, a dike (McCaffrey
Drive dike) must have been built from the south shore and south¬
east to the outlet to isolate the present Gardner Marsh from Mur¬
phy Creek and the lake proper (Fig. 1). Channels, dug in the
marsh and wetland to the south, emptied into the creek below the
old spillway dam. This lowered the water level of the marsh below
the lake level and diverted water from four southern springs away
from the lake. In 1917 the dike was breached at the southeast cor¬
ner of the lake, effecting a 1.0 m fall in the lake’s level and a dra¬
matic reduction of surface area. The present lock and spillway
dam (Fig. 1) were built and the dike was closed in 1919. The lake
filled to its current level about 1.0 m above that of Lake Monona.
Murphy Creek was then dredged to levels approaching Lake
Monona’s to further facilitate drainage of marsh and wetland.
Beginning in 1915, a dredge working 12 hours a day, spring
through fall (Sachse, 1965), removed bottom materials from the
lake near its south shore. By autumn of 1916, a trench 9.3 m deep
had been dug. This has partly filled to the present depth of 6.4 m
(Fig. 3) which is currently the maximum depth in the lake (Poff
and Threinen, 1962). The areas above and below the present dam
were dredged, producing Outlet Bay and Murphy Creek Wide¬
spread. Spoils may have been used to close and strengthen McCaf¬
frey Drive dike.
In spite of all the above effort, little solid land was produced.
The Lake Forest Land Company was bankrupt in 1922.
66 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
Development of the University of Wisconsin Arboretum and
urbanization have affected the east and southeast end of the orig¬
inal basin. A soils map by Retzer (1950) indicated extensive filling
east of Gardner Marsh between Fish Hatchery Road and Park
Street (Fig. 1). Construction of Wingra Drive and McCaffrey
Drive raised shores along their routes. In 1936, channels in Gard¬
ner Marsh were redredged (Sachse, 1965), but since then, sedimen¬
tation has partly filled them.
The northeast end of the original basin was greatly altered by
the construction of Vilas Park in 1905, 1906 and 1913 (Noland,
1951). The area now in the outer part of Edgewood Bay (Fig. 1)
was dredged to over 4.0 m. Marsh and wetland north of the present
Vilas Park Lagoons were filled and the shore raised. Fill was also
used to construct the peninsular part of the Park. Vilas Park
Lagoons were dredged to 1.6 m in the center. They were redredged
in 1941, and the sediments deposited on an island in the center.
Removal of groundwater by new wells combined with dredging
and filling destroyed five springs in the original marsh. The depth
in Edgewood Bay rapidly decreased as materials eroded from
shore. The outer part of the bay is now about 1.2 m (Fig. 1).
The west end of the original basin was altered when Ho-nee-um
Pond was built in 1938 and 1939 (Fig. 1). Material dredged from
the pond site was used to form an island between pond and lake.
Spillway dams were constructed at each end of the island, and the
pond’s water level was established 0.3 m above the lake. Dredged
material was also deposited west of the pond and along the lake’s
shore north of the pond (Sachse, 1965).
Along the north shore, 16 springs have ceased to flow. This
probably resulted from reduced replenishment of ground water
owing to the construction of buildings, streets and storm sewers.
Runoff from the northern and western regions of the drainage
basin now reaches the lake primarily by the storm sewers (Fig. 3).
Current land use patterns have been summarized by Cullen and
Huff (1972). Excluding the lake proper, more than 20% of the
watershed has been altered to the extent that it is impervious to
water. Buildings occupy 6.3% ; roads, 8.6% ; drives, 2.3% ; parking
lots, 1.5% ; and sidewalks, 1.0%. Natural forests, primarily in the
University Arboretum, comprise 16.0%, while lawns, parks, ceme¬
teries and golf courses make up the remaining 63.6%. Although
the latter are collectively termed “natural” land areas, they reflect
the impact of human use. Selection for fast growing grasses, orna¬
mentals and trees has resulted in a 30% greater productivity in
comparison to equal-aged forests within the Arboretum (Lawson,
Cottam and Loucks, 1972). Further, landscaping of lawns, parks
and gardens and applications of fertilizers ultimately increase the
1974] Baumann, Kitchell, Magnuson, Hayes — Lake Wingra 67
nutrient load of runoff waters entering storm sewer systems
(Huddleston, 1972).
Summary
In about 1900 Lake Wingra had a shallower maximum depth
and covered about twice the area that it now does. Surrounding
marsh was more extensive which, in combination with the original
lake, provided a wetland and lake area nearly three times greater
than that at present. These changes have been directly caused by
dredging, draining and construction of dams and dikes. Other
hydrographic effects of man on the lake were induced by altera¬
tions of soils, vegetation, ground water sources and surface water
runoff patterns.
AQUATIC MACROPHYTES
The Original Vegetation
Wetlands of various types surrounded Lake Wingra in the late
1800’s. Tamaracks were abundant around the southern shore until
1870. The soil of the East Marsh is composed of peat, from which
tamarack branches, logs, and cones have been recovered. Although
no good descriptive accounts from this early period exist, the
assumption can be made that the bog flora usually associated with
tamaracks was probably also present (Irwin, 1973).
Broad margins of marsh still surrounded Lake Wingra around
1900. Horsetails (Equisetum) , sedges (Carex) and wild rice
(Zizania aquatica) were probably included in the wide margin of
“weeds” described by Rowley (Sachse, 1965) along with cattails
(Typha latifolia and T. angustif olia) and a bulrush (Scirpus
validus), which are now the dominant emergent forms (Nichols
and Mori, 1971). Dense growths of Chara were interspersed be¬
tween areas of wild rice and reeds (Birge, 1891). Wild celery
(Vallisneria americana) was particularly abundant and received
special note in Rowley’s accounts (Sachse, 1965). Almost the entire
lake bottom was covered with water plants of various kinds (Birge,
1891). Accounts after 1900 agree that the lake’s entire shoreline
was “marshy,” that submerged macrophyte beds were extensive,
and that wild rice was profuse (Cahn, 1915; Juday, 1915; Leopold,
1937; and Rowley (1934) in Sachse, 1965).
Other native Wisconsin species currently found in Lake Wingra
that were likely present when the first white settlers arrived in¬
clude four species of small floating plants (Lemna minor, L. tri-
sulca, Spirodela polyrhiza and Wolffia columbiana) , two species of
water lilies (Nuphar variegatum and Nymphaea tuberosa) and a
group of submerged macrophytes including : Potamogeton pectina -
tus, P . nodosus, P. richardsonii, P. zoster if or mis, P. foliosus, P.
1
68 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
\
i . • .
natans, Zanichellia palus tr is, Najas flexilis , Anacharis canadensis,
Heter anther a dubia, C eratophyllum demersum, Utricularia vul¬
garis and Ranunculus longirostris (Nichols and Mori, 1971).
Type, abundance and distribution of aquatic macrophytes have
changed dramatically over the past century. Many aspects of these
changes can be attributed to man.
Major Changes in the Vegetation
In the southeast regions of the original lake, changes in littoral
vegetation were related to dredging and filling. The net result was
the transformation of a wide littoral area, probably rich with wild
cfelery, coontail (C eratophyllum demersum) , pondweeds (Potamoge-
ton spp.), water lilies, wild rice, bulrushes, cattails and sedges into
Gardner Marsh, which is dominated by cattails. Channels in this
marsh and Murphy Creek now contain dense growths of Eurasian
water milfoil ( Myriophyllum spicatum) , though water lilies are
still common.
In the northeast, construction of Vilas Park by dredging and
filling reduced the broad margin of weeds and cattails described by
Rowley (Sachse, 1965). A sand beach was built on the peninsula
and is still maintained. Mechanical harvesting and chemical treat-
meht are used to prevent growth of aquatic plants around Vilas
Park and the outlet to Murphy Creek (Nichols and Mori, 1971).
Considering the entire lake, changes in water level had particu¬
larly disturbing effects on aquatic vegetation. In 1917 the level
was dropped 1.0 m; in 1919 it was raised 0.7 m to its present
height, 1.0 m above Lake Monona. Fluctuation of water level and
overwinter drawdowns are commonly used to inhibit growth of
aquatic plants (Black, 1968; Beard, 1969). The net reduction of
water level by 0.3 m also substantially reduced the lake’s littoral
zone.
In addition to hydrographic changes, introduction of exotic
species altered the vegetation in the lake. The carp (Cyprinus
carpio) was introduced into waters connected to Lake Wingra in
the late 1800’s, was common by 1915, and was a dominant by 1930
(see FISHES of this paper). Carp destroy vegetation directly by
uprooting plants, and indirectly by increasing turbidity and silta-
tion (Cahn, 1929; Cole, 1904; Cahoon, 1953; Black, 1946; and
Threinen and Helm, 1954). Carp have an especially deleterious
effect on wild celery and wild rice (Cole, 1904). Records of the
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (unpublished data
in the Water File) indicate that Lake Wingra was nearly denuded
of aquatic macrophytes during the period of carp dominance from
the late 1920’s through 1955. From 1936 through 1955, an inter¬
mittent carp removal program was conducted by the Wisconsin
1974] Baumann, Kitchell, Magnuson, Hayes — Lake Wingra 69
Conservation Department with the cooperation of the University
of Wisconsin (reviewed by Helm, 1958, and more fully described
in FISHES of this paper) . By 1956, biomass and species diversity
of aquatic plants, especially water milfoil, coontail and pond weeds
had increased (Helm, 1958). Carp removal and subsequent macro¬
phyte growth have not reduced turbidity because dense phytoplank¬
ton populations have characterized the lake since 1956 (Helm,
1958; Koonce, 1972).
Owing to hydrographic disturbances, introduction of exotics, or
a combination of factors, several native species disappeared from
Lake Wingra. Wild celery, Potamogeton freisii, P. illinoinensis,
P. amplifolius and P. praelongus have not been collected later than
1929 (Nichols and Mori, 1971). The decline of wild rice has not
been documented, but it is no longer present.
The Eurasian water milfoil now dominates the macroflora of all
Madison lakes, including Lake Wingra. It was introduced to the
Chesapeake Bay region of North America around 1900 and re¬
ported in Wisconsin by 1936 (Nichols and Mori, 1971). Although
its appearance and increased abundance in Lake Wingra are not
documented, Helm (personal communication) recalls that milfoil
was not the dominant macrophyte in the late 1950’s. Rather, pond-
weeds were most abundant after carp removal.
The Present
Gardner (or East) Marsh vegetation at present is composed of
a variety of terrestrial and aquatic plants with shrubs invading
the open areas and trees located along the edge. Seven major com¬
munities exist, including tree, shrub, wet meadow, aster-solidago,
calamagrostis, cattail, and nettles. The large nettle community
thrive on burnt peat soil, and was apparently established after
the original marsh had been dried and destroyed by fire (Irwin,
1973).
Presently, five littoral communities occur in Lake Wingra as fol¬
lows (Nichols and Mori, 1971) : shallow water Myriophyllum,
68% ; deep water Myriophyllum, 13% ,* Potamogeton-Myriophyllum,
17%; Nuphar, 5%; Nymphaea, 2%. Dominant emergents are
Typha latifolia, T. angustifolia and Scirpus validus. The littoral
zone extends to 2.7 ± 0.4 m, a depth primarily dictated by light
penetration, and covers almost one-third of the lake’s surface area.
Since water milfoil can grow from depths greater than 4 m, a ma¬
jor reduction in turbidity might allow stands to develop throughout
the lake. Native pondweeds and coontail are largely limited to
depths less than 2 m.
The dense growths of littoral vegetation have considerable in-
70 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
fluence on the lake. They provide shelter from predation for many
juvenile fishes, thereby increasing survival and population densities
of panfish species in particular (Andrews and Hasler, 1942). Storm
sewer waters are literally “filtered” by littoral vegetation. The
lake is thus buffered from rainfall-induced pulses of allochthonous
nutrients (MaeCormick et ah, 1972). Finally, dense macrophytes
provide substrate, cover and food for many aquatic invertebrates
which can ultimately be associated with distributional dynamics
of fishes (Baumann and Kitchell, 1974).
In summary, many of the present physical and biological condi¬
tions of Lake Wingra are directly related to changes in the aquatic
macrophyte component since the carp removal program.
PHYTOPLANKTON AND NUTRIENTS
The status of phytoplankton communities and nutrients are not
available for Lake Wingra around 1900, but dominant forms listed
for 1928 by Tressler (1930) generally correspond to present ob¬
servations (Koonce, 1972). Thus, changes in the assemblages of
phytoplankton do not appear to have accompanied the dramatic
changes in the macrophyte associations. Differences in analytical
methods prevent quantitative comparisons of phosphorus concen¬
trations reported by Tressler and Domogalla (1931) with those
determined by Koonce (1972) or Kluesner (1972). It appears, how¬
ever, that phosphorus concentrations in open water have been
reduced over recent time rather than increased. In addition, data
summarized by Isirimah (1972) suggest that nitrogen concentra¬
tions have not markedly increased since 1928 (Table 1).
In spite of these negative data, the trophic status of Lake Wingra
undoubtedly has been influenced by man’s activities over the past
century. The present storm sewer systems provide 80-90% of the
total annual phosphorus loading in direct runoff to the lake (Klues¬
ner, 1972) rather than through flow exposed to retention-by-soil
processes. Allochthonous particulate carbon input (leaves, twigs,
etc.) are similarly diverted from terrestrial decomposition. For
example, more than 1 metric ton (dry weight) per year comes from
the Manitou Way drainage, which represents less than 10% of the
total storm sewer system (Gasith, et ah, 1972; Gasith and Hasler,
1973). As mentioned before, vertical mixing in this shallow lake
probably maintains sufficient nutrients in the water column to
support high algal production throughout most of the growing
season. With little or no direct supporting data to the contrary,
we can only speculate that high productivity also characterized
Lake Wingra prior to human perturbations of the drainage basin.
The historic use of the area as a major hunting and fishing ground
1974] Baumann, Kitchell, Magnuson, Hayes — Lake Wingra 71
TABLE 1. COMPARISON OF NITROGEN CONCENTRATIONS IN LAKE
WINGRA BASED ON ISIRIMAH (1972, TABLE 1). DATA FOR
1928-29 ARE FROM TRESSLER AND DOMOGALLA (1931),
FOR 1960 FROM CLESCERI (1961), AND FOR 1970
FROM KLUESNER (1972)
(Sachse, 1965) may lend some credence to this idea. Yet, the pres¬
ent algal productivity (Koonce, 1972) seems too high for an un¬
modified lake with a small forested watershed and, in 1928, when
the first studies were done, the lake had already undergone tre¬
mendous man-induced alterations.
INVERTEBRATES
Prior to 1900, Birge (1891) provided a list of cladoceran zoo¬
plankton found in Lake Wingra that included 48 species (Table 2).
This diverse fauna included a number of large open water species
such as Daphnia pulex and D. SchocUeri. Although substantial
changes in the taxonomy of cladocera have been made since Birge’s
time, the list can be validly compared with the lake’s present
cladoceran fauna.
Data on benthic invertebrates are available only as early as 1929,
when Tressler (1930) was active on the lake. The sub-littoral
benthos was represented by a diverse assemblage of macro¬
invertebrates that included aquatic insects, water mites and mol-
lusks. The littoral benthos was diverse also, but was dominated by
the amphipod Hyalella azteca which constituted nearly 90% of
the macro-invertebrates.
Dramatic changes have occurred in the communities of clado¬
ceran zooplankton and in the benthic invertebrates.
Only 23, or one half, of the cladocerans present in 1891 are still
present in lists (Table 2) prepared by Teraguchi (1970) and White
and Hasler (1972). Those no longer present include several
72 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
TABLE 2. CLADOCERAN SPECIES RECORDED FROM LAKE WINGRA
BY BIRGE (1891) AND MORE RECENT STUDIES
(HASLER AND WHITE, 1971)
Daphnia spp. and Ceriodaphnia spp. that are relatively large or¬
ganisms. Only 4 new species have been added to the list.
Intensive sampling in 1970-1972 of the benthos and the fauna
on littoral macrophytes revealed an invertebrate fauna dominated
by small chironomids. No live mollusks, no relatively large aquatic
insects, and only two individuals of Hyalella were noted among the
tens of thousands of invertebrates identified by Peterson and
Hilsenhoff (1972). Perhaps more importantly, Hyalella rarely
has been discovered in the hundreds of fish stomachs analyzed to
date from 1970-1971 samples (Magnuson and Kitchell, 1971; Bau¬
mann and Kitchell, 1974), whereas they were common in fish
stomachs from 1954-1956 (Helm, 1958).
Few data are available that allow us to determine the time course
of the above changes during the last 80 years or to .relate those
changes to known causes. However, intense fish predation on larger
1974] Baumann, Kitchell, Magnuson, Hayes — Lake Wingra 73
invertebrates may well explain a rather recent decline of larger
cladocerans and benthos in Lake Wingra. Dense panfish populations
produced virtual or real extinctions of similar species from ponds
through size-selective predation (Hall et ah, 1970). Hyalella is still
abundant in the littoral zones dominated by Eurasian water milfoil
in neighboring Lakes Mendota and Monona and remains as a domi¬
nant food of many fishes (El Shamy, 1973; Brauer et ah, 1972).
Our experience suggests that panfish populations in the latter two
lakes are not as dense as in Lake Wingra.
Intensive fish predation on aquatic invertebrates is the best docu¬
mented but not necessarily the sole explanation for the decrease
in diversity of cladocerans and functional extinction of Hyalella in
Lake Wingra. We speculate that these dramatic changes occurred
since the mid-1950’s.
FISHES
The following represents a journey through time, from the Indian
fishing grounds of the 1800’s to the children’s panfish lake of 1973.
The fish community will be examined from early records (1837-
1904), the period of major hydrographic change (1905-1925),
a period of biological adjustment (1926-1936), a period of new
species introductions (1937-1949), a period of major carp re¬
movals (1950-1957), and a second period of biological adjustment
(1958-1973). When possible, explanations for changes in com¬
munities or populations will be attempted.
As a graphic summary of the dynamics, we estimated the timing
of introductions and extinctions of major fish species (Fig. 4).
In addition, we reconstructed their relative abundances on a similar
time scale and related changes in abundance to major perturbations
by man (Fig. 5) . Information for these reconstructions was derived
primarily from surveys by biologists from the University of
Wisconsin — Madison and carp seinings by the Wisconsin Conser¬
vation Department.
Period of Early Records (18S7-190U)
Fish were referred to as being plentiful in the early years. Our
interpretation of the species list mentioned by Rowley (1934) is:
longnose gar (Lepososteus osseus), northern pike (Esox Indus),
black bass (Micropterus salmoides) , sunfish ( Lepomis spp.) , crap-
pies (Pomoxis spp.) and “yellow bass,” a local term at that time
for the smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu). Pickerel were
also mentioned, but the term seemed to be used interchangeably
with northern pike. Earliest scientific investigations did not find
any true pickerel (Esox niger or E. americanus).
74 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
-ARGE pisgivores
BOWFIN
LONGNOSE GAR
NORTHERN PIKE
LARGEMOUTH BASS
SMALLMOUTH BASS
WALLEYE
N. PIKE x MUSKELLUNGE
BROWN TROUT
RAINBOW TROUT
BROOK TROUT
CHANNEL CATFISH
MEDIUM PREDATORS
YELLOW PERCH
BLUEGILL
PUMPKINSEED
GREEN SUNFISH
BLACK CRAPPIE
WHITE CRAPPIE
BROWN BULLHEAD
YELLOW BULLHEAD
BLACK BULLHEAD
WHITE BASS
YELLOW BASS
SMALL PREDATORS
BLUNTNOSE MINNOW
GOLDEN SHINER
BROOK SILVERSIDE
OMNIVORES
CARP
BUFFALO FISH
COMMON WHITE SUCKER
NORTHERN REDHORSE
SPOTTED SUCKER
970
© INTENTIONALLY
INTRODUCED SPECIES
KNOWN PRESENT
BELIEVED PRESENT
FIGURE 4. The fish community of Lake Wingra from 1890 to 1973,
reconstructed from the literature showing presence and absence.
A biological study by Marshall and Gilbert (1905) in 1902-1903
mentioned four fishes from Lake Wingra: black crappie (Pomoxis
nigromaculatus) , bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) , largemouth
bass (Micropterus salmoides ) , and yellow perch (Perea flavescens).
Undoubtedly other species were native, but these conclude the docu¬
mented list of fishes from early records (Fig. 4). Smaller panfish
and forage species were seldom referred to individually by name.
These species will be discussed in the next section.
1974] Baumann, Kitchell, Magnuson, Hayes — Lake Wingra 75
FIGURE 5. Relative abundance of major fishes in Lake Wingra from 1890
to 1973, reconstructed from the literature.
76 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
In the late 1800’s, northern pike and bass were large in size and
sufficiently abundant to support a recreational fishery and a food
fishery for the early settlers as well as the Winnebago (Brown,
1984; Sachse, 1965).
The first perturbation by man was the introduction of carp
(Cyprinus carpio), an exotic from Europe. Between 1885 and 1897,
3,947 were released into the Yahara River system (Frey, 1940).
Carp were first noted in Lake Wingra by Dr. Samuel H. Chase
during the late 1890’s, but they were not common then (Leopold,
1937).
Period of Major Hydrographic Changes (1905-1925)
Limnological investigations by A. S. Pearse and his associates
and by A. R. Cahn occurred between 1914 and 1916, in the midst
of the most radical hydrographic manipulations to the lake and
almost 20 years after carp were first present. They viewed the fish
community as similar to that of the late 1800’s, but one whose
characteristics were already starting to change. Several new
species, introduced to the lake in the early 1900’s, also contributed
to these changes.
A diverse community of fish predators inhabited the lake
(Fig. 4). They included northern pike, smallmouth bass, large-
mouth bass, longnose gar, and bowfin (Amia calva) (Pearse and
Achtenberg, 1918). All were probably native.
In addition, walleye (Stizostedion vitreum) were stocked
(Fig. 4) in 1900-1903, 1905-1909, 1912, 1916, 1921, and 1922.
Noland (1951) assumed that walleye were native to the lake, but
Helm (1958) argued that they were not because classical spawning
sites of wave-washed gravel were lacking. Preigel’s (1970) obser¬
vation of walleye spawning in flowing deep marshes suggests that
alternative spawning sites were present in early Lake Wingra.
Since 2,655,000 walleye had been stocked eight years prior to any
species other than carp, and since they were not mentioned prior
to 1900 even though they were a favored game fish, and since they
were not caught in gill nets set by Pearse and Achtenberg (1918),
we conclude that they were not native to the lake.
The most abundant predator (Fig. 5) was northern pike, which
was twice as frequent in gill nets as the basses (Pearse and Ach¬
tenberg, 1918). Although northern pike are more vulnerable to gill
nets than bass, early accounts of Lake Wingra’s fishery seem to
agree that northern pike had the larger populations. Largemouth
bass were only slightly more numerous than smallmouth bass.
Longnose gar were quite abundant in 1914 (Brown, 1915).
In 1922, the Wisconsin Conservation Department recorded that
3,000,000 “pickerel” fry had been stocked in Lake Wingra (Lake
1974] Baumann , Kitchell, Magnuson, Hayes — Lake Wingra 77
Wingra file, 1972). They were most likely northern pike as inter¬
preted by Noland (1951) ; none of the later surveys have recorded
true pickerel present in the lake.
Medium predators on invertebrates and fish (Fig. 4) included
the yellow perch, black crappie, bluegill and pumpkinseed (Lepomis
gibhosus) (Pearse and Achtenberg, 1918). All were probably
native. Green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus) were not mentioned by
Pearse and Achtenberg (1918) nor by Cahn (1915), but were
found in the 1950’s and are often common to this type of habitat.
We speculate that they were native but not common.
Yellow perch was the most common fish in the lake (Fig. 5).
Pearse and Achtenberg (1918) caught with gill nets 14 times more
yellow perch than the next most common species. They were small,
mean length ca. 15 cm, which may explain lack of their mention
in early fishing records. Interestingly, fingerling perch were
stocked in 1915 and 1917 despite their abundance and apparent
poor growth.
Pearse (1918) believed black crappie were more abundant than
bluegill and pumpkinseed, based on inshore dipnet catches, but
bluegill were slightly more frequent in his gillnets (Fig. 5).
The brown bullhead, Ictalurus nebulosus, was abundant (Cahn,
1915; Pearse and Achtenberg, 1918). While Noland (1951) be¬
lieved these were misidentified yellow bullheads (Ictalurus natalis),
this seems unlikely because Pearse was a limnology professor and
a professional fisheries expert employed by the Bureau of Commer¬
cial Fisheries. The brown bullhead was likely a native.
Small predators on invertebrates (Fig. 4) included golden
shiners (Notemigonus crysoleucas) , abundant in the gillnets set in
the lake (Pearse and Achtenberg, 1915) ; and, in the springs,
spring pools and streams, the blackchin shiner (Notropis hete -
radon) and blacknose shiner (Notropis cayuga) (Cahn, 1915) ; the
bluntnose minnow (Pimephales notatus) (Pearse, 1918) ; the cen¬
tral mudminnow (Umbra limi) (Cahn, 1915; Pearse, 1915); the
banded killifish (Eundulus diaphanus) (Cahn, 1915; Pearse, 1916) ;
the brook stickleback (Galea inconstans) (Cahn, 1915; Pearse,
1918) ; and the johnny darter (Etheostoma nigrum). While most
of these were probably native, some may have been introduced by
fishermen using them as bait.
The introduced carp had by that time become common (Cahn,
1915; Pearse and Achtenberg, 1918).
Period of Biological Adjustment (1926-1936)
Other than by a growing sport fishery, Lake Wingra was little
altered by new human influences from 1926-1939. Instead, the fish
community was adjusting to earlier hydrographic manipulations
78 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
and introductions of walleye and carp. Carp rose to dominance by
the 1980’s and a state supported program of carp removal began.
In 1936 the Wisconsin Conservation Department made two sein-
ings in Lake Wingra to remove carp and other rough fish. The
seinings also provided a valuable record of changes occurring be¬
tween University studies in the 1910’s and in the 1950’s. The large-
mesh seines only provided estimates of larger fishes, and even these
estimates must be inaccurate owing to the technical difficulties
involved in a large seine haul. Although the same fish predators
inhabited the lake as during the early 1900’s (Fig. 4), a marked
decline in abundance of northern pike had occurred (Fig. 5). Based
on the two seine hauls, longnose gar was the most abundant preda¬
tor (2,500 caught) ; black bass (1,100 caught), and walleye (1,000
caught) were also abundant. As before, largemouth bass were
slightly more abundant than smallmouth bass. Bowfin and north¬
ern pike were uncommon, with only 11 northern pike captured
(Noland, 1951).
The decline of northern pike (Fig. 5) was most likely a direct
result of reproductive failures owing to the hydrographic changes
of the 1910’s which had all but eliminated spawning marshes con¬
nected to the lake (Figs. 1 and 2A). Northern pike spawn in early
spring in marsh areas, usually only 30-60 cm deep. The increase in
walleye, a potential competitor, and the decline in yellow perch, a
favored food, may also have contributed to the decline. The abun¬
dance of walleye was probably a result of stocking 2,466,000 fry
between 1928 and 1930. Approximately 10,000 black bass finger-
lings had also been stocked in 1930.
Longnose gar and bowfin were in 1936 considered “rough fish”
and those caught in the seines were not returned to the lake. Long¬
nose gar are primitive fish with low reproductive potential and
would be significantly reduced by seining. Thus seining contributed
further to a decline of fish predators in Lake Wingra.
A major change in abundance among the medium predators on
invertebrates and fish (Fig. 4) was also detected with the seine
hauls. Crappies (Pomoxis) — 40,000 caught, sunfish (Lepomis) —
20,000 caught, and a new species, the white bass (Morone chrysops)
— 1,500 caught, were most common and bluegill was the primary
sunfish (Juday, 1938). White bass was an introduced species with
900 stocked in 1917 and 1000 in 1933. The yellow perch, which was
the dominant fish species of the early 1900’s, was no longer even
common. Another new species, the bigmouth buffalofish (Ictiobus
cyprinellus) , was caught for the first time. Juday (1938) reported
300 from the hauls. Noland (1951) believed bigmouth buffalofish
were native. Pearse did not mention them in his rather thorough
study, but they might have been present because the marsh area
1974] Baumann, Kitchell, Magnuson, Hayes — Lake Wingra 79
between Lakes Wingra and Monona would appear to be a good site
for spawning. On the other hand, they may have immigrated to
the lake in 1917-1919 when the southeast dike was open to Lake
Monona.
The introduced carp, the stimulus for all the seining, was abun¬
dant (Fig. 5) and 6,000 were caught and removed. By weight,
their 20,000 kg exceeded the weight of all other species caught.
Period of Intense Species Introductions (1937-1949)
By the 1920’s, three new species had been intentionally intro¬
duced: the carp in the 1880’s, the walleye, first in 1900, and the
white bass, first in 1917. Between 1935 and 1945, the Wisconsin
Conservation Department stocked 20 to 23 different species of fish
depending on what species the categories of sunfish and bullhead
contained. Some of these were new to the lake. Even three cold
water species of trout, totally unsuited to Lake Wingra, were
stocked from 1934 until 1941 (Fig. 4). The total array of fishes for
stocking came both from hatcheries and from fish rescue
operations.
Fish rescue, intensely practiced, was unique to the upper Mis¬
sissippi drainage basin in the 1930’s and 1940’s. After periodic
floodings of the Mississippi River, large number of fish were often
isolated from the river and trapped in temporary ponds when the
river waters receded. These fish were “rescued” by federal authori¬
ties, held in hatcheries and later stocked. Mr. Charles Lloyd of the
Wisconsin Conservation Department, who was interviewed by No¬
land (1951), stated that fish species other than those actually
recorded had most likely also been stocked. Also, prior to 1941,
federal fish rescue and transfer operations were carried out inde¬
pendently of the state, and private individuals or organizations
could apply for a shipment of fish and stock it wherever they
wished (Noland, 1951). Records of introduction would not exist.
The continuation of the removal program in 1944, 1945 and
1949, and fyke and gill nettings by Noland and Neess from 1944-
1947 provide fairly good indication of the composition of the fish
community in the mid-1940’s. All seining data are from Noland
(1951). He originally obtained them from the Wisconsin Conser¬
vation Department’s records. Carp and bowfin were removed from
the 1944, 1945, and 1949 seinings. After 1945, longnose gar were
returned to the lake if caught.
The fish predator community (Fig. 4) still contained longnose
gar, largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye, and bowfin, but the
smallmouth bass was rare and a new organism, the northern pike-
muskellunge hybrid (E. Indus x E. muskelunge) , was present in
low numbers.
80 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
The relative abundance (Fig. 5) can be judged from 1944 and
1945 seine hauls. The 2-year combined hauls yielded 1154 longnose
gar, 297 black bass (probably largemouth), 170 northern pike and
162 walleye.
Overall, fish predators seemed less abundant than in 1986. In
addition, longnose gar were declining rapidly, as only 154 were
taken during the 1945 haul. Thereafter, they were no longer
removed in seining operations. Both walleye and bass populations
had dropped since 1936, even though walleye had been stocked in
1940 and 1943 (7,000,000 fry being stocked in 1943 year alone),
and largemouth bass had been stocked in every year from 1937 to
1944. Largemouth bass declined again through 1949 (Helm, 1958).
Perhaps the large numbers of walleye fry stocked in 1943 were too
small to be abundant in the seine hauls one and two years later,
but they were also uncommon in the 1949 seine hauls. The north¬
ern pike were more abundant than in 1936 and were probably the
result of the stocking that occurred in 1940, 1941 and 1942, as indi¬
cated by their average weight of 1.5 kg. Since no further stocking
was conducted, northern pike, without significant spawning areas,
started to decline again in the late 1940’s. The northern pike-
muskellunge hybrids were stocked in 1940, 1945, 1946 and 1948.
They did add to the sport fishermen’s catch and were caught in low
but steady numbers during the seine hauls. The collapse of the
smallmouth bass population has not been explained, but might have
been related to the expanding populations of medium predators on
invertebrates and fish. Noland (1951) suggested from his observa¬
tions that illegal removal of bass from above the dam during the
spawning season may have contributed to the decline.
The community of medium predators on invertebrates and fish
increased during the late 1930’s and the 1940’s. In addition to black
crappie, bluegill, pumpkinseed, white bass, and yellow perch, two
new species were noted — the yellow bass (M or one mississippiensis)
and the white crappie (Pomoxis annularis) (Fig. 4).
Marked changes occurred in the relative and absolute abun¬
dances of the above species (Fig. 5). As a group, they were more
abundant than in 1936. The magnitude of the catch during 1944
was much greater than expected by the Conservation Department
(Noland, 1951). Dr. Black had intended to have all individuals
counted, but the haul took two days to empty and during the night
large groups of fishes other than carp were allowed over the net.
Regardless, Dr. Black estimated that in 1944, the following adult
fish were caught: 350,000 white crappie, 100,000 black crappie,
50,000 bluegill, 40,000 yellow bass, and 10,000 white bass. In addi¬
tion, pumpkinseed had a relatively large population and yellow
perch were still present, but low in abundance.
1974] Baumann, Kitchell, Magnuson, Hayes — Lake Wingra 81
The high numbers of white crappie and yellow bass in the catch
were especially surprising, since they had not been reported before.
Based on records from Buffalo Lake reported by Helm (1958), yel¬
low bass are favored by the water quality and vegetation changes
that go along with high carp abundance. Perhaps some of the crap-
pies caught in the 1936 carp seine hauls were white rather than
black crappie. Regardless, white crappie reached their large popu¬
lation level (and greatest abundance) within approximately ten
years, and this entire group of seven fishes, excluding yellow perch,
had become abundant. Even so, this period was characterized by
intensive stocking of some abundant species and a continually
declining fish predator population.
Many fish of these seven species were stocked intentionally or
unintentionally during fish rescue operations — crappies in 1940,
1941 and 1943, bluegill in 1939, 1940, 1941, 1943 and 1944, white
bass in 1940 and 1943, and yellow perch in 1938, 1939 and 1940.
White crappie and yellow bass were not recorded specifically in the
stockings, but crappies stocked were not noted to species.
In addition to the native brown bullhead, two species in the cat¬
fish family were noted (Noland, 1951) for the first time : the yellow
bullhead, and the channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatutus) (Fig. 4).
Unidentified bullheads were stocked in 1930, 1939, 1942, 1943 and
1945, totaling 40,000 fingerlings, 10,000 yearlings and 2,600 adults.
The bullheads were present in moderate numbers in the seine
hauls and most were yellow rather than the brown bullhead (Fig.
4) . Channel catfish never flourished (only one to three were caught
per seine haul during the 1940's).
Three other new species common in the Mississippi River were
first found in the 1944 and 1945 seine and fyke net studies: the
common white sucker (Catostomus commersonii) , the spotted
sucker (Minytrema melanops) , and the northern redhorse (Mox-
ostoma macro lepido turn) (Fig. 4). Six adult suckers were recorded
as stocked in 1940. Common white suckers apparently reproduced :
75 were caught in 1944 and 120 in 1945. Thereafter they declined.
Northern redhorse persisted in low numbers (one to three per seine
haul) for a number of years, but only one spotted sucker was
caught in a single seine haul.
Bigmouth buffalofish were caught, but only in low numbers (Fig.
4). Carp remained abundant (Figs. 4 and 5), with about 3,000
caught in the 1949 haul.
Entering the 1950's, the lake contained at least nine species not
present prior to the 1880’s. These species included not only the
abundant carp, but also the most abundant and fourth most abun¬
dant zooplankton and macro-invertebrate feeders — the white crap¬
pie and yellow bass. In addition, the black crappies and bluegill
82 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
had increased in numbers. Fish predators were declining, with the
primary predator — the northern pike — apparently requiring con¬
tinual artificial replenishment, since its original spawning areas
were reduced or eliminated.
Period of Intense Carp Removals (1950-1959)
An intensive and effective carp seining program was instituted
by the Wisconsin Conservation Department between 1953 and
1955 because earlier efforts had not reduced the population to low
enough levels. After each of 14 seine hauls in the 1950’s, the num¬
ber of carp remaining in the lake was calculated with mark and
recapture techniques and by the depletion of the residual popula¬
tion (Neess, Helm, and Threinen, 1957). Records from these sein-
ings for large fish and a major study by Helm (1958) using trawls,
fyke nets and small mesh seines for smaller species provide good
data on the fish community during the early and mid-1950’s.
The same large fish predators were present (Fig. 4) as in the
1940’s, but, among the predators, only largemouth bass were
increasing in abundance (Fig. 5). Largemouth bass entered the
1950’s at low to moderate population levels. Seinings in the early
1950’s revealed a sharp increase in their population (Lake Wingra
Files, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, 1971). Large
to good hatches occurred from 1954 to 1956 (Helm, 1958). Scien¬
tific collections and angling indicated further increases in the late
1950’s.
As many as 480 longnose gar were caught in three seine hauls
in 1952-1953, but by 1955 none were caught in six hauls (Lake
Wingra Files, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, 1971).
Helm (1958) noted that they continued to decline even though
returned to the lake after each seine haul. Thus longnose gar joined
the smallmouth bass as an extinct or rare native predator in Lake
Wingra (Figs. 4 and 5). Smallmouth bass were listed as present
by Helm (1958), but none were mentioned from any of the seine
hauls.
The low populations of both walleye and northern pike con¬
tinued to decline. Based on seine hauls, the northern pike fell to a
new low (Fig. 5). According to Helm (1958), marshes along north
central and western shorelines had virtually been filled in by nat¬
ural sedimentation in recent years to even further restrict spawn¬
ing to three limited areas, only one of which was large enough for
many young. Northern pike was the only species stocked in the
1950’s — 4,500, largely from the 1956 hatch, were stocked in Janu¬
ary, 1957. Helm stated some limited natural reproduction of wall¬
eye was occurring, but the lake did not have any traditional spawn-
1974] Baumann, Kitchell, Magnuson, Hayes — Lake Wingra 83
ing habitats. Walleye were seldom caught by sport fishermen or in
the seines.
Bowfin and northern pike-muskellunge hybrids were caught in
low numbers in the seinings throughout the early 1950’s. The
hybrids, last stocked in 1948, were still present in 1955.
The same medium predators on invertebrates and fish were pres¬
ent as in the 1940’s (Fig. 4). In order of decreasing abundance
(Fig. 5) they were: white crappie, bluegill, black crappie, yellow
bass, and yellow perch. White bass, pumpkinseed and green sunfish
were low in abundance, and hybrids with their close relatives were
noted.
Populations of white crappie, bluegill, and black crappie were
observed in Helm’s careful study to fluctuate from year to year
(Fig. 5). Three trends were perhaps evident, though: an increas¬
ing abundance of bluegill from 1954 to 1958, a decline in white
bass, and a decline in the welfare of the yellow bass population.
Bluegill seemed to be favored by the increased vegetation after
carp removal, with good hatches in 1954-1956. Yellow bass were
abundant in 1953 and early 1954, but high mortalities occurred
during 1954. In a letter dated June 27, 1955, referring to carp
removals, Elmer Herman, then Area Coordinator for the Fish
Management Division of WCD, wrote: “We are already observing
great increases in the amount of rooted vegetation, decided dete¬
rioration of the yellow bass and increases in the number of bass
and bluegills” (Lake Wingra File, Wisconsin Department of
Natural Resources, 1971). Yellow bass numbers were at a low
point in late 1954 and 1955. By 1957, yellow bass numbers had
substantially recovered, but the new population of yellow bass was
noticeably stunted (Table 3). Although the numbers of yellow bass
had returned to a high level, their biomass remained a great deal
less (Helm, 1958).
By this time three bullheads were present : the yellow bullhead,
the brown bullhead, and the black bullhead (Ictaiurus melas). The
TABLE 3. AVERAGE TOTAL LENGTHS OF YELLOW BASS BEFORE
AND AFTER INTENSIVE CARP REMOVAL PROGRAMS IN
LAKE WINGRA. ADAPTED FROM HELM (1958)
Total Body Lengths (mm)
Before Carp After Carp
Removal Removal
Age (Years) (1945-1946) (1954-1957)
One 179 135
Three 232 160
84 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
yellow bullhead was most common. Helm (1958) still listed channel
catfish, common white sucker, and northern redhorse as present.
Bigmouth buffalofish were more abundant in the seine hauls than
earlier: 71 in 1952-1953, 125 in 1954, and 45 in 1955 (Lake Wingra
File, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, 1971).
Carp were greatly reduced during the 1950,s. From the mark-
recapture data, the carp population was estimated at 27,837 fish
prior to the start of the control program in 1953. By the end of
1953 (two seine hauls), the number had been reduced to 23,321.
By the end of 1954 (six seine hauls), the estimate was 5,585, and,
by the end of 1955 (six seine hauls), 2,698. Not all mortality was
from fishing. Natural mortality losses (especially over winter)
approximately equaled the yield to seining. Also notable was the
lack of reproduction by the carp population. Follow-up studies in
1956 consistently failed to find any young carp, indicating a further
decline in the population (Neess, Helm, and Threinen, 1957). Helm
(1958) computed the number of carp in Lake Wingra as of March,
1957, at 685 to 2,174 fish.
A comprehensive list of small predators on invertebrates was
also presented by Helm (1958). These included the species men¬
tioned by Cahn and Pearse in the 1910,s, except for the mudminnow
and the blacknose shiner. The golden shiner was at a moderate
population level in the lake. Four new species were reported: the
lake emerald shiner (Notropis atherinoides) , the satinfin shiner
(N. analostanus) , the central common shiner (N. cornutus), and
the Iowa darter (Etheostoma exile). These may have been over¬
looked by the earlier investigators, may have invaded the lake
during 1917-1919, or they may have been introduced as bait min¬
nows. Helm does not state that any of these species were abundant,
only that they existed.
The fish community entered the 1960’s with few carp, a declining
predator population except for the largemouth bass, and an abun¬
dant and diverse community of medium predators on invertebrates
and fish. The lake had begun to respond to the absence of carp and
rooted aquatic macrophytes were expanding in the littoral zone.
Second Period of Biological Adjustment (1968-1973)
In this period no major modifications by man were initiated and
the lake’s fauna again had time to come into a new equilibrium.
An intensive study of the fishes primarily through the Interna¬
tional Biological Program (see INTRODUCTION) from 1966
through 1973 documented fish community structure 11 to 18 years
after the completion of carp removal, 35 years after the massive
species introductions, 50 years after large reductions in adjoining
1974] Baumann , Kitchell , Magnuson, Hayes — Lake Wingra 85
marsh land, and 100 years after white settlers first inhabited the
watershed.
Fishes were sampled by trawls, fyke nets, electrofishing, and
beach seine (Magnuson and Kitchell, 1971; Baumann, 1972;
Churchill and Magnuson, 1972; El Shamy, 1973; and Baumann
and Kitchell, 1974). Population estimates by mark and recapture
were begun in 1972. In all activities, approximately 500,000 fishes
were captured, identified and enumerated.
The fish predator community only included largemouth bass and
northern pike (Fig. 4) as far as any practical influence on the
ecosystem is concerned. Walleye, longnose gar and bowfin were
rare. Smallmouth bass were absent entirely from the catches.
Largemouth bass were the most abundant predator (Fig. 5) and
were the third most common species taken by electrofishing in
1970. Angling pressure was low, but good catches of large bass
were not uncommon. Young fish were frequently taken in samples
from the littoral zone indicating successful reproduction.
Northern pike continued to decline since stocking ceased in the
late 1950’s. They were rare in anglers’ catches and young were
rare in any sampling gear. Fyke nets during early spring, 1973,
captured a few northern pike representing several size classes
(Churchill, personal communication). Redwing Marsh (Fig. 1) has
provided the only suitable spawning habitat in recent years.
Two adult walleye were caught since 1970. They probably are
limited by suitable spawning sites and represent residuals from
past stocking. Only an occasional bowfin was caught and two long-
nose gar were caught in a fyke net in 1972. Smallmouth bass were
occasionally reported by fishermen in the early 1960’s, but none
have appeared in surveys or in the sport fishery since then.
The medium predators on invertebrates and fish remained diverse
and, in decreasing order of abundance, included bluegill, white
crappie and yellow bass, black crappie, pumpkinseed, yellow perch,
and green sunfish (Figs. 4 and 5). White bass had disappeared.
The abundance (Fig. 5) of several species had changed markedly
since carp removal and the redevelopment of dense littoral macro¬
phytes. Bluegill and pumpkinseed both increased greatly and yellow
bass increased slightly. Both white and black crappie decreased
in numbers. Yellow perch remained stable but low. Green sunfish
had apparently increased to a low but noticeable population level.
Bluegill were by far the dominant fish species, comprising well
over one half of all fish caught during 1970 and 1971. Large num¬
bers of young-of-the-year bluegill indicated successful hatches in
every year except 1972. Churchill (personal communication) re¬
calculated population numbers for the total lake (Churchill and
86 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
Magnuson, 1972) to account for sampling bias and marking mor¬
tality. Yearling bluegill were estimated during May, 1972, to have
been approximately 8,000,000 fish; subadults (11+) about 800,000;
adults (III+ to V+) about 340,000.
Bluegill were numerous, but stunted (Fig. 6) or characterized
by poor growth (El Shamy, 1973; Kuczynski, unpublished) com¬
pared with earlier years (Helm, 1958). The reduced growth began
to appear in 1955-1957, immediately after completion of the carp
removal, and by 1970-1972 was even lower (Fig. 6). At annulus I
total lengths seemed comparable, but by annulus V the average
length had declined by 25% over the 25 years since 1945-1946. In
terms of body weight this translated to a reduction of approxi¬
mately 70%.
Yellow bass adults were estimated by Churchill (personal com¬
munication) to be about 50,000 in May, 1972, and were second only
AN NULUS
FIGURE 6. Body growth curves for bluegill in Lake Wingra before, during
and after the successful carp control program of the early 1950’s.
1974] Baumann, Kitchell, Magnuson, Hayes — Lake Wingra 87
to bluegill in numbers caught during 1970 surveys, with 9,983
caught. The yellow bass after carp removal immediately began to
stunt (Table 3) and remained stunted through the 1960’s. Surveys
in 1968-1973 rarely captured yellow bass larger than 175 mm.
No white bass were captured from 1968 to 1973 ; they were most
likely ecologically replaced by yellow bass with the last members
genetically swamped out of existence by the hybridization noted
in earlier periods. A similar replacement has been occurring in
the other Madison lakes (Wright, 1968).
White crappie adults were estimated (Churchill, personal com¬
munication) to be approximately 50,000 fish in May, 1972, and over
4,700 were captured in the 1970 surveys. Adults of this open water
centrarchid appeared stunted, usually no longer than ca. 190 mm.
Black crappie were the most common fish in samples from the
littoral zone in 1970 — 1,114 out of 4,308 fish captured. On the other
hand, only 492 of the 42,160 fish caught by trawls in the pelagic
zone were black crappie. Overall they were the fifth most common
species caught in the surveys, with 1,606 captured. As noted by
Helm (1958) , the two crappie species spatially segregate with black
crappies concentrated in the littoral zone and white crappie con¬
centrated in the pelagic zone. In the 1965-1973 surveys, adult black
crappie were also stunted, usually no longer than ca. 185 mm.
On rare occasions we have observed large white crappies and
black crappies (ca. 300 mm-400 mm) , suggesting that a few become
large enough to feed routinely on young fishes.
Pumpkinseed adults and subadults in May, 1972, were estimated
to total 28,000 by Churchill (personal communication), and were
fourth in abundance in the 1970 survey, with 2,950 captured. While
this may be an overestimate of their actual relative abundance,
they were certainly among the five most abundant species and were
apparently favored by the carp removal. Also in the 1970 surveys,
195 yellow perch and 30-40 green sunfish were caught.
All three bullheads remained (Fig. 4), but by the late 1960’s
black bullheads and yellow bullheads were equally abundant in
catches and the native brown bullhead was rare. No channel catfish
were caught or reported during the period; they have probably
become extinct in this lake.
Neither bigmouth buffalo nor northern redhorse were reported
during the period and were likely extinct in this lake. Common
white sucker were captured singly and infrequently. They exist
in low numbers.
Carp populations were moderate and had not returned to high
levels after the removals in the early 1950’s. Only 58 of the 46,500
fish captured in 1970 were carp. With only several exceptions, all
88 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
carp were large, mature fish even though the gear would more likely
have captured smaller fish. During one 24 hour electrofishing sur¬
vey in shallow areas during September, 1970, no young-of-the-year
or yearling carp were caught, even though 1,200 young-of-the-year
bluegill were captured (Baumann, 1972). Apparently reproduction
by carp has been relatively unsuccessful in recent years, but we
cannot exclude the possibility that they may be slowly increasing.
After first being noted in the lake just prior to 1900, they were not
common until the 1910’s nor abundant until the late 1920’s or early
1930’s.
Small predators on invertebrates in the lake proper included
golden shiner, silversides and bluntnose minnows. Golden shiners
were abundant — 280 were caught in the 1970 survey. Silversides
were also caught in moderate numbers.
While the surveys from 1968-1973 did not concentrate on the
springs, spring pools and tributaries, the mudminnow was again
caught in the tributaries. Surprisingly, this is one of the two
smaller species mentioned by Cahn (1915) that Helm (1958) did
not find. Some of the other small species listed by Helm (1958)
may still be present but are not abundant in the lake proper.
The fish community of Lake Wingra proper entered the mid-
1970’s with 20 species of fish. Of these, only 12-14 species were
probably native to the lake. In the period of adjustment after carp
removal, carp remain low in abundance, predators remain low in
abundance, and invertebrate feeders are characterized by poor
body growth. The lake is not a major protein source to the city
around its shores but children enjoy a high catch rate of small
bluegill, pumpkinseed, yellow bass, and crappies during summer
vacations. Fishing through the ice in early winter provides some of
the better sport fishing.
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
Man’s activities in the Lake Wingra basin dominate its history.
Indians used the region as a major hunting and fishing ground.
Homesteads did not appear in the Wingra watershed until the late
1860’s, and the area remained isolated past the turn of the century.
From 1905 to 1920, major physical alterations of lake and sur¬
rounding wetland were made. Urbanization of the north shore fol¬
lowed the development of Nakoma and Madison from about 1910.
The original hydrography of Wingra before alteration by man
was different than now. Water level was about 0.3 m higher.
Gardner Marsh and upper Murphy Creek were originally part of
an extensive shallow area at the east and southeast end of the lake.
Shoreline extended beyond the lowland, now part of Vilas Park.
1974] Baumann, K itch ell, Magnuson, Hayes — Lake Wingra 89
Wetland surrounding the lake also covered a wider area. Maximum
depth was about 4.3 meters.
In 1905 man began to engineer changes in the hydrography of
the basin. Years of activity at the east and southeast end of the
lake resulted in the isolation (from the lake) and partial drainage
cf an area, now Gardner Marsh. Murphy Creek was channeled and
lowered below lake level after the present spillway dam was built.
From 1917 to 1919, the lake's level was lowered about 1.3 m below
the original; reduction of surface area resulted. After dam con¬
struction, the lake was raised 1.0 m to its present level. Material
dredged from the lake and creek were used to fill southern wetland.
Dredging created a deep trench off of the south shore. This has
partly filled, giving the lake its present maximum depth of 6.4 m.
Construction of Vilas Park reduced surface area and altered the
northeast shoreline. After 1920, the only major hydrographic
change in the lake proper was. the formation of Ho-nee-um Pond.
Lake and contiguous wetland areas were reduced by a factor of
three. Urbanization within the basin resulted in the disappear¬
ance of 28 springs; major changes in soil and vegetation types;
and the development of a storm sewer system that carries surface
water and allochthonous matter to the lake's periphery from much
of the drainage basin.
Original aquatic macrophyte vegetation around 1900 differed
in type, abundance and distribution from the present. Cattails
and bulrushes dominated shallow areas; wild rice abounded in
slightly deeper water. Submerged vegetation included water celery
and pondweed.
Dredging operations destroyed vegetation directly and indirectly.
Fluctuations in water level had detrimental effects. Hydrographic
alterations reduced the area available for littoral growth. From
the late 1920's to the mid-1950’s, carp nearly denuded Lake Wingra
of macrophytes. After an extensive carp removal program, vege¬
tation returned, but it was of a different nature than the original.
Lake Wingra's vegetation is now heavily dominated by a non-native
species, Eurasian water milfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) . Wild
rice, wild celery, and several other native species are no longer
present.
Major changes in habitat and heightened predation pressure
from increasing fish populations resulted in substantial reductions
of invertebrate populations. Many species of zooplankton are no
longer found in the lake while others, and some macroinvertebrates
such as Hyalella azteca, have been reduced to virtual extinction.
Fish populations in Lake Wingra have changed continually.
Species native to the lake in 1900 included bluegill, pumpkinseed,
90 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
black crappie, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, longnose gar,
yellow perch, northern pike, bowfin, golden shiner, brown bullhead,
and possibly the bigmouth buffalo and walleye. Largemouth bass,
yellow perch, northern pike and walleye populations have declined.
Longnose gar, smallmouth bass, bowfin and bigmouth buffalo are
actually or functionally extinct from the lake.
Changes in the native fish fauna can be partly explained by the
reduction of littoral areas due to hydrographic alterations and
the activity of carp. Selective fishing and the introduction of exotic
fish also played a role. The fish rescue-and-transfer operation was
an unfortunate outgrowth of the early conservation ethic, which
was gaining popularity during the 1930’s in Wisconsin. Reclaiming
these fish was considered beneficial in itself. The benefits of stock¬
ing fishes in a lake was an accepted truth of the time, and little
effort was made to correlate specific species with habitat require¬
ments. Among the 23 species stocked into Lake Wingra, two —
yellow bass and white crappie— have become abundant.
Both largemouth bass and bluegill populations have recovered,
since the carp population was controlled in the 1950’s. The bluegill
responded by becoming the dominant species in the lake. This in¬
crease together with the establishment of white crappie and yellow
bass have produced the large, stunted panfish population which
characterizes the present sport fishery.
Other contributors to the increase in panfish populations were,
first, the decline of native fish predators and, recently, the dense
aquatic vegetation that even further reduced the effectiveness of
those predators remaining. The depletion of both the gar and the
northern pike appeared to be independent of carp abundance per se.
Gar were reduced by rough fish removal aimed primarily at carp,
but the presence of a large carp population did not seem detri¬
mental to the gar population. Northern pike decline is closely linked
to destruction of suitable spawning habitat.
Wingra, like most lakes, has never been managed as an eco¬
system, but rather individual problems have been attacked one
at a time. To diversify the angling and reclaim fish, new species
were introduced. Little thought was given at the time as to whether
these species could thrive or to whether they would negatively in¬
fluence native species. Marshlands were drained for park and land
development, and the reproductive success of higher predators was
severely reduced. Carp were first introduced into our waters, then
became a nuisance and were actively removed. Again, the sec¬
ondary effects of carp removal were not anticipated.
To be effective, management plans must consider the entire fish
community and the total ecosystem. The historical perspectives
described in this paper serve as illustration of the complex inter-
1974] Baumann, Kitchell, Magnuson, Hayes — Lake Wingra
91
actions and response capabilities of a total ecosystem. An integrated
whole ecosystem approach is essential in establishing ecologically
sound management. Although resources are often not available to
make an overall ecosystem study, sound management would seem
to require consideration of as many interactions and secondary
effects as time, funding, and contemporary knowledge and tech¬
niques permit. As always, hindsight is better than foresight, which
probably explains why the next chapter of this article is not yet
written.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We thank Dr. Grant Cottam, Dr. John C. Neess, Dr. Wayland E.
Noland and Mr. C. William Threinen for reviewing preliminary
drafts of this paper. Ms. Patricia Tennis and Mr. John C. Gryskie-
wicz provided diligent technical support in assembling materials
and information.
Support supplied in part by the Eastern Deciduous Biome, Inter¬
national Biological Program, funded by the National Science
Foundation under Interagency Agreement AG-199, 40-193-69 with
the Atomic Energy Commission — Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
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- , and B. P. DOMOGALLA. 1931. Limnological studies of Lake
Wingra. Trans. Wis. Acad. Sci. Arts Lett. 26:331-351.
U.S. Geological Survey. 1959. Madison, West Quadrangle, Wisconsin. Wash¬
ington, D.C.
WHITE, R. J., and A. D. HASLER. 1972. Production by crustaceans and
annelids in Lake Wingra, Wisconsin. EDFB Memo Report #72-115. 22 pp.
WILCOX, S. 1936. Comparative shorelines of Lake Wingra (not complete).
In files of the University of Wisconsin Arboretum Committee.
WRIGHT, S. 1928. A chemical and plankton study of Lake Wingra. Ph.D.
Thesis. Univ. Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin. 35 pp.
WRIGHT, THOMAS D. 1968. Changes in abundance of yellow bass (Morone
mississippiensis) and white bass (M. chrysops) in Madison, Wisconsin
Lakes. Copeia 1:183-185.
A HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE
EVOLUTION OF ENERGETICS
Robert T. Rainier
University Wisconsin
— Milwaukee
INTRODUCTION
Let ns begin by eliminating, as much as possible, the word “ther¬
modynamics” from our vocabulary. For we are not interested here
in the “dynamics of heat” in systems which are, in every way,
static, or what amounts to the same thing, quasistatic. Let us begin
anew and, without trying to coin new words or phrases, accurately
designate the ideas we propose to explore. We may easily title what
up to this point has been called “classical thermodynamics” with
simply “static energetics.” Since energetics is defined as “the sci¬
ence of energy,” static energetics is then to be taken as “the science
of energy in energetically static systems.” And the concepts which
of late are becoming known by the unfortunate, cumbersome and
inaccurate label of “irreversible” or “non-equilibrium” thermody¬
namics simply accept the title “dynamic energetics.” Dynamic
energetics is defined as “the science of energy in energetically
dynamic systems.” Thus energetics, like mechanics, consists of a
study of statics and dynamics. But whereas in mechanics one is
concerned with only the state of forces and motions of the system,
in energetics one is concerned with the total energy state of the
systems. Thus, in some sense, energetics includes mechanics as a
subset in the hierarchy of science.
Now that we have a common terminology base, we can begin
to trace the thread of energetics through time. My ultimate goal
here is to establish, both historically and logically, the place of
energetics as an axiomatic science which will eventually replace
both classical and irreversible (or whatever) thermodynamics as
a fundamental body of man’s knowledge.
ANTIQUITY TO THE RENAISSANCE
The modern scientific concept of “energy” dates only from the
19th century, and the word, with the spelling used here, seems not
to have been in use at all before about 1580. 1 Etymologically, the
word “energy” is of Greek origin, coming from the roots en — “in”
plus ergon — “work”,2’3 and seems to date from around the Platonic
95
96 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
era.4 The original Greek “cvepyei a,” was rendered into English5 as
“energia,” with this spelling dominating until about A.D. 1600.
Samuel Johnson,6 in his unique dictionary of the English language,
states :
“I have not been able to trace our word [energy] to any author before
Bacon [1626]. Sidney, in his Defence of Poesy, written soon after 1580,
shows that it was not then in use; for he there introduces, in its stead,
‘energia, as the Greeks call it.’ ”
A brief review of English dictionaries published from the time
of Bacon reveals Thynne7 (1599) using “energye,” Cockeram8
(1623) using “energie,” and Phillips9 (1658), Coles10 (1696), Ker¬
sey11-12 (1702 and 1708), Bailey13 (1730) and Sheridan14 (1788)
all using “energy.”
The meaning of the word “energy” (or “energia”) up to the
19th century remained essentially unchanged from that of the orig¬
inal Greek usage. Aristotle (ca 384-322 B.C.) defined energia as
meaning activity or actuality,15 commonly using these concepts
interchangeably.16 His usage, and that of the civilizations that fol¬
lowed him, implied a concept that is much more general than the
simple “in-work” etymological translation. However, Aristotle’s
rendering of energia as some form of undefinable “potential” is a
characteristic of the concept of energy today. “The capacity for
performing work” is the modern scientific definition of energy, and
capacity and potential are synonymous here.
Dictionaries of the 17th and 18th centuries consider energy as
synonymous with such words as strength, force, power, vigor and
efficacy. If we attempt to trace the energy concept into pre-Grecian
civilizations, we therefore must look for the concepts of work,
strength, power and force. Indeed, there are Assyrian words17 and
Egyptian hieroglyphics18 with exactly these meanings. However,
pre-Grecian antiquity seems sadly devoid of eloquent philosophers
whose works have survived to provide us with a tool for the
accurate translations of abstract concepts. It is probably true that
without such philosophers there is no need for words that are more
than simply descriptive,19 and thus abstract ideas will not naturally
evolve easily in such cultures.20
DESCARTES, LEIBNIZ AND VIS VIVA
Rene Descartes (1596-1650), latinized as Renatus Cartesius, in
his Principles of Philosophy (1644 ) 21* 22 made reference in his laws
of motion to the divine conservation of the “quantity of motion”
of a body. To Descartes this quantity was the volume of the body
times its velocity.23 In 1686 Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-
1716) 24 published a strong refutation of Descartes’ position. Leib-
1974] Balmer — Sketch of Evolution of Energetics 97
niz felt that the force of a body in motion was uniquely different
from Descartes’ “quantity of motion.” His position was that:25
“. . . the forces are in compound proportion to the bodies (of the same
specific weight or density) and the generating heights of the velocities . .
Thus Leibniz held that the force of motion was proportional to the
square of the velocity. Further, he felt that there were two general
classifications of forces: living forces (dynamics) and dead forces
(statics). In 1695 he concludes:20’27
“Force is twin. The elementary force, which I call dead because motion
does not yet exist in it, but only a solicitation to motion, is like that of a
sphere in a rotating tube or a stone in a sling.
“The other is the ordinary force associated with actual motions, and I
call it living .”
This was for formal beginning of what was to be known for the
next 200 years as the “vis viva” (living force) controversy.28
Stated simply, the vis viva controversy is this : What is the force
of motion, mv or mv2? In a way, it is similar to the question : Which
is more fundamental, mv or mv2? These questions have never been
resolved. In 1747 the then 22 year old Immanual Kant29 recognized
the hopelessness of resolving vis viva.
The controversy involves two abstract concepts, force and mo¬
tion. Soon after the controversy started, scientists began to feel
that the whole argument could be settled simply by an arbitrary
definition. D’Alembert (1717-1783) is credited by many early
historians of science with ending the dispute in 1743 in his Traite
de Dynamique by referring to the controversy as:30’31
a: “. . . dispute of words too undignified to occupy the philosophers any
longer.”
It is, however, evident that the dispute was neither simply one of
definitions, nor was it ended by D’Alembert.32 There are many
examples in the literature following D’Alembert, wherein the con¬
troversy is taken up both philosophically and experimentally.33 It
was regurgitated most recently in the famous Ostwald-Boltzmann
energetics debate of 1895.34
The controversy has never been resolved and the question of the
ultimate fundamentality of energy vs. momentum is still occa¬
sionally raised today.35 However, when one thinks of motion today,
he thinks of F = ma, and not of energy. Though true that the dis¬
pute remains unresolved, the champion of mechanics, momentum,
seems to have won by popular vote. Perhaps because mechanics
was more abstractly axiomatic and more mathematically developed
than early energetics and thus was more functional, or perhaps
because man just feels more at home with mechanical concepts.
But whatever the reason, energetics was off to a poor start.
98 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
Interest in the controversy finally dwindled in the late 19th cen¬
tury. Vis viva does not appear in the scientific literature later than
Thomson and Tait’s Treatise on Natural Philosophy in 1867. 36
Scientific jargon changed somewhat in the late 19th and early
20th centuries; today the force of motion is simply not discussed
by physicists. The word “force” has been reserved, in general, for
the Newtonian meaning as being derived from an acceleration.37
Momentum (Latin for “motion”) was the name finally given to
the quantity mv. The term which eventually received, for a short
time, the label vis viva was mv2. In 1804 Young38 began calling
mv2 “energy,” and Rankine39 in 1853 dubbed it “actual” or “sen¬
sible” energy. Its final name “kinetic energy,” was given by Thom¬
son and Tait40 in 1862.
Thus energetics was born in controversy, in opposition to the
worst possible opponent, the established monarch, mechanics. There
were two crucial events which would determine the superiority of
the stronger. The first was the consequences of the rise and fall
of the caloric theory of heat; the second was the tremendous suc¬
cess of what was later to be called, “statistical mechanics.”
HEAT
The failure of the caloric theory of heat was a crippling blow
to the 19th century energetists. Though they alone were not respon¬
sible for inflating the theory to a position of scientific importance,
when it collapsed under the strain of attacks by experimentalists
they bore the consequences and suffered the humiliation of a not-
so-obvious error. The fall of the caloric theory and the preceding
century and a half of confusion caused by the vis viva debate forced
the energetists onto their scientific knees. The final defeat of the
19th century energetists came from the statistical mechanics of
the Boltzmann atomists. They claimed that many of the results
of static energetics could be derived from statistical mechanics.
Thus energetics was reduced to mechanics, and therefore it con¬
tained nothing new or unique.
By the end of the 19th century the word “energetics,” connoting
at that time vis viva and caloric, both lost battles, had fallen into
disrepute and ultimate disuse. It is only now, almost a century
later, when all of these scientific calamities have been forgotten,
that the word is once again becoming popular.
Since the dawn of science there have been two rival theories on
the structure of matter : the atomlst versus the continuumist. And,
like the vis viva controversy, this dispute over the nature of matter
goes unresolved today.
This may surprise some, for who today can deny the existence
of atoms ? But a continuumist will say, “give me your most funda-
1974]
Balmer — Sketch of Evolution of Energetics
99
mental atomic particle, one which you are convinced is made up
of no others, and I will ask you — of what does this particle con¬
sist ?” “The answer can only be: a continuum.” And an atomist
will reply, “The question of the internal structure of an atomic
particle is meaningless — it does not enter into the microscopic or
macroscopic behavior of nature, and therefore is of no interest.”
And there the debate stagnates.
This antipathetic dichotomy reveals itself most clearly in the
modern “duality principle” of the structure of matter. Here we
experimentally observe that atomic particles sometimes behave like
mechanical particles, and sometimes as a continuum. This para¬
dox! al situation is analogous to the position of the caloric theory
as a result of the friction experiments of Rumford and Davy at
the beginning of the 19th century.
The caloric theory of heat was a natural branching in the theory
of the ether (or aether). The word “ether” is also of Greek origin
( mQrjp ) and means “clear sky” or “upper air.”41 Since Aristotlean
physics forbade the existence of a vacuum, it was necessary to fill
all space with something, something that behaved like a fluid. Soon
it was realized that light streaming through the clouds must some¬
how be associated with that imponderable fluid that fills all space.
The analogy was quickly drawn between the light-ether and the
sound-air systems. Thus light, like sound, was explained as vibra¬
tions of the propagating medium. And what about heat? If one
holds his hand up to a fire, can he not feel the heat pouring out?
There was no doubt that heat was also associated with the ether.
Descartes was the first to begin to quantitize and to assign
properties to the ether. Before his time the ether was used only
in the Aristotlean sense as a space filling fluid. In matters of ether,
Descartes was an atomist. He postulated that it was made up of
minute particles that were continually in motion. But since there
could be no empty space whatsoever (i.e., no vacuum), the motion
of these particles was complex indeed, with a moving particle
always entering the space which was simultaneously being vacated
by another particle.42
Descartes’ concepts of light were soon replaced by those of R.
Hooke, and Hooke’s by Newton’s and Newton’s by Huygen’s, and
so on until the modern theory of light as being the result of subtle
particles, now called quanta, was evolved.
By the middle of the 18th century, light was considered to be
composed of minuscule “corpuscles,” which move through the
ether. About this same time a third branch of the ether concept
was developing in the area of electricity. By 1750, the experimental
work with electric “currents” led to the introduction of an electric
fluid, the “effluvia,” which had its own properties. But before 1800
100 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
the laws of charge, attraction and repulsion had been discovered,
and effluvia was discarded in favor of the original ether, which was
now thought to be decomposable into the subtle fluids necessary to
explain all electrical phenomena.
A fourth branch of the ether concept was developed in 1679 by
George Ernst Stahl.43 Stahl invented the word “phlogiston”
(Greek: flame) to describe his fire principle of combustible mate¬
rials. All such materials were supposed to be composed of a calx
(ash) in combination with phlogiston. During combustion the
phlogiston escaped from the material leaving only the ash behind.
Lavoisier is usually credited with delivering the death blow to
Stahl’s theory some 100 years after its introduction.
There were, of course, other manifestations of the ether. The
magnetic fluid was one. And then there was perhaps the most
subtle ether of all, the “vital spirits” contained by living organ¬
isms. The elusive vital spirits were all that separated life from
death, like the soul.
At first heat and light were taken to be the same corpuscular
entity. However, the discovery of the “green house effect,” in about
1750, established that these two phenomena could not be simply
different manifestations of the same fluid. In 1789 Lavoisier44
introduced the word “calorique” to denote the ether of heat. Dur¬
ing the second half of the 18th century caloric was generally con¬
ceived to be the substance which occupied the interstices between
the particles of ponderable matter (atoms).
Near the end of the 18th century Rumford and Lavoisier estab¬
lished that the temperature of a body has no measurable effect on
its weight. Rumford and Davy then established that caloric was not
a conserved quantity as had been previously thought.45 This was
the beginning of the fall of caloric.
The atomists had a ready explanation. There had been an atomic
theory of heat for some time. To the atomists, heat was the result
of vibrations of the minute particles of matter. The rubbing of
two objects together simply caused these minute particles to
vibrate faster, and heat was directly proportional to the particles’
vibration.
In 1824 Sadi Carnot, a 28 year old French military engineer,
using the principles of hydraulics as a model for the flow of heat
(and accordingly the then known inaccurate conservation of caloric
principle) wrote his only publication, “Relexions sur la Puissance
Matrice de Feu,” in which he established the principle that the
thermal efficiency of a thermal energy conversion device was max¬
imized when the “flow of heat” was between bodies whose tem¬
peratures differ by only an infinitesimal amount.46 At the time
Carnot wrote his article he believed heat to be a fluid, caloric. But
1974] B aimer — Sketch of Evolution of Energetics 101
Carnot’s views on heat apparently changed before his death in
1832. A few of his undated notes were translated and published
in 1878, 47 in which he seems to have adopted the atomists’ position.
He writes :
“Heat is simply motive power, or rather motion which has changed
form. It is a movement among the particles of bodies. Whenever there is
a destruction of motive power, there is at the same time production of
heat in quantity exactly proportional to the quantity of motive power
destroyed. Reciprocally, whenever there is destruction of heat, there is
production of motive power.
“We can then establish the general proposition that motive power is
in quantity invariable in nature — that is, correctly speaking, neither ever
produced or destroyed. It is true that it changes form — that is, it pro¬
duces sometimes one sort of motion, sometimes another, but it is never
annihilated.”
We could be retrospectively generous and conclude from this
quote that Carnot was the first to actually state the conservation
of energy principle. However, the complete formulation of this
principle was not carried out until the second half of the 19th
century.
The primitive concepts of metabolic energy balances on physio¬
logical systems were apparent in the early experiments of Sanctus
Sanctorius (1561-1636) . 48 Although his “insensible perspiration”
embodied considerably more than simple perspiration, his approach
to the balance concept of metabolic energy was unusually advanced.
The first to correctly enunciate the conservation of energy prin¬
ciple correctly was a German physician, Julius Robert Mayer.49
Mayer’s interest in energy stemmed from then popular physiolog¬
ical studies on metabolism. As a result he performed no experi¬
ments himself but he utilized the results of the experiments of
others. This luxury of Mayer’s was to cost him most of the credit
for the discovery during his lifetime. Mayer published in Annalen
der Chemie und Pharmacie (1842) his ideas concerning the inter-
convertability of heat and work. His value for the mechanical
equivalent of heat was about 470 Btu/ft lbf.50
In 1843, Ludvig August Golding,51 unaware of Mayer’s work,
presented a paper to the Danish Academy in which he reported
original experiments which established the existence of the pro¬
portionality between heat and work. He did not, however, calculate
this factor of proportionality.
At about this same time James Prescott Joule was performing
extremely well designed experiments to determine the mechanical
and electrical heat equivalents.52 Joule, due to his experimental in¬
sight and excellence, received much acclaim for his work. He spent
nearly forty years of his life working on various aspects of heat
equivalents.
102 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
With this single equivalence between work and heat energetics
blossomed forth a complete and independent science. In 1848 Wil¬
liam Thomson (Lord Kelvin) unearthed Carnot’s ideas and devel¬
oped the absolute temperature scale.53 Clausius (1850) then re¬
moved the conservation of caloric premise from Carnot’s formula¬
tion and thus established for the first time the complete generality
of Carnot’s results.54 Thomson was the first to state both principles
of energetics together. In 1851 he wrote:55
‘‘The whole theory of the motive power of heat is founded on the two
following propositions, due respectively to Joule and to Carnot and
Clausius.
“Prop. I (Joule). When equal quantities of mechanical effect are pro¬
duced by any means whatever, from purely thermal sources, or lost in
purely thermal effects, equal quantities of heat are put out of existence,
or are generated.
“Prop. II (Carnot and Clausius). If an engine be such that, when it is
worked backwards, the physical and mechanical agencies in every part of
its motions are all reversed; it produces as much mechanical effect as
can be produced by any thermo-dynamic engine, with the same tempera¬
tures of source and refrigerator, from a given quantity of heat.”
In 1855 Rankine56 presented the first complete axiomatic study
of the science of energy in his “Outlines of the Science of Ener¬
getics.” He begins with a detailed discussion of abstractive vs.
hypothetical scientific methods, and continues with a series of
carefully formulated definitions of such terms as substance, prop¬
erty, mass, work, etc. On page 214 he defines the Science of Ener¬
getics as :
“. . . a science whose subjects are, material bodies and physical
phenomena in general, . . .”
He then continues, on page 218, with the “First Axiom” of ener¬
getics :
“All Kinds of Work and Energy are Homogenous.”
By which he meant that “energy is transformable and transfer¬
able.”
On page 219 he states the “Second Axiom” of energetics :
“The Total Energy of a Substance cannot be Altered by the Mutual
Actions of Its Parts.”
That is the principle of the conservation of energy.
And on page 220 he states the “Third Axiom” of energetics :
“The Effort to Perform Work of a Given Kind, Caused by a Given
Quantity of Actual Energy, is the Sum of the Efforts Caused by the Parts
of that Quantity.”
Unfortunately, Rankine’s axiomatic approach did not find favor
among his contemporaries. By the beginning of the 20th century
the subject was called “thermodynamics,” and its governing prin-
1974] B aimer — Sketch of Evolution of Energetics 103
ciples were called “laws.” The main influence for this terminology
seems to be the writings of Clausius.
Also by the beginning of the 20th century the concept of “heat”
had taken on a new meaning. Heat was neither caloric nor was it
the motion of atoms. Heat was abstracted, it now represented that
energy which is transferred across a system boundary due to a
temperature difference.57 The vibratory motion of the atoms was
now regarded as “innerer Arbeit,” (interior work) by Clausius;58
as “intrinsic energy,” by Perkins;59 as “l’energie interne,” (inter¬
nal energy) by Poincare.00 Today it is universally known as
internal energy.
Like vis viva, the meaning of the concept of heat cannot be estab¬
lished by an arbitrary definition. Caloric was originally presumed
to have weight, but no weight change with caloric change could
be measured. However, the modern theory of relativity predicts
that heat does have weight. In 1930 Tolman61 published “On the
Weight of Heat and Thermal Equilibrium in General Relativity,”
in which he shows that all the energy of a system has the property
of inertia. Thus if an amount of heat, aQ, is added to a system its
weight will increase, AW, by an amount given by:
AW = AQ (-iC) ,
where g is the acceleration due to gravity and C is the velocity of
light. Consequently if a body has 1 Btu of energy given to it via a
temperature difference between the body and its surroundings, then
the weight of the body will increase by about 1.2 X 10~13 Ibf
(5.5 X 10~n gm). This value is too small to be detected, even today.
But this may not always be the case. What a different history ener¬
getics would have had if caloric had been measurable. Thus
caloric’s last and perhaps greatest success came 150 years too late.
THE INFLUENCE OF MECHANICS
Mechanics has always been the favorite son of science. It became
the ruler of architecture — it created the pyramids of Egypt. It
became necessary in agriculture — it reaped the Roman wheat. It
became useful in commerce — it carried produce to and from foreign
ports. Thus human intuition in mechanics has been developed by
10,000 years of the necessity of invention.
In antiquity energy was too abstract a concept to be developed
completely ; what little energetics there was found itself hopelessly
entangled in the mechanics of the day. It was not until the 18th
century that energetics began to evolve as an independent entity.
But energetics was not looked upon as a welcome addition to
mechanics, and by the 19th century, as Gillispie02 puts it, “ener-
i04 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
getics became the opposite pole to mechanics.” Energetics has not
significantly changed its polarity since then. As an axiomatic study
it seems to have been stillborn with the work of Rankine. The
bastard child — thermodynamics — survived, and as it grew it
became evident that it was retarded.
The dynamic aspects of mechanics became more or less axio-
matized with the work of Aristotle (ca. 384-322 B.C.). Although
he was attempting to emulate nature, he realized this was a formid¬
able task and satisfied himself with principles which were abstract
enough so as not to be violated by observations.
Aristotlean dynamics reigned dominant, though inaccurate, for
almost 2000 years. It was finally discarded in the 17th century
largely as a result of Torricelli’s63 (and others) work with
vacuums. The dynamics of Galileo and Newton became firmly en¬
trenched during the 18th century, and today we do not speak of
“laws of nature” in dynamics, but instead we speak of Aristotlean,
or Galilean, or Newtonian, or Einsteinian dynamics (or rather of
the axioms contained in these studies).
The static aspects of mechanics began to become axiomatized
with the work of Archimedes (ca. 287-212 B.C.). His entire theory
of hydrostatics was founded upon the following two axioms:64-65
“Postulate 1
Let it be supposed that a fluid is of such a character that, its parts
lying evenly and being continuous, that part which is thrust the less is
driven along by that which is thrust the more; and that each of its parts
is thrust by the fluid which is above it in a perpendicular direction if the
fluid be sunk in anything and compressed by anything else.
“Postulate 2
Let it be granted that bodies which are forced upwards in a fluid are
forced upwards along the perpendicular [to the surface] which passes
through their centre of gravity.”
Thus, by the 17th century an axiomatic mechanics ruled science.
During the 18th century the omnipotent “mechanical philosophy,”
became deeply entrenched in science. One of the greatest successes
of this philosophy was the reduction, at the end of the 19th cen¬
tury, of the concepts of energetics to principles of statistical
mechanics, and, in particular, the rendering of Clausius’ illusive
“entropy” as simply mechanical probability.
The unrealistic zeal of science over the mechanical philosophy
essentially smothered the new energetic approach. It emphasized
the failure of energetics and at the same time ignored the short¬
comings of the theories built on the concept of force. The fall of
caloric was a catastrophe, but when the space-filling ether of the
mechanists finally dissolved under the influence of Michelson and
Einstein,66 hardly anyone noticed.
1974] B aimer' — Sketch of Evolution of Energetics 105
It is evident that the influence of mechanics on the philosophies
of science was, and is, considerable.
ENERGETICS SINCE RANKINE
Between the work of Rankine in 1855 and that of Caratheodory07
in 1909 very little contribution was made to the axiomatization of
the science energy.
Plank,08 in his 1897 V orlesungen iiber Thermo dynamik, recog-
ized that there were “essential difficulties ... in the mechanical
interpretation of the fundamental principles of Thermodynamics/’
and he decided to develop the subject in such a way that:
“. . . it does not advance the mechanical theory of heat, but, keeping
aloof from definite assumptions as to its nature, starts direct from a few
very general empirical facts, mainly the two fundamental principles of
Thermodynamics.”
Although his intentions were good, his approach was not abstract
enough to be considered a truly axiomatic study. He could not com¬
pletely divorce himself from the mechanical world of the cyclic
heat engine and perpetual motion.
Rankine axiomatized the conservation of energy principle and,
in 1909, Caratheodory, a mathematician, axiomatized the Clausius-
Carnot entropy principle. Catatheodory’s aim was to establish an
equivalent mathematical axiom for the “second law of thermody¬
namics” which would be independent of any mechanical devices
(such as heat engines). He was completely successful, and conse¬
quently developed the following statement of the axiom:09
“In the neighborhood of any arbitrary initial state P0 of a physical
system there exists neighboring states wThich are not accessible from P0
along quasistatic adiabatic paths.”
In 1917 Tolman70 introduced today’s concepts of “extensive” and
“intensive” properties, terms which have been parroted by text¬
book authors ever since, without bothering to carry along the orig¬
inal meanings. Tolman was attempting to introduce the fundamen¬
tals of measure theory into energetics. This problem does not arise
in mechanics, since it is built upon our most primitive concepts of
measure: mass (and/force), length and time. However, energetics
requires, in addition, the measurement of fundamentally more ab¬
stract quantities of energy (internal, mechanical, chemical, nuclear,
electrical, etc.), temperature, and entropy. Tolman postulated that
only extensive properties were additive mathematical measures,
and thus only they could serve as fundamental quantities. An
intensive property (such as temperature), therefore, cannot be a
fundamental entity.
106 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
Fowler and Guggenheim71 introduced the so-called “zeroth law
of thermodynamics’’ in 1939. 72 It is unfortunate that this terminol¬
ogy has caught on, for this, even more than the other so-called
“laws,” is no law. Its value to energetics is apparently recognized,
but few authors have understood its true meaning. It is nothing
more or less than the transitive property (mathematical) which is
a necessary condition for the existence of an equivalence relation.73
If the reflexive and symmetric properties are added to the zeroth
law statement,71 then we have defined “thermal equilibrium” as an
equivalence relationship.
More recently the axiomatic approach has been adopted by
Landsberg75’ 76 (1956), Falk and Jung77 (1959), Callen78 (1960),
Tiza79 (1961), Fong80 (1963), and Truesdell and Coleman81'83
(1966). Of this group only Landsberg, Truesdell and Coleman are
mathematicians, and their developments, as far as they go, are
necessarily the clearest. Coleman’s work includes the “functional”
concept with which Noll84 had such success in describing material
deformation phenomena.
Since Caratheodory energetics has largely been ignored by
creative scientists, except for a few, mostly recent, some of whom
are mentioned above; nearly all thermodynamics texts written in
the last four decades have been written by nut and bolt engineers,
men more interested in applications than meanings.
Thomson and Clausius would be puzzled if they read a text of
today, for there is hardly a single concept, phrase, or term that
was not known to them over a century ago. Have we made no
progress in the axiomatization of this subject? I think we have
not come far, mainly due to the apathy of a technologically oriented
science. But perhaps through a little concerted effort the axiomat¬
ization of the statics and dynamics of energetics can be completed,
and the subject can be reborn with Rankine’s original expectations
realized. Then the science of energy along with the science of force
can take its rightful place as a part of man’s fundamental
knowledge.
NOTES AND REFERENCES
1. MURRAY, J. A. H. (Ed.) A New English Dictionary on Historical Prin¬
ciples. Claredon Press, Oxford, 1897.
2. NEILSON, W. A., KNOTT, T. A., and CORHART, P. W. (Eds.) Web¬
ster's New International Dictionary. G. and C. Merriam Co., Spring-
field, Mass., 1957
3. However, it should be realized that the first mathematical definition for
the scientific meaning of “work” seems to have been Poncelect’s defini¬
tion for mechanical work in 1826 as force times the distance moved in
the direction of the forces (Millikan, Roller, and Watson, Mechanics,
Molecular Physics, Heat and Sound, M.I.T. Press, Cambridge, Mass.,
p. 65, 1965). Thus the use of the word “work” here refers only to the
abstract concept.
1974]
Balmer — Sketch of Evolution of Energetics
107
4. JOHNSON, S. A Dictionary of the English Language, Second Edition,
London, 1827.
5. The word “energy” in modern French and German is “energie,” and in
modern Italian is “energia.”
6. JOHNSON, S. Op. Cit.
7. MURRAY, J. A. H. Op. Cit.
8. COCKERAM, H. The English Dictionarie (1623). Scolar Press Ltd., Mem
ston, England, 1968.
9. PHILLIPS, E. The New World of English Words (1658). Scolar Press
Ltd., Menston, England, 1969.
10. COLES. An English Dictionary, London, 1696.
11. KERSEY, J. A New English Dictionary (1702), Scolar Press Ltd., Men¬
ston, England, 1969.
12. - . Dictionarium Anglo -Britannicum (1708). Scolar Press Ltd.,
Menston, England, 1969.
13. BAILEY, N. Dictionarium Britannicum (1730). George Olms Verlag,
Hildesheim and New York, 1969
14. SHERIDAN, T. A General Dictionary of the English Language (1780).
Scolar Press Ltd., Menston, England, 1967.
15. APOSTLE, H. G. Aristotle's Metaphysics. Indiana Univ. Press, Blooming¬
ton, pp. 145-159, 1966.
16. WOLFS ON, H. A. Cresca’s Critique of Aristotle. Harvard Univ. Press,
Cambridge, p. 526, 1929.
17. Assyrian: emugu = power; dunnu = power, strength; imuku power,
force.
18. BUDGE, E. A. W. Egyptian Language. Routledge and Kegan Paul Ltd.,
London, 1966.
19. For example, the concepts of potential and kinetic energy can, in very
elementary terms, be considered as height and motion respectively.
20. One of the most modern scientific definitions of energy is that of P. W.
Bridgman {The Logic of Modern Physics. Macmillan Co., New York, p.
Ill, 1927). Like Newton’s “perfectly meaningless” definition of mass as
a quantity of matter, Bridgman would have us take energy as a property
of a material system.
21. DESCARTES, R. Principia Philosophiae. Amsterdam (1644).
22. BLACKWELL, R. J. Isis 57:220, 1966.
23. Later, this concept was quickly Newtonianized to be the mass (vis inertia)
of the body times its velocity.
24. LEIBNIZ, G. W. Acta Eruditorum. Leipzig (1686).
25. DUGAS, R. A History of Mechanics. Editions du Grifton, Neuchatel-
Switzerland, p. 220, 1955.
26. LEIBNIZ, G. W. Specimen Dynamicuum. 1695.
27. DUGAS, R. Op. Cit. p. 221.
28. Also known as vis matrix (force of bodies in motion).
29. RABELO, G. Kant. Oxford Univ. Press, London, 1963, p. 4.
30. D’ALEMBERT, J. Traite de Dynamique. Gauthier-Villars, Paris, 1921.
31. HANKINS, T. L. Isis 56:282, 1965.
32. LANDAN, L. L. Isis 59:131, 1968.
33. SCOTT, W. L. Isis 50:199, 1959.
34. BOLTZMANN, L. Lectures on Gas Theory (Trans, by S. G. Brush). Univ.
California Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles, p. 14, 1964.
35. GAGGIOLI, R. A., SCHOLTEN, W. B., LEWIS, J. L., and OBERT, E. F.
Proc. 4th Southeastern Symp. on Thermal Sciences, Univ. of Tenn.,
Tullahoma, 1968.
108 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
36. THOMSON, W., and TAIT, P. G. Treatise on Natural Philosophy . Clare*
don Press, Oxford, p. 163, 1867.
37. The equation, F = ma was not known to Newton. The precise mathematical
relationship implied by Newton was derived by Euler in 1744, almost
twenty years after Newton’s death (see Truesdell, C. A. Essays in the
History of Mechanics. Springe r-Verlag, New York, 1968)
38. YOUNG, T. Nat. Philos, viii, 1845.
39. RANKINE, W. J. M. Miscellaneous Scientific Papers (W. J. Millar,
editor). Charles Griffin and Co., London, p. 203, 1881.
40. THOMSON, W., and TAIT, P. G. Good Words (Charles Dickens, ed.).
October, 1862.
41. MURRAY, J. A. H. Op. Cit.
42. WHITTAKER, E. A History of the Theories of Aether and Electricity.
Harper and Brothers, New York, p. 6, 1960.
43. PARTINGTON, J. R. A History of Chemistry. Vol. 2, MacMillan, London,
1961.
44. LAVOISIER, A. L. Traite Elementaire de Chimie. 1789.
45. Rumford, with his well planned cannon boring experiments, and Davy’s
experiments of rubbing two pieces of ice together until they melted,
demonstrated that caloric was not carried from one body to another as
a conserved quantity, but that all bodies have an inexhaustible supply
of it.
46. This is the concept of “reversibility.” Carnot, N. L. S., Reflexions sur la
Puissance Motrice du Feu. Bachelier, Paris, 1824.
47. PRESTON, T. The Theory of Heat. London, p. 676, 1919.
48. PERKINS, J. F. in Handbook of Physiology. Sect. 3, Vol. 1, Chap. 1,
American Physiological Society, 1964.
49. MAYER, J. R. Annalen der Chemie und Pharmacie 42:233 (1842).
50. The currently accepted value is 778.26 Btu/ft lbf.
51. COLDING, L. A. Oversigt 8:1, 1856.
52. JOULE, J. P. Philosoph. Mag. 23:263, 347, 435, 1843.
53. THOMSON, W. Proc. Cambridge. Phil. Soc. 1:69, 1848.
54. CLAUSIUS, R. Ann. Phys. 79:368, 500, 1850.
55. THOMSON, W. Trans. Roy. Soc. Edinb. 20:264, 1851.
56. RANKINE, W. J. Op. Cit., pp. 209-228.
57. BADGER, P. H. Equilibrium Thermodynamics . Allyn and Bacon, Boston,
p. 39, 1967.
58. CLAUSIUS, R. Mechanische Wdrmetheorie. Druck and Verlag, Braun¬
schweig, p. 33, 1864.
59. PERKINS, H. A. General Thermodynamics. John Wiley and Sons, New
York, p. 20, 1916.
60. POINCARE, H. Thermodynamics, (G. Carre, ed.) Paris, p. 55, 1892.
61. TOLMAN, R. C. Phys. Rev. 35:904, 1930.
62. GILLESPIE, C. C. The Edge of Objectivity. Princeton Univ. Press, Prince¬
ton, N. J., p. 360, 1967.
63. MIDDLETON, W. E. K. Isis 54:11, 1963.
64. HEATH, T. L. The Works of Archimedes. Macmillan Co., New York, pp.
253-300 1897.
65. MILLIKAN, R. A., ROLLER, D., and WATSON, E. C. Mechanics ,
Molecular Physics, Heat, and Sound. M.I.T. Press, Cambridge, Mass.
1965, p. 297.
66. HOLTON, G. Isis 60:133, 1969.
67. CARATHEODORY, C. Math. Ann. 67:355, 1909.
68. PLANK, M. Treatise on Thermodynamics. Dover Pub., New York, p. viii,
1955.
1974]
B aimer — Sketch of Evolution of Energetics
109
69. ZEMANSKY, M. W. Heat and T her mo dynamics. McGraw-Hill, New York,
p. 173, 1957.
70. TOLMAN, R. C. Phys. Rev. 9:237, 1917.
71. FOWLER, R. H., and GUGGENHEIM, E. A. Statistical Thermodynamics.
Cambridge Univ. Press, New York, 1939.
72. The zeroth Law Statement is: “if an object A is in thermal equilibrium
with B (Ta — Tb), and if A is in equilibrium with C, then B and C
are always in equilibrium with each other” (see: Redlich, 0. Rev. Mod.
Phys. 40:556, 1968).
73. The zeroth Law Statement must be preceded by the words “In a set of
thermodynamic objects S,” in order to conform to the meaning of
equivalence in modern set theory (see, Stoll, R. R. Set Theory and Logic.
W. H. Freeman and Co., San Francisco and London, p. 29, 1963).
74. In the terminology of the zeroth Law Statement these would take the form :
a) Symmetric:
If object A is in thermal equilibrium with object B(TA — Tb), then
object B is in thermal equilibrium with object A (TB — TA).
b) Reflexive:
Every object A in S (see note 73) is in thermal equilibrium with
itself (Ta — Ta).
75. LANDSBERG, P. T. Rev. Mod. Phys. 28:363, 1956.
76. - . Thermodynamics , Interscience Pub. Co., New York, 1961.
77. FALK, G., and JUNG, H. Encyclopedia of Physics. Vol. Ill, Pt. 2,
Springer- Verlag, Berlin, 1959.
78. CALLEN, H. B. Thermodynamics. John Wiley and Sons, New York, 1960.
79. TIZA, L. Ann. Phys. 13:1, 1961.
80. FONG, P. Foundations of Thermodynamics. Oxford Univ. Press, New York,
1963.
81. TRUESDELL, C. A. Modern Developments in the Mechanics of Continua.
(Proc. 1965 Internatl. Conf. on Rheology) (S. Eskinazi, ed). Academic
Press, New York, 1966.
82. - . Irreversible Aspects of Continuum Mechanics , (H. Parkus and
L. Sedov, eds.) . Springer-V erlag, New York, 1968.
83. - - . Rational Thermodynamics. McGraw-Hill, New York. 1969.
84. NOLL, W. Arch. Rat. Mech. Anal. 2:197, 1958.
■
THE ORIGIN OF THE WORD “DOLLAR”—
THE NAME OF OUR UNIT OF ACCOUNT
Edward E. Popp
Port Washington
In order to conduct business transactions without direct barter¬
ing and to be able to record the exchange values of the items and
to express and record the exchange values of all goods, currencies,
and services, it is necessary to have a unit to serve such purposes.
It is necessary to have a common denominator unit which a person
can apply to any item in order to express his idea of the exchange
value of that item.
Because the unit used to express exchange value is used in ac¬
counting, it is called the unit of account. In the United States the
word “dollar” is the name of that unit.
The word “dollar” had its origin in Bohemia in 1519 when a
Count Schlick, a silversmith, who lived in St. Joachimsthal, Bo¬
hemia, made a large silver coin. He gave the coin the name of the
village in which he lived, i.e., he called the coin a St. Joachimsthaler.
Just as Henry Ford called the automobile which he made a Ford.
Because St. Joachimsthaler was a long name, people began to
call the coin a thaler . In other German speaking areas it was called
a taler. Other countries also made a similar coin with a similar
name. In Denmark it was called a daler, in Holland a dalder, in
Italy a tallero, in Poland a talar, and in Spain a dollar.
After Spain discovered large deposits of silver in Mexico, it used
much of that silver to make silver dollar coins. These coins were
used as currency for the vast trade which took place between the
Spanish American colonies and the English American colonies.
It so happened at that time that the Spanish American colonies had
an unfavorable balance of trade with the English American colo¬
nies. The result was that a large number of the Spanish silver
dollar coins passed into English American hands and circulated as
the predominant currency in the English American colonies.
As time passed the English Americans began to express the
exchange value, i.e., the price of goods and services in dollars instead
of in English pounds, as was their previous custom.
When the exchange values of goods and services were expressed
and recorded with the word “dollar” rather than with the word
“pound,” the word took on an additional meaning. It took on the
meaning of the word “pound.” The word “dollar” was still used
111
112 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
as the name of the large Spanish silver coin, but it also was used
as the name of a unit with which to express exchange value.
By the time the English American colonies became independent
from England the word “dollar” was so well established in its
usage that on July 6, 1785, the United States Congress made the
word, dollar, the official name of the unit of account which was to
be used in the United States. The Congress called it the official
monetary unit, perhaps because the Congress later intended to
authorize the minting of a silver coin with the exchange value equal
to the value expressed by the dollar unit already in use.
That took place in 1792 when the Congress authorized the mint
to make the first silver dollar coins. The price of silver at that
time was $1.29 per troy ounce. With the silver at that price it was
determined that 371.25 grains of silver had an exchange value of
one dollar.
The government declared the coin to be legal tender for a one
dollar payment of public and private debts. The coin then had two
exchange values :
1. The exchange value of the 371.25 grains of silver.
2. The one dollar legal tender value.
Both values were equal at that time, but they did not remain
equal. Between 1794 and 1874 only a small number of silver dollar
coins .were minted because the exchange value of 371.25 grains
of silver was above the legal tender value of the coin.
However, in 1874 large deposits of silver were discovered in
Nevada. The result was that the market value of the 371.25 grains
of silver in the coin became less than the one dollar legal tender
value of the coin. Generally speaking, from 1876 to 1964 the market
price of the silver in the silver dollar coin was less than one dollar.
At times it was less than fifty cents. With the price of silver today
(April 28, 1973) at about $2.25 per ounce the market value of the
371.25 grains of silver may be about $1.75.
We mention these historical facts just to show that the exchange
value of the dollar coin is not now and has not been for many years
equal to the amount of exchange value expressed by the unit of
account called dollar. In other words, the dollar coin and the unit
of account called dollar are two different things.
Let us illustrate the point we are trying to make by comparing
the dollar unit used to express exchange value, i.e., the unit of
account, with a unit we use to express volume. Let us say, the
gallon. If a person says that he has a gallon jug, the word “gallon”
is used as an adjective. It describes the noun, jug. If a person says
that he has a gallon of water, the word “gallon” is used as a noun.
It is the name of a unit we use to express a certain volume. A per-
1974]
Popp — Origin of the Word “ Dollar ”
113
son does not say, I have one gallon, because a gallon as a unit to
express volume does not exist as a physical thing. The unit called
gallon exists only as a concept.
The same is true for the unit we call a dollar. When the word
“dollar” is used as the name of the concept or device we use as
a common denominator unit with which we express our idea of the
exchange value of goods, currencies, and services, it is used as a
noun. When the word “dollar” is used to describe a Federal Reserve
note or a coin, it is used as an adjective.
A close study will teach us that the dollar unit of account by
itself has no exchange value, because it is not a physical thing. It
is a unit concept. It has meaning only when it is applied to some¬
thing. Just as the word “gallon” has no meaning unless it is applied
to something. A person cannot buy a gallon. He cannot carry a gal¬
lon. He cannot store a gallon. But a person may buy, carry, or store
a gallon of something.
In like manner a person does not receive dollars from a bank.
He does not carry dollars in his pockets. He does not store dollars
in his safe. But a person may receive, carry, or store dollars’ worth
of currency (coins or Federal Reserve notes), because items of cur¬
rency are physical things. They are not concepts.
Also, when we hear the expression, “the dollar lost value,” we
should know that the statement does not tell us what is meant.
We know that the dollar unit did not and could not lose value,
because the unit being a concept has no exchange value to lose.
What is meant by the expression, “the dollar lost value,” is that
the currency, the exchange value of which is expressed in dollar
units, lost exchange value.
The question might be asked, for what purpose is the dollar unit
used? The dollar unit was used and is used to express the ratio of
the exchange value of one item with the exchange value of another
item. For example, a dollar bill has a specific amount of exchange
value, one dollar’s worth, when it is used as a payment for taxes.
But when it is used to buy goods or services it will have the amount
of exchange value to which the buyer and seller mutually agree at
the time of each transaction.
As an illustration, let us say, a person offers to sell his potatoes
for a one dollar bill per bushel; the one dollar bill will have the
exchange value of one bushel of potatoes. If at a later date, he offers
to sell his potatoes for two one dollar bills per bushel, each dollar
bill will then have the exchange value of only one-half bushel of
potatoes. The dollar unit was used to express the two different
ratios of the exchange values of the dollar bills and the potatoes.
114 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
We should note that the exchange values of both, the dollar bills
and the bushel of potatoes, changed from the first transaction to
the second transaction. The dollar unit was used to express the
different ratios of exchange values of the dollar bills and the bushel
of potatoes at both transactions.
When the people in the early days of our country decided to use
the amount of the exchange value of the silver dollar coin as the
amount of exchange value to be expressed with the dollar unit,
the unit expressed the specific amount of exchange value that 371.25
grains of silver had at that time.
The silver dollar coin was intended to be the embodiment of the
concept unit called a dollar. It remained so only so long as the price
of silver did not increase or decrease. When the price of silver
changed the unit called a dollar might just as well have been called
a plain unit or a point. Because it served only as an abstract unit
with which the exchange value of one item was expressed in its
relation with the exchange values of other items.
However, the word “dollar” continued to be used as the name of
our unit to express exchange value. So the exchange values of all
goods and services are expressed in the ratio of the exchange value
of each item with the exchange value of each other item with the
abstract unit called a dollar.
Once the ratio of the exchange value of each item is well estab¬
lished in its relation to the exchange values of other items, the
exchange values of all items including items of currencies, could
be expressed with an abstract unit called a point, just as well as
with the unit called a dollar.
In other words, we could say that a bushel of potatoes has the
exchange value of one point's worth of the currency and that one
point's worth of the currency has the exchange value of one bushel
of potatoes. If we did that, then it would be easy to understand
that our common denominator unit, that is, our unit of account,
is an abstract unit without exchange value in itself.
HISTORY OF BIOLOGICAL CONTROL ATTEMPTS
AGAINST INSECTS AND WEEDS IN WISCONSIN
J. W. Mertins and H. C. Coppel
University Wisconsin — •
Madison
Biological control may be defined generally as the directed use
of biotic agents, or their products, for the suppression of living
organisms detrimental to man.
The procedure has a long history, dating back to the domestica¬
tion of the cat for rodent control by the ancient Egyptians. Al¬
though sporadic trials and experiments were undertaken in the
interim, it was not until 1888 that biological control, as we know
it today, was established as a valid method of pest suppression.
The importation of the vedalia beetle, Rodalia cardinalis (Mulsant) ,
from Australia to California for the control of the cottonycushion
scale, I eery a purchasi Masked, a citrus pest, is considered the turn¬
ing point in our thinking about insect control, and is one of the
classical stories in biological control (Doutt, 1964).
The following history of biological control work in Wisconsin,
includes attempts against 1 weed and 10 insect pests (listed alpha¬
betically) , and several lesser case histories. The resulting overview
is a compendium of scattered published accounts and a large body
of previously unpublished data from the files of our colleagues.
Cirsium arvense (L.) Scopoli
CANADA THISTLE
The Canada thistle is an introduced noxious weed, naturalized
to North America from Eurasia. It was established first in Canada
by early 17th century settlers, who probably transported it in con¬
taminated seed (Gilkey, 1957) . Shortly thereafter it was discovered
in New England, possibly an independent introduction, and has
since spread throughout the northern half of the United States and
in Canada from Quebec to British Columbia (U.S. Department
of Agriculture, 1971). The most serious problems occur in the Lake
States, Great Basin, and Pacific Northwest. Worldwide, (7. arvense
is rated as one of the most serious threats to crop production. Ef¬
forts toward biological control of this thistle have occurred chiefly
in Canada (Peschken, 1971). The most conspicuous natural enemies
already occurring there were identified as a leaf bettle, a weevil, a
115
116 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
fruit fly, and a rust disease, none of which hold the plant below
economic densities. Biological control workers found 80 insect
species feeding on C. arvense in Europe (Zwolfer, 1965). A leaf
beetle, Altica carduorum Guerin-Meneville, a weevil, Ceutor-
hynchus litura (F.), and a fruit fly, Urophora cardui L., were
selected for further study because of their apparent host specificity
and climatic suitability. The 2 beetles were subsequently released,
but the gall-forming fly is still under study in laboratory culture.
Colonies ranging in size from 24 to 1,160 individuals of A. cardu¬
orum were released in Ontario, British Columbia, Nova Scotia,
and Alberta during 1963-1968 (Peschken, 1971). Permanent estab¬
lishment apparently did not occur, although a small colony survived
for 3 years at Lacombe, Alberta, before disappearing. Establish¬
ment was probably prevented by heavy predation of the immature
stages and excessive adult dispersal. Colonies of 22-150 adult
C. litura were released at 4 sites near Belleville, Ontario, in 1965
and 1967. It appears that establishment has occurred on only 1 site,
a heavily thistle-infested pasture, where 230 beetles were released
in 1967.
The release of A. carduorum against Canada thistle was the
first attempt at biological weed control in Wisconsin (Wisconsin
Department of Agriculture, 1968a) . Approximately 200 adult bee¬
tles were caged for 1 week over a thick patch of thistles in a pasture
near Rewey in southwestern Iowa County. The cage was subse¬
quently removed, but periodic recovery attempts in the area have
been unsuccessful (Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, 1969),
perhaps due to excessive dispersal or unsuitable climate.
Coleophora laricella (Hiibner)
LARCH CASEBEARER
The larch casebearer, a European defoliator of larches, occurs
throughout the range of its host in eastern North America and in
localized infestations in the West. Although about 70 insect parasite
species have been reared from C. laricella in North America, serious
outbreaks and damage were prevalent until the introduction of
several European parasites (Sloan, 1965). In eastern North
America biological control has progressed to where only minor
damage occurs, but western populations apparently still lack effec¬
tive natural enemies, and heavy defoliation, resulting in radial
growth loss, is common.
Biological control of larch casebearer in Wisconsin is one of the
most successful of such attempts to date. Casebearers were first
recorded from Wisconsin by MacAloney (1939). Wisconsin Conser¬
vation Department (now Department of Natural Resources) annual
1974] Martins and Coppel — History of Biological Control 117
forest insect surveys indicated heavy populations during the period
1951-1956. In the period 1956-1964 populations were reported as
“very light to light'’ statewide, and since 1964, the survey has not
reported on (7. laricella. The reduced importance of C. laricella as
a pest of larch is traceable in all likelihood to the introduction of
2 species of parasites in August, 1953. A total of 189 male and 158
female Agathis pumila (Ratzeburg), a braconid, and 208 male and
235 female Chyrsocharis laricinellae (Ratzeburg), a eulophid, were
released at 2 sites in northcentral Wisconsin. About half of the total
number of each species was released in the Hugo Sauer Nursery
near Rhinelander, and the other half in a stand of 35-foot tamarack
at the west end of Thunder Lake Swamp, 1 mile west of Three
Lakes. These parasites originated from the Dominion Parasite
Laboratory, Belleville, Ontario, Canada. A smaller, indeterminate
number of parasites originating from casebearer hosts collected in
Michigan had also been released at these sites earlier in the season
(R. D. Shenefelt, personal communication). Both species became
established, and through capture/rerelease and natural dispersal,
have spread over the entire state. Sloan (1965) estimated the aver¬
age annual spread of A. pumila after its introduction as equivalent
to over 29 miles/year. Within 3 years of the first introductions
populations of larch casebearers had dropped to subeconomic levels
statewide and have remained essentially so ever since.
Of the two species, A. pumila is the most important, accounting
for 31-98% of the total parasitization in various localities studied
(Sloan and Coppel, 1965). C. laricinellae usually accounts for less
than 5% of the parasitized hosts. Parasitization resulted in 19-68%
host mortality in the various collections studied.
The parasites, C. laricinellae and A. pumila, were also the sub¬
jects of trial exportation from Wisconsin in a cooperative agree¬
ment with R. B. Ryan, U.S. Forest Service, Corvallis, Oregon. In
June, 1972, laboratory rearings of field collected casebearers
produced 45 C. laricinellae and 77 A. pumila for shipment. The
survivors of the insects shipped were to be used for laboratory
propagation, and the subsequent progeny released against case¬
bearers in the Pacific Northwest.
Diprion similis (Hartig)
INTRODUCED PINE SAWFLY
The introduced pine sawfly first appeared in North America in
a Connecticut nursery in 1914, and probably arrived on ornamental
stock imported from Holland (Rowher, 1916). It is now distributed
through most of the range of its preferred host, Pinus strobus L.,
in eastcentral North America. The heaviest populations and most
118 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
serious defoliation occur at present in the Lake States, particularly
Wisconsin and Minnesota. Few, if any, parasite importations were
made specifically against D. similis, but benefits have accrued from
releases made against associated sawfly species, and some recoloni¬
zations of parasites within the continental area have been directed
against this species.
Mertins and Coppel (1971a & b) reported 30 species of insect
parasites reared from D. similis cocoons in Wisconsin. Five of these
account for 94.3% of the parasitization, and all but 1 of the 5 are
of European origin. The hymenopterous parasites, Monodontomerus
dentipes (Dalman), Dahlbominus fuscipennis (Zetterstedt) , and
Eupelmella vesicularis (Retzius), were associated with Wisconsin
sawfly populations almost from the time of their discovery in 1944,
and probably moved into the state with the host. It also appears
that these species entered North America accidentally prior to later
purposeful introductions. In August, 1953, 3,500 Diprion sp.
cocoons parasitized by D. fuscipennis were obtained from Belleville,
Ontario, and set out at 3 widely separated points in Wisconsin by
R. D. Shenefelt. Although the parasites were liberated against 3
other sawfly species, it is probable that some individuals attacked
D. similis cocoons as well. Both D. fuscipennis and M. dentipes have
been reared from field collections of D. similis cocoons, and re¬
colonized within the state to areas where they were less abundant.
L. vesicularis, which frequently functions as a hyperparasite, has
not been relocated to new areas. The fourth European species,
Exenterus amictorius (Panzer), a wasp which attacks D. similis
in Wisconsin, was originally brought to North America by the
Canadian government (McLeod et ah, 1962). It has never been
released in Wisconsin, but apparently has spread here from release
points in southern Ontario. Mertins and Coppel (1968) documented
the arrival and increasing abundance of E. amictorius, and its rela¬
tionship with M. dentipes. These 2 species account for 87 % of the
annual mortality caused by parasites and are the most important
species present. The suggestion (Mertins and Coppel, 1968) that
E. amictorius might displace M. dentipes as the principal parasite
of D. similis has now proven itself in fact. E. amictorius is now by
far the most prevalent parasite reared from cocoons of the first
sawfly generation, although M. dentipes continues to account for
slightly greater mortality in the second (overwintering) genera¬
tion. At least 11 hymenopterous species have been reared hyper-
parasitically from E. amictorius in Wisconsin (Mertins and Coppel,
1973), and these may possibly reduce the effectiveness of the
species below its potential. After establishing the presence of an
effective larval parasite (E. amictorius) and an effective cocoon
parasite (M. dentipes), Coppel (1962) and Mertins (1967) sug-
1974] Mertins and Cojjpel — History of Biological Control 119
gested introduction of an egg parasite, as well. The European
eulophid, Dipriocampe diprioni (Ferriere) might be a likely candi¬
date.
The parasites, E. amictorius and M. dentipes, were also the
subjects of exportation from Wisconsin in a cooperative effort
with A. T. Drooz, U.S. Forest Service, Research Triangle Park,
N.C. In the summer of 1969 adult E. amictorius were field collected
in Wisconsin and shipped to North Carolina for release; forty-eight
parasites were released near Elizabeth City against a pine sawfly,
Neodiprion excitans Rohwer. Between 1970 and 1972, laboratory
rearings of field collected D. similis cocoons produced 1,900
E. amictorius and 26,350 M. dentipes for shipment. The survivors
of the insects shipped were released in North Carolina, Virginia,
and Florida against the following pine sawflies : Neodiprion pratti
pratti (Dyar), N . excitans, N . hetricki Ross, and N. lecontei
(Fitch) .
Research on the sex pheromone of the introduced pine sawfly
as a potential tool for biological control has also centered in Wis¬
consin (Coppel et ah, 1960; Casida et ah, 1963; Jones et ah, 1965;
Mertins, 1971), and work on chemical identification of the sub¬
stance is progressing (Jewett, 1971). A mathematical model
describing the potential effects of pheromone trapping on sawfly
populations was devised by Mertins (1971). It predicts the theo¬
retical annihilation of an isolated sawfly population in 3-4 genera¬
tions of trapping. Experimental traps are under development and
a pilot study is planned to test the feasibility of the technique in
the field.
Hyper a postica (Gyllenhal)
ALFALFA WEEVIL
The alfalfa weevil was probably introduced to the New World
from southern Europe about 1900. Injury was first detected near
Salt Lake City, Utah, in 1904, and the insect has since spread to
most of the alfalfa growing areas in the West. It is also now widely
distributed in the East, and is considered the most important insect
enemy of alfalfa (Metcalf et ah, 1962) . Clausen (1956) reviewed
the early beneficial insect introductions which began in 1911. Of
more than a dozen species introduced, only Bathyplectis curculionis
(Thomson) , an ichneumonid larval parasite, became established
in sufficient degree to be effective. It is reportedly found throughout
the range of H. postica in the West, and in most areas attains a
high rate of parasitization, frequently over 90%. With the weevil’s
invasion of the eastern United States in 1951 came renewed interest
in importation of natural enemies, and several additional parasite
species were introduced (Brunson and Coles, 1968). In the East,
120 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
B. curculionis again appears to be a significant mortality factor,
but other species also contribute additional increments.
The alfalfa weevil was first discovered in Wisconsin in 1966 in
Kenosha County. It was considered a severe threat to alfalfa
production in the state, which ranks first in the nation in alfalfa
acreage (about 3 million acres) . Indirectly, the state dairy industry
was thus threatened. B. curculionis moved into the state along with
the host, and was first collected in 1968 emerging from 8% of the
weevils collected (Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, 1968b).
The abundance of B. curculionis varies from area to area, but its
distribution generally coincides with that of the weevil, and “it has
probably been responsible for slowing the increase of alfalfa weevil
populations in Wisconsin” (Wisconsin Department of Agriculture,
1971b). Parasitization reached 62% in some fields in the southern
tier of counties in 1971, where the highest weevil populations have
been found. Despite the presence of the parasite, alfalfa weevil
now occurs in all except the 13 northernmost counties of the state.
In supplement to the naturally occurring B. curculionis , J. W.
Apple and J. A. Litsinger released 691 additional parasites in
Kenosha and Rock Counties in 1969 and 1970. The parasites were
provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Moorestown, N.J.,
which, along with personnel at Wooster, Ohio, also provided 6 other
hymenopterous species for release against the weevil in Wisconsin :
2,578 Microctonus aethiops (Nees) in Kenosha, Rock, Dane and
Sauk Counties, 1969-1972; 41 M. colesi Drea in Kenosha County,
1969; 190 M. stelleri Loan in Rock County, 1970; 1,603 Tetrastichus
incertus (Ratzeburg) in Kenosha and Columbia Counties, 1967 and
1972, respectively; 1,256 Bathyplectes anurus (Thomson) in Keno¬
sha, Rock, and Dane Counties, 1969-1971; and 431 B. stenostigma
(Thomson) in Kenosha and Rock Counties, 1969-1970. Despite
these releases, the only parasite known to be established on the al¬
falfa weevil in Wisconsin is B. curculionis . Recently a secondary
ichneumonid parasite, Gelis sp., has been reared in very small
numbers from Wisconsin B. curculionis . At present it is of little
consequence, but its occurrence bears watching because of potential
detrimental effects it may have on the primary parasite population.
Mortality to B. curculionis eggs through host encapsulation has
occurred in the western states, but it has not been found in Wis¬
consin to date.
Neodiprion lecontei (Fitch)
REDHEADED PINE SAWFLY
The redheaded pine sawfly is one of the most important native
forest insects defoliating young hard pines in eastern North
America (Benjamin, 1955). During the 19th century the insect
1974] Merlins and Coppel — History of Biological Control 121
was only of minor significance on park and shade trees, but with
the advent of extensive pure pine plantations in recent years, many
local and widespread outbreaks have occurred. The saw fly has been
recorded from nearly every state east of the Mississippi River,
adjacent Canada, and the 5 states adjacent to the Mississippi on
the west. Benjamin (1955) listed 58 species of parasitic and preda¬
tory insects known to be associated with N. lecontei in eastern
North America, but remarked on the lack of emphasis on employing
biological agents in population management of this sawfly. Releases
of only 2 parasite species have been directed against N. lecontei in
the United States (Dowden, 1962). In 1932, 120 Drino bohemica
Mesnil (Diptera: Tachinidae) were liberated in Pennsylvania; no
recoveries were made. From 1940 to 1946 more than 1.3 million
Dahlbominus fuscipennis were released in Alabama, Tennessee,
New York, and Michigan. Few recovery attempts were made, but
D. fuscipennis was established on N. lecontei in Lower Michigan.
To our knowledge, the only biological control attempt against
N. lecontei in Wisconsin took place in August, 1953, when 2,600
sawfly cocoons parasitized by D. fuscipennis were set out against
it (and the larch sawfly, Pristiphora erichsonii) in Burnett County
just west of McKenzie Lake. Labeled specimens in the U.W. Insect-
arium confirm that D. fuscipennis is established on the redheaded
pine sawfly in Wisconsin.
Neodiprion sertifer (Geoffrey)
EUROPEAN PINE SAWFLY
The European pine sawfly was first discovered in New Jersey in
1925. Currently its range extends through scattered infestations
in most all the states between New Jersey and Maine on the east
and Iowa and Missouri on the west, including the southeastern
portion of Ontario as well. The Canadian government has released
large numbers of parasites against the sawfly, and also developed
the use of an effective polyhedral virus disease introduced from
Europe. Colonies of the parasites as well as the virus were obtained
from Canada and released in the United States, particularly in New
Jersey where severe defoliation was observed (Dowden, 1962). Of
7 species liberated, 3 Hymenoptera are established : Dahlbominus
fuscipennis , Exenterus abruptorius (Thunberg) , and Pleolophus
basizonus (Gravenhorst) .
The nature of the first recorded appearance of N. sertifer in
Wisconsin is shrouded in uncertainty (D. M. Benjamin, personal
communication). A single larva determined as this species by
several authorities was discovered amongst a group of Neodiprion
nanulus Schedl larvae collected near Arkdale (Wood County) in
122 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
1955. No other specimens were found at that time or later, but to
offset the potential threat of infestation, approximately 23,000
D. fuscipennis were released, the area was treated with a quantity
of the polyhedral virus obtained from the U.S. Forest Service in
Columbus, Ohio, and sprayed with DDT. It is probable that the
parasite release was useful, insofar as D. fnscipennis was estab¬
lished on N. nanulus. In the spring of 1972 a verified infestation
on N. sertifer was discovered in southern Walworth County, and
parasite or virus releases are contemplated for 1973.
N eodiprion swainei Middleton
SWAINE JACK PINE SAWFLY
The Swaine jack pine sawfly has been one of the most important
pine-infesting sawflies in eastern Canada for many years. It was
first noted in the Lake States in the early fifties, and is now widely
distributed in Upper Michigan, northcentral Minnesota, and Wis¬
consin. The Canadian government released 2 parasites, the ichneu-
monid, Pleolophus basizonus, and the tachinid, Drino bohemica,
against N. swainei, and both have been recovered (McLeod and
Smirnoff, 1971). Two other species, Exenterus amictorius and
Dahlbominus fuscipennis, released against the European spruce
sawfly, Diprion hercyniae (Hartig), have also been recovered from
N. swainei . None of these parasites occur in large numbers. Smir¬
noff (1967) described the use of a polyhedral virus in extensive
field tests in Canada. The virus was very effective and persisted
in the population for several years.
The sawfly has occurred in outbreak conditions in southwestern
Wisconsin, and one parasite release against it was made by R. D.
Shenefelt in August, 1953. Six-hundred sawfly cocoons parasitized
by D. fuscipennis were set out in an infested jack pine stand 1 mile
west of Arena in Iowa County. The parasite became established,
but before its effectiveness was determined the sawfly population
collapsed.
Ostrinia nubilalis (Hiibner)
EUROPEAN CORN BORER
The European corn borer was probably introduced accidentally
to North America about 1909 in broomcorn shipped from Italy or
Hungary (Metcalf et ah, 1962). Since the time of its first detection
near Boston, Massachusetts, in 1917 it has become one of the most
destructive insect pests of corn. The present distribution of the
corn borer covers practically all the major corn-growing areas of
the United States, including all of the states north of Florida,
Louisiana and Oklahoma, and east of Montana, Wyoming and
Colorado. Parasite importation investigations were begun almost
1974] Mertins and Coppel — History of Biological Control 123
immediately by the U.S. government, and between 1920 and 1938
approximately 3 million individual parasites were imported from
Europe and the Orient, representing 24 species of Diptera and
Hymenoptera. Although 6 or 7 of these species became permanently
established in the Northeast where they were released, only 2, the
tachinid, Ly della thompsoni Herting, and the braconid, Macrocen-
trus grandii Goidanich, became sufficiently abundant or widely
distributed to be of appreciable value (Clausen, 1956). M. grandii
is the dominant species in New England where parasitization up
to 52% has been observed, and L . thompsoni has accounted for
mortalities of 10-45% in the East and 45-75% in the northcentral
states.
As the borer continued to spread westward across the corn belt
during the 1930’s and 1940’s, entomologists continued to move its
parasites into the new areas as well. The insect was first discovered
in Wisconsin near Sheboygan in 1931, and beginning in 1942 para¬
sites provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture were released
in the state by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture and the
University of Wisconsin, Department of Entomology. The first year
about 3,300 individuals were released, over half of which were
M. grandii. During the 8 year period 1942-50, over 109,800 para¬
sites of 5 different species were imported from the Northeast and
released in Wisconsin against the borer (Wisconsin Department
of Agriculture, 1971a). More than 80% of these were M. grandii,
but also included were L. thompsoni, and the hymenopterans,
Horogenes punctorius (Roman), Sympiesis viridula (Thomson),
and Chelonus annulipes Wesmael. Recoveries were subsequently
made of all 5 parasite species, but C. annulipes apparently did not
become permanently established. The dipteran, L. thompsoni, for
several years occurred in large numbers, reaching a peak parasiti¬
zation rate of 42 % in 1950, and a lesser peak of 20% in 1958.
However, by 1964 it had disappeared from fall corn borer surveys
in Wisconsin as well as in other midwestern states, and it has not
been recovered in significant numbers since. The status of S. viri¬
dula is currently unsure because it is usually not encountered in
survey work due to its host selection habits. It is believed to occur
in low numbers. H. punctorius and M. grandii are currently the
most frequently encountered introduced parasites in Wisconsin,
accounting for parasitization of 2-5 % between them on a statewide
basis. Parasitization is highest in the southwest area where it gen¬
erally reaches 12-15%. It is also interesting to note that M. grandii
was not recovered in significant numbers on a consistent basis until
1959, 9 years after it was last released in the state (J. W. Apple,
unpublished data).
Although the introduced parasites established in Wisconsin on
124 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
the European corn borer do not account for a great deal of mor¬
tality, they add to that caused by several of the 30 species of
recorded native parasites. The most important of these in Wisconsin
are the tachinid flies, Aplomya caesar (Aldrich) and Pyraustomyia
penitalis (Coquillett) . Other natural mortality factors aiding in
reduction of corn borer populations and infestations are a protozoan
disease organism, Perezia pyraustae Paillot, and numerous preda¬
tors including coccinellids, chrysopids, nitidulids, and a number of
birds, especially the woodpeckers (Baker et ah, 1949).
Pristiphora erichsonii (Hartig)
LARCH SAWFLY
The larch saw fly is apparently a true Holarctic species as its
range follows most of the circumpolar distribution of its host trees
in the genus Larix. However, the insect was not reported in North
America before 1880 when it was discovered in Massachusetts
(Drooz, 1960), and the nature of its distribution before that time
is unsure. Many widespread and serious outbreaks have occurred
since 1880 covering virtually all of the Canadian provinces and
the northern tier of states where larches grow. The highly success¬
ful ichneumonid parasite, Mesoleius tenthredinis Morley, against
the larch sawfly was introduced to Canada from England in
1910-11. By 1950, parasitization rates of up to 90% were recorded
and average rates were 55-75%. A few small releases of
M. tenthredinis were made in the U.S. in Michigan, Minnesota,
New Hampshire, and Massachusetts, but it is unlikely that they
affected the spread of the parasite (Dowden, 1962). However,
M. tenthredinis has spread effectively into the Lake States and
New England from Canadian releases (Drooz, 1960). Unfortu¬
nately, the importance of M. tenthredinis has decreased greatly in
central Canada and the Lake States ; an immune reaction has been
developed by the host against the parasite egg, resulting in encapsu¬
lation and prevention of development.
The natural spread of M. tenthredinis into Wisconsin resulted
in reported parasitization levels of about 40% by 1935 (Drooz,
1960), but by 1954 the rate of effective parasite attack was reduced
to 3% or less by encapsulation. The only active biological control
attempt against larch sawfly in Wisconsin was carried out by R. D.
Shenefelt in August, 1953. Sawfly cocoons parasitized by Dahl -
bo minus fuscipennis were obtained from Canada and set out in
two areas: about 2,600 cocoons 1 mile north of Solon Springs in
Douglas County, and about the same number in Burnett County
just west of McKenzie Lake, in an area also infested by Neodiprion
lecontei.
1974] Mertins and Coppel — History of Biological Control 125
Scolytus multistriatus (Marsham)
SMALLER EUROPEAN ELM BARK BEETLE
The smaller European elm bark beetle is an introduced pest of
elms first observed near Boston, Massachusetts in 1909 (Baker,
1972). Were it not for the fact that it is the major vector of the
Dutch elm disease fungus, Ceratocystis ulmi (Buisman) C. Moreau,
the beetle would be of little concern, for it usually breeds only in
weakened or unhealthy trees. However, the beetle-fungus associa¬
tion has spread over most of the United States and southern
Canada. The disease is also present in areas beyond the distribution
of the introduced vector where it is transmitted by a native elm
bark beetle. Six parasite species were known from S. multistriatus
in North America before any importations were attempted (Bush¬
ing, 1965). Although insufficient in numbers to control the beetle,
3 of the species are fairly common, and 2 of these, Cheiropachus
colon (L.) and Entedon leucogramma (Ratzeburg), are European
hymenopterous parasites established in the United States at an
early date by unknown means (Kennedy, 1970). In September,
1964, the first shipment of a braconid parasite, Dendrosoter
protuherans (Nees), was received from France by the U.S.D.A.
Laboratory colonies were maintained at Michigan State University,
East Lansing, and the Northeastern Forest Experiment Station,
Delaware, Ohio, and in 1966 releases were made on field plots in
Ohio and Missouri ; the parasite was apparently successfully estab¬
lished (Kennedy, 1970), and a small population is also established
in Detroit, Michigan (Kennedy, personal communication).
The first recorded occurrence of S. multistriatus in Wisconsin
was in 1952 (Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, 1956), but it
had probably been present for several years. Dutch elm disease was
not found until 1956. The previously mentioned common parasite
species have also been found, but have not adequately controlled
bark beetle populations in Wisconsin. Consequently, in July, 1967,
Milwaukee County Forestry Department personnel in cooperation
with U.S.D.A. entomologist B. H. Kennedy released a total of 248
male and 609 female D. protuherans on 5 beetle-infested parkland
trees. Samples taken from 3 of the trees in August, 1967, indicated
initial establishment of the parasite with a recovered : released
ratio of nearly 1:1 (Kennedy, personal communication). However,
the following year a stream channelization project almost com¬
pletely destroyed the release area, and samples from 2 of the small
trees remaining failed to produce D. protuherans (Kennedy, per¬
sonal communication). It is not known if the parasite established
itself beyond the initial release site.
126 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
Synanthedon pictipes (Grote and Robinson)
LESSER PEACH TREE BORER
The lesser peach tree borer is a native insect pest of peach,
cherry, and plum trees. Although most common in the South, it
ranges from southern Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, and from the
Great Plains east to the Atlantic coast (Gilbertson, 1934). Branch
and tree mortality frequently occurs when large larval populations
girdle the affected parts. Several native parasites, a fungal disease,
and various insect and bird predators account for some natural
mortality, but borer populations are seldom held in check by these
agents because of their well protected habitat (King, 1917).
Although peaches and plums are not raised commercially in
Wisconsin, sour cherries are a major orchard crop in the state, and
S. pictipes may well be the most important pest of cherry in com¬
mercial plantings (Koval, personal communication). In 1969 per¬
sonnel of the U.S.D.A. Deciduous Fruit Insect Investigations Labo¬
ratory at Vincennes, Indiana, began initial surveys on Washington
Island, Door County, Wisconsin, to determine the feasibility of
suppressing borer populations with a sex pheromone trapping pro¬
gram (Wong et ah, 1971). Extensive field work was begun in 1970
in cooperation with C. F. Koval and M. G. Karandinos, Department
of Entomology, University of Wisconsin, and by 1972 a trapline
of about 3,000 virgin female-baited traps was in operation continu¬
ously during the flight season. After the 1972 trapping program
it was estimated that a population reduction of 42% had been
attained (Koval, personal communication). Plans call for continua¬
tion of these studies, and details are being worked out for the
addition of a proposed concurrent sterile male release program.
Several other programs are in progress or under consideration
utilizing the unique advantages of Washington Island’s relatively
isolated insect populations. In 1971, a trapline of 18,000 traps was
maintained by U.S.D.A. personnel to test and compare effectiveness
of synthetic pheromones and virgin females of the codling moth,
Laspeyresia pomonella (L.) . Additional similar investigations in¬
volved the redbanded leaf roller, Argyrotaenia velutinana (Walker),
and a sterile male release program against the horn fly, Haematobia
irritans (L.) , is scheduled for 1973.
MISCELLANEOUS EFFORTS
In addition to the preceding documented case histories, a number
of minor or little known efforts and suggestions for biological con¬
trol have been made in Wisconsin. A few of these have come to our
attention and are included.
1974] Mertins and Cojjpel — History of Biological Control 127
In 1971, C. F. Koval of the Department of Entomology reared
a number of specimens of the eulophid parasite, Encarsia formosa
Gahan, from greenhouse whiteflies, Trialeurodes vaporariorum
(Westwood), collected in a University of Wisconsin greenhouse.
This was the first record of the parasite in Wisconsin, and its ac¬
tivities in the greenhouse continue to be monitored. Although
T. vaporariorum does not survive Wisconsin winters outside, it does
build up large populations during the summer months in orna¬
mental and floral gardens replanted each year from greenhouse
stock. Therefore, an undetermined number of E. formosa were
recolonized from the greenhouse to a horticultural garden on
campus where the whitefly was a problem. Recovery collections
made later in the summer showed establishment of the parasite at
a parasitization rate of about 25-30%.
A number of studies have been carried out in Wisconsin on the
use of microbial pathogens for insect control, with varying results.
Walgenbach and Benjamin (1965) field tested the bacterium Bacil¬
lus thuringiensis Berliner (Thuricide® 90T) for suppression of
pine tussock moth larvae, Dasychira plagiata (Walker), on jack
pine. The treatment caused no significant reduction in numbers of
5th-6th instar larvae against which it was applied. In at least one
instance, however, practical recommendations providing for the
use of such materials on a commercial basis have resulted (Libby
and Wade, 1971). Certain commercially available preparations
of B. thuringiensis var. alesti successfully suppressed populations
of cabbage caterpillars, including Pieris rapae (L.) , Plutella
xylostella (L.) , and Trichoplusia ni (Hiibner) , under Wisconsin
conditions (Libby and Chapman, 1971). J. W. App)e (personal com¬
munication) found that 4 applications of Dipel®, a commercial
preparation of B. thuringiensis, provided 80% protection of sweet
corn from European corn borer in Wisconsin, compared to 97%
protection with the recommended treatment of 4 applications of
Sevin® insecticide.
Finally, we must include mention of the many dedicated amateur
naturalists, organic gardeners, and other concerned citizens who
have attempted .to reduce their use of pesticides around the home
garden and farm by releasing unknown numbers and kinds of insect
parasites and predators obtained from any of at least 20 commer¬
cial insectary sources. For example, records of only one such com¬
pany, Rincon-Vitova Insectaries, Inc. of Rialto, California, indicate
shipment of the following insects to Wisconsin during the last 5
years: 58,000 eggs of the green lacewing, Chrysopa carnea
Stephens; 528,000 Tricho gramma spp. egg parasites; 25,000
hymenopterous parasites including Tachinaephagus zealandicus
Ashmead, Spalangia endius Walker, and Muscidifurax raptor
128 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
Girault and Sanders for pestiferous flies; 200 of the lady beetle,
Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Mulsant; and 200 convergent lady bee¬
tles, Hippo damia convergens Guerin-Meneville (L. Wainscott, per¬
sonal communication). One other organization reports shipping
coccinellids to Wisconsin, and a third company sent Trichogramma
to more than 25 customers in recent years. Also, the Chinese
mantis, Tenodera aridifolia sinensis Saussure, has been introduced
into several areas of the state, although the status of its establish¬
ment is unsure. At least 4 organizations responding to our ques¬
tionnaire have sold mantis oothecae to Wisconsin customers. One
or 2 specimens of this mantis are submitted by local citizens to the
Milwaukee Public Museum nearly every year (K. MacArthur, per¬
sonal communication) ; an ootheca containing infertile eggs was
collected in 1967 by one of the authors (J.W.M.) from a weedy
area of the University of Wisconsin Arboretum in Madison; and
the progeny from about 15 oothecae were released in a vegetable
garden in Amery, Wisconsin in 1971.
SUMMARY DISCUSSION
It is evident from the information presented that the utilization
of applied biological control in Wisconsin is as yet relatively
meager. None of the case histories described involved an extensive
program including recognition of the problem, investigation of the
pest and its ecology, biological and ecological studies of the bene¬
ficial organism (s), collection, importation and mass rearing of the
biotic agent (s), field releases, and follow-up recovery studies to
determine establishment and spread of introduced biotic agents.
That is not to say that the biological control approach cannot be
followed without involved ecological investigations and methodol¬
ogy. Simmonds (1972) recently discussed this problem thoroughly,
alluding to the practical, temporal, and economic considerations
involved, and concluded it is better to make a few expedient intro¬
ductions which may be of value than to do nothing at all. A case
in point is the biological control of the larch casebearer in Wiscon¬
sin, the most successful introduction program on record in the
state. Although the program was not conducted on a grand scale,
with great financial outlay or exhaustive investigations, the results
were significant. The non-classical approach used in the lesser
peach tree borer trapping program on Washington Island makes
it difficult to compare with the other classical programs discussed,
but, in its own way, this study will probably result in an exhaustive
set of data relating to objectives, procedures, and results.
The complete ecologically based program is by far the preferred
approach when it is feasible. For a number of years the forest
1974] Mertins and Coppel — History of Biological Control 129
entomology research group (D. M. Benjamin, H. C. Coppel, D. M.
Norris, R. D. Shenefelt) of the Department of Entomology has
conducted basic studies on the ecology and natural control factors
affecting forest insect pests in Wisconsin, thus providing a sound
basis upon which future biological control programs can be planned.
Information has accumulated on Acrobasis rubrifasciella Packard,
Choristoneura famif erana (Clemens) , C. pinus Freeman, Dasineura
balsamicola (Lintner) , Dasychira plagiata (Walker), Dendrotettix
quercus Packard, Glyptoscelis pubescens (F.) , Hylobius spp., Pis-
sodes strobi (Peck), Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar), Rhyacionia
buoliana (Schiffermliller) , Tourney ella numismaticum (Pettit and
McDaniel), and others.
The classical biological method of pest suppression has practical
and desirable advantages for many pest species. First, it is often
self-sustaining. Once effective introduced beneficial agents have
been established, no further efforts or expenditures may be required
to avoid economic losses caused by the pests. In other cases, periodic
(early in the season or generation every year) or inundative (much
in the manner of an insecticide) releases of beneficial agents may
be necessary to restrain pest populations. Secondly, the self-
sustaining nature of an effective biotic agent may alleviate the
necessity for routine periodic chemical applications with their asso¬
ciated problems of residues, pest resistance, broad spectrum tox¬
icity, and environmental contamination. In conjunction with these
advantages are certain problems which in some instances must
be given consideration. Chemical pest suppression usually gives
quick and highly visible pest relief. Biological control requires a
certain lag time until the biotic agent establishes its effectiveness,
and although it is present and active, it is not always readily
observable to the untrained eye. This fact is exemplified by a con¬
sideration of the thousands of insect species which share the
environment with man, but are not economic pests. Natural enemies
of these potential pests are omnipresent and keep their numbers
in check, frequently without receiving due credit. Even though a
pest species population has been successfully reduced to tolerable
or subeconomic levels by an introduced biotic agent, pest numbers
are still subject to fluctuation from year to year. Complete popu¬
lation control is rarely obtained. Instead a desirable balance is
sought between detrimental and beneficial species numbers. In some
high value crops, such as fruits and vegetables, consumer demand
for virtually unblemished produce will not allow even an occasional
high insect population to occur, and in these instances the grower
may have to resort to alternative methods of suppression.
Although chemical and biological controls are sometimes in direct
opposition, they are not always mutually exclusive. The coordinated
130 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
use of the two methods at the same time, or for that matter, the
harmonious use of any two or more pest suppressive methods may
be termed integrated control, or integrated pest management, and
currently such systems are receiving increased attention (National
Research Council, 1969; Northeastern Forest Experiment Station,
1971). Research along these lines is also underway in Wisconsin,
and a number of reports have appeared (Coppel and Norris, 1960;
Oatman, 1966 ; Eckenrode, 1970).
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Much of the information in this report is from, previously un¬
published data assembled here with the kind assistance of a num¬
ber of our colleagues, many of whom are acknowledged in the text.
Special appreciation for records and information is due to: J. W.
Apple, D. M. Benjamin, K. S. Hagen, B. H. Kennedy, T. H. Klahn,
C. F. Koval, D. M. Norris, Jr., and R. D. Shenefelt.
This project was supported by the College of Agricultural and
Life Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, and in part by
the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources through the School
of Natural Resources, and the University of Wisconsin Research
Committee of the Graduate School with funds supplied by the Wis¬
consin Alumni Research Foundation.
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NUTRIENT SOURCES FOR LAKE MENDOTA— 1972
William C. Sonzogni
University Wisconsin — •
Madison
and
G. Fred Lee
University Texas — •
Dallas
INTRODUCTION
It has been several years since Lee et al. (1966) published an
estimation of nutrient loadings to Lake Mendota (the paper was
revised in 1969, but only with regard to the figure for the annual
nutrient input from nitrogen fixation). Since that time new data
and information concerning certain nutrient sources has become
available. In addition, changes in the population and land use of
the watershed have occurred. In view of the recent diversion of
sewage effluent which normally entered tributaries to the lake, it
is imperative that the sources, amounts and types of nutrients be
estimated as well as possible, if the effect of this diversion is to
be properly evaluated. It is the purpose of this paper to update the
estimation of the total amounts of nutrients entering Lake Men¬
dota as well as to provide some quantitative information on the
forms of nutrients annually entering the lake from different
sources.
LAKE CHARACTERISTICS
Lake Mendota, perhaps the most studied lake in the world, is the
largest of the Madison lakes, which form a chain along the Yahara
River. Formed as a result of moranic damming during the most
recent ice age, it is classified as a hard-water, eutrophic lake ac¬
cording to most standards. The drainage area of Lake Mendota
is composed mostly of fertile farm land and urban area. The hypo-
limnetic waters become devoid of oxygen during summer stratifi¬
cation and during late winter oxygen depletion occurs in the bottom
water. Excessive weed growth and periodic algal blooms create
offensive conditions during the summer months.
The lake is located in south-central Wisconsin, which has a
semi-humid climate. The monthly average temperatures range be¬
tween 19 F and 73 F (Dane County Planning Commission, 1971).
Precipitation averages about 30 inches each year, while evapora¬
tion amounts to about 24 inches a year.
133
134 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
Lake Mendota has a volume of about 128 x 109 gal. (486 x 106
m3) and a surface area of about 9,700 acres (3940 ha.). The
maximum depth of the lake is 84 ft (25 m), while the mean depth
is about 40 ft (12 m). The tributary flow into the lake is on the
order of 100 cfs (Burgy, 1950; Cleasby, 1951), the highest monthly
inflows being recorded during spring thaw. A synopsis of limno¬
logical information on the lake may be found in Frey (1963) .
Land Use
Land usage within the Mendota basin was estimated from maps
and current land use information provided by the Dane County
Planning Department. All incorporated land area within the water¬
shed was considered to be urban. The remaining land was
categorized as rural, marshland, or woodland, except for land
designated as residential or land used for transportation, utility or
communication purposes. Such land was counted as urban drain¬
age. Marshland and woodland were estimated from a map prepared
by the Planning Department.
Table 1 compares the land use estimates of Lee et al (1966)
with those of this study. The only significant difference is with
urban area and woodland. The increased urban drainage area may
be the result of recent urban sprawl. The decreased woodland area
in the revised estimate is probably due to the fact that only the
major woodland areas were counted in the study. Small clumps
of woodland of only a few acres could not be differentiated from
rural land.
ESTIMATED NUTRIENT SOURCES
Base Flow
Estimates of the nutrient contribution from base flow (portion
of total tributary flow which is derived from ground .water) are
summarized in Table 2. It can be seen that the few studies that
TABLE 1. PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED AND REVISED ESTIMATE OF
LAND USE WITHIN THE LAKE MENDOTA WATERSHED
1974] Sonzogni and Lee — Nutrients for Lake Mendota
135
TABLE 2. BASE FLOW
Soluble Total Total
Source Ortho — P P NH 4+ — N NO 3“— N Org — N N
lbs/ acre/year
Minshall et al _ _ 0.1 _ _ _ 1.1
(1969)
Comment: Southwestern Wisconsin streams; includes minor wraste discharge
Zitter (1969)__. _ _ _ _ 0.13 0.17 0.27 0.65 1.0 1.9
Comment: Six Mile Creek-South (a Mendota tributary)
Gardner (1971) _ 0.06 0.15 _ 1 . 13 1 0.22 1.35
Comment: Includes some waste water discharge. Based on data of Belter and Calabresa (1950)
■Inorganic nitrogen
have been made are in surprisingly good agreement despite the
different ways in which the estimates were obtained and the differ¬
ent study areas. When examining Table 2 (and future tables) it
should be noted that one Ib/acre is approximately equal to one
kg/ha.
Minshall et al. (1969) estimated the quantity of nutrients car¬
ried by base flow annually during a two-year study of streams in
southwestern Wisconsin. Lake Mendota tributaries were deemed
unsuitable for determining base flow on account of possible pollu¬
tion from domestic and industrial sources. For this reason, the
authors decided to study base flow in southwestern Wisconsin, a
predominately rural area whose streams receive little such pollu¬
tion. Minshall et al. (1969) felt that the nutrients carried by base
flow in these streams would be roughly comparable to the nutrients
transported by base flow in the Madison area.
Minshall et al. (1969) reported that the average annual base
flow in the drainage areas of southwestern Wisconsin was 0.360
cfs/mi.2 Cleasby (1951) and Burgy (1950) found the inflow to
Lake Mendota to be approximately 95 cfs per year. If one takes
the watershed of Lake Mendota to be about 250 mi,2 then the
average base flow is 0.38 cfs/mi.2 This suggests a comparable base
flow rate on a unit area basis. Minshall et al. (1969) also found
that the annual nutrient input from base flow per acre of drainage
was generally constant for the different streams studied and varia¬
tions appeared independent of flow. Thus, the results of Minshall
et al. (1969) are quite likely applicable to Lake Mendota.
Zitter (1969) studied a portion of the watershed of Six Mile
Creek-South, a tributary to Lake Mendota. The drainage area is
predominantly agricultural (dairy farms and mixed crops). Using
automatic sampling equipment and continuous flow measuring
devices, the annual nutrient contribution from the watershed due
to base flow and surface runoff was estimated. Although Zitter’s
136 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
data did not explicitly separate base flow from surface runoff, he
observed that about 75% of the annual nutrient losses occurred
during periods of high runoff, suggesting that base flow accounted
for about 25% of the nutrients carried by the stream.
Gardner (1971) attempted to separate base flow from total run¬
off from the tributary nutrient input data for Lake Mendota,
compiled by Belter and Calabresa (1950). Gardner (1971) summed
cumulatively the nutrient quantities (soluble ortho-P, total-P, or-
ganic-N, inorganic-N) from all the tributary sources and plotted
them versus time. He then used the rate changes to roughly dif¬
ferentiate between base flow and runoff during the four seasonal
periods. During periods when no runoff was thought to have oc¬
curred, the rate of nutrient input was relatively constant and
significantly lower than during periods when runoff was known to
occur. From these periods of low, constant input an assessment
of the base flow nutrient contribution was made. The results in¬
cluded any municipal and industrial wastes discharged into the
tributaries.
Since the data for base flow in Table 2 implicitly includes small
but significant nutrient contributions from other sources (i.e.,
small waste water inputs, barnyard drainage, septic tank seepage
and others) which are difficult to separate from the nutrients in
stream flow arising solely from ground water flow, the values listed
in Table 2 may overestimate the base flow input. For this reason,
the values reported by Minshall et al. (1969), which were the
minimum values reported in Table 2, will be used to reestimate the
nutrient loadings from base flow. The forms of nutrients in base
flow would be expected to be predominantly N03~— N and soluble
ortho-P.
If a tributary drainage area of 123,000 acres (Belter and Cala¬
bresa, 1950) is assumed for Lake Mendota, an average annual
loading of 12,000 lbs of phosphorus and 135,000 lbs of nitrogen can
be predicted, using the data of Minshall et al. (1969) . The previous
estimated contribution of base flow, based on the amount of ground
water thought to be entering the tributaries directly (see section
on Ground Water Seepage ), was 79,000 lbs/year of nitrogen. No
estimate of the phosphorus input from base flow was made in the
previous study. Thus, in the case of nitrogen the new estimate
about doubles the old one.
An important point to consider is the denitrification of ground
water as it emanates from marshy areas and contributes to the
base flow of streams. Lee et al. (1971) found significant denitrifi¬
cation reactions, which result in the conversion of nitrate nitrogen
to nitrogen gas, occurring in the Mendota watershed. It is also
possible that the opposite reaction, nitrogen fixation, could occur
1974] Sonzogni and Lee — Nutrients for Lake Mendota 137
within a marsh (a study is currently underway at the University
of Wisconsin Water Chemistry Program to determine the signifi¬
cance of nitrogen fixation in the marsh environment) . These re¬
actions would have to be accounted for if the nitrogen contributed
by base flow were estimated from the amount of ground water
entering tributaries directly, as was done in the Lee et al. (1966)
report.
Rural Runoff
Several studies have been conducted in the Madison area which
have estimated the average annual nutrient loading from rural or
agricultural runoff. The results of these studies have been sum¬
marized in Table 3.
Witzel et al. (1969) measured the amount of surface runoff
from several agricultural watersheds near Fennimore, Wisconsin,
in 1967. Based on the data obtained they found the contribution
of surface runoff to be 3.6 lbs of total-N/acre/year and 1.1 lbs of
total-P/acre/year. However, because the 1967 winter runoff in the
area was about twice normal because of one heavy rain in January,
they estimated the nutrient losses for a typical year to be only
2 lbs of total-N/acre/year and 0.61 lbs of total-P/acre/year, as¬
suming that nutrient losses were directly proportional to runoff.
TABLE 3. NUTRIENT LOADING FROM RURAL RUNOFF-
ESTIMATES FOR SOUTHERN WISCONSIN AREA
Soluble Total
Source Ortho — P P NH 4+ — N NO 3- — N Org — N Inorg— N Total N
lbs/acre/year
Witzel et al _ _ 0.6 _ _
(1969)
Comment: Estimated for normal year — Southwestern Wisconsin
Witzel et al _ _ 1.1 _ _
(1969)
Comment: Measured during study
Zitter (1969) _ 0.39 0.53 0.85 1.50
Comment: Measured runoff — Mendota tributary
Zitter (1969)-.-- _ 0.60 0.80 1.3 2.3
Comment: Estimated for normal year
Gardner (1971) _ 0.08 0.15 _ _
Comment: Based on Belter and Calabresa (1950)
Sawyer (1947) _ 0.08 0.40 - -
Comment: Uncorrected for base flow
Sawyer (1947) _ _ 0.30 _ _
Comment: Corrected for base flow estimated by Minshall et al. (1969)
Average* 2 _ 0.33 0.6 _ _
'Correction made assuming base flow all inorganic N
2 Averages computed from Sawyer’s values corrected for base flow
3 Assume soluble ortho — P equals 50 % of average total — P
4 Difference between average total — N and average inorganic — N
138 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
Zitter (1969) studied a portion of the watershed of Six Mile
Creek-South. As mentioned previously, surface runoff and base
flow were not measured separately, but about 75% of the annual
nutrient losses occurred during periods of high flow and thus was
considered to be the result of surface runoff. Zitter (1969) rea¬
soned that his data probably underestimated the normal nutrient
contribution of the watershed due to the below normal winter
precipitation the year of his study. Because of the lack of snow,
manure was spread on bare ground or on a very thin layer of snow.
Consequently, Zitter (1969) concluded that there probably was not
sufficient water at spring thaw to leach all the nutrients from the
manure and carry them into the stream. Zitter (1969) therefore
multiplied his runoff results by 1.5, as he felt the resulting figure
would be more representative of nutrient losses during a normal
year.
Sawyer (1947), during a study of the Madison lakes in the mid-
1940’s, determined the nutrients in the agricultural drainage to
Lakes Monona, Waubesa and Kegonsa. The data shown in Table 3
represent the average for the three lakes studied. No attempt was
made to differentiate between base flow and runoff. Sawyer’s re¬
sults minus base flow (as estimated in the previous section) are
also included in Table 3.
As discussed previously, Gardner (1971) used the data of Belter
and Calabresa (1950) to separate base flow and rural runoff from
total nutrient input. Belter and Calabresa (1950) estimated the
total tributary input to Lake Mendota from October 1, 1948 to
October 1, 1949. In their study continuous flow measurements were
made, but samples for nutrient analysis were obtained only every
two to three weeks. In calculating total nutrient inputs they as¬
sumed a constant concentration of nutrient between sampling
periods.
Two other studies of the tributary nutrient input to Lake Men¬
dota were conducted in the late 1940’s, but their results have not
been included in Table 3. Bartsch and Lawton (1949) measured
the input of nutrients to Lake Mendota via the lake’s tributaries
over a two year period from 1945 to 1947. Flow measurements
were not made on a continuous basis, but just at the time of
sampling which was irregular. Their total flow measurements were
low compared to measurements made by others (Burgy, 1950 and
Cleasby, 1951) despite normal precipitation during the years of
their study. This suggests that their tributary nutrient input
values, which included base flow and some municipal and industrial
wastes, were low (Fruh and Lee, 1965). Thus, the results of
Bartsch and Lawton (1949) have not been included in Table 3.
Emelity and Hanson (1949) also measured the total tributary
1974] Sonzogni and Lee — Nutrients for Lake Mendota 139
nutrient input to Lake Mendota between July 1, 1948 and May 1,
1949. Again, they did not attempt to differentiate between base
flow, runoff and waste water inputs. Although they used continu¬
ous flow data, they collected samples only every three weeks and
assumed the concentration of nutrients remained constant between
sampling periods. Although Emelity and Hanson’s (1949) study
was not for a full year, they found higher inputs than estimated
by Bartsch and Lawton (1949) for a full year.
Thus, the Mendota tributary studies conducted by Bartsch and
Lawton (1949), Emelity and Hanson (1949) and Belter and Cala-
bresa (1950) all obtained their samples on a periodic basis. They
then assumed that the concentrations of nutrients remained con¬
stant between sampling dates. However, it has been shown that a
very large amount of nutrients may be carried off during periods
of high flow (Kluesener, 1965; Lee, 1969; Zitter, 1969; Taylor et
ak, 1971). This would be especially important for manure spread
on frozen ground, as a large pulse of nutrients would be carried
into the receiving stream during a spring thaw. Zitter (1969)
found that nutrient loss from rural land was highest during a thaw
in February. A heavy June rain also resulted in runoff and high
nutrient loss.
Studies on Black Earth Creek by the University of Wisconsin
Water Chemistry Program have demonstrated the need for basing
the sampling program on stream discharge rather than arbitrary
time frequency. Figure 1 shows the discharge-conductance data
for Black Earth Creek, (outside Lake Mendota Basin) during the
spring thaw in 1965 (Shannon and Lee, 1966). The stream had a
base flow from groundwater of approximately 20 cfs for March 29
and 30. During the period of March 30 to April 2, the discharge
increased to a peak of 150 cfs on April 1, then gradually receded.
Flow during this period was primarily due to snow melt. On April
2 it started to rain; discharge increased to approximately 150 cfs
on April 5. After this date, the discharge gradually decreased,
approaching base flow after April 13. The specific conductance
of the water showed the typical inverse relationship with dis¬
charge, with the minimum in specific conductance approximately
corresponding to the maximum in discharge. The snow melt and
precipitation runoff were low in dissolved salts and diluted the
relatively hard groundwater base flow.
Figure 2, on the other hand, shows that maximum phosphate
concentration corresponded to the maximum discharge (Shannon
and Lee, 1966). As shown in this illustration the snow melt and
rainfall runoff contained more phosphorus than did the base flow.
This phosphorus was probably derived from manure. The con¬
densed phosphates in the figure were composed of the nonfilterable
PHOSPHORUS CONCENTRATION mg P/l DISCHARGE - cfs
140 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
DATE
FIGURE 1. Conductance and discharge of Black Earth Creek during
spring 1965. (After Shannon and Lee, 1966)
DATE
FIGURE 2. Phosphorus concentrations of Black Earth Creek during
spring 1965. (After Shannon and Lee, 1966)
CONDUCTANCE - jumho./cm
1974] Sonzogni and Lee — Nutrients for Lake Mendota 141
phosphorus that is measured by mild acid hydrolysis. No known
sources of domestic or industrial pollution were upstream from this
sampling station; the condensed phosphates, therefore, were prob¬
ably organic phosphorus compounds. As expected, an appreciable
amount of total phosphorus transported by the stream during
spring thaw was particulate phosphate.
The same relation of phosphorus and nitrogen concentration to
periods of high discharge was found at all times of the year; the
major proportion of these elements were transported during pe¬
riods of high discharge. Kluesener (1965) found that 65% of the
ammonia nitrogen carried annually by Black Earth Creek was car¬
ried in just five days during spring thaw. It is important, there¬
fore, to establish a sampling program in which the frequency of
sampling increases as the discharge increases. Sampling a stream
once every three weeks or even more frequently may not be
representative and could result in gross error in computing the
amount of plant nutrients contributed by the stream.
Thus, it is likely that the early studies of the Madison lakes may
have underestimated nutrient loadings. A possible exception would
be the results of Belter and Calabresa (1950), who claimed that
samples were collected at peak flows as well as dry weather flows.
Hence, the data of Belter and Calabresa (1950), as reported by
Gardner (1971), have been included in Table 2.
Table 3 shows that the reported contribution of total-P varies
widely, from about 0.1 to 1.0 Ib/acre/year, with an average value
of 0.58 lb/acre/year. Soluble ortho-P ranges from about 25 to 75%
of the total-P, based on the limited data available. Thus, assuming
an average loading of 0.6 lb/acre/year for total-P, and assuming
soluble ortho-P comprises about one half the total-P, an average
value of 0.3 lb/acre/year for soluble ortho-P is obtained.
Total-N ranges from about 1.0 to 10 lbs/acre/year (Table 3)
with an average value of approximately 4.5 Ib/acre/year. Inor-
ganic-N ranges from about 0.5 to 6.0 lbs/acre/year with an aver¬
age of about 2.8. The organic-N values range from about 0.5 to
5.0 lbs/ acre/year. If an average inorganic-N value is subtracted
from the average total-N value, a value of 1.8 lbs/acre/year is
obtained for organic-N.
The results from Table 3 may be compared with nutrient load¬
ings for rural lands from other parts of the country. Table 4 lists
the results of several North American studies conducted in areas
with climates somewhat similar to Wisconsin. When comparing
these numbers, one must be aware of the wide variability between
experimental methods, soil characteristics, mode of drainage,
topography, percolation, and infiltration rates, as well as many
142 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
other factors. In most cases total tributary input was measured so
that base flow and sometimes municipal and industrial waste inputs
are included in the nutrient loading figures. At best, the loadings
listed in Table 4 are only roughly comparable, but they should
prove valuable for delineating a possible range of values.
The results of some literature studies have not been compiled
in Table 4. The results of Weidner et al. (1969) and Sylvester
(1961) are generally an order of magnitude higher than the re¬
sults in Table 4. Owens (1970) studied the tributary input of
English rivers draining rural lands and found that the total-N
contribution ranged from 0.5-20 lbs/acre/year and the total-P
contribution varied between 0.5 and 2.1 Ibs/acre/year. These
numbers include base flow but the nutrient concentration from
sewage was subtracted. The results of Owens (1970) for England
are generally higher than are most North American studies.
Returning to Table 3, it can be seen that the mean value for
total-P, 0.6 lb/acre/year, is somewhat higher than that found by
most workers in Table 4. The higher value for Wisconsin might
TABLE 4. NUTRIENT LOADING FROM RURAL RUNOFF: ESTIMATES
FROM NORTH CENTRAL STATES AND SOUTHERN CANADA
Soluble Total
Source & Place of Study Ortho — P P NH4+ — N NO 3' — N Org — N Inorg — N Total — N
lbs/acre/year
Engelbrecht & Morgan _ _ 0.2 _ _ _ _
(1961) Illinois
Comment: Total — P actually ortho =*= hydrolyzable P; includes base flow and waste discharges
1974] Sonzogni and Lee — Nutrients for Lake Mendota 143
best be explained by the high concentration of dairy farms in the
watershed and the then prevalent practice of spreading manure
on frozen ground. Minshall et al (1970), Corey et al (1967) and
Hensler and Attoe (1970) have discussed the high nutrient yield
from manured land. Both Zitter (1969) and Witzel et al. (1969)
attributed their high total-P values for rural runoff (Table 3) to
the spread of manure on frozen ground.
Nutrient budget estimations based on small scale watersheds
could have low reliability if extrapolated to cover large areas
(Armstrong and Rohlich, 1970). For example, it is possible that
not all of the phosphorus which enters a stream in runoff will be
carried to a lake. Soil particles suspended during high flow could
sorb phosphorus and at some point be deposited along the stream
before they reach the lake or ocean. Such a phenomenon has been
cited for the high natural fertility for some of the lands in large
river basins, such as the lower Nile River. This phenomenon is not
thought to be of any importance in the Lake Mendota drainage
basin.
Lee (1972) discussed another mechanism by which the soluble
inorganic P and N present in a stream at one location may be
transformed into non-available (refractory) N and P at some down
stream location. A small but definite percentage of the N and P
taken up by macrophytes and algae is not remineralized in natural
water systems. Based on the various studies it appears that 0.1
to 1.0 lb of total-P /acre/year should provide a range within which
the true average value is likely to be found. The range of total-N
values for the Madison area agrees reasonably well with those
values in Table 4. Data for the different individual forms of nitro¬
gen and phosphorus in Table 4 are rather limited, but generally
fall in the range estimated for the nutrient forms in Table 3.
The nutrient loading from rural runoff originally estimated by
Lee et al. (1966) is compared to the estimates from this report
in Table 5. Lee et al. (1966) used the data of Eck et al. (1957)
and Midgley and Dunklee (1945) to arrive at their numbers.
Although it was not completely clear in their report, the estimates
published by Lee et al. (1966) were for soluble forms only. It can
be seen that the new estimates (Table 5) are considerably higher
than those of Lee et al. (1966), especially for nitrogen. However,
as shown in Tables 3 and 4, there were no studies that found such
a small contribution of nitrogen from rural runoff as Lee et al.
(1966). Thus, it appears that the estimate for soluble nitrogen
made by Lee et al. (1966) was low.
More information is really needed on the specific sources of
nutrients in rural runoff. The relative significance of manured
144 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
TABLE 5. PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED AND REVISED ANNUAL
NUTRIENT LOADING TO LAKE MENDOTA FROM
RURAL RUNOFF
1 Average value from Table 2 plus predicted range in parenthesis
2 Based on a rural watershed of 115,000 acres
3 Average plus predicted range in parenthesis
4To the nearest 1,000 pounds
land, different types of cropland, rainfall, etc., as sources of nutri¬
ents in rural areas should be determined.
Lee et al. (1966) attempted to determine the component of the
rural runoff nutrient loading which originates specifically from
manured land. This estimate was derived by assuming each of the
approximately 20,000 cows in the watershed produces 15 tons of
manure in a year and that one-half of this manure is applied dur¬
ing the months of November through March, so that about 150,000
tons will be applied on frozen ground. This amount of manure
would cover 15,000 acres if applied at the rate of 10 tons/acre. Lee
et al. (1966) then used the data of Midgley and Dunklee (1945),
which indicated that about 3 lb of N and 1 lb of P were lost from
a 10 tons/acre application of manure on an 8% slope in Vermont,
to calculate that about 45,000 lb of N and 15,000 lb of P would be
lost from manured land in the Mendota watershed. If these very
rough figures are compared to the revised estimates in Table 5, it
can be seen that about 45% of the soluble phosphorus and 15%
of the inorganic nitrogen in rural runoff could be derived from
manured lands. It should be kept in mind that this estimate is of
low reliability and that more studies on the sources of rural runoff
are needed. To be sure, manured lands are a significant contributor
to the fertility of agricultural runoff in the Madison, Wisconsin
area.
Urban Runoff
The annual amount of nutrients entering Lake Mendota per
acre of urban drainage was estimated from Kluesener (1972). The
study consisted primarily of intensive sampling for short periods
1974] Sonzogni and Lee — Nutrients for Lake Mendota 145
of time on a small urban section of the watershed of Lake Wingra,
one of the Madison lakes. It is felt that this study concurrently
presents the best estimate of the nutrient content of urban runoff
for the Madison area. Kluesener (1972) has compared the results
of his study with previous studies of urban runoff and found gen¬
eral agreement with most of the previous studies in the area.
A comparison of the estimates of Kluesener (1972) and those
of Lee et al. (1966) for urban runoff is given in Table 6. It can
be seen from the revised estimates that more nutrients are entering
Lake Mendota from urban runoff than previously thought.
Although Kluesener (1972) did not determine the relative
amounts of nutrients derived from various urban activities, he did
point to the importance of leaves and seeds from trees as phos¬
phorus sources in urban runoff. Recently, Co wen and Lee (1971)
followed up Kluesener’s preliminary investigation on the role of
leaves as a source of phosphorus in urban drainage. They found
that inorganic phosphorus was rapidly leached out of leaves col¬
lected in early autumn. Even leaves weathered by rain water or
lake water contained significant amounts of leachable phosphorus.
In general, they found that each gram of leaves may potentially
fertilize many liters of water above the critical concentrations
of phosphorus often cited as causing excessive growths of aquatic
plant or algae in natural waters. Hence, leaves and seeds and
flowers must be considered as a major contributor to the relatively
high concentrations of phosphorus found in urban drainage.
Atmospheric Precipitation and Dry Fallout
Kluesener (1972) measured the nutrient content of rain and
snowfall as well as dry fallout during his study of Lake Wingra.
If it is assumed that his results are typical of the Madison area,
TABLE 6. PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED AND REVISED ANNUAL
NUTRIENT LOADING TO LAKE MENDOTA FROM
URBAN RUNOFF
'Based on an urban watershed of 10,000 acres for Lake Mendota
2 To the nearest 1,000 pounds
146 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
his data may be used to reestimate this source of nutrients to Lake
Mendota, assuming’ an average rainfall of about 30 inches.
A comparison of the estimates based on Kluesener (1972) and
those of Lee et al. (1966) for atmospheric precipitation and dry
fallout are presented in Table 7. The revised estimates when dry
fallout and atmospheric precipitation are totaled are significantly
higher than the contribution originally published.
Groundwater Seepage
Unfortunately, very little information is available on the ground-
water nutrient input to Lake Mendota by direct seepage into the
lake. The previously published estimates (Lee et al., 1966) were
based primarily on a report by Cline (1965). Cline (1965) esti¬
mated that 80% of the total atmospheric precipitation on the
watershed is consumed by evapotranspiration and that almost none
of the ground water is lost from the watershed by underflow. If
the average annual atmospheric precipitation amounts to about 30
inches/year, then about 6 inches will be divided between runoff
and percolate. Assuming about 2 inches will run off the surface,
an average of about 4 inches, or about 65 cfs over the entire
watershed, should enter the ground as percolate each year. Cline
(1965) thus estimated that about 30 cfs of this enters the lake
directly each year, the rest contributing to the flow of surface
tributaries (base flow). The roughness of these estimates was
emphasized in the original report by Lee et al. (1966). Further,
C. L. R. Holt, Jr. (personal communication), district geologist of
the U.S. Geological Survey, has indicated that the previous esti-
TABLE 7. PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED AND REVISED ANNUAL
NUTRIENT LOADING TO LAKE MENDOTA FROM
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATION AND DRY FALLOUT
1 Based on a lake surface of 9,730 acres
aTo the nearest 1,000 pounds
1974] Sonzogni and Lee — Nutrients for Lake Mendota 147
mates based on Cline (1965) for total ground .water input to the
lake are not very accurate. Nevertheless, using this estimated
ground water inflow and a concentration of 2.5 mg/1 of NO^~— N
(based on the data of Eck, 1958, and Domogalla et al., 1926) and
0.01 mg/1 P (based on the phosphorus concentration found in a
well on the western shore of the lake), Lee et al. (1966) concluded
that about 171,000 lbs of NCL- — N and 600 lbs of P enter the lake
via ground water seepage each year.
Unfortunately, even if the ground water inflow to the lake and
the chemical composition of the ground water at some point up
gradient from where it emerges into the lake were known with
some degree of certainty, a reliable estimate of the amounts of
nutrients contributed via the ground water could not be easily
obtained (Lee and Kluesener, 1971). This is due to the fact that
information must be available on the manner in which the ground
water enters the lake. If entry is primarily through sand, sub¬
merged springs, or other areas in which there is little or no lake
sediment, then most of the nutrients present in the ground waters
would be transported to the lake. However, if the entry is through
the sediments of the lake, it can be expected that at certain times
of the year some of the phosphorus present in the sediments
through which the water enters would be removed by sorption
reactions in the sediments. At other times, it is possible that this
ground water might tend to displace interstitial waters, which may
be high in phosphorus, into the lake. In the case of nitrogen as
N03— N, it is reasonable to expect that in those areas of the sedi¬
ments where the oxygen concentration is low, there should be sig¬
nificant denitrification which would tend to reduce the amounts of
available nitrogen that enter the lake water from that which was
predicted based on total ground water input.
Recently, Keeney et al. (1971) investigated the importance of
denitrification in Lake Mendota sediments to the nitrogen budget
of the lake. Based on experiments with samples of surface sedi¬
ments from 7 and 14 meters, they estimated that about 63% of the
nitrate-nitrogen entering Lake Mendota will be denitrified. Thus,
they estimated that the nitrogen entering Lake Mendota via ground
water seepage to be only 63,000 Ibs/year vs. the original estimate
of 171,000 lbs/year.
The approach used by Keeney et al. (1971), however, may
grossly overestimate the significance of sediment denitrification as
a process reducing the amount of nitrogen input into lakes. Based
on the hydrology of the Lake Mendota basin and in particular the
ground waters around the lake (see Dane County Planning Com¬
mission, 1971), it would be expected that significant amounts of
shallow ground water enter the lake through the sides of the lake
148 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
near the surface. Furthermore, considerable amounts of ground
water are entering the lake through fissures in limestone outcrops,
as evidenced by divers working under the direction of the senior
author. Ground water entering through the sides of the lake and
through fissures would probably not be exposed to the anoxic sedi¬
ments which would lead to rapid denitrification as reported by
Keeney et at. (1971). If ground water entered the lake through
the deeper sediments under anoxic conditions, it would be correct
to expect rapid denitrification, as demonstrated earlier by Brezonik
(1965) ; however, it is unreasonable to reckon that significant
amounts of ground water enter Lake Mendota through these deep
sediments.
It is almost impossible to utilize any measurements of the rates
of denitrification in sediments to obtain a reliable estimate of how
much of the nitrogen entering a lake is lost through this reaction
without very good information on the hydrology of the ground
water, and in particular how the ground water enters the lake.
Presumably some denitrification of ground water does occur so
that the ground water input of nitrogen would probably be less
than the original estimate of Lee et al. (1966) report. Brezonik
and Lee (1968) have shown that denitrification in the anoxic
waters is a relatively small but significant sink in the nitrogen
budget for Lake Mendota. About 62,000 lbs of nitrogen were lost
from the lake hypolimnion during the summer of 1966. This would
also tend to reduce the input of nitrogen from ground water. How¬
ever, without a better understanding of the hydrology of ground
water seeping into the lake, it is not felt justifiable to change the
original estimate (Lee et al, 1966) of the amounts of nitrogen and
phosphorus contributed by ground water seepage into the lake.
The lack of information of the relative nutrient contribution of
ground water seepage to the total nutrient budget is one of the
greatest deficiencies of the proposed nutrient loading estimations
for Lake Mendota. This is especially true for nitrogen. Because of
the relatively high concentrations of nitrate present in ground
water in the Madison area, ground water must be considered as a
potentially important source of nitrogen to Lake Mendota.
Nitrogen Fixation
The amount of nitrogen fixed in Lake Mendota was most recently
studied by Torrey (1972). Nitrogen fixation was based on the ace¬
tylene reduction method, assuming a ratio of 3:1 for the rate of
acetylene reduced to nitrogen reduced. Estimates of nitrogen fixa¬
tion in Lake Mendota in the past were based on limited experiments
using fixation of 15N2.
Torrey (1972) reported that about 88,000 lbs of nitrogen were
1974] Sonzogni and Lee — Nutrients for Lake Mendota 149
fixed each year during 1970 and 1971 and this value will be used
to reestimate nitrogen fixation in Lake Mendota. This compares
with the estimate previously published by Lee et al. (1966) of
80,000 lbs of N/year ; subsequently, it was found that an error had
been made in the computation of this figure and in 1969 the figure
was revised to 2000 lbs of N/year.
Torrey (1972) found that most of the nitrogen was fixed by blue
green algae in the surface waters during the summer months when
combined nitrogen available for algal growth is low. However,
some fixation was found to occur in the sediments of Lake Men¬
dota. While this was thought to be small compared to the total
fixation that occurs in the surface waters, this fixation would tend
to counteract to some degree the denitrification reactions that
potentially take place as a result of anoxic conditions in some of
the sediments. Finally, it should be mentioned that the results of
Torrey (1972) do not include nitrogen fixation occurring in marsh
land bordering the lake or in littoral areas. Current studies by
Lonergan, graduate student, U. W. Water Chemistry Program,
show that potentially significant amounts of nitrogen fixation occur
in marshes.
Marshland
Bentley (1969) studied several marshes in the Madison vicinity
in order to estimate their nutrient contribution. On a yearly basis
he found that the nutrient input to a marsh was approximately
equal to its nutrient output. Apparently, nutrients flowing into
marshes from surface sources during most of the year are held by
the marsh. However, during spring thaw all of the nutrients stored
by the marsh are released with the high spring flows. Thus, based
on the study of Bentley (1969), the marshland within the Mendota
watershed is not thought to be nutrient sink, when a full year cycle
is considered.
Studies of the amounts of nutrients derived from drained
marshes by Bentley (1969), Amundson (1970) and Lee et al.
(1971) have shown that the drainage of a marsh can potentially
represent a major source of nitrogen and phosphorus. Laboratory
studies have shown that large amounts of inorganic nitrogen and
phosphorus can be leached from drained marsh soil in a period of
several years. Since there has been no significant drainage of
marshes in the Lake Mendota basin during the past five years, it
is felt that the large amount of marsh drainage that has occurred
previous to this time is not presently contributing consequential
amounts of nutrients to the lake. Therefore, no attempt will be
made in the current estimate of nutrient sources to include the
potential effects of previously drained marshes.
150 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
Woodland
Kluesener (1972) has reviewed the possible contribution of
nutrients in runoff from woodland. In general, he concluded that
surface runoff from woodland would be insignificant. Kelling
(1972) found that prairies and forests in the Madison vicinity
were able to infiltrate rain applied with a sprinkling infiltrometer
at the rate of 5 in/hr. Hence, little surface runoff would be expected
in these areas. However, there might be a contribution of nutrients
to base flow sustained by groundwater in the forested regions,
although it would probably be less than in rural areas. Because
the highly cultivated Mendota watershed has few remaining
wooded areas of any size, the total nutrient contribution from
woodland will be considered negligible.
Waste Water Effluents
The nutrients contributed annually to Lake Mendota from the
waste water effluents of several small municipalities, as well as sev¬
eral industries, were estimated by Lee et al . (1966). Some of the
sources were eliminated late in 1971 when certain waste waters
were diverted to the Madison Metropolitan Sewage District system
so that they ceased to enter Lake Mendota. However, in order to
properly evaluate the significance of the diversion, it is necessary
to reestimate, based on population increases, and other new infor¬
mation, the quantities of nutrients contributed by waste water
sources immediately prior to diversion. Thus the nutrients con¬
tributed by waste waters in 1970 (prior to diversion), as well as
the sources remaining following the diversion, will be discussed.
The Morrisonville Sanitary District currently operates a sewage
system consisting of a two-cell stabilization pond. The Wisconsin
Department of Natural Resources (1971) reported that only on
one occasion was there noted an overflow to the Yahara River, a
Mendota tributary. The district is not thought to be a significant
nutrient source at the present time.
The Village of DeForest has a trickling filter treatment plant
which, up until December, 1971, handled domestic waste from the
village in addition to wastes from the Forest Milk Company.
Treated wastes were discharged to the Yahara River. A survey
(Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, 1971) in 1970
showed a daily total waste volume of 200,000 gal/day and an esti¬
mated BOD of 167 lbs/day. The plant was reported to be badly
overloaded. In the winter of 1965 Lee et al. (1966) reported a
daily total waste volume of about 135,000 gallons, of which the
milk plant contributed about 35,000 gallons containing a BOD load
of 553 lbs/day. In October, 1962, a 24 hour survey found a total
daily flow of 74,800 gallons containing 174 lbs/day of BOD; how-
1974] Sonzogni and Lee — Nutrients for Lake Mendota 151
ever, the milk plant was not operating during the survey. Accord¬
ing to decennial census reports, the village population increased
from 1,223 in 1960 to 1,911 in 1970.
The Town of Windsor Sanitary District No. 1 currently1 operates
a trickling filter treatment plant which discharges into the Yahara
River. In 1960 the estimated population of the district was 350.
In 1969 the population of the district was estimated at 550 (Wis¬
consin Department of Natural Resources, personal communica¬
tion). A 24 hour-study on September 9 and 10, 1969 found that
the treatment plant removed only 67.7% of the BOD and 57.5%
of the suspended solids (Wisconsin Department of Natural Re¬
sources, 1971). The 24 hour study also revealed the following
nutrient data:
The flow at this time was about 50,000 gal/day and the BOD was
30 Ibs/day.
The Village of Waunakee, up until December, 1971, employed
a trickling filter to treat sanitary sewage from the community.
A 24 hour survey in the summer of 1962 revealed a flow of 148,500
gal/day which contained a BOD of 212 Ibs/day and the following
concentrations of nitrogen: organic N, 7.4 mg/1; NH4+— N, 15.6
mg/1; N02~— N, 1.64 mg/1; N03~— N, 3.64 mg/1 (Lee et al,
1966). A survey in 1970 showed a flow of 220,000 gal/day and a
BOD of 121 Ibs/day (Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources,
1971). In 1960, the Village of Waunakee had a population of 1,611,
while the 1970 census indicated the population had increased to
2,181.
The Waunakee Cheese Factory disposes of its milk wastes in a
seepage lagoon within the Village of Waunakee. Sodium nitrate
has been added at times to aid in odor control. The Waunakee Can¬
ning Company also disposes of wastes seasonally by means of spray
irrigation. It has been reported (Wisconsin Department of Natural
Resources, 1971) that runoff from the spray irrigation sometimes
enters the drainage course.
1 Since preparation of this report this waste water has been diverted to the
Madison Metropolitan sewage system.
152 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
In Madison the Avenue Car Wash rinse .water is no longer a
nutrient source as it was diverted to the sewage line and thus
around the Madison lakes prior to 1970. However, a new nutrient
source not reported by Lee et at. (1966) is the Pure Oil Truck
Plaza, which is located along the interstate highway system. The
plaza discharges its treated domestic wastes to Token Creek, a
tributary to Lake Mendota. The wastes are treated by a package
aeration plant and are chlorinated before discharge (Wisconsin
Department of Natural Resources, 1971). The truck stop dis¬
charges 10,000 gal/day of treated effluent, which has a BOD of
about 5 lbs/ day. Since the volume of domestic waste water in the
United States averages 100 gpdc (Fair et al, 1968) a population
equivalent of about 100 is calculated.
Since little additional information is available on the industrial
sources of nutrients, the original estimate will continue to be used
minus the contribution (625 lbs/year of phosphorus) from the
Avenue Car Wash. Thus, the estimated total contribution from
industrial waste sources for 1970 was about 17,000 lbs of nitrogen
per year and 9,000 lbs of phosphorus per year as shown in Table 8.
These values will be assumed to represent total-N and total-P,
although the form of the nutrients was not specified by Lee et al.
(1966). Since the municipally treated wastes from the Forest Milk
Company comprise most of the industrial loading, it is probable
that organically combined forms of the nutrient were important.
Hence, half of the total-N and total-P will be estimated to have
been in an organic form.
The contribution of nutrients from treated domestic wastes was
computed by Lee et al. (1966), from a per capita annual contribu¬
tion of 1.7 lbs of phosphorus and 7 lbs of nitrogen. Although it
TABLE 8. INDUSTRIAL WASTE SOURCES ENTERING
LAKE MENDOTA— 1970
(After Lee et al. (1966)
Total _ 9,300 16,800
1974] Sonzogni and Lee — Nutrients for Lake Mendota 153
was not specified in the original report (Lee et al ., 1966), these
numbers referred to soluble-orthophosphate and inorganic
nitrogen.
In order to gain insight as to the quantity of the different forms
of nutrients in the effluents, the previously discussed results of
24 hour nutrient surveys of the Waunakee and Windsor treatment
plant effluents may be utilized. Assuming that the concentrations
reported were typical, the annual per capita nutrient contributions
from these sources have been estimated. The results are listed in
Table 9. The Nine-Springs Sewage Treatment Plant, which pro¬
vides primary and secondary treatment for wastes from Madison,
has an effluent with an average annual per capita contribution of
8.5 lbs of inorganic nitrogen and 3.5 lbs of soluble phosphorus
(Mackenthun and Ingram, 1967).
Based on these limited data, the following annual per capita
contributions will be used to reestimate the quantity of nutrients
supplied by treated sewage effluent: soluble ortho-P, 3 Ibs/cap/yr;
total-P, 4.5 Ibs/cap/yr; inorganic-N, 6 Ibs/cap/yr; organic-N,
2 Ibs/cap/yr; total-N, 8 Ibs/cap/yr. Using these values and the
latest census information or population estimates, the 1970 annual
contribution of nutrients from treated domestic wastes has been
computed and the results are presented in Table 10.
The revised estimates of total nutrients contributed by waste
water in 1970 are compared to the originally published contribu¬
tion in Table 11. It can be seen that the revised estimates are
considerably higher than those previously reported for both phos¬
phorus and nitrogen.
One other waste water source must be considered, that being
the discharge from private domestic disposal systems (septic
TABLE 9. ANNUAL PER CAPITA NUTRIENT CONTRIBUTIONS FROM
THE WAUNAKEE SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT AND THE
WINDSOR TREATMENT PLANT (SANITARY DISTRICT #1)
Waunakee1 2 Windsor'
lbs/capita/year
1 Based on a 24 hour study in 1962
2 Based on a 24 hour study in 1969
154 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
TABLE 10. ESTIMATED NUTRIENT LOADING TO LAKE MENDOTA
FROM TREATED DOMESTIC WASTES FOR 1970
Estimated Soluble Inorg Org
Source Population O — P T — P N N T — N
Waunakee _ 1,911 5,700 8,600 11,500 3,800 15,300
DeForest _ 2,181 6,500 9,800 13,100 4,400 17,500
Windsor _ 550 1,600 2,500 3,300 1,100 4,400
Truck Plaza _ 100 300 400 600 200 800
Total _ 4,742 14,100 21,300 28,500 9,500 38,000
TABLE 11. PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED (LEE ET AL. 1966) AND 1970
ANNUAL NUTRIENT LOADING TO LAKE MENDOTA FROM
MUNICIPALLY TREATED WATERS
Lee et al. Revised1
(1966) (1970)
(lbs/year)
1 To the nearest 1000 pounds
tanks) . Septic tanks are generally a problem only if they become
plugged, which is likely to occur fairly frequently in non-sandy
soils, found in much of the Mendota basin. When this occurs sur¬
face discharge may result and nutrients in the effluent can be
transported via overland flow to the lake. Lee et al. (1966) esti¬
mated the annual discharge by assuming a population of 500
having malfunctioning septic tanks and by using the same nutrient
loading rate as used for treated domestic waste. Again, the form
of the nutrients supplied by this source was not specified by Lee
et al. (1966). In revising this source, no organic forms will be
considered. The per capita contribution will be assumed to be the
same as for municipally treated domestic sewage. Therefore, again
estimating a population of 500 (this is perhaps an overestimation,
the number of malfunctioning septic tanks being unknown), the
source should provide about 1500 lbs of soluble ortho-phosphorus
and 3,000 lbs of inorganic nitrogen.
The total annual nutrient loadings as of 1970, from the three
types of waste effluents — municipally treated domestic wastes,
privately treated domestic wastes, and treated industrial wastes —
1974] Sonzogni and Lee — Nutrients for Lake Mendota 155
TABLE 12. PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED AND 1970 ANNUAL NUTRIENT
LOADING TO LAKE MENDOTA FROM WASTE WATER EFFLUENT
Lee et al.
(1966) Revised1
(lbs/ year)
1 To the nearest 1000 pounds
are compared to the previous published estimates of Lee et al
(1966) in Table 12. The revised estimate represents more than a
50 percent increase over the previously-predicted loading.
Beginning in December, 1971, the Madison Metropolitan Sewer¬
age District completed an extension of their system which trans¬
ports the waste water of Waunakee and DeForest to the Nine
Springs treatment plant so that the waste effluent from these
communities is now diverted around Lake Mendota. Therefore,
with the completion of the extension to Windsor, which is sched¬
uled for the near future, all major waste water sources will be
eliminated. The estimates of the relatively insignificant waste
water nutrient sources remaining after diversion are presented in
Table 13.
TABLE 13. REMAINING WASTE WATER NUTRIENT SOURCES FOR
LAKE MENDOTA FOLLOWING ELIMINATION OF TREATED
WASTE WATER DISCHARGES FROM WAUNAKEE,
DeFOREST AND WINDSOR
2,000 6,900
Total
TABLE 14. ESTIMATED NUTRIENT SOURCES FOR LAKE MENDOTA— REVISED
(PRIOR TO DIVERSION OF WASTE WATER EFFLUENTS)
156 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
inorganic nitrogen
Negligible
1974] Sonzogni and Lee — Nutrients for Lake Mendota 157
Summary of Revised Estimates
The revised annual nutrient contributions from the various
sources (prior to the diversion of waste water effluents) have been
summarized in Table 14. It can be seen that the revised annual
contributions of nitrogen and phosphorus have been more than
doubled, as compared with the old estimates.
In the case of phosphorus, the per cent contribution of the vari¬
ous sources changed little. The major changes were in rural run¬
off, which increased from 42% to 50%, and in municipal and in¬
dustrial waste water, which decreased from 36% to 23%. In the
case of nitrogen, the major changes were in rural runoff and
ground water seepage. The contribution of rural runoff increased
from 11% to 42%, while the ground water contribution from
direct seepage decreased from 36% to 14% in the revised estimate.
In computing the annual contribution from rural runoff, average
lbs/acre values from Table 3 (discussed in a previous section) were
used to compute total nutrient input and the per cent estimated
contribution in Table 14. However, because rural runoff appears to
be the major nutrient source, a possible range of values was also
tabulated in Table 14 (see previous section on rural runoff). Even
if the minimum values suggested were used, the percentage of
nutrients contributed by rural runoff would still be significant and
the sum total nutrient input in lbs/year would remain greater than
the previous estimate of Lee et al. (1966). For example, if the
minimum predicted contribution of total phosphorus from rural
runoff (as listed in Table 14) were used to predict the annual phos¬
phorus input, the total input would decrease to 81,000 lbs/year,
still higher than the previously published estimate. However, the
total phosphorus contribution of municipal and industrial wastes
would increase to nearly 40%, while the rural runoff contribution
would decrease to about 20%. On the other hand, if the maximum
possible contribution for rural runoff were used to compute the
total phosphorus input, rural runoff would be by far the dominant
source of phosphorus.
Estimated nutrient sources for Lake Mendota after the diver¬
sion of waste water effluent from the communities Waunakee, De-
Forest, and Windsor are given in Table 15. It can be seen that the
diversion will decrease the phosphorus loading by about 20% and
the nitrogen loading by about 4%.
Finally, it should be emphasized that the revised estimates are
predicated on many assumptions and are, at best, still only rough
approximations. This is especially true of the total nitrogen load¬
ing, since the estimate of nitrogen influx due to groundwater seep¬
age, although listed as a major nitrogen source in Table 15, is based
on very limited information and is subject to considerable error.
158 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
TABLE 15. ESTIMATED NUTRIENT SOURCES FOR LAKE MENDOTA
FOLLOWING ELIMINATION OF TREATED WASTE WATER
DISCHARGES FROM WAUNAKEE, DeFOREST AND WINDSOR
Waste water discharges _
Urban runoff _
Rural runoff _
Atmospheric precipitation on lake surface
Dry fallout on lake surface _
Ground water seepage _
Base flow _
Nitrogen fixation _
Woodland runoff _
Marsh drainage _
1 Negligible.
% Estimated Contribution
T-P T-N
2
14.5
63
2
6.5
1
11
01
0
1
6
43.5
6
11
14
11
7.5
0
0
Nonetheless, the revised estimates are believed to be the most cur¬
rent and reasonable estimates based on the data available.
Control of Nutrient Sources
The most easily controlled sources of nutrients are the point
sources, such as the discharge of waste water. In effect, the major
point sources for Lake Mendota were controlled with completion
of the sewage interceptor which diverted waste water from Wau-
nakee and DeForest to the Nine Springs Plant. Further elimina¬
tion of waste water sources, such as the Town of Windsor sewage
effluent or the effluent from the Pure Oil Truck Stop, will have a
relatively minor effect on the total nutrient flux to the lake. In fact,
the diversion of waste water from Waunakee and DeForest re¬
sulted, in the case of phosphorus, in a nutrient input reduction of
only about 20%. This is not to say that the elimination of these
sources is not of value. On the contrary, their elimination serves
as a preventive measure to avoid future degradation of the water
quality of the lake. This degradation could ensue if waste water,
which would steadily increase in amount as a result of the rapidly
expanding population on the north and west side of the lake, were
to continue to be discharged into the lake.
Since nutrients entering Lake Mendota are derived to a sig¬
nificant extent from a variety of sources (such as urban storm
water drainage and agricultural runoff), increased attention should
be given to the control of these diffuse sources of phosphorus. Be¬
cause of their diffuse nature, chemical treatment of these sources
will be extremely expensive, quite probably prohibitive. Rather
1974] Sonzogni and Lee — Nutrients for Lake Mendota 159
than attempting to collect and treat drainage waters from urban
and agricultural areas, a more fruitful approach might be to study
in detail specific sources of nutrients in urban and agricultural
areas, and then attempt to control the specific source at its origin.
For example, it is known that urban storm water drainage con¬
tains large concentrations of phosphorus. At the present time,
essentially nothing is known about the specific sources of phos¬
phorus in the urban environment. The mass balance approach needs
to be made in a number of urban communities throughout the
United States in order to determine the relative significance of
lawn fertilization, gasoline combustion, dust fall, terrestrial plants,
etc., as sources of phosphorus in urban areas.
As mentioned previously, Kluesener (1972) noted that the high¬
est concentrations of phosphorus in the urban stormwater drain¬
age were associated with the leaf fall period during the fall and
Cowen and Lee (1971), in a follow-up study on leaves as a source
of phosphorus, found that large amounts of phosphorus are readily
leachable from dead leaves. It appears, based on these preliminary
studies, that more effective leaf pick-up during the fall might min¬
imize the amounts of nutrients derived from this source in urban
stormwater drainage.
Agricultural sources of nutrients could be controlled through
education of the farmer, in terms of when to apply nutrients, what
concentrations to apply and how to control soil erosion and other
conditions that tend to promote high nutrient fluxes from farm¬
land. The manure problem that exists in Wisconsin and other
nearby states can be controlled by having the farmer store the
manure in tanks over the winter period and then spread it on the
land after the ground has thawed in the spring.
One of the methods beginning to be used for controlling agri¬
cultural and urban stormwater drainage is zoning for land use. In
Wisconsin there has been recent action by the Dane County Plan¬
ning Commission which is specifically designed to prevent urban
development in Lake Mendota’s watershed because of the fear that
the conversion of farm land to urban areas would increase the
nutrient flux to this lake. Further, Illinois is considering legisla¬
tion which prevents certain types of fertilizer application on lands
with a slope greater than a certain degree. Another example of
this type of development is the current legislation being considered
on the Lake Mendota drainage basin. The proposed guidelines
would prevent the winter spreading of manure from dairy opera¬
tions and the draining of marshland for agricultural or urban
use. It is likely that these developments in Wisconsin and Illinois
will set the pattern for similar developments throughout North
America.
160 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
It is of interest to examine the potential effect of future urbani¬
zation of Lake Mendota’s watershed. The Dane County Planning
Commission (private communication, 1972) has estimated that the
urban area within the Lake Mendota watershed will roughly double
in size by 1990 (the increase will vary somewhat according to the
growth rate projection used). Assuming the urban area doubles
by 1990 at the expense of rural land, an estimate of the total phos¬
phorus loading can be obtained using loading factors of 0.6
Ib/acre/year (Table 3) for rural runoff and 1.0 lb/acre/year for
urban runoff (Table 6) can be made, if other nutrient sources
remain at the same rate as present. In this manner it is predicted
that urban runoff will contribute 28% of the annual total phos¬
phorus loading, while rural runoff will contribute 51% in 1990.
These percentages compared with 14.5 and 63% respectively, for
1972 (Table 15), indicate that the sum total annual phosphorus
loading from all sources should increase from the present rate of
109,000 pounds per year to 115,000 pounds per year in 1990, an
increase of about 6%. The total loading predicted for 1990 is still
less than the total loading estimated for 1970 (prior to the 1971
diversion). Therefore, based on the above analysis, it does not
appear that doubling the urbanized area within the Lake Mendota
watershed will have a major effect on the water quality of Lake
Mendota.
It should be noted that not all conversions of agricultural lands
to urban areas would necessarily result in an increase in nutrient
flux, since some rural areas, such as heavily manured lands, could
conceivably result in little or no decrease in the nutrient flux when
the land is converted to urban areas. On the other hand, the effect
of urbanization would likely be of greater magnitude than reported,
if the new urban areas were at one time marshland, since, as was
discussed previously, the drainage of marshes results in a very
significant release of nitrogen and phosphorus to the drain water
(Lee et al., 1971). This release probably takes place over a period
of several years and it is estimated that marshes of the type found
in southeastern Wisconsin would yield on the order of 40 pounds
of phosphorus per acre.
Nutrient Availability
In addition to determining the amounts of nutrients derived
from various types of activities of man in urban and agricultural
areas, studies must be initiated to determine what part of the
nutrients from these sources is or can be made available for aquatic
growth. For example, some urban and agricultural activities con¬
tribute large amounts of total phosphorus ; however, a large por-
1974] Sonzogni and Lee — Nutrients for Lake Mendota 161
tion of this phosphorus is in a form, i.e., particulate, organic, etc.,
that is not immediately available for the growth of algae. A much
better understanding must be achieved on the aqueous environ¬
mental chemistry of particulate, inorganic, and organic forms of
nutrients in order to ascertain the real significance of the various
forms of nutrients derived from urban and agricultural areas in
stimulating the growth of aquatic plants and algae. Studies along
this line are currently underway at the University of Wisconsin
Water Chemistry Program.
In the case of phosphorus, about the best that could be done
at this time is to state that in most instances the available phos¬
phorus is somewhere between soluble orthophosphate and the total
phosphorus. The fraction of organic and particulate phosphorus
that becomes available in natural waters is extremely important
in designing meaningful eutrophication control programs for dif¬
fuse sources of nutrients. There is little point in attempting to
control particulate forms of phosphorus when it is known that the
phosphorus would not become available for algal growth under
the conditions existing in the receiving waters. The potential avail¬
ability of the nitrogen species are even less well known.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This investigation has been principally supported by the En¬
vironmental Protection Agency, Grant No. R-801360 and by the
University of Wisconsin Department of Civil and Environmental
Engineering. Also, we wish to acknowledge the assistance given by
Dr. P. Uttormark, Associate Scientist, University of Wisconsin,
in providing a bibliography that he had prepared on the amounts
of nutrients derived from runoff. Finally, the cooperation of the
Dane County Planning Commission, which provided land use in¬
formation, is appreciated.
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AN EVALUATION OF THE USE OF THE EEG TECHNIQUE
TO DETERMINE CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS IN
HOMESTREAM WATER
Jon C. Cooper
University Wisconsin — Madison
G. Fred Lee
University Texas — Dallas
and
Andrew E. Dizon
National Marine Fisheries Service
Honolulu — Hawaii
INTRODUCTION
A large body of literature now exists that points to olfaction
in migratory fish as the important sense in orientation near and
in the homestream (Collins et al., 1962; Fagerlund et aL, 1963;
Groves et al., 1968; Hasler, 1960a, 1960b, and 1966; Hasler and
Wisby, 1951). It is hypothesized that salmon can store odor infor¬
mation about the homestream and use these cues upon the homing
migration.
The chemical or chemicals involved in homestream cues are
probably of a very low concentration and perhaps a complex mix¬
ture. Efforts to determine these chemicals have met with some
success. Fagerlund et al. (1963) found that a portion of these
chemicals is volatile, although the non-volatile portion may play
some part in orientation for the fish. Hasler (1966) reported that
the active fraction was organic, heat labile and volatile at 25 C.
Idler et al. (1961) concluded that the material was neutral, dialyz-
able and heat labile.
Hara et al. in 1965 reported that homestream water perfused
through the nares of salmon produced a characteristic high ampli¬
tude wave in an electroencephalographic (or EEG) recording from
the olfactory bulb. The EEG, they suggested, might be used to study
on a physiological basis the olfactory hypothesis.
Since the EEG had been looked on as a possible bioassay for
individual homestream recognition (Oshima et al., 1960a and b;
Ueda et al., 1967), it was felt that the EEG might provide useful
information about homestream chemicals that were needed for
homing. Because the technique is quite recent, this problem was
first approached by repeating earlier experiments by Fagerlund
et al., Hasler, and Idler et al. Although the active fractions de-
165
166 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
scribed by these workers may not be the same as the stimulants in
the EEG experiments, it was felt that there should be some
correspondence in the groups of chemicals described in the two
types of experiments. This paper reports on an investigation de¬
signed to evaluate the feasibility of using EEG as a means of de¬
tecting the chemicals present in homestream water that are
responsible for the homing of coho salmon in a Wisconsin stream
bordering on Lake Michigan.
METHODS
Adult spawning coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) that had
homed to a tributary of the Ahnapee River, Algoma, Wisconsin
in the fall, 1970, were used in these studies. They were trapped
in the stream on the same day as the experiments and brought back
to a temporary laboratory, where they were held in city tap water.
The testing procedure was similar to that of Dizon et al. (1973) .
The fish were anesthetized with tricain methanesulphonate
(MS222, 0.01) and immobilized with gallamine triethiodide
(flaxedil, 2 mg/kg body weight). A portion of the brain was ex¬
posed by means of a dental drill ; a platinum coated stainless steel
electrode (Transidyne General) was inserted in the olfactory bulb.
EEG responses evoked by test samples were amplified with a Bio¬
electric Instruments (model DS2c) and recorded on a Hewlett
Packard model 7712B oscillagraph. Figure 1 presents a typical
recorder trace showing the background and stimulus response. A
second channel of the oscillagraph was equipped with an integrat¬
ing preamplifier, so that the integration of the EEG could be
recorded. The integrator sums the voltages in the positive part of
the wave form. The slope of the line obtained from the integrator
can be used to quantify the EEG records. To standardize the
response, the slope of the integration of a response to each sample
was divided by the slope of the integration of the response to home-
0.50 MV
FIGURE 1. Example of electroencephalographic output (hand wash).
BACKGROUND STIMULUS
RESPONSE
10 sec
1974] Cooper, Lee and Dizon — Use of EEG Technique 167
stream water. An F-test was used to test the significance of the
responses. Each sample was introduced in a random order one time
each trial. Trials were repeated 4 times. Algoma city tap water was
used to rinse the nares between trials.
Water samples from the homestream were fractionated in a
variety of ways. Factors considered were : the variability of the
response of a fish to a given sample and the pH, molecular weight,
and volatility of the sample. Additional studies on the chemical
nature of the homestream dealing with carbon filtration, dialysis,
and Sephadex chromotography were not conclusive and will not
be reported here. Experiments with the ionic strength and concen¬
tration of the homestream water will not be reported for the same
reason. For further details consult Cooper (1971).
In the first experiment, two samples of stream water, one taken
directly from the stream and one stored at 5 C for one day, were
used to test two fish for their variability in response.
In the second experiment, a group of samples of different pH
were prepared by adding sodium bicarbonate (0.01M) to Algoma
city tap water and adjusting the pH of the solutions with sulfuric
acid or sodium hydroxide, as needed, to pH 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. One
fish was used in this experiment.
In a third experiment, homestream water was filtered through a
glass fiber filter and 0.45 micron and 0.22 micron pore size Millipore
filters. Four fish were used in this experiment.
Finally, in a fourth experiment, homestream water was frac¬
tionated by means of a vacuum distillation apparatus at 6 mm Hg
pressure at 20 C. This equipment consisted of a Snyder-ball column
and a water- jacketed condenser . A thermometer was positioned at
the top of the column to observe the temperature of the distillate.
A dry ice acetone bath was used to trap the distillate. It took 3.5
hours to reduce 750 ml to 250 ml under these conditions. Two fish
for each of 2 distillations were used in this experiment.
For the experiments reported here, a total of 10 fish and 15
water samples were used.
RESULTS
The results of the first experiment (Figure 2 and Table 1) indi¬
cate that the variability in fish response as reflected in the standard
deviation was roughly 25%. Data from different animals cannot
be compared directly, i.e. the data from coho 144 and 146 cannot
be pooled, although the ranking for samples for each fish can be
compared.
In the second experiment, filtration through glass fiber filter,
0.45 micron or 0.22 micron pore size Millipore filters did not seem
168 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
day at 5 C (3).
TABLE 1. REPLICATE SAMPLES OF RAW STREAM WATER AND
STREAM WATER STORED AT 5 C
(Mean and standard deviation of the integration of response to the stimuli
expressed as the per cent of the integration of the response of a reference
sample of stream water.)
1974] Cooper, Lee and Dizon — Use of EEC Technique 169
to affect the samples. The amplitude of responses to these samples
was roughly the same before or after filtration (Table 2).
The salmon responded most strongly to acid pH (4 and 5). They
responded less strongly to basic pH (8 and 9) than to neutral pH
(7) (Figures).
In the fourth experiment, it is clear that there is a higher ampli¬
tude response to the non-volatile portion than to the volatile portion
of the water distilled at 20 C (Table 3).
TABLE 2. EEG RESPONSES TO WATER FILTERED THROUGH GLASS
FIBER FILTER, 0.45 AND 0.22 MICRON PORE SIZE
MILLIPORE FILTERS
Coho Coho Coho Coho
FIGURE 3. EEG response to homestream water adjusted to pH, 5, 6, 7, 8,
and 9 (mean and standard deviation).
170 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
TABLE 3. VACUUM DISTILLATION OF HOMESTREAM WATER.
DUPLICATE RUNS ON EACH FISH FOR TWO SETS OF
DISTILLATION SAMPLES
(Mean and standard deviation of the integration of the response to the stimuli
expressed as the per cent of the integration of the response of a reference
sample of stream water.)
DISCUSSION
One problem in interpreting the data is that one cannot make
inter-fish comparison. This may be due to difference in handling of
the fish. Coho salmon were taken out of the trap at one time on
the day of the experiment. It is possible that fish had been in the
trap for different lengths of time for a few minutes to several days.
Ueda et al. (1967) have pointed out that fish kept in a holding tank
for a week became unresponsive to their homestream water; this
may be due to an advance stage of sexual “Ripening” (as Fager-
lund et al, 1963 suggests) or a gradual acclimation of the fish to
the homestream water odor.
The results of the third experiment show that the homestream
odor has a molecular weight under one million, the approximate
size of material retained on a 0.22 micron pore size Millipore filter.
Since none of these filters seems to add an odor to the homestream
(or subtract one from the water), they are a useful technique for
cleaning up the extraneous matter in the water ; there was a large
quantity of material left on the filters after the experiments. The
final experimental results indicate that the stimulatory portion of
the water is non-volatile at 20 C, since there is a higher response
to the residue than to the distillate.
The second and fourth experiments mentioned above leave little
doubt that the EEG technique can be used to detect difference in
water samples; it is possible to determine whether the character
of the water sample has been changed by the experimental pro¬
cedures. However, since the standard deviation in response is quite
large, the technique may not be useful in detecting subtle differ¬
ences between samples.
A second underlying problem that may limit the usefulness of
the EEG technique, is that it is not possible to distinguish between
1974] Cooper, Lee and Dizon — Use of EEG Technique 171
two kinds of responses from the fish. A sample that represents a
danger or avoidance reaction, such as handwash (a sample in which
the hand has been dipped) will give the same amplitude response,
as far as one can tell from the EEG, as a sample that is stimula¬
tory, such as the homestream water. Therefore, it is impossible
to tell whether the distillation experiment, for instance, produced
residues important in homing or whether merely concentrated
“avoidance” fractions were formed. Indeed, the stimulatory frac¬
tions observed with the EEG technique may not be related in any
simple manner to either the stimulatory fraction found in be¬
havioral work or those fractions actually necessary for homing.
Perhaps in the future, any experimental results obtained with the
EEG technique should be confirmed with a behavioral bioassay.
Until these problems are overcome, any future work that at¬
tempts to utilize the EEG to determine homestream constituents
may be of limited value.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We wish to acknowledge the assistance of A. D. Hasler and Ross
Horrall of the University of Wisconsin Laboratory of Limnology.
Their assistance in this study was greatly appreciated.
This work was supported by training grant number 5T1-WP-22
from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of
Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
COLLINS, G. B., P. S. TREFETHEN, and A. B. GROVES. 1962. Orienta¬
tion of homing1 salmon. Am. Zoologist 2:399-400.
COOPER, J. C. 1971. The determination of chemical constituents by EEG
of homestream water of coho salmon ( Oncorhynchus kisutch), M.S. Thesis,
University Wisconsin — Madison.
DIZON, A. E., R. M. HORRALL, and A. D. HASLER. 1973. Long-term
olfactory “Memory” in coho salmon, Oncorhynchus Kisutch. Fish. Bui.
71:315-317.
FAGERLUND, U. H. M., J. R. McBRIDE, M. SMITH and N. TOMLINSON.
1963. Olfactory perception in migrating salmon. III. Stimulants for adult
sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) in homestream waters. J. Fish.
Res. Bd. Can. 20:1457-1463.
GROVES, A. B., G. B. COLLINS, and P. S. TREFETHAN. 1968. Roles of
olfaction and vision in choice of spawning site by homing adult chinook
salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) . J. Fish. Res. Bd. Can. 25:867-876.
HARA, T. J., K. UEDA, and A. GORBMAN. 1965. Electroencephalographic
studies of homing salmon. Science 149:884-885.
HASLER, A. D. 1960a. Homing orientation in migrating fishes. Ergebn. Biol.
23:94-115.
HASLER, A. D. 1960b. Guideposts of migrating fishes. Science 132:785-792.
HASLER, A. D. 1966. Underwater Guideposts. Univ. Wisconsin Press, 155 pp.
172 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
HASLER, A. D. and W. WISBY. 1951. Discrimination of stream odors by
fishes and its relation parent stream behavior. Am. Nat. 85:223-238.
IDLER, D. R., J. R. McBRIDE, R. E. E. JONES, and N. TOMLINSON.
1961. Olfactory perception in migrating salmon. II. Studies on a labora¬
tory bioassay for homestream water and mammalian repellent. Can. J.
Biochem. Physiol. 39:1575-1584.
OSHIMA, K., W. E. HAHN, and A. GORBMAN. 1969a. Olfactory discrimina¬
tion of natural water by salmon. J. Fish. Res. Bd. Can. 26:2111-2121.
OSHIMA, K., W. E. HAHN, and A. GORBMAN. 1969b. Electroencephalo-
graphic olfactory responses in adult salmon to waters traversed in the
homing migration. J. Fish. Res. Bd. Can. 26:2123-2133.
UEDA, K., T. J. HARA, and A. GORBMAN. 1967. Electroencephalographic
studies on olfactory discrimination in adult spawning salmon. Comp.
Biochem. Physiol. 21:133-143.
STUDIES ON THE Ca, Mg, AND Sr CONTENT
OF FRESHWATER CLAMSHELLS
G. Fred Lee
University Texas— Dallas
and
William Wilson
University Wisconsin — Madison
ABSTRACT
The relationship of Ca, Mg and Sr in Lakes Mendota, Fox and
Trout in Wisconsin and clamshells collected from these lakes shows
a negative correlation between shell and water Sr/Ca ratio. The
Mg/ Ca ratio showed considerable scatter and in general a direct
relationship between shell composition and water composition.
INTRODUCTION
As part of a study on the feasibility of using the Ca, Mg and Sr
content of freshwater clamshells as indicators of paleohydrologic
conditions, it was necessary to investigate the relationship of fresh¬
water clamshell and water composition. Since river and stream
chemical composition varies with discharge, it was decided to use
lake clams, since the water composition should be relatively con¬
stant. A literature review on the relationship between clamshell
and water composition has been presented by Lee and Wilson
(1969).
EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE
The Ca, Mg and Sr contents of lake water and clamshells were
determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry according to
the procedure described by Lee and Wilson (1969) . The clams were
taken alive by wading along the beach in waist-deep water. The
shells were cut into sections and ashed to separate into laminar
layers. Only the laminar layers were analyzed. Except as noted, the
laminar layers were analyzed as a group.
RESULTS
A preliminary phase of this study was concerned with the deter¬
mination of the variability of the calcium content of lake clams.
This was undertaken because there was no information on their
173
174 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
chemical components, as all previous work has been concerned
with specimens found in rivers, streams and marine environments
(Nelson, 1963, 1967; Odum, 1957; Thompson and Chow, 1955).
Sixteen clams of the same species (Lampsilis siliquoidea rosacea)
were collected live from Lake Mendota. The laminar layers of each
of the shells were analyzed for their calcium content. The sample
had a mean and standard deviation calcium content per gram of
shell weight of 409 ± 6 mg/g. As with other aragonite shells, lake
clamshells are principally calcium carbonate with the addition of
trace elements.
The total sample of lake clams (N = 75) yields a mean and
standard deviation of 413 ± 10 mg Ca/g of shell weight. When
this is compared with a series of river clams analyzed by Nelson
(1963), where 23 clams had a mean and standard deviation of
400 ± 1.4 mg Ca/g of shell, the difference between the means is
statistically significant (calculated t = 10.8 with 109 degrees of
freedom). Further, Nelson (1963) compared the means of river
clams with the data of Thompson and Chow (1955) on 64 marine
shells, which had a mean and standard deviation of 392 ± 1.2 mg
Ca/g of shell. This gave a statistically significant t of 4.3 with 85
degrees of freedom. The differences between lake, river and marine
shells (in a system that is almost pure calcium carbonate) , would
suggest that the environment is an important factor in the secre¬
tion of elements within the clamshell. Therefore, the clams of 1
species from 1 lake appear to have an essentially constant calcium
concentration. However, the data have indicated that clams may
vary according to their environmental situation. Because of this
variability, calcium analyses have been included for every sample.
This procedure insures a more accurate measurement of the ratios
of calcium with other cations.
Studies were conducted to examine the variability of shell among
lake clams. A live clam (Lampsilis siliquoidea rosacea) was taken
from Lake Mendota; its shell after ashing was separated into
areas shown in Fig. 1. The morphological parts were analyzed
separately. Examination of the results, as presented in Table 1,
shows that differences occur between layers within each part of
the shell. For example, the Sections 3-7 (laminar layers) have
a mean and standard deviation Ca, Mg and Sr concentration of
406 ± 15 mg/g, 59 ± 15 ,/xg/g and 146 ± 17 yg/g, respectively.
Differences occur between parts of the shell. The peripheral layers
(Sections 9-14) contain about 70% as much Sr as Sections 3-7.
This variability found in lake clams in both concentration and
atomic ratios was similar to that reported by Nelson (1964) for
river clamshells.
1974] Lee and Wilson— Freshwater Clamshell Studies
175
FIGURE 1.
Cross section of clamshell analyzed. Sections 1-7 were the
laminar layers from inside toward outside.
The laminar layers are secreted as annual growth layers. The
peripheral layers are often damaged, encrusted with foreign mat¬
ter, and the parts near the umbo usually show signs of abrasion
and wear. Because of the large differences found between various
morphological parts of the shells, all further analyses have been
confined to the laminar layers. These layers shown in Fig. 1 as
Sections 3-7 represent that part of the shell least likely to be
affected by post-depositional factors and, therefore, would most
closely reflect the living clam’s chemical milieu at the time of depo¬
sition of each laminar layer.
Two shells (Lampsilis siliquoidea) , from each of 3 Wisconsin
lakes, were collected to examine the composition of the laminar
layers in a multiple sample and from different environments. The
specimens were separated into laminar layers and analyzed for
Ca, Mg and Sr content. The data in Table 2 show that the laminar
layers of the clams from each lake have marked differences in
TABLE 1. COMPOSITION OF LAKE MENDOTA CLAMSHELL
(Lampsilis siliquoidea rosacea)
176 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
TABLE 2. CONCENTRATION OF CALCIUM, MAGNESIUM AND
STRONTIUM IN THE LAMINAR LAYERS OF LAKE CLAMSHELLS
Lampsilis siliquoidea
composition. This variability displays the typical heterogeneous
distribution of trace elements in mollusks. Even in this very small
sample, there appear to be differences in the atomic ratios from
one lake to the next, although the samples are too small for com¬
parative purposes.
The variability found in this study is like that mentioned previ¬
ously (Curtis and Krinsley, 1965), where a large number of
samples must be studied to define any relationship between shell
and water composition. Similar conclusions must be reached as
a result of this study. A large number of clams of 1 genus and
preferably of 1 species must be analyzed from a number of lakes
of differing composition before a relationship can be defined.
Inasmuch as the nature of this work is concerned with the mean
chemical composition of groups of clams in relationship to their
environment, all further analyses were conducted on all the lami¬
nar layers as a whole. The pretreatment of the shell was modified,
such that after ashing the laminar layers were separated from
the other parts of the shell. The layers were then dissolved as a
group in HC1 and analyzed.
Three Wisconsin lakes were utilized in this study on the basis
of the availability of clamshells and water samples. In this group
1974] Lee and Wilson — Freshivater Clamshell Studies 177
there are 2 hard-water lakes (Fox and Mendota) and 1 soft-water
lake (Trout). A total of 29 clamshells from Trout Lake, 30 from
Fox Lake and 16 from Lake Mendota, all of the species Lampsilis
siliquoidea, have been analyzed for Ca, Mg and Sr. The water ratios
are represented by the median summer values. Although large
amounts of data are available for Lake Mendota water composi¬
tion, only the summer values were available for Fox and Trout
Lakes. These values are more closely comparable for the purposes
of this study and also coincide with the expected period of maxi¬
mum growth of the clams in these lakes.
The Sr/Ca ratio of clamshells versus water, as shown in Fig. 2,
demonstrates a strong negative correlation, with a correlation
coefficient (r) of —0.83.
The Sr to Ca atomic ratio in shells is constrained because all
shells contain essentially constant amounts of calcium. It should
be pointed out that the mean Sr/g of shell increases with increas¬
ing hardness of the water. Even though Dodd (1965) demonstrated
a temperature dependence for Sr in marine pelecypods, this does
not appear to be a factor for freshwater clamshells used in this
FIGURE 2. Relationship of atom ratios of lake clamshell and water
composition. Mean and standard deviation indicated by point and bar.
178 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
study. The temperature regimes for Fox Lake and Lake Mendota
are approximately the same ; while Trout Lake, located in northern
Wisconsin, is about 2°C cooler. Therefore, the atomic ratio of
Sr/Ca in these freshwater clamshells is dependent upon the ele¬
mental composition of its environment.
The Mg/Ca atomic ratio of clamshells versus water shows a
weak positive correlation coefficient (r) of 0.4. This is the result
of large variances within each sample and is consistent with the
results obtained from the archaeological sites studied by Lee and
Wilson (1969). It is not clear why there should be such a high
degree of variability within a single species in a relatively constant
environment.
DISCUSSION
Clams are integrators of their environment. The chemical com¬
position of the shell should reflect the chemical composition of the
water. Yet, this study has shown that for the three lakes examined
there is an inverse relationship between the Sr*/Ca ratio in the
lake water and in the laminar layers of a clamshell. Part of this
variability is due to the vital effects of the clam. The study of the
single Lake Mendota clam where the shell was sectioned into vari¬
ous parts showed that there was almost as much variability be¬
tween parts in a single shell as was found between shells taken
from a beach in a single lake or shells taken from different lakes.
It is clear that the simple chemical composition of the water does
not control shell composition. Other factors must also have an
important function in determining the small differences observed
in shell composition. Some of the variability may be due to the
water itself. Although a lake is, in general, a fairly homogeneous
chemical system, it must be pointed out that the near-shore en¬
vironment is the zone of great biochemical activity and its com¬
position is much more subject to change than the open water in
most lakes. The clam’s immediate environment is often very
complex because of the active photosynthesis and respiration tak¬
ing place. Many of the clams collected from Lake Mendota and
other lakes have thick growths of the alga Cladophora attached to
them. The water taken in by the clam must pass through or near
this algal mat. During periods of light, CaC03 precipitation is
likely in hard-water lakes due to the photosynthesic pH increase.
Some of the clams taken from some lakes had 1-2 mm thick layers
of precipitated CaC03 on the outside of the shell. In the dark
the pH of the clam’s intake water should drop significantly due to
the respiration of the attached algae, recycled clam outlet water
and the respiration of microorganisms working on the detritus
1974] Lee and Wilson — Freshwater Clamshell Studies 179
that accumulates on the bottom in the vicinity of the clam. While
collecting the clams in Lake Mendota, it was noted that they often
could be located by finding the wave-sorted detritus arising from
dead leaves, twigs, etc. The reduced pH that results from respira¬
tion of organisms would be expected to cause solution of CaC03
precipitates. In addition to obtaining the Ca, Mg and Sr from the
water, the clam also may take in particulate CaC03 that arises
from photosynthetic precipitation as described above and detrital
CaC03 arising from parts of other organisms. This particulate
CaC03 could be dissolved and later incorporated in the shell.
Although few studies have been conducted on the chemical char¬
acteristics of the near-shore environment of lakes, it might be
suspected that it would show not only diurnal and seasonal changes
but also annual changes due to difference in the amounts of
macrophytes and attached algae. Evidently, based on the marked
variability of the chemical composition of annual layers of the
clamshells, it must be concluded that the clam is responding to
these changes. There is no single relationship between water and
shell composition and any study of the relationship must involve
large numbers of samples and detailed studies of the clam’s micro¬
environment.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This investigation was supported by N.S.F. grant GP-5572X and
Training Grant No. 5T1-WP-22 from the Federal Water Pollution
Control Administration. In addition, support was given the project
by the University of Wisconsin Engineering Experiment Station,
the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Water
Resources Center, and the U.S. Office of Naval Research. Special
appreciation is extended to R. Bryson and D. A. Baerreis for their
assistance on this project.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
CURTIS, C. D. and D. KRINSLEY. 1965. The detection of minor diagenetic
alteration in shell material. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 29:71-84.
DODD, J. R. 1965. Environmental control of strontium and magnesium in
Mytilus. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 29:385-398.
LEE, G. F. and W. WILSON. 1969. Use of chemical composition of fresh¬
water clamshells as indicators of paleohydrologic conditions. Ecology
50:990-997.
NELSON, D. J. 1963. The strontium and calcium relationship in Clinch and
Tennessee River mollusks, p. 203-211. In V. Schultz and A. W. Element,
Jr. (eds.) Radioecology . Reinhold, New York.
NELSON, D. J. 1964. Deposition of strontium in relation to morphology of
clam (Unionidae) shells. Verb. International Verhein. Limnology 15:
893-902.
180 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
NELSON, D. J. 1967. Microchemical constituents in contemporary and Pre-
Columbian clamshells. In S. I. Auerbach (ed.) Radiation Ecology. Oak
Ridge National Labs. 3849:43-100.
ODUM, H. T. 1957. Biogeochemical deposition of strontium. Inst. Marine
Science, Univ. of Texas, Austin. 4:38-114.
THOMPSON, T. G. and T. J. CHOW. 1955. The strontium-calcium atom ratio
in carbonate-secreting marine organisms. Deep-Sea Research, 3G: 20-39.
HYDROLOGY AND TROUT POPULATIONS OF
COLD WATER RIVERS OF MICHIGAN AND WISCONSIN1
G. E. Hendrickson
U. S. Geological Survey — •
Madison, Wis.
and
R. L. Knutilla
U. S. Geological Survey — ■
Okemos, Mich.
ABSTRACT
Statistical multiple-regression analyses showed significant rela¬
tionships between trout populations and hydrologic parameters.
Parameters showing the higher levels of significance were tem¬
perature, hardness of water, percentage of gravel bottom, per¬
centage of bottom vegetation, variability of streamflow, and
discharge per unit drainage area. Trout populations increase with
lower levels of annual maximum water temperatures, with increase
in water hardness, and with increase in percentage of gravel and
bottom vegetation. Trout populations also increase with decrease
in variability of streamflow, and with increase in discharge per
unit drainage area. Most hydrologic parameters were significant
when evaluated collectively, but no parameter, by itself, showed
a high degree of correlation with trout populations in regression
analyses that included all the streams sampled. Regression analyses
of stream segments that were restricted to certain limits of hard¬
ness, temperature, or percentage of gravel bottom showed improve¬
ments in correlation. Analyses of trout populations, in pounds per
acre and pounds per mile and hydrologic parameters resulted in
regression equations from which trout populations could be esti¬
mated with standard errors of 89 and 84 per cent, respectively.
INTRODUCTION
Trout populations in rivers respond to a variety of environ¬
mental factors, most of which are related to the hydrology of the
streams in which they live. In 1970, a preliminary analysis of
hydrologic parameters and trout populations for 16 stream seg¬
ments in Michigan showed a negative relationship between mean
annual maximum water temperatures and trout populations
(Hendrickson and Doonan, 1971). A negative relationship between
1 Publication authorized by the Director, U.S. Geological Survey.
181
182 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Aids and Letters [Vol. 62
I
the variability of streamflow and trout populations also was
suggested.
The present study, covering a larger area of Michigan and Wis¬
consin, was designed to analyze in greater detail hydrologic factors
that might influence trout populations. The study was also designed
to determine, if possible, the relative importance of each hydrologic
parameter on the populations. Hydrologic data were determined
for 112 stream segments in Michigan and Wisconsin for which
trout population data were available. Eighty-eight of these seg¬
ments (Fig. 1) were used to test for possible relationships between
trout populations and hydrologic parameters. Selection of the 88
segments was based entirely on accuracy and completeness of
hydrologic data. For those streams on which data were available
for many segments, some segments, generally alternate segments,
EXPLANATION
• Trout populations estimated by m a rk— an d- r ecap tu r e.
o Trout populations estimated by single survey.
FIGURE 1. Location of stream segments included in sampling.
1974] Hendrickson and Knutilla — Hydrology and Trout 183
were omitted from the analysis to avoid over-emphasis of any
particular stream.
HYDROLOGIC PARAMETERS
Hydrologic parameters that were used in this study describe
the character of a stream’s channel, bed, and banks, its streamflow
characteristics, and the quality of its water. Most of the data on
channel character were obtained by field mapping during the sum¬
mer of 1971. Data on streamflow were obtained from records for
stream gaging stations operated by the U.S. Geological Survey
and from discharge measurements that were available or were
made at the time of channel mapping. Data on water quality were
obtained from records of State agencies, the U.S. Geological Sur¬
vey, and from field analyses made at each stream segment.
Channel Character . Each stream segment was surveyed to de¬
termine its average width, depth, and surface area ; the type of bed
materials, as percentages of gravel, sand, or muck; and the per¬
centage of the stream bottom that had submerged vegetation. Also
determined were the average bank height, bank material, and
bank vegetation as percentage of hardwoods, conifers, brush, or
grass. Finally the percentage of the stream bottom which would
afford cover for trout, such as undercut banks, logs, boulders, and
overhanging brush was visually estimated.
Average gradients of the stream segments were determined from
topographic maps. Each reported gradient is the average computed
between topographic contours that cross the stream above and
below the measured stream segment. The actual gradient of the
segment may be higher or lower than the value so obtained.
Streamflow . For each stream segment the average discharge,
in cubic feet per second and cubic feet per second per square mile,
and parameters of low flow and flow duration were determined.
As an index of low flow, the median annual 7-day flow (7-day Q2)
was used. Flow-duration data included the discharges equaled or
exceeded for 10 and 90 per cent of the time.
Characteristics of streamflow were determined from stream-
flow records at gaging stations or by correlating discharge meas¬
urements made at each stream segment with records for gaging
stations. Because most discharge measurements were made when
streams were at base flow, estimates of low-flow parameters
(median minimum 7-day Q2 and 90 per cent duration) are more
reliable than those of high flow (10 per cent duration). Accuracy
of streamflow parameters also varies with the number of stream-
flow measurements available at each stream segment and with the
degree of correlation of the measurements with data for gaging
184 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
stations. The low-flow parameters for most stream segments
probably are accurate to about 20%. High-flow parameters prob¬
ably are accurate to about 30%.
The ratio of 10 per cent and 90 per cent duration discharges
was used as an index of the variability of streamflow. As an index
of the velocity of each stream segment, the median minimum 7-day
discharge was divided by the cross-sectional area of the segment.
The cross-sectional area, computed as the product of the average
width and average mid-channel depth, is greater than the actual
area, because the mid-channel depth usually is greater than the
average depth in the cross-section. Accordingly, the average veloci¬
ties tabulated are low. However, velocities are representative and
are believed to be comparable between streams.
Quality of Water. Because temperature was shown to be one
of the more significant water-quality parameters in the 1970
study, greater effort was made to obtain temperature data than
other water-quality data. Thermometers that register maximum
and minimum temperatures were installed in each of the stream seg¬
ments mapped, unless adequate temperature records were already
available at the site. Records of maximum and minimum tempera¬
tures were obtained for at least one summer month at almost all
sites. These records were correlated with temperature records at
gaging stations to obtain the mean annual maximum and mean
July temperatures. For most sites these temperatures are probably
accurate within 3 F.
Specific conductance, pH, and hardness of water were deter¬
mined in the field during the summer of 1971, usually during
base-flow conditions. Values of specific conductance probably are
accurate within about 10 micromhos; values of pH probably are
accurate to one-half pH units; and values of hardness probably
are accurate to about 20 milligrams per liter. Appearance of the
water (clear, colored, or turbid) was recorded, but numbers were
not assigned to these parameters and they were not included in
this analysis.
Another important water-quality characteristic is dissolved oxy¬
gen. One field analysis of dissolved oxygen was made at most
stream segments. However, because of diurnal variation in dis¬
solved oxygen, all values are not representative of the dissolved
oxygen content for each stream segment. Consequently, values of
dissolved oxygen were not used in the regression analysis.
TROUT POPULATION PARAMETERS
Trout population data were obtained from State fisheries
agencies in Michigan and Wisconsin. The accuracy of these data
1974] Hendrickson and Knutilla — Hydrology and Trout 185
varies widely because the purpose and method of inventory vary.
Estimates of trout in 39 stream segments were obtained by the
“mark and recapture” method. The accuracy of the results on these
segments is believed to be within about 30%. Estimates of trout
populations for other segments were obtained from one or more
stream surveys. The error in estimating these populations may
be 50% or more. However, it is believed that the errors are
random, and that the population estimates are not consistently
higher or lower than those obtained by “mark and recapture”
survey.
All trout population surveys used in this study were made in
late summer or early fall. Some of the streams sampled receive
annual plantings of trout. No attempt was made to exclude hatch¬
ery trout in the population estimates. However, large trout that
were obviously migratory spawners were excluded. Population
data were defined as number per acre, pounds per acre, number per
mile, pounds per mile, and pounds per acre foot.
RESULTS OF STATISTICAL ANALYSES
Statistical multiple-regression analyses were used to develop
relationships between trout populations and hydrologic parame¬
ters. The analyses provided a mathematical equation of the relation
between trout populations and selected hydrologic parameters.
The analyses also provided a measure of the accuracy of the de¬
fined relationships and the level of significance of each hydrologic
parameter in the relation.
Trout populations were correlated with hydrologic parameters
of channel character, fish cover, streamflow characteristics, and
water quality. For each combination of variables tested, the re¬
gression equation, multiple correlation coefficient, standard error
of estimate, and the significance of each independent variable were
calculated. Calculations were then repeated, eliminating the least
significant hydrologic parameter each time, until only the most
significant parameter remained. The procedure was repeated for
many combinations of hydrologic parameters and trout populations.
In the analyses it was assumed that the hydrologic parameters
were logarithmically related to trout populations in the linear
format. In each case this may not be entirely true. For example,
Benson (1953) has shown that the condition and growth of brook
trout in the Pigeon River (Michigan) were best when water tem¬
peratures ranged from 55 to 66 F. Also, as this and other studies
have shown, trout populations tend to increase as hardness and
specific conductance of water increase. However, it appears un¬
likely that high levels of hardness or specific conductance would
186 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
be increasingly favorable to trout populations. Other hydrologic
parameters also may have favorable ranges not yet demonstrated.
It is. believed that any deviation from the straight-line relationship
does not seriously affect the results of this study. Graphic plots
of trout populations and independent variable did not reveal any
divergency from the straight-line relationship. The probable reason
for this is that values for most parameters are within the favorable
range for trout. Also, values of many of the parameters evaluated
in the study affect trout populations in only one direction from
the favorable limits. For example, few of the streams sampled are
too cold in summer for maximum production of trout. Again, it is
unlikely that any of the streams sampled have hardness or specific
conductance greater than the optimum range for trout.
A summary of the hydrologic and trout population parameters
for which data were obtained are listed in Table 1. Shown in the
table are the degree of correlation between each of the parameters.
This simple correlation matrix was used to aid in selecting inde¬
pendent variables — variables that did not exhibit a high degree
of intercorrelation or interdependence — for regression analysis.
For example, specific conductance and hardness were not used in
the same regression analysis because of their high degree of cor¬
relation (0.97). Table 1 also shows the degree of correlation be¬
tween the dependent variables (last five rows) and each of the
independent variables. None of the independent variables, by itself,
shows a high degree of correlation with trout populations for the
units of population shown. The relation between pH and trout,
in pounds per mile, has the highest degree of correlation (0.47).
Analyses of trout populations in pounds per acre and pounds
per mile resulted in regression equations from which trout popu¬
lations could be estimated with approximately the same standard
error (89 and 84%, respectively). The equations that provide the
best relations, and for which independent basin parameters are
effective within 90-per cent confidence, are shown in Table 2.
Analyses of trout populations in pounds per acre-foot, number per
acre, and number per mile with several combinations of inde¬
pendent variables showed no strong correlation. In the analyses,
the standard error of estimate was generally in excess of 110%
(Table 2) .
To test the defined relationships for possible areal differences,
the difference between observed and computed values, termed
residuals, were calculated for each station analyzed. An analysis
of the residuals showed that the regression equations were un¬
biased areally. Reaches of some streams, and small local areas,
showed some differences or bias, but they were too small to warrant
separate analysis.
1974]
Hendrickson and Knutilla — Hydrology and Trout
187
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188 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
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1974] Hendrickson and Knutilla — Hydrology and Trout 189
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190 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
DISCUSSION
Trout populations appear to be limited chiefly by stream tem¬
perature, hardness of water, bottom materials, bottom vegetation,
variability of streamflow, and discharge per unit drainage area.
The relatively small correlation coefficients (less than 0.5) of single
hydrologic parameters with trout populations in all regressions,
using the total sample of 88 stream segments, suggest that popu¬
lations in a heterogeneous sampling of streams are not dominated
by a single hydrologic characteristic. In general, where sample
size was restricted to stream segments within certain limits of
hardness, temperature, or percentage of gravel bottoms, improve¬
ment in the standard error and multiple-correlation coefficients
were obtained over that where the total sample was used (Table 2).
This improvement reflects a greater homogeneity of the restricted
samples.
Temperature of water was one of the most significant hydrologic
parameters in almost all regression analyses in which it was in¬
cluded. The mean annual maximum temperature proved to be
slightly more significant than the average July temperature. Final
regression analyses were run using annual maximum temperatures
and annual maximums divided by 55 F. Using temperatures as
a ratio to the selected lower limit for trout (55 F) does not change
the accuracy in making population estimates from the regression
equations but puts the equations into a more usable form. Earlier
studies (Benson, 1953) have indicated that temperatures greater
than 68 F are above the optimum for brook trout. When the re¬
gression analyses were restricted to the 26 stream segments having
maximum temperatures of less than 68 F, temperature did not
significantly affect trout populations. However, when the regres¬
sion analyses were restricted to the 47 stream segments having
maximum temperatures of less than 72 F, temperature remained
the second most important parameter (after hardness).
Hardness was a significant hydrologic parameter in most of the
regression analyses, except for those restricted to streams having
specified ranges of hardness. When the regression was restricted
to the 62 stream segments having hardness greater than 120 mg/1
the parameter of hardness dropped out early in the regression.
This suggests that for hardness values greater than about 120 mg/1
trout populations may not improve as hardness increases. All of
the soft-water streams (streams having hardness of less than 120
mg/1) are in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and adjacent areas of
northern Wisconsin. Most of the hard-water streams are in Michi¬
gan’s Lower Peninsula and in central and southern Wisconsin.
The generally smaller trout populations in the Upper Peninsula,
1974] Hendrickson and Knutilla — Hydrology and Trout 191
in comparison to those in the Lower Peninsula, reflect, in part,
this difference in hardness of the water.
The positive relationship of trout populations to specific con¬
ductance of water in five Pennsylvania streams was pointed out
by McFadden and Cooper (1964). Specific conductance is highly
related to hardness in most fresh-water streams.
Channel characteristics that appear to significantly affect trout
populations are bottom materials, bottom vegetation, and width-
to- depth ratio. Populations generally are greater in streams having
higher percentages of gravel bottom and bottom vegetation. The
relationship of width-to-depth ratios and trout populations gen¬
erally is positive where populations are expressed in pounds per
mile and negative where populations are expressed in pounds per
acre.
In almost all analyses percentage of fish cover showed a surpris¬
ingly poor correlation with trout populations. This may be due in
part to the subjectivity of estimates of fish cover. Also, it is pos¬
sible that fish cover generally is adequate on almost all streams
considered, and that cover significantly influenced populations only
in those short segments where great differences in cover and in
populations may be typical of the stream in general
The differences in multiple correlation coefficients with different
parameters of trout populations suggest that units of measurement
of population in either pounds per acre or pounds per mile are pre¬
ferred to pounds per acre foot or to number per acre or per mile.
(The unit of pounds per acre foot is the unit of pounds per acre
multiplied by depth of channel). Multiple-correlation coefficients
for pounds per mile are slightly higher than those for pounds per
acre, and the standard errors are slightly lower. Most individual
hydrologic parameters were also found to be more highly correlated
with pounds per mile than with pounds per acre. Possibly a
parameter of trout populations combining both area and length
might show a higher correlation with hydrologic parameters than
the units of trout populations used in these analyses.
Variability of streamflow (expressed as the ratio of the 10 and
90 per cent duration discharges, or as the ratio of the mean dis¬
charge and median minimum 7-day low flow) was also a significant
factor in several of the regression analyses. The negative relation¬
ship of variability of streamflow to trout populations was ex¬
pected, because it is generally recognized that “flashy” streams, do
not support large populations of trout. For these streams, avail¬
able cover is greatly reduced at low stages, and shallow depths
contribute to warming of the water. At high stages, erosion of
banks is likely to occur and sediment deposition may become a
problem.
192 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
A negative relationship between the ratio of the 10 and 90 per
cent duration discharges and specific conductance and hardness is
indicated by their relatively high correlation coefficients (—0.65
and —0.70, respectively). This relationship may be explained in
part by the fact that the more uniformly-flowing streams discharge
relatively large amounts of ground water whereas the more flashy
streams discharge relatively large amounts of surface runoff.
Ground water in the study area usually is harder and higher in
specific conductance than surface runoff.
Stream discharge per unit drainage area significantly affected
trout populations in several of the regression analyses. Populations
generally were greater where 90 per cent duration discharge or
7-day low flow were large. Streams having high discharge per unit
drainage area during periods of base flow generally are those that
discharge relatively large amounts of ground water. These streams
also generally have a more stable flow than those with a smaller
discharge per unit drainage area. A negative relationship between
the ratio of the 10 and 90 per cent discharge and the 7-day low
flow, in cubic feet per second per square mile (—0.67) is shown
in Table 1.
SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY
This is the first study known to the authors that attempts to
correlate a wide range of hydrologic parameters with trout popu¬
lations for a large number of stream segments. Although signifi¬
cant correlations were obtained, improvement in the accuracy of
hydrologic and population data would probably improve the results.
It is shown, for example, that when the regression analysis was
run using only streams for which trout population data were
based on the “mark and recapture” method a significant improve¬
ment in the results was attained. With this limitation the standard
error is 65% whereas analyses for streams having only single
survey population counts had a standard error of 95% (Table 2).
If more precise data were to be obtained, it may be desirable to
test the data for curvilinear relationships as well as straight-line
statistical analyses to see whether the correlations might be im¬
proved. It is also possible that more accurate data would show
relationships not demonstrated in the present study. For example,
significant relationships between trout cover and trout populations
may be found.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This study could not have been accomplished without the help of
many fisheries specialists in Michigan and Wisconsin. Special thanks
1974] Hendrickson and Knutilla — Hydrology and Trout 193
go to Gaylord R. Alexander, David P. Borgeson, William H. Bullen,
and Howard Gowing, of the Michigan Department of Natural
Resources, and to Lloyd Andrews, Clifford Brynildson, Robert L.
Hunt, John W. Mason, and Thomas Thuemler, of the Wisconsin
Department of Natural Resources, and to J. H. Green of the U.S.
Geological Survey office, Madison, Wisconsin for his assistance in
preparing the manuscript for publication.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
ALEXANDER, G. R., and SHETTER, D. 1969. Angling statistics and post¬
season trout populations from nine lower Michigan Streams: Michigan
Dept, of Natural Resources, Inst, for Fisheries Research Preliminary
rept., 10 pp.
BALDWIN, N. S. 1957. Food consumption and growth of brook trout at
different temperatures: Trans. Amer. Fish. Soc. 86:323-328.
BENSON, N. G. 1953. The relationship among certain ecological conditions
and trout populations in the Pigeon River: Michigan Dept, of Conserv.,
Inst, for Fisheries Research Rept. No. 1369, 100 pp.
- . 1953. The importance of ground water to trout populations in the
Pigeon River, Michigan: Trans. Eighteenth N. American Wildlife Conf.,
March 9-11, 1953. Wildlife Management Inst., Wash. D. C., pp. 269-281.
- . 1954. Seasonal fluctuations in the feeding of brook trout in the
Pigeon River, Michigan: Trans. Amer. Fish. Soc., 83:8.
ELLIS, R. J., and GOWING, H. 1957. Relationship between food supply and
condition of wild brown trout, Salmo trutta Linnaeus, in a Michigan
Stream. Limnol. and Oceanog. 2:299-308.
FRY, F. E. J. 1951. Some environmental relations of the speckled trout.
Proc. N.E. Atlantic Fish. Conf., May 1951, 29 pp.
HENDRICKSON, G. E., and C. J. DOONAN. 1971. Hydrology and recreation
on the cold-water rivers of Michigan’s Southern Peninsula. U.S. Geol.
Survey open-file report, pp. 50-51.
KNUTILLA, R. L. 1967. Flow characteristics of Michigan streams. U.S.
Geol. Survey open-file report, 337 pp.
McFADDEN, J. T., and E. L. COOPER. 1964. Population dynamics of brown
trout in different environments. Physical Zool. 37:355-363.
MOYLE, J. B. 1956. Relationship between the chemistry of Minnesota surface
water and wildlife management: Jour. Wildlife Manag. 20:303-320.
NEEDHAM, P. R. 1969. Trout streams. 2 ed. Holden-Day, Inc. San Francisco,
Cal. 241 pp.
TEMPERATURE OPTIMUM OF ALGAE LIVING
IN THE OUTFALL OF A POWER PLANT
ON LAKE MONONA
Thomas D. Brock and James Hoffmann
University Wisconsin — ■
Madison
ABSTRACT
Temperature optima for photosynthesis v/ere measured for algal
populations living in the outfall of an electric power plant on Lake
Monona and were compared with the temperature optima of algae
living in a control area in the nearby Yahara River. The tempera¬
ture of the power plant outfall averaged about 8°C higher than
that of the Yahara River. Studies were carried out in both summer
and winter. In the winter, no differences in species composition
between the two study areas could be detected, Cladophora and
Ulothrix being the dominant algae. The temperature optima of
the populations from the two locations were the same, around 27 °C,
although the habitat temperatures at both locations were consider¬
ably lower. The only difference in response to temperature seen
between the two populations was that the population .at the outfall
was able to photosynthesize at higher temperature, still showing
high photosynthesis at 35 °C and detectable photosynthesis at 46 ° C,
a temperature at which the population from the Yahara River
showed no detectable photosynthesis. In the summer, the dominant
algae at the power plant outfall were Stigeoclonium and filamentous
blue-green algae (family Oscillatoriaceae) , whereas at the Yahara
River the algal population was almost exclusively Cladophora . The
temperature optima of both summer populations were the same,
31.5°C, only slightly higher than the mid-winter optima. Again, the
population from the power plant was able to photosynthesize at
higher temperature than the control population, showing quite
active photosynthesis at 42.5 °C, a temperature at which the popu¬
lation from the Yahara River was completely inactive. These results
are discussed in relation to the possible environmental impact of
power plants on Wisconsin lakes and rivers.
Electric power plants in many parts of the world use convenient
natural waters for cooling, returning the water to the environment
at temperatures higher than ambient. In the mixing zone of heated
195
196 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
water discharge, impact on aquatic organisms and ecosystems may
occur. One of the presumed consequences of man-made heating is
an increase in algal growth and a change in the algal species
present (Patrick, 1969). However, few studies have been carried
out to verify this assumption. Additionally, there have been no
studies to see if the algae developing in such warm water outfalls
have become adapted to the temperatures they are experiencing.
The availability of a convenient power plant outfall of the Madison
Gas and Electric Company on Lake Monona prompted the present
study. In a sense, this study supplements and extends a more de¬
tailed study which was done by Boylen and Brock (1973) in Yellow¬
stone National Park, measuring the effect of thermal additions
from the Yellowstone geyser basins on the benthic algae of the
Firehole River. In that study, it was shown that heating of the
river resulted in marked increases in algal growth rate and stand¬
ing crop, but that the algae were optimally adapted to the tempera¬
tures that they experienced. Further, the algae retained their
mid-summer temperature optima even during the time of the year
when the water temperatures were considerably lower due to runoff
of melting snow.
It was of interest to see whether algae living in a power plant
outfall would retain their mid-summer temperature optima
throughout the year. Consequently, the temperature optima of the
algae in the Lake Monona outfall were measured both in winter
and mid-summer, and were compared to the temperature optima
of algae from a control area, the Yahara River, which carries Lake
Mendota water into Lake Monona, but whose temperature is not
modified by power plant effluents. The results show that the algae
in both the power plant outfall and the Yahara River have tem¬
perature optima are no higher. The only clear distinction between
as with the Yellowstone algae, they retain their mid-summer optima
even during cold portions of the season. Despite the fact that the
algae in the power plant outfall experience throughout the year
temperatures higher than the algae in the control area, their tem¬
perature optima is no higher. The only clear distinction between
the two algal populations with respect to temperature is that the
algae in the power plant effluent are able to photosynthesize at
temperatures somewhat higher than the control algae. Additionally,
the species composition of the algae in the power plant effluent
shows minor differences from that in the Yahara River, although
it has not been shown that this is a direct effect of the heating
brought about by the power plant, since the two habitats may differ
in other, unmeasured ways.
1974] Brock and Hoffmann — Temperature of Algae 197
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The outfall from the Madison Gas and Electric Company plant
is at the foot of Blount Street, Madison, Wisconsin, immediately
adjacent to the Elks Club. The current created by the effluent is
very strong immediately adjacent to the outfall, but decreases con¬
siderably with distance. The actual flow pattern of the outfall is
influenced by wind and current, but there is an area immediately
north of the outfall where relatively constant current exists, and
samples were taken from this area. It was important to avoid areas
of extremely rapid flow because the scouring action of the water
prevented significant algal development. The control area on the
Yahara River was chosen so that the flow rate wras. similar to that
of the outfall area. In the winter, ice rarely forms in the Yahara
River and algal populations were always present. Temperature was
measured with a thermistor probe at the site of collection.
Algae were collected by removing rocks containing visibly green
material, placing these in plastic bags containing water from the
habitat, and returning these to the laboratory. The algae were
removed from the rocks by scraping gently with a brush, or by
picking algal filaments with forceps. Care was taken to maintain
the temperature of the algae at that of the habitat until the experi¬
ments were initiated. To avoid any changes after collection, experi¬
ments to measure the temperature optima of the algae were done
the same day the samples were collected.
The optimum temperature for photosynthesis was measured
using a radioisotope method, details, of which are described by
Boylen and Brock (1973) . The filamentous algae were cut into small
pieces with scissors and distributed in approximately equal amounts
in 5 ml glass vials containing 4 ml water from the habitat. The
vials were immersed in water baths at the desired temperatures,
allowed to equilibrate for 10 minutes, and 0.1 ml of NaH14C03
(10 /xCi/ml) injected into each vial. Light intensity was held con¬
stant at each temperature at about 250 foot-candles using fluores¬
cent lights. In addition to the experimental vials, vials incubated in
the dark were used. Uptake of radioactivity in the dark was much
lower than in the light, and the dark uptake values were subse¬
quently deducted from the experimental values.
The experiments were terminated by adding 0.5 ml of 40%
formaldehyde to each vial. An additional control in each experiment
was a vial to which formaldehyde was added at zero time, before
the isotope. Formaldehyde controls, always showed low uptake of
radioactivity. Uptake of radioactivity was linear with time over
several hours ; in most experiments incubation times of three hours
were used. Such incubation times were sufficiently long so that
198 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
significant incorporation of radioactivity occurred, yet short enough
so that secondary effects of incubation were avoided.
For processing, the contents, of each vial .were transferred to a
plastic centrifuge tube, homogenized with a Teflon homogenizer,
and 0.5 ml filtered through a membrane filter. The radioactivity
of the dried filter was then measured by liquid scintillation count¬
ing. The remaining material in each tube was centrifuged, the
pellet suspended in acetone, and homogenized again. The tubes were
allowed to stand overnight in the refrigerator, centrifuged, and the
chlorophyll content of the extracts measured in a Bausch and Lomb
Spectronic 20 colorimeter at a wavelength of 665 nm. The radio¬
activity per vial was then divided by the chlorophyll per vial, so
that each sample was normalized to the same amount of chlorophyll
In this way, variations in sample size in the original incubation
vials could be obviated. The details of these procedures are de¬
scribed by Brock and Brock (1967).
RESULTS
The measured temperatures of the power plant outfall and the
control station on the Yahara River over a one year period are
shown in Table 1. As seen, the power plant effluent was always
TABLE 1. WATER TEMPERATURE OF THE LAKE MONONA POWER
PLANT OUTFALL AND OF THE YAHARA RIVER NEAR ITS
ENTRANCE INTO LAKE MONONA
Average temperature difference between the outfall and the river over the
period of study, 8°C.
1974] Brock and Hoffmann — Temperature of Algae
199
warmer, and the average temperature differential was 8.0 °C. The
warmest temperature measured at the outfall, in mid- July, was
35.0 °C, and the coldest, in mid- January, was 10.2 °C. The winter
of 1973 was unusually mild, and ice left Lake Men dot a in early
March, so that the temperatures of the Yahara River in winter
were warmer than normal. In a normal winter when ice does not
leave Lake Mendota until April, the temperature of the Yahara
River would remain close to 0°C for three or four months.
Winter studies. No obvious differences in species composition
between the two study areas could be determined which could be
related to temperature differences. At both stations, Cladophora
and Ulothrix were dominant algae, associated with small numbers
of pennate diatoms. At the outfall, Stigeoclonium was found in
small numbers, and in the Yahara River Rhizoclonium was seen.
The temperature optima of algal samples collected on 1 February
1973 are shown in Fig. 1. As seen, the optimum for both algae
was about the same, around 27 °C, despite the fact that the habitats
of both populations must have been considerably cooler for at least
two or three months. The only difference in response to temperature
FIGURE 1. Effect of temperature on photosyn¬
thesis of algal populations collected at the power
plant outfall (temperature 11.2° C) and the Yahara
River (temperature 3.5° C) on 1 February 1973.
200 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
between the two populations was that the population at the outfall
was able to photosynthesize at higher temperature, still showing
high photosynthesis at 35 °C and detectable photosynthesis at 46 °C,
a temperature at which the population from the Yahara River
showed no detectable photosynthesis. Another experiment was done
with material collected on 13 February 1973. Again, both algal
populations had the same temperature optimum, but the optimum
was now a little lower, a broad peak being seen from 20-27 °C.
As before, the algal population from the outfall was able to photo¬
synthesize at a higher temperature than the population from the
Yahara River. The species composition on 13 February was similar
to that on 1 February.
Summer studies. Samples were collected on 14 August 1973, at
which time both habitats had been warm for at least 1.5 months.
At the power plant outfall, the dominant algae were Stigeoclonium
and filamentous blue-green algae of the family Oscillatoriaceae.
At the Yahara River, the population was almost exclusively
Cladoyhora. It is of interest that blue-green algae were never seen
in the winter, or at the Yahara River even in summer, and at no
time could blue-green algae have been considered dominant.
The temperature optima of the algal populations collected in
mid-summer are given in Fig. 2. As seen, the optima of both popu¬
lations are the same, 31.5°C, only slightly higher than the mid¬
winter optima illustrated in Fig. 1. Again, the population from
the power plant is able to photosynthesize at higher temperature
than the control population, and shows quite active photosynthesis
at 42.5 °C, a temperature at which the population from the Yahara
River is completely inactive. Another interesting comparison be¬
tween Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 is that the actual photosynthetic uptake
of C02 per unit chlorophyll is much higher in the summer than in
the winter algal populations. This presumably reflects the fact that
the winter populations are- in a physiologically inactive state, either
because of the low light intensity or the low temperature at which
they are growing. Despite these marked quantitative differences
between the populations from the two seasons, the temperature
optima are virtually identical.
DISCUSSION
The results of the present studies agree closely with the work
of Boylen and Brock (1973) in the Firehole River, Yellowstone
National Park, in showing that the temperature optima of algae
do not vary throughout the year even though the habitat tem¬
peratures do vary widely. The algae in the present study showed
virtually the same temperature optimum in mid-winter as in mid-
1974] Brock and Hoffmann — Temperature of Algae
201
FIGURE 2. Effect of temperature on photosyn¬
thesis of algal populations collected at the power
plant outfall (temperature 30.0° C) and the Yahara
River (temperature 24.0° C) on 14 August 1973.
summer, despite the fact that the habitat temperature was 15-25 °C
higher in summer than in winter. This suggests that, at least in
freshwater environments, algae adapted optimally to low tempera¬
tures do not occur. There is evidence in some marine environments
of winter algal populations adapted to low temperatures, being
replaced in summer by different algae adapted to higher tempera¬
tures (Feldmann, 1951). Conceivably, in freshwaters, algae op¬
timally adapted to low temperatures would have no low temperature
refuge during the warm summer months, would be killed off, and
hence would not be available to colonize during the subsequent
cold period. In marine environments, deeper cold habitats may be
available as low-temperature summer refuges.
202 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
A second conclusion from this study is that a population specif¬
ically adapted to the warmer waters of the power plant effluent
has not developed. Although it is true that the temperature differ¬
ential between the two habitats averaged only about 8.0 °C, Boylen
and Brock (1973) were able to observe adaptation of algal popu¬
lations to temperature differences even less than these. However,
even though the algae at the outfall did not have a temperature
optimum which was higher than the control, they did show some
ability to adapt to the warmer waters, since it was always observed
that the algae at the power plant outfall were able to photosynthe-
size at higher temperatures than the algae at the control location.
It was also noted in every case that photosynthesis per unit chloro¬
phyll was higher in the algae from the power plant outfall than in
the control algae, presumably because the former were able to
photosynthesize more efficiently. Conceivably, this more efficient
photosynthesis reflects an algal population which is growing under
more favorable conditions. This may be a temperature effect, but
it could also be a current effect, even though some care was taken
to select two habitats which had similar current patterns. Some
of the difference in the temperature responses of the two algal
populations could be due to differences in species composition, and
thus only indirectly be due to differences in temperature.
These results, together with those of Boylen and Brock (1973),
permit some prediction of the effect of thermal pollution on the
development of algal populations in freshwaters. First, since the
algae seem to be preadapted to warm temperatures even in the
winter, if a freshwater habitat is heated as a result of a new power
plant effluent, algal growth should increase in rate, probably result¬
ing in increase in standing crop. Although the present study did
not concern algal growth rates, the previous study (Boylen and
Brock, 1973) showed clearly that algal growth rate and standing
crop were higher in the heated than in the unheated water. Since
in both habitats, the algae are preadapted to the warmest tem¬
peratures found in the summer, it seems reasonable to predict
that increasing the temperature of the habitat artificially should
result in increased algal growth.
Second, at the temperatures observed in the present study, blue-
green algae never became dominant. This was true even though
temperatures at the power plant outfall reached 35.0 °C in mid¬
summer. As has been shown in previous work (Brock, 1967, Tansey
and Brock, 1972), eucaryotic algae are able to grow at tempera¬
tures up to 55-60 °C, and only at temperatures above this would
exclusively blue-green algal populations necessarily develop. How¬
ever, in most hot spring thermal gradients blue-green algae are the
1974] Brock and Hoffmann — Temperature of Algae 203
dominant or sole algal components at temperatures as low as 40 °C.
Only when temperatures have dropped below 40 °C are eucaryotic
algae seen to form extensive or dominant populations. Since in the
habitats under study in the present paper, the highest temperature
seen was 35 °C, it is not surprising that eucaryotic algae dominated
the populations throughout. Interestingly, some blue-green algae
were seen in the power plant effluent in mid-summer, at which time
the temperature was the highest, suggesting that the habitat tem¬
perature may have been becoming more favorable for the blue-
green algae. A reasonable prediction is that if the power plant
effluent should increase in temperature above 40 °C, the scale may
be further tipped in the direction of the blue-green algae and these
organisms may become dominant. Such increases in temperature
could conceivably occur as a result of increased power plant
loading.
From the point of view of thermal pollution, the state of Wis¬
consin is fortunate in that its natural waters are generally low
in temperature, so that increased temperature due to power plant
activity does not push the water temperature above the critical
40 °C point. In other parts of the country, where natural water
temperatures are higher in the summer, an increase of 8-10 °C
due to power plant activity might have considerably greater effect
in promoting blue-green algal development. At least at the moment,
there is no reason to believe that the power plant on Lake Monona
is having any troublesome effect on algal populations which develop
in its outfall.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This work was supported by a research contract from the
Atomic Energy Commission (COO-2161-18) .
REFERENCES
BOYLEN, C. W. and T. D. BROCK. 1973. Effects of thermal additions from
the Yellowstone geyser basins on the benthic algae of the Firehole River.
Ecology 54:1282-1291.
BROCK, T. D. 1967. Life at high temperatures. Science 158:1012-1019.
BROCK, T. D. and M. L. BROCK. 1967. The measurement of chlorophyll,
primary productivity, photophosphorylation, and macromolecules in
benthic algal mats. Limnol. Oceanogr. 12:600-605.
FELDMANN, J. 1951. Ecology of marine algae. In Smith, G. M. (ed.)
Manual of Pliy colog y. Ronald Press, New York.
PATRICK, R. 1969. Some effects of temperature on freshwater algae,
p. 161-185. In Krenkel, P. A. and F. L. Parker (eds.) Biological aspects
of thermal pollution. Vanderbilt Univ. Press.
TANSEY, M. R. and T. D. BROCK. 1972. The upper temperature limit for
eucaryotic organisms. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 69:2426-2428.
■? .
A CORRECTION IN SET THEORY
William Dilworth
Beloit , Wisconsin
PREFACE
The logic and assumptions which today comprise the ‘foundations
of mathematics’ often lead to paradox — the name given to a logical
but patently absurd conclusion. One may regard paradox with awe,
or one may look for underlying errors.
Orthodox mathematical belief today holds that we may take a
solid sphere of any fixed size, divide it into a few pieces, and then
reassamble those pieces into two solid spheres, each of the same
fixed size as the first. This theorem, due to S. Banach and A. Tarski
in 1924, has been acclaimed as a triumph of modern methods.
Logically similar notions weave through the “new mathematics”
taught everywhere today.
In the 1924 paper the authors depend explicitly on the work of
F. Hausdorff, who was in turn building on Georg Cantor’s theory
of sets. So either the sphere surgery can be done, and one equals
two, or we had better have another look at Cantor’s sets. Here I
present an analysis, made possible by modern semantics, of a cen¬
tral fallacy in Cantor’s theory. The reader will follow my argument
without difficulty if he understands that certain endless sequences
of fractions have finite limits; e.g., one-half plus one-quarter plus
one-eighth, and so on, never totals more than one, no matter how
far extended.
This paper expands on the following topics :
Numbers Generally . The Archimedean test for equality or in¬
equality of two quantities enables us to determine, no matter what
anyone may claim, whether some given form actually defines a
numerical value, or not.
Scalars. The adjective “real” has traditionally been applied to an
important technical class of numbers, confusing students and
promulgating philosophical haggles. The exact synonym “scalar”
number is adopted for its structural implications.
Nndless Convergent Summations. General examples of the “one-
half plus one-quarter” type of sequence are introduced, along with
the compact modern notation in which we can exactly express them.
We find that all of the scalar numbers can be so expressed, under
the summation symbol. On the other hand, decimals, while prac¬
tical and convenient, happen to be inadequate to this task.
205
206 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
Given Numbers. To have a “given number”, as it is casually put
in the literature, some Jones must give it to some Smith. This
human condition limits the possibilities in interesting ways.
Permutations. This is the technical word for what we commonly
call arrangements, such as the way in which a set of books might
be arrayed along a short shelf, ordered say by authors, or by titles,
etc. Simple laws define how much total variety of arrangement is
possible given, say, twenty books and a shelf which will hold five.
i(New Permutations” . With the laws just mentioned, we are in a
position to refute immediately any claim that someone could pro¬
duce a new, unexpected, and unpredictable permutation within an
already defined system. From this framework of secure knowledge,
we are prepared to examine critically Georg Cantor’s famous
“proof” that the scalar number system is irreparably disordered
and disarrayed.
Cantor’s Diagonal Argument. This is the cornerstone of Cantor’
century of influence on mathematics. He claims always to generate
“new numbers”, not already in any conceivable list. From our
permutational point of view, his manipulations are not impene¬
trable. We and Cantor agree on the elements (books and shelf)
of a system. We then display to Cantor all permutations of the
books taken, say, three at a time (a permutation of length 3). In
order to find a “new” permutation, Cantor insists on using a greater
length — namely, four. Thereupon we display to him all permuta¬
tions of length four; he retreats to the claim that he should be
allowed five. Before modern semantic methods made the present
analysis possible, Cantor’s ability to produce “new” arrangements,
while unseen he increased the length of the arrays to which he had
access, appeared almost magical. His claims were accepted— never
explained.
Decimal Expansions. The illusion that Cantor has each time
come up with a “new number” involves a misreading of the decimal
expressions he uses. By a straightforward inspection of decimals,
as well as by a general professional consensus, many scalar num¬
bers cannot be expressed exactly in decimal form. He who fails,
through a lack of rigor, to remember the limitations of the decimal
system, may imagine that he sees in Cantor’s truncated decimal
forms the “objective real numbers”; he slides into Cantor’s subtle
mistake.
The literature contains many dire predictions that parts of
higher mathematics “would collapse” if any defect in Cantor’s
theory were ever found. My personal communications with pro¬
fessionals show that many of them share this fear. What are the
facts? Nothing solid in mathematics is going to collapse. Certain
1974]
Dihvorth — A Correction In Set Theory
207
passages in special arguments may have to be modified. New, pos¬
sibly fruitful, insights may result.
INTRODUCTION
Georg Cantor, a German mathematician of the late 19th century,
fathered the ‘theory of transfinite sets’. His remarkable ideas were
scathingly attacked by his contemporary, the illustrious Kronecker.
Poincare, considered the leading mathematician of the time, was at
first intrigued but later became bitterly disillusioned and declared
the thing to be a mathematical disease. But Cantor finally won
authoritative acclaim from Hilbert and Bertrand Russell, and car¬
ried the day. With rare exceptions, critics have been silent to this
day.
Direct results of Cantor’s theory now appear even in elementary
textbooks, and a long deductive chain runs from it to the ‘Banach-
Tarski’ spheres. In a roundabout but hopefully heuristic way, we
want to have a good look at the cornerstone of Cantor’s system.
We are concerned here only with the set-theoretic issues; the
quality and importance of some other work done by Cantor is, I
believe, beyond dispute.
Numbers generally. Archimedes first gave formal expression to
our common intuition as to what constitutes a number or, rather,
how we can tell in some case whether we have a number or not.
It is often called Archimedes’ principle ; it is in the strictest modern
sense an operational test. Briefly, if C and D are numbers, then
just one of the following three cases holds:
a) C is greater than D (C > D),
or b) C is equal to D (C = D),
or c) is less than D (C < D).
If, for whatever reason in a given case, we find that we cannot
determine which of these three condition holds, then it follows that
C, or D, or both, does not define a number.
It frequently happens, both in practice and in theoretical work,
that we cannot make the Archimedean test because, while we have
some information about a number, we do not have enough to define
it exactly. That is, we may know a range within which the number
lies, but nothing more. If C is “4 and a little more”, the test may
fail. Likewise if C is “4 + a remainder”. And particularly, if C is
given in an incomplete form, such as 4.32* ••, then it is in fact
impossible to determine whether C is greater than, equal to, or
less than 173/40, for example. The meaning of the familiar “ • • • ”
can become rather subtle, when we get into endless (infinite) se¬
ries. A small difference between C and D can make a lot of differ-
208 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
ence in results. If the expression “C — D” appears in a denominator,
then our answer may be negative, or positive, or meaningless,
depending upon that “little difference”.
The exact definition of a number need not be simply in digits.
Not only are operator symbols such as + and / regularly used in
defining numbers but purely verbal sentences or longer contexts
may be used. Anything we can put in mathematical symbols we
can also eventually manage to say. “A circle’s radius over its cir¬
cumference” defines in simple English exactly one number; by
routine operations we can actually compare “half the reciprocal
of pi” with any other given value, for equality or specific inequality,
as required.
The full scalar number system. All the numbers referred to here¬
under will be scalar numbers. One scalar number, or scalar, defines
exactly one point on a lineal scale which is endless both left and
right of a zero point and on which a unit length is assigned. A
scalar defines one point. Conversely, any fixed point on the line,
even if it has been defined only by geometric operations or other¬
wise, is associated with one unique scalar. Historically, in cases
where a geometric or algebraic definition came first, the develop¬
ment of the required numerical scalar became an urgent need. Such
needs have always been met and today the scalar number system is
considered complete. All modern theories in calculus and analysis
assume and depend upon this fact.
The foregoing statements imply that every scalar number is fully
defined, single-valued, fixed and constant. I will rigorously adhere
to that connotation. When a domain of definitions, or a range of
values, is meant, those terms, along with ‘function’ and ‘variable’
will be used. One may argue with considerable justification that
the multi-level structure of both mathematical and nonmathematical
language make some ambiguity inevitable. I will say that it is diffi¬
cult to be consistently clear but I will try anyhow.
A scalar number is additive in structure. Any two scalars add
to form a single scalar. From the theory of algebraic fields : Addi¬
tion is postulated, multiplication is repeated addition, subtraction
is inverse addition and division is inverse multiplication. As would
be expected, the latest forms of scalars to evolve are the most gen¬
eral and have an elaborate composition. However, an organized
hierarchy of transformations permits us to express even the earliest
and simplest scalars precisely in the latest general forms. For the
exact representation of scalars generally, two specific numerical
frames are available : Continued fractions, and endless series. It is
of interest that we can without loss of meaning interchange the
adjectives, to say endless fractions and continued series. Also, many
1974]
Dilworth — A Correction In Set Theory
209
people would prefer “infinite” to “endless” — one may consult the
dictionary and his own taste.
Endless convergent summations. Although the continued frac¬
tions are of profound number-theory interest, bounded summations
of endless series of diminishing fractional terms are more familiar
and fully adequate for our purpose. In the powerful notation of
modern mathematics, the notion of an endless convergent summa¬
tion condenses to :
n a.
(1) S, a scalar, = lim 2 -t-1.
i bi
The index i ranges over i = 1, 2, 8, • • *, to and including n. And
n has no upper bound. This is important. The symbol n and the
complex symbol n — > oo are used interchangeably in the literature,
which interchangeability I fully accept, in the above context. There
is a context which does not permit n and n — > oo to mean the
same thing, and that is when the series ai/bi is such that the
partial sums do not converge. In that case the “limit of the summa¬
tion” has no meaning, and the summation itself has a numerical
value only when n is fixed. In the case we are discussing, (1), the
series is defined as convergent and the summation has an upper
bound and a limit even when n exceeds any bound, and n then ex¬
ceeds a still higher bound, endlessly.
After such a paragraph, we need examples. Every so-called
‘transcendental’ scalar can be genetically expressed in the form
shown in (1), although the detailed structure of the fraction ai/bj
may be quite complicated. For a relatively uncomplicated example,
we have
n 1
(2) e (epsilon, base of nat. logarithms) = lim 2,-p - y~j.
The summation in (2) can be proven never to exceed 14/5, when
n increases without limit.
On the other hand, the innocent-looking fraction 1/i, when part
of the summation expression
n ^ co
(3) 5 i — , becomes part of a summation that never stops
i 1
growing ; it exceeds every bound ; hence it would be incorrect
to precede it with the term “lim” (limit), or to equate it with
any numerical or algebraical symbol whatsoever.
When it is understood that the series converges, we can call
OO
2 ti a closed or hound form, because when ti is given we have,
210 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
in a finite number of symbols, all the information necessary to
expand the series endlessly. But, of course, to get the closed form,
we had to use the finite abbreviation “i” to represent the basic,
perfectly regular, endless system of integers 1, 2, • • * . If i did
not represent a perfectly regular, pre-known system, it would then
00
be impossible to expand 5 U to produce a single, definite
i
numerical scalar value.
Given Numbers. Mathematics textbooks often use the phrase
“given the number x . Let us expand a little on this phrase, the
meaning of which is usually taken to be self-evident. To say that
someone, say Jones, has given a number to someone else, say Smith,
means first of all that they both understand and accept a language
and a symbol system. It also means that Jones knows techniques
by which he can expand that number to any required degree of
accuracy, say to n places, and that Smith, independently, can also
expand that number to as many places, and that the two expansions
will be identical, term by term. It may be easier, in this case or
that, to make decimal expansions, but it can always be done also
in common rational fractions. Note that Jones can never give Smith
the endless expansion itself — only some closed form. Jones and
Smith are limited by the conditions of human communication.
Surprisingly, many of the professional mathematicians whom I
have consulted over the years resist and refuse to acknowledge
the foregoing operational facts. I have been accused of “philosophiz¬
ing” about the matter. They have insisted that the endless expan¬
sion itself can somehow be completed, communicated, and that it
alone constitutes the scalar number. Moreover, the requirement
for regularity of development of the expansion is not generally
recognized. A professor of mathematics at Michigan, with whom
I had already discussed these points in person and established some
rapport, sent me a well-drafted letter declaring that the successive
digits of the endless decimal expansion of a number could be de¬
cided by a function on repeated throws of a pair of dice. He was
at first non-plussed when I pointed out that his procedure would
predictably produce different sequences each time it was performed
and so that it was, if anything mathematical, a variable rather than
a single, definite number. Soon, however, that reasonable man con¬
ceded, “By golly, you’re right!” Had he written a textbook before
that exchange, however, his “formula for producing a scalar num¬
ber” might very well have gone on to classes and, perhaps, to
posterity.
Permutation systems. A permutation is an arrangement of some
or all elements of a prescribed set. Repetitions of the same element
1974]
Dilworth — A Correction In Set Theory
211
may or may not be permitted. The word ‘sphere’ (s,p,h,e,r,e) is a
six-place permutation of letters from the 26 of the alphabet. One
character, e, is repeated. The total possible variety of such six-place
permutations is just 26°, or exactly 308,915,776, a large but clearly
finite number. Most of the arrangements do not spell words, of
course. The alphabet itself has a fixed, rather small number of
characters. Even the total variety of characters and signs available
for printing is limited. Obviously, an ‘infinite alphabet’ would
before long contain unrecognizable symbols and has in fact no
serious meaning.
Every expression defining a scalar number is a permutation
selected from a fixed ‘font’ of symbols, including digits and opera¬
tors such as 2, 7, +, /, etc. Each character in the set is a single,
uncompounded, discrete character. The word ‘permutation’ implies,
of course, that the characters gain added significance from their
position within the arrangement.
Consider now the two digits 0 and 1 of the binary system. It is
a universally acknowledged fact that these two characters, plus the
point can define every numerical value that is possible in the
standard decimal system. This similarity extends in particular to
the issue of endless expansions.
We regard the characters 0 and 1 from a permutational point of
view, neglecting for the moment their standing as scalar numbers
and digits. However, for continuity in the later argument, each
permutation is preceded by a point, so we write .0 1, .0 1 0, .1 1,
etc. Since the point appears in the same position in every case, it
has no bearing on the variety of possible permutations. Let us now
see what is the mathematical meaning of “all possible permuta¬
tions of 0 and 1, to n places, when n = 1, 2, 3, • • •, and so on with¬
out end.” We could start with n = 15, say, and then pick up the
smaller values of n in another order, but this would make sys¬
tematic examination of all the possibilities more awkward. So we
start more naturally with n = 1.
Let “pm.” stand for “permutation”. Then a little experimenta¬
tion quickly reveals the following structure :
212 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
There is a simple law describing the quantitative growth of per-
mutational variety in the above system. The number of elemental
characters is 2. Taking j as index for the number of places, the
number of pms. in each row is exactly 2j. It cannot be more. More¬
over, there is a simple law for the total number of pms. in all rows
up to and including the j-th, and that is just 2j+1 — 1. This last sum
shows that all the pms. in the system are technically countable , i.e.,
the pms. may be paired off with the integers i = 1, 2, 3, • • •. We
note here the elementary fact that the integers cannot be summed.
OO 00
That is, 5 i is a divergent series and has no total. Likewise, 3 23 is
i _ j
i
divergent, and indeed at a faster rate than 2 i. Nevertheless, the
OO
technical property of countability is preserved. We have sketched
the structure of any two-character permutational system. With
suitable substitutions in the algebraic variables, the same state¬
ments hold for the base-ten, decimal system.
“New” permutations. It 'happens', i.e., it is a consequence of our
standard, highly abbreviated system for writing integers, that
every permutation of the set of base-ten digits, without a point,
defines an integer. Some pms. are redundant, eg., 03 = 3, but
otherwise there are no "spelling rules" needed.
Referring again to the base-two system, suppose now someone
comes along and claims that he has a way of constructing a new
pm., one not included in the countable system we have developed
above. To common sense, this appears to be impossible. If his new
entry has one place, how can it be other than 0 or 1 ? Obviously, it
cannot. If his new entry has two places, how can it be other than
0 0, 0 1, 1 0, or 11? Obviously, it cannot. Common sense is right.
If his new entry has n places, how can it be other than one of the
2 11 pms. which develop in our countable system? It cannot . Only
one 'possibility' remains. Does this orderly, fully developed permu¬
tational system suddenly fail if n has no upper bound? Why
should it?
Still, someone has made the claim, not only that he can produce
a new pm. not in any list we can devise, but that he has also
thereby proved that pm. systems in general are unorderable, that
their members cannot be counted off one-for-one with the integers,
and that he thus demonstrates that he knows of an infinity beyond
infinity. If we try to count his pms., he says, the integers will
become exhausted. "Yes sir," the head of the mathematics depart¬
ment of a Univ. of Illinois section said matter-of-factly to my face,
"The integers will become exhausted." Relieve it or not, Georg
Cantor made these remarkable claims stick with the world's mathe-
1974]
Dilworth — A Correction In Set Theory
213
maticians of his time, and they stick unto this day. The effects of
the Cantorian grip on the professional mind have to be experienced
to be believed.
Cantor's diagonal argument . Here is how he proceeds. Cantor
invites us to make a list of permutations, and we are to take the
position that our list is so arranged as to include all possible pms.
Suppose we start:
1st pm. .0 0 0
2nd pm. .0 11
3rd pm. .0 10
• • • « • •
Now, Cantor reminds us, one pm. is defined as distinct from an¬
other if it differs from that other in any one specified place . We
agree to this. “So,” he says, “because the first digit of your first
pm. is 0, the first digit of my new pm. (usually called z) will be
not 0 but 1. Therefore, z is not the same as your first pm.” “Now,”
says Cantor, “the 2nd digit of your 2nd pm. is 1, so I make the
2nd digit of z to be 0. And so z is not your 2nd pm. Since the 3rd
digit of your 3rd pm. is 0, I make the 3rd digit of z as 1. There¬
fore z is not your 3rd pm. And so on. I win.” Historically and up
to this date, he has icon. The horrendous “alephs” of his endless
infinities thunder through the evening skies of academe “with
hooves of steel”, as the songwriter put it.
You will doubt that anyone could be deceived by the foregoing
brief and transparent manipulations. Nor were they. Cantor’s his¬
toric presentation was in subtly different terms. No discussion of
permutational structures preceded his demonstration. He insists
that he is dealing directly with the objects of the “real” (scalar)
number system, and that therefore their putative un-orderability
and un-countability are a matter of the gravest concern for all of
mathematics. He declared that his conclusions were forced upon him
by compelling logic, against his own will. He made it stick and, if
one believes him, one will also come to believe in the Banach-Tarski
spheres.
Let us go back to where Cantor says, “And so on.” Because, con¬
trary to Cantor’s colleagues and even his critics, we have taken
pains to analyze and understand in advance the orderly and end¬
less structure of our permutational system, and we do not have to
confuse it with “real numbers”, we are in a position to object to
his calm, “And so on.” “You, Cantor, have not seen our 4th pm.
yet. It has only three digits; there is not a “fourth” one to work
on; and your “new” pm. z = .1 0 1 certainly does appear in our
list.”
Cantor wants to wave aside our statements. “You don’t under¬
stand,” he says. “All such arrays of digits are endless. You have
214 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
only shown me three places. Every one knows that all real num¬
bers lead to endless expansions . . We ask, “Can’t we just talk
about the pms. first? All numbers are permutations of digits and
other symbols. Don’t these laws apply?” And at about this point
your Cantor (ian) will declare, “Right now I don’t care anything
about permutations. What I want to do is prove to you the correct¬
ness of the diagonal argument, and you are supposed to have writ¬
ten the real numbers all down here and only the endless decimal
form will do and closed forms and finite rationals and things like
that simply do not matter. They do not matter because they will
not help my argument which can only proceed, when you have
already written down all the endless decimals and so on.” I do not
exaggerate.
Now the refusal of the Cantorians to allow us to develop an
orderly listing of all scalars by taking one-symbol pms. first, then
two-symbol pms., etc., using whatever conventional digital and
operator characters are required, is truly ironic. That is because
Cantor himself had earlier made mathematical history by proving
that all of the first three orders of scalars, namely integers, ration¬
als, and radicals, could indeed be ordered, and counted, and all had
the same “type of infinity”. It is worth noting that expositors today
describe this feat of Cantor’s without ever mentioning that he did
it by systematically putting all of the shortest forms first ; then the
next longer, and so on. There is, as you may well conclude, no other
way of ordering an endless system. Whether subconsciously or not,
these writers manage to avoid displaying short vs long forms, by
sticking to extremely simple cases in ten-base numerals, or by
resorting to algebraic symbols which effectively conceal the lengths
of the corresponding numerals. At least a part of their interest is
clear : They have written many books giving many solemn proofs,
confirmations and consequences of Cantor’s argument that, alone
among all the scalars, the general form employing the summation
operator 2 cannot be ordered and counted. Their desire to believe
is strong, if not profound. The shibboleth, “The n-th digit of z is
different from the n-th digit of the n-th number in the list” acts
to paralyze the higher centers. Since the simple scalar numeral
“3” does not have a “n-th” digit the Cantorians “expand” it with
an infinity of zeroes after the point, for no other reason or purpose
than to sustain the illusions of the diagonal argument.
Decimal expansions. Let us look at the definition of an endless
decimal as “a definite scalar number”. First of all, the literature
is in fact replete with descriptions of the properties and limita¬
tions of decimal expansions which state that some scalar numbers
cannot be exactly defined by decimals. Yet, in other references, the
endless decimals are given genetic status as scalar numbers. The
1974]
Dilworth — A Correction In Set Theory
215
endless decimals may be regarded as the actual objects of the real
number system, one authority puts it. Now these declarations
involve flat contradictions, of course. We could say that mathe¬
maticians are only human, but that would explain nothing. There
is a reason, indeed a doctrinal reason, for this anomalous situation.
I want to say here that our modern system of decimal notation
is a truly marvelous mathematical structure, thousands of years
in development and brought to its present state only during the
Renaissance. (Shortly it will be refined a little more, when the
clumsy redundancy of “x Kb'” in so-called scientific notation will
be replaced by a suitably positioned single e for the power of ten.)
However, decimal fractions, wherein the issue of “expansions’'
arises, are only one of several possible forms for fractions, and of
course everyone who is taught arithmetic is taught common frac¬
tions, as well. Now it is an elementary but noteworthy fact that, if
we actually restrict ourselves to the ten digits and the point, many
common fractions can never be exactly shown or ‘given’ in decimal
form. Consider a/b = .2592 • • This cannot be unambiguously
solved for two integers a and b. The best we could say is that a/b
is equal to or greater than 162/625 and less than 2593/10,000. Of
course this might be good enough for many practical purposes but
is not significant in a theory of rational numbers. Recall that the
Cantorian diagonal argument implies that a difference in the n-th
digit is meaningful, no matter whether that might be the 10th digit,
or the billionth, or when n increases endlessly.
The integers a and b in the above example can be exactly defined
by the addition to the decimal system of a conventional but little
used symbol called the vinculum (or some equivalent). This is a
line over a set of decimal digits meaning that the permutation of
digits repeats endlessly in the expansion. In other words, the
vinculum is a symbol abbreviating the sentence preceding this one.
In many cases, writers modify and circumscribe a numerical ex¬
pression by a couple of paragraphs of special, one-purpose exposi¬
tory text and then appear to believe that all that complex of
meaning actually resides in the numerical itself. It reminds one of
the comedians’ convention where so many jokes were going about
that they were referred to as No. 29, No. 172, etc. When one fellow
heard “No. 17” he fell into a fit of laughter, since he had never
heard that one before! At any rate, the vinculum is an addition to
the set of ten digits and the point; it permits us to drop one digit
from our example and show a/b = .259, wherefrom a/b is exactly
7/27, and nothing else. Without the vinculum, or some symbolic or
linguistic substitution for it, the “endless decimal expansion” can¬
not define 7/27 or others of that type.
216 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
When it comes to so-called irrational numbers, like y7, the
deficiency of the decimal expansion is far more striking. There
is no equivalent of the vinculum for irrationals. Nor can any be
invented. For rationals, the vinculum delineates a pattern which
survives the transcription from the common fraction into the
decimal fraction form, and from this pattern the closed form a/b
can be exactly recovered. When \/7 is expanded in decimals, no
pattern survives, and hence the original expression cannot be un¬
ambiguously recovered. This is all perfectly conventional and well-
known, you can check it with anyone, and indeed if you were so
inclined could prove it to yourself with some effort and practice.
The loss of pattern in an irrational is the cost of expanding it
decimally; in practice of course it is often advantageous because
of the ease with which decimal approximations can be compared
with one another, combined with each other, etc.
Perhaps it is not obvious what pattern there actually is in an
irrational like V7. However, there are many ways to expand y7
in forms in which the pattern becomes clearly visible and is never
lost. Continued fractions, mentioned above, are one. Another is by
the expansion of (6 + 1) 1/2 by the binomial theorem. There are
indefinitely many different ways of expanding y7 by the two
systems mentioned, and there are other systems, too.
So the “endless decimal expansions” cannot give us even a simple
radical exactly. But the other systems, including the endless con¬
vergent summations, always provide closed expressions, not only
for radicals but for a still higher form of scalar number usually
called “transcendental”. These include trigonometric functions, for
example, so they are eminently ‘practical’ sorts of things.
I can assure you that every mathematician will concede the tech¬
nical accuracy of the foregoing. On some points he may have to
do some ‘figuring’, or long-recalling, but he will concede. As I have
pointed out, for mathematicians no less than for the rest of us does
a contradiction between tw'o propositions preclude their both being
carried in the same head.
So why have the “endless decimal expansions” (or binary expan¬
sions, for that matter) been raised to such a status as to be equated
with scalar numbers themselves? The answer, I believe, is now
clear. Because the open admission that closed forms for scalar
numbers, which forms can obviously be ordered and counted, are
available in other expansion systems but not in the decimal or
binary type, would lead rather quickly to the exposure of the
number-theory fallacies in the Cantorian diagonal argument and
the deductions made from it. Remember the spheres.
THE FISCHER COLLECTION
James La Malfa
University Wisconsin Center — •
Marinette County
The delivery, in November 1971, of the last of the Fischer Collec¬
tion to the Geology department of the Milwaukee Public Museum
represents the finale of a most interesting story. The Fischer collec¬
tion was donated by me and consists of 296 samples of pigment, dye,
minerals, oils and binder used in paint from prehistoric time to the
20th century. The collection also includes a complete Ostwald color
wheel in pigment, a post card from Wilhelm Ostwald to Dr. Martin
Fischer, Fischer's scrapbook and his notes from lectures on paints
delivered all over the United States.
The Fischer Collection has been valued at $4000 by Professor
Lawrence Rathsack, art instructor at the University of Wisconsin —
Milwaukee. Professor Rathsack, himself an expert on the subject
of paint technology, Mr. Joseph Emmuletti and Mr. George Gaens-
len of the Geology department, Milwaukee Public Museum, have
been most helpful in finding the Fischer Collection a permanent
home.
The prime motivation for my writing this article and placing
the collection where it is now housed, is to make available to schol¬
ars and artists a rich source of information on the history of paint.
Mr. Emmuletti, who presides over the collection, has assured me
that the items collected by Dr. Fischer, will be made available to
any interested party for study, examination and photography.
In August 1968, Mr. Louis Voight, Seminary Librarian at Wit¬
tenberg University, Springfield, Ohio, called me and asked if I
would like some paint. I was an art instructor at the time in Wit¬
tenberg’s art department and Louis was a friend and neighbor.
Although my specialization is drawing and sculpture, I replied in
the affirmative, more from curiosity than any other motive. I met
Louis in the Thomas Library basement and he showed me some
dirty cardboard boxes which, he said, the library was planning to
discard because they lacked sufficient storage space.
I opened one of the boxes of “paint” and observed a carefully
labelled collection of jars, capped and sealed with sealing wax. This
was, I reflected, most unusual paint ! Thus my curiosity was aroused
by my first glance at the pigment collection of Dr. Martin Fischer.
I was determined to uncover the reason for the collection and facts
217
218 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
about the man who assembled it. Every box marked “Fischer Col¬
lection” was moved to my studio where I proceeded carefully to
open and catalog each box and each item. The number of boxes
totaled fourteen, most containing notes in pencil by Dr. Fischer,
describing the contents of each.
Each group was assigned a letter, A to N, and I carefully copied
down the contents of every bottle. Copies of the resulting catalog
are in Mr. Emmuletti and Professor Rathsack’s hies. A perusal of
the catalog indicates the order of a careful, scientific mind. Box A,
for example, contains all of the whites and blacks ever used as
pigment. It is interesting to note that of twenty-two specimens of
white pigment, many, listed under proprietary names, are chemi¬
cally identical to other whites with different proprietary names.
For example, Chremmitz, Silver, Flake and Lead white are all lead
carbonate.
Of the ten samples of blacks, asphalt and asphaltum are the same.
Cork black and lamp black are identical, basically sooty carbon.
The two samples of blue-black are graphite. Although not true
blacks, Fischer included sepia and mummy as examples of warm
blacks which were utilized by 19th century artists. Sepia is squid
ink and mummy is literally that; ground up Egyptian mummies!
The last worth mentioning is bister (bitumin lake), an analine dye
co-precipitated on a clay base. Genuine bister is asphalt.
The fact of the matter is that each sample in this group and every
other sample in Dr. Fischer’s collection are there for a reason.
Either the pigment is historically significant because it was a bad
pigment or because it was a good pigment.
Box A also contains samples of mineral pigments used by Me¬
dieval and Renaissance artists. Box B contains lakes, madders and
various oils and varnishes used as binders. Box C contains stearates
and phenols, Box D some reds and browns, Box E a series of ochres
and yellows and Box F miscellaneous pigments.
Box G included a note by Dr. Fischer : “Color change from yellow
to red due to change in size of particles — 9 bottles.” These pigments
demonstrate the fact that, although chemically identical, the cad¬
mium yellow (light, medium, dark), oranges and reds depend upon
the size of the grind to determine their value. The coarser particles
appear darker.
Box H contains a mixed group of lake (analine dye) colors and
assorted types. Box I, is according to Dr. Fischer’s note, “Color
types — Earths.” Box J is labelled “A series of the natural sources
of the dye” and includes samples of madder root from which the
Egyptians first extracted a red dye called Alizarin Crimson, and
Cochineal, dried bodies of an insect which yields a brilliant red,
1974]
La Mai fa — The Fischer Collection
219
Carmine, introduced to European artists in the 17th century. There
are 16 samples in this group and one of Dr. Fischer’s lectures to
the Art Student League of New York, on sources of the dye, sug¬
gests the reason for the inclusion of these samples. In addition,
Box J contains 18 bottles labelled “Color type pigments — blue-
green series.” Boxes K and L contain a complete Ostwald color
wheel, in powdered pigment.
In order to puzzle out the series, I researched Wilhelm Ostwald.
Dr. Martin Fischer was a friend of Ostwald and co-authored several
books with his son, Wolfgang. I assembled biographical information
on Wilhelm Ostwald and obtained the book Basic Color: an inter¬
pretation of the Ostivald color system by Paul Thebald. A thorough
reading of the book gave me the key to Dr. Fischer’s series of coded
envelopes.
The color sphere is stored, in Box K, a multidrawer wooden box.
Each compartment contains 24 envelopes and a letter code. It was
now obvious what Fischer had done. Each of the compartments
contains all of the 24 colors which Wilhelm Ostwald placed around
his color wheel. The letters on each package indicate the black and
white content and can be assigned a position thusly on one triangle
leaf of a three dimensional Ostwald color sphere. Each group of
color packs in Dr. Fischer’s series are equal white and black circles
or horizontal circles from the Ostwald sphere. The white and black
content remains equal all around the 360° of the sphere but the
hue changes from #1-24 (yellow to green). If one were to add a
binder to these coded pigments, one could produce a complete color
sphere.
Box M contains “Gums and oils used for making water and oil
color” and 20 samples of “Minerals — Natural — Colored.”
Box N contains what Dr. Fischer called his 0 and S system.
This consists of four wooden frames, much like test tube racks.
The first is marked S and like the others, contains a series of pig¬
ments in glass tubes. In a conversation with Henry Levison,
founder of Permanent Pigments, Inc., and himself a color chemist,
Fischer’s 0 and S concept was discussed. “It was,” said Mr. Levi¬
son, “correct in theory, but not necessary. The 0 colors (oxides)
supposedly could not be mixed with vermilion, whereas the S (sul¬
fides) could be.” This follows one of Dr. Fischer’s conditions for
permanency of pigment which states that pigments should not
interact chemically with each other within a painting.
Vermilion, discovered by the Egyptians, is a brilliant red called
Cinnabar by the Renaissance artists and is sulphide of mercury.
Mr. Levinson continued, “The breakdown of Vermilion was due
more to interactions with foreign substances in the earths (ochres) ,
not the earths themselves. Thorough washing of the earths by the
220 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
Permanent Pigments, Inc. has eliminated any bad effects of earths
on Vermilion.”
The other’ three racks contain the remaining S and two 0 series
of pigment. Box N also contains panels of oil paint which Dr.
Fischer tested for fading with exposure to hydrogen sulfide ( H2S ) .
These very same panels are reproduced in Dr. Fischer’s book “The
Permanent Palette ” (Plate II p. 12 — Effects of air pollutants
on some pigments). Incidentally, plate 1, p. 38, “Effects of light
exposure on some pigments,” which shows the effects of ultraviolet
light, was also found in this group of lecture notes. It consists of a
series of strokes of water color pigment on paper, some exposed
to sunlight, the others not.
With the Fischer collection safely stored in my studio, I spent
the remainder of my stay at Wittenberg researching Dr. Fischer.
I have included a biographical sketch of Martin Fischer from the
Wittenberg University Publication “Alumnus”, in the Appendix.
It should be obvious that Martin Fischer was a man of many
talents and interests, well traveled and internationally known. He
was a prodigious correspondent and the Thomas Library at Witten¬
berg has, in its archives, virtually every letter Dr. Fischer received
and saved during his lifetime. The letters are housed in bound
containers by year and contain many insights into Dr. Fischer’s
personality and interests.
I began sifting through the letters from 1929-1930 because 1930
is the year during which the book “ The Permanent Palette” was
published. The letters from publishers beginning in January 1929
provided a running commentary on Fischer’s efforts to get his book
published. A letter dated January 3, 1929 from Bridgeman Publish¬
ing Company, a firm that specialized in art books, states “We are
reviewing your manuscript.” A letter from Bridgeman dated March
23, 1929 rejects the manuscript. A letter dated August 10, 1939
from publisher Charles Thomas, provides some interesting com¬
ments on art and artists. Thomas rejects the manuscript because
he feels it is too well written for an artist!
Dear Dr. Fischer:
One of my friends has the largest book decorating organization,
another is the second largest buyer of colors, in this country. “The
Permanent Palette” was read by both with great interest. Both are
artists, and employ some of the best artists in the country. Both feel
that the manuscript is written with the authority on the chemistry of
color, but express the belief that there will be a very limited sale for
the book, for the reason that they believe it is too scientific in charac¬
ter to hold painters. They say it is almost impossible to get artists to
take time or make the effort to undertake serious study of color. Louis
Kreiger, a Baltimore artist, who has worked out with the physics
department of the Hopkins, the most superior color Atlas that I have
1974]
La Malfa — The Fischer Collection
221
seen, as well as Priest, of the Bureau of Standards, deplores the lack
of attention of artists to scientific fundamentals. They want to be
absolute free lances, seek no guidance.
I hate to tackle a crowd that does not desire knowledge as much as
I would like to do the MMS for the sake of the subject it represents.
So I have taken the liberty of returning the manuscript, not be¬
cause it is not good, but because of the special difficulties to be
encountered.
Faithfully,
Charles C. Thomas
Eventually the book was published by the National Publishing
Society (Fischer, 1930), and contributed to a reform of certain
questionable practices within the art products industry. From the
Thomas Library archives I turned my attention to the Alumni book
collection. The library had two copies of “The Permanent Palette”,
one of which I copied and eventually gave to Professor Lawrence
Rathsack.
I read the book and reread it looking for a key to Fischer’s pig¬
ment collection. The book itself and its basic format are the frame¬
work within which the collection made sense. In the Introduction
Dr. Martin Fischer states his thesis; modern painting as a craft
is declining. Many 19th century painters were seduced by the
spectral colors of analine dye pigments (lakes) and other non¬
permanent pigments and their work has dulled in a relatively short
period. Fischer attributes this to the artists’ ignorance of the
chemistry of paint, and his book is an attempt to remedy the
situation.
Dr. Fischer’s medical interests led him to study the colloidal
suspension of water in the cell. Thus when he turned his attention
to paint, also a colloidal suspension, he approached his subject in
a scientific and analytical manner. According to Dr. Fischer, the
following factors affect color permanence: (a) light, (b) air, (c)
intermixture with other colors, (d) reaction with the binder (me¬
dium), (e) reaction with the ground (primer) on the support
(canvas, paper, plaster) and (f) cold or warmth. To Fischer’s
list I would add the use of non-permanent binders and pigment,
exposure to atmospheric pollution and shoddy craftsmanship as
the greatest destroyers of paintings in the last one hundred years.
PHENOMENA THAT AFFECT PIGMENT
The ultraviolet portion of sunlight is a strong bleaching agent.
It tends to break down all but the simplest pigments such as the
ochres or cadmium compounds. Obviously, the informed collector
will not hang his paintings in direct sunlight. However, even arti¬
ficial light will cause non-permanent pigments to fade.
222 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
Virtually all manufacturers of paint test their products for light
fastness. Permanent Pigments, Inc. tests their paints in the follow¬
ing manner : panels covered with pure paint and tints are mounted
at a 45° angle. They are exposed for a six month period to outdoor
sunlight. Then they are tested for fading with a colorimeter. These
paint tests are run at Cincinnati, where the home plant is located
and at Miami, Florida where a branch plant is located. Interest¬
ingly, the samples at Cincinnati faded more than those at Miami,
although subjected to less intense sunlight and fewer hours expo¬
sure. The extreme fading at Cincinnati is said to be caused not by
sunlight but by pollution in the air. Samples are also tested indoors,
subjected to fluorescent light at a distance of six inches. Both pure
and tinted hues are tested because, in use, artists seldom use pure
colors. Tints tend to fade more quickly than pure colors.
Why this great concern with fading? Did the artists of past
centuries experience this difficulty? No, not at any rate until the
1850’s, for up until then all commonly used artists’ pigments, even
the synthetic ones, were permanent. The first organic synthetic
pigment was Mauve, created by William Perkins in 1856. This pig¬
ment was a dye derived from the destructive distillation of coal
tar. The dye is precipitated on a white earth (alumina) also called
white clay. The result is the impermanent analine lake. All lake
colors are dyes characterized by their intense spectral hue, a large
and complex molecule, and by their impermanence.
All of these analine lakes with the exception of Alizarin Crimson
proved the undoging of the artists who used them, attracted by
the brilliance of these lakes. Fischer mentions Charles Duveneck
and James Abbott McNeil Whistler as two artists whose paintings
experienced fading, to which list I might add many lesser known
artists, numbering in the hundreds.
Alizarin Crimson, (surrogate) Ci4H804, resembled and replaced
traditional Alizarin, which was first used by the ancient Egyptians.
Traditional Alizarin is a dye extracted from the root of the madder
plant. Its 19th century substitute proved to be the only early analine
dye to be light fast. The other lakes all faded and, even today, many
artists consider dye colors suspect.
Dr. Fischer mentions air as potentially destructive to paint. The
effect of pollutants in our atmosphere is well known in 1973. The
pollutants in question are sulfide, sulphur dioxide, sulfuric acid,
carbonic acid, and water. Sulfide will cause lead white to yellow or
blacken in the following manner: the hydrogen sulfide produced
when coal or gas is burned acts upon lead carbonate and lead hy¬
droxide components of white lead and changes them to lead sulfide
which can appear yellow, orange or black.
1974]
La Mai fa — The Fischer Collection
223
What then is a safe palette ? Dr. Fischer describes the permanent
palette on page 33, chapter 7:
Black-Ivory black
Blue-Ultramarine blue
Green-Chromium oxide (Viridian)
White-Zinc white
Yellow-Pale cadmium
Yellow-Middle cadmium
Orange-Cadmium
Red-Cadmium
May also use: Vermilion-Yellowish to
orange
Earths
Y ello w-ochre-Light
Yellow-ochre-Dark
Gold ochre
Raw and burnt sienna
Raw and burnt umber
Mars yellow (earth)
Mars red
Mars purple
These colors are : light resistant, fairly bright, and incapable of chemical
reaction with each other and elements in the air.
If additional colors are needed, these may he added: Blue-Cobalt, Blue-
Cerulean, Green-Cobalt, Violet-Cobalt and Green-Terra verde.
Dr. Fischer recommends, as a primer for linen, one part zinc
white with one part lead white cut with turpentine. His preferred
medium was raw cold pressed linseed oil, bleached by sunlight. He
cautions against the use of boiled linseed oil or of driers and
siccatives.
The preferred varnish would be pure cold pressed linseed oil or
as a second choice, resinous varnishes such as Copal, Damar, Mastic
or Amber. The recommended solvent for thinning oil paint is gum
spirits of turpentine. . >
As stated earlier, my purpose in writing this paper is to encour¬
age other scholars and students interested in artists’ paints to
pursue the subject, using an extremely valuable tool, the Fischer
Collection. Those wishing to examine the specimens should contact
Mr. Joseph Emmuletti of the Milwaukee Public Museum. I would
also be happy to supply additional information such as the catalog
of the collection and related data. In addition, researchers should
try to locate copies of Fischer’s “The Permanent Palette ” published
in 1930; see References.
Let me conclude with a brief aside. In January 1973, I received
a letter from Miss Ilo Fischer, Thomas Library, Wittenberg Uni¬
versity, stating that the last remaining samples of Dr. Fischer’s
collection had recently been uncovered in the library storeroom.
“Would I like them sent to me?” Indeed I would was my reply.
This mini-collection was then sent to me by Mr. Louis Voight.
I have merely hinted at many possibilities for further study re¬
garding paint and would like nothing better than to see these areas
researched in depth by other scholars.
224 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
THROUGH HISTORY WITH THE FISCHER COLLECTION
The following1 list summarizes some of the more important pigments as they
were introduced in various Asian and European epochs. Each italicized pig¬
ment is found among the specimens in the Fischer collection.
The first group illustrates some of the pigments used by prehistoric artists.
Y ellow-Limonite or yellow ochre — an iron oxide, Red Ochre — red iron oxide
The next sample was used in the ancient Middle East or Mesopotamia and
is Black , Bitumen or asphaltum
Egyptian artists used the following: Green, Malachite — copper carbonate,
Red, Hematite — red iron ore, Blue, Azurite — blue copper carbonate, Red,
Alizarin Crimson — a dye from the madder root, Bright red, Vermilion or Cin¬
nabar — mercury compound, Yellow, Orpiment — arsenic compound
During the Middle Ages and up to the Renaissance all of the above were
used plus the following: Black Ivory — charred ivory, White Lead — -lead carbo¬
nate, Indigo Purple — dye from the Indigo plant
The Baroque and Rococo periods saw the introduction of: Cobalt Blue —
ground smalt (Venetian glass), Red, Minium — red lead oxide, Naples Yellow —
antimoniate of lead, Orange Realgar — disulphide of arsenic, Cambode Yellow —
solid resin from Cambodia, Carmine Red — dye from the cochineal insect,
Verdigris Green — made by mixing fermented grapes and copper (copper
acetate) .
The first pigment to be synthesized from raw materials was discovered by
accident, Diesbach’s blue, in 1704. The color is now called Prussian blue or
Berlin blue after the nationality of its discoverer: Prussian Blue-— iron ferro-
cyanide.
Cobalt Blue followed in 1802 and is cobalt oxide plus aluminum oxide.
Ultramarine Blue was synthesized in 1824 and is thought to be colloidal
sulphur in a glassy matrix.
Viridian, a dark green, was synthesized by Guignet, a Frenchman, in 1838.
It also goes by the name Verte Emeraude, or chromium green, and is hydrous
chromic oxide.
Cerulean Blue was created in the 19th century by mixing Cobalt Blue with
tin oxide, a white pigment. It is actually a tint of Cobalt Blue.
Zinc White was also developed in the 19th century and is zinc oxide.
As stated before the first organic synthetic pigment was Mauve which is
precipitated on alumina, or clay. Mauve and other analine dye colors, as first
produced, proved to lack light fastness.
In the early 1900’s, two inorganic pigments were introduced which are light
fast. They were: Titanium W hite — titanium oxide and the Cadmium pigments
which are based on chemically pure cadmium sulfo-selenide. They range from
Cadmium Yellow to Orange and Red. All are identical except for the particle
size of the pigment. The finer sized are lighter.
REFERENCES
FISCHER, MARTIN, The Permanent Palette, 1930. National Publishing So¬
ciety, Mountain Lake Park, Md. and 1819 Broadway, New York City.
WOODY, RUSSELL, Painting With Synthetic Media, Reinhold Publishing
Corp., New York City.
RESOURCE PEOPLE
MISS ILO FISCHER, Research Librarian, Thomas Library, Wittenberg Uni¬
versity, Springfield, Ohio.
MR. HENRY LEVISON, Permanent Pigments Inc., 2700 Highland Avenue,
Cincinnati, Ohio.
1974]
La Malfa — The Fischer Collection
225
PROFESSOR LAWRENCE RATHSACK, University of Wisconsin— Milwau¬
kee, Art Department.
MR. JOSEPH EMMULETTI, Geology Department, Milwaukee Public Museum.
APPENDIX
“Alumnus”
May 1962
Wittenberg University
Springfield , Ohio
MARTIN H. FISCHER
Dr. Martin Fischer, widely-known and versatile man of science,
art, and letters who directed the Department of Physiology and
taught at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine for 40
years, died January 19 at his Cincinnati home after a long illness.
He was 82.
Dr. Fischer received Wittenberg’s honorary Doctor of Science
degree in 1932.
Dr. Fischer was one of those rare teachers who sparked interest
in medicine and other areas of the mind in generations of students.
His wide capacity for friendship made him one of the city’s best
known and loved persons.
Dr. Stanley E. Dorst, ’19, ?48H, dean of UC’s College of Medicine,
called Dr. Fischer “a unique person.”
“Not only was Dr. Fischer a physiologist and brilliant lecturer,
he was also an artist of considerable ability and a man of litera¬
ture,” Dr. Dorst pointed out.
“His translations of Gracian’s Truth-telling Manuel’ is a classic
and his books oh the lives of Christian R. Holmes and William B.
Wherry are monumental works.
“During Dr. Fischer’s term as director of the Department of
Physiology, two special units were developed with his aid and en¬
couragement. These are the widely-known Kettering Laboratories
in the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and Tanners’ Coun¬
cil Research Laboratories on Cincinnati University’s main campus.
Both were outgrowths of experimental work then going on in the
Physiology Department.”
In physiology Dr. Fischer was known for his early work in the
investigation of the colloidal chemistry of body tissues and for his
textbook on physiology of alimentation. Best known of his medical
writing was the book “ Edema and Nephritis .”
Dr. Fischer and his wife were major benefactors of Wittenberg.
Mrs. Fischer who preceded him in death, bequeathed the University
$127,000. Additional bequests from Dr. Fischer will raise the total
to approximately $220,000.
226 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
Through the years Dr. Fischer made numerous gifts to Witten¬
berg including rare books, first editions, maps, and works of art.
His total benefactions include about 2,500 volumes, 350 bound
periodicals, several hundred monographs on medicine and fine arts,
valuable pieces of art and a collection of medals from the Society
of Medalists.
He also gave the University a 700 year old Catholic Breviary
containing what is believed to be one of the earliest forms of the
Rosary. The embossed hand-lettered Breviary, illuminated in color
and gold leaf, is the most valuable single item in Wittenberg’s rare
book collection.
Dr. Fischer’s experiments in the pigments of oil paint resulted
in the art pigment industry in America. He gave Wittenberg the
sequence of pigments that he used for his experiments. His book,
“The Permanent Palette resulted from this research.
Among the paintings given to Wittenberg by Dr. Fischer were
some of his own works ; paintings representative of the beginnings
of Japanese fine art, including prints by the famed Japanese artist
Kunisada; oil paintings by Miss Dixie Seldon, landscape and por¬
trait painter of Cincinnati; and John Weis, a portrait painter.
Dr. Fischer had served as director of the Department of Physiol¬
ogy at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine for 40 years
before retiring in 1950. His key contribution in the area of physiol¬
ogy was in the area of colloidal chemistry of body tissue.
A PRELIMINARY SPATIAL ANALYSIS OF QUALITY
OF LIFE IN MILWAUKEE COUNTY, WISCONSIN
Richard A. Karsten
University Wisconsin — Milwaukee
Harold McConnell
Florida State University — Tallahassee
Thomas D. Patterson
Northern Illinois University — DeKalb
INTRODUCTION
The United States is a metropolitan nation : two-thirds of its
population lives in urban counties comprising Standard Metro¬
politan Statistical Areas. Moreover, ninety per cent live in or within
commuting distance of these urban areas. Despite the fact that
urbanization is generally equated with economic growth, metro¬
politan areas are deteriorating physically, socially, and economi¬
cally as the urbanization processes continue. In fact, many failures
in urban planning can be traced to lack of understanding of rela¬
tionships between social factors or conditions and economic and
physical parameters of urban systems. In short, there must be an
optimization of what people deem important within a social context
at the same time that economic and physical parameters of urban
systems are directed toward meeting a number of explicit goals
(Michelson, 1970).
THE STUDY
The social environment of a metropolitan parcel is mirrored by
the socioeconomic health or quality of life of that area. This study
compares three quality of life attributes elicited from a mix of 42
socioeconomic variables for 43 geographic areas or neighborhoods
in a representative urban area, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, to
determine how quality of life varies spatially. Where quality of life
differs from place to place, certain urban activities are supported,
others are elicited, and still others are depressed as stress develops
which may evolve into urban strain (Michelson, 1970). This study
will attempt to depict the spatial variation of potential urban strain
as it is reflected in quality of life in Milwaukee County.
Quality of Life Factors
Zwerdling (1973) suggests that the basic environmental prob¬
lems of urban life have, as their origins, blight and poverty which
227
228 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
are in turn reflected in the quality of life of city dwellers. Stellman
(1973) states that more immediate indicators of blight and poverty,
such as state of health, educational level, housing quality, income
level, and employment status, are the basic ingredients of the qual¬
ity of life of an urbanscape. The 42 socioeconomic health indices
analyzed here mirror these components in Milwaukee County. With
respect to the neighborhood level of aggregation of the study, as
Rose (1969; 1971) suggests, the neighborhood may be considered
to be a social area consisting primarily of persons of a single race
and having similar subcultural characteristics that operate and
interact in a complex system of social and economic constraints at
various levels. Furthermore, the neighborhood can be considered
to be a socioeconomic-spatial institution which is an outgrowth of
complex socio-psychological decisions which are influenced by the
operation of economic forces (Rose, 1969).
The Immediate Environment and Quality of Life
Much of the ongoing research concerning environmental matters
focuses upon man's activities and interactions with the physical
environment, e.g., the land, the water, and the ambient air. These
may be considered epigene factors as opposed to the hypogene
factors that comprise the human or cultural environment. These
sets of factors do, indeed, interact with one another in a dynamic
system of inter and mutual dependence. However, for convenience
they may be treated as separate entities. The epigene factors pri¬
marily constrain place utility of the generalized environment (Aus¬
tin, 1971) and are outside of the scope of this study, while the
hypogene factors are composed of “people organized and interacting
in a group (society) and a distinctive way of life shared by mem¬
bers of the group (culture)" (Commins and Fagin, 1954). In the
microcosm this concept may be scaled to the individual dwelling
unit which becomes the immediate society, while the neighborhood
becomes the culture.
In order to evaluate the quality of life (mental well-being and
social satisfaction) of man, it is implicit that his immediate en¬
vironment be considered in the context of the home as it is reflected
in his neighborhood or culture. Commins and Fagin (1954) con¬
sider that the immediate environment is of far greater importance
in human development and quality of life than the physical environ¬
ment (except for its extremes). Although the home and neighbor¬
hood are tangible entities, they should be considered the result of
societal fabrication (Marcus and Detwyler, 1972) . These societal
fabrications are mirrored in what Lynch (1960) calls the percep¬
tion phenomenon of the city.
Michelson (1970) has approached the quality of life in urban
1974] Karsten , McConnell and Patterson — Spatial Analysis 229
areas by reducing social life into five basic components: life style,
stage in the life cycle, social status, value orientation, and per¬
sonality. It is implicit in Michelson’s analysis that various measures
of socioeconomic health would reflect varying levels of quality of
life in urban areas.
Scale of Research and Data Collection
Beverstock and Stuckert (1972) have divided Milwaukee County
into community areas, using methodology developed by the Social
Science Research Committee of the University of Chicago (1963)
(see Figure 1). These community areas are treated as neighbor¬
hoods here, since their delineation was based upon criteria which
include internal homogeneity of various socioeconomic attributes.
Wolpert, et ah (1972) points out that although neighborhoods are
difficult to delineate, the neighborhood unit and the home or im¬
mediate environment are the most incisive units for urban analyses.
Although Michelson (1970) considers neighborhood to be a “slip¬
pery term,” he suggests that cohesive delineation of such units is
the most viable approach to urbanscape analysis.
The same authors (Beverstock and Stuckert, 1972) also col¬
lected and developed socioeconomic data from 16 U.S. Bureau of
the Census sources for the Milwaukee S.M.S.A. and its various
components, including the community areas or neighborhoods of
Milwaukee County. These data include general characteristics of
the population, housing, marital status, age, sex, race, families,
households, labor force, occupation, income, nativity, ethnicity,
vital statistics, infant mortality, mobility, and educational level.
Forty-two variables were selected from the above set which were
deemed to be measures of socioeconomic health for the 43 com¬
munity areas or neighborhoods of Milwaukee County and which
possess those attributes which reflect quality of life or the popula¬
tions’ mental well-being and degree of social satisfaction (see
Table 1). The County Institutions community area is not included
in this study.
The Analysis
As is characteristic with geographic data bases, none of the
indices is arrayed in accord with the normal probability law. Each
of the variables exhibited positive skewness and was transformed
into its common logarithm prior to the analysis of the data.
Principal Component Analysis. There are numerous redundancies
among the 42 incides which were deemed to describe the socio¬
economic health of Milwaukee County. Principal components analy¬
sis was employed to collapse this set of colinear variables into a
smaller number of basic dimensions which are the mutually inde-
230 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
FIGURE 1. Location of Milwaukee County community areas
(after Beverstock and Stuckert, 1972) 4
‘County Institution community area 40 is not included in this
study.
1974] Karsten, McConnell and Patterson — Spatial Analysis 231
LEGEND FOR FIGURE 1
Identified- Community Identified -
pendent (mathematically orthogonal) attributes of the variables.
Similar procedures were employed by Thompson, et al. (1962) in
a study of economic health in New York State and by McConnell
(1970) to analyze the socioeconomic health of large Illinois munici¬
palities. The method is described in brief in the following general
statement.
Overvieiv of Methods and Procedures. The straight-forward
objective of principal components analysis is to transform a set
of m standardized variables into a set of m orthogonal variables.
However, it is generally used to collapse m standardized variables
into a smaller set (p) of orthogonal variables or fundamental
attributes of the original variables. Denote the following:
Z — N X m matrix of standard scores
R — m X m matrix of Pearson product moment correlations
between the standard scores
P — m X p matrix of correlations between variables and
attributes
Pt — p X m transpose of P
P' — m X p varimax rotation of P
C — N X p matrix of standard scores on the attributes
232 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
Each variable is standardized about its mean. Correlations be¬
tween the standardized variables are arrayed in an m X m matrix
(R) which is subjected to the principal component analysis to
transform the original indices into mutually exclusive attributes
or principal components :
( Zx , zx , . . . , zx \
\ 1 2 ill /
TABLE 1. VARIABLES AND PRINCIPAL COMPONENTS ANALYSIS
1974] Karsten, McConnell and Patterson — Spatial Analysis 233
is transformed into a new set of orthogonal vectors or principal
components
(Pi, P2, . . . , Pm)
Those p principal components whose eigenvalues (Aj) are 1.00 or
larger are usually considered the basic dimensions in R or the
fundamental attributes of the variables.
The eigenvalues in a principal components analysis are the latent
roots of the m characteristic equations which set the determinant
of R at zero:
Given Pu as the correlation between the ith standardized variable
and the jth principal component (or as the ith coefficient of the jth
component), a series of equations of the following form is
developed :
(2)
P"ll + P“21 + . • • + P2ml — Ai
P“l2 T P“22 T" • • • H~ p2m2 — A 2
P“lm + P22m + • • • + P2mm — Kn
The function of the first principal component is to resolve a max¬
imum amount of variance in R: succeeding principal components
resolve as much as possible of the remaining variance through m
iterations. Thus, it is necessary to maximize Ax initially and
Larangian multipliers are used to obtain
The first root is the eigenvalue corresponding to Pi and the sec¬
ond through mth roots correspond to P2, P3, . . ., Pm, respectively
and are the largest roots of the residual correlation matrices Ri,
R2, . . ., Rm— i, respectively. The coefficients (pu, p2X, . . pmi) of
Pi are obtained by scaling its normalized eigenvector by Ax :
(4) Pil = an (Ai) 1/2
The coefficients of P2, P3, . . . , Pm are obtained by similar opera¬
tions on the residual correlation matrices (R-PP1) until
p = m
m
2Aj = m
PP* = R
234 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
It has already been noted that the second root of (3) is the eigen¬
value corresponding to P2, and so on.
Varimax Rotation. Labeling of the attributes of R is facilitated
by transforming P to P', using a varimax criterion in which P is
rotated to that angle (0) in the plane which will maximize the
variance of the principal components, subject to maintaining each
variable’s communality (h2i). This has the effect of increasing the
absolute magnitude of those loadings (py’s) whose absolute values
are initially high and minimizing those whose absolute values are
initially low. Generally, only those principal components of P whose
eigenvalues are larger than 1.00 are rotated. Thus,
(5) h2i = | p2ij
Specifically, 0 is the angle of rotation from which the transfor¬
mation matrix
cos 0 — sm 0‘
(6) T =
_sin 0 cos 0.
may be developed to maximize the function
(7) V = m l [™ (Pu/hi)4 - l P2ij/h2i ) 2 ]
Scores on Principal Components. The m standardized variables
may be condensed into p orthogonal standardized variables. Evi¬
dently, the most useful algorithm is
(8) C = ZPA-1
where A-1 is the inverse of the diagonal-eigenvalue matrix. Zero
is of a larger order of magnitude than say, —1. In a spatial situa¬
tion, Cij is the standardized magnitude of attribute j at site i. Such
scores are distributed as the standard normal deviate with mean
zero and unit variance if the original data were normally
distributed.
The primary function of the analysis was to elicit the basic
attributes of the 42 transformed variables. Thus, a 42 X 42 cor¬
relation matrix was computed and collapsed into mutually exclusive
attributes. Despite the fact that several eigenvalues were larger
than one, it was deemed germane to examine only the first three
principal components since they resolve, respectively, 50.5 percent,
17.2 percent, and 8.3 percent of the variance in the original cor¬
relation matrix, or collectively, 76.0 percent of its variance. The
attributes were identified after varimax rotation and quantified
according to the algorithm given in (8) for each neighborhood for
mapping purposes.
1974] Karsten, McConnell and Patterson — Spatial Analysis 235
Interpretation of Attributes. The first principal component (Pi)
is interpreted as a positive indicator of poverty. Neighborhoods
with high positive scores (cu) on this attribute would be expected
to have low levels of achievement in such areas as education, in¬
come, quality and value of housing units. Such neighborhoods
would typically have high birth and fertility rates, comparatively
large numbers of families and individuals living below poverty
levels, low levels of home ownership by occupants, and fewer people
employed in the so-called “white collar” category than neighbor¬
hoods having near-zero or negative scores on this indicator.
The second principal component (P2) is deemed to be indicative
of the youthfulness of the population. Neighborhoods with high
positive scores on this attribute would be expected to have low
median ages for both males and females, comparatively large pro¬
portions of the population younger than the age of 20, small pro¬
portions older than 60, and associated low death rates.
The third principal component (P3) is identified as an ethnicity
attribute. Neighborhoods with high positive scores on this attribute
would be expected to have comparatively large proportions of the
population classified as foreign stock as well as small proportions
listed as Black. Positive scores would also be indicative of propor¬
tionately large numbers of males in the labor force, high propor¬
tions of the population completing high school, and most households
represented by both husbands and wives. Such characteristics are
those which are traditionally associated with the stereotyped ethnic
White neighborhood.
Maps of Scores on Principal Components
As the intensity of the shading increases, the presence of the
attribute measured by the principal component increases relative
to areas of less intense shading. No absolute values are attached to
either rates of occurrence of an attribute within an area or to
rates of change between areas. In other words, comparisons be¬
tween areas are of the “greater than”, “less than”, or “approxi¬
mately equal to” nature.
The map of scores on the first principal component (cu) depicts
a readily discernible gradient away from the center of the city:
high positive scores on the poverty attribute of the data are cen¬
tered on Halyard Park and Garfield, economically and socially
depressed sections of the county. Low and negative scores occur as
one moves away from the downtown area (Figure 2, Table 2).
The map of scores on the second principal component (ci2) indi¬
cates that the youngest populations are in the “core” of the city
(e.g., Garfield, Halyard Park, and Midtown) ; in the northwestern
236 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
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FIGURE 2. Distribution of Scores on the First Socioeconomic
Attribute ( Poverty )
1974] Karsten, McConnell and Patterson — Spatial Analysis 237
TABLE 2. RANK ORDER OF NEIGHBORHOODS ON THE FIRST
SOCIOECONOMIC ATTRIBUTE (POVERTY) MAP CLASSES—
RANKED HIGHEST TO LOWEST
Halyard Park
Garfield
Midtown
Walker’s Point
The Valley
Grand Avenue
Riverside West
Kosciuszko
Juneautown
Lincoln Creek
Muskego Avenue
Tippecanoe
Silver Spring
Layton Park
Sherman Park
West Milwaukee
Old West Allis
Johnson’s Woods
Bay View
Cudahy
Lakeside
North Milwaukee
St. Francis
South Milwaukee
Lake
Oak Creek
Granville
West Allis Addition
Jackson Park
Franklin
Shorewood
Wauwatosa Avenue
Greenfield
Wauwatosa East
Wauwatosa West
Glendale
Greendale
Hales Corners
Brown Deer
Whitefish Bay
River Hills
Fox Point
Bay Side
portion of Milwaukee County (Granville, Silver Spring, and Brown
Deer) ; and in the southern portion (Oak Creek, Franklin, and
Greendale) (Figure 3, Table 3).
The map of scores on ethnicity (ci3) shows that high degrees of
this attribute are concentrated almost exclusively to the south of
the Menominee River. Highest scores are found in such neighbor¬
hoods as The Valley, Cudahy, St. Francis, Tippecanoe, Lake, Jack-
son Park, and Kosciuszko. Low and negative scores evidently
indicate one of two things; either a lack of people classified as of
foreign stock or the presence of large numbers of Blacks in the
population. This accounts for the fact that such neighborhoods as
Whitefish Bay and Halyard Park have similar scores on this com¬
ponent (Figure 4, Table 4).
TABLE 3. RANK ORDER OF NEIGHBORHOODS ON THE SECOND
SOCIOECONOMIC ATTRIBUTE (YOUTHFULNESS) MAP CLASSES—
RANKED HIGHEST TO LOWEST
238 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
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1974] Karsten, McConnell and Patterson — Spatial Analysis 239
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I +++++++++++++++++860000006668000000 I
I +++++++++++++++++800000800000800000 I
+ +++++++ +2 ++++++++060080680068080OUO +
l +++++++++++++++++0000008804000080000 I
I +++++++++++++ ++++86808 0680060000000 G I
I +++++++++++++++++06880880800000008880 I
I ++++++++++ +++++++00000880006080000000 I
6 +++++++++++++++++06000000808000000080 6
I +++++++++++++++++000000080080800000000 I
i +++++++++++++++++600000080000808088000 I
_ ^ _ ■ + 2 + _ 3 _ _ .4„ _ i
FIGURE 4. Distribution of Scores on the Third Socioeconomic
Attribute (Ethnicity)
240 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
TABLE 4. RANK ORDER OF NEIGHBORHOODS ON THE THIRD
SOCIOECONOMIC ATTRIBUTE (ETHNICITY) MAP CLASSES—
RANKED HIGHEST TO LOWEST
The Valley
Cudahy
St. Francis
Tippecanoe
Lake
Jackson
Kosciuszko
West Milwaukee
Muskego Avenue
Layton Park
Oak Creek
Silver Spring
Granville
Old West Allis
West Allis Addition
Walker's Point
Bay View
Greenfield
South Milwaukee
Hales Corners
Brown Deer
Wauwatosa Avenue
Franklin
Sherman Park
North Milwaukee
Greendale
Johnson’s Woods
Wauwatosa West
Riverside West
Lakeside
Glendale
Juneautown
Wauwatosa East
Shorewood
Grand Avenue
Lincoln Creek
Midtown
Whitefish Bay
Garfield
Fox Point
Bayside
River Hills
Halyard Park
Quality of Life Index
A synthetic quality of life index was constructed using a linear
combination of each neighborhood’s scores on the three principal
components, i.e.,
(9) QLj zz — AjCii + A ^Ci2 + A 3Ci3
Since the eigenvalues are the coefficients of the scores, each com¬
ponent contributes to the magnitude of the index in an amount
directly proportional to the amount of the variance which it re¬
solved. Thus, the index is heavily weighted by the first principal
component, whose coefficient is given a negative sign since it meas¬
ures a poverty attribute. Nevertheless, interesting patterns emerge
when the index is mapped (Figure 5, Table 5). As with the maps
of component scores, only comparisons of the “greater than”, “less
TABLE 5. RANK ORDER OF NEIGHBORHOODS ON THE QUALITY
OF LIFE INDEX MAP CLASSES— RANKED HIGHEST TO LOWEST
Fox Point
River Hills
Bay Side
Whitefish Bay
Glendale
Wauwatosa East
Shorewood
Wauwatosa West
Wauwatosa Avenue
Hales Corners
Lakeside
Brown Deer
Greendale
North Milwaukee
Greenfield
West Allis Addition
Sherman Park
Johnson’s Woods
Jackson Park
Bay View
Franklin
Juneautown
Old West Allis
South Milwaukee
St. Francis
Layton Park
Lake
Granville
Oak Creek
Cudahy
Tippecanoe
West Milwaukee
Grand Avenue
Silver Spring
Muskego Avenue
Lincoln Creek
Kosciuszko
Riverside West
Walker’s Point
The Valley
Midtown
Garfield
Halyard Park
1974] Karsten, McConnell and Patterson — Spatial Analysis 241
- — + — • — 2 3~ — ~~ 4--" — •— — 4~ — — — #
I I
i 00000++++++++++++. .. . i
[ 000000+++++ ++++++. ••••••••• • I
I 0000000+++ + ++ + + + + . X. . I
+ 000000000++ +++2++ . . . +
I €000800000 + + + +++ + . .X . I
I 00000000000+ + + + + +•••••••••« • l
I 00008000OU80+ ++++.••••••• 1 * • I
I 80008000480600 + + + • ••••••••• I
X €000000008 000000 + .... . 1
I 00800080008808000 ......... I
I 0000000080 0800088 ........ I
I 80000000080800800 . 1... I
l 0006000000004 8000 ......... I
+ ... ..08080800800000. . .v. .. . +
I •••••«• €600000+ ++00000 ... 1 • • I
I . .... + + ++ + + ++008008 . I
I ... ....... + + + 2 + ++0 04 0000...... I
1 ........... ++++++080000BBB. . X. I
2 ........... ++ ++++80008 Mill. ... 2
I ...... .1.. . .+++++86611111 588. •+ I
I . .1 . ++++++BBBBB5BBBBB++++ I
i . . ++++++aMa««aaaa++2++ i
i . .+++2++a5aaaaaao+++++ i
+ . . ++++aaaaaB5aaooo++ +
i ....... ..i. ..+++aaaaeaaao30oo i
I ••••••••••••« • ++B00008BOOOQQ I
I +++ . +++++++00000400BBaa I
I + + + +++ + +++ + + + ++BBBBBflfldBfl 5 I
3 ++++++++++2+++€80aB5aBaaaaa 3
i ++++++o++++++0ee08e0BBBBaaa i
I +++++ +0000 a 0000000 408B 5 BBBB I
I +++++ + 0C03 GO088408000BBBBB5 I
i ++2+++oooooo00ee80000aa«BBBB i
+ +++ ++ + 0 COD 00000000 O0O0BB5BBOO +
I +++ +++ 0000 0000000003 G088B1OOGO I
I ++++++ 0000000000000000480003000 I
I ++++++ +000 30000000000008000000000 I
I ++++++++0000000000000008000000000 I
4 +++++++++0000000000088080000003000 4
I +++++2 ++++0000000600000000000000000 l
I ++++++++++++++++0000000000000000860 I
I +++++++++++++++++0000000000088888088 I
I +++ ++ + ++++ + + +++++ 00000 00 3 000008 400 00 I
+ ++ 2 + ++ + +++ 2 ++ ++++0 0000 000 00 0086008 08 +
I +++ +++ + +++ + ++ + +++ 00000 000 000888800 88 I
I +++++++++++++++++000000000000860800 I
I ++ + + + 4- +++ + + + + + + + + + QLJOU QOO 00 000000000 I
I ++++++++++++++++++000000000000000000 I
5 +++ ++Q00++ + + + + + + + + 00000080000000 30 00 5
I +++OOOOOOOOOOOOO++e88066080OOOOOOOOO I
I 00000000000000000000800800000000000 I
I 00000000000000000008000000000000000 I
I 00000000000000000800008800000000000 I
+ 000 000 0G3 00 00 00000 80868800800000000 +
I 000000000000000008000088804000088000 I
I 0000000 000 0000 00008080 680006000880 00 I
I 0000000000000000008888800880008000080 I
I 0000000000000000008800080800060880880 I
6 0000000000000000008008800000008000088 6
i oooooGoooQooooooo8e000ee00ee88880e0800 i
I 00000000000000000080000000080000008000 I
I I
— 1 — — — 2— + — — 3 - +— — 4 —
FIGURE 5. Distribution of Scores on the Quality of Life Index
242 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
than7', or “approximately equal to” nature are possible. Those
neighborhoods which might be deemed least advantageous or most
susceptible to urban strain from the socioeconomic standpoint form
two parcels separated by the commercial development of the Grand
Avenue neighborhood (Milwaukee’s most intensively commercial
area) . The northern parcel is comprised of Halyard Park, Garfield,
Midtown, and Riverside West. The southern parcel consists of The
Valley, Kosciuszko, and Walker’s Point. Those neighborhoods for
whom quality of life is evidently the highest also form two essen¬
tially contiguous groups; Wauwatosa Avenue, Wauwatosa East,
and Wauwatosa West in the west-central section of the county and
Shorewood, Glendale, Whitefish Bay, Bay Side, River Hills, and
Fox Point in the northeastern section.
CONCLUSIONS
This study has shown in a quantitative manner that there is
considerable spatial inequality in the quality of life in Milwaukee
County — that there is a large amount of neighborhood to neighbor¬
hood variation in its socioeconomic health. This is a condition which
is suggestive of potential urban strain, or as Harvey (1972) has
noted, tension between the spatial organization of the present
society and that spatial organization which might be demanded by
a new social order. One might advocate that such a spatial organi¬
zation must, in an economic and social context, generate a social
surplus product if urbanism is to survive. Hence, this study should
not only provide a data base for both public and private agencies
for research and planning, but also serve as a vehicle to promote
intensive social change in those areas of Milwaukee County deemed
lacking in the socioeconomic health or quality of life enjoyed by
other neighborhoods.
REFERENCES CITED
AUSTIN, C. M. 1971. Urban public facilities: location and impacts. Unpub¬
lished Ph.D. Dissertation, Department of Regional Science, The University
of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. 193 pp.
BEVERSTOCK, F., and STUCKERT, R. P. (eds.). 1972. Metropolitan Mil¬
waukee fact book: 1970. Milwaukee Urban Observatory, Milwaukee, Wis.,
549 pp.
COMMINS, W. D., and FAGIN, B. 1954. Principles of educational psychology.
2nd ed., Ronald Press, New York, 795 pp.
HARVEY, D. 1972. Society, the city and the space-economy of urbanism.
Commission on College Geography, Resource Paper No. 18, Assoc. Amer.
Geographers, Washington, D. C., 56 pp.
LYNCH, K. 1960. The image of the city. M.I.T. Press, Cambridge, Mass.,
194 pp.
MARCUS, M. G., and DETWYLER, T. R. 1972. Urbanization and environ¬
ment in perspective: in Urbanization and environment: the physical
1974] Karsten, McConnell and Patterson — Spatial Analysis 243
geography of the city. T. R. Detwyler and M. G. Marcus (eds.), Dux-
bury Press, Belmont, Cal., p. 3-25.
McCONNELL, H. 19?0. Socioeconomic health of Illinois municipalities. Trans.
Illinois State Acad. Sci. 63:273-284.
MICHELSON, W. 1970. Man and his urban environment: a sociological
approach. Addison-Wesley, Reading, Mass., 242 pp.
ROSE, H. M. 1969. Social processes in the city: race and urbanism residen¬
tial choice. Commission on College Geography, Resource Paper No. 6,
Assoc. Amer. Geographers, Washington, D. C., 34 pp.
ROSE, H. M. 1971. The black ghetto: A spatial behavioral perspective. Mc¬
Graw-Hill, New York, 147 pp.
Social Science Research Committee. 1963. Local community fact book, Chicago
metropolitan area, 1960. Social Science Research Committee, Univ. Chi¬
cago, Chicago, p. xiii-xiv.
STELLMAN, S. D. 1973. Director, Center for Continuing Education & Com¬
munity Action for Social Service, University Wisconsin-Extension. Per¬
sonal communication.
THOMPSON, J. H., et al. 1962. Toward a geography of economic health: the
case of New York State. Ann. Assoc. Amer. Geographers, 52:1-20.
WOLPERT, J., et al. 1972. Metropolitan neighborhoods: participation and
conflict over change. Commission on College Geography, Resource Paper
No. 16, Assoc. Amer. Geographers, Washington, D. C., 51 pp.
ZWERDLING, D. 1973. Poverty and pollution. Progressive 37:25-29.
PRIMES AND FAREY SEQUENCES
Arthur Marshall
Madison
This paper is aimed at helping teachers of pre-college or fresh¬
man mathematics to demonstrate how prime numbers arise in the
natural (“counting”) number system and how prime numbers
can be “predicted” from examination of numbers less than them¬
selves.
We will show that primes are the result of adding the numerator
and denominator of certain “Farey Sequences” fractions ( a/b
with 0 < a < b, b g 2, and ( a , b) =1), starting with 1/2. (We
have just used the greatest-common-divisor symbol of number
theory literature.)
All letters stand for positive integers (sometimes called natural
numbers or counting numbers).
THEOREM: If (a, b) — 1, then (a, a + b) =1 and
(b, a + b) =1. Conversely, if 0 < a < n/2, and ( a , n) ~ 1, then
(a, n — a) =1 with a/(n — a) <1, and ( n — a, n) ~ 1, with
(n — a)/n < 1.
PROOF : If a = 1, the theorem is obvious.
If a > 1, then (using congruence notation of elementary number
theory) a = 0 (mod p) , where p is any prime dividing a. Because
(a, b) = 1, b 0 (mod p) , then, by addition of congruences
(a + b) 0 (mod p) , and the first assertion of the first part of
the theorem is proved. We follow an analogous procedure for q, any
prime dividing b, and the second assertion of the first part is
proved.
To prove the converse, we note that p, any prime dividing a,
cannot, by hypothesis divide n. Then (n — a) — n 0 (mod p)
and the first statement of the converse is proved. To prove the
second statement of the converse, we note that qf any prime divid¬
ing n, cannot, by hypothesis divide (n — a), because (n — a) =
—a (mod q) , and that completes proof of the theorem.
COROLLARY 1. All fractions in Farey sequences, lying between
0 and 1, can be obtained by successive additions of numerators and
denominators, beginning with 1/2, to obtain new fraction denomina¬
tors and taking each summand numerator and denominator as
numerators over the new denominators. (The proof is immediate
from the theorem.)
245
246 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
We now use the usual Greek symbol </> (phi) for the Euler
totient: $(n) is the count of numbers less than n which have no
common divisor with n greater than 1.
COROLLARY 2. For n > 2, there exist </> (n) /2 Farey fractions
of the type a/ (n — a) with denominators less than or equal to
(n — 1).
PROOF. Immediate from Corollary 1.
COROLLARY 3. For n > 2, , n is prime if, and only if, there
exist (n — l)/2 Farey fractions of the type a/ (n — a) with de¬
nominators less than or equal to (n — 1).
PROOF. By definition, n is prime if, and only if, n has just two
divisors: 1 and n, where n > 1. If there exist fewer than (n — l)/2
Farey fractions of the type a/ (n — a), with denominators less
than or equal to (n — 1), then n has at least one divisor lying be¬
tween 1 and n. If there exist just (n — 1)/2 Farey fractions of the
above type, our definition of primes is satisfied.
ALTERNATIVE PROOF. Directly from Corollary 2.
COROLLARY 4. There exist exactly (n — 1) Farey fractions
with denominator n, if, and only if, n is prime.
PROOF. For n = 2, this is immediately verified. For n > 2,
this follows immediately from Corollary 3 and our theorem.
ALTERNATIVE PROOF. Directly from our definition of prime
numbers.
The writer believes quick primality tests and factoring algorithm
programs can be written from this theorem and its corollaries, but
will leave that to computer specialists. Any such programs, of
course, would have to be competitive with those arising from Prob¬
lem E 2355 [1] and the more sophisticated programs discussed by
Collins [2].
1. Problem E 2355, Amer. Math. Monthly, 80:560-561. 1973. (Solution by R. J.
EVANS. Proposed by A. MARSHALL.)
2. G. E. COLLINS. Computer algebra of polynomials and rational functions.
Amer. Math. Monthly, 80:725-755, 1973.
Correction
Congruence symbol “ = ” and non-congruence symbol “=j|” in the
text of this paper should have three bars, but the correct type items
were not available.
PRELIMINARY REPORTS ON THE FLORA OF WISCONSIN
NO. 64. ADOXACEAE — MOSCHATEL FAMILY
Theodore S. Cochrane
University Wisconsin — M ndison
and
Peter J. Salamun
University Wisconsin — Milwaukee
The Adoxaceae consists of a single worldwide, north temperate
species which occurs rarely in the United States, including Wis¬
consin. The family is usually included in the Rubiales, although
some authorities consider it to be more closely related to the Saxi-
fragaceae or possibly the Ranunculaceae. According to modern
opinion Adoxa is a specialized offshoot of the Caprifoliaceae (Cron-
quist 1968), the family in which it was listed in an earlier Wis¬
consin report (Wade and Wade 1940).
The distribution of the species, habitat information and dates
of flowering and fruiting were compiled from specimens in the
herbaria of the University of Wisconsin — Madison (WIS), Uni¬
versity of Wisconsin — Milwaukee (UWM) , University of Wisconsin
Center — Rock County (ULJ), Milwaukee Public Museum (MIL),
University of Iowa (IA), University of Michigan (MICH) and
the University of Minnesota (MIN) . Each dot on the map indicates
a specific location where a specimen was collected, while triangles
represent county records taken from the literature. Additional
records from Hartley’s unpublished “Flora of the Driftless Area”
(1962), Lakela’s Flora of Northeastern Minnesota (1965) and
Morley’s Spring Flora of Minnesota (1966) have been included.
The numbers within the squares in the lower left-hand corner of
Map 1 indicate the number of Wisconsin specimens noted that
were flowering or fruiting in the respective months. Specimens in
vegetative condition, in bud or with immature or dispersed fruits
are not included.
Grateful acknowledgement is made to the curators of the above
herbaria for loans of specimens and especially to Dr. Hugh H. litis
for discussing the material contained in this paper with the first
author.
ADOXACEAE J. G. Agardh Moschatel Family
A monotypic family of circumboreal distribution, extending
southward in North America to northern New York, northwestern
Illinois, South Dakota and in the Rocky Mountains to New Mexico.
247
248 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
jae° ’
ADOXA MOSCHATELLINA
1. ADOXA L. Moschatel, Muskroot
1. Adoxa moschatellina L. Maps 1, 2.
Moschatel, Muskroot
Low delicate perennial 5-15 (-20) cm high with musk-scented,
white-scaly rhizomes and an erect, simple, glabrous stem. Basal
leaves 1-3, long-petiolate, ternately compound, the ovate to obovate
or orbicular leaflets yellow-green, membranous, coarse-toothed to
3-parted, obtuse, glandular-mucronate. Cauline leaves an opposite
pair, 3-parted, smaller, less divided and shorter petioled than the
basal leaves. Inflorescence an angular , cymose head 6-8 mm in
diam, the slender peduncle often overtopped by the basal leaves.
Flowers small, 3-8, usually 5, regular or nearly so, perfect,
sympetalous. Calyx 2-4-lobed, persistent in fruit. Corolla U-6-lobed,
yellow-green, rotate, the lobes 1.7-3 mm long. Stamens twice as
many as the corolla lobes, in epipetalous pairs on the corolla tube
and alternate with its lobes, separate or partly united; anthers
1 -celled. Ovary semi-inferior, 3 -5 -celled; style short, deeply 3-5-
parted, the stigmas minute. Fruit a dry drupelet, green; nutlets
(1-) 3-5, lenticular, cartilaginous, 2.9 mm in diam. 2 n — 36 (54,
Japan) .
Rare and very local in cool moist woods under coniferous trees
on bare or mossy ground, sometimes in leaf mold, on shaded, usually
north-facing sandstone or limestone bluffs and talus slopes, rarely
in mesic hardwoods. Since Adoxa is of unusual biogeographic in¬
terest, all Wisconsin collections are cited herewith : Grant Co. :
Platteville (Smithyman s.n., 4 May 1896, MIL, WIS). [Pierce Co. :]
near Plum City, between Durand and Ellsworth ( Butters UhSU,
1974] Cochrane and Salamun — Moschatel Family Report 249
1 June 1924, MIN, UWM). Richland Co.: W-facing sandstone cliff
near Butternut School, sec. 34, TUN, R2R, 4 mi. N of Ithaca (Fas-
sett 26325, 2 June 1946, WIS). Rock Co.: limestone outcrops and
damp shaded slopes on S bank of Turtle Creek, with Tilia ameri-
cana, Garex alhursina , Erythronium albidum, Claytonia virginica ,
Isopyrum biternatum, Dicentra canadensis , D. cucullaria , Dentaria
laciniata , Miteila diphylla , etc., sec. 28, T3N [sic, for T2N], R14E
[3 mi. NE of Clinton] ( Musselman 3487, 2 May 1970, ULJ) ; same
location (Musselman 3505 , 6 May 1970, ULJ, UWM). Sank Co.:
small patch in liverwort and moss mat on moist N-facing sandstone
ledge along Raraboo River, shaded by Tsuga canadensis and Betula
alleghaniensis , sec. 20, T13N, R3E [1 mi. NW of La Valle] (Nee
& Feet 2234 , 18 July 1969, WIS) ; same location (Cochrane & Nee
5639 , 31 July 1973, WIS). Vernon Co.: Ontario (Fasseit 17963 ,
June 1936, WIS) ; talus at base of shaded sandstone ledge along
Kickapoo River, Wildcat Mt. State Park, sec. 14, T14N, R2W
(Hartley & Morrissey 9146 , 14 May 1960, IA, WIS) ; under conifers
just above sandstone ledges along Hemlock Trail, S end of Wildcat
Mt. State Park (Salamun & Matthias 2879 , 2 June 1970, UWM).
This species, not uncommon in northeastern Minnesota, should be
sought in the Lake Superior area of Wisconsin. Flowering 2 May
to 1 June; fruiting June to July.
The terminal flower is usually tetramerous, with 4 styles and 8
anthers, while the lateral ones are pentamerous or hexamerous,
with 5 or 6 styles and 10 or 12 anthers. Each pair of stamens
probably represents a single one which is divided nearly to the base
of the filament, with each segment bearing a half-anther. The pos¬
sibility that the calyx and corolla may constitute an involucre and
calyx contributes to the uncertain relationships of this family (cf.
Sprague 1927).
In an attempt to relocate Adoxa moschatellina the senior author,
accompanied by Michael Nee, visited on July 31, 1973, two water-
worn, upper Cambrian sandstone cliffs on which the species was
known to occur. The most conspicuous feature of such cliffs, which
are common in the Driftless Area, is the presence on many of them
of “relict” stands of conifers. These stands are intriguing, for they
are composed of species which are chiefly northern in distribution
and are rare or unknown in southern Wisconsin outside of that
famous region. The Butternut School station has long been known
to be botanieally rich, ever since Norman C. Fassett found there
both Adoxa and Ledum groenlandicum . Had he ventured a little
farther eastward to the north-facing portion of the cliff, unreach¬
able from below due to undercutting by Willow Creek, Fassett
would have encountered an idyllic cove on whose steep cool slopes
250 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
and cliffs, shaded by yellow birch and white pine, grow numerous
mosses and liverworts, including the rare sword moss (Bryoxi-
phium norvegicum) and a six-meter-square patch of Sphagnum.
The associated understory consists of a large number of typically
northern species : Equisetum scirpoides, Lycopodium selago, L.
lucidulum, L. ohscurum, Coptis groenlandica, Cornus canadensis,
Chimaphila umbellata, Gaultheria procumhens, and Mitchella
repens. The Adoxa was not found in 1973, and it is not known
whether or not colonies persist on this mile-long cliff, which bo-
tanically must be among the most remarkable ones in the Driftless
Area.
Mr. Nee discovered a population of Adoxa on the west end of
Horse Bluff, near LaValle in Sauk County, at the time of his first
visit. Although the plants are inconspicuous, the distinctive scintil¬
lating quality of their pale leaves and the absence of nearby vege¬
tation enabled us to find them again after a brief search. There are
only three small colonies, consisting of 21, 39, and 61 plants and
growing on narrow ledges one to two and one-half meters long
along the base of a small cove formed by low cliffs four meters
high. These sandstone ledges are relatively free of vegetation ex¬
cept for mosses, the liverwort Conocephalum conicum, and a few
plants of Pilea. The shallow mineral soil in which the plants grow
has an acid reaction, with a pH of 5.2. A fine stand of hemlock and
yellow birch occupies the steep rocky north-facing slopes. The
shrubs found in the stand show a resemblance to those of the
northern forests and include Taxus canadensis, Acer spicatum, and
Sambucus pubens. The conspicuous herbs in the nearby understory
are Laportea canadensis, Athyrium thelypteroides, and Dryopteris
austriaca var. intermedia. Certainly equivalent habitats are fre¬
quent in the Driftless Area, but most of them are not occupied by
Adoxa moschatellina.
The range descriptions given for Adoxa in the regional manuals
are incomplete, for Fernald (1950) omitted its occurrence in north¬
ern Illinois as did Gleason (1952) in northern New York. In south¬
ern Wisconsin and northwestern Illinois (that state’s only station
in Apple River Canyon) it is at the southeasternmost limit of its
range, except for two reports from Delaware Co., New York (Tay¬
lor 1913; Brooks 1960). House (1924, p. 655) suggested that the
one station known to him was an introduction, but surely plants
of this isolated locality high in the Catskills at 1,400 feet represent
native populations. The geographic distribution of Adoxa suggests
that in the Midwest it is a western immigrant that crossed the
Bering Straits and barely reached Wisconsin. With the exception
of New York it is totally lacking from eastern North America.
1974] Cochrane and Salamun — Moschatel Family Report 251
In the Midwest the distribution of Adoxa is correlated with, but
not restricted to, the “Driftless Area” of Wisconsin and adjoining
Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois (Map 2), a coincidence probably due
to the presence here of suitable habitats rather than to this famous
region’s being the plant’s Pleistocene refugium. In Europe, as in
America, the species occupies various highly disjunct locations in
the Caucasus and in Turkey, Italy, Spain and Morocco, indicating
that it is either easily dispersed or that it has survived successfully
as a relict from a cooler, postglacial period. It is important to note
that 1) it grows in clearly glaciated territory in Wisconsin, Minne¬
sota and east-central Iowa [but probably not southwestern Iowa as
shown by Hulten (1970, Map 104)], 2) other subarctic or boreal
species, namely Primula mistassinica ( cf . litis & Shaughnessy
1960) , Rhododendron lapponicum, Chrysoplenium ioense ( C. tetran-
drum) and Gymnocarpium robertianum also occur in the Midwest
in the region of the “Driftless Area,” 3) ferns, primroses and
saxifrages have small propagules, making long-distance, postglacial
dispersal possible and 4) the microenvironments of damp, cool,
rocky habitats would remain relatively little influenced by post¬
glacial vegetational changes occurring in the region, permitting
survival of the periglacial flora.
It is probable, on ecologic as well as geographic grounds, that
Adoxa is an old species whose present-day disjunct range, rather
than being the result of ease of dispersal and pioneer propensities,
is due likely to relictual survival in isolated microhabitats from
a cooler, interglacial or postglacial period. While now thought to
have been glaciated, the “Driftless Area” was never covered com¬
pletely by the later Pleistocene ice sheets. Certainly it was available
for plant occupation since early Wisconsinan time, if mostly over-
lain by ice of the Altonian Substage as believed by Black (1962),
and probably since the Nebraskan Stage. As developed by Butters
and Abbe (1953) and recognized by Cushing (1965), disjunct rari¬
ties, whether boreal (Adoxa), “cordilleran” (Mertensia paniculata) ,
or southern (Spiraea tomentosa var. rosea), should not be cited
(Fassett 1931; Schuster 1958; Curtis 1959) as members of a pre¬
glacial flora that survived continental glaciation in a “Driftless
Area” nunatak, nor should they be used even to imply that the
“Driftless Area” was a preglacial plant refugium.
REFERENCES
BLACK, R. F. 1962. Pleistocene chronology of Wisconsin. Geol. Soc. Amer.
Spec. Pap. 68:137 (abstract).
BROOKS, K. L. 1960. Adoxa and Uvularia in the Delaware County (N. Y.)
flora. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 87:151-153.
BUTTERS, F. K., and E. C. ABBE. 1953. A floristic study of Cook County,
northeastern Minnesota. Rhodora 55:21-55, 63-101, 116-154, 161-201.
252 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
CRONQUIST, A. 1968. The Evolution and Classification of Flowering Plants.
Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston.
CURTIS, J. T. 1959. The Vegetation of Wisconsin. Univ. of Wisconsin Press,
Madison.
CUSHING, E. J. 1965. Problems in the Quaternary phytogeography of the
Great Lakes Region, in Wright, H. E., and D. G. Frey, eds., The
Quaternary of the United States. Pp. 403-416. Princeton Univ. Press,
Princeton.
FASSETT, N. C. 1931. Notes from the Herbarium of the University of Wis¬
consin — VII. Rhodora 33:224-228.
FERNALD, M. L. 1950. Gray's Manual of Botany, ed. 8. American Book Co.,
New York.
GLEASON, H. A. 1952. The New Britton and Brown Illustrated Flora of the
Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. Vol. 3. Lancaster
Press, Lancaster, Pa.
HARTLEY, T. G. 1962. The Flora of the Driftless Area. Ph.D. Dissertation,
Univ. Iowa, Iowa City.
HOUSE, H. D. 1924. Annotated List of the Ferns and Flowering Plants of
New York State. New York State Mus. Bull. 254. Univ. State New York,
Albany.
HULTEN, E. 1970. The Circumpolar Plants. II. Dicotyledons. Sv. Vet. Akad.
Handl. Bd. 13, Nr. 1. Almqvist & Wiksell, Stockholm.
ILTIS, H. H., and W. M. SHAUGHNESSY. 1960. Preliminary reports on the
flora of Wisconsin. No. 43. Primulaceae — Primrose Family. Trans. Wis.
Acad. Sci. Arts Lett. 49:113-135.
LAKELA, 0. 1965. A Flora of Northeastern Minnesota. Univ. Minnesota Press,
Minneapolis.
MORLEY, T. 1966. Spring Flora of Minnesota. Printing Dept., Univ. Minne¬
sota, Minneapolis.
SCHUSTER, R. M. 1958. Boreal Hepaticae, a manual of the liverworts of Min¬
nesota and adjacent regions III. Phytogeography. Amer. Midi. Nat. 59:
257-332.
SPRAGUE, T. A. 1927. The morphology and taxonomic position of the Adoxa-
ceae. J. Linn. Soc. (Botany) 47:471-487.
TAYLOR, N. 1913. A plant new to the State of New York and the local flora
range. Torreya 13:78.
WADE, D. R., and D. E. WADE. 1940. Preliminary reports on the flora of
Wisconsin. No. 28. Caprifoliaceae — Honeysuckle Family. Trans. Wis. Acad.
Sci. Arts Lett. 32:91-101.
PRELIMINARY REPORTS ON THE FLORA OF WISCONSIN
NO. 65. DIPSACACEAE— TEASEL FAMILY
Peter J. Salamun
University Wisconsin — Milwaukee
and
Theodore S. Cochrane
University Wisconsin — Madison
This study of the Dipsacaceae, represented in Wisconsin by four
Eurasian species which occasionally escape from cultivation, is
based on collections deposited in the herbaria of the University of
Wisconsin (WIS), University of Wisconsin — Milwaukee (UWM),
Milwaukee Public Museum (MIL), University of Minnesota
(MIN) and Wisconsin State University-— Oshkosh (WSO). We
thank the curators of these herbaria for loans of specimens, and
we gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of Mr. Floyd Swink of
the Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Illinois, who supplied data for an
additional map record.
Dots on the maps indicate exact locations where specimens have
been collected ; triangles represent county records added from
S wink’s Plants of the Chicago Region (1969). The numbers within
the map corner inserts show the amount of flowering and fruiting
material noted and indicate when the species may be expected to
flower or fruit in Wisconsin. Specimens with vegetative growth
only, buds, or with immature or dispersed fruits are not included.
The nomenclature and descriptive features generally follow Glea¬
son (1952) and Fernald (1950) ; however, more recent taxonomic
treatments of certain taxa are discussed in the text or cited in the
bibliography.
Dipsacaceae A. L. De Jussieu Teasel Family
Annual, biennial or perennial herbs with opposite or whorled,
exstipulate leaves and inflorescences of dense involucrate heads or
rarely short spikes. Flowers perfect, epigynous, more or less irreg¬
ular, subtended by a calyx-like involucel (epicalyx) which closely
subtends the ovary and often also a receptacular bract. Calyx min¬
ute, cupulate, a 4-5-toothed or divided into 5-10 conspicuous pap¬
pus-like segments. Corolla tubular, 4-5-lobed. Stamens (2-3) 4,
distinct, epipetalous near the base of the corolla tube and alternate
with its lobes, exserted, the anthers 2-celled, versatile, dehiscing
longitudinally. Ovary inferior, 1-celled, 2-carpellate but only one
253
254 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
developing-, with a solitary pendulous ovule; style filiform, the
stigma simple or 2-lobed, Fruit an achene enclosed within the
gamophyllous involucel and often crowned by the persistent calyx.
Embryo straight, the endosperm fleshy.
An Old World family of 8-12 genera and 250 species, mostly
Mediterranean, distinguished from the related Valerianaceae and
Caprifoliaceae by the unilocular ovary and the capitate inflo¬
rescence surrounded by an involucre of bracts, and from the Com-
positae by the distinct, exserted stamens, the pendulous ovule and
the fruit enclosed by an involucel. The “heads” are cymose aggrega¬
tions of 1-flowered heads whose flowers open first near the center
of the inflorescence, then simultaneously toward both the apex and
the base.
KEY TO GENERA
A. Plants prickly; heads ovoid to subcylindric, the involucral
bracts upcurved, and spine-tipped, 2-15 cm long; corollas all
alike; calyx 4-toothed or -lobed. _ 1. DIPSACUS.
AA. Plants not prickly; heads convex, hemispheric or subglobose,
the involucral bracts ascending to reflexed, not spine-tipped,
0.5-1. 5 cm long; corollas of marginal flowers expanded and
ray-like.
B. Receptacle with chaffy bracts; involucral bracts rigid
and brown, imbricate in several rows ; corollas cream to
yellow; calyx teeth ca. 25. _ 2. CEPHALARIA.
BB. Receptacle with dense hairs ; involucral bracts herbace¬
ous and green, in 1 or 2 definite rows; corollas lilac-
purple; calyx awns 8-16. _ 3. KNAUTIA.
1. DIPSACUS L. Teasel
Tall biennial or perennial herbs with stout prickly or rough-hairy
stems from taproots and opposite, sessile or connate, toothed or
pinnatifid leaves. Heads dense, ovoid to cylindric, with rigid, long-
tapering receptacular bracts and spine-tipped involucral bracts.
Flowers 8-15 mm long, the marginal ones not enlarged, subtended
by U- angled , obscurely k- toothed calyx-like involucels. Calyx tube
4-angled, adherent to the ovary, the limb cupulate, ^-toothed or
-lobed, ciliate but without appendages. Corolla funnelform, nearly
regularly 4-lobed, with whitish tube and pale purple lobes. Stamens
4. Ovary 1-celled ; style filiform, the stigma oblique, entire. Achenes
8-ribbed, enclosed by the involucel.
Native to Eurasia and North and East Africa, with 3 of the 12
species adventive or naturalized in North America.
1974] Salamun and Cochrane — Teasel Family Report 255
KEY TO SPECIES
A. Cauline leaves lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, toothed and
often prickly on the margins, becoming entire upward and
commonly connate at the base. _ 1. D. FULLONUM.
AA. Cauline leaves pinnatifid or bipinnatifid, the margins more or
less bristly-ciliate, their bases confluent and forming a cup.
_ 2. D. LACINIATUS.
1. DlPSACUS FULLONUM L. Map 1.
Wild Teasel, Common Teasel
Dipsacus sylvestris Hudson of American authors
Dipsacus fullonum L. ssp. sylvestris Claph.
Stout biennial 0.5-2 (3) m tall, the stem striate-angled, prickly.
Basal leaves oblong to oblanceolate, arcuate, usually dying early in
the second season. Cauline leaves sessile, lanceolate to oblong-
lanceolate, to 3 (4) dm long, 4-10 cm wide, crenate-serrate, often
prickly -dentate on the margins and the midrib beneath, becoming
entire upward and commonly connate at the base . Heads ovoid to
subcylindric, 3-10 cm high, 3-5 cm wide, on long naked peduncles;
receptacular bracts oblong, abruptly tapering to stiff straight
barbed aivns exceeding the flowers; involucral bracts linear-
elongate, subulate, upcurved, some of them equaling or exceeding
the heads, 2-15 cm long, 2-5 mm wide. Calyx cup 1 mm high, silky-
pubescent. Corolla 8-12 mm long, the tube pilose, lavender (or
rarely white in forma albidus Steyerm.) . Achenes 4-7 mm long.
2 n - 16, 18.
Native to Europe, North Africa, and the Near East, now widely
naturalized throughout the United States and southern Canada, in
Wisconsin occasionally cultivated for ornament and adventive or
locally established along open roadsides and abandoned railroad
embankments, in fallow fields, low pastures, such as along Willow
Creek, Richland Co., with Verbena has tat a, Cirsium vulgar e and
Helenium autumnale ( Nee 2681, 27US, WIS), and persisting in
trash dumps and waste heaps near cemeteries and greenhouses.
Flowering July to September; fruiting September to October.
Fuller’s Teasel, Dipsacus sativus (L.) Honckney (D. fullonum
L. of many authors), differs from the above species in having
slightly stouter and strongly recurved receptacular bracts nearly
equaling the flowers, spreading involucral bracts not surpassing
the head and corollas 10-14 mm long. Grown for the “teasels” or
mature heads which are used in raising the nap (fulling) on
woolen cloth, it occasionally escapes in the vicinity of textile mills.
However, it has not been collected in Wisconsin. Several authors
256 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
have implied that the cultivated teasel with the recurved recep-
tacular bracts has been derived from the wild D. fullonum with
erect bracts. Hegi (1908) suggested instead that the cultivar was
selected originally from D. ferox Lois., a wild species of France,
Italy and Spain. The nomenclature of these two taxa follows that
adopted by Ferguson and Brizicky (1965).
2. Dipsacus laciniatus L. Map 2, dots.
Cut-leaved Teasel
Much resembling D. fullonum , but leaves irregularly and coarsely
pinnately -cleft, the margins bristly-ciliate, and the bases of the
paired cauline leaves confluent to form prominent cups. Involucral
1974] Salamun and Cochrane — Teasel Family Report 257
bracts lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 2-8 cm long, 3-7 mm wide,
6-12 times as long as wide, shorter than to barely exceeding the
mature head . 2 n — 16, 18.
Native to southern Europe, southwestern Russia and Persia,
rarely adventive in North America, rare in south- and east-central
Wisconsin along roadsides, in disturbed marshes and in cemeteries
and dumps. This species, much rarer than the last, has been previ¬
ously reported in the state only from Rock Co. (Musselman et ah,
p. 187. 1971). The specimen cited there is Dipsacus fullonum, but
other authentic collections have been seen from Rock and several
other counties : Dane Co. : Madison, waste heap, Holy Cross Ceme¬
tery, Franklin Ave. and Regent St. ( Bergseng s.n., 30 Jul 1948,
WIS). Fond du Lac Co.: marsh S of Soo Line RR, sec. 6, T16N,
R17E (Furstenberg 151, 28 Nov 1969, WSO). Milwaukee Co.: Mil¬
waukee, 2 plants in field, Wanderer's Rest Cemetery ( Niss s.n., 27
Sep 1969, WIS). Rock Co. : roadside, Hwy. H, 1 mi. E of Indian-
ford ( Greene s.n., 31 Jul 1947, WIS) ; same location ( Curtis ,
Greene, and Sauer 1672, 2 Jul 1954, WIS). Portage Co.: sandy
waste area beside town dump, sec. 26, T25N, R10E ( Redmond UUl,
12 Aug 1971, WSO). Flowering late July to late September; fruit¬
ing dates probably the same as those for D. fullonum.
2. CEPHALARIA Schrad.
Annual or perennial herbs with simple or pinnately divided
leaves and flowers in globose heads on long peduncles. Involucral
bracts numerous, imbricate in several rows, not spine-tipped ,
shorter than the heads. Receptacular bracts more or less sharp-
pointed but not spine-tipped, shorter than the flowers. Involucel
4-angled, bearing U or 8 awn-like appendages at the apex. Calyx
limb shallowly cupulate, denticulate. Flowers similar to those of
Knautia, the corollas 4-lobed, the marginal ones sometimes enlarged
and ray-like. Fruit, 4-8-ribbed, prismatic and somewhat fusiform.
Native to the Mediterranean region, Central Asia and South
Africa, a few of the 60 species sometimes cultivated.
1. CEPHALARIA TATARICA Schrad. Map 2, circle.
Coarse perennial to 2 m tall, the stems bearing 3-5 heads,
retrorsepubescent and leafy below, glabrous and nearly naked
above. Cauline leaves deeply pinnately divided, the divisions decur¬
rent, elliptic and coarsely serrate to linear and entire. Heads 2.5-
4.5 cm wide, on peduncles 6-30 cm long. Corollas cream or yelloiv,
8-16 mm long, the marginal ones enlarged and ray-like. Involucral
258 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
bracts ovate, 5-10 mm long, rigid and brown, grading into oblance-
olate, abruptly stiff-acuminate receptacular bracts, these 8-12 mm
long, about equaling the corolla tube. Calyx teeth numerous, ca. 25,
0.5-1 mm long, densely villous. Achenes 6-9 mm long, pubescent,
with 8 ribs , these prolonged as subequal short awns (involucel
“teeth”) 0.7-1. 5 mm long. 2 n = 36.
Native to western Asia, possibly southern Russia, rarely culti¬
vated in flower gardens ; collected twice in Wisconsin and perhaps
reported here as an escape for the first time from the United
States : — Winnebago Co. : N edge of Oshkosh, Algoma Blvd., road¬
side adjacent plowed field near cemetery, sec. 10, T18N, R16E
( Harriman 3600, 18 Jul 1968 [fl, fr], WSO, fragment WIS) ;
spreading along road shoulder, same location ( Harriman 9209, 10
Jul 1973 [fl], WIS, WSO). The collector states that the plant is
“as well established as, say, Sonchus or Cirsiumf 9
3. Knautia L. Bluebuttons
Annual or perennial herbs with erect stems, pinnatifid leaves
and hemispheric to subglobose heads on elongate peduncles. Invol-
ucral bracts lanceolate, herbaceous, about equaling the heads. Re¬
ceptacle more or less densely hairy, without bracts . Corollas fun-
nelform to narrowly campanulate, the limbs more or less oblique
or bilabiate, 4-5-lobed, those of the marginal flowers often much
enlarged. Involucel strongly compressed, If -angled, the limb very
short, with only a few minute teeth at the summit. Calyx short,
with 8-16 elongate setaceous appendages. Stigma emarginate.
Native to Eurasia and North Africa, with 40 species.
1. Knautia arvensis (L.) Coult. Map 3.
Bluebuttons, Bluecaps
Scabiosa arvensis L.
Hirsute perennial 4-10 dm tall. Basal leaves oblanceolate, simple
or lyrate-pinnatifid. Lower cauline leaves usually only coarsely
toothed, the others deeply pinnatifid into 5-15 linear-oblong seg¬
ments, reduced upward. Peduncles 4-25 cm long. Heads 1.5-4 cm
wide, the outer involucral bracts ovate, the inner narrowly lance¬
olate, 8-16 mm long, herbaceous, about equaling the heads. Corolla
8-18 mm long, lilac-purple. Achenes Ip-ribbed, 5-6 mm long ,
strongly compressed-ellipsoid, pubescent, the apex truncate, min¬
utely denticulate, crowned by the calyx limb, its 8-16 awns 1.7-3. 6
mm long, eventually deciduous. 2 n — 20, 40.
1974] Salamun and Cochrane — Teasel Family Report 259
Native throughout Europe except for the extreme North ; in Wis¬
consin a sporadic escape from flower gardens, becoming locally
abundant in nearby fields, roadsides and waste places but possibly
not persisting. First reported here for the state, although some of
the following collections are old : — Ashland Co. : common along
roadsides 2 mi. SW of Glidden ( Courtenay s.n., 15 Jul 1962, MIL,
WIS). Forest Co.: one colony by roadside, with bracken, timothy
and dogbane, 1/2 mi. N of Hwy. 52 on Hwy. W, E side of Richard¬
son Lake ( Kruschke K-65-6U, 15 Jul 1965, MIL). Milwaukee Co.:
Whitefish Bay, edge of field ( Sorenson s.n., 20 Jun 1912, MIL) ;
Milwaukee, a garden escape, vacant lot on Hopkins St. % block S
of Villard Ave. ( Fuller F-U2-8U, 15 Jul 1942, MIL). Sawyer Co.:
colony extending ca. 50 yds. along gravelly roadside through Picea
glauca plantation, Forest Rd. 162 ca. 1 mi. N of Hwy. 70, sec. 5,
T39N, R3W ( Hansen 19Jf3, 5 Jul 1973, WIS). Fuller’s specimen
may have sprouted from garden refuse, since Malva alcea was col¬
lected at the same site (cf. Utech 1970). Flowering June to
September.
Many species of Scabiosa, especially S. atropurpurea L., Sweet
Scabious, are popular garden ornamentals that rarely escape from
cultivation. The features distinguishing them from Knautia include
the lanceolate involucral bracts, the 5 calyx setae, the chaffy recep¬
tacle, the cupulate involucel limbs, and the terete 8-fur rowed fruits.
None have been collected in Wisconsin.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
EHRENDORFER, F. 1962. Beitrage zur Phylogenie der Gattung Knautia
( Dipsacaceae ), I. Cytologische Grundlagen und allgemeine Hinweise.
Osterr. Bot. Zeitschr. 109:276-343.
- . 1963. Cytologie, Taxonomie und Evolution bei Samenpflanzen, in
Turrill, W. B., ed., Vistas in Botany 4:121-129. Pergamon Press, New
York.
• - . 1965. Evolution and karyotype differentiation in a family of flower¬
ing plants: Dipsacaceae, in Geerts, S. J., ed., Genetics Today , Proc. XI
Intern. Genet. Congr. 2:399-407. Pergamon Press, New York.
FERGUSON, I. K. 1965. The genera of Valerianaeeae and Dipsacaceae in the
southeastern United States. Jour. Arnold Arb. 46:218-231.
- and G. K. Brizicky. 1965. Nomenclatorial notes on Dipsacus fullonum
and Dipsacus saticus. Jour. Arnold Arb. 46:362-365.
FERNALD, M. L. 1950. Gray's Manual of Botany, ed. 8. American Book Co.,
New York.
GLEASON, H. A. 1952. The New Britton and Brown Illustrated Flora of the
Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. Vol. 3. Lancaster
Press, Lancaster, Pa.
HEGI, G. 1908. Illustrierte Flora von Mittel-Europa. Vol. 6, I. J. F. Lehmann
Verlag, Miinchen.
MUSSELMAN, L. J., T. S. COCHRANE, W. E. RICE, and M. M. RICE.
1971. The flora of Rock County, Wisconsin. Mich. Bot. 10:147-193.
PARS A, A. 1943. Flore de L'lran. Vol. 3. Mazaheri Press, Teheran.
260 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
POHL, R. W., and E. P. SYLWESTER. 1962. Dipsacus in Iowa. Ia. Acad. Sci.
70:53, 54.
STEYERMARK, J. A. 1958. An albino form of Dipsacus sylvestris. Rhodora
60:174, 175.
SWINK, F. 1969. Plants of the Chicago Region. The Morton Arboretum, Lisle,
Illinois.
UTECH, F. H. 1970. Preliminary reports on the flora of Wisconsin. No. 60.
Tiliaceae and Malvaceae — Basswood and Mallow Families. Trans. Wis.
Acad. Sci. Arts and Lett. 58:301-323.
PRELIMINARY REPORTS ON THE FLORA OF WISCONSIN
NO. 66. CYPERACEAE II— SEDGE FAMILY II.
The Genus Cyperus— The Umbrella Sedges
Brian G. Marcks
University Wisconsin — Madison
Cyperus , a vast genus of upwards of 700 species chiefly
distributed in warm temperate and tropical regions of the world,
is distinguished from other Cyperaceae by having, in combination,
strictly 2-ranked (distichous) scales and terminal umbellate in¬
florescences or heads. Since the group is technically difficult, exam¬
ples of inflorescences and their parts have been illustrated in Fig. 1
to aid in the understanding of some of the terminology used in this
report. The Wisconsin species flower from midsummer to early
fall and occur in dry exposed sandy areas or in various wetland
habitats, such as marshes and bogs, swales and low fields, ditches,
and lakeshores, riverbanks and streamsides. Several of our species
are notable for their widespread distribution. Cyperus aristatus,
C, esculentus and C. odoratus are semi-cosmopolitan in tropical and
temperate regions, while C. Engelmannii is widely distributed in
the New World. Cyperus strigosus and C. esculentus tend to become
weedy in low fields. Phenotypic dwarfing is common and particu¬
larly noticeable in depauperate specimens of the taller wetland
species, including C. strigosus, C. erythrorhizos, C. Engelmannii
and C. odoratus.
The present paper revises Greene’s (1953) preliminary partial
treatment of Cyperaceae in Wisconsin, including the genus Cyperus.
Distribution maps are based on specimens in the herbaria of the
University of Wisconsin, Madison (WIS), University of Wisconsin
— Milwaukee (UWM), Milwaukee Public Museum (MIL), Uni¬
versity of Minnesota (MIN), Field Museum of Natural History
(F), Wisconsin State University — Oshkosh (WSO), Wisconsin
State University — Stevens Point (WSP), and Northland College,
Ashland, Wisconsin (NC). Grateful acknowledgement is due to
the curators of the above herbaria for loans of specimens. The
results of my master’s and doctoral dissertations, population studies
of Cyperus section LAXIGLUMI in the United States (Marcks,
1967, 1972) have been freely incorporated.
Map dots represent exact locations. The map inset numbers
record flowering and fruiting dates as determined from specimens
housed at the University of Wisconsin, Madison (WIS). Plants in
261
262 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
A. Inflorescence
A. Spikelet
FIGURE 1. Inflorescences, spikelets, and achenes of Wisconsin Umbrella
Sedges labelled to illustrate parts and diagnostic characters: A) Cyperus
Schweinitzii; b) C. lupulinus ssp. macilentus.
vegetative growth only, in bud, or with dispersed fruit were not
included. Triangles in Iowa and Michigan represent county records
according to Gilly (1946) and Voss (1972). Most common names
are those used by Gilly (1946).
/
1. CYPERUS L. Umbrella Sedge, Flat Sedge, Nut-grass,
Galingale
Mostly low, cespitose annuals or loose-tufted perennials from hard
rhizomes or corm-like tubers ; culms 3-angled, solid, simple, usually
slender and erect, leafy near the base and bearing a leafy involucre
at the summit. LEAF blades conduplicate or flat, erect or spreading-
arcuate, usually scabrellate on the margins and dorsal midrib,
sometimes scaberulous on the ventral surface toward the apex ; leaf
sheaths glabrous, unpigmented or more commonly tinged reddish-
purple, hyaline ventrally, becoming fibrous-shredded. Involucral
1974]
Marcks — Sedge Family II Report
263
bracts blade-like, 3-several of unequal lengths, ascending, spreading
or reflexed. INFLORESCENCE terminal, an umbel-like aggrega¬
tion of simple or branched primary spikes (rays) with the central
spikes usually sessile or subsessile and the lateral spikes peduncled,
or the whole inflorescence contracted into a dense head. Peduncles
usually of unequal lengths, ascending or variously divergent, slen¬
der and smooth, the lower portion of each enveloped by a tubular
sheath (prophyll). SPIKELETS spirally arranged on the spike
axis (rachis), subremote to densely congested, divaricate, ascend¬
ing, radiate or digitate, ovate to oblong-linear, usually laterally
compressed, persistent or disarticulating at maturity ; rachilla
straight or zigzag, often winged on the lateral margins. SCALES
strictly 2-ranked, imbricate or subapproximate, persistent or de¬
ciduous, green-keeled. Flowers 3-many ; stamens 1-3 ; styles 2-3-
cleft. ACHENES lenticular or trigonous, beakless.
Key to Species
A. Achenes lenticular; styles 2-cleft; low annuals with strongly
flattened lustrous purplish-brown spikelets (Subgenus Pycreus,
Section SULCATI).
B. Styles exserted about 2 mm, persistent; scales loosely
imbricate, the laminae with a depressed membranaceous
dull patch surrounded by a broad lustrous purplish-brown
margin. _ _ 1. C. DIANDRUS.
BB. Styles exserted less than 1 mm, deciduous; scales closely
imbricate, the laminae firm, slightly convex, the surface
lustrous and purplish-brown throughout (rarely unpig-
mented). _ 2. C. RIVULARIS.
AA. Achenes trigonous; styles 3-cleft; habits various (Subgenera
Cyperus , Mariscus, Torulinium) .
C. Scales ending in a long recurved excurrent tip; strongly
aromatic dwarf annuals rarely more than 10 cm tall
(Section AMBILES) _ 3. C. ARISTATUS.
CC. Scales ending bluntly or in a straight or appressed tip;
nonaromatic annuals or perennials usually 10-100 cm tall.
D. Spikelets mostly divaricate at nearly right angles
(or slightly ascending) from a ± elongate rachis,
with only the uppermost and lowest spikelets
strongly ascending or deflexed ; rachilla winged along
lateral margins.
E. Scales 1.2-1. 5 mm long, densely aggregated and
tinged lustrous copper ; achenes ivory or pearly
white, 0. 8-1.0 mm long (Section FASTI-
GIATA) _ 4. C. ERYTHRORHIZOS.
264 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
EE. Scales 1.5-4. 5 mm long, variously colored;
achenes darker, 1.0-2. 2 mm long.
F. Spikelets flat or strongly compressed;
scales 3. 5-4.5 mm long, the laminae uni¬
formly yellow-tinged ; achene less than
half the scale length (Section STRIGOSI).
_ 5. C. STRIGOSUS.
FF. Spikelets not strongly flattened; scales
1. 5-3.0 mm long, the laminae golden-
brown to reddish-brown ; achene over half
the scale length, or female sterile.
G. Perennials bearing stolons with prom¬
inent membranaceous scales, each
terminated by a hard tuber; rachilla
not breaking into segments (Section
ESCULENTI). _
_ 6. C. ESCULENTUS.
GG. Annuals from fibrous roots; rachilla
breaking into short segments at ma¬
turity (Section FERACES).
H. Apex of scales overlapping su¬
perjacent scales. _
_ 7. C. ODORATUS.
HH. Apex of scales not overlapping
superjacent scales, giving the
spikelet a zigzag appearance.
_ 8. C. ENGELMANNII.
DD. Spikelets radiate to subdigitate from a short rachis
or ascending from an elongate rachis ; rachilla essen¬
tially wingless (Section LAXIGLUMI).
I. Achenes about twice as long as wide, the faces
flat or only slightly concave.
J. Inflorescence a single, sessile, dense hemi¬
spherical to nearly spherical head (rarely
with 1-2 additional pedunculate spikes) ; in-
volucral bracts commonly deflexed ; culms
smooth _ 9. C. LUPU LINUS.1
JJ. Inflorescence an open umbel with 1-8 pedun¬
culate spikes; involucral bracts ascending;
culms markedly scabrous on angles near the
apex. _ 10. C. SCHWEINITZII1
1 Hybrids between species 9 and 10 are common in Wisconsin (cf. Hybridization in
the G. lupulinus-C. Schweinitzii complex, p. 276).
1974]
Marchs — Sedge Family II Report
265
II. Achenes much less than twice as long as wide,
the faces markedly concave. _
_ 11. C. HOUGHTON II.1
1. Cyperus diandrus Torr. Map 1.
Low Cyperus
Rather soft, tufted or solitary low annuals 3-24 (-35) cm tall.
Culms rather weak, 2-26 cm long, smooth, the tufted forms some¬
times with secondary cushion-like inflorescences directly from the
base. Blades 1-3 mm wide, with membranaceous loose-fitting
sheaths enveloping the lower % of the culm; involucral bracts
blade-like, mostly 3, divergent. Inflorescence a subglobose cluster
of loose spikes, usually with 1-5 pedunculate rays up to 6 cm long
in addition. Spikelets subdigitate to pinnate from a rachis to 12
mm long, lance-oblong, flat, 5-40-flowered, 4-26 mm long; rachilla
persistent. Scales loosely imbricate, the achenes usually visible un¬
der the margins, 2. 0-2. 7 mm long, deciduous, nerved only on the
green keel, the tip appressed ; laminae with a dull depressed scari-
ous patch banded by a wide lustrous purplish-brown margin.
Stamens 2. Style 2-cleft nearly to the base, long-exserted (to ca 2
mm) beyond the scale, persistent. Achene lenticular, ellipsoid to
narrowly ovoid, ca 1.2 mm long, whitish to reddish-brown.
A wetland species ranging from North Dakota and Missouri
east to Quebec and Virginia, infrequent in Wisconsin on wet sandy
to muddy shores and banks of rivers, streams, and lakes, some¬
times in peaty soil of sedge mats, becoming rare northward ; often
confused with C. rivularis, but distinguished by its long-exserted,
persistent styles and the depressed scarious patch on each scale
lamina. Flowering from July to October; fruiting from late July
to late October.
2. Cyperus rivularis Kunth Map 2.
Shining or Brook Cyperus
Mostly low tufted annuals 3-25 (-32) cm tall, erect or spread¬
ing. Culms firm, smooth, 2-24 cm long, the plants often with sec¬
ondary cushion-like inflorescences directly from the base. Blades
0.5-2.0 mm wide, with rather tight-fitting sheaths enveloping less
than y3 of the culm; involucral bracts blade-like, 1-3, divergent.
Inflorescence a terminal umbel composed of a subglobose cluster
of loose spikes, with an additional 1-5 rays up to 6 cm long.
Spikelets subdigitate to pinnate from a rachis to 1 cm long, lance-
oblong, flat, 6-38-flowered, 4-23 mm long; rachilla persistent.
Scales closely imbricate, completely covering the achenes, 1. 8-2.2
266 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
mm long, nerved only on the green keel, the tip appressed ; laminae
firm, slightly convex, lustrous purplish-brown (rarely unpig-
mented). Stamens 2. Style 2-cleft to about the middle, exserted less
than 1 mm, deciduous . Achene lenticular, ellipsoid to narrowly
obovoid, whitish to reddish-brown, ca 1.2 mm long.
A common wetland species of wide distribution in temperate
North America, in Wisconsin in wet sand and mud of shores and
banks of lakes, rivers and streams, and in low fields, ditches and
marshes; easily confused with C. diandrus, but distinguished by
firm, closely imbricate scales with lustrous purplish-brown lami¬
nae and the absence of long-exserted, persistent styles. Flowering
from early July to early October; fruiting from August to mid-
October.
3. Cyperus aristatus Rottb. Map 3.
Awned Cyperus
C. inflexus Muhl.
C. aristatus var. inflexus (Muhl.) Kiikenth.
Mostly tufted, soft-based low delicate annuals 2-18 cm high,
from red fibrous roots, strongly aromatic, with the fragrance of
Ulmus rubra or Gnaphalium obtusifolium. Culms slender, flaccid,
smooth, sharply wing-angled. Blades 1-3 mm wide, from deep
purplish-red sheaths; involucral bracts blade-like, mostly 3, diver¬
gent. Inflorescence a dense hemispherical to subglobose head,
usually with 1-3 additional rays. Spikelets subdigitate from a short
rachis, somewhat flattened, 3-23-flowered, 2-9 mm long; rachilla
persistent. Scales 1.5-2. 5 mm long, the keel green, narrowed to a
long recurved excurrent tip; laminae 3-5-nerved, pale yellow to
rich copper. Stamen 1. Style 3-cleft. Achene trigonous, slenderly
obovoid, ca 0.8 mm long, pale brown.
Semi-cosmopolitan species of north temperate and tropical re¬
gions, occurring in the western two-thirds of Wisconsin in wet
sand and mud of river bars and banks, lakeshores, moist depres¬
sions and temporary pools. Flowering from July to October;
fruiting from mid-July to mid-October (n = ca 24, 28, 32; Murdy,
1968).
4. Cyperus erythrorhizos Muhl. Map 4.
Red-rooted Cyperus
Annuals from fibrous, caked blood-red roots . Plants erect and
solitary, 1-4 (-8) dm tall, or spreading from loose tufts, sometimes
dwarfed and only to 2 cm tall. Culms firm, smooth, coarsely
1974]
Marcks — Sedge Family II Report
267
268 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
3-angled. Blades soft, scabrous apically, pale beneath, 2-6 mm wide ;
involucral bracts blade-like, 3-9, spreading. Inflorescence a com¬
pound umbel, rarely simple or condensed, with a cluster of subses-
sile spikes and in addition 1-7 unequal divergent pedunculate rays
1-10 cm long. Spikelets crowded, mostly radiating horizontally
from an elongate rachis 5-30 mm long, slenderly oblong, 5-30-
fiowered, 3-20 mm long, ca 1 mm wide ; rachilla persistent, bearing
deciduous chaffy wings. Scales small and delicate, 1.2-1. 5 mm long,
densely aggregated ; keel broad and green ; laminae lustrous copper
to rich reddish-brown. Achene plano-convex, short ellipsoid to
ovoid, ca 0.8 mm long, lustrous ivory to pearly white.
Widely distributed wetland species of temperate North America,
in Wisconsin common in the southwest, absent in the northeast,
on wet sandy or muddy shores of lakes, rivers and streams and in
marshes and wet ditches. Flowering from mid- July to October;
fruiting from August to early November.
5. Cyperus strigosus L. Map 5.
Straw-colored Cyperus
Erect perennials 1-6 (-10) dm tall, the base becoming a hard
corm-like rhizome. Culms firm, smooth, acutely 3-angled. Blades 2-6
mm wide, flat, apically scabrous; involucral bracts blade-like, 3-8,
divergent, often greatly exceeding the umbel. Inflorescence a simple
or compound umbel with a cluster of subsessile spikes and 1-12
unequal, obliquely ascending pedunculate rays to 12 cm long.
Spikelets usually crowded, mostly radiating horizontally from a
± elongate rachis 4-28 mm long, linear-lanceolate, strongly flat¬
tened, 4-14-flowered, 5-18 mm long, ca 2 mm wide; rachilla decidu¬
ous, winged. Scales oblong-lanceolate, 3.5-A.5 mm long, loosely
imbricate, the keel green; laminae uniformly tinged yellow, the
margins spreading. Achene less than half the length of the scale,
trigonous and slender, 1. 6-2.2 mm x 0.5-0. 6 mm, purplish-brown.
A widespread and variable North American species, very com¬
mon in all but northeast Wisconsin, in wet sand and mud of
meadows, swales and sloughs, temporary pools and ditches, and
shores and banks of lakes, rivers and streams; sometimes weedy
in low fields. Flowering from July to October ; fruiting from August
to mid-October.
6. Cyperus esculentus L. Map 6.
Yellow Nut-grass, Chufa
Robust erect perennials from thickened bases, bearing soft
stolons with prominent scales, each stolon terminated by a hard
1974]
Marcks — Sedge Family II Report
269
tuber. Culms 2-9 dm high, acutely 3-angled, smooth and sub-
coriaceous at base, soft and scabrous at the apex ; involucral
bracts blade-like, 2-9, exceeding the umbel, spreading. Inflorescence
an open and often compound umbel of several subsessile spikes,
with several additional ascending pedunculate rays 1-10 dm long.
Spikelets mostly 4-ranked along an elongate rachis 1-3 cm long,
loosely aggregated and spreading nearly horizontally, barely flat¬
tened , 5-25 mm long, 5-28-flowered ; rachilla persistent, narrowly
winged. Scales overlapping , 2-3 mm long, yellowish-brown to golden
brown. Stamens 3, 1.2-1. 5 mm long. Achene trigonous, ellipsoid
to obovoid, rounded at the summit, 1.2-1. 6 mm long (sometimes
female sterile), lustrous tan to golden brown.
A widely distributed pantropical and warm temperate weed,
sparingly throughout Wisconsin in wet sand or mud of lakeshores
and riverbanks, and as a weed in low fields and roadsides. Flower¬
ing from July to October; fruiting from mid- July to mid-October
(2n = 108; Hicks, 1929; Darlington and Wylie, 1955).
7. Cyperus odoratus L. Map 7.
Coarse Cyperus
C. ferruginescens Boeekh
C. speciosus var. squarrosus Britt.
C. speciosus var. ferruginescens (Boeckl.) Britt.
C. ferax ssp. speciosus (Britt.) Kiikenth.
C. odoratus var. squarrosus (Britt.) Gilly
Fibrous-rooted annuals 2-60 cm tall, erect or dwarfed, spread¬
ing from loose tufts. Culms several, smooth, firm, acutely 3-angled.
Blades flat, apically scabrous; involucral bracts blade-like, 3-6,
spreading, sometimes greatly exceeding the umbel. Inflorescence
a compound umbel (or condensed into a loose head-like cluster),
with several loose subsessile spikes and up to 7 unequal divergent
pedunculate rays 1-6 cm long. Spikelets closely aggregated along
a ± elongate rachis 5-20 mm long, mostly spreading horizontally
or slightly ascending, slender and subterete, 4-20-flowered, 4-26
mm long; rachilla breaking into 1 -fruited sections at maturity,
winged. Scale with apex overlapping superjacent scale, 1. 5-2.0 mm
long, the keel green; laminae reddish-brown. Stamens 3, 0.3-0. 5
mm long. Achene trigonous-oblongoid, 1-1.5 mm long, ferruginous
to golden brown.
The entity from the interior of temperate North America,
formerly treated as C. ferruginescens Boeckeler but inseparable
from the semi-cosmopolitan tropical and subtropical C. odoratus
(O’Neill, 1942), is of infrequent occurrence in Wisconsin south of
270 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
y/ jr
CYPERUS ENGELMANNI
1974]
Marcks — Sedge Family II Report
271
the Tension Zone, in wet sand and mud of riverbanks, flats, sloughs,
lakeshores and marshes. The Wisconsin plants appear to belong to
var. squarrosus, which according to Gilly (1946) “is essentially
restricted to the Mississippi Valley, the Great Lakes area, and the
Western Gulf Coastal Plain. . . [as an] . . . interior and western
phase of the species, with the thinner, dull-brown to greenish
scales. . .” Often confused with C. Engelmannii and C. esculentus,
it is distinguished from the former by its subapproximate, over¬
lapping scales and from the latter by its lack of scaly stolons and
tubers and its much shorter stamens. Flowering from July to
September; fruiting from August to October.
8. Cyperus Engelmannii Steud. Map 8.
Engelmann’s Cyperus
Fibrous-rooted annuals 2-60 cm tall, erect or dwarfed and spread¬
ing from loose tufts. Culms smooth and firm, sharply 3-angled.
Blades flat, scaberulous apically, the sheaths light reddish-purple;
involucral bracts blade-like, 3-8, spreading, often greatly exceeding
the umbel. Inflorescence a compound umbel (or condensed into a
loose head-like cluster) with several subsessile spikes and up to
7 unequal divergent pedunculate rays 1-6 cm long in addition.
Spikelets closely aggregated along a ± elongate rachis 4-15 mm
long, mostly spreading horizontally or slightly ascending, slenderly
subterete, 6-18-flowered, 8-24 mm long; rachilla splitting into
1 -fruited sections at maturity, winged. Scales thin, remote and not
overlapping the superjacent scale (giving the spikelet a zigzag
appearance) , 1. 5-3.0 mm long; keel green; laminae golden brown
to reddish-brown. Achene trigonous, linear-oblongoid, ca 1.5 mm
long, brownish.
Widely distributed wetland species of tropical and warm tem¬
perate regions of the New World, in Wisconsin mostly in the north¬
west and southeast, in wet sand or mud of lakeshores, ditches and
marshes. Flowering from late July to early October; fruiting from
early August to mid-October.
9. Cyperus LUPULINUS (Spreng.) Marcks, comb. nov.
Slender stemmed Cyperus
Scirpus lupulinus Spreng. Mant. 1 :30. 1807. TYPE : Muhlenberg
from eastern Pennsylvania, in the Berlin Herbarium (B), photo¬
graph (WIS !) . The type sheet is a mixed collection; the plant on
the left is taken as the lectotype, since the plant on the right ap¬
pears to be Cyperus lupulinus ssp. macilentus.
Cyperus filiculmis of many authors, not of Vahl, 1806.
272 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
Erect perennials 8-40 cm high, mostly in loose tufts from hard
subglobose corm-like rhizomes. Culms very slender, rigid and erect,
3-angled, 0.4-1. 2 mm thick near the apex. Blades pale green, nar¬
row, 1-3.5 mm wide, mostly conduplicate, scabrous-margined ; in-
volucral bracts 3-4, blade-like, mostly deflexed. Inflorescence a
single, sessile, dense hemispherical to nearly spherical head, 8-25
mm in diameter, rarely with 1-2 additional rays. Spikelets radiate
and densely congested, from S-U very short axes, 3-22-flowered,
3-22 mm long, 2. 5-4.0 mm wide; rachilla late-deciduous, essen¬
tially wingless. Scales oblong, 1.8-3. 8 mm long, readily deciduous;
keel green, short-mucronate ; laminae unpigmented or tinged red¬
dish-brown. Achene trigonous, narrowly ovoid to oblongoid, 1.4-
2.2 mm X 0.6-1. 1 mm, dark brown or black.
Cyperus lupulinus is usually included in C. filiculmis Vahl, an
endemic of the southern Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains of the
United States, but the two are distinguishable by several morpho¬
logical characters. The former has green rather than yellow scales,
wider achenes, and longer scale mucros. Moreover, biosystematic
studies (Marcks, 1972) have shown C. lupulinus to be essentially
allopatric in more northern and western regions and to have a
different chromosome number and phenolic profile pattern. These
data strongly support recognition of C . lupulinus as a species
separate from C. filiculmis.
The first legitimate epithet for this taxon is Scirpus lupulinus
Sprengel, dating from 1807. It is based on Muhlenberg 203 from
Pennsylvania (now in the Willdenow Herbarium in Berlin, num¬
ber 1221). A photograph of this sheet (WIS!) shows it to be
annotated in Sprengel’s hand as “Scirpus lupulinus n. s.” The sheet
bears two specimens, the left-hand one clearly referable to the
typical form of the species in the length of its scales (2. 8-3.0 mm
long), spreading scale margins and several-flowered spikelets, the
right-hand one probably referable to ssp. macilentus (described
below) on the basis of its 3-4-flowered spikelets and slightly shorter
scales (ca 2.5 mm long). Because the identification of the latter
specimen is questionable from the photograph, the specimen on the
left is taken as the lectotype for Sprengel’s name.
KEY TO SUBSPECIES
A. Scales 2. 5-3. 5 mm long, fitting loosely over the achene, the
margins spreading; spikelets 6-22-flowered.
9a. C. LUPULINUS SSP. LUPULINUS.
AA. Scales 1.8-2. 5 mm long, fitting firmly over the achene, the
margins tightly clasping; spikelets 3-5 (-7) flowered.
9b. C. LUPULINUS SSP. MACILENTUS.
1974]
Marcks — Sedge Family II Report
273
9a. Cyperus lupulinus (Spreng.) Marcks ssp. lupulinus Map 9,
Figs. 2 and 5, Table 1.
Mariscus glomeratus Bart. Prod. FI. Phil. 18. 1815, fide Horvat,
1941 (under C. filiculmis, sensu lato) .
Scirpus cyperiformis Muhl. Descr. 41. 1817. TYPE : Baltimore,
Maryland, Muhlenberg 143 sheet 2 in folder 46 (PH!).
Mariscus cyperiformis (Muhl.) Torr. Cat. PL N. Y. 14. 1819.
? Cyperus annuus Spreng. et Link, Jahr. 2 :83. 1820, fide Kukenth.,
1936.
FIGURES 2 AND 3. Distribution maps of Cyperus lupulinus ssp. lupulinus
and C. lupulinus ssp. macilentus.
274 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
Cyperus etesios Schult. Mant. 2:114. 1824, fide Kukenth., 1936.
Cyperus Bushii Britt. Man. FI. N. U. S. 1044. 1901. Arkansas,
Sept. 28, 1894, Bush 619. HOLOTYPE: (NY) ; ISOTYPE (MO!).
Cyperus Houghtonii var. Bushii (Britt.) Kukenth. in Engler,
Pflanzenr. 20:470. 1936.
Widespread in the eastern United States on dry exposed sands,
gravels and rocky areas of prairies and oak openings, with geo¬
graphical dispersal centers in the Ozarks and Appalachians, in
Wisconsin rather rare, chiefly south of the Tension Zone on sand¬
stone and granite outcrops, gravelly areas and sand prairies
(Fig. 2).
More southwestern in distribution than ssp. macilentus, with
which it intergrades where sympatric in glaciated territory from
the upper Midwest eastward to the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Popu¬
lation studies (Marcks, 1972) have shown it to hybridize exten¬
sively in the Great Plains and lower Great Lakes region (including
southern Wisconsin) with Cyperus Schweinitzii (cf. p. 276).
TABLE 1. MORPHOLOGICAL COMPARISON OF CYPERUS LUPULINUS
SSP. LUPULINUS, C. LUPULINUS SSP. MACILENTUS,
AND C. SCHWEINITZII.
1974]
Marchs — Sedge Family II Report
275
A comparison of morphological characters of the latter taxon is
made with those of C. lupulinus ssp. lupulinus and C. lupulinus
ssp. macilentus in Table 1. Flowering from late June to October;
fruiting from mid-July to mid-October (n = ca 83 ; Marcks, 1972).
9b. Cyperus lupulinus (Spreng.) Marcks ssp. MACILENTUS
(Fern.) Marcks, stat. nov. Map 10, Figs. IB, 3 and 6, Table 1.
Cyperus filiculmis Vahl var. macilentus Fern., Rhodora 8:128.
1906. TYPE : Valley of the main Penobscot River, in sandy soil,
Penobscot Co., Maine, Fernald 2US. HOLOTYPE : Gray Herbarium
(GH !) ; ISOTYPES (B! C! LCU! PH! MO! US! WIS!).
Cyperus macilentus (Fern.) Bickn., Bull. Torr. Bot. Cl. 35:478.
1908.
Dry exposed sands, from the southern Appalachians to the At¬
lantic Coastal Plain of Virginia, northwestward in glaciated ter¬
ritory to Iowa and Minnesota (Fig. 3), in Wisconsin in sandy soil
of rock outcrops, roadcuts, abandoned fields, young pine planta¬
tions and of glacial lake beds and outwash plains.
Morphologically a highly reduced northeastern segregate of the
above typical subspecies largely confined to glaciated eastern North
America with an apparent center of dispersal in the northern Ap¬
palachians. Previously always included in synonomy with or as a
variety of C. filiculmis, an endemic of the southern Atlantic and
Gulf Coastal Plains, but specifically distinct on the basis of fewer
flowered spikelets, unpigmented scale laminae and shorter achenes.
Flowering July to October; fruiting mid-July to mid-October
(n = ca 83; Marcks, 1972).
10. Cyperus Schweinitzii Torr. Schweinitz’s Cyperus Map 11.
Figs. 1A, 4, 5 and 6, Table 1.
Erect loose-tufted perennials 2.5-9 dm high, from vertical, hard,
corm-like rhizomes 0.8-3 cm long, these branched horizontally and
bearing secondary shoots. Culms rigid, sharply 3-angled, scabrous
on the angles near the apex, 1-2 mm thick. Blades 2-8 mm wide,
pale green, scabrous-margined ; involucral bracts blade-like,
strongly ascending . Inflorescence an open umbel, with a cluster of
subsessile spikes and in addition 3-8 unequal, strongly ascending
pedunculate rays 1-12 cm long. Spikelets loosely disposed from an
elongate rachis 5-11 mm long, ascending, ovate to oblong-lance¬
olate, 3-12-flowered, 5-15 mm long, 3-4 mm wide; rachilla very
late-deciduous, essentially wingless. Scales firm, ovate, fitting
tightly over the achene, their keels green, each ending in a well
276 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
developed mucro 0. 5-1.0 mm long. Achene trigonous-ellipsoid,
2. 2-2. 6 mm X 1.2-1. 4 mm, brown or black.
A southern Great Plains element of sand hills and sand prairies
(Fig. 4), in Wisconsin rather common in dry exposed sands of
glacial outwash plains, river floodplains, dunes of Lake Michigan,
sandstone outcrops, and disturbed sands of roadcuts, sandblows
and pine plantations. Hybridizes extensively in Wisconsin with
C. lupulinus ssp. lupulinus and ssp. macilentus (cf. following
section). Flowering from mid- June to late September; fruiting
from July to early October (n = ca 83; Marcks, 1972).
HYBRIDIZATION IN CYPERUS SECTION LAXIGLUM1
IN WISCONSIN: THE C. LUPULINUS-C. SCHWEINITZI1
COMPLEX
Cyperus lupulinus ssp. lupulinus, C. lupulinus ssp. macilentus and
C. Schweinitzii, all members of the taxonomically difficult section
LAXIGLUMI, are often sympatric in dry exposed sands of prairie
blowouts, roadcuts, abandoned fields and young pine plantations,
sandstone outcrops and lake dunes in glaciated Eastern North
America. Wherever they occur together, they hybridize extensively
(Marcks, 1967, 1972; Marcks and litis, 1967). It is a fact of
greatest phytogeographic significance that many taxonomically
perplexing groups in glaciated eastern North America, such as the
1974]
Marchs — Sedge Family II Report
277
6.0
5.0
E
E
a
i
i—
Q
£
Li.
<
UJ
'4.0
3.0
2.0
1.0
0.0
FIGURE 5
lupulinus ssp.
V
*
*
t ^ * $)s
o_
0.9 1.1 1.3
CULM WIDTH (mm.)
K
¥
A f
'k V
Schweinitzii
1.5
1.7
1.9
Involucral Brae t Angle (°)
• less than 40
© 40-140
O more than 140
Culm Texture
(J) scabrous
<5 intermediate
O smooth
Ray Number
'b 5 or more
6 1-4
O none
Scale Mucro Length (mm)
i more than 0.5
6 0.3-0. 5
O less than 0.3
FIGURE 5. Scatter diagram of Wisconsin (WIS) and Illinois State Natural
History Survey (ILLS) herbarium specimens of the Cyperus lupulinus-C.
Schweinitzii complex collected in Mason and Tazewell Counties, Illinois (adja¬
cent counties in central Illinois), clearly showing intermediates between C.
lupulinus ssp. lupulinus (lower left) and C. Schweinitzii (upper right).
1.6
1.4 -
|i.2 -
Q
1.0
20.8
10
o
0.6
0.4 -
FIGURE 6
4
o o
o
o ©
lupulinus ssp .
macilentus
i
id i
; V
; V
6
446
© 4
i'6
1
i y
*
k 4
4
6
4 4 4
4
4 4
V* *
6 \
Schweinitzii
0.0 ' 2.3 2.5 2.7 2.9 3.1 3.3
ACHENE LENGTH ♦ WIDTH (mm.)
3.5
3.7
3.9
Involucral Brae t Angle (°)
• less than 40
© 40-140
O more than 140
Plant Height (cm)
(!) more than 50
6 35-50
O less than 35
Culm Texture
*b scabrous
b intermediate
O smooth
Ray Number
i 5 or more
6 1-4
O none
FIGURE 6. Scatter diagram of mass collection ( Ma/rcks & Marchs 358, col¬
lected 2 mi. E of Big Flats, Juneau Co., Wis.) clearly showing intermediates
between Cyperus lupulinus ssp. macilentus (lower left, hollow circles and one
or no whiskers) and C. Schweinitzii (upper right, solid circles and three
whiskers).
278 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
C. lupulinus-C. Schweinitzii complex, owe their complexity to post¬
glacial hybridization of closely related species, often vicariads,
which evidently met after their long Pleistocene separation in
sometimes far removed “refugia” or “survivia” located south of
the glacial maxima (Hulten, 1937; litis, 1965, 1966, unpublished).
Notable examples which show this phytogeographic pattern and
which form often spectacular hybrid swarms in glaciated terri¬
tories include Actaea pachypoda and A. rubra (Kane, 1966; litis,
1966), Juniperus horizontalis and J. virginiana (Fassett, 1945),
Acer nigrum and A. saccharum (Desmarais, 1952), Helianthus
giganteus and H, grosseserratus (Long, 1961) and Gentianopsis
crinita ssp. crinita and G. crinita ssn. procera (litis, 1965).
Judging from the extraglacial distributions of these LAXI-
GLUMI taxa, C. lupulinus ssp. luvulinus survived glaciation in the
Ozarks (and perhans the Armalachians ; Fig. 2), C. luvulinus ssp.
macilentus on the Atlantic Coastal Plain and in the Appalachians
(Fig. 3) , and C. Schweinitzii in the southern Great Plains (Fig. 4) .
Postglacial migrations into once glaciated eastern North America
resulted in regions where two or three of these taxa are sympatric.
There, subsequent hybridization with backcrossing apparently
accounts for the complex intergrading variation patterns often
displayed by local populations of this complex (Figs. 5 and 6).
Postglacial hybridization of C. lupulinus ssp. lupulinus and
C. Schiveinitzii seems merely to have resulted in a blurring of
species lines and a great increase in population variability in re¬
gions of sympatrv. There may also be some introgression northward
in glaciated territory, since northern plants of either taxon com¬
monly vary slightly in the direction of the other taxon. In contrast,
hybridization between C. lupulinus ssp. macilentus and C. Schwein¬
itzii, aside from resulting in numerous highly variable hybrid
swarms, especially in areas of recent human disturbance, appears
to have resulted in the origin of a new species, C. Houghtonii,
within the last 10,000 years in naturally disturbed “Jack Pine”
(Pinus Banksiana) barrens of the upper Great Lakes region, a
hypothesis discussed more fully below.
Key to Hybrid Forms
A. Rachis 5-10 mm long; scales 3. 0-3. 5 mm long, fitting loosely
over the achene, the margins spreading. _lla. C. LUPULINUS
SSP. LUPULINUS X C. SCHWEINITZII.
AA. Rachis 2-5 mm long; scales 2.2-3. 2 mm long, fitting firmly
over the achene, the margins clasping the achene. _
_ lib. C. LUPULINUS SSP. MACILENTUS X
C. SCHWEINITZII.
1974]
MarcJcs — Sedge Family II Report
279
11a. Cyperus lupulinus (Spreng.) Marcks ssp. lupulinus X
C. Schweinitzii Torr. Map 12, Fig. 7.
Cyperus X mesochorus Geise, Amer. Midi. Nat. 15:249. 1934.
Cyperus Houghtonii var. uherior Kiikenth. in Engler, Pflanzenr.
20:469. 1936.
Usually similar to C. Schweinitzii , but with fewer rays, more
divergent involucral bracts and rays and only slightly scabrous
culms; sometimes with reduced seed set. These variable hybrids
occur in overgrazed or disturbed sands of sand prairies and sand
hills from the southern Great Plains northeastward in glaciated
territory to similar habitats in the lower Great Lakes region and
eastward more locally to eastern Pennsylvania (Fig. 7), in Wiscon¬
sin confined to disturbed sand prairies and outcrops south of the
Tension Zone. Hybrid scatter diagrams of local or regional popula¬
tions of this complex often show a great wealth of variously inter¬
mediate plants, suggesting crossing and backcrossing (Fig. 5).
Flowering and fruiting synchronously with the parents.
lib. Cyperus lupulinus (Spreng.) Marcks ssp. macxlentus
(Fern.) Marcks x C. Schweinitzii Torr. Map 13, Fig. 8.
Usually resembling C. Schweinitzii , but mostly smaller and more
slender with fewer rays, more divergent-spreading involucral
bracts, smaller aehenes, and only slightly scabrous culms; often
with low seed set. These highly variable hybrids center on the
region of parental sympatry in the Great Lakes region (Figs. 3, 4
and 7), in Wisconsin occurring on sandstone outcrops and in dry
exposed sands of roadcuts, sandblows of sand prairies, abandoned
fields and young pine plantations. Hybrid scatter diagrams of local
populations (including specimens of the highly fertile putative
stabilized hybrid, C. Houghtonii ) often show a rather complete
bridge of variously intermediate forms connecting the parental taxa
(Fig. 6). Flowering and fruiting synchronously with the parents.
Diakinesis and metaphase I configurations have several ring com¬
plexes which do not permit accurate chromosome counts (Marcks,
1972).
12. Cyperus Houghtonii Torr. Map 14, Fig. 9.
Houghton’s Cyperus
Erect perennials 6-45 cm high, in small loose tufts borne from
a cluster of hard, subglobose, corm-like rhizomes. Culms 3-angled,
smooth , 0.5-1. 5 mm thick at the apex. Blades 1-6 mm wide,
280 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Aids and Letters [Vol. 62
FIGURE 7
C LUPULINUS S5P LUPULINUS
C SCHWEINITZII
MAXIMA
7
3 -
FIGURE 8
C LUPULINUS SSP MACILENTUS
V. X
S C SCHWEINITZII
/ GLACIAL MAXIMA
_ -H
FIGURES 7 AND 8. Distribution maps of
X C. Schweinitzii and C. lupulinus ssp.
Cyperus lupulinus ssp. lupulinus
macilentus X C. Schweinitzii.
1974]
Marcks — Sedge Family II Report
281
scabrous-margined ; involucral bracts blade-like, divergent. In¬
florescence with a small dense cluster of terminal spikes and usually
also with 1-8 unequal, obliquely ascending pedunculate rays up to
8 cm long. Spikelets subdigitate from a short rachis 2-5 mm long,
3-18-flowered, 4-15 mm long, 2.5-3 mm wide. Scales rotund , 2. 0-2. 5
mm long; keel broad and green; laminae traversed by 3-4 promi¬
nent nerves, the margins spreading or clasping. Achenes broadly
ovoid, rounded at both ends, the sides markedly concave, 1.6-1. 9 X
1.0-1. 4 mm, dark brown.
A species narrowly restricted to dry exposed sands of “Jack
Pine” (Pinus Banksiana) barrens in glaciated eastern North
America (Fig. 9), in Wisconsin occurring mostly north of the
Tension Zone in pure sands of glacial lake beds and outwash plains.
Extensive population studies (Marcks, 1967, 1972), including
morphologic, cytologic and chromatographic analyses, indicate
C. Houghtonii to be of backcross hybrid origin to C. lupulinus ssp.
macilentus, selected out of postglacially formed hybrid swarms
of C. lupulinus ssp. macilentus and C. Schiveinitzii.
Natural disturbance resulting from wind throw and Are have
provided dry exposed sands suitable for establishment of plants of
the C. lupulinus ssp. macilentus-C . Schweinitzii complex in the
“Jack Pine” barrens essentially since glacial recession (Curtis,
1959). Because these glacial habitats are surely different and per-
FIGURE 9
C. HOUGHTONII
glacial maxima
FIGURE 9. Distribution map of Cy perns Houghtonii.
282 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
^CYPERUS LUPLJUNUS SSP MACILENTUS
CYPERUS SCHWEINITZII I
r ' — I i _|_ j
Me
haps somewhat intermediate to those in which the parental stocks
have had long adaptive histories south of the glacial maxima, one
might expect that new adaptive genotypes could have been selected
out of hybrid swarms in the naturally disturbed “Jack Pine” bar¬
rens. Stabilizing selection acting on hybrid swarms has thus
apparently allowed C. Houghtonii to evolve and exploit a new eco¬
logical niche to which neither of its parents is as well adapted.
The restriction of C. Houghtonii to glaciated territory with the
exception of a once collected and presumably adventive station
from Luray, Virginia, constitutes an anomalous distribution sug¬
gestive of a postglacial origin. With rare exceptions, all species
present in glaciated territories of eastern and central North Amer¬
ica have at least part of their range outside the Wisconsin glacial
maxima where we may assume they survived the Wisconsin glacia¬
tion. The rare exceptions include some species of Solidago and
other poorly understood microspecies of hybrid derivatives of large,
actively evolving genera, some microspermous species ( Thismia
americana , Cypripedium arietinum) , which may have been intro¬
duced by stratospheric dispersal from the Old World, various arctic
and boreal elements, which may have survived on or near the ice
sheet, and several Great Lake dune microendemics (Guire and
Voss, 1963; Johnson and litis, 1963; Mickelson and litis, 1966).
A postglacial hybrid origin for C. Houghtonii is thus suggested on
grounds of its narrow restriction to glaciated territory. Flowering
from July to October, fruiting from mid- July to mid-October
(n = ca. 84, 85, 86; Marcks, 1972).
1974]
Marchs — Sedge Family II Report
Acknowledgements
283
Field work in part supported by the Research Committee of the
University of Wisconsin on funds from the Wisconsin Alumni
Research Foundation.
Special thanks are due to the author’s major professor, Dr.
Hugh H. Utis, for his botanical appreciation of Cyperus and for
critical manuscript reading. Acknowledgement is also extended to
Mr. Theodore S. Cochrane for aid in preparing illustrations and
maps, for editing the paper and for seeing it through press.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
CURTIS, J. T. 1959. The Vegetation of Wisconsin. Univ. of Wisconsin Press,
Madison.
DARLINGTON, C. D., and A. P. WYLIE. 1955. Chromosome Atlas of Flower¬
ing Plants. George Allen & Unwin, Ltd., London.
DESMARAIS, Y. 1952. Dynamics of leaf variations in the sugar maples.
Brittonia 7:347-387.
FAS SETT, N. C. 1945. Juniperus virginiana, J. horizontalis, and J. scopulorum
— IV. Hybrid swarms of J. virginiana and J. horizontalis . Bull. Torrey
Bot. Club 72:379-384.
GILLY, C. L. 1946. The Cyperaceae of Iowa. Iowa State Coll. J. Sci. 21:55-
151.
GREENE, H. C. 1953. Preliminary reports on the flora of Wisconsin. No. 37.
Cyperaceae part I — Cyperus, Dulichium , Eleocharis, Bulbostylis, Fim-
bristylis \ Eriophorum, Scirpus, Hemicarpha, Rhynchospora, Psilocarya,
Cladium, Scleria. Trans. Wis. Acad. Sci. Arts, Lett. 42:47-67.
GUIRE, K. E., and E. G. VOSS. 1963. Distributions of distinctive shoreline
plants in the Great Lakes region. Mich. Bot. 2:99-114.
HICKS, G. C. 1929. Cytological studies in Cyperus, Eleocharis, Dulichium,
and Eriophorum. Bot. Gaz. 88:132-149.
HORVAT, M. 1941. A revision of the subgenus Mariscus found in the United
States. Contrib. Biol. Lab. Cath. Univ. Amer. No. 33.
HULTEN, E. 1937. Outline of the History of Arctic and Boreal Biota during
the Quaternary Period. Bokforlags aktiebolaget Thule, Stockholm.
ILTIS, H. H. 1965. The genus Gentianopsis (Gentianaceae) : transfers and
phytogeographic comments. Sida 2:129-154.
- . 1966. The western element in the eastern North American flora and
its phytogeographic implications. Amer. J. Bot. 53:634 (abstract).
JOHNSON, M. F., and H. H. ILTIS. 1963. Preliminary reports on the flora
of Wisconsin. No. 48. Compositae I — Composite family I (Tribes Eupa-
torieae, Vernonieae, Cynarieae, and Cichorieae). Trans. Wis. Acad. Sci.
Arts, Lett. 52:255-342.
KANE, J. M. 1966. Hybrids of Actaea alba and A. rubra (Ranunculaceae)
in Wisconsin. M. S. Thesis, Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison.
KiiKENTHAL, G. 1936. Cyperaceae-Scirpoideae-Cypereae. In A. Engler,
Pflanzenr. 20:1-671.
LONG, R. W. 1961. Biosystematics of two species of Helianthus (Com¬
positae), II. Natural populations and taxonomy. Brittonia 13:129-141.
MARCKS, B. G. 1967. Population studies in the Cyperus filiculmis complex
of eastern North America. M. S. Thesis, Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison.
MARCKS, B. G. 1972. Population studies in North American Cyperus section
LAXIGLUMI (Cyperaceae). Ph.D. Thesis, Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison.
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- - and H. H. ILTIS. 1967. Post-glacial hybridization of Cyperus
Schweinitzii and C . macilentus. Amer. J. Bot. 54:659-660 (abstract).
MICKELSON, C. J., and H. H. ILTIS. 1966. Preliminary reports on the flora
of Wisconsin No. 55. Compositae IV — Composite family IV (Tribes
Helenieae and Anthemideae) . Trans. Wis. Acad. Sci. Arts, Lett. 55:
187-222.
MURDY, W. H. 1968. Plant speciation associated with granite outcrop com¬
munities of the southeastern piedmont. Rhodora 70:394-407.
O’NEILL, H. 1942. The status and distribution of some Cyperaceae in North
and South America. Rhodora 44:43-64, 77-89.
VOSS, E. G. 1972. Michigan Flora Part I Gymnosperms and Monocots. Cran-
brook Inst, of Science, Bloomfield Hills.
ANTIMYCIN— BEYOND TELEOCIDE
Maiy Ellen Antonioni
University Wisconsin — •
Madison
ABSTRACT
Two species of clams, Lampsilis siliquoidea and Elliptio dilatatus ,
were exposed to each of 4 dosage levels of antimycin (5, 10, 12, and
15 parts per billion antimycin/water) at three temperatures (17 C,
22 C, and 27 C). Each temperature test constituted a “run” of 27
days, during which the organisms were observed and dieoff
recorded. The pH was a constant 7.5 and general water quality
constant. At run III (27 C), fluorescein dye (used as a tracer dye
with antimycin) was also tested alone and in combination with 15
ppb antimycin.
For both species, increase in dieoff as temperature increased was
significant for 12 ppb and 15 ppb, but not for 5 or 10 ppb. There
was an overall significant increase in dieoff as temperature in¬
creased. A comparison among 15 ppb antimycin, 15 ppb antimycin
plus fluorescein, and fluorescein alone, yielded the following re¬
sults: There was no significant difference in dieoff between the
15 ppb antimycin and 15 ppb antimycin plus fluorescein; there
was no dieoff for fluorescein dye alone.
The increase in dieoff with increasing temperature was sig¬
nificantly greater for L. siliquoidea than for E. dilatatus for
dosages 5 and 10 ppb. The total number of dead individuals after
27 days was significantly greater for L. siliquoidea than for E.
dilatatus at 22 C and 27 C, but not at 17 C.
INTRODUCTION
Reclamation of streams, ponds, or lakes is the control of “unde¬
sirable” species of fish with materials and methods for eradicating
such fish, either selectively or totally with subsequent replacement
by “desirable” species. Undesirable species are defined as those
with little or no commercial or sport fishing value; for example,
carp ( Cyprinus carpio) , green sunfish ( Lepomis cyanellus) ,
stunted yellow perch ( Perea flavescens) , etc.
A number of management methods for thus reclaiming streams
or lakes have been tried with little success; such methods include
drainage, seining, and trapping of undesirable species. More
recently, poisoning of such habitats with various teleocides has
285
286 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
been attempted with greater success, but not without added prob¬
lems of endangering non-target species of fish, other aquatic life
and non-aquatic life present in, or dependent upon, the aquatic
habitat.
One such teleocide is antimycin, which is being widely used pri¬
marily as a single management tool. This practice unwisely reduces
complicated aquatic ecosystems to the few component parts which
are able to withstand its effects. To date, few adequate studies
have been made regarding the effects of antimycin on non-target
organisms, on the reproductive success of organisms which do sur¬
vive, or on post-treatment productivity of ecosystems which have
been altered and simplified by its use. The present study is but one
of many needed to thoroughly evaluate antimycin as a teleocide.
At the University of Wisconsin in the Department of Plant
Pathology, Leben and Keitt (1948) noted that a culture of the
apple scab fungus Venturia inequalis, was markedly inhibited by
a white, slow-growing, actinomycete contaminant. An antibiotic
was isolated and discovered to be particularly effective against
fungi and hence was named antimycin.
A new phase of antimycin research began in 1963 when Derse
and Strong (1963) reported that fish were extremely sensitive to
the antibiotic. The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, which
did much of the original research on antimycin as a teleocide,
licensed Ayerst Laboratories, New York, a division of American
Home Products Corporation, to produce and market antimycin.
This product, under the tradename of “Fintrol”, has been approved
for use in fresh water fish management and is registered as a
teleocide by the United States and Canadian governments. (Radon-
ski and Wendt, 1966).
There are three registered formulations of antimycin presently
available (Lennon, et al., 1971). Fintrol-5 consists of antimycin
coated on sand grains in such a way as to release the toxicant
evenly in the first 5 feet of water as the sand sinks; Fintrol-15
which releases it in the first 15 feet of depth, and a liquid, Fintrol
Concentrate, which was developed for use in very shallow running
waters and streams.
Experiments are being conducted on a fourth type of antimycin,
a cake form, that can be suspended in streams to release a specific
amount of the toxicant at a certain rate.
The qualities of antimycin which make it attractive as a tele¬
ocide can be summarized as follows : It is relatively specific to fish,
i.e., fish-killing concentrations are considered harmless to other
aquatic life, waterfowl and mammals. It is effective in small con¬
centrations against all life stages of fish, egg through adult. Its
respiratory inhibiting properties are irreversible at lethal dosages.
1974] Antonioni — Antimycin — Beyond Teleocide 287
It is odorless and colorless in water and does not repel fish from
treatment areas. Thus, it is the first fish toxicant to lend itself well
to partial or spot treatments of lakes. It can also be used somewhat
selectively against target species in certain circumstances (Radon-
ski, 1967; Burress and Luhning, 1969). Antimycin degrades rap¬
idly in water, usually within 4 days or sooner where pH is high.
When necessary, it can be detoxified in water by addition of potas¬
sium permanganate (Berger, et ah, 1969).
The treatment of the Rock River drainage system in Wisconsin
with antimycin is the largest reclamation project attempted thus
far using antimycin as a single management tool. Two hundred-
and-seventy-four miles of stream (East branch, Rock River) and
four impounded ponds were treated at the outset of the reclamation
in 1971. Another 226 miles of stream and over 30,000 acres of im¬
pounded waters (including the nationally known Horicon Marsh,
Dodge County, Wisconsin) were in the process of being treated as
of the date of this writing.
In a post-treatment survey of the East Branch of the Rock River
in Dodge County, it was discovered that mussels were apparently
one of the non-target species greatly affected by antimycin treat¬
ment (Bratley and Mathiak, 1971). Due to the unavailability of
the above reference, it is reiterated here in some detail. It can be
found in its entirety in the Environmental Impact Statement,
August, 1973, submitted to the State of Wisconsin by the Depart¬
ment of Natural Resources.
The study area was located on the East Branch of the Rock
River, a quarter mile south of Allenton, Wisconsin. It extended
upstream for 380 feet. Here, the stream was near the upper
reaches of the East Branch, ranging from 8 to 12 feet in width
and 6 to 18 inches in depth. The bottom was firm and gravelly,
though overlain with thick layers of silt.
Sampling was begun 8 days after antimycin treatment at which
time the water was very clear. The study continued for 40 days
after treatment, after which mortality was too low for further
sampling.
The entire area was traversed by two biologists walking abreast
upstream collecting all mussels lying on the stream bottom which
had died after treatment. Only those which still had parts of the
viscera intact were collected. Empty shells ivere not included in the
mortality counts. There was a total of 8 collections made within a
month (August 19, 1971-September 20, 1971). Near the down¬
stream end of the study area, a 25-foot section was measured off
wherein the bottom substrate was thoroughly hand-grubbed for
both live and dead mussels. The dead mussels were collected and
the live specimens were counted, identified, and returned to the
288 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
stream. This section was sampled at three separate times to deter¬
mine remaining species and numbers. Two other 25-foot sections,
one approximately a half mile and the other about three-fourths
mile upstream to the study area were hand-grubbed thoroughly
two months after treatment for live mussels to determine survival
in a different area. A one-inch wire mesh fence was placed across
the stream at either end of the study area for two days during the
time of peak mortality. The object was to catch any mussels which
may have drifted into or out of the study area and thus bias the
study. This method showed that drifting shells were insignificant.
The mussels were prepared for identification by removing the
viscera with a knife and cleaning the shells to remove algae and
other detritus adhering to the shells. Mr. Billy G. Isom, a mussel
expert from Mussel Shoals, Alabama, assisted in the field iden¬
tification of all individuals recovered.
Eleven species of clams were found to inhabit the 380-foot study
area, and, roughly approximated, made up a population of about
1200 individuals. Forty days after the treatment with antimycin,
approximately 62% mortality had occurred in this population. The
peak mortality rate for the population occurred 16-19 days after
the treatment, but four peak mortality periods were noted : imme¬
diately or shortly after treatment for Lampsilis siliquoidea (fat
TABLE 1. NUMBERS OF NEWLY DEAD CLAMS FOUND IN THE
380-FOOT STUDY AREA OF THE EAST BRANCH OF THE
ROCK RIVER AT ALLENTON AFTER ANTIMYCIN
TREATMENT*
Days Post-Treatment
*The treatment date was 8/11/71
1974] Antonioni — Antimycin — Beyond Teleocide 289
mucket) and Andonata grandis (floater) ; 16 days after for Am-
blema plicata (three-ridge) and Strophitus rugosus (squaw foot) ;
19 days after for Alasmidonta calceolus (slipper shell), Anodon-
toides ferussctcianus (cylindrical paper shell), and Lasmigona com -
planata (white heel-splitter) ; and 27 days after for Elliptio dilata-
tus (lady finger), and Fusconia flava (pig toe). Numbers of the
two remaining species, Alasmidonta marginata, and Leptodea
fragilis, were too small to place in any of these categories. Alas¬
midonta calceolus was eliminated from the study area by the 27th
day after treatment. Representatives of Elliptio dilatatus and
Amblema plicata survived best in the study area (See Table 1).
The study suggests: 1) that mussels are apparently affected by
antimycin; 2) that response rates are different for different
species; 3) that mussels are affected over a long period of time;
4) that the response is delayed (i.e. the mussels do not appear to
be immediately affected) ; and 5) that mussels are apparently
affected at fairly low dosages (i.e., at fish-killing concentrations).
It was the intent of the present study (in a controlled laboratory
experiment, eliminating field variables) to ascertain whether or
not the dieoff of mussels was a direct effect of exposure to anti¬
mycin and/or its tracer dye, fluorescein, or some other factor.
METHODOLOGY
Experimental Population
Due to the inability to collect large numbers of any one species
of mussel, two species were purchased from NASCO Biological
Supply Co. in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin. Lamps ills siliquoidea and
Elliptio dilatatus were identified and chosen because of their avail¬
ability, recent collection from an untreated area (White River,
Wisconsin), and because both species are native to the Rock River
drainage system. Also according to Brat ley and Mathiak, 1971,
L. siliquoidea was relatively quickly affected following treatment
with antimycin whereas E. dilatatus did not succumb until con¬
siderably later; thus providing two ranges of tolerance to compare
when describing mortality patterns.
The mussels were transported to Madison, Wisconsin, and held
in a stream tank at 10 C for the duration of the experiment. The
holding tank was a large “living stream” aquarium with circulat¬
ing tap water cooled to 10 C. The organisms were not fed or main¬
tained in any other fashion ; this was in keeping with conditions
suggested by the NASCO Biological Laboratory.
Individuals were taken as needed, at random, for treatment.
All individuals of both species were of uniform size, shape, and
color, and appeared to be typical individuals for their species.
290 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
Experimental
The experiment was carried out at the Biotron, University of
Wisconsin, Madison, because of the necessity of maintaining
aquaria at constant temperatures. A large concrete water bath was
constructed for this purpose, with water of a given temperature
pumped into the bath and circulated around the aquaria which
were placed on angle irons to allow circulation underneath as well.
The aquaria were identical 20-gallon, slate bottom tanks, furnished
by the Nevin State Fish Hatchery, Madison, Wisconsin.
The aquaria were entirely covered with a plastic sheet which
was folded back only to make observations. Each tank was aerated
with a tube and airstone. The purpose of the cover was to prevent
evaporation as much as possible, as it was thought that addition
of water during the experiment could affect the level of the anti-
mycin in the treatment aquaria (i.e. evaporation of the water
would alter the parts per billion ratio initially ascribed to each
aquarium). The study area was brightly lighted with fluorescent
tubes automatically controlled to provide 12 hours of “daylight”
and 12 hours of darkness. The room was kept at a constant 10 C in
order to simplify the mechanics of providing the necessary water
bath temperatures, it being easier to heat the water bath against
a cool gradient than to cool it against a warmer room.
Experimental Conditions
Twelve individuals of each species were exposed to each of 4
treatment levels of antimycin at three temperatures (each tem¬
perature series constituting a “run” of 27 days) at a constant pH
of 7.5, and observed for dieoff on a daily basis.
The dosage levels used were as follows : Dosage level Control =
0 ppb (parts per billion antimycin/water) ; Dosage level 2 = 5
ppb; 3 = 10 ppb; 4 = 12 ppb; and 5 = 15 ppb. The temperatures
were 17 C for Run I, 22 C for Run II, and 27 C for Run III. Addi¬
tional conditions for the third temperature run are described
below.
In order to conserve mussels, it was decided to run the tracer
dye tests at Run III only (27 C) . Two additional treatment aquaria
were set up using fluorescein dye alone and fluorescein dye with
15 ppb antimycin. The amount of fluorescein used was based on
calculations for 11 gallons of water per information from Mr.
William Selbig, Fisheries Biologist, Department of Natural Re¬
sources. The 27 C and 15 ppb antimycin were chosen as criteria
for the additional tracer dye tests because these conditions best
approximate the actual treatment conditions in the Rock River
reclamation project (personal observation, pre- and post-
1974] Antonioni — Antimycin — Beyond Teleocide 291
treatment survey of the East Branch, Rock River, summer, 1969 ;
and personal communication with Mr. William Selbig, Project
Director, Rock River Hearing, Juneau, Wisconsin, Spring, 1971).
Twelve individuals of L. siliquoidea and 12 individuals of
E. dilcitatus were exposed to the two additional treatments and
observed for dieoff during the 27-day period for Run III.
The dosage and temperature criteria outlined above for all runs
were chosen because they best approximate those conditions actu¬
ally being used in held treatments, and those used for similar
experiments with fish, from which a great deal of our available
information about the effects of antimycin has been derived.
An exposure limit of 27 days was chosen because it was a long
enough period of time and yet not so long as to jeopardize the
validity of the results by stressing the mussels through unneces¬
sarily long exposure to unnatural habitat conditions ; i.e., aquarium
life, lack of food, etc. The time of 27 days was also given as the
peak dieoff time for Elliptio individuals (Bratley and Mathiak,
1971).
The two main independent variables were dosage level and tem¬
perature. The pH, another important correlate to the lethality of
antimycin, was held at a constant 7.5. It has been observed that
pH does not fluctuate greatly for the types of warm- water stream
habitats which have been treated in the Rock River drainage
system, but remains between a maximum of 8.2 and a minimum
of 7.5 (personal communication with Mr. William Selbig). The
present experiment was carried out at pH of 7.5; it neither in¬
creased nor decreased throughout the experiment, and was un¬
affected by the presence or absence of the experimental organisms.
Analyses other than pH were not made of the water used in this
experiment. However, an extensive analysis of the Biotron tap
water was made by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation in
March, 1972 (see Table 2), and the main parameter of concern for
the present study was pH.
The dependent variable was dieoff, which was recorded on a
daily basis for both species, throughout the three 27-day runs.
Antimycin Formulation Used
The liquid Fintrol Concentrate of antimycin (furnished by
Ayerst Laboratories) was used for the experiment. Liquid Fintrol
is the formulation for treatment of shallow running waters such
as the Rock River drainage system.
An initial stock solution of antimycin was prepared at the outset
of the experiment to ensure uniformity, and, in order to prevent
degradation and activation, it was mixed with an acetone retainer
292 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
TABLE 2. ANALYSES OF WATER SAMPLES TAKEN IN BIOTRON,
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN, MADISON, MARCH, 1972
solution (per instructions from Ayerst Laboratories) until ready
for addition to the treatment aquaria. The formula for determining
the amounts of antimycin stock solution to add to water in order
to arrive at desired concentrations in parts per billion, was as
follows :
[A] [B] [.35] = C
where
A = Number of gallons of water in aquarium
B = Desired concentration in parts per billion
C = Milliliters of stock solution to add to treatment aquaria
.35 = Conversion factor for gallons to milliliters
The stock solution was prepared by taking 5 milliliters of the ace-
tone/antimycin solution and diluting it in 1 gallon of water
(procedure suggested by Ayerst Laboratories). It was also sug¬
gested that at least 10 gallons of water be used in the treatment
vessels in order to ensure proper mixing of the solution; hence, 11
gallons of water was used for all calculations in the present study.
The Tracer Dye
Standard fluorescein dye (C2oHia05) was obtained from the
Aldrich Chemical Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and added to
the appropriate acetone/ antimycin milliliter solution to obtain
15 ppb antimycin and fluorescein. The dye was also added to the
acetone solution alone to provide proper dissolution when added
to water for the fluorescein test without antimycin.
1974] Antonioni — Antimycin — Beyond Teleocide 293
RESULTS
Experimental Analyses
In a one-way analysis of variance procedure according to Hayes
(1963), a null hypothesis of no difference in dieoff due to treatment
with antimycin (across dosages, within temperatures) was tested
and rejected at the .05 level of significance (See raw data Tables
3, 4, and 5, and summary Table 6.) A separate one-way analysis of
variance was performed for the 27 C data, which included two addi¬
tional treatment blocks [i.e., antimycin at 15 ppb plus fluorescein
(D6) , and fluorescein dye alone (D7) ]. A null hypothesis of no
difference due to treatment with antimycin was tested for Di ( Con¬
trol), D5, D6, and D7, for both species, and rejected at the .05 level
(See summary Table 7).
Following the overall F-test results, individual pairwise compari¬
sons of interest were made according to a post-hoc test between
means (Scheffe, 1959).
A graph of the parameters (number of individuals dead versus
dieoff day) indicated that these two parameters were dependent
and thus either could be chosen as the parameter for the analysis
of variance tests. Since the observations made in this experiment
were carried out over a specified time of 27 days, there was some
question as to whether an analysis of variance procedure could
be used for the data. But the fact that 27 days is extremely short
compared to the life expectancy of clams, indicates that the termi¬
nation of observations after this time would not invalidate the
analysis of variance approach. It was further decided to look at
the average dieoff times at the various treatment criteria. Days
for which dieoff was observed were converted to logarithmic func¬
tions for a more accurate estimation of the average dieoff day and
for conciseness of graphing (See Tables 8 and 9).
Results
Following the overall F-tests performed on the data, several
post-hoc comparisons (using dieoff as the parameter) were made
and tested for significance at the .05 level.
For both species, increase in dieoff as temperature increased,
was significant for 12 ppb (D4) and 15 ppb (DG), but not for 5
ppb (D2) , or 10 ppb (D3) . There was an overall significant increase
in dieoff as temperature increased.
At Run III (27 C), a comparison between 15 ppb (Dr>), and 15
ppb antimycin plus fluorescein (D6), yielded no significant differ¬
ence in dieoff for either L. siliquoidea or E. dilatatus.
The increase in dieoff for L. siliquoidea was significantly greater
than the increase in dieoff for E. dilatatus for Di — D5. The total
294 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
TABLE 3. RAW DATA FOR RUN I (17 C). NUMBER DEAD OUT
OF TOTAL EXPOSED (12 INDIVIDUALS AT EACH DOSAGE)
D i = 0 ppb (parts per billion antimy cin / water ; Control)
Do = 5 ppb
D 3 =10 ppb
D 4 = 1 2 ppb
D 5 =15 ppb
number of dead individuals was significantly greater for L. sili-
quoidea than for L\ dilatatus at 22 C and 27 C, but not at 17 C.
The following observations (using average dieoff day and num¬
ber of dead individuals for each day as parameters) were made,
though not tested for statistical significance:
1974] Antonioni — Antimycin — Beyond Teleocide 295
TABLE 4„ RAW DATA FOR RUN II (22 C). NUMBER DEAD OUT
OF TOTAL EXPOSED (12 INDIVIDUALS AT EACH DOSAGE)
D i = 0 ppb (parts per billion antimycin/ water; Control)
D 2 = 5 ppb
D 3 = 10 ppb
D 4 = 1 2 ppb
D( =15 ppb
The only remarkable change in the average dieoff day as tem¬
perature increased was for L. siliquoidea , for which a decrease
of 10.2 days is noted between 22 C and 27 C (See Table 9). In¬
crease in dosage did not greatly affect the average dieoff day for
either species. The average dieoff day for E. dilatatus was greater
296 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
TABLE 5. RAW DATA FOR RUN III (27 C). NUMBER DEAD OUT
OF TOTAL EXPOSED (12 INDIVIDUALS AT EACH DOSAGE)
D i = ppb (parts per billion an timycin/ water; Control)
D 2 = 5 ppb
D 3 =10 ppb
D4 = 12 ppb
D 5 = 15 ppb
D c = 15 ppb Antimycin plus fluorescein tracer dye
D 7 = 0 Fluorescein tracer dye
than for L. siliquoidea at 27 C, but was essentially the same for
22 C and slightly lower at 17 C.
It was evident from the present study that antimycin is harmful
to mussels not only at relatively small dosages, but over a long
i
1974]
Antonioni — Antimycin — Beyond Teleocide
297
TABLE 6. SUMMARY TABLE FOR ONE-WAY ANOVA
OVER ALL DATA
^Significant at .05 level.
TABLE 8. AVERAGE DIEOFF DAYS FOR TOTAL INDIVIDUALS
AT ALL DOSAGES
period of time. Whether or not there is some physiological condi¬
tion unique to the clam which would make its utilization of anti¬
mycin different from that of other organisms is a question beyond
the scope of this study. Its intent was simply to eliminate as many
field variables as possible and concentrate on whether or not there
was dieoff as a direct effect of exposure to antimycin at differing
dosages and temperatures.
DISCUSSION
While there seem to be some advantages to the use of antiniycin
(especially when compared to what else is available), it is the
author’s opinion that there are many loose ends regarding the
298 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
TABLE 9. AVERAGE DIEOFF DAYS AT EACH DOSAGE
Temperature 17C
Lampsilis siliquoidea Elliptio dilatatus
Average Average
Dosage No. Dead Day No. Dead Day
D i _ 0 _ 0 _
D2 _ 3 18.3 0 _
D3 _ 1 12.0 2 13.3
D4 _ 0 _ 1 12.0
D5 _ _ 1 13.0 0 _
Temperature 22C
Lampsilis siliquoidea Elliptio dilatatus
Average Average
Dosage No. Dead Day No. Dead Day
D i _ _ 1 12.0 0 _
D2 _ 1 17.0 1 17.0
D3 _ 3 11.9 0 _
D4 _ 2 23.2 0 _
Ds _ - _ 5 18.0 0 _
Temperature 27C
Lampsilis siliquoidea Elliptio dilatatus
Average Average
Dosage No. Dead Day No. Dead Day
D i _ 0 _ 0 _
D2 _ 3 4.2 1 18.0
D3 _ 4 4.1 0 _
D4 _ - _ 5 5.6 1 13.0
D5 _ 11 8.5 8 11.8
D6 _ 8 9.5 7 16.2
D 7 _ 0 _ 0 _
research that should be done before a toxicant such as antimycin
is used as a single management tool in the environment.
There have been few exhaustive studies on the effects of anti¬
mycin on non-aquatic and aquatic life other than fish. Antimycin
has also been used in conjunction with other fish toxicants (e.g.
rotenone) ; but the effects of such interactions have not been care¬
fully studied. Howland (1969) studied the interaction of rotenone
1974] Antonioni — Antimycin — Beyond Teleocide 299
and antimycin in fish bioassay experiments. It was concluded that
the toxicity of antimycin and rotenone together is greater than
either used alone; that is, the two chemicals when used in combi¬
nation appear to have an additive effect (though not concluded
to be synergistic).
A few studies have been done regarding effects of antimycin
on mammals, and one or two attempts have been made to determine
whether there are any harmful effects from antimycin residues in
tissues of fish consumed by humans. Herr, Greselin, and Chappel
(1968) studied the toxicity of antimycin and its degradation prod¬
ucts to mammals. Hematologic, organ, and tissue studies were
made on rats which were fed varying doses of antimycin for differ¬
ent periods of time. In oral administration, they concluded that
the toxicity of antimycin was quite low for mice, rabbits, and
quail, but that it was lethal for guinea pigs at comparable dosages.
When injected intraperitoneally, however, the toxicity was about
0.18 mg/kg body weight. Infusion in dogs at the rate of 10 micro-
grams/kg/min. was fatal. In a study of the oral administration
effects of antimycin on reproduction in rats, it was found that no
observable changes occurred during pregnancy but three weeks
after weaning, pups born to treated parents weighed 10% less than
those born to control parents. Skin and eye irritations were noted
in rats and rabbits, when antimycin was applied topically to these
areas (Herr, et al., Ibid).
Suggestions and Implications For Further Research
Baker (1928) has suggested that the nature of the water in
which mussels live profoundly influences them for good or ill. For
example, changes in micro-fauna, vegetation, siltation, or turbidity
might adversely affect a mussel population in short periods of time,
to say nothing of longer range effects by elimination of fish hosts
or interruption of fish-host specificity. Mussel glochidia “react to
certain species of fish and will not complete metamorphosis on
others. . . . When we consider that only a relatively small number
of species of fish are susceptible to infection by glochidia, it be¬
comes evident that there must be a definite ecological relationship
between the fish and parent mussel, such that both must frequent
the same kind of environment at the same time when the glochidia
are ready to be discharged.” Glochidial infection has also been
shown to give immunity against infection by more serious para¬
sites, thus benefiting the host fish (Baker, 1928).
It is also generally conceded that mussels, because of their sensi¬
tivity to pollution, are good indicator species for monitoring
degrees of degradation in streams or lakes. Since mussels are
300 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
generally confined to a particular portion of a lake or stream (a
mussel shoal), they have been used extensively to measure fallout
and pesticide content, as well as other forms of water pollution
(Van Der Schalie, 1970). Thus, clams can be used as indicators of
some of the changes brought about in a river system by human
activity.
It is the suggestion of the author that replications of the present
study (varying pH, etc.), followup studies and similar studies with
other organisms be done to determine the exact nature of the
detrimental effects of antimycin.
The present study has shown that mussels are killed by anti¬
mycin. The next logical step would be to find out why. Perhaps
there is something unique to the physiology of the clam which
makes it sensitive to antimycin in fairly low dosages; perhaps
the respiratory system of the clam is unique in its method of as¬
similation, storage, or utilization of antimycin; perhaps the fact
that clams are filter feeders has an effect on how much antimycin
is taken by the organism.
Hopefully, answers to questions like these will help provide us
with vitally needed information about the mode of action of anti¬
mycin in a variety of organisms.
Those agencies responsible for alterations in the environment
such as are brought about by use of toxicants should be aware of
the fact that they may be unable to “clean up their mess.” Losses
in the biota are irreversible and the alterations will leave gaps
in inter-relationships of flora and fauna, as well as in the oppor¬
tunities for studying unaltered ecosystems.
Stream ecosystem dynamics must be evaluated more carefully
and exhaustive attempts made to discover rare and unique species.
The calculation of correct dosages for streams or lakes with diverse
temperatures, fauna, flora, pH, etc., should be more accurately
gauged to ensure annihilation of target species only. In a manage¬
ment report for the Department of Biological Sciences, University
of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, Rabe and Wissmar, 1969, cautioned that
more research is necessary to refine recommended concentrations
of antimycin under varied environmental conditions. Even 10 days
post-treatment at 5 ppb, trout fry exposed to the oligotrophic lake
(at 19 C and pH near neutrality), die within 12 hours. The fry
were observed to be in distress less than an hour after the distribu¬
tion of the poison and some were dead in less than 1.5 hours.
Thirteen days after the poisonings, no living crustaceans were
found in the lake samples.
The effects of removal of forage species and rates of growth
of introduced species should be determined over a long period of
1974] Antonioni — Antimycin — Beyond Teleocide 301
time in reclamation projects. A long-range cost/benefit analysis
should then be attempted to evaluate the success of such large-
scale management programs.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
BAKER, F. C. 1928. The fresh water Mollusa of Wisconsin. Pt. 2 Pelecypoda.
Bull. 1527 Univ. Wis. and Bull. 70 Wis. Geol. Nat. Hist. Survey. 495 pp
[p. 13].
BERGER, B. L., LENNON, R. E., and J. W. HOGAN. 1969. Laboratory
studies on antimycin as a fish toxicant. U. S. Bureau of Sport Fisheries
and Wildlife, Investigations in Fish Control: 26, 21 pp.
BURRESS, R. M., and C. W. LUHNING. 1969. Field trials of antimycin as
a selective toxicant in channel catfish ponds. U. S. Bureau of Sport Fish¬
eries and Wildlife, Investigations in Fish Control: 28, 12 pp.
DERSE, P. H., and F. M. STRONG. 1963. Toxicity of antimycin to fish.
Nature 200:600-601.
HAYS, W. L. 1963. Statistics, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc. New York,
New York.
HERR, F., GRESELIN, E., and C. CHAPPEL. 1968. Toxicology studies of
antimycin, a fish eradicant. American Fisheries Soc., Trans. 96:320-326.
HOWLAND, R. M. 1969. Interaction of antimycin and rotenone in bioassays.
Prog. Fish Culturist 31:33-34.
LEBEN, C., and G. W. KEITT. 1948. An antibiotic substance active against
certain phytopathogens. Phytopath. 38:889.
LENNON, R. E. 1970. Control of fresh water fish with chemicals. Proceed¬
ings: Fourth Vertebrate Pest Conference, West Sacramento, California,
pp. 129-137.
LENNON, R. E., et al. 1971. Food and Agricultural Organization Technical
Paper 100.
RABE, F. W., and R. C. WISSMAR. 1969. Some effects of antimycin in an
oligotrophic lake. Prog. Fish Culturist 31 (3) :163.
RADONSKI, G. C. 1967. Antimycin: useful in perch control? Wis. Conserv.
Bull. 32 (2) : 15-16.
RADONSKI, G. C., and R. W. WENDT. 1966. The effect of low dosage appli¬
cation of Fintrol on the yellow perch. Wis. Conserv. Dept., Fish Manag.
Div., Manag. Rpt. 10.
SCHEFFE, H. 1959. The Analysis of Variance , John Wiley and Sons, New
York, New York.
VAN DER SCHALIE, H. 1970. Mussels in the Huron River above Ann Arbor
in 1969. Sterkiana, No. 39, p. 17.
ARBOVIRAL ANTIBODY SURVEY OF WILD MAMMALS
IN SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN
Omar M. Amin and Wayne H. Thompson
University Wisconsin — Parkside and
— Madison
ABSTRACT
A survey of host-ectoparasite-pathogen systems was undertaken
in a study of a partially forested area in southeastern Wisconsin
between April and October 1972. Sera of 17 species of small and
medium sized wild mammals were screened for antibodies with
antigens for Eastern, Western, St. Louis, Powassan, California,
and Bunyamwera group viruses. Results of tests with all sera were
negative, except for one from a gray squirrel which had a low titer
HI reaction with Western encephalitis virus. Antibodies to La
Crosse virus, associated with California encephalitis in south¬
western Wisconsin and commonly found in chipmunks and squirrels
there, were not found in this southeastern Wisconsin area.
INTRODUCTION
A definite relationship exists among disease pathogens, arthropod
vectors, and vertebrate host systems. The present study was de¬
signed to obtain information on the ecological role played by
southeastern Wisconsin arthropods and wild mammals in the main¬
tenance and dissemination of vector-borne diseases of man and
animals in nature. The primary stimulation came from the fact
that certain viral disease of man, i.e., California encephalitis,
La Crosse strain, has consistently been reported from southwestern
Wisconsin, Thompson and Inhorn (1967) and Moulton and Thomp¬
son (1971), while no cases have been implicated as being infected
in the southeastern corner of the state. It was not known whether
cases did not actually occur in the southeast, or whether they were
overlooked. The main known vertebrate hosts (gray squirrels and
chipmunks) and mosquito vector (Aedes triseriatus ) are, however,
common to both portions of the state (SE and SW).
The heavily populated southeastern portion was originally leveled
by glaciers and consists of cultivated farmlands and a number of
deciduous woodlots which often contain suburban or rural homes.
These offer many opportunities for exposure of children to forest
dwelling arthropods. The originally non-glacial southwestern por-
303
304 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
tion of the state is a well drained upland region with forests mostly
associated with hillsides and valleys. More information was needed
on the differences in arthropod and mammal populations in these
two areas as well as the pathogens that they harbor. The ecology
of collected arthropods, host, and mosquito populations will be
reported elsewhere.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The study areas: The Parkside study area encompasses about
75 acres located in Kenosha County, north of the Pike River and
south of County Road A, and about 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) west
of the Lake Michigan shoreline. This ecological habitat consists
of natural undisturbed stream-fed deciduous forested areas inter¬
spaced with lowland and upland prairies (Fig. 1). More prairies
of similar composition and wood lots (wet, dry, and mesic) lie
directly south (across the Pike River) and east of the above de¬
scribed study area. County Road A runs east-west directly north
of the study area across which similar habitats as well as farm
lands are located. A golf course partially separates the western
boundaries of the study area from the larger deciduous forests
(southern mesic) of Petrifying Springs Park.
Animal capture and examination: Havahart mammal live traps
(sizes 1, 2, 3A) were set in 24 designated grids (Fig. 1) 8 per
station, and were regularly operated for 3 consecutive days and
nights every other week between April and October, 1972. A pilot
study was earlier made in the same area during fall, 1971 (Septem¬
ber, October) . Traps were checked twice daily, at dawn and shortly
before sunset. Captured animals were anesthetized with ether after
being shaken out of the traps into cloth laundry bags. They were
sexed, measured, weighed, tagged, and cleaned of ectoparasites.
Blood samples were taken primarily by heart puncture with 3 or 5
ml. syringes and 18, 23, or 25 gauge needles, depending on the size
of the animal, after which they were released. The samples were
collected in 10 ml. screw cap tubes which were then promptly stored
on wet ice until later centrifuged in the laboratory and serum and
clot were each frozen in separate vials (— 80°F.) for later anti¬
body and isolation tests. Temperature, precipitation, and relative
humidity in the study areas were regularly recorded.
Serology: Tests of sera for antibodies were conducted in the
Zoonoses Research laboratory in the State Laboratory of Hygiene,
Madison. Sera were screened in: (1) Hemagglutination-inhibition
(HI) tests with antigens for Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE),
Western equine encephalitis (WEE), St. Louis encephalitis (SLE),
Powassan (POW), and Bunyamwera (BUN) group viruses. (2)
TABLE 1. SEROLOGICAL DATA ON PARKSIDE MAMMALS TESTED FOR EEE, WEE, SLE, POW, BUN, LAC,
TVT, JC, SSH, 1971, 1972
1974]
Amin and Thompson — Survey of Wild Mammals
305
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figures in parentheses represent the number of individual animals sampled.
306 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
Neutralization tests in BHK2i tissue culture cells (TCNT) with
California encephalitis (CE) group; La Crosse (LAC), Trivittatus
(TVT), Jamestown Canyon (JC), and Snowshoe Hare (SSH) ;
and Bunyamwera (BUN) group (Wisconsin mosquito isolate
#523) . Sera which had been initially diluted upon sampling to 1 :2,
1:3, or 1:5, were further diluted in the laboratory to a final 1:10
for use in the TCNT tests. Initial dilutions of 1 :10 were not further
diluted. For HI tests, only undiluted sera or those diluted 1:2 or
1:3 in the field were tested. They were each further diluted 1:10
during the acetone treatment prior to testing.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
A total of 335 and 441 sera from 292 and 377 different mammals
of 17 species captured in the Parkside study area (September,
October, 1971 and April-October, 1972) were screened in hemag¬
glutination-inhibition and tissue culture neutralization tests,
respectively. The results are shown in Table 1. We found no evi¬
dence of detectable antibodies neutralizing CE or BUN group
viruses in sera of these mammals from the Parkside area, i.e.,
chipmunks and gray squirrels (Table 1), species which commonly
have antibodies when collected from forests in southwestern Wis¬
consin. Sera neutralizing La Crosse virus from chipmunks and
squirrels in southwestern Wisconsin were included as additional
controls for the sensitivity of these tests.
CALIFORNIA ENCEPHALITIS
Human cases of CE in Wisconsin occur mostly in the western
and southwestern parts of the state where forest dwelling mammals
(mainly chipmunks and squirrels) and mosquitoes (primarily
Aedes triseriatus ) are involved in the natural cycle of La Crosse
virus in nature (Thompson and Inhorn, 1967 ; Moulton and Thomp¬
son, 1971). That role has also been experimentally studied (Pantu-
watana et at., 1972). Isolates of La Crosse and other CE group
viruses (TVT, SSH, JC) have also been obtained from pools of
Aedes triseriatus, A. communis group, A. trivittatus, and Culex
pipiens by Thompson et al. and Defoliart et al., 1972). Isolates of
Bunyamwera group virus have also been reported in other parts of
Wisconsin (Anslow et al., 1969). Activity of La Crosse virus in
Wisconsin chipmunks was noted as far east as Dane County
(Thompson, pers. comm.), about 100 miles from the Parkside
study area.
Data on Parkside mammal population density and dynamics
is presented in an accompanying paper (Amin, p. 311 these Trans¬
actions) . The appropriate vectors of these viruses are also abundant
1974] Amin and Thompson — Survey of Wild Mammals
307
FIGURE 1. The Southeastern Wisconsin study area at Parkside.
in southeastern Wisconsin as well as in the southwestern portion of
the state where endemic virus activity has been detected. Table 2
summarizes data for six Aedes mosquito species collected during
July, 1972 in the Parkside study area as well as in nearby localities
of similar botanic composition. More detailed information on Park-
side mosquitoes will be published elsewhere. The absence of neutral¬
izing antibodies can thus only be accounted for by a comparative
lack of La Crosse virus activity in the area. The phytogeographic na¬
ture of southeastern Wisconsin might represent an important factor
supporting this hypothesis. The deciduous wooded areas where
TABLE 2. AEDES COLLECTIONS FROM PARKSIDE STUDY AREA AND NEARBY LOCATIONS, JULY 1972
308 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
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1More A. triseriatus were aspirated in north Racine in other, not fully recorded, collections during July, 1972.
2Three CDC light traps and 3 dry ice (CO 2) traps were operated for four 24 hour periods.
1974] Amin and Thompson — Survey of Wild Mammals 309
A. triseriatus breeds (in basal tree holes) and chipmunks and
gray squirrels abound, in the southeastern corner of the state,
are usually represented by small isolated wood lots. This situation
could present a kind of natural barrier to the spread of these
viruses.
The absence of antibodies to BUN and other California group
(TVT and JC) viruses in the sera of these chipmunks and squirrels
is not as indicative of the lack of activity in the area, because these
animals have not been established as good hosts for replication of
these other viruses and for antibody production, as they have been
with La Crosse.
POWASSAN VIRUS
No reportable HI reactions with Powassan antigen were found
in the routinely collected samples in this study. One low titer reac¬
tion (1:10 only) was seen with the serum of a raccoon which had
been road-killed, but is not considered as significant because of the
likely presence of non-specific inhibitors. Serological evidence dem¬
onstrated antibody reaction against Powassan virus in raccoons,
foxes, and humans in the state of New York (Whitney, 1963).
Natural foci of infection appear to exist in Connecticut and South
Dakota in Ixodes spinipalpis taken from Peromyscus mice as well
as in Colorado in Dermacentor andersoni (Thomas et al., 1960 in
McLean and Larke, 1963).
WESTERN EQUINE ENCEPHALITIS
The one low level HI reaction with the antigen for WEE virus
with the serum from a gray squirrel (0.7 Kg. male) indicates pos¬
sible presence in other animals or birds in this area. Cases of WEE
have been occurring each year in Wisconsin horses. A few human
cases have also been diagnosed during the past five years ; it is likely
that other mild cases were missed (Thompson, 1971). Culex
tarsalis, a common vector of WEE collected only occasionally in
Wisconsin, was not obtained in this study area. Aedes vexans, the
most abundant mosquito in southeastern Wisconsin (Table 2) and
elsewhere in the state, has also been reported as a natural vector
of WEE virus (Miles, 1960). To date, no WEE virus isolates have
been obtained from mosquitoes in Wisconsin. Infections in humans
and horses are usually considered as dead-end infections because
of relatively low and transient viremias.
REFERENCES
ANSLOW, R. O., W. H. THOMPSON, P. H. THOMPSON, G. R. De-
FOLIART, O. PAPADOPOULOS, and R. P. HANSON. 1969. Isolation
of Bunyamwera-group viruses from Wisconsin mosquitoes. Amer. J.
Trop. Med. Hyg. 18:599-608.
310 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
DeFOLIART, G. R., R. 0. ANSLOW, W. H. THOMPSON, R. P. HANSON,
R. E. WRIGHT, and G. E. SATHER. 1972. Isolations of Trivittatus virus
from Wisconsin mosquitoes, 1964-1968. J. Med. Ent. 9(l):67-70.
McLEAN, D. M. and R. P. B. LARKE. 1963. Powassan and Silverwater
viruses: Ecology of two Ontario arboviruses. Can. Med. Assoc. J. 88:182-
185.
MILES, J. A. R. 1960. Epidemiology of arthropod-borne encephalitis. Bull.
Wld. Hlth. Org. 22:339-371.
MOULTON, D. W. and W. H. THOMPSON. 1971. California group virus
infections in small, forest-dwelling mammals of Wisconsin, some ecological
considerations. Amer. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. 20 (3) :474-482.
PANTUWATANA, S., W. H. THOMPSON, D. M. WATTS, and R. P. HAN¬
SON. 1972. Experimental infection of chipmunks and squirrels with
La Crosse and Trivittatus viruses and biological transmission of La Crosse
virus by Aedes triseriatus. Amer. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. 21(4) :476-481.
THOMPSON, W. H. 1971. Arbovirus surveillance in Wisconsin — 1971 Re¬
port, pp. 1-5.
THOMPSON, W. H., R. 0. ANSLOW, R. P. HANSON, and G. R. De¬
FOLIART. 1972. La Crosse virus isolations from mosquitoes in Wisconsin,
1964-1968. Amer. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. 21(l):90-96.
THOMPSON, W. H. and S. L. INHORN. 1967. Arthropod-borne California
group viral encephalitis in Wisconsin. Wis. Med. J. 66:250-253.
WHITNEY, E. 1963. Serologic evidence of group A and B arthropod-borne
virus activity in New York State. Amer. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. 12:417-424.
DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS OF WILD
MAMMALS IN SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN
Omar M. Amin
University Wisconsin — •
Parkside
ABSTRACT
Seventeen species of small and medium, wild mammals were
trapped during the 1972 season as well as during a pilot study (fall
1971) in two ecologically distinct habitats (deciduous woods and
prairies) in the Parkside study area, Kenosha County, southeastern
Wisconsin. Seasonal and spatial distribution, population dynamics
and other ecological information are discussed for the more com¬
monly encountered mammals; i.e., chipmunks, meadow jumping
mice, gray squirrels, opossums, white footed mice, and raccoons.
Activity usually increased from low in the spring to a peak in the
summer and declined by October. Activity of gray squirrels was
relatively higher in the spring with a peak in August. Chipmunks
experienced a lull in activity during August and the activity peak
occurred during September. Summer breeding activity in chip¬
munks was noted. Variations in population densities of the meadow
jumping mice from year to year were observed. The occurrence of
at least a second breeding season in these mice is suggested. Female
raccoons that failed to conceive during the regular breeding season
can apparently mate again and conceive during May or June. Addi¬
tional notes on breeding and activity periods, preferred habitats,
trap preferences, travelled distances, measurements and weights,
and recapture data are also included.
INTRODUCTION
A survey of host-ectoparasite-pathogen systems was undertaken
in a study area in southeastern Wisconsin between April and Oc¬
tober, 1972, after a pilot study in fall 1971. Studies of arboviral
antibodies and ectoparasitic arthropods (including mosquitoes) are
reported by Amin and Thompson (preceding paper p. 303). The
following data are concerned with the seasonal activity patterns,
distribution, population dynamics and other ecological observations
on some of the 17 mammal species captured.
311
312 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The Study Areas. The Parkside study area has been described
by Amin and Thompson. The most prevalent ground layer species
of plants in the southern mesic woods are Osmorthiza claytoni,
of plants in the southern mesic woods are Osmorhiza claytoni,
and Smilacina racemosa. The most prevalent ground layer species
of the southern dry mesic woods are S. racemosa, Amphicarpa
hracteata, O. claytoni, and Desmodium glutinosum.
Considerably more area of similar prairies and wood lots (wet
and dry mesic and mesic) lie directly south (across the Pike River)
and east of this area. County Road A runs east-west directly north
of it across from which similar habitats as well as farm lands are
located. A golf course partially separates the western boundaries
of the study area from the larger deciduous forest (southern mesic)
of the Petrifying Springs Park.
Animal capture and examination: The methods for capture of
the animals and the records made in classification of them have
been described in Amin and Thompson. Details as to the dates of
capture, recapture, and descriptions of the animals are given in
this paper. Temperature, precipitation, and relative humidity were
regularly recorded.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Seventeen mammal species were captured, 2 of which were ob¬
tained only during the pilot study; i.e., Prairie vole (Microtus
ochrogaster) and short tail shrew (Blarina hrevicauda) . These data
are shown by season in Table 1. During the 1972 season, a total of
356 animals were initially captured of which 158 were recaptured
358 times (Table 3).
Eastern Chipmunk, Tamias striatus ohionensis Moulthrop
The Eastern Chipmunk was the most commonly encountered
mammal. Twenty two specimens (and 16 recaptures) were re¬
corded during the pilot study. During the 1972 season the total
number of trap entries exceeded half that of all other mammals
combined (Table 1). Of the 160 initial captures, 35 (22% ; 16 males
and 19 females) were juveniles which entered the traps between
June and October.
Animals weighing 50-74 g measured 200-260 mm (230) 1 in total
length and 70-100 mm (87) in tail length (N = 21). Animals weigh¬
ing 75-99 g measured 215-280 mm (249) in total length and 80-
110 mm (94) in tail length (N = 40). Animals weighing 100 to
1 Figures in parenthesis represent means.
1974]
Amin — Observations of Wild Mammals
313
TABLE 1. MAMMALS CAPTURED IN THE PARKSIDE STUDY AREA
(KENOSHA COUNTY) DURING 1972
*24 hrs.
2No. of initial captures, no. of recaptures (trap entries) of recaptured animals.
3 Total no. of trap entries.
130 g measured 230-300 mm (263) in total length and 75-115 mm
(96) in tail length (N = 82). Adult chipmunks of Wisconsin were
reported by Jackson (1961) to reach 115 g in weight and a maxi¬
mum of 265 mm in total length and 100 mm in tail length.
Sex ratio of all captures was equal. Chipmunks were almost
exclusively active during daytime hours (especially in the morning
and the late afternoon) in the deciduous woods. They entered trap
size 1 almost as often as trap size 2 but rarely entered trap size
3 A (Table 2). Chipmunks had the highest number of recaptures
with 2 specimens recaptured 9 times (bait bias might be involved)
and with a maximum distance recorded of 475 meters travelled by
a male during 1972 (Table 3). Burt (1969) mentioned a home
range of “seldom more than one hundred yards in greatest diame¬
ter,” Jackson (1961) indicated a “maximum radius of about two
hundred feet from homesite.”
The following information suggests that male chipmunks might
be relatively more active than females as judged by the frequency
of trap entries and of recapture away from homesite (footnote,
Table 3). Of the 160 initially captured chipmunks, 92 (46 males
and 46 females) were recaptured 1-9 times. The average number
of trap entries was 3.3 for males and 2.7 for females. The majority
of males and females (60%) were consistently recaptured within
their homesite (same trapping station). However, 25% of the
males and 35% of the females were recaptured within 75-100
meters from their homesite. The remainder, 15% and 5% of the
314 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
TABLE 2. SEX RATIO, ACTIVITY HOURS, HABITAT PREFERENCE, AND
TRAP SIZE PREFERENCE OF PARKSIDE MAMMALS, 1972
'From last column, Table 1.
2Based on column (A).
3Based on column (B); the remainder were active at night (recovered at dawn) or was captured in prairie.
4The remaining 2% appear to have been active shortly before or during sunset and thus mixed with the night
catch.
5Three of the 6 chipmunks reported in the prairie were yearlings captured during June-August.
"Trap sizes: 1 = 45x13x13 cm 2 = 60x18x18 cm 3 = 105x28x32 cm.
males and females were recaptured as far as 475 and 425 meters
from the homesite, respectively. The average distance travelled
was, however, about 34 meters by both sexes.
Population density in Parkside deciduous woods was estimated
at 11 chipmunks per acre. This figure is relatively higher than the
average of 6-8 per acre, but lower than the maximum of 20 per
acre found by Jackson (1961) elsewhere in Wisconsin.
Chipmunks, as well as other mammals, were blood sampled by
heart puncture for the arboviral antibody survey. Data regarding
the effect of such sampling procedure on the weight changes in the
mammal species were available only for chipmunks because of the
adequate number of recaptures 1-2 days following initial blood
sampling during the first day of the biweekly trapping sequence.
Animals initially weighing 85-99 g (92.5) (N = ll) from which
0.1-1. 5 ml (0.83) of blood was withdrawn by heart puncture lost
an average of 1.9 g (—13 to +11) in body weight 1-2 days later.
Animals weighing 100-122 g (114) (N = 15) from which 0.2-1. 4
ml (0.59) of blood was withdrawn lost an average of 3.7 g (—13
to +8) in body weight. Weight loss in older chipmunks was about
twice that in younger animals despite the smaller average volume
of blood withdrawn from the older group. Apparently younger
chipmunks are less susceptible to weight loss, or more efficient in
recovery.
Only one specimen was captured during April (Table 1). Chip¬
munks were, however, observed sporadically in the study area and
1974]
Amin — Observations of Wild Mammals
315
in nearby localities at least during most of March. Their activity
index increased sharply between April and May following the
termination of the last freezing temperatures in the latter part of
April. Activity continued to increase reaching two peaks in July
and September. Dunford (1972) observed the same phenomenon
in New York and was unable to relate it to unfavorable high tem¬
peratures, breeding activity, or food shortage. A dramatic decline
FIGURE 1. Activity (total trap entries) of 6 mammal species captured in
the Parkside study area correlated with seasonal temperatures, 1972.
Percentages in the lower figure represent the proportion of recaptures in
the total number of trap entries of each mammal species during the cor¬
responding month.
316 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
in activity occurred in October following near and below freezing
temperatures in that month (Fig. 1). Chipmunks were seldom
seen after October. The percentage of recaptures on the activity
curve increased progressively from 13% in May to 86% in October.
Between November and March the eastern chipmunk was reported
to be inactive-dormant but not a regular hibernator (Jackson,
1961).
Highest activity in terms of total number of trap entries was
noted near streams bordered by hill slopes; i.e., in W 1, W 2, and
W 12 (Fig. 1 of Amin and Thompson). This might have resulted
partially from proximity of nesting sites. Activity was second
highest in W 6-W 11, W 13, but minimal in the center of the
wooded plateau farther away from the stream (W 3-5) as well as
in the relatively isolated W 14-W 16.
Data on seasonal weight changes show that spring mating ac¬
tivity appeared to have occurred at least during the latter half of
March (Fig. 2C). Supporting data include the capture of pregnant
female no. 99 on 5 May which was lactating on 27 May and the
capture of the earliest and youngest female no. 64 on 9 June. Ac¬
cording to Jackson (1961), the young do not leave the den before
40 days after birth following a gestation period of about 31 days.
By using data from Allen (1938), male no. 104 which weighed
80 g on 25 June (Fig. 2C) was estimated to have been about 2
months old ; i.e., born during the last week of April. Similarly, male
no. 208 which weighed 78 g on 19 August was estimated to be about
2 months old. The above data show that births resulting from
spring breeding activity continued for at least 2 months between
late April and late June, 1972. The same data (Fig. 2C) also show
that summer breeding activity does take place. Jackson (1961) in¬
dicated that summer mating in Wisconsin occurs between the end
of June and the end of July. My data for pregnant female no. 28
captured on 21 July and lactating females nos. 28, 227, and 247
captured on 5 August and 2 and 16 September, respectively, suggest
that summer mating started during the second half of June and
continued until early August. Similar observations were made by
Allen (1938) in New York.
Fig. 2C also indicates a relatively fast rate of growth in juveniles
between June and early August. Weight increase slowed down con¬
siderably between early and mid-August and mid-September. This
slow down might be related to the late summer lull in activity
referred to above. During the remainder of September and Oc¬
tober faster weight increases in the young resumed. Chipmunks
over one year of age did not seem to experience such dramatic
weight changes. Weights of breeding females, nos. 99 and 28 (Fig.
2C), represented the expected changes resulting from pregnancy
1974]
Amin — Observations of Wild Mammals
317
Figure 2. Seasonal weight changes of raccoons, opossums, and chipmunks.
and birth. Weights of breeding males, e.g., no. 94, show a moderate
fall increase. The increase in weight in all above categories might
be partially related to anticipated overwintering. Forbes (1966)
noted that fall weight increases in some Minnesota chipmunks
corresponded to accumulation of fat in relation to hibernation.
318 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
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1974]
Amin — Observations of Wild Mammals
319
Meadow Jumping* Mouse, Zapus hudsonius intermedins Krutzsch
The jumping mouse had the second highest initial capture count
(Table 1). The fact that none was captured during the pilot study
(Sept., Oct. 1971), in contrast to 25 trap entries during September
and October, 1972 in the same area might be explained by variation
in population density from year to year. Jackson (1961) indicated
that peaks of abundance of Z. hudsonius “do not seem to occur at
the same time as peaks in other species.” Supporting evidence from
this study includes the fact that 15 meadow voles (Microtus
pennsylvanicus) and no jumping mice were captured during the
pilot study, whereas only 2 meadow voles and 73 jumping mice
were captured during the 1972 trapping season. Similar associa¬
tions between the above two mammals were reported in Michigan
by Blair (1940) .
Animals weighing 10 to 19 g measured 180-235 mm (206) in
total length and 105-140 mm (124) in tail length (N = 50). Ani¬
mals weighing 20-25 g measured 200-240 mm (217) in total length
and 125-145 mm (131 mm) in tail length (N=25). Adult jumping
mice of Wisconsin were reported by Jackson (1961) to reach a
maximum of only 227 mm in total length and 140 mm in tail length.
More females than males entered the traps (1.3:1) as shown in
Table 2. However, Townsend (1935) and Blair (1940) reported
61% and 53% of 163 and 64 field collected mice, respectively, as
males. The mice were usually active at night in open prairie situa¬
tions. About 2/3 of the total captures occurred in traps of size 1
and the remaining in traps of size 2 (Table 2) . No more than 2 re¬
captures were recorded of the same individual with a maximum
distance recorded of 100 meters travelled by a female (Table 3).
Although only 14 jumping mice were recaptured, females ap¬
peared to be more active than males. None of 8 recaptured females
was trapped in the same site twice with an average and maximum
distance travelled of 85 and 100 meters, respectively. On the other
hand, all but 2 of the 6 recaptured males were recaptured in the
same site with an average and a maximum distance travelled of
25 and 75 meters, respectively.
No mice were captured in April and only one on 27 May. They
were reported to emerge from hibernation in Wisconsin in late
April to early May (Jackson, 1961). After the end of May, the
activity index climbed rather rapidly to a peak in July. The steady
decrease in activity during August and September continued to a
minimum in October with 75% recaptures (Fig. 1). The above
activity curve corresponded with the overall temperature changes
during 1972. Entrance into hibernation presumably followed the
first heavy frosts early in the fall.
320 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
The main breeding season apparently occurs in late May. Authors
do not seem to agree whether Z. hudsonius has 1 or 2 other breed¬
ing seasons per year; see Jackson (1961) and Burt (1969) for
lack of supporting information. Hamilton (1935) observed only
one litter per year in New York. The following data indicate a
second and possibly a third breeding season during July-August
and during September, respectively, at least in southeastern Wis¬
consin. One pregnant and two laetating females were captured on
22 July; one pregnant and one laetating female were captured on
19 August; one laetating female was captured on 29 September.
Blair (1940) indicated 2 peaks of breeding activity in Michigan,
in the spring and in late summer.
Eastern Gray Squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis hypophaeus Merriam
The gray squirrel was the second most commonly encountered
animal in terms of total number of trap entries (Table 1). Only
one juvenile, weighing 0.162 Kg and measuring 370 mm in total
length and 180 mm in tail length, was captured on 7 July. A con¬
siderably greater proportion of immatures was reported by Chap¬
man (1938) in Ohio. Animals weighing 0.40 to 0.59 Kg measured
410-520 mm (480) in total length and 160-240 mm (215) in tail
length (N = 18). Animals weighing 0.60 to 0.80 Kg measured 460-
560 mm (501) in total length and 190-260 mm (221) in tail length
(N = 29). Adult gray squirrels of Wisconsin were reported by
Jackson (1961) to reach a maximum of only 540 mm in total length
and 252 mm in tail length.
More males than females entered the traps (1:0.8). Sex ratio
of captured squirrels appears to vary from year to year. Chapman
(1938) reported 49, 60, and 39% males among 144, 55 and 89 gray
squirrels trapped during 1935, 1936, and 1937, respectively, in
Ohio. They were almost exclusively active during day hours and
only in wooded situations. Most preferred entry in size 3A traps
but 17% and 18% entered traps size 1 and 2, respectively (Ta¬
ble 2). Animals captured more than once did not show any pro¬
nounced consistency in trap size preference. Up to 9 recaptures
of a female and a maximum distance of 425 meters travelled by
a male (Table 3) were recorded. Jackson (1961) mentioned a usual
home range of the gray squirrel “within one thousand feet of its
nest”, although it might travel distances of 4 miles or more in
search of food.
Population density in Parkside deciduous woods was estimated
at 2.4 gray squirrels per acre. Jackson (1961) found that one pair
per acre is a common number in Wisconsin and that “populations
of 20 or more to an acre of woodland may occur.”
1974] Amin — Observations of Wild Mammals 321
None of the 33 recaptured animals was exclusively trapped in
the same site. Males appeared to be relatively more active than
females. The 18 males travelled an average and a maximum dis¬
tance of 112 and 425 meters. Corresponding figures in females
were 70 and 325 (N = 15). Similar observations were reported by
Hungerford and Wilder (1941) in Connecticut. The average num¬
ber of trap entries was 3 for recaptured males and females.
The activity curve started relatively high in April (Fig. 1) indi¬
cating a moderate activity prior to the initiation of trapping in that
month. The slight decrease of activity in May corresponded with
the spring canopy coverage and the possible relative obscurity of
traps. Activity peaked in July and August but declined considerably
in September. The slight increase during October indicates that
activity did not cease after trapping was discontinued but probably
continued at least during November. Personal observations sub¬
stantiate the above information and also indicate that gray squir¬
rels are also intermittently active throughout the winter, at least
in southeastern Wisconsin.
Opossum Didelphis marsupialis virginiana Kerr
Three opossums were captured during the pilot study. During
1972, a total of 24 animals were captured (Table 1), of which 11
(45%; 4 males and 7 females) were juveniles, which entered the
traps between July and October. Holmes and Sanderson (1965)
reported that about 2/3 of over 400 trapped Illinois opossums were
juveniles. Animals weighing 0.4 to 0.99 Kg measured 420-630 mm
(506) in total length and 170-250 mm (206) in tail length
(N = ll). Animals weighing 1 to 1.9 Kg measured 600-700 mm
(655) in total length and 210-300 mm (260) in tail length (N = 4) .
Animals weighing 2-3 Kg measured 650-800 mm (738) in total
length and 230-320 mm (280) in tail length (N = 8). One pregnant
female weighing 3.4 Kg which was captured on 9 June, measured
830 mm in total length and 300 mm in tail length.
More females than males entered the traps (1.7:1), as shown
in Table 2. Jackson (1961), however, indicated that wild popula¬
tions in Wisconsin have “normally about 20 percent more males
than females.” Similarly, Lay (1942) and Reynolds (1945) ob¬
served sex ratios of 1.33 males : 1 female in Texas and 1.22 males :
1 female in Missouri, respectively. Holmes and Sanderson (1965),
however, reported an even sex ratio in Illinois with males being
caught less frequently than females.
Opossums were active strictly at night in wooded habitats.
McManus (1971) indicated that spring and summer nocturnal
322 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
activity of captive opossums in New York peaked during midnight
hours and markedly decreased toward dusk and dawn. However,
in fall and winter, they were active at approximately the same
level throughout the night. This hourly activity pattern was shown
to be related to seasonal variation in ambient temperature. Over
half of the captures were recorded in traps size 3A and most of
the remainder in traps size 2 (Table 2). Up to 8 recaptures were
recorded for one female with a maximum distance of 550 meters
travelled by a female (Table 3). Jackson (1961) indicated that
individuals “may wander a mile or more from the home site” in
search of food, with a normal home range of 20-40 acres.
Females appeared to have been relatively more active than males
with an average number of trap entries in recaptures of 2.4 and
1.3 respectively. The four females travelled an average and a maxi¬
mum distance of 215 and 450 meters. Corresponding figures in
males were 175 and 200 (N = 3) . The sample size of 7 recaptured
animals was, however, too small to validate the above statement.
Holmes and Sanderson (1965) indicated that adult males are much
more mobile than adult females and juveniles.
Opossum activity gradually increased from low in April to a
peak in July (corresponding with increased temperature), declined
in August but retained a moderate level during September and
October. The per cent recaptured in the latter 2 months was low
because of the more frequent trap entries of juveniles. After Oc¬
tober and during winter, opossums were occasionally seen wander¬
ing at night in and around the study area.
The recovery of pregnant females nos. 51, 73, and 24, during
May and June and of juveniles between early July and September
(Fig. 2B) indicated a breeding season between March and end of
May and possibly early June.
White-footed Mouse Peromyscus leucopus noveboracensis (Fischer)
White-footed mice appear to have been more abundant in 1971
than in 1972. During September, October, 1971 17 specimens were
trapped (with 2 recaptures), while during the whole 1972 season
a total of 20 animals entered the traps (with 6 recaptures) (Ta¬
ble 1) . Animals weighing 10 to 19.9 g measured 135-190 mm (158)
in total length and 60-80 mm (70) in tail length (N = 9). Animals
weighing 20 to 26 g measured 145-190 mm (165) in total length
and 65-80 mm (75) in tail length (N = 10).
More males than females entered the traps (1:0.7) ; see Table 2.
In Michigan and Connecticut, Nicholson (1941) and Hirth (1959)
reported similar observations (68 and 58% males, respectively).
1974]
Amin — Observations of Wild Mammals
323
Nicholson (1941), however, reported more even sex ratios among
litters and immatores. They .were exclusively active at night, mostly
in wooded areas (Table 2). Activity was reported to peak at and
shortly after sunset in Ontario (Mann, 1954) ; near Madison (Em-
len et ah , 1957) ; and in Connecticut (Hirth 1959), as well as
shortly before sunrise near Madison (Emlen et ah, 1957). They
were only captured in size 1 traps (Table 2). No more than 6 re¬
captures were recorded with a maximum distance of 175 meters
travelled by a male (Table 3). The 2 recaptured females were each
trapped twice in the same site. Nicholson (1941) and Hirth (1959)
indicated greater travelling distances for males than for females
in southern Michigan and in Connecticut, respectively. Jackson
(1961) indicated a normal home range of about 0.25 acre.
After April, activity increased progressively during the trapping
season to a peak in October. There was a slight decline only during
August (Fig. 1). Burt (1969) mentioned a resting period (from
breeding) in July or August. The consistent increase in activity
after August indicated a marked activity at least during late fall
and early winter in southeastern Wisconsin. Hirth (1959) sug¬
gested an inverse correlation between rainfall (when it occurred
before midnight) and activity (judged by frequency of trapping
success) .
Breeding was reported to occur between March and October
(Nicholson, 1941, Hirth, 1959, Jackson, 1961, and Burt, 1969)
with 4 broods being raised between April and November (Jackson,
1961, and Burt, 1969). The recovery of pregnant females on 9 July,
19 August, 15 September, and 13 October suggest the presence
of the 3rd and the 4th breeding seasons in southeastern Wisconsin.
Raccoon Procyon lotor hirtus Nelson and Goldman
Fourteen raccoons were captured of which 6 (43% ; 2 males and
4 females) were juveniles, which entered the traps between July
and September. Mech et ah (1968) indicated an even ratio of young
to adults in Minnesota. Stuewer (1943) observed 65% juveniles in
Michigan and Sonenshine and Winslow (1972) reported about
20 and 23% juveniles in two Virginia localities. Animals weighing
1.5 to 3.45 Kg measured 590-700 mm (630) in total length and
150-220 mm (180) in tail length (N = 6). Animals weighing 3.5
to 5.49 Kg measured 750-880 mm (828) in total length and 250-
290 mm (266) in tail length (N=5). Two animals weighing 5.5
and 7.2 Kg measured 830 and 970 mm in total length and 230 in
tail length. One pregnant female weighing 8.5 Kg, which was cap¬
tured on 23 June, measured 970 mm in total length and 330 mm
in tail length. Adult raccoons of Wisconsin were reported by Jack-
324 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
son (1961) to reach a maximum of only 960 mm in total length
and 275 mm in tail length.
More females than males entered the traps (2.2 :1) . Other “field”
sex ratios showed variable bias toward males, e.g. Stuewer (1943)
(1.08:1) and Sonenshine and Winslow (1972) (1.64:1). However,
sex ratio in litters was observed to be 1 male :1. 36 females in
Michigan (Stuewer, 1943). Mech et al. (1968) observed an even
sex ratio in yearlings and adults in Minnesota. Raccoons were
exclusively active at night and mostly in wooded areas. All entered
size 3A traps (Table 2). No more than 3 recaptures were recorded
with a maximum distance recorded of 300 meters travelled by a
male. Stuewer (1943) observed that males travel more extensively
than females. Jackson (1961) indicated a normal home range of
about 2 miles.
The activity of raccoons increased from low in April to a peak
in August, declined considerably in September, and was not back
to peak in October; a pattern corresponding closely with that of
the prevailing temperatures.
Jackson (1961) and Burt (1969) referred to one mating season
during late January and February with young being born in April
and May after a gestation period of about 64 days. Juveniles nos.
6, 18, 11, and 22 (Fig. 2A) appear to be the products of such a
breeding season. Juveniles nos. 6 and 18 were estimated to have
been 13 and 11 weeks old (using Stuewer’s, 1943 weight/age data)
and to have been born in mid- or late April, respectively. The preg¬
nant female (no. 95) which was captured on 23 June, however, did
not fit this pattern. She must be considered as a female that did
not conceive during the regular breeding season and that mated
again sometime during May or June. Stuewer (1943) and Jackson
(1961) also reported such cases. Births as late as August and
September were reported in New England States and Indiana by
Whitney (1931) and Lehman (1968), respectively. Dorney (1953)
took 2 males weighing less than 4 pounds from Horicon Marsh,
Wisconsin in November.
Cottontail Rabbit Sylvilagus fioridanus mearnsii (J. A. Allen)
Seven cottontails weighing 0.9-1. 2 Kg and measuring 420-470
mm (443) in total length and 40-70 mm (54) in tail length were
captured.
Striped ground Squirrel Citellus tridecemlineatus (Mitchill)
Five squirrels weighing 120-155 g and measuring 260-290 mm
(270) in total length and 90-100 mm (95) in tail length were
captured.
1974] Amin — Observations of Wild Mammals 325
Long-tailed Weasel Mustella frenata noveboracensis (Emmons)
Three weasals weighing 184-215 g and measuring 390-440 mm
(407) in total length and 130-180 mm (157) in tail length were
captured.
Eastern Fox Squirrel Sciurus niger rufiv enter
Geoff roy-Saint-Hilaire
Two animals weighing 0.55 and 0.80 Kg and measuring 460 and
580 mm in total length and 180 and 260 mm in tail length were
captured. Adult Fox squirrels of Wisconsin were reported by Jack-
son (1961) to reach a maximum of only 565 mm in total length.
Meadow Vole Microtus pennsylvanicus (Ord)
Two specimens weighing 40 g each and measuring 145 and 160
mm in total length and 40 and 42 mm in tail length were captured
during the 1972 season. This species was apparently more abundant
during 1971; 15 specimens were captured during the pilot study
(with one recapture).
Franklin’s Ground Squirrel Citellus franklinii (Sabine)
One female weighing 300 g and measuring 360 mm in total length
and 135 mm in tail length was captured.
Norway Rat Rattus norvegicus (Berkenhout)
One pregnant female weighing 230 g and measuring 370 mm
in total length and 160 mm in tail length was captured on 30
September.
Striped Skunk Mephitis mephitis hudsonica Richardson
One skunk was captured on 21 July, 1972. Another one was
trapped during the pilot study on 10 October, 1971 which was
recaptured the following day.
Southern Woodchuck Mar mot a monax monax (Linnaeus)
One specimen weighing 4.1 Kg and measuring 710 mm in total
length and 150 mm in tail length was captured on 28 May, 1972.
Adult woodchucks of Wisconsin were reported by Jackson (1961)
to reach a maximum of only 640 mm in total length.
Additional information on the above less abundant mammals is
included in Tables 1-3.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Supported in part by a Summer 1972 WARF grant awarded by
the University of Wisconsin — Madison, Graduate School.
326 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
REFERENCES
ALLEN, E. G. 1938. The habits and life history of the eastern chipmunk,
Tamias striatus Lysteri. New York State Mus. Bull. 314. 122 pp.
BLAIR, W. F. 1940. Home ranges and populations of the jumping mouse.
Amer. Midland Natur. 23:244-250.
BURT, W. H. 1969. Mammals of the Great Lakes region. Univ. Michigan
Press, Ann Arbor. 246 pp.
CHAPMAN, F. B. 1938. Summary of the Ohio gray squirrel investigation.
3rd N. Amer. Wildlife Conf. Trans. : 677-684.
DORNEY, R. S. 1953. Some unusual juvenile raccoon weights. J. Mamm.
34:122-123.
DUNFORD, L. 1972. Summer activity of eastern chipmunks. J. Mamm. 53:
176-180.
EMLEN, J. T., R. L. HINE, W. A. FULLER, and P. ALFONSO. 1957.
Dropping boards for population studies of small mammals. J. Wildlife
Mgt. 21:300-314.
FORBES, R. B. 1966. Fall accumulation of fat in chipmunks. J. Mamm. 47:
715-716.
HAMILTON, W. J. JR. 1935. Habits of jumping mice. Amer. Midland Natur.
16:187-200.
HIRTH, H. F. 1959. Small mammals in old field succession. Ecology 40:417-
425.
HOLMES, A. C. V. and G. C. SANDERSON. 1965. Populations and move¬
ments of opossums in east-central Illinois. J. Wildlife Mgt. 29:287-295.
HUNGERFORD, K. E. and N. G. WILDER. 1941. Observations on the homing
behavior of the gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis). J. Wildlife Mgt.
5:458-460.
JACKSON, H. H. T. 1961. Mammals of Wisconsin. Univ. Wisconsin Press,
Madison. 504 pp.
LAY, D. W. 1942. Ecology of the opossum in eastern Texas. J. Mamm. 23:
147-159.
LEHMAN, L. E. 1968. September birth of raccoons in Indiana. J. Mamm.
49:126-127.
McMANUS, J. J. 1971. Activity of captive Didelphis marsupialis. J. Mamm.
52:846-848.
MANN, P. M. 1954. Diel activity rhythms of several species of small mammals.
M.Sc. dissertation, Univ. West Ontario, London, Canada.
MECH, L. D., D. M. BARNES and J. R. TESTER. 1968. Seasonal weight
changes, mortality, and population structure of raccoons in Minnesota.
J. Mamm. 49:63-73.
NICHOLSON, A. J. 1941. The homes and social habits of the woodmouse
(Peromyscus leucopus noveboracensis) in southern Michigan. Amer. Mid¬
land Natur. 25:196-223.
REYNOLDS, H. C. 1945. Some aspects of the life history and ecology of the
opossum in central Missouri. J. Mamm. 26:361-379.
SONENSHINE, D. E. and E. L. WINSLOW. 1972. Contrasts in distribution
of raccoons in two Virginia localities. J. Wildlife Mgt. 36:838-847.
STUEWER, F. W. 1943. Raccoons: their habits and management in Michigan.
Ecol. Monograph 13:203-258.
TOWNSEND, M. T. 1935. Studies on some of the small mammals of central
New York. Roosevelt Wildlife Ann. 4:6-120.
WHITNEY, L. F. 1931. The raccoon and its hunting. J. Mamm. 12:29-38.
SAMPLING AND ANALYSIS OF BOTTOM
SEDIMENTS OF SOME WISCONSIN LAKES
Laverne C. Strieker
and
Robert N. Cheetham, Jr.
U.S.D.A. Soil Conservation Service —
Madison
ABSTRACT
From 1971 to 1973, bottom sediment core samples were taken in
nine Wisconsin lakes. The samples were first described in the field
and then analyzed for physical characteristics, organic content,
and phosphorus.
The watershed and lake characteristics of Big Spring Pond in
Adams County and East Silver Lake, Monroe County, are discussed
in detail.
INTRODUCTION
Bottom sediment samples were collected through the ice and
from a boat with a core sampler developed at the University of
Wisconsin Water Chemistry Laboratory. Nine lakes were sampled:
Big Spring Pond — Adams County
Little Green Lake — Green Lake
County
Lilly Lake — Kenosha County
Angelo Pond — Monroe County
Perch Lake — Monroe County
East Silver Lake — Monroe County
Lake Leota — Rock County
Spauldings Pond — Rock County
Wautoma Pond — Waushara County
The samples were first described in the field and then analyzed
for physical characteristics, organic content and inorganic phos¬
phorus. Analyses were done according to Schulte and Olsen, 1970,
procedures at the Soil and Plant Analysis Laboratory, Department
of Soil Science, University of Wisconsin— -Madison.
The studies consisted of evaluating watershed and lake charac¬
teristics. Based on these findings, recommendations are made for
pond or lake improvement.
Two of the nine lakes were selected to emphasize the extreme
variation of watershed and lake characteristics — Big Spring Pond,
Adams County and East Silver Lake, Monroe County.
BIG SPRING POND
Watershed Information
Big Spring watershed is in New Haven Township, southeastern
Adams County, Wisconsin, about eight miles NE of Wisconsin
327
328 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
Dells. The watershed has a drainage area of 1,677 acres, or 2.62
square miles. Big Spring Pond has a surface area of 7.3 acres.
The Big Spring area is topographically mapped on the 15-minute
Briggsville, Wisconsin, Quadrangle, 1958 edition, published by the
United States Geological Survey. The contour interval is 20 feet.
Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service (ASCS) con¬
tact aerial photographs, scale 1 inch equals 1,667 feet, AJA-1FF-96
of 7/15/65 and AJA-1FF-96 of 7/15/65 provide stereographic
coverage.
Adams County has a humid continental climate with wide
extremes of temperature. The coldest month is January with an
average temperature of 17 F. July, the warmest month, has an
average temperature of 73 F. The average rainfall is 31 inches
and occurs mainly during the growing season of 130 to 140 days.
The 1968 map Soils of Wisconsin by Hole, et al., indicates a gen¬
eral I 17 association of loams, clay loams, and sandy loams. Typical
soil series are Manawa, Oshkosh, and Poygan. Adams County is a
part of the Wisconsin Central Plain. Big Spring watershed is in
that portion of the county invaded by the Pleistocene Green Bay
ice lobe. Nearly horizontal quartz sandstones of Upper Cambrian
Age are almost completely obscured by soils, alluvium and Pleisto¬
cene pitted outwash and till. To the east of Big Springs are glacial
lacustrine deposits and to the west is the Johnstown Moraine of
Wisconsin Age.
Land use was determined by field reconnaissance and aerial
photographs.
Acres
Cropland - 965
Pasture _ 274
Woodland and Wildlife _ 356
Roads, Buildings, and Other - 82
Big Spring Pond - 7
Total _ 1,684
The Big Spring area was first settled in the fall of 1849 after
treaty was made with the Menomonee Indians. By 1870 the area
was in farmland and culturally accelerated erosion commenced.
With a modified Musgrave equation, a 635-acre sample was used
to determine annual soil loss of cropland.
E = KCR
(%S) 1.35 (LS)
°5
.o
(10)
(72.6)
ACPM
Where :
E is erosion in tons per acre
K is a function of soil type
R is rainfall erosiveness
1974] Strieker and Cheetham — Sampling of Sediments 329
S is slope
LS is length of slope
A is area in acres
C is rotation — crops
P is practice — as contour farming
M is management factor
Eight cooperators with the Adams County Soil and Water Con¬
servation District own 1,231 watershed acres and six non-coopera¬
tors own the remaining 446 watershed acres. This is exclusive of
the 7.3 acre lake.
Present average annual soil loss from cropland, as shown in
Table 1, was estimated at 1.99 tons per acre; 0.12 tons per acre of
soil loss from pasture; 0.12 tons of soil loss from woods and wild¬
life, and 4 tons per acre from roads and from dwelling and barn¬
yard areas. Common cropland rotations are corn, oats, and two,
three, or four years of hay. Streambank erosion and gully erosion,
which are minor, were estimated after field inspection to cause
10% of the delivered upland sheet erosion to Big Spring Pond.
Converting to tons per year based on 100 lbs per cu ft yields an
annual input of 1698.4 tons of sediment from erosion. The aver¬
age soil loss from the drainage area is 1.01 tons per acre per year.
The difference in the current estimated soil loss of 0.48 tons per
acre per year and the determination of 1.01 tons per acre per year
based on loss of pond capacity may be attributed to continuing and
improved land treatment measures during the past 20 years.
TABLE 1. AVERAGE ANNUAL SEDIMENT YIELD BY SOURCES
IN BIG SPRING WATERSHED (PRESENT CONDITIONS)
GULLY EROSION
STREAMBANK EROSION l Est. at 10% of delivered sheet erosion 73
STREAMBED EROSION \
TOTAL 806 Tons
330 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
Pond Information
Big Spring Pond is described by Klick and Threinen, 1966, as a
hard-water drainage lake with 7.3 surface acres. The water is light
brown, alkaline, and has a low transparency. The fishery is large-
mouth bass, bluegills, pumpkinseed, and brook and brown trout.
Game includes muskrat and ducks. Access, without parking facil¬
ities, is near the 11-foot head dam on a town road.
Based on interviews with several residents of Big Springs, it was
determined that in 1951 maximum water depth of the lake was
approximately 6 ft and average water depth 4 ft. Surface area then
was 7.3 acres.
In 1971 surface area was unchanged, but maximum water depth
(save at outlet) was 3 ft and average depth was 2 ft to the water-
solids interface. The lake capacity or volume in 1951 was an esti¬
mated 29.2 acre feet and in 1971 only 14.6 acre feet. Therefore, in
20 years the loss of lake capacity averaged 0.78 acres feet per year.
In order to determine sediment accumulation in Big Spring Pond,
visits were made to the area in January and June 1971. Water qual¬
ity analyses and temperatures were taken in January. In June a
core sample was obtained from a small pier west of the dam. Two
attempts were made for core samples at the north end of the pond
and at the outlet-dam area, with poor recovery because of rock
and gravel fill near the dam. They were discarded.
The recovered sample was extruded from the plastic core barrel
and representative upper, middle, and lower core segments were
collected for analysis with results as given in Table 2.
The visual description of these sediments is as follows:
Sample
0.8' Watery collapsed — brown — black silt — no noticeable odor — modern
plant fibres-roots.
1.0' Uniform brown-black silty sand. No noticeable odor — some organic
content.
0.2' Silt, black, organic — fibres — shells.
0.5' Silt, black, numerous fibres and shell fragments. Some fine sand.
0.2' Silt, black, uniform, tr. sand.
0.1' Silt, black, organic.
1.0' Silt, black, fairly uniform with trace of clay and some find sand. Firm-
poorly stratified. Some organic content.
Interpretation
The sediments in Big Spring Pond are mostly silt and organic
as judged from the core samples take near the center of the lake.
1974] Strieker * and Cheetham — Sampling of Sediments 331
The surface of the sediments is mostly silt and has a very high
inorganic phosphorus level. It is thought this layer of sediments
was transported from the watershed through sheet erosion. A con¬
siderable amount of fertilizer is applied to the cropland in the
watershed each year which may account for the high phosphorus
level. Organic matter derived from plants and algae was not high
at this location.
Below the top layer (2'-2.5') there is a mostly sandy layer. The
sand may have been transported simultaneously with the top silt
but the sand, because of volume weight, settled out more rapidly.
The sand probably originated from streambanks and road ditches
and is not as fertile as the silt. The bottom layer is higher in or¬
ganic matter and inorganic phosphorus. This was probably the
original ground level before construction of the dam. The area was
originally marsh and was inundated at time of dam construction.
EAST SILVER LAKE
Watershed Information
East Silver Lake is in Adrian Township on the Camp McCoy
military reservation, Monroe County, Wisconsin. The lake is 7.5
miles SSW of Tomah. The watershed has a drainage area of
2,080 acres, or 3.25 square miles. The lake has a surface area of
8.5 acres. The East Silver Lake Area is topographically mapped on
the 15-minute Tomah, Wisconsin Quadrangle, 1947 edition, pub¬
lished by the United States Geological Survey. The contour interval
is 20 feet. Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service
(ASCS) contact aerial photographs, scale 1 inch equals 1,667 feet,
55081 of 372-18 and 55081 of 372-19 of 10-7-72 provide stereo¬
graphic coverage.
Monroe County has a humid continental climate with wide ex¬
tremes of temperature. The coldest month is January with an
average temperature of 14 F. July, the warmest month, has an
average temperature of 73 F. The average rainfall is 30 inches and
occurs mainly during the growing season of 135 to 145 days.
332 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
The 1968 map of Soils of Wisconsin by Hole, et ah, indicates
a general C-6 association of loamy sand and sand soil series such
as Plainfield, Sparta, Gotham, and poorly drained undifferentiated
alluvium; and, D1 steep rock land, loams, and silt loams whose
typical soil series are Gale, Norden, Hixton, Fayette and Seaton.
Monroe County is a part of the Western Uplands. East Silver Lake
watershed is in the “Driftless” area of the county. East Silver
Lake, fed by springs and seeps, drains westerly to the La Crosse
River, a tributary to the Mississippi River.
Cambrian sandstones, shales, and siltstones crop out in the
watershed but are somewhat obscured by loess, soils, alluvium,
and colluvium. The sandstones outcrop near the upper end of the
lake and are occasionally exposed by road-cuts. The Paleozoic
formations appear almost horizontal except where slumped or
settled. The higher bluffs have a thin Ordovician dolomite cap
rock. Windrow Bluff, about three miles northeast of Silver Lake,
is the type locality of the Windrow high level gravels of Cretaceous
age.
Land use was determined by field reconnaissance and aerial
photographs.
Acres
Cropland _ 2.0
Pasture _ —
Woodland and Wildlife _ 1967.5
Wetland _ 21.0
Roads, Ditches, Buildings, misc. _ 83.0
East Silver Lake _ 6.5
Total _ 2080
There are two landowners (Department of Defense and one
farmer) who are cooperators with the Monroe County Soil and
Water Conservation District. Several non-cooperators have parts
of their farms in the upper reaches of the watershed.
Monroe County was created in 1854. Fruit and berry culture,
dairying, and general farming were practiced. After 1890 the trend
was toward dairying and general farming. Between 1908 and 1910
land was acquired by the Army for a military reservation known
as Camp Robinson. After a varied history it was renamed Camp
McCoy in 1926. From 1933-35 part of the camp was a CCC supply
base of the U. S. Department of Agriculture.
Upland sheet erosion computations were made for two acres of
hayland — on Boone Loamy sand. The land, classed as VIIs2, is on
a 12% slope.
As shown in Table 3, the present average annual soil loss from
cropped land is estimated at 1.6 tons per acre. Soil loss from wood-
1974] Strieker and Cheetham — Sampling of Sediments 333
TABLE 3. EAST SILVER LAKE: AVERAGE ANNUAL SEDIMENT
LOAD BY SOURCES (PRESENT CONDITIONS)
TOTAL 442 tons
land and wildlife is 0.16 tons per acre, and soil loss from roadside
and ditch erosion is 10 tons per acre. Predicted current sediment
yield from gross erosion delivered to East Silver Lake is 0.22 tons
per acre per year. The most conspicuous sediment producing areas
are the numerous roadbanks and ditches adjacent to and above the
lake. Streambank and gully erosion are negligible to severe above
the lake but were not studied separately in detail. Two gullies have
fanned deltas into the lake. An estimate of 10% of the delivered
upland sheet erosion was made for this type of sediment yield.
TABLE 4. ANALYSES OF THE 4 CORES FROM EAST SILVER LAKE
4
334 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
Lake Information
East Silver Lake is described by Klick, Gebken, and Threinen,
1969, as a hard-water drainage impoundment of 6.5 surface acres.
The water is clear, medium hard, alkaline, and has a high trans¬
parency. Located entirely within Camp McCoy, the lake is managed
by the federal government. Largemouth bass, northern pike, crap-
pies, pumpkinseed, brook, brown, and rainbow trout compose the
fishery. Access is by permit.
Sampling and Analyses
Four holes were made through the ice and cores collected as
follows :
Upstream Thickness Bottom
Core From Dam Of Ice Depth Profile Sediment
1 _ 125' 9" 7' 0 — 1' 10" Sand
1' 10"— 2' 6" Silty sand
2' 6"— 3' 8" Sand
2 _ 450' 11" 8. -5" 0 — 7" Sandy silt
7" — 10" Silt and sand
3 450' 9" 8' 0 — 6" Sandy silt
6"— 3' 10" Sand
4 670' 8" 6' 0 —1' 4" Sand, silty
1' 4"— 3' 0" Sand
Interpretation
As shown in Table 4, the sediments in East Silver Lake are
mostly sand and organic with some silt. Along the steep shoreline
the sediments are mostly sandy on top. This is because of recent
sliding of sand from the steep banks and delta deposits that have
fanned out on the lake bottom. Further out, as in cores 2 and 3,
the sediments are silty with higher organic content. At one time
this layer was on the surface of the sediments but now has been
covered by the sliding sand.
The sandy layer has encroached to a depth of around 6 ft in
some areas. The deepest part of the lake appears to be around 9 ft.
The silty organic layer is on the surface of the sediments toward
the center of the lake ; see core 2, Table 4. The silt in this layer
probably originally eroded from agricultural land in the watershed.
Most of this sedimentation occurred immediately after the lake
was formed. Present-day erosion is carrying mostly sand particles
and some silt.
The organic material in this layer is derived from decayed plant
and animal remains within the lake. At times, aquatic plants and
algae are abundant. After severe storms, branches and leaves may
be transported to the lake.
1974] Strieker and Cheetham — Sampling of Sediments 335
The sandy layer is infertile; the silty organic layer is very fer¬
tile. Phosphorus levels mentioned here include only inorganic
phosphorus. If organic phosphorus was included, much higher
readings would be obtained for the organic material.
When the silty organic layer is in contact with water, the phos¬
phorus may be continually recycled. This leads to an excessive
nutrient supply in the waters of the lake and resultant aquatic
plant problems.
PROPOSED IMPROVEMENT
To prevent aquatic plant and other problems, the sediment layer
furnishing nutrients should be either covered or removed.
Big Spring Pond has a very fertile top sediment layer that
should be removed. Improved oxygen condition in the pond would
delay future buildup of this organic layer. Mechanical aeration
is recommended. Releasing the outlet water from near the bottom
of the pond would also delay organic sediment buildup. A new type
of structure is recommended here. Nutrient contribution to the
pond could be lessened through improved land treatment measures.
The sliding sand is covering the edges of East Silver Lake now.
In time, this deposit could cover most of the lake bottom. Problems
of lake shallowness could then occur. It would be best to attempt
to stop the sliding sand where it is now and remove the silty or¬
ganic layer from the center of the lake. This could be done by lake
drawdown and allowing the layer to dry out, or by physical re¬
moval with a dredge or dragline. After removal of the silt organic
layer, better nutrient discharge could be obtained by installing a
bottom release outlet. The Soil Conservation Service has standard
drawings for this type of outlet.
Land treatment measures to control erosion and sedimentation
are needed above both bodies of water. Gully control structures
and diversions should be planned for reducing the amount of sedi¬
ment. The critical areas of roadside erosion should be resloped
where possible, hand-mulched, limed, and seeded to vetch and
grass.
Critical reaches of streambank erosion should be delineated and
erosion control measures applied. The control may be simple or
complex, depending on bank height, channel width, soil materials
in bank profile, and presence or absence of bedrock in the channel.
The majority of eroded material is derived from unstable banks,
cut-banks, bank freeze and thaw, and bank-full waters. Riprap,
deflectors, and bank sloping and seeding are most generally used.
Occasionally debris basins or drop structures are needed in con¬
junction with other measures for streambank protection. While the
336 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
acreage of cropland is very small, some additional land treatment
measures are needed on the rather steep Class VII land, such as
contouring. The most satisfactory treatment would be a changed
land use to woodland and wildlife. Soil losses from wooded areas
are being reduced by complete forest land management.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Crop and Livestock Reporting Service, Wisconsin State Department of
Agriculture, 1956, Wisconsin Rural Resources , Monroe County, 56 pp.
Crop and Livestock Reporting Service, Wisconsin State Department of
Agriculture, 1957, Wisconsin Rural Resources , Adams County, 58 pp.
HOLE, F. D., M. T. BEATTY, C. J. MILFRED, G. B. LEE, and A. J.
KLINGELHOETS. 1968. Soils of Wisconsin : Univ. Wisconsin, Geo.
Nat. His. Survey, Dept. Soil Science, U.S. Soil Conserv. Serv., and U.S.
Forest Serv. Map 1:710,000.
KLICK, T. A., D. F. GEBKEN, and C. W. THREINEN. 1969. Surface Water
Resources of Monroe County, 119 pp.
KLICK, T. A., and C. W. THREINEN. 1966. Surface Water Resources of
Adams County, 71 pp.
MARTIN, L. 1932. Physical Geography of Wisconsin, Wis. Geo, Survey Bull.
36. (2nd ed.).
Railroad Commission of Wisconsin, 1915, Report of the Railroad Commission
of Wisconsin to the Legislature on Water Powers, Part II, Gazetteer of
Streams, pp. 489-540.
SCHULTE, E. E., and C. C. OLSEN. 1970. Wisconsin Soil Testing and Plant
Analysis Procedures . Dept. Soil Science, Univ. Wisconsin, 45 pp.
Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau, 1970, The Blue Book of Wisconsin.
STUDIES ON AQUATIC OLIGOCHAETA IN
INLAND WATERS OF WISCONSIN
Richard P. Howmiller
University California — •
Santa Barbara
INTRODUCTION
Aquatic oligochaete worms, especially the Tubificidae, are com¬
mon in the benthos of many lakes and rivers. In some aquatic
environments, for example in polluted stretches of rivers and the
profundal zone of many lakes, these organisms are often the most
abundant of benthic macroinvertebrates.
Many of the aquatic oligochaetes occupy a niche similar to that
of their terrestrial counterparts, ingesting and burrowing in the
bottom sediments. Through these activities they may have pro¬
found effects upon the functioning of aquatic ecosystems. Under
experimental conditions tubificids have been shown to promote
the release of plant nutrients (Howmiller, unpublished) and pol¬
lutants (Jernelov 1970) from sediments, and to increase the rate
of biochemical oxidation of sediments (Zvetlova 1972).
The worms are preyed upon by numerous invertebrate predators
and by bottom-feeding fishes. Their importance as a food item of
fishes is often underestimated because the worms are so rapidly
digested that only unrecognizable fragments remain in stomach
samples handled in the usual fashion. However, the fact that some
tubificids serve as intermediate hosts of fish parasites (Calentine
and Delong 1966, Calentine and Mackiewicz 1966) attests to their
use as food by several fish species. The value of the worms as fish
food is recognized by tropical fish fanciers who support a small
industry supplying them with “tubifex worms” — the only direct
economic importance of aquatic oligochaetes.
Pollution biologists have long associated an abundance of
oligochaetes, coupled with a scarcity of other benthic invertebrates,
with severe organic pollution. Thus one often sees the worms
collectively referred to as “sludgeworms”. In fact, only a few
species of tubificids are tolerant of gross pollution. Thus, in recent
years, attention has been focused on the possibility of a more sensi¬
tive index of environmental quality based on the relative abun¬
dance of species found to be intolerant, moderately tolerant, and
very tolerant of organic enrichment. This interest has been a pri¬
mary consideration in several studies of oligochaete species’
337
338 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
distributions in waters of the Great Lakes. The worm fauna of
the Great Lakes is now quite well known and it has become clear
that polluted bays and harbors, and moderately enriched areas
such as southern Lake Michigan, have characteristic species as¬
semblages which are distinct from those of the open unpolluted
areas of the lakes. The worm fauna of Great Lakes’ waters border¬
ing on Wisconsin has been studied by Hiltunen (1969a) in the
Apostle Islands region of Lake Superior, Howmiller and Beeton
(1970) in Green Bay, and Hiltunen (1967) and Howmiller (1972)
in Lake Michigan proper. The fauna of these areas includes forty-
one species of Oligochaeta (Howmiller and Beeton 1970).
Despite the importance of aquatic oligochaetes, and the fre¬
quency with which they are encountered by aquatic biologists, the
fauna of most regions is poorly known. Though the aquatic biota
of Wisconsin has probably been recorded more thoroughly than
that of any other state, the literature contains only occasional
records of oligochaetes at the species level. For many years, the
records of Sparganophilus eiseni (= S. tamesis) , Lumbriculus
limosa ( = L. varigatus) , Chaetogaster, Nais, Pristina, Limno-
drilus claparedeianus, and Tubifex tubifex from Lake Mendota
(Muttkowski 1918) have constituted the most complete account
of the aquatic Oligochaeta of Wisconsin. The purpose of the present
communication is to record additional species from Wisconsin and
to give an account of some ecological observations.
RECENT WISCONSIN RECORDS
Oligochaete species identified from my recent collections are
listed in Table 1, in which localities are given as code letters.
Explanation of the code letters, and locations of these lakes and
rivers, are as follows:
YL
LK
LM
SP
TM
GL
LGL
GP
KR
MR
RR
CL
WR
LP
LMa
Code
Yellow Lake
Lake Kegonsa
Lake Mendota
Salmo Pond
Theresa Marsh
Green Lake
Little Green Lake
Grand Portage (Tank) Lake
Kinnickinnic River
Milwaukee River
Root River
Clear Lake
Wisconsin River
Lake Pepin
Lake Mallalieu
Lake or River
County
Burnett
Dane
Dane
Dane
Dodge
Green Lake
Green Lake
Iron
Milwaukee
Milwaukee
Milwaukee
Oneida
Oneida
Pepin
St. Croix
1974]
Howmiller — Studies on Aquatic Oligochaeta
339
Nomenclature used in Table 1 follows that in the recent mono¬
graph of Brinkhurst and Jamieson (1971) except that Limnodrilus
spiralis (Eisen) is here retained as a distinct species. Limnodrilus
spiralis is separated from L. hoffmeisteri and other Limnodrilus
species on the basis of differences in penis sheath morphology.
The sheath of L. spiralis is, on the average, longer than that of
L. hoffmeisteri and has its opening at the tip, surrounded by a flat
plate with one edge upturned (Fig. la). The shorter sheath of
L. hoffmeisteri is usually somewhat curved and is hooded with the
opening at 90° to the shaft (Fig. lb). Brinkhurst (Brinkhurst and
Jamieson 1971) considers L. spiralis a synonym of L. hoffmeisteri
and feels that a separate species should not be erected on the basis
of the differences mentioned above unless the worms can be shown
to be different in some other way. However, these differences are
pronounced and, in my experience, intergrades are rare or non¬
existent. It is difficult to be very positive on this last point since
penis sheathes are often somewhat deformed when the animal is
placed under a coverslip, especially in specimens where the sheath
is just forming. Thus it is possible that a specimen with a sheath
deformed in slide preparation could be mistaken for an intergrade,
or vice versa. Differences in distribution of mature specimens of
the two forms, in a lake in which both occur (Table 2), suggest
that they are ecologically different in addition to being morpho¬
logically distinct.
Hiltunen (1967) found L. spiralis in Lake Michigan, but con¬
sidered it a variant of L. hoffmeisteri. He has since recorded
elsewhere1 that L. spiralis is discontinuously widespread in the
Great Lakes region, in mesotrophic and eutrophic habitats, and
that specimens intermediate between it and typical L. hoffmeisteri
are infrequently observed.
The question may merit further taxonomic investigation, but
at present it seems appropriate to retain L. spiralis as a distinct
species.
1 Hiltunen, J. K. 1973. A Laboratory Guide; keys to the tubificid and naidid
Oligochaeta of the Great Lakes region. Unpubl. ms. 24 pp.
340 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
TABLE 1. AQUATIC OLIGOCHAETA IDENTIFIED FROM RECENT
COLLECTIONS AND LOCALITIES AT WHICH THEY WERE FOUND
(FOR EXPLANATION OF CODE LETTERS SEE TEXT). SPECIES
REPORTED BY MUTTKOWSKI (1918) FROM LAKE MENDOTA
ARE MARKED WITH A SINGLE ASTERISK. ALL OTHERS
ARE NEW RECORDS FOR INLAND WATERS OF WISCONSIN
Species
Lumbriculidae
Lumbriculus variegatus (Verrill)*
Localities
SP, CrL
Naididae
Arcteonais lomondi (Martin)
Aulophorus vagus Leidy
Dero digitata (Muller)
Haemonais waldvogeli Bretscher
Nais elinguis (Muller)
Nais simplex Piguet
Ophidonais serpentina (Muller)
Stylaria fossularis Leidy
Stylaria lacustris (Linnaeus)
LMa, DL
TM
TM, LMa, DL, LN, FR
TM
TM
LN
TM, LMa, DL, IFR
LGL, DL
TM, CL, LMa
Tubificidae
Aulodrilus americanus Brinkhurst & Cook
Aulodrilus limnobius Bretscher
Aulodrilus pigueti Kowalewski
Aulodrilus pluriseta (Piguet)
Branchiura sowerbyi Beddard
Ilyodrilus templetoni (Southern)
Limnodrilus cervix Brinkhurst
Limnodrilus claparedeianus Ratzel*
Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri Claparede
Limnodrilus prof undicola (Verrill)
Limnodrilus spiralis ( E isen ) * *
Limnodrilus udekemianus Claparede
Peloscolex multisetosus multisetosus (Smith)
Peloscolex multisetosus longidentus Brinkhurst
& Cook
Potamothrix hammoniensis (Michaelsen)
Potamotlvrix moldaviensis (Vejdovsky &
Mrazek)
Tubifex kessleri americanus Brinkhurst &
Cook
Tubifex tubifex (Muller)*
YL
YL, LMa, DL
YL, LMa, DL, LW
DL
LP, LG
YL, LM, TM, LGL, GP,
LMa, DL, CrL, TL, FR
LD, FR
LGL
YL, LK, LM, TM, GL, LGL,
GP, KR, MR, RR, WR, LP,
LMa, DL, CrL, TL, LD, LG,
PL, IFR, LW, FR
GL
LG
RR, LMa, LG, IFR, FR
LMa, LG, FR
KR
LG
GLY, LMa, DL
GL
GL, KR, MR, WR, LMa, LG,
FR
** see text
1974]
Hoivmiller — Studies on Aquatic Oligochaeta
341
FIGURE 1. Illustrating differences in form of the penis sheath in (a)
Limnodrilus spiralis and (b) L. hoffmeisteri. Drawn from Lake Geneva
specimens.
The purpose of listing localities in Table 1 is not to suggest the
existence of discrete species’ distributions within the state but
to indicate the degree of commonness or rarity of each of the
species. In this regard it must be pointed out that there was some
bias in sampling as most samples were taken in deeper waters
free of macroscopic vegetation. The tubificids are thus more ade¬
quately represented than the naidids which prefer weedy littoral
situations. However, many readers will recognize that the waters
sampled represent a considerable variety of environmental condi¬
tions ; from nearly oligotrophic Crystal Lake to the very eutrophic
conditions of Lakes Winnebago and Delavan, and from the very
shallow Theresa Marsh to Green Lake, the deepest lake in the
state.
OLIGOCHAETA AND LAKE TYPES
Introduction
There is, of course, always an academic interest in defining the
sorts of environments in which particular organisms are found.
In recent decades there has been an increasing interest in asking
342 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
TABLE 2. ABUNDANCE OF TUBIFICID WORMS, AS INDIVIDUALS
PER SQUARE METER, AT FIVE DEPTHS ALONG A TRANSECT
IN LAKE GENEVA. ESTIMATES ARE BASED ON A SINGLE
(15 X 15 CM) EKMAN GRAB SAMPLE AT EACH DEPTH
EXCEPT FOR THE 27.5 M STATION WHERE FOUR
SUCH SAMPLES WERE TAKEN. SEVERAL SAM¬
PLES TAKEN FROM DEPTHS OF 36.5 AND
43.5 M CONTAINED NO MACROSCOPIC
INVERTEBRATES
Depth, meters
this question in a slightly different way, viz; Which species of
organisms are typically found in a particular type of environment?
Adequate knowledge of this sort may allow us to use organisms
as indicators of environmental quality. For example, changes in
composition of the biota have provided useful indices for docu¬
menting the eutrophication of lakes (Brinkhurst 1969, Hooper
1969).
The bottom fauna of littoral areas has only limited value as an
index of the trophic state of a lake, because littoral areas are
strongly influenced by edaphic factors and often receive consider¬
able inputs of allochthonous detritus. The profundal region, on
the other hand, offers relative uniformity of environmental con¬
ditions. In many respects the conditions are related to the produc¬
tivity of the overlying water. Chief among these are the quantity
and quality of organic matter and the dissolved oxygen concen¬
tration (Jonasson 1972). Consequently, most attempts to correlate
lake trophy and bottom fauna have been concerned with the pro¬
fundal benthos.
Earlier work of this sort focused upon the larvae of chironomid
midges (Thienemann 1922, Deevey 1941, Brundin 1958). Diifer-
1974] Howmiller — Studies on Aquatic Oligochaeta 343
ences found, at the generic level, resulted in the formation of a
“bottom faunistic lake type system” which seemed to have wide¬
spread applicability (Brundin 1958), although the relationship
between productivity and bottom fauna was often complicated by
morphometric influences (Brundin 1949).
Brinkhurst (1964) investigated the oligochaete fauna of a num¬
ber of lakes in the English Lake District with this same question
in mind. His results are a bit difficult for the reader to evaluate as
species abundances are indicated merely as absent, present or
abundant. Also, he presents no data to indicate how one might
rank the lakes investigated using other criteria, saying only that
they “have been held to represent a series according to the classical
taxonomy of lakes”. He concluded that his findings indicated
several species to be common in a wide variety of lakes. Thus,
while Peloscolex ferox seemed to be characteristic of less produc¬
tive lakes and Euilyodrilus (Potamothrix) hammoniensis was in¬
creasingly common in more productive lakes, the data offered no
more quantitative relationship between lake type and worm fauna
composition.
In view of the previously mentioned studies on the 'Great Lakes,
which have found species assemblages differing greatly under
different environmental conditions, Brinkhurst’s (1964) results
seemed surprising. There seemed a possibility that relationships
between worm faunal composition and lake type might be found
elsewhere, where perhaps, there was a richer fauna to offer more
ecologically specialized worm species. Thus the present study was
undertaken.
Procedure
The twenty-six lakes chosen for investigation included all those
studied by Lueschow and co-workers (1970). They measured a
number of parameters indicative of trophic status of the lakes
and calculated a “composite rating” which allowed a ranking of
the lakes from most oligotrophic to most eutrophic. The other
lakes included in the present investigation, with the exception of
Devils Lake, were among those studied by Hilsenhoff and Narf
(1968). Hilsenhoff and Narf measured various environmental
factors thought to be important in regulating chironomid popula¬
tions but did not rate the lakes as oligotrophic or eutrophic.
Environmental parameters measured during the investigations
reported here included depth profiles of temperature and dissolved
oxygen, transparency, color, conductivity, alkalinity, seston, and
organic and carbonate content of sediments.2 The data, particularly
3 A detailed account of methods and limnological data comprises an August 1972
progress report to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
344 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
transparency, color, organic seston and total phosphorus values,
were used to arrange the lakes in a trophic series (Fig. 2). Those
lakes studied by Lueschow and co-workers (1970), are listed here
in the same order as ranked by them on the basis of their “com¬
posite rating”. Thus the data collected during the present investi¬
gation have essentially been used only to place the other lakes in
their series. The order in Fig. 2 is thus meant to indicate trophic
status, with the more oligotrophic lakes at the top of the list, and
the most eutrophic at the bottom.
Samples for study of the oligochaete fauna were taken at some
distance from shore, usually from a depth near maximum depth.
In one instance (Lake Geneva, See Table 2) samples from a shal¬
lower depth, still well within the profundal zone, were substituted
when deeper samples were found devoid of macroscopic organisms.
Four replicate samples were taken at the single sampling site
in each lake using a 15 x 15 cm tall form Ekman grab. Samples
were sieved immediately with a U.S. Std No. 30 screen (0.565 mm)
and the residue from the screen preserved in 10% formalin. All
organisms were picked from the preserved residue by hand, with
the aid of low power magnification. Oligochaete worms were
mounted whole on microscope slides with Turtox CMC or Amman’s
LAKE
TRANSPARENCY
0.5 1
I - T
5 10
“I - 1
CRYSTAL
DEVILS
GREEN
GENEVA
TROUT (N)
TROUT (S)
ROUND
PINE (WAUKESHA)
MIDDLE
OCONOMOWOC
PLEASANT
RHEINHARDT
BOOTH
PINE (ONEIDA)
LIME
EAST HORSEHEAD
ONEONTA
GRAND PORTAGE
MENDOTA
PEWAUKEE
PEPIN
YELLOW
LITTLE GREEN
KEGONSA
DELAVAN
WINNEBAGO
mm
Em
E3ESEEZ S3
mmm.
MM
33
m
COLOR
V X XV XX
l - r-
m3
■vV^&!lS3
mmm mm
mssmmm
mmxmm
isillili
mmmsmw
ORGANIC SESTON
0.5 1 2 5 15
0
33
33P3]
mmm
mm
mm®
wmmimmm
mmm&immmsm
PHOSPHORUS
10 50
200
mm
B!1
m
mmm
>;i T.'V'
mmmmsm
FIGURE 2. Illustrating- values of some limnological parameters for twenty-
six Wisconsin lakes. Transparency is in meters and was measured with a
20 cm all-white Secchi disc. Color was determined by comparison with a
Forel-Ule scale. Organic seston data are given in mg/liter and were ob¬
tained by measuring loss on ignition of material on Whatman GF/C filters.
Total phosphorus values are given in Mg/liter; the samples were taken from
a depth of 1.0 m and determinations made by the method of Schmid and
Ambuhl (1965).
1974] Howmiller — Studies on Aquatic Oligochaeta 345
Lactophenol or a mixture of the two. They were examined after
waiting several weeks for clearing of soft tissues.
Results and Discussion
Samples from the profundal of nine of the lakes (Round, Pine
in Waukesha County, Middle, Oconomowoc, Booth, Lime, Oneonta,
Pewaukee, and Delavan) contained no oligochaete worms. Note
that while these lakes without worms fall in a range which may
be described as mesotrophic to very eutrophic (Fig. 2), the six
most oligotrophic lakes all contained oligochaetes in the profundal
sediments.
All the oligochaetes found In these profundal samples belonged
to the family Tubificidae. Table 3 lists the abundance of individual
taxa for each of the seventeen lakes from which worms were col¬
lected. Absolute abundance is given as individuals per square
meter, based on the mean of counts from the four Ekman grab
samples. The standard error of the mean is also given in the table.
Since in all cases the number of samples was four, the standard
deviation is twice the standard error. The relative abundance of
each taxon, as a percentage of the total number of tubificids, is
also given In Table 3.
Before further reviewing Table 3, it should be pointed out that
many common tubificids can be positively identified only when
they are sexually mature and bearing sexual structures (e.g.
genital chaetae or penis sheathes). Thus, in almost every case, it
was impossible to identify many of the worms in the samples.
These are listed as undetermined immatures and placed into two
groups ; those which possessed hair chaetae and those lacking hair
chaetae. Knowing which species are present in the samples, from
positive identifications of mature specimens, allows one to make
a reasonable guess at the identity of immature specimens. Thus, in
Table 3, I have listed probable abundance of Limnodrilus hoff-
meisteri; this number including L. hoffmeisteri and a portion or
all of the immature worms without hair chaetae. In cases where a
portion of the immatures without hair chaetae could have belonged
to another species (e.g. L. prof undicola in Green Lake) the im¬
matures were assigned to the two species on the basis of relative
abundance of positively identified mature specimens. In the same
manner, undetermined immature specimens without hair chaetae
were included among probable numbers of Ilyodrilus templetoni or
Tuhifex tubifex depending on which was found as mature speci¬
mens in the particular lake. In one case (Lake Geneva) only a
portion of the immatures with hairs was included among probable
Tubifex tubifex because these could also have included immature
Potamothrix hammoniensis .
346 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
This manipulation of data no doubt involves some error since
it assumes that all species populations included some mature in¬
dividuals. This is obviously not true, since many lakes contained
immatures with or without hairs and no mature specimens which
fit the category. Also, assignment of immatures to two species
was done with the assumption that mature specimens constituted
the same proportion of both populations. This assumption, too,
is certainly in error to some extent. Unfortunately, there is no
way to assess the magnitude of error introduced by these assump¬
tions. As long as there is no way to reliably identify immature
specimens and we lack life history information which might indi¬
cate the normal proportion of mature specimens under given
environmental conditions, calculations of the sort described above
will provide the only means of estimating the number of species
in a lake and the relative abundance of each.
In these seventeen lakes, mean abundance of tubificids ranged
from 11 individuals / m2 in South Trout and Pine (Oneida County)
to over 27000/m2 in Green Lake (Table 3). The standard errors
associated with these means are in many cases quite large, but
small enough to leave no doubt that there are differences of
several orders of magnitude in the abundance of tubificids in these
lakes. It is clear that the four most oligotrophic lakes were the
four in which oligochaetes were most abundant, but there was
no consistent relationship between worm abundance and lake tro¬
phy when all seventeen lakes were considered (compare Fig. 2,
Table 3) .
It is apparent from Table 3 that Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri was,
by far, the most common worm in the lakes. Of the seventeen lakes
having worms in the profundal benthos, this species occurred in
twelve (in thirteen if one includes L. spiralis in L. hoffmeisteri) .
It was clearly numerically dominant in most of these lakes (Ta¬
ble 3). This was not unexpected. L. hoffmeisteri is cosmopolitan
and is generally the most common worm in any region (Brinkhurst
and Jamieson 1971). It has been found to be the most abundant
worm in studies of many types of environments, though in extreme
cases this has often been associated with organic pollution (Brink¬
hurst 1969).
Ilyodrilus templetoni was the second most common and abundant
species. It was represented by mature specimens in six lakes and
probably occurred among the immature specimens of five other
lakes (Table 3). In Crystal Lake and Lake Mendota, I. templetoni
accounted for a considerable proportion of the worm fauna and
this may have been true of several other lakes (South Trout,
Rheinhardt, Pine in Oneida County, East Horsehead; Table 3).
1974]
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1974]
H ow miller — Studies on Aquatic Oligochaeta
349
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350 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
These findings contrast sharply with Brinkhurst’s (1964) data
from British Lakes which indicate that I. templetoni (as Tubifex
templetoni) occurred in few lakes and was never abundant. How-
miller and Beeton (1970) found I. templetoni common in a portion
of Green Bay but not so above the latitude of Sturgeon Bay or
below Long Tail Point near the mouth of the Fox River. The
species thus seems to be favored by moderate organic enrichment
but intolerant of gross pollution.
Tubifex tubifex, third most common worm in these profundal
samples, occurred in only two lakes but there comprised most of
the worm fauna (Table 3). It may be of significance that the two
lakes in which it occurred, Green and Geneva, are at the oligo-
trophic end of the series and are the deepest of these lakes. Tubifex
tubifex, in puzzling contrast with its well-deserved reputation for
tolerance of severe organic pollution in rivers and harbors, has
frequently been reported as a relatively abundant species in the
profundal of oligotrophic lakes. Brinkhurst (1964) reported that
it alone occurred in material from high alpine lakes of Austria
and this seems to be true as well of some oligotrophic sub-alpine
lakes in the Sierra Nevada (Howmiller, unpublished). Tubifex
tubifex occurs in the profundal benthos of the oligotrophic upper
Great Lakes (Hiltunen 1967, Howmiller 1972) and in the less pro¬
ductive regions of the lower lakes (Brinkhurst and Jamieson
1971).
The three species just discussed, L. hoffmeisteri f /. templetoni,
and T. tubifex, are the only common oligochaetes in the profundal
region of these Wisconsin lakes. While six other species were
found in the present series of samples, each occurred in only a
single lake (Table 3). These lakes are thus at least as poor in
species as those of the English Lake District investigated by
Brinkhurst (1964). Of the twenty lakes which he sampled, four
yielded no worms, seven contained only one species, six contained
two species, and three had three species. Of the five species re¬
corded from these English lakes ; Peloscolex ferox, Aulodrilus
pluriseta, Tubifex tubifex, Ilyodrilus templetoni, and Limnodrilus
hoffmeisteri, only the latter occurred in more than half the lakes.
Aulodrilus pluriseta and T. tubifex were found in only two lakes
each.
The paucity of species in the profundal of inland lakes contrasts
strongly with findings in bays, harbors, and littoral areas of the
Great Lakes. For example, thirty species of Oligochaeta, including
nineteen tubificids, have been reported from Green Bay. As pointed
out by Dahl (1970), there are many possibilities for overland dis¬
persal of oligochaetes. The occurrence of only a few species in
1974] Howmiller — Studies on Aquatic Oligochaeta 351
the profundal of these Wisconsin lakes, considering their close
proximity to the rich fauna of the Great Lakes, thus indicates that
in terms of the requirements of oligochaete species, the profundal
regions of inland lakes constitute a set of very similar environ¬
ments. The corollary of this is that composition of the profundal
oligochaete fauna has no index value for distinguishing between
lakes within the range offered by the series investigated. There
does seem some tendency for more oligotrophic lakes to be less
likely to lack worms in profundal regions, and perhaps T. tubifex
occurs in abundance in the profundal zone only in more oligo¬
trophic lakes. However, it would seem to require an investigation
of much wider scope to determine whether these are valid
generalizations.
VERTICAL DISTRIBUTION OF OLIGOCHAETA IN LAKES
While the investigation just described was concerned primarily
with worms of profundal regions, samples were taken at several
shallower depths in two of the lakes. These samples were examined
for evidence of depth differences in composition of the worm fauna,
as has been reported for several British and European lakes
(Brinkhurst 1964).
Benthic samples were taken from seven depths in Lake Geneva
on a single date (Table 2). The samples from the two deepest
stations (36.5 and 43.5 m) contained no macroscopic invertebrates.
This is no doubt a result of prolonged anoxia in the deepest part
of the basin. Vertical zonation of tubificid species was suggested
by composition of the samples from the five lesser depths.
Two species, Branchiura sowerbyi and Limnodrilus udekemianus
occurred only in the shallowest water, from 12.5 m in depth. Two
others, L. hoffmeisteri and Peloscolex multisetosus, reached their
maximum abundance in this sample. In addition to these four
species, the sample contained immature specimens of at least one
other. The most probable number of species was considered to be
five, more than at any greater depth.
A sample from 17.5 m depth contained typical L. hoffmeisteri as
well as L. spiralis. Of these, only L. spiralis was represented among
mature specimens at greater depths. The 17.5 m sample also con¬
tained mature Potamothrix hammoniensis and T. tubifex and was
dominated by unidentifiable immature specimens representing
mostly or entirely T. tubifex.
At 21.0 meters the sample was dominated by immatures without
hairs. The mature specimens in the sample can be assigned only
to L. spiralis. Potamothrix hammoniensis, Peloscolex multisetosus
352 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
and a relatively small number of immatures resembling T. tubifex
were also found at this depth.
The sample from 24.5 m depth contained still fewer immatures
with hairs and was dominated by mature L. spiralis.
Samples from 27.5 m indicated a fauna dominated by T. tubifex;
the immatures with hairs are believed to represent mostly this
species. Small numbers of L. spiralis and P. hammoniensis were
also found (Table 2).
This series, while inadequate in that it represents only a single
transect with single samples from most depths, provides evidence
of vertical differences in composition of the worm fauna in a single
lake. It is also clear that the paucity of species in profundal sam¬
ples is due to the special conditions there and does not apply to
the lake as a whole. While this series from Lake 'Geneva included
at least seven species of tubificids only 3 were found at 27.5 m,
the depth taken to represent the profundal (Table 3). Lastly, we
may note that the proportion of mature individuals in some popu¬
lations varies with depth ; with numbers of mature L. hoffmeisteri
exceeding immature specimens at 12.5 m, mature Limnodrilus spp.
much less numerous than immatures at 17.5 and 21.0 m, and ma¬
ture L. spiralis considerably more abundant than immatures at
24.5 m. A careful analysis of a situation of this sort through the
course of a year could indicate more precisely the proportion of
immatures attributable to each taxon and indicate conditions
conducive to maturation and breeding of the species.
Samples taken in Devils Lake at three depths on several dates
further illustrate vertical zonation of oligochaetes as well as sea¬
sonal variations in the abundance of some species. Samples taken
on two dates at two nearshore stations (Table 4) included variable
numbers of three species of naidids. Doubtless, a series of samples
taken throughout the summer and winter would have reflected
greater fluctuations in abundance. Muttkowski (1918) noted strong
seasonal variation in abundance of naidids in Lake Mendota, with
higher population densities associated with seasonal development
of the littoral macrophytes.
Aulodrilus pluriseta in Devils Lake also seemed to undergo a
seasonal change in abundance (Table 4). This is, in the extremes
indicated here, unusual for a tubificid but apparently not unusual
for A. pluriseta. In a series of samples taken monthly in two
British lakes, Bala and Windermere, Brinkhurst (1964) found
strong seasonal fluctuations in abundance of A. pluriseta, with
maxima in mid- to late summer. He reported that very few sexu¬
ally mature specimens were found and suggested that asexual
1974]
Howmiller — Studies on Aquatic Oligochaeta
353
TABLE 4. ESTIMATES OF ABUNDANCE OF AQUATIC
OLIGOCHAETES, AS INDIVIDUALS PER SQUARE
METER, AT TWO NEARSHORE STATIONS ON
DEVILS LAKE
reproduction was occurring. In Bala Lake more breeding specimens
were found, especially in late summer and this may be the time of
a single annual period of sexual activity (Brinkhurst 1964). No
breeding specimens were observed in the Devils Lake samples and
the seasonal fluctuation is thus believed to be the result of rapid
asexual reproduction.
On several dates naidids appeared in samples taken at a mid-lake
station with a depth over 13 m. Maximum numbers were observed
here in fall (Table 5), and may reflect active or passive movement,
or both, of the worms from littoral areas as macrophytic vegeta¬
tion died down. Most, if not all, naidids are capable of swimming.
Of the three Aulodrilus species found at the nearshore station,
only A. pigueti was recorded from mid-lake (Table 5). To the best
of my knowledge, swimming has not been recorded for Aulodrilus
and dispersal may thus not occur as readily as with naidids.
Again, the full richness of oligochaete fauna of the lake was not
reflected in profundal samples. While samples from Devils Lake
have revealed six species of tubificids (Tables 4, 5) only three have
been found at the mid-lake station (Table 5).
354 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
TABLE 5. ESTIMATES OF ABUNDANCE OF AQUATIC
OLIGOCHAETES, AS INDIVIDUALS PER SQUARE
METER, AT A MID-LAKE STATION ON
DEVILS LAKE
Date
SUMMARY
This paper presents records of twenty-eight taxa of aquatic
Oligochaeta from the inland waters of Wisconsin. Most of these
were not previously reported from the state.
An investigation of the profundal oligochaete fauna in a series
of lakes revealed no consistent correlation of abundance or species
composition with lake type. In general, the profundal worm fauna
is species poor; species other than Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri, Ilyo-
drilus templetoni, and Tubifex tubifex are seldom found.
Samples taken from shallower depths in two lakes provided evi¬
dence of vertical differences in composition of the worm fauna,
with littoral samples containing species not found in the profundal
benthos.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thanks are due to Dr. Robert Calentine for allowing me to ex¬
amine his specimens from Lake Mallalieu, and to Ted Ringger who
provided samples from Theresa Marsh.
1974]
Howmiller — Studies on Aquatic Oligochaeta
355
Professors A. M. Beeton and A. D. Hasler assisted greatly by
making available facilities of the Center for Great Lakes Studies
and the Trout Lake Biological Station, respectively.
These investigations were given financial support through a
grant from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
LITERATURE CITED
BRINKHURST, R„ 0. 1964. Observations on the biology of lake-dwelling
Tubificidae. Arch, HydrobioL 60:385-418.
— - - . 1969. Changes in the benthos of Lakes Erie and Ontario. Bull.
Buffalo Soc. Natur. Sci. 25:45-65.
- — and B. G. Jamieson. 1971. The Aquatic Oligochaeta of the World.
Univ. Toronto Press, Toronto and Buffalo, xi -f- 860 pp.
BRUNDIN, L. 1949. Chironomiden und andere Bodentiere der Sudschwe-
dischen Urgebirgseen. Inst. Freshw. Res. Drottningholm Kept. No. 30:1-
914.
— — - . 1958. The bottom faunistical lake type system and its application
to the southern hemisphere. Verb. Internal Verein. Limnoh 13:288-297.
CALENTINE, R. L., and B. L. DeLONG. 1966. Archigetes sieboldi (Cestoda:
Caryophyllaeidae) in North America. J. Parasitol. 52:428-431.
- - and J. S. MACKIEWXCZ, 1966. Monobothrium ulmeri n. sp. (Ces¬
toda: Caryophyllaeidae) from North American Catostomidae. Trans.
Amer. Microsc, Soc. 85:516-520.
DAHL, I. 1970. Borsteorme (Oligochaeta) fra indvande i Thy. Flora og
Fauna 76:49-65.
DEEVEY, E. S. 1941. Limnological studies in Connecticut VI. The quantity
and composition of the bottom fauna of thirty-six Connecticut and New
York lakes. EeoL Monogr. 11:413-455.
HXLSENHOFF, W. L., and K P. NARF. 1968. Ecology of Chironomidae,
Chaoboridae, and other benthos in fourteen Wisconsin lakes. Ann.
Entomol. Soc. Amer. 61:1173-1181.
HILT UN EN. J. K. 1967. Some oligochaetes from Lake Michigan. Trans. Amer.
Microsc. Soc. 86:433-454.
- . 1969a. Invertebrate macrobenthos of western Lake Superior. Michi¬
gan Acad. 1:123-133.
- - - — •. 1969b. Distribution of oligochaetes in western Lake Erie, 1961.
Limnoh Oceanogr. 14:260-264.
HOOPER, F. F. 1969. Eutrophication indices and their relation to other
indices of ecosystem change, p. 225-235 In Eutrophication: Causes, Con¬
sequences, Correctives. Nat. Acad. Sci., Washington, D.C.
HOWMILLER, R. P. 1972. The oligochaete fauna of central Lake Michigan,
p. 58-62 In R. P. Howmiller and A. M. Beeton. Report on a Cruise of
the R/V Neeskay in Central Lake Michigan and Green Bay, 8-14 July
1971. Wisconsin- — Milwaukee, Center for Great Lakes Studies Spec. Rept.
No. 13.
• - and A. M. BEETON. 1970. The oligochaete fauna of Green Bay,
Lake Michigan. Proc. 13th Conf. Great Lakes Res. pp. 15-46.
JERNELOV, A. 1970. Release of methyl mercury from sediments with layers
containing inorganic mercury at different depths. Limnoh Oceanogr. 15:
958-960.
JONASSON, P. M. 1972. Ecology and production of the profundal benthos
in relation to phytoplankton in Lake Esrom. Oikos Suppl. 14:1-148.
356 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
LUESCHOW, L. A., J. H. HELM, D. R. WINTER and G. W. KARL. 1970.
Trophic nature of selected Wisconsin lakes. Trans. Wisconsin Acad. Sci.
Arts Lett. 58:237-264.
MUTTKOWSKX, R. A. 1918. The fauna of Lake Mendota: a qualitative and
quantitative survey with special reference to the insects. Trans. Wisconsin
Acad. Sci. Arts Lett. 19:374-482.
SCHMID, M., and H. AMBUHL. 1965. Die Bestimmung geringster Mengen
von Gesamtphosphor im Wasser von Binnenseen. Schweiz. Z. Hydrol.
27:184-192.
THIENEMANN, A. 1922. Biologische Seetypen und die Grundig einer hydro-
biologischen Anstalt am Bodensee. Arch. Hydrobiol. 13:347-370.
ZVETLOVA, L. I. 1972. Oligochaeta in the oxygen balance of reservoirs. Proc.
Symp. Aquatic Oligochaeta in Tartu, 1967. pp. 118-125. (Russian, English
Summary) .
A HISTORY OF THE VEGETATION OF
EAU CLAIRE COUNTY, WISCONSIN
William J. Barnes
University Wisconsin —
Eau Claire
ABSTRACT
The General Land Survey records of ca. 1850 were used to
reconstruct the vegetation of presettlement Eau Claire County.
About 80% of the county was prairie, oak opening or barrens,
while only 20% was forest. The prairies and oak openings occurred
primarily south and west of the tension zone, while the barrens
occurred on the sandy terraces of the Eau Claire River. The
pineries and hardwood forests occurred for the most part at the
eastern end of the county. Field samples and aerial photographs
were used to note changes which have occurred over the last 120
years. Farmland and oak forest now occur where previously oak
opening and prairie existed. This change is due to the relative rich¬
ness of the soil and to the cessation of periodic fires. The forests
have changed from being dominated by pine to having red oak and
aspen as the most important species. The composition of the bar¬
rens has not changed greatly over the years, although the character
of this vegetation type has changed from that of an opening of pine
and oak to a closed forest.
INTRODUCTION
The first permanent settlers in the county came to what is now
the city of Eau Claire in 1845. Eau Claire County was established
in 1856, with a population of several hundred people. The majority
of the first settlers were associated with the lumber mills at the
confluence of the Eau Claire and Chippewa Rivers. The population
grew rapidly during the early logging days, so that there were
about 22,000 people in the county at the climax of the lumbering
era, about 1900. Most of the early farms were located in the south¬
ern and western parts of the county, and agriculture changed from
wheat, barley and rye to primarily dairying at about the turn of
the century.
The character of the vegetation was described in early local
newspaper accounts as, “The county is finely diversified with
streams, timber, prairie and oak openings”, and,
357
358 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
The lands are mostly prairie, slightly rolling, and interspersed with an
abundance of fine timber. We (City of Eau Claire) are located within 15
miles of the inexhaustible pineries, one lying on the Chippewa River, the
other on the Eau Claire River.
One article written by a visitor to the city of Eau Claire includes
the statement, “Your great want seems to be a lack of timber in
the immediate vicinity”, while other accounts indicate that some
of the southern and western parts of the county were covered by
“brush”.
DESCRIPTION OF PRESENT EAU CLAIRE COUNTY
Eau Claire County is located in the west central part of the state
at about 91° W, 45° N. It is rectangular in shape, being 18 miles
from north to south (T25N to T27N) and 36 miles from east to
west (R5W to R10W), a total of 648 square miles. The south¬
western part of the county is quite broken and is part of the
western upland, while the rest of the county is rolling and is part
of the central plain (Fig. 1). The extreme southwestern portion
of the county lies in the driftless area, while all of the remainder
is covered by Illinoian drift (Martin, 1932). Elevations within
the county range from 1000 to 1100 feet above sea level in most
places, except in the lower terraces of the Chippewa and Eau
Claire Rivers where they are about 800 to 900 feet above sea level.
Eau Claire County is covered by a deep layer of Mt. Simon and
Eau Claire sandstone of Cambrian age. Glacial deposits cover all
FIGURE 1. Geological provinces and glaciation in Eau Claire County.
Vertical lines indicate the Driftless Area, the remainder is older Drift.
Horizontal lines indicate the Western Upland, the remainder is the Central
Plain.
1974] Barnes — History of Vegetation , Eau Claire County 359
but the driftless area and river valleys, and a layer of loess of
varying thickness occurs throughout the county. About 85 soil
types are represented in the county, most of which are sands,
loamy sands, or silty sands.
Eau Claire County is of particular interest from a vegetational
viewpoint, as the tension zone lies across the county from the
northwest to the southeast (Fig. 2). The southern and western
parts of the county belong to the prairie-oak forest province of
southern Wisconsin, while the extreme northeastern part of the
county is a part of the mixed conifer-hardwood province of north¬
ern Wisconsin. A major part of the county lies within the transi¬
tional zone between these two floristic provinces.
Climatic differences within the county are not great, although
there is a tendency for the northeastern part to be cooler and more
moist than the southwestern part for much of the year (Collins,
1968). Mean annual precipitation is 32 inches, the average date of
the last killing frost is May 4, and the mean length of the growing
season is 150 days (Barland, 1965).
METHODS
The species composition of the several vegetation types present
at the time of the land survey (1847-1853) was determined by
compiling data from photocopies of the original field notebooks
of the surveyors, on file at the County Clerk's Office. Details of the
type of record made by the surveyors can be found in Cottam
(1949) and Bourdo (1956). The methods used for making quali¬
tative and quantitative analyses of the surveyors' records and for
360 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
preparing a vegetation map are described by Cottam (1949),
Bourdo (1956) and Stroessner and Habeck (1966). In some cases
the common names used for the species of trees were different
from the names today. These are listed below as interpreted in this
study.
Pitch pine — Finns banksiana Lamb, (jack pine)
Black pine — Finns banksiana Lamb, (jack pine)
Spruce pine — Pinus banksiana Lamb, (jack pine)
Yellow pine — Finns resinosa Ait. (red pine)
Black oak — Qnercns velutina Lam. (black oak)
or
Qnercns ellipsoidalis Hill (Hill’s oak)
or
Qnercns borealis Michx. (red oak)
Jack oak — Qnercns ellipsoidalis Hill (Hill’s oak)
Water beech — Carpinus caroliniana Walt, (blue beech)
White maple — Acer rub rum L. (red maple)
Sugar maple — Acer saccharnm Marsh, (sugar maple)
Lind — Tilia americana L. (basswood)
Ironwood — Ostrya virginiana K. Koch, (hop hornbeam)
White walnut — Juglans cinerea L. (butternut)
Seven deputy surveyors were involved in surveying Eau Claire
County over a 6 year interval. Thus a species may have been given
more than one common name. Several cases of two or more species
given the same common name occur in the surveyors’ records.
None of the surveyors differentiated between Popnlns tremuloides
and P. grandidentata, both were simply called “aspen”. However,
this does not represent a serious limitation to interpretation of the
vegetation, as the ecological behavior of these two species is very
similar. However, the name “black oak” was apparently applied
to Qnercns velutina, Q. ellipsoidalis and Q. borealis. Since these
three species of oak have quite different ecological behaviors, the
failure of the surveyors to differentiate does present a problem
in the interpretation of their records.
Field samples of the tree composition were taken during the
summer of 1973, using the quarter method (Cottam and Curtis,
1956). From 150 to 200 points were sampled in the forested areas,
while 40 points were used in sampling an oak forest in an area
which was mapped as being an oak opening in ca. 1850. Sampling
stations were located on a map of the public properties of the
county, and only those stands which showed no signs of recent
disturbance were used. Only trees with a dbh of 4 inches or more
were recorded, although field notes of the character of the under¬
story and sapling frequencies were also kept.
1974] Barnes — History of Vegetation, Eau Claire County 361
VEGETATION TYPES
Mapping
When the surveyors established a section or quarter section
point, they measured the distance and compass bearing to the
nearest tree in each of 4 quadrants in the case of corner points
on the exterior township lines, or to the nearest tree on each side
of the line at all other points in the township. These data, along
with the common names of the trees and their diameters at breast
height (dbh) were then recorded in their field books. If there were
no trees nearby, they constructed a mound of earth and sod, and
so stated. Every major change in vegetation, trees which occurred
directly on the line, rivers, streams, ponds, lakes, caves, abrupt
topographical changes, windfalls, etc., were noted in their records.
Also, at the end of each section line they wrote a brief description
of the mile they had just traversed. From these data, a map of the
vegetation of the county, as it appeared in ca. 1850, was con¬
structed (Fig. 3).
Differentiation between prairies, oak openings, barrens and for¬
ests is made on the map. Wetlands are not extensive in the county,
occurring for the most part at the heads of smaller streams.
Prairies are defined as areas with less than one tree per acre. Thus,
all corners at which mounds had been constructed, or at which the
distance between trees was a minimum of 209 feet, were mapped
as prairies, providing this was consistent with section line descrip¬
tions. All areas in which the trees were less than 209 feet apart
but greater than 50 feet apart, or if the section line description
was appropriate, were mapped as oak openings if the trees were
predominantly oak, or barrens if the trees were predominantly
pine. When the trees were found to be less than 50 feet apart, the
area was mapped as forest.
Prairies
The area mapped as prairie represents the single most extensive
type of vegetation in the county at the time of settlement. Of the
2,053 points established in the county by the surveyors, 888 (44%)
were mapped as prairie. The greatest expanse of prairie occurred
in the central part of the county, south and west of the alluvial
terraces of the Eau Claire River. Here several whole townships
were nearly devoid of trees. The prairies, and the oak openings,
occur primarily south of the tension zone, on the western uplands.
Unfortunately, the surveyors rarely included any information
on the herbaceous species present in their field notes. Most section
line descriptions simply state “nothing but grass on it”, “rolling
prairie”, “level prairie”, or “first rate prairie”. A substantial
362 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
W,->V
K
I
fe
◄
◄
a
ci
£
7i
O
Vff/’f.t
M\Y>
i> r:ur\
n
O
Indian trail • • • •
FIGURE 3. The vegetation of Eau Claire County in ca. 1850
1974] Barnes — History of Vegetation, Eau Claire County 363
number of section line descriptions indicated that much of the
area mapped as prairie had various amounts of oak scrubs present.
Included were descriptions such as “some oak brush”, “scattering
oak bushes”, “oak bushes”, and sometimes, “considerable oak
brush”, or “covered with oak brush”.
Some insight as to the species which occurred on these prairies
may be inferred from Buss’ study (1956) of plant succession on
the Meridean Prairie in adjacent southeastern Dunn County. He
found that the most abundant plants occurring on sites undisturbed
for at least 35 years were Andropogon gerardi Vitm., Tradescantia
ohiensis Raf., and Euphorbia corollata L. Species listed as being
common or numerous include Stipa spartea Trim, Phlox pilosa L.,
Artemisia ludoviciana Nutt., Solidago rigida L., Liatris scariosa
Willd. and L. pycnostachya Michx. Andropogon scoparius Michx.,
Sorghastrum nutans Nash., Petalostemum purpureum Rydb., and
P. candidum Michx. are species Buss listed as being scattered.
Of the trees which were recorded on the prairie, 41.1% were bur
oak, 36.8% were black oak, 9.7% were white oak, while 8.1% were
aspen.
The presence of large tracts of prairie in the Middle West has
been attributed to periodic burning (Gleason, 1913), and Curtis
(1959) discusses in some detail the role of fire in maintaining
the prairies of southern Wisconsin. Fire undoubtedly was respon¬
sible for the prairies in Eau Claire County. H. A. Towne, (Bar-
land, 1965) in discussing an elk hunt near Eau Claire in 1857,
provides the following description. “The low ground was covered
at the time by dense poplar thickets, through which the prairie
fire would run every few years killing them but leaving the dead
young trees still standing until a new fire should sweep the coun¬
try, and find the dry timber and consume them”. E. T. Sweet
(1875), a geologist, gives the following description of prairies
located northwest of Eau Claire near St. Croix, Wisconsin.
Analogous to the barrens are areas known as brush prairies and simply
prairie. In some of these prairies, young trees are springing up, and bid
fair, if undisturbed, to attain the usual size. These are appealed to as
examples of prairies returning to forest, since annual fires are no longer
permitted to ravage the region. So far as these areas are concerned, the
appeal seems to be well taken, save that we might, perhaps, justly dissent
from the use of the word prairies as applied to them; for there seems to
be no evidence that these ever were prairies in the sense of being com¬
pletely and compactly covered by prairie grass, to the exclusion of all
shrubs and stubs of arboreous plants, as in the case of true prairies. They
rather appear to have originally been open forest areas, which, on account
of the character of the soil, were especially subject to dryness, thus to
destructive action of annual fires; while moister adjoining areas escaped.
On the cessation of the destructive agent, they appear to be returning to
their normal condition.
364 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
The fact that much of the area, which was prairie at the time of
settlement, now bears tree growth supports the contention that fire
was responsible for the prairies of Eau Claire County.
No attempt was made in this study to take a contemporary
sample of the vegetation of the area mapped as prairie. However,
inspection of aerial photographs shows that most of the area is
presently under cultivation. Oak forests now occur throughout the
area, usually in the shapes of squares, rectangles, or other geo¬
metric forms, or are elongated and irregular and occur on the
steeper slopes or along streambeds.
Oak Openings
The oak openings occurred primarily in the southern and west¬
ern parts of the county in association with the prairies. Differenti¬
ation between prairie and oak opening was often difficult, and the
resulting boundaries are somewhat arbitrary. A total of 384 of
the corner points in the county (19%) are mapped as oak opening.
Section line descriptions of the oak openings again gave no
information concerning the herbaceous species, although it is pre¬
sumed they were not much different from those of the prairies.
“Some scattering oak trees”, “some oak timber”, “scattering oak”,
“timber scarce”, or, “oak barrens”, are typical section line
descriptions.
The average distance between trees was 90 feet, which is about
5 trees per acre. Of the 12 species of trees recorded by the sur¬
veyors, the most common species by far were black oak, with a
relative density of 38.5% ; bur oak, 35.0% ; and white oak, 16.4%.
The majority of these oaks had a dbh of from 8 to 12 inches.
Like the prairies, the oak openings were probably maintained
by fire. Muir (1913) described the oak openings in southern Wis¬
consin as open and sunny. He indicates that the oak forest devel¬
oped from the oak openings upon settlement by white man and
the subsequent cessation of fires. Cottam (1949) studied the
history of an oak forest in Dane County, Wisconsin, which was
once an oak opening. He came to the conclusion that it was fire,
rather than a change in climate, disease, or some other factor,
that was responsible for the oak openings at the time of settlement.
The major tracts of oak openings occurred along streams, espe¬
cially Lowe’s Creek and Otter Creek in the southwestern part of
the county, and Bridge Creek in the southeastern part of the
county. Similar patterns of oak opening distributions are apparent
in the studies of the vegetational histories of Beloit Township
(Rock County) by Ward (1956), of Dodge County by Neuen-
schwander (1957), and of Racine County by Goder (1956). The
patterns of distribution of the oak openings are probably related
1974] Barnes — History of Vegetation , Eau Claire County 365
to the reduced frequency and/or severity of fires in these moister
regions compared to the surrounding uplands, where almost no ma¬
ture trees were present.
A sample of 40 quarter points were taken in what is presently
an oak woods adjacent to Lowe's Creek in Section 4, T25N, R9W.
Although this sample is too small to place much statistical confi¬
dence, it is probably sufficient to provide some insight into the
major changes in the vegetation of this region, which have oc¬
curred since settlement.
The most obvious change in the oak openings is the change in
absolute density of the trees, from 5.4 trees per acre in ca. 1850
to 235 trees per acre in 1973. The major change in composition
is the increase in relative density of black oak, and the correspond¬
ing decrease in relative density of bur oak (Table 1). Curtis
(1959) states that bur oak is more resistant to fire than black oak,
which would seem to provide a reasonable explanation for the
opposite change in relative density of these two species, since the
time of settlement and the cessation of periodic fires. Other species
did not occur in sufficient numbers, either in the surveyor's records
or in the 1973 sample, to permit interpretation in any detail.
The oak woods present in Section 4 today is completely domi¬
nated by black oak, in terms of frequency of occurrence and rela¬
tive size, as well as relative density. Distribution of the size classes
of black oak is presented in Fig. 4. The rather large number of
trees in the lower size classes and the absence of many saplings of
any other species indicate that no major change in the composition
of this woods is likely to occur in the near future.
DIAMETER CLASSES (INCHES)
FIGURE 4. Size class distribution of black oak ( Quercus velutina Lam.)
366 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
TABLE 1. COMPARISON OF RELATIVE DENSITY AND DIAMETER
AT BREAST HEIGHT OF TREES IN THE OAK-OPENINGS IN
CA. 1850 AND 1973
The Oak-Pine Barrens
Most of the sandy stream benches along the western two-thirds
of the Eau Claire River were apparently occupied by a mixture
of oak and pine in ca. 1850. This is mapped as the oak-pine barrens.
The area includes 249 corner points, about 12% of the total for
the county. These barrens were very heterogeneous, with the oak
and pine generally forming a mosaic of separate stands of various
sizes. The mean distance between trees was calculated to be 86
feet, or 5.9 trees per acre, which is similar to the values obtained
for the oak openings. However, the variability of the distances in
the oak-pine barrens (Coefficient of Variation of 102%) is much
greater than that of the oak openings (c.v. of 67.5%). This indi¬
cates that the barrens were open areas that contained few trees
interspersed with rather dense stands.
E. T. Sweet (1875) wrote the following description of the bar¬
rens of northwestern Wisconsin.
The trees are either scrub-pine or black-jack oak, averaging in diameter
about three or four inches and in height not over fifteen feet. In some
places, as in the sand hills of the barrens, the trees are at considerable
distances from each other, and in other places the little scrub pines, not
over two inches in diameter, are so close together as to constitute a nearly
impenetrable thicket. On the sides of the barrens, and in low places, quite
large groves of norway pine are frequently found.
Moses Strong (1876), state geologist, described the barrens near
St. Croix, Wisconsin as follows:
The timber occupying these tracts is peculiar and does not justify the
application of the term barrens. Some portions are covered with scrub pine
1974] Barnes — History of Vegetation , Eau Claire County 367
to the exclusion of all else save underbrush. Most nearly similar are the
patches of norway pine. Other areas are covered with burr, black and
even white oak bushes, with occasional trees of these species. . . . There are
also areas where white pine occurs.
Section line descriptions of this area varied considerably and
included such entries as “scattering spruce pine”, “scattering oak”,
“scrub oak”, “nearly barren”, “timber small pine, quite thick”,
“some small pine on east one half, west one half oak barrens”,
and, “sparse pine timber, undergrowth of jack oak”.
Of the total of 157 jack pine trees recorded, 91, or 58%, were
in the 9 to 10 inch diameter class. Moreover, the diameters of the
trees at any given point rarely deviated by more than an inch
or two, although the diameters of this species ranged from 5 to
15 inches in these barrens. Red pine also apparently occurred in
even-age stands, while white pine was recorded primarily from
corner points near the Eau Claire River or in other low places.
These even-age stands of jack and red pine and the extensive areas
of oak shrubs attest to the fact that these barrens, like the prairies
and oak openings, were subject to periodic burning.
The 1973 composition of the oak-pine barrens was estimated
using 200 quarter points in 20 stands scattered throughout this
region. The results are presented in Table 1, along with compara¬
tive values obtained from the surveyors’ records. The major dif¬
ference in composition is the large decrease in red and white pine,
and the corresponding increase in the relative density of jack pine.
The decrease in red and white pine is due to logging in the latter
half of the 19th century. Jack pine and Hill’s oak saplings pres¬
ently occur in most of these stands, while white pine saplings are
infrequent, and saplings of red pine are rare. Another major
difference in composition between these two eras is the increase
in relative numbers of Hill’s oak and decrease in the numbers of
white oak. Apparently the openings created by logging, and the
fires that burned through the slashings, have favored the spread
of jack pine and Hill’s oak, at the expense of red and white pine
and white oak.
Some of this change in composition, especially with respect to
the oaks, may be due to another factor. Although much of this
area is presently county owned, some of it is private property
under cultivation. These private properties, which were not in¬
cluded in the sample, represent some of the better soils, and their
inclusion would in all probability, have yielded higher values for
white oak and lower values for Hill’s oak. Recalculation of the
composition of the oak-pine barrens in ca. 1850, using data only
from corner points in areas which are presently county owned,
368 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
did in fact give somewhat lower values for white oak and higher
values for Hill’s oak.
The average diameter of all trees in ca. 1850 was 11.1 inches,
while in 1973 it is 8.6 inches. However, since the surveyors had
a decided preference for large trees (Bourdo, 1956), the mean
diameter of the trees has probably not changed very much over
this time interval. Relative density of the species present today
and their diameter class values suggest little future change in the
composition of the vegetation of this area.
The Pine Barrens
The area mapped as pine barrens is continuous with the oak-
pine barrens and occurs along the Eau Claire River in the eastern
part of the county. The major difference between these two vege¬
tation types is the increase in relative proportions of pine over
oak. The three species of pine constituted 80.1% of all the trees
present, while the oaks accounted for only 10.6%. The variability
of the tree distances (c.v. of 101%), and section line descriptions
by the surveyors, indicate that, like the oak-pine barrens, this area
contained numerous, relatively dense stands of pine interspersed
over an otherwise rather open landscape. A total of 116 corner
points (5%) are mapped as pine barrens in the county.
Section line descriptions by the surveyors included such entries
as “scattering pine and pine barrens”, “timber black and yellow
pine”, “timber black, yellow and white pine”, and, “white and
yellow pine, first rate”. Other descriptive notations included “Enter
black pine barrens”, “Leave barrens, enter creek bottom”, “Leave
timber, enter barrens”, and, “Leave bottom of Eau Claire River
and enter black pine barrens”.
White and red pine were apparently far more abundant in the
pine barrens than in the oak-pine barrens. However, there seems
to have been some bias by the surveyors in choosing white and red
pine as witness trees. The mean distance of any given species from
the corner points should be the same as for any other species,
regardless of its density or frequency of occurrence. Yet, the mean
distance from corner points of 41 white pine trees was calculated
as 103.5 links (link = 0.67 feet) ; for 89 red pine trees it ,was 90.5
links, while for 62 jack pine trees it was found to be only 72.9 links.
The average distance for all trees was computed as 87.6 feet. The
probability of obtaining such deviations by chance alone is less
than 10%. Also, the surveyors recorded all large trees which oc¬
curred directly on the section lines. These represent a small, but
unbiased, sample of the relative density of each of the species. In
comparing these values to the corner point data, it was found that
1974] Barnes — History of Vegetation, Eau Claire County 369
the relative density of white pine on section lines was 28.6%, while
at the corner points it was 37.0%. The comparable values for red
pine were 42.9% and 49.3%, and for jack pine they were 7.1%
and 4.1%. Thus, this apparent bias by the surveyors results in
somewhat of an overestimate of white pine, and to a lesser degree,
of red pine, and thus underestimate of the relative density of jack
pine in the pine barrens.
Comparative values of the composition of the pine barrens are
given in Table 2. Like the oak-pine barrens, the major difference
in composition of the pine barrens from ca. 1850 to 1973 is the re¬
duction in numbers of white and red pine, and the corresponding
increase in the relative density of jack pine. There has been a
noticeable increase in oak, as the relative density of the species
listed as black oak by the surveyors has changed from only 3.0%
in ca. 1850 to 19.1% in 1973. The “black” oak present in this area
today is always Quercus borealis. When one compares tree diame¬
ters for these two time periods it is apparent that many large indi¬
viduals of white and red pine have been replaced by many smaller
individuals of jack pine and red oak.
Jack pine stands in this area are presently composed of indi¬
viduals of rather small size, and do not contain many saplings of
other species. The red oaks are present in all size classes and no
one or two species of saplings occur consistently in the understory.
TABLE 2. COMPARISON OF RELATIVE DENSITY AND DIAMETER
AT BREAST HEIGHT OF TREES IN THE OAK-PINE BARRENS IN
CA. 1850 AND 1973
370 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
Thus, no clear future successional trend is apparent in this vege-
tational type.
Forests
With the exception of the sandy alluvial terraces along the Eau
Claire River, the far eastern part of the county was occupied by
forests. It seems probable that the location at the eastern end of
the county, the heavier soils, and the more numerous wetlands in
this area greatly reduced the frequency of fire, thus permitting a
forest to develop. Because of differences in composition, this for¬
ested region is separated into a south forest, south of the Eau
Claire River, and a north forest.
South Forest
A total of 159 corner points (8%) were recorded in the south
forest. The mean distance between trees was found to be 30.9 feet,
which is only about 46 trees per acre. This low density value is
due, to a large degree, to the failure of the surveyors to include
many trees in the 4 to 8 inch diameter class as witness trees, as
it was difficult to inscribe the required corner identification infor¬
mation on them. Since these smaller trees usually represent a sub¬
stantial portion of the trees present in a forest, their inclusion
would have resulted in a smaller mean distance, and subsequently
a higher absolute density.
The character of the south forest was that of a closed forest,
with the exception of the rather numerous windfalls. Twenty-two
TABLE 3. COMPARISON OF RELATIVE DENSITY AND DIAMETER
AT BREAST HEIGHT OF TREES IN THE PINE BARRENS IN
CA. 1850 AND 1973
1974] Barnes — History of Vegetation , Eau Claire County 371
of the 159 corner points, 13.8%, were located in windfalls. A
characteristic descriptive entry in the field notes is:
16:00 Leave swamp and enter windfall, bears N and S
40:00 Set post for 14 sec. corner
W. Pine 16" S89E 592 links
No other tree near
55:00 Leave windfall, bears N and S
Some characteristic section line descriptions of these windfalls
included “Timber dead pine”, “Timber mostly dead and fallen”,
and, “Undergrowth in windfall brush and briars”. White pine was
the most frequently used witness tree in these windfalls, and the
soil types were mostly wet alluvial soils, Elm Lake loamy sand and
Adrian mucky peat, which are poorly drained soils. The signifi¬
cance of the role of windfalls in perpetuating the diversity of the
mixed conifer-hardwood forests of northeastern Wisconsin has
been discussed by Stearns (1949), and windfalls appear to have
been of equal importance in the forests of Eau Claire County. The
site of some of these windfalls was examined in the summer of
1973, and tip-up mounds, left by the uprooted trees, are still in
evidence in some places.
Table 4 indicates that major compositional changes have oc¬
curred in this vegetation type since settlement. The relative density
of white pine has dropped from 43.6% to 6.7%, and its average
diameter has changed from 18.7 inches to 9.3 inches. The relative
TABLE 4. COMPARISON OF RELATIVE DENSITY AND DIAMETER
AT BREAST HEIGHT OF TREES IN THE SOUTH FOREST IN
CA. 1850 AND 1973
372 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
density of red pine has decreased from 9.0% to 0.5% and, as in
the barrens, there has been a corresponding increase in the relative
number of jack pine. However, unlike the barrens, the increase
in relative density of jack pine has not been great, from 0.7 to
6.0%. The two species which exhibit the greatest increase in rela¬
tive density are red oak and aspen, with gains of 6.9 to 30.7 % and
3.8 to 22.7% respectively.
The average diameter of all trees recorded in ca. 1850 was 15.1
inches, compared to a mean of 7.9 inches of 600 trees measured in
1973. Part of this difference is undoubtedly due to the surveyors’
avoidance of very small trees. Nevertheless, the difference is great
enough to indicate a major change in the structure of this forest
between these two time periods.
Possibly indicative of a future successional trend are the many
small individuals of red maple and their numerous saplings which
are common in the south forest. However, many small individuals
of red and white oak are also present, thus no great change in the
composition of this forest seems likely in the near future.
North Forest
A total of 255 corner points (12%) were mapped in the north
forest. This community type is the only one in the county lying
north of the tension zone. It differs from the south forest primarily
in the presence of sugar maple and basswood in the canopy and a
higher frequency of witch-hazel ( Hamamelis virginiana L.) , horn¬
beam and blue beech in the understory. Also, the dominance by
white and red pine was not nearly as great here (combined rela¬
tive density of 28.6%) as in the south forest (52.6%).
The mean distance between trees in the north forest, 26.7 feet,
was somewhat less than that of the south forest. The mean diame¬
ter of the trees in the south forest was somewhat greater (15.1
inches) than that of the north forest (13.2 inches) due to the
greater number of white pine trees in the south. Some of these
white pine were 48 inches dbh at the time of the survey, and many
were 24 to 30 inches. Large fire scarred stumps of pine are still
in evidence in both of these forests today. Basal area was nearly
identical in the two forests, about 58 square feet per acre in the
south and 59 in the north.
Windfalls were also extensive in the north forest, occurring at
24 (9.4%) of the 255 corner points. Like the south forest, most
of these windfalls were apparently downed pine which had devel¬
oped on poorly drained soils.
The comparative composition of the north forest is given in
Table 5. Again, a drastic reduction in the relative number of pine
has occurred, with a corresponding increase in red oak trees. Other
1974] Barnes — History of Vegetation, Eau Claire County 373
TABLE 5. COMPARISON OF RELATIVE DENSITY AND DIAMETER
AT BREAST HEIGHT OF TREES IN THE NORTH FOREST IN
CA. 1850 AND 1973
species which have increased in number appreciably are aspen and
white birch. The relative density of sugar maple has decreased
from 14.0% in ca. 1850 to 1.1% in 1973. However, the reason for
this reduction is probably a parallel of the situation of white oak
in the oak-pine barrens. That is, sugar maple occurred primarily
on richer soils (especially Withee sandy loam and Loyal loam),
and these are the soils now under cultivation, i.e. no longer
forested.
Red maple is presently the most abundant small tree in the north
forest, with individuals occurring in 54% of the quarter points,
and saplings occurring in every stand sampled in 1973. This would
seem to indicate a successional trend toward red maple stands in
the future. However, the relative density of large individuals of
this species has not changed since ca. 1850 (12%), making such
a prediction somewhat tenuous.
SUMMARY
Records of the surveyors (ca. 1850) indicate that approximately
80% of Eau Claire County was prairie, oak opening and barrens,
while only about 20% was forest. The prairies and oak openings
occurred in the south and west, the oak-pine and pine barrens
occurred for the most part on the terraces of the Eau Claire River,
374 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
while the forests occurred in the extreme eastern part of the
county. This open nature of most of the vegetation was almost
surely due to fire.
The forests, although escaping destruction by fire, were sub¬
jected to another catastrophe, windstorms. About 11% of the
corner points in the forests were recorded as being in windfalls at
the time of settlement. These occurred primarily in the white pine
stands which had developed on poorly drained soils.
Some of the patterns of the vegetation as it existed in ca. 1850
are related to the tension zone. Most of the area south of the
tension zone was prairie or oak opening, while the area north of
the zone was forested. The area within the tension zone was very
heterogeneous and included all of the vegetation types discussed
in this study. However, the largest part of the tension zone occurs
on sandy outwash, which was dominated by the pines, especially
jack pine.
The relationship between the vegetation as it existed in ca. 1850
and contemporary land use patterns is quite apparent. Regions
previously prairie and oak openings are now predominantly farm¬
land. The oak-pine and pine barrens, as well as some of the forests,
are presently county-owned forest.
The major portion of the vegetation of Eau Claire County at
the time of settlement was open, or dominated by species of trees
of low shade tolerance. This indicates the importance of fire, and
to a lesser extent, windstorms, on the development of the vege¬
tation prior to settlement by white man. With settlement came
the cessation of prairie fires and the cutting of the pineries. This
caused forests to spring up on what was once prairie and oak
opening, and the forests to change in composition from those domi¬
nated by white and red pine to dominance by oak and aspen. The
vegetation of the barrens has shown the least amount of change
in composition, although the character of this vegetation type has
changed to a more closed form.
REFERENCES
BAILY, JUDGE WM. F. 1914. History of Eau Claire County, Wisconsin.
C. F. Cooper & Co., Chicago.
BARLAND, L. 1965. The River Flows On. A Record of Eau Claire County
from 1910-1960. Worzella Publ. Co. Stevens Point, Wisconsin.
BOURDO, E. A. JR. 1956. A review of the general land office survey and of
its use in quantitative studies of former forests. Ecology 37:754-768.
BUSS, I. 0. 1956. Plant succession on a sand plain, northwest Wisconsin.
Trans. Wis. Acad. Sci., Arts, Lett. 45:11-19.
COLLINS, C. W. 1968. An Atlas of Wisconsin. College Printing and Publ.,
Inc. Madison, Wisconsin.
COTTAM, G. 1949. The phytosociology of an oak woods in southwestern
Wisconsin. Ecology 30:271-287.
1974] Barnes — History of Vegetation, Eau Claire County 375
COTTAM, G. and J. T. CURTIS. 1956. The use of distance measures in
phytosociological sampling. Ecology 37 : 451-460.
CURTIS, J. T. 1959. The Vegetation of Wisconsin. The Univ. of Wise. Press.
Madison.
GLEASON, H. A. 1913. The relation of forest distribution and prairie fires
in the Middle West. Torreya 13:173-181.
GODER, H. A. 1956. Pre-settlement vegetation of Racine County. Wis. Acad.
Sci., Arts, Lett. 45:169-176.
Inventory of Forest Resources. Eau Claire County Forests. 1959. Wisconsin
Conservation Department. Madison, Wisconsin.
MARTIN, L. 1932. The Physical Geography of Wisconsin. The Univ. Wis.
Press, Madison.
MUIR, J. 1913. The Story of My Boyhood and Youth . Houghton Mifflin
Co., N.Y.
NEUENSCH WANDER, H. E. 1957. The vegetation of Dodge County, Wis¬
consin. 1833-1837. Wis. Acad. Sci., Arts, Lett. 46:233-253.
Soil Survey Report. Eau Claire County, Wisconsin. 1969. Soil Conservation
Service. Wis. Dept. Agr.
STEARNS, F. W. 1949. Ninety years change in a northern hardwood forest
in Wisconsin. Ecology 30:350-358
STROESSNER, W. J., and J. R. HABECK. 1966. The presettlement vegeta¬
tion of Iowa County, Wisconsin. Wis. Acad. Sci., Arts, Lett. 55:167-179.
STRONG, M. 1880. Geology of Wisconsin. Survey of 1873-1879, Volume III.
Edited by T. C. Chamberlin, p. 375.
SWEET, E. T. 1880. Geology of Wisconsin. Survey of 1873-1879, Volume III.
Edited by T. C. Chamberlin, p. 326.
WARD, R. T. 1956. Vegetational change in a southern Wisconsin township.
Iowa Academy of Science 63:321-326.
ADDRESSES OF THE AUTHORS
LOUIS W. BUSSE, School of Pharmacy, Univ. Wisconsin — Madison 53706
THOMAS FOSTER GRITTINGER, Univ. Wisconsin, Sheybogan Center, P.O.
Box 719, Sheboygan, Wis. 53081
WARREN R. WADE, Univ. Wisconsin — Stout, Menomonie, Wis. 54751
WILLIAM STEUBER, 705 Schiller Court, Madison, Wis. 53704
PAUL C. BAUMANN, JAMES F. KITCHELL, JOHN J. MAGNUSON and
TERRENCE B. KAYES, Dept. Zoology, Zoology Research Bldg. (P.C.B.),
and Limnology Lab., Univ. Wisconsin — Madison 53706
ROBERT T. BALMER, College Engineering and Applied Science, Univ.
Wisconsin — Milwaukee 53201
EDWARD E. POPP, 543 N. Harrison St., Port Washington, Wis. 53074
J. W. MERTINS and H. C. COPPEL, Dept. Entomology, Univ. Wisconsin — •
Madison 53706
WILLIAM C. SONZOGNI and G. FRED LEE, Laboratory Water Chemistry,
Univ. Wisconsin — Madison 53706 and Institute Environmental Sciences,
Univ. Texas — Dallas, P.O. Box 30365, Dallas, Tex. 75230
JON C. COOPER, G. FRED LEE and ANDREW P. DIZON, Limnology
Laboratory, Univ. Wisconsin — Madison 53706 and Univ. Texas — Dallas,
P.O. Box 30365, Dallas, Tex. 75230
G. FRED LEE and WILLIAM WILSON, Univ. Texas— Dallas, P.O. Box
30365, Dallas, Tex. 75230
G. E. HENDRICKSON and R. L. KNUTILLA, U.S. Geological Survey, Madi¬
son, Wis. and Okemos, Mich, offices respectively
THOMAS D. BROCK and JAMES HOFFMANN, Dept. Bacteriology, Univ.
Wisconsin — Madison 53706
WILLIAM DILWORTH, 23 Minnie Ave., Beloit, Wis. 53511
377
378 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences , Arts and Letters [Vol. 62
JAMES LA MALFA, Univ. Wisconsin Center, Marinette County, Marinette,
Wis. 54143
RICHARD A. KARSTEN, HAROLD McCONNELL and THOMAS D. PAT¬
TERSON, Dept. Community Affairs, Univ. Wisconsin Extension, 9722
W. Watertown Plank Rd., Milwaukee 53226 and Dept. Geography, Florida
State Univ., Tallahassee 32306 and Dept. Geography, Northern Illinois
Univ., DeKalb, Ill. 60115
ARTHUR MARSHALL, 125 East Gilman St., Madison, Wis. 53703
THEODORE S. COCHRANE and PETER J. SALAMUN, Dept. Botany-
Herbarium, Univ. Wisconsin — Madison 53706 and Dept. Botany-
Herbarium, Univ. Wisconsin — Milwaukee 53201
PETER J. SALAMUN and THEODORE S. COCHRANE, Ibid
BRIAN G. MARCKS, Dept. Environmental Quality and Conservation, Hor-
vard, Needles, Tammen and Bergendorff, Alexandria, Va.
MARY ELLEN ANTONIONI, 6318 Piping Rock Rd., Madison, Wis. 53711
OMAR M. AMIN and WAYNE H. THOMPSON, Univ. Wisconsin— Parkside,
Kenosha, Wis. 53140 and Univ. Wisconsin — Madison and State Labora¬
tory of Hygiene, Madison 53706
OMAR M. AMIN, Ibid, senior author above
LAVERNE C. STRICKER and ROBERT N. CHEETHAM, JR., USDA Soil
Conservation Service State Office, 4601 Hammersley Rd., Madison, Wis.
53711
RICHARD P. HOWMILLER, Dept. Biological Science, Univ. California —
Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, Calif. 93106
WILLIAM J. BARNES, Univ. Wisconsin — Eau Claire, Eau Claire, Wis. 54701
WISCONSIN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, ARTS AND LETTERS
OFFICERS
President
Richard W. E. Perrin
9825 Concordia Ave.
Milwaukee, Wi 53222
President Elect
Robert P. Hanson
Veterinary Science Dept.
Univ. Wisconsin — Madison
53706
Vice President: Sciences
Daniel O. Trainer
College Natural Resources
Univ. Wisconsin — Stevens Point
54481
Vice President for Arts
Robert E. Gard
719 Lowell Hall
Univ. Wisconsin — Madison
5370 6
1973-74
Vice President: Letters
Donald C. Windfelder
720 Wisconsin Ave.
Milwaukee, Wi 53202
Secretary
Jean Cronon
5601 Varsity Hill Dr.
Madison, Wi 53705
Treasurer
Edward Schneberger
6818 Forest Glade Court
Middleton, Wi 53562
Librarian
Jack C. Clarke
4232 Helen White Hall
Univ. Wisconsin — Madison
53706
APPOINTED OFFICIALS
Executive Director . and
Editor — Wisconsin Academy Review
James R. Batt
W.A.S.A.L. Office
1922 University Ave.
Madison, Wi 53705
Director — Junior Academy
LeRoy Lee
W.A.S.A.L. office or
2215 Wood Rd.
Middleton, Wi 53562
Editor — Transactions
Elizabeth McCoy
W.A.S.A.L. office or
Route 4, Syene Rd.
Madison, Wi 53711
Louis W. Busse
F. Chandler Young
Norman C. Olson
William B. Sarles
Adolph A. Suppan
John W. Thomson
PAST PRESIDENTS
Walter E. Scott
Aaron J. Ihde
J. Martin Klotsche
Carl Welty
Henry A. Meyer
Robert J. Dicke
Stephen F. Darling
Joseph G. Baier
Ralph N. Buckstaff
Katherine G. Nelson
Otto L. Kowalke
Henry A. Schuette
The ACADEMY COUNCIL includes the above officers, officials
and past presidents.
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