Biomes and Habitats of Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve

Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve (hereafter, Cedar Creek) is a biological field station run by the University of Minnesota. Cedar Creek is located 40 minutes north of the Twin Cities metropolitan area and is renowned both for its ecological research and its diverse natural landscapes. Because of the reserve’s location at the meeting point of the three largest biomes in North America, our 5500 acres contain a remarkably varied assortment of plants, animals and habitats. This biological diversity has earned Cedar Creek recognition from the Nature Conservancy, the National Parks Service and others, and positions us as an ideal location to look at the biomes and habitats of Minnesota.

Biome: a large naturally-occurring community of plants and animals occupying a single ecological area. Biomes are often defined by factors such as temperature, climate, geology, soils, and vegetation. Examples: Desert, Forest, Grassland, etc.

There are many ways to categorize the earth into biomes. On the most basic level, the earth can be separated into two biomes: the areas submerged under saltwater or freshwater (aquatic biomes) and the areas on land (terrestrial biomes). From this distinction, additional specifications can be made to further categorize the earth into more unique biomes.

The three biomes of Minnesota are Coniferous Forest, Deciduous Forest, and Grassland (Prairie). These biomes stretch beyond the border of Minnesota and are three of North America’s six major biomes.

Minnesota has three biomes because of the temperature and precipitation variation across the state. The average temperature in Southern MN is higher than in Northern MN. This means as you travel north in Minnesota you move through areas that are on average cooler than the place you are leaving. The average precipitation in Western MN is lower than Eastern MN. This means as you travel east in Minnesota you move through areas that are on average wetter than the place you are leaving. Although temperature and precipitation are two separate factors in the environment, the many ways they can be combined affects the plants and animals that can survive in that area (e.g. heavy precipitation and low temperature creates a cold, frozen tundra; heavy precipitation with high temperatures yields a warm, humid tropical rainforest).

Cedar Creek has natural representations of all three biomes found in Minnesota because of how our location overlaps with the intersection of the average temperature values and the average precipitation values for Minnesota. Cedar Creek is located within the red circle located on the second image below. In this area the average temperature values and average precipitation values are within the tolerance level needed to create all three biomes and support the organisms characterizing each biome.

The biomes of Minnesota each contain a variety of distinct habitats, with characteristic plants and animals. Many of these habitat types can be found at Cedar Creek. The habitat types possess qualities of the biomes they exist in. The habitats of Cedar Creek include a range of forest types, grasslands, wetlands, and lakes.

Habitat: a habitat is a place or environment where a plant or animal naturally lives and grows. This area contains the resources the organism requires to meet its daily needs: the correct balance of water, light, nutrients/food sources and substrates.

Cedar Creek is located on the Anoka Sand Plain, a large sandy outwash plain that formed in the last stages of the Wisconsin Glaciation (~11,000 years ago). This geologic feature covers most of present-day Anoka and Isanti Counties and extends into several neighboring counties. In this area, the soil is made mostly of fine sand (picture light colored beach sand). The sand was deposited on top of bedrock. At Cedar Creek the depth of the sand before reaching bedrock is anywhere from 15 feet to 100 feet. The sand depth has been recorded at about 200 feet in other sections of the Anoka Sand Plain. The Anoka Sand Plain is relatively flat with low dunes and kettle lakes spread across the surface. Kettle lakes are lakes formed by glacial ice blocks that broke off of the large glacier as it moved across the earth’s surface. Most of the soil of the Anoka Sand Plain is considered to be very dry and is excessively drained. Additionally, sand is normally poor in nutrients, which makes life on the Anoka Sand Plain a challenge particularly for those trying to grow agricultural crops. The sandy soil at Cedar Creek has a large impact on the plants, animals, and habitats that can be found here.

While the habitat types described above do not include all the habitats at Cedar Creek and only a few of the habitats found across Minnesota, they do help us understand what makes one habitat differ from another even if they exist within the same biome. More information about Cedar Creek’s habitats can be found at  cedarcreek.umn.edu/conservation/habitats .

To learn more about the biomes and habitats of Minnesota and for activities related to biomes and habitats please follow the links below.