Driftless Area National Wildlife Refuge is a United States National Wildlife Refuge in the northeastern corner of Iowa. Image File history File links Logo of the National Wildlife Refuge system of the United States. ... National Wildlife Refuge is a designation for certain protected areas of the United States managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. ... State nickname: The Hawkeye State Other U.S. States Capital Des Moines Largest city Des Moines Governor Thomas Vilsack (D) Official languages English Area 145,743 km² (26th)  - Land 144,701 km²  - Water 1,042 km² (0. ...

Established in 1989, Driftless Area National Wildlife Refuge is helping to recover two federally listed species: the endangered Iowa Pleistocene Snail and threatened plant Northern Wild Monkshood. Although the refuge was established to protect the snail and flower, an entire rare community of plants and animals is preserved on these sites. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages the refuge as part of the National Wildlife Refuge System. 1989 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The American bison numbered as few as 750 in 1890 due to extreme overhunting. ... Binomial name Discus macclintocki (F.C.Baker, 1928) The Iowa Pleistocene Snail (Discus macclintocki), or Pleistocene disc, is a tiny snail living in a few specialized locations in Iowa and Illinois. ... Threatened species refers to animal and plant species under a serious, but perhaps not imminent, threat of extinction. ... The USFWS logo The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a unit of the United States Department of the Interior that is dedicated to managing and preserving wildlife. ...

Geology

Portions of Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Illinois contain unusual geology. The karst region, referred to as the "Driftless Area", escaped the last glaciers leaving the Paleozoic-age bedrock subject to erosion. In addition to the curious topography of steep slopes and cliffs, there are unique habitats. Certain slopes, usually north facing, are covered with a talus layer that allows ice-cooled air to exit from underground cracks and fissures. Upland sinkholes contribute to the air flow regime and are an important component of a unique system called an algific talus slope, meaning a cold producing rocky slope. Even when the outside air temperature is 90 °F (32 °C), ground temperatures on these slopes range from close to freezing (32 °F, or 0 °C) to about 55 °F (13 °C). Although the slopes will freeze in winter, the temperatures are moderated. These slopes remain cool throughout the year and are home to rare species of plants and animals. State nickname: The Hawkeye State Other U.S. States Capital Des Moines Largest city Des Moines Governor Thomas Vilsack (D) Official languages English Area 145,743 km² (26th)  - Land 144,701 km²  - Water 1,042 km² (0. ... State nickname: Badger State State motto: Forward Other U.S. States Capital Madison Largest city Milwaukee Governor Jim Doyle (D) Official languages None Area 169,790 km² (23rd)  - Land 140,787 km²  - Water 28,006 km² (17%) Population (2000)  - Population 5,453,896 (18th)  - Density 38. ... State nickname: North Star State Other U.S. States Capital Saint Paul Largest city Minneapolis Governor Tim Pawlenty (R) Official languages None Area 225,365 km² (12th)  - Land 206,375 km²  - Water 18,990 km² (8. ... State nickname: Land of Lincoln, The Prairie State Other U.S. States Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Governor Rod Blagojevich (D) Official languages English Area 149,998 km² (25th)  - Land 143,968 km²  - Water 6,030 km² (4. ... Karst topography is a landscape of distinctive dissolution patterns often marked by underground drainages. ... The Driftless Area is an area of about 20,000 square miles in southwestern Wisconsin and northeastern Iowa which was by-passed by the continental glaciers. ... The Paleozoic is a major division of the geologic timescale, one of four geologic eras. ... Talus (which is Latin for ankle-bone), has several meanings: in mountaineering and climbing, talus is small broken rock found on mountain slopes and at the base of cliffs. ...

Chilled air

In the summer, air is drawn down through sinkholes, flows over frozen groundwater and is released out vents on the slopes. Summer temperatures on the slopes range from just above freezing to 55°F. In winter, the air is drawn into the vents, and the groundwater again freezes. Because of the cool temperatures and moist conditions, unusual plants for this part of the country grow on the slopes. Typically growing in a colder more northern climate, yews, balsam fir, Showy lady's slipper and golden saxifrage can be found on the cool slopes. These cold microclimates of the slopes allow the rare plants and animals to survive. A special type of sinkhole - formed by rainwater leaking through the pavement and carrying dirt into a ruptured sewer pipe Sinkholes, also known as sinks, dolines, and cenotes, are formed by the collapse of cave roofs and are a feature of landscapes that are based on limestone bedrock. ... Species Taxus baccata - European Yew Taxus brevifolia - Pacific Yew Taxus canadensis - Canadian Yew Taxus chinensis - Chinese Yew Taxus cuspidata - Japanese Yew Taxus floridana - Florida Yew Taxus globosa - Mexican Yew Taxus sumatrana - Sumatran Yew Taxus wallichiana - Himalayan Yew Yews are small coniferous trees or shrubs in the genus Taxus in the... Binomial name Abies balsamea (L.) Mill. ...

Fossil snail

A tiny land snail, the Iowa Pleistocene snail, is smaller than a shirt button, at about 5 millimeters (1/4 inch) in diameter. Considered a glacial relict species,it has survived only on these small areas where temperature, moisture and food are suitable. In fact, the snail was known only from fossil records and thought to be extinct until 1955, when a scientist discovered it alive in leaf litter in northeast Iowa, eating birch and maple leaves. Because of the fragile nature of the habitat and the small size of the total population, this snail was placed on the federal endangered species list. The primary recovery option for the tiny snail is permanent protection of remaining colonies. Thirty-six known colonies are currently in northeast Iowa with one population occurring in northwest Illinois. 1955 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Threatened buttercup

The threatened Northern Wild Monkshood, belonging to the buttercup family, grows on 114 algific talus slopes and similar cool moist habitats in Iowa, Wisconsin, Ohio and New York. The majority of the sites are in Iowa. The purple hood-shaped flower, an adaptation for bumble bee pollination, was listed as threatened in 1978. Its options for recovery are similar to the snail. This article is about the flower. ... State nickname: The Buckeye State Other U.S. States Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus Governor Bob Taft (R) Official languages None Area 116,096 km² (34th)  - Land 106,154 km²  - Water 10,044 km² (8. ... State nickname: Empire State Other U.S. States Capital Albany Largest city New York Governor George Pataki (R) Official languages None (English is de facto) Area 141,205 km² (27th)  - Land 122,409 km²  - Water 18,795 km² (13. ... 1978 was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ...

Habitat status

There are over 300 algific talus slopes but some are in poor condition. Anything disrupting the air flow through sinkholes and out the vents can affect the habitat. In the past, the impacts of logging, grazing, road building, quarries, agricultural runoff, and sinkhole filling reduced the number of algific talus slopes. Today, these habitats are still threatened by logging, grazing, agricultural runoff, and sinkhole filling activities and invasive species like garlic mustard. Binomial name Alliaria petiolata Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) is a cool season biennial herb native to Europe and in the mustard family (Brassicaceae) with stalked, triangular to heart-shaped, coarsely toothed leaves that give off an odor of garlic when crushed. ...

Refuge locations

The nearly 800-acre refuge currently consists of scattered tracts in northeast Iowa ranging from a few acres to a few hundred acres. Land acquisition from willing sellers is ongoing. Restoration of forest or prairie habitat is conducted on the land surrounding algific talus slopes and provides habitat for a variety of wildlife including white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, bald eagles, American woodcock, woodpeckers and a variety of songbirds. States, counties, and private organizations like The Nature Conservancy also help protect algific talus slopes. Private landowners are perhaps the most significant stewards of remaining algific talus slopes. The Fish and Wildlife Service contacts land owners whose properties have these habitats and offers assistance in managing them. Binomial name Odocoileus virginianus Zimmermann, 1780 The White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), also known as the Virginia deer, is a medium-sized deer found throughout the 48 contiguous states of the United States, southern Canada and as far south as Panama. ... Binomial name Meleagris gallopavo Linnaeus, 1758 The Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) is a large gamebird, one of a number of species of turkey. ... The Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is a bird of prey indigenous to North America, and is the national symbol of the United States. ... Binomial name Scolopax minor Gmelin, 1789 The American Woodcock, Scolopax minor, is a small chunky shorebird. ... Genera Many, see text. ... A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Oscines of Passeriformes (ca. ... The Nature Conservancy is an environmental organization, founded in 1951 in the United States. ...

References

• "Driftless Area National Wildlife Refuge (brochure)." Accessed August 15, 2005.

August 15 is the 227th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (228th in leap years), with 138 days remaining. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ...

External links

• "Driftless Area National Wildlife Refuge." Accessed August 15, 2005.