Plant Communities of the Green River Lowlands in Northwestern Illinois

Ebinger, John E.; Phillippe, Loy R.; Handel, William C.; Cunningham, Connie J.; McClain, William E.; Nyboer, Randy N.; Bittner, Todd

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Description

Title

Plant Communities of the Green River Lowlands in Northwestern Illinois

Author(s)

• Ebinger, John E.
• Phillippe, Loy R.
• Handel, William C.
• Cunningham, Connie J.
• McClain, William E.
• Nyboer, Randy N.
• Bittner, Todd

Issue Date

2008-07-31

Keyword(s)

• lowland vegetation
• plant community ecology
• INHS Division of Biodiversity and Ecological Entomology
• INHS Section for Biodiversity
• Illinois Department of Natural Resources
• Science in support of understanding biodiversity and organismal ecology and life histories
• Science in support of ecosystem management and conservation

Abstract

A few high quality prairies still exist in the sand deposits of the Green River Lowlands on a few state protected lands. The most extensive natural remnants are in the Green River State Wildlife Area, Lee County, Illinois, where some sand communities of high natural quality exist. Three upland prairie communities were surveyed; a dry sand prairie dominated by Schizachyrium scoparium, Ambrosia psilostachya, and Amorpha canescens; a dry-mesic sand prairie dominated by Sorghastrum nutans, Schizachyrium scoparium, Antennaria plantaginifolia, and Liatris aspera; and a mesic sand prairie where Sorghastrum nutans and Andropogon gerardii were the dominant grasses with Parthenium integrifolium, Fragaria virginiana, Liatris pycnostachya, and Euthamia gymnospermoides the common forbs. The lowlands, which include about 325 ha, were dominated by the exotic Phalaris arundinaceae, but high natural quality wet sand prairie, sedge meadow, and marsh communities exist. The wet sand prairies were dominated by Spartina pectinata, Helianthus grosseserratus, and Solidago canadensis; the sedge meadowswere dominated by Carex haydenii, Calamagrostis canadensis, and Persicaria coccinea; while the marsh communities were divided into distinct vegetation zones. These vegetation zones were surveyed in 2002, and were subjected to a destructive fire in 2005. Surveys completed 2006 and 2007 were used to determine successional changes resulting from the 2005 fire.

Publisher

Division of Biodiversity and Ecological Entomology Section for Biodiversity

Series/Report Name or Number

• Early Stages of Plant Succession at the Green River State Wildlife Area
• Technical Report INHS 2008 (21)

Type of Resource

text

Language

en

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http://hdl.handle.net/2142/18151

Sponsor(s)/Grant Number(s)

INHS Technical Report Prepared for Illinois Department of Natural Resources

Copyright and License Information

This document is a product of the Illinois Natural History Survey, and has been selected and made available by the Illinois Natural History Survey and the University Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It is intended solely for noncommercial research and educational use, and proper attribution is requested.

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