University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Vascular 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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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/26471

Description

Title
Vascular 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
2009-10
Keyword(s)
  • prairie
  • Illinios
  • sand deposits
  • flora
  • plant communities
  • Green River State Wildlife Area
  • vegetation
  • northwestern Illinois
Abstract
A few high-quality prairies still exist in the sand deposits of the Green River Lowlands. The most extensive remnants are in the Green River State Wildlife Area, Lee County, Illinois. 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, and Parthenium integrifolium, Fragaria virginiana, Liatris pycnostachya, and Euthamia gymnospermoides the common forbs. The lowlands, which included approximately 325 ha, were dominated by the exotic Phalaris arundinacea, but high-quality wet sand prairie, sedge meadow, and marsh communities existed. The wet sand prairies were dominated by Spartina pectinata, Helianthus grosseserratus, and Solidago canadensis; the sedge meadows were dominated by Carex haydenii, Calamagrostis canadensis, and Persicaria coccinea; the marsh communities were divided into distinct vegetation zones. These vegetation zones were surveyed in 2002 and subjected to an extensive uncontrolled fire in 2005. Surveys completed in 2006 and 2007 were used to determine successional changes resulting from the fire. These studies suggested that most communities were returning to the species composition found before the 2005 fire.
Publisher
Champaign, Ill. : Illinois Natural History Survey
Series/Report Name or Number
Illinois Natural History Survey Bulletin; v. 039, no. 02
ISSN
0073-4918
Type of Resource
text
Language
en
Permalink
http://hdl.handle.net/2142/26471
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 2009 University of Illinois Board of Trustees. All rights reserved.

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