CNC s Rare Treasure Our Old Growth Forest Bill

CNC’s Rare Treasure: Our Old Growth Forest Bill Hopple

Outline • Our Geologic History • Eastern Deciduous Forests – Forest Layers – Forest Types – Old Growth • Features of the Krippendorf Forest – Horticultural Legacy – Defining Species • Challenges to our forest today – Invasive Species

A Forest over A Sea

Geologic History • Bedrock Formation – Ordovician Seas – 450, 000 ya – Sedimentary – Limestone & Shale • Tectonic Plates – North American Plate moves north • Uplift – Cincinnati Arch • Lexington Peneplane • Pleistocene Glaciation – 2, 000 ya

Glacial Periods in SW Ohio • Pre-Illinoian Glacier – About 1, 000 ya • Illinoian Glacier – 250, 000 ya • Wisconsian Glacier – 70, 000 -19, 500 ya Note: Kansan Glacier ( 2 M ya) did not reach SW Ohio

Glacial Deposits • Glacial Till – Sand, gravel, soil, erratics carried by glacier • Glacial Outwash – Carried by melt waters – Sorted by size when deposited

Ohio Soils Divided mainly into those topsoils resultant from glacial activity and those not impacted

Ohio Surface Water Primarily small streams low to mid-gradient rivers and oxbows. Few natural lakes.

Cincinnati Bioregion 4 Ecoregions Defined by: – Geology – Topography – Climate – Hydrology – Soil type – Vegetation – Wildlife – Land Use

Loamy, High Lime Till Plains Eco-region Wisconsinan deposits -rolling landscape -clay, silt, sand, boulders -alkaline, fertile soils -Beech-Maple Forest Loam - Soil composed of sand, silt, clay

Hills of Bluegrass Eco-region -unglaciated -narrow ridges and valleys -neutral, well drained soils -Oak Hickory Forest

Outer Bluegrass Eco-region -thin glacial till -moderately sloped -neutral well-drained soils -Mixed Mesophytic Forest

Pre-Wisconsinan Drift Plains Eco-region -Illinoian deposits -Drift – material of glacial origin (till, lake sediments, gravel, sand, loess) -generally flat landscape -poor drainage (due to young age) -Swamp Forest – Pin Oaks Loess – wind blown glacial silt

Ohio Vegetation

Ohio 1803

Ohio 1903

Ohio 2003

Forest Layers • Canopy • Understory – Sub-Canopy – Shrub Layer • Forest Floor – Herbs and Vines

Forest Types Beech-Maple Mixed Mesophytic (Mesic) Oak-Hickory Bottomland Hardwood

Beech-Maple Forest • Beech-Maple forests once covered much of Ohio, including parts of Hamilton and Clermont counties. • Abundance of beech and (sugar) maple trees (in some cases up to 90% of the trees are of these two species).

Beech-Maple Forest

Mixed Mesophytic (Mesic) Forest • on well-drained soil, usually a loam. • a high species diversity of trees and other plants • generally appear lush. • Most of the Eastern Deciduous Forest can be described as Mesic.

Mixed Mesophytic (Mesic) Forest

Oak-Hickory Forest A forest of nut producing trees: various species of oak, hickory, formerly chestnut (now surviving only as understory sprouts). • Understory of flowering dogwood, sassafras, hackberry, hawthorn. • The shrub layer is distinct, dominated by species characteristic of acidic soils; blueberries, huckleberries, and laurels. Some shrubs are evergreen.

Oak-Hickory Forest

Bottomland Hardwood Forest • Also known as Riverine Forests - moist sites along rivers and floodplains. Spring flooding may be an annual occurrence • Box Elder, Sycamore, Cottonwoods, Silver and Red Maple occur. • Some invasion by oak, hickory forest species. • Open spaces allow herb growth in though cover may be minimal throughout a large portion of the year.

Bottomland Hardwood Forest

Forest Succession • • • Field or forest opening Colonization by herbaceous plants Early successional shrubs & trees – – • Deciduous trees – – – • Shrub spp Red Cedar & Black Locust Mid successional Young Forest Mature Forest Old Growth Forest

Old Growth Forest • Many old trees – greater than 150 years • All age classes • Standing deadwood • Prevalence of fallen trees • High species diversity in all forest layers • Deep top soil with rich humus layer • No signs of human influence

Carl & Mary Krippendorf • 1897 Carl purchased 75 acres in Perintown • 1900 House built as a wedding present

Wildwood/Groesbeck Property

Rowe Woods Vegetation Zones

CNC Vegetation Descriptions

Forest Layers • Canopy • Understory – Sub-Canopy – Shrub Layer • Herbs and Vines

Sub-canopy • • • Paw Dogwood Buckeye Sassafras Redbud

Paw

Dogwood

Buckeye

Sassafras

Redbud

Shrub Layer • • • Spicebush Service Berry Bladdernut Leatherwood Buttonbush

Spicebush

Service Berry

Bladdernut

Leatherwood

Buttonbush

CNC Species/Habitat Diversity • 2002 - Vegetative Assessment and Species lists – Dr. Barry Dalton - NKU’s Center For Applied Ecology • 2009 – Land Management Plan – Connie O’Connor, Ed. Director – Jason Brownknight, Land Preservation Specialist

Land Management • Need for diversity of species and habitats available for teaching – Catalog forest and habitat types – Prioritize – protect natural heritage & unique habitats; retain some diversity for teaching. – Management methods • • Seasonal mowing and burning Selective cutting or other physical removal Selective use of herbicides White tail deer

Common invasive species at Rowe Woods • • • Amur Honeysuckle Lesser Celandine Garlic Mustard Multiflora Rose Wisteria Purple Loosestrife Autumn Olive Burning Bush (euonymus) Wintercreeper (euonymus) English Ivy Asian Bittersweet

Amur Honeysuckle

Garlic Mustard Lesser Celandine

Exotic Wisteria

Purple Loosestrife

Autumn Olive

Burning Bush (Euonymus)

Wintercreeper (Euonymus) English Ivy Asian Bittersweet

Land Steward Volunteers Began in 2008 30 Active Volunteers Nearly 1500 Vol. Hours Nearly 200 Acres Treated

Trees "I think that I shall never see A poem lovely as a tree A tree whose hungry mouth is prest Against the earth's sweet flowing breast; A tree that looks at God all day, And lifts her leafy arms to pray; A tree that may in Summer wear A nest of Robins in her hair; Upon whose bosom snow has lain; Who intimately lives with rain. Poems are made by fools like me, But only God can make a tree. " Joyce Kilmer. December 6, 1886 -July 30, 1918.

Questions?

Let’s go for a hike!

RW Vegetation map w/ trails