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<br />basswoods, and black cherries may also occur in the canopy. White oaks (Quercus <br />alba) are rare and aspens (Popu/us tremu/oides) are absent. Chokecherries are <br />common in the shrub layer, with shrub cover averaging 30-50%. On droughty sites <br />with thin soils or steep slopes these woodlands may persist even in the absence of <br />fire. <br /> <br />In the Big Woods Section of Minnesota, oak woodlands are dominated by white oak <br />(Quercus alba) in areas with coarse-textured soils, such as on kames or eskers, or in <br />areas prone to occasional fires. Natural woodlands are now extremely rare in this <br />section because of logging, grazing, and fire suppression. <br /> <br />Mesic Oak Savanna (MLCCS Code 62130 /27 Total Acres) <br />Eight mesic oak savannas were found within the City of Elk River. <br />The characteristic trees of mesic oak savanna are bur oaks (Quercus macrocarpa) <br />and to a lesser extent northern pin oaks (Quercus ellipsaidalis). Northward, quaking <br />aspens were probably common in moister parts of mesic oak savannas. The stature <br />and spacing of the oaks in the community probably varied considerably, primarily with <br />differences in fire history, <br />which were themselves <br />related to differences in <br />soils, landforms, and <br />climate. Grubs and small, <br />gnarly, open-grown trees <br />were probably also <br />common. <br /> <br /> <br />The distribution of trees <br />ranged from evenly spaced <br />to strongly clumped. Shrub <br />cover, likewise, was <br />probably quite variable. Oak savanna in Washington County, MN <br />The shrub layer included chokecherries (Prunus virginiana), low juneberries <br />(Amelanchier humilis), gray-bark dogwoods (Comus racemasa), wolfberries <br />(Symphoricarpos accidentalis), and on lighter soils, prairie willows (Salix humilis), New <br />Jersey tea (Ceanothus americanus), and American hazelnuts (Cory/us americana). <br />Leadplant (Amorpha canescens) was always present. The herbaceous vegetation <br />was dominated by species typical of mesic prairie, but herbs typical of oak woodland <br /> <br />City 01 Elk River, MN - Natural Resouce Inventory <br />Bonestroo Natural Resources. September 2004 <br /> <br />25 <br />