5.10. SR 12-20-2004 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

spots, or in heavier soils, larger trees are sometimes more common. Trees range in spacing from sparse and evenly spaced to strongly clumped. The shrub layer is usually sparse; the most common species in the shrub layer are oaks (in the form of grubs), chokecherry, American hazel, smooth sumac, prairie willow, bush juniper (Juniperus communis) and New Jersey tea (Ceanothus americanus) are usually present. A rare shrub, creeping juniper (Juniperus horizonta/is) is present at a few locations in Elk River. The herbaceous vegetation present in open areas is similar to that of the Barrens Subtype of Dry Prairie. The presence of savanna rather than prairie indicates a lower fire frequency or intensity (or both) than in prairie. Dry Oak Savanna requires less frequent fire than Mesic Savanna for maintenance. However, in the complete absence of fire, woodland will eventually replace Dry Oak Savanna. Grazing and browsing animals may also have had a role in the maintenance of Dry Oak Savanna. Because Dry Oak Savanna occurs on sites that are not as suitable for cultivation as Mesic Savanna sites, and because succession in the absence of fire is not as rapid, more examples remain of Dry Oak Savanna than of Mesic Oak Savanna. Shrublands . Wet Meadow - Shrub Subtype (MLCCS Code 52420 I 45 Total Acres) Eight wet meadow shrub subtypes were documented withiri the city. This wet shrub meadow type is found in the northern prairie-forest border area within Minnesota. Stands may occur along stream courses or adjacent to lakes or in upland depressions. Soils are wet mineral, muck, or shallow peat (<0.5 m). Standing water is present in the spring and after heavy rains, but the water table draws down by mid-summer. Seepage areas may also occur. Shrub cover is at least 25 percent but does not become thick. Dominant species include Comus sericea, Salix bebbiana, Sa/Ix discolor, Salix petiolaris, and Spiraea alba. Herbaceous species are typical of wet herbaceous meadows, and include several species of sedges (Carex aquatilis, C. atherodes, C. haydenii, C. /acustris, C. lanuginosa, C. rostrata, and C. stricta), or grasses such as Canada blue joint (Ca/amagrostis canadensis) and reedgrass (Ca/amagrostis stricta). Forbs include swamp milkweed (Asc/epias incamata), lance- leaved aster (Aster lanceo/atus), New England aster (A. novae-ang/iae), swamp aster (A. puniceus), turtlehead (Chelone glabra), joe-pye weed (Eupatorium maculatum), and common mint (Mentha arvensis). City of Elk River, MN - Natural Resouce Inventory Bonestroo Natural Resources, September 2004 27