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ecologists searched areas they had access to that appeared likely to host rare plants, <br />limited property access, and one-time visit to only a fraction of natural areas in the city <br />means that some rare plant populations have likely gone undocumented. <br />Natural Community Description <br />Elk River NRI Community Code: 20-6N <br />Community Type: Oak forest dry subtype <br />Qualitative Rank: B -Good quality natural community <br />MCBS Site: Yes <br />MN DNR Biodiversity Significance Site: Yes <br />Community Description: <br />Site is a large dry oak forest of generally good quality, on rolling terrain.. The canopy is a <br />variable mix of oaks including pin oak, bur oak, and some red oak on slopes where conditions <br />are more mesic. Most of the canopy trees are of moderate size, with smaller crowns <br />characteristic of forest grown trees. A few larger trees with open grown form are also present. <br />Patches of quaking aspen and paper birch are locally common, especially on the lower flanks of <br />some of the slopes. Subcanopy and <br />understory cover is patchy, with <br />scattered young bur oak, black cherry <br />and occasional elm. <br />The shrub layer is generally thick, with <br />abundant blackberry and hazel. Some <br />European buckthorn is present as <br />well. Ground layer species are <br />characteristic for the community type, <br />including wild geranium pointed- <br />leaved tick trefoil, and others. <br />Top of fhe World Park Addition Natural Area Management Plan 9 <br />Trail in oak forest at Top of the World Park <br />