General information

Provisional. A provisional ecological site description has undergone quality control and quality assurance review. It contains a working state and transition model and enough information to identify the ecological site.

MLRA notes

Major Land Resource Area (MLRA): 120B–Kentucky and Indiana Sandstone and Shale Hills and Valleys, Northwestern Part

120B-Kentucky and Indiana Sandstone and Shale Hills and Valleys, Northwestern Part is located in Indiana and covers about 3,040 sq.mi. This area is in the Highland Rim Section of the Interior Low Plateaus Province of the Interior Plains. Tributaries of the Ohio River dissect the uplands. The major streams and rivers have well defined valleys with broad flood plains and numerous stream terraces. The geologic materials in this area are of Early and Middle Pennsylvanian and Late Mississippian age. The rocks consist mainly of flat-lying, interbedded sandstone, shale, coal, and siltstone with minor areas of limestone. Bedrock outcrops are common on river bluffs. The dominant soil orders in this MLRA are Alfisols, Ultisols, and Inceptisols. The soils in the area have a mesic soil temperature regime, a udic or aquic soil moisture regime, and dominantly mixed mineralogy. They formed dominantly in less than 40 inches of loess and in residuum or colluvium derived from sandstone, shale, and siltstone. The soils range from moderately deep to very deep and from poorly drained to somewhat excessively drained and are loamy, silty, or clayey. Fragiudalfs (Apalona, Zanesville) and Hapludalfs (Wellston) are the dominant soils on ridgetops and upper slopes. Hapludults (Adyeville) and Dystrudepts (Tipsaw) are on side slopes, and Hapludults (Tulip) are on footslopes. Hapludalfs (Deuchars, Ebal, Kitterman) are on structural benches and scarps. Endoaquepts (Zipp), Epiaqualfs (McGary), and Hapludalfs (Shircliff, Markland) are formed in lacustrine sediments. Hapludults (Millstone), Hapludalfs (Elkinsville), Fragiudalfs (Sciotoville), and Epiaqualfs (Hatfield) are on terraces along the Ohio River. Hapludolls (Huntington), Eutrudepts (McAdoo, Lindside), and Endoaquepts (Newark) are on flood plains along the major streams. Dystrudepts (Cuba, Steff), Eutrudepts (Gatchel, Haymond), Endoaquepts (Belknap, Stendal), and Fluvaquents (Birds, Bonnie) are on local flood plains.

Classification relationships

Quercus alba-Quercus rubra-(Carya alba, ovata)/Cornus florida Acidic Forest CEGL002067

Quercus alba - Quercus rubra - Quercus muehlenbergii / Cercis canadensis Forest (CEGL002070) may be found in some areas on less acidic sites. Blending of the two communities my occur and field evaluations are needed to further define.

Ecological site concept

The Loess Uplands ecological sites consist of Loess soils on loess hill landforms. Representative soils are: Alford, Hosmer, Rickert, and Wellston.

The communities described in this provisional document reflect plant communities that are likely to be found on these soils and have not been field verified. This PES describes hypotheses based on available data of many different scales and sources and has not been developed utilizing site-specific ecological field monitoring. This PES does not encompass the entire complexity or diversity of these sites. Field studies would be required to develop a comprehensive and science-based native plant restoration plan for these sites.

State 1, Phase 1.1: Plant species dominants: white oak (Quercus alba)- red oak (Quercus rubra)/ flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) / Desmodium spp. (ticktrefoil) – Galium pilosum (hairy bedstraw)

State: 2. Pasture
State 2, Phase 2.1: Pasture. Plant species dominants: Schedonorus arundinaceus (tall fescue. Species present are dependent upon seeding and management. State: 3. Transitional (Abandoned) Field

The transitional phase plant community composition will depend upon previous land uses – pasture type, management while in pasture (high quality pasture versus minimal managed grass-shrub –sapling community), and adjacent seed sources. State 3 listed below is assuming a transition from a fescue pasture.

State 3, Phase 31: Maples (Acer spp.) – black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) / blackberries (Rubus spp.) – sumac (Rhus spp.) / fescue (Schedonorus arundinaceus) – giant ironweed (Vernonia gigantea).

Narrative: This phase is best described as an old field habitat with a mixture of native and introduced grasses and a variety of native and non-native herbs, forbs, seedlings, and saplings.
State 4 Old Pioneer Cropland
State 4, Phase 4.1: henbit deadnettle (Lamium amplexicaule) – mouse-eared chickweed (Cerastium L.)

Abandonment of cropland would result in many weed species taking over the site. Initially, annual weeds would be predominate followed by grasses, shrubs and pioneers trees.
State: 5. Cropland
State 5, Phase 5.1: Plant species dominants: dependent upon seeding and management. Most common crops are corn and soybeans.

Restoration of states 2-5 to the reference community would require long-term, intensive management inputs.

Associated sites

Table 1. Dominant plant species