Ecological dynamics

24-Loess Veneered Depressional Uplands
MLRA 122
Mapunits included in this initial PES grouping include: Dekoven, Guthrie, and Taft.
Future ESD development may result in mapunits being added or removed from this preliminary grouping.

Individual sites deserve a detailed understanding before conservation and restoration practices are implemented; therefore, it should be noted that 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. Therefore, 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 also 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.

The PES reference community was determined by information gathered from NASIS, county soil surveys (trees on site, common trees) and Glendon Smalley’s U.S. Forest Service technical report SO-43 entitled, “Classification and Evaluation of Forest Sites on the Eastern Highland Rim and Pennyroyal.”

Forest vegetation as listed in Official Soil Series Description (OSD):
Dekoven: Hardwoods - chiefly oaks, beech, maple, ash, hickory, gum, elm, sycamore, willow, and cypress. Most areas are cleared and used for crops and pasture.
Guthrie: Areas in forest consist chiefly of bottom land oaks, sweetgum, sycamore, and maple.
Taft: The native vegetation is hardwood forest of maple, elm, water oak, post oak, gum, beech, sycamore, and cottonwood.

Ecological Dynamics:
Only two tree species can be selected for entry into the ESIS/EDIT database as dominants; however, multiple tree species may be co-dominant on these sites and species distribution will vary depending on aspect, soil depth, seed sources, management, and disturbance history.

State 1. Phase 1.1. (Reference) Forest
willow oak (Quercus phellos) – sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) / willows (Salix spp.)- alder (Alnus spp.) / giant cane (Arundinaria gigantea)

NASIS and county soil surveys also have the following trees on site:
water oak, cherrybark oak, blackgum, sweetgum, red maple, American sycamore, southern red oak, white oak, boxelder, green ash, black willow, cottonwood, yellow poplar, loblolly pine, and “lowland oaks”.

The OSD for Dekoven lists the vegetation and land uses as:
Hardwoods - chiefly oaks, beech, maple, ash, hickory, gum, elm, sycamore, willow, and cypress. Most areas are cleared and used for crops and pasture. Principal crops are corn, soybeans, cotton and hay. Yields generally are high.

The OSD for Guthrie list the vegetation and land uses as:
Cleared areas are used for pasture. In a few areas soybeans are grown. Areas in forest consist chiefly of bottom land oaks, sweetgum, sycamore, and maple.

The OSD for Taft lists the vegetation and land uses as:
About two-thirds of the acreage is cleared and used chiefly for growing pasture, hay, soybeans, and some corn. The native vegetation is hardwood forest of maple, elm, water oak, post oak, gum, beech, sycamore, and cottonwood. Other shrubs and vines on these sites may include pawpaw, spicebush, hydrangeas, Virginia creeper and grapes.

State: 2. Pasture
Phase 2.1: Managed Pasture. Plant species dominants: Schedonorus arundinaceus (tall fescue)
Narrative: Plant species within all of these pasture phases is dependent on seeding, weed control, concurrent land uses, on-going levels of disturbance, and landowner goals. Individual site and soil characteristics, along with management activities, will influence production levels.
Many other species of grass, both warm and cool season, are available and suitable for these sites.

State: 3 – Transitional (Abandoned Field)
Phases 3.1: Plant species dominants: Juniperus virginiana/ Rubus spp. - Rosa multiflora/ Vernonia gigantea -Schedonorus arundinaceus
Eastern red cedar /blackberry – multiflora rose/ ironweed- tall fescue
Narrative: Tree species regeneration on these sites will depend on the severity and duration of disturbance, soil characteristics, adjacent plant communities and seed sources, post-disturbance management inputs, presence or absence of continued site disturbances (grazing), slope, and aspect. Transitioning this state to a reference condition will likely require timber stand improvement practices to control non-native vegetation and manage for desired hardwood species. It would require years of management, plantings, and weed control to establish successional communities that could transition to a reference community.

State 4: Phase 4.1. Abandoned Croplands
Plant species dominant:
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 finally, pioneers trees.

State 5: Phase 5.1. Cropland
Dependent upon seeding and management. Most common crops are corn and soybeans.

It would require years of management, plantings, and weed control to successfully transition to a reference community. Hydrology may also need to be restored if the site has been ditched or tiled.

The following information is from Glendon Smalley’s U.S. Forest Service technical report SO-43 entitled, “Classification and Evaluation of Forest Sites on the Eastern Highland Rim and Pennyroyal.”

Landtype 19: Upland Flats, Depressions, and Sinkholes with Poor Drainage
Dominant soils include Guthrie.
Dominant trees: Willow oak, water oak, blackgum, sweetgum, red maple, pin oak and elms; Occasional trees: hickories, American sycamore, northern red oak, Shumard oak, swamp white oak, southern red oak, white oak, boxelder, green ash, black willow, cottonwood, yellow-poplar, and loblolly pine.
Common understory: dogwoods, alder, willows, euonymuses, and cane.


TO VALIDATE THE INFORMATION IN THIS PROVISIONAL ECOLOGICAL SITE DESCRIPTION FUTURE FIELD WORK IS NEEDED. This will include field inspection and data collection including medium to high intensity sampling, soil correlations, and analysis of that data. A final field review, peer review, quality control, and quality assurance reviews of the ESD will be needed to produce a document to be utilized for on-site conservation planning.