Intro to Trees: SW Ohio’s Old Growth Forests

Outline Our Geologic History Eastern Deciduous Forests –Forest Layers –Forest Types –Old Growth Features of the Krippendorf Forest –Horticultural Legacy –Defining Species Challenges to our forest today –Invasive Species

A Forest over A Sea

Geologic History Bedrock Formation –Ordovician Seas – 450,000,000 ya –Sedimentary – Limestone & Shale Tectonic Plates –North American Plate moves north Uplift – Cincinnati Arch Lexington Peneplane Pleistocene Glaciation –2,000,000 ya

Glacial Periods in SW Ohio Pre-Illinoian Glacier –About 1,000,000 ya Illinoian Glacier –250,000 ya Wisconsian Glacier –70,000-19,500 ya Note: Kansan Glacier ( 2M ya) did not reach SW Ohio

Glacial Deposits Glacial Till –Sand, gravel, soil, erratics carried by glacier Glacial Outwash –Carried by melt waters –Sorted by size when deposited

Ohio Soils Divided mainly into those topsoils resultant from glacial activity and those not impacted

Ohio Surface Water Primarily small streams low to mid-gradient rivers and oxbows. Few natural lakes.

Cincinnati Bioregion 4 Ecoregions Defined by: –Geology –Topography –Climate –Hydrology –Soil type –Vegetation –Wildlife –Land Use

Pre-Wisconsinan Drift Plains Eco-region -Illinoian deposits -Drift – material of glacial origin (till, lake sediments, gravel, sand, loess) -generally flat landscape -poor drainage (due to young age) -Swamp Forest – Pin Oaks Loess – wind blown glacial silt

Ohio Vegetation

Ohio 1803

Ohio 1903

Ohio 2003

Forest Layers Canopy Understory –Sub- Canopy –Shrub Layer Forest Floor –Herbs and Vines

Forest Types Beech-Maple Mixed Mesophytic (Mesic) Oak-Hickory Bottomland Hardwood

Beech-Maple Forest Beech-Maple forests once covered much of Ohio, including parts of Hamilton and Clermont counties. Abundance of beech and (sugar) maple trees (in some cases up to 90% of the trees are of these two species).

Beech-Maple Forest

Mixed Mesophytic (Mesic) Forest on well-drained soil, usually a loam. a high species diversity of trees and other plants generally appear lush. Most of the Eastern Deciduous Forest can be described as Mesic.

Mixed Mesophytic (Mesic) Forest

Oak-Hickory Forest A forest of nut producing trees: various species of oak, hickory, formerly chestnut (now surviving only as understory sprouts). Understory of flowering dogwood, sassafras, hackberry, hawthorn. The shrub layer is distinct, dominated by species characteristic of acidic soils; blueberries, huckleberries, and laurels. Some shrubs are evergreen.

Oak-Hickory Forest

Bottomland Hardwood Forest Also known as Riverine Forests - moist sites along rivers and floodplains. Spring flooding may be an annual occurrence Box Elder, Sycamore, Cottonwoods, Silver and Red Maple occur. Some invasion by oak, hickory forest species. Open spaces allow herb growth in though cover may be minimal throughout a large portion of the year.

Bottomland Hardwood Forest

Forest Succession Field or forest opening Colonization by herbaceous plants Early successional shrubs & trees –Shrub spp –Red Cedar & Black Locust Deciduous trees –Mid successional –Young Forest –Mature Forest Old Growth Forest

Many old trees – greater than 150 years All age classes Standing deadwood Prevalence of fallen trees High species diversity - in all forest layers Deep top soil with rich humus layer No signs of human influence

Forest Layers Canopy Understory –Sub- Canopy –Shrub Layer Herbs and Vines

Sub-canopy Paw Dogwood Buckeye Sassafras Redbud

Paw

Dogwood

Buckeye

Sassafras

Redbud

Shrub Layer Spicebush Service Berry Bladdernut Leatherwood Buttonbush

Spicebush

Service Berry

Bladdernut

Leatherwood

Buttonbush

Common invasive species Amur Honeysuckle Lesser Celandine Garlic Mustard Multiflora Rose Wisteria Purple Loosestrife Autumn Olive Burning Bush (euonymus) Wintercreeper (euonymus) English Ivy Asian Bittersweet

Amur Honeysuckle

Garlic Mustard Lesser Celandine

Autumn Olive

Burning Bush (Euonymus)

Wintercreeper (Euonymus) English Ivy Asian Bittersweet