1. Endemic trees of the Cache River and Tree Identification
Jon E. Schoonover
Phone:

2. Education A.S. Kaskaskia Jr. College
B.S. Forest Resource Management, SIUC
M.S. Forest Hydrology, SIUC
Riparian Buffers in Ag. Systems
Ph.D. Urban Hydrology and Watershed Management, Auburn University
Hydrology, water quality, and channel morphology across an urban-rural gradient

3. Courses taught at SIU Courses FOR 202 – Tree ID (Fall)
FOR 415 / 515 – Urban Ecosystem Management (Spring)
FOR 429 – Watershed Management, Field Lab (Fall)
FOR 452 – Forest Soils (Spring)
FOR 452L – Forest Soils Field Lab Course (Spring)

4. Current and Past Research Projects
Agriculture Related:
HGBF
Paired watershed, SIU
Building better buffers
Giant cane nursery
Forestry Related:
West Virginia

5. Other Research Military Installations: Ft. Knox, KY Ft. Benning, GA
Urban Development:
Kaskaskia River Watershed

6. Cache River

7. The history of trees in the Cache
The Cache has trees of more than 1000 years old, probably some of the oldest living things East of the Mississippi
It’s estimated that the Cache River Watershed supported over 250,000 acres of mature cypress-tupelo forests in pre-settlement times
Prior to the Post Creek (constructed between ) cutoff, the area was considered a mosquito infested swamp that harbored malaria

8. A natural snackbar Persimmons Pawpaws Wild goose plums
Blackhaws/Redhaws
Blackberries/Raspberries
Hickories/Walnuts
Pokeweed
Hickory root
Sassafras

9. Harvesting in the Cache
Between 1810 and 1890 timber harvesting became a major industry in the Cache
Cypress was sought for it’s light, decay/water resistant properties
Sawmills began popping up along the borders of the Cache specializing in timber for lumber, railroad ties, charcoal, and packaging crates
Karnak once known as “Cachetown”
In 1898, the Main Brothers Box Lumber Co. came to Pulaski county and set up a sawmill along the Cache
Cut 2 million bdf annually for 20 yrs in the Big Black Slough region
Floated logs down the Cache to New Columbia (between present day Vienna and Metropolis)

10. Cache River Giants >12 State Champions 2 National Champions
Cherrybark Oak, Baldcypress, Willow Oak
2 National Champions
Water locust, Green hawthorn
Around the 1900s sawyers were harvesting cypress tree >130’ tall
Cane plants were “upwards of 30’ in height”
In 1855, state fair visitors witnessed a trumpet creeper vine over 1’ thick and a 3” thick poison-ivy that came from the Cache

11. Forest Succession in Cache River Uplands
Across the Central Hardwoods Region, forests appear to be in transition from oak-hickory to more shade tolerant species (beech-maple)
Climatic change (increased precipitation)
Removal of anthropogenic and natural disturbances
Selective harvesting
Oaks-hickories are disturbance dependant species

12. Dominant tree species on reforested bottomland in the Lower Cache
% Composition
Common Name
Fraxinus pennsylvatica
31.92
Green ash
Acer negundo
25.76
Boxelder
Liquidambar styraciflua
12.02
Sweetgum
Populus deltoides
4.62
Eastern cottonwood
Platanus occidentalis
4.02
Sycamore
Acer rubrum
3.48
Red maple
Celtis laevigata, occidentalis
3.25
Sugarberry, Hackberry
Quercus pagoda
1.63
Cherrybark oak
Quercus palustris
1.43
Pin oak
Salix nigra
1.41
Black willow

13. Cypress-Tupelo Swamps

14. Adaptations - Pneumatophores

15. Wetland Forest Function

16. Unique Plant Community in Riparian Areas of the Cache River Watershed
Giant cane [Arundinaria gigantea (Walt.) Muhl.]

17. Giant Cane Distribution

18. Giant Cane Communities
Formerly vast monotypic canebrakes – now small patches
Lost due to urban and agricultural conversion, altered fire regime, grazing
Support a variety of unique species associates

19. Associated Species 16 Bird Species 4 Reptiles 23 Mammals
Swainson’s and Bachman’s Warbler s (extinct)
4 Reptiles
Canebrake Rattlesnake
23 Mammals
Swamp Rabbit (a.k.a, Cane-cutter)
7 Invertebrate Species
6 Lepidoptera

20. Dendrology
Defined: The science and study of woody plants, which include trees, shrubs, and lianas (vines).

21. FOR 202-Course Objectives
Be able to identify 135 plant species (primarily trees) important to southern Illinois forests.
Provide the Family, Genus, Species, and common name for each quiz specimen.
Identify the correct terminology for various plant components including leaf shapes, fruit types, and other structures. (Laboratory quiz)
Understand silvicultural and ecologically significant characteristics of the species and ecosystems in which they occur.

22. Course Format
Four hour laboratory will be held outside rain, shine, or snow.
Two sections: M 8-12, W Each section will begin at 8 am sharp since many days we will be travelling off campus.
Each week approximately new species will be introduced.
Quizzes will be held weekly (beginning week 2) on previously introduced species

23. FOR 202 Fall 2011, Tentative Schedule
Week
Date
Section 1, Mon. 8am-12pm
Section 2, Weds. 8am-12pm
Week 1
Aug. 22 / Aug. 24
Campus #1
Week 2
Aug. 29 / Sept. 31
Heron Pond
Week 3
Sept. 5 / Sept. 7
No Class, Labor Day
Week 4
Sept. 12 / Sept. 14
Computer Lab & Indoor Quiz
Week 5
Sept. 19 / Sept. 21
Giant City State Park #1
Giant City State Park # 1
Week 6
Sept. 26 / Sept. 28
Campus #2
Week 7
Oct. 3 / Oct. 5
Pomona Natural Bridge
Week 8
Oct. 10 / Oct. 12
No Class, Fall Break
Campus #3
Week 9
Oct. 17 / Oct. 19
Ferne Clyffe State Park
Week 10
Oct. 23 / Oct. 26
Giant City State Park #2
Week 11
Oct. 31 / Nov. 2
Campus #4
Week 12
Nov. 7 / Nov. 9
Carbondale Arboretum
Week 13
Nov. 14 / Nov. 16
Campus #5
Week 14
Nov. 21 / Nov. 23
No Class, Thanksgiving Break
Week 15
Nov. 28 / Nov. 30
Campus Review Session
Week 16
Dec. 5 / Dec. 7
Campus Final Exam

24. Importance of Scientific Names
Common names are given to all plants and are for the everyday person to use, they are easy to pronounce and are usually descriptive. BUT:
trying to communicate with someone from a different region or country can be difficult.
sometimes the same plant has many different common names
- Sweetgum, Stargum, American sweetgum, Redgum
different plants may have the same common name
- Ironwood=Muslewood, Bluebeech, Eastern hophornbeam
Different ethnicities use different names
- Osage-orange, Bois d’Arc (Bodark), Hedge-apple, Horse-apple
some plants are so rare that no common name is given.

25. The Father of Botany Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778)
was the first to consistently use a system of binomial nomenclature which literally means two names.
Scientific names of plants consist of a generic name and a specific epithet, in Latin either underlined or in italics.

26. TAXONOMIC CLASSIFICATION
Kingdom: Plantae – Plants Division: Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants Class: Magnoliopsida - Dicotyledons Order: Fagales Family: Fagaceae – Beech Family Genus: Quercus - oak Species: alba – white oak

27. Usually the first question about the leaves will be their arrangement: alternate, opposite, or whorled

28. Opposite Leaf Arrangement
MAD CAP HORSE (or BUCK)
Maples
Ashes
Dogwoods
Caprifoliaceae Family
Horsechestnut/Buckeye

29. Second division will be the leaf type: compound or simple.

30. Leaf Tips, Bases, and Venation
Leaf Shapes

31. Leaf Margins

35. Other characteristics to look for when identify trees, shrubs, and vines
Texture of leaf or bark
Shagbark hickory, sycamore
Smell or odor when leaf is crushed
Black cherry, sassafras, spicebush
Hairs, glands, scales or lack thereof on bottom of leaf
Black cherry
Milky or clear sap when stem is pinched
Norway maple, osage-orange
Habitat found growing
Blackjack oak, Baldcypress
Leaf surface shiny or dull
Red vs white mulberry, Southern magnolia

36. ISBN-13:

37. Tree Species Ulmus alata Juglans nigra Fagus grandifolia
Quercus macrocarpa
Acer sacharrum
Cercis canadensis
Quercus velutina
Magnolia grandiflora
Acer negundo
Platanus occidentalis
Liriodendron tulipifera
Sassafras albidum
Juniperus virginiana
Tilia americana
Prunus serotina
Fraxinus pennsylvanica
Pinus strobus