Flora

Bluff

The wooded bluff, located directly to the north of Allison Mansion and running east to west along the entire south edge of the Ecolab, is the most prominent topographical feature. This area has been greatly affected by the many plantings and the disposal of fill dirt (Tungesvick 2003).

The bluff consists of the Hennepin Series soil, which is deep and well drained. The soil in this area is low in organic matter, has a high moisture capacity with moderate permeability, and rapid to very rapid runoff. Specifically, the soil is considered to be Hennepin fine loam soil, which is extremely prone to erosion (Sturm & Gilbert, 1979). The sunlight on the bluff ranges from light shade to deep shade depending on the canopy coverage.

Historically, the wooded bluffs probably contained mesic beech-maple on the lower and middle portions. The likely canopy dominant of the forest were Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) and American Beech (Fagus grandiflora). A mix of sedge meadow vegetation and wet tolerant shrubs possibly inhabited the seeps along the western half of the base of the bluff (Tungesvick, 2003). The drier, upper portions of the bluff may have contained components of an Oak-Hickory forest: White Oak (Quercus alba), Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra), and Bitternut Hickory (Carya cordiformis) (Tungesvick, 2003). However, when the settlers came through all but a few specimen trees were cleared for agricultural purposes. Some of the plant species Jensen planted on the bluff include: Hard Maples, Red Oak, Redbud, Sumac, Hawthorn, Elderberry, Indian Currant, Canoe Birch, Witchazel, Crabapple, and roses. However, over the years exotic took over the area and prohibited recruitment (the growth of new seedlings) of many of these native species planted by Jensen.

Common tree species that currently inhabit the bluff area include: Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum), Basswood (Tillia americana), White Ash (Fraxinus americana), Black Walnut (Juglans nigra), and Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) (Tungesvick, 2003). Non-native species have been dominant in the shrub layer of this bluff; however, current restoration has reduced these populations. Amur Honeysuckle sub-canopy was nearly continuous until 2001 when it was partially removed. Other non-native shrubs that are found in this area include: Privet (Ligustrum vulgare); Common Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica), and the vine Oriental Bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus). Natives shrubs include Wild Hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens), Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis), Greenbrier (Smilax rotundifolia), Riverbank Grape (Vitis riparia), and Frost Grape (Vitis vulpia) (Tungesvick, 2003).

Many restoration projects have been done in the Ecolab that had an impact on the wooded bluff including: invasive plant removal, native grass seeding including native Rye and Beak Grass, and planting of tree whips suck as Black Maple, American Plum, Elderberry, and others. The invasive plant removal included Honeysuckles, Buckthorn, Oriental Bittersweet, European Cranberry, Hedge Privet, Burning Bush, Multiflora Rose, Tree of Heaven, and Porcelain Berry. These species were initially removed from January to July in 2001 and they were removed principally along the bluff by basal bark treatment with triclopyr and cut stump treatment with 20 percent triclopyr in oil. The native grass seeding was done on the entire property during the spring of 2001. The grasses planted on the bluff were 1 oz. per acre of Beak Grass and 5 Lbs. per acre of Canada Wild Rye. The planting of tree whips was done in April of 2000; the trees planted were 200 Elderberry and 200 Spicebush (Benson, 2003).

Out of the 85 different plant species Tungesvick found on the bluff, 21 were exotic and 64 were natives (Tungesvick, 2003). This means that roughly ¼ of the species found were non-natives. This illustrates just how strongly the exotic are continuing to thrive in the area since Jensen’s plan was completed, despite the recent efforts to discourage them from doing so. Fighting exotic will be a continual problem in the future.

Lowland Forest

The lowland forest in the northern “panhandle” of the EcoLab is part of the Crooked Creek flood plain . The lowlands are an area to the north of the EcoLab that shares a boundary with Cold Springs Academy and is south of Interstate 65. There is also a housing edition that is to the west of the lowlands.

The silt loam soil of the lowland forest is within the Genessee Series, which is deep and well drained ). The soil of the lowland forest is low in organic matter, has a high moisture capacity with moderate permeability, has slow to very slow runoff, and is subject to occasional flooding. On the northwestern corner of the property, the lowlands slope upward. This area contains Miami silt loan soil, which is deep and well drained. The soil of this area is low in organic matter, has a high moisture capacity with moderate permeability, and a slow to rapid runoff. The pH range of the soils in the lowland area is anywhere from 6.8 to 8.6. When the samples were collected, there were two main types collected: sandy loam and loamy sand. These two soil types are soils that don’t stick together or allow water to flow through quickly. This keeps water sitting on the surface and often causes flooding when there has been too much rain.

The lowland forest has a few areas that flood during wet periods. Because the area is located so close to the wetlands and Crooked Creek, there is a high potential for flooding when the conditions are right. There are areas of moisture and some standing water through the lowlands. The lowlands are a little drier in the northwest because of the small bluff located there.

Historically the lowlands would have been a beech-maple forest similar to what was described above for the bluff. Today the lowland is early successional “scrub” woodlands with the dominant trees of this area including Green Ash (Fraxinus pensylvanica), Boxelder (Acer negundo), White Mulberry (Morus alba), Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis), and Cottonwood (Populus deltoides). Also populating the area are Clustered Sanicle (Sanicula gregaria), Enchanter’s Nightshade (Circaea lutetiana var candensis), Side-Flowering Aster (Aster lateriflorus), and White Avens (Geum canadense).

The lowland forest was not in the original planting plan for Jensen. The area where the lowland forest is was acquired after the main portion of the EcoLab was purchased in 1936. Most of the lowlands were agricultural fields until the 1960s.

The restoration efforts that have been done in the lowlands has included the planted of several hundred Oak, Spicebush, Hawthorn, Elderberry, and Dogwood. Honeysuckle was the dominant shrub until 2001 when the major effort began to remove this species and other exotics. Now, garlic mustard has become a perennial problem. Native perennial Rye was planted throughout the area along with other forbs such as Columbine, fire pink, and Celandine Poppy.

Lowland Forest

The lowland forest in the northern “panhandle” of the EcoLab is part of the Crooked Creek flood plain . The lowlands are an area to the north of the EcoLab that shares a boundary with Cold Springs Academy and is south of Interstate 65. There is also a housing edition that is to the west of the lowlands.

The silt loam soil of the lowland forest is within the Genessee Series, which is deep and well drained ). The soil of the lowland forest is low in organic matter, has a high moisture capacity with moderate permeability, has slow to very slow runoff, and is subject to occasional flooding. On the northwestern corner of the property, the lowlands slope upward. This area contains Miami silt loan soil, which is deep and well drained. The soil of this area is low in organic matter, has a high moisture capacity with moderate permeability, and a slow to rapid runoff. The pH range of the soils in the lowland area is anywhere from 6.8 to 8.6. When the samples were collected, there were two main types collected: sandy loam and loamy sand. These two soil types are soils that don’t stick together or allow water to flow through quickly. This keeps water sitting on the surface and often causes flooding when there has been too much rain.

The lowland forest has a few areas that flood during wet periods. Because the area is located so close to the wetlands and Crooked Creek, there is a high potential for flooding when the conditions are right. There are areas of moisture and some standing water through the lowlands. The lowlands are a little drier in the northwest because of the small bluff located there.

Historically the lowlands would have been a beech-maple forest similar to what was described above for the bluff. Today the lowland is early successional “scrub” woodlands with the dominant trees of this area including Green Ash (Fraxinus pensylvanica), Boxelder (Acer negundo), White Mulberry (Morus alba), Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis), and Cottonwood (Populus deltoides). Also populating the area are Clustered Sanicle (Sanicula gregaria), Enchanter’s Nightshade (Circaea lutetiana var candensis), Side-Flowering Aster (Aster lateriflorus), and White Avens (Geum canadense).

The lowland forest was not in the original planting plan for Jensen. The area where the lowland forest is was acquired after the main portion of the EcoLab was purchased in 1936. Most of the lowlands were agricultural fields until the 1960s.

The restoration efforts that have been done in the lowlands has included the planted of several hundred Oak, Spicebush, Hawthorn, Elderberry, and Dogwood. Honeysuckle was the dominant shrub until 2001 when the major effort began to remove this species and other exotics. Now, garlic mustard has become a perennial problem. Native perennial Rye was planted throughout the area along with other forbs such as Columbine, fire pink, and Celandine Poppy.

Wetlands

Several types of wetland exist in the EcoLab, including marsh, forested wetland, sedge meadow, open wetland, and fen. A large cattail marsh exists on the southwest corner of the property west and northwest of the main pond. Another small cattail marsh exists on the east side of the forested wetland east of the rustic trail. There is a section of forested wetland between the cattail marsh and baseball field (bisected by the Bark Chip Trail) and around the beaver pond. A small area of sedge meadow can be found north of the cattail marsh. An area of open wetland occurs on the north-central section of the property north of the maintenance road. A fen is located along the south bluff at the southwestern edge of Marian University pond between the bluff and the trail.

Man-made structures of note in the wetland areas of the EcoLab include two spring fed stone pools, a spring house, and cisterns located on the south border of the EcoLab at the east end of a small fen bordered by the South Shore Trail on its north side (between Marian University Pond and wooded bluff) and another stone pool located on the northwest corner of a cattail marsh near the far western edge of the EcoLab. These structures were all built as part of the original landscape designed by Jensen. More recently built structures include walking trails and a service road which runs east/west between the beaver pond and cattail marsh.

Most of the wetland sits on Sloan silt loam consisting mainly of sandy clay loam, but there is also an area of silty clay loam along the southeast side of part of the cattail marsh just off of the Bark Chip Trail and an area of clay in the fen located along the southwest end of Marian University pond. The Ecolab lies along the Crooked Creek and White River floodplain and is subject to flooding most of the year. The area is very flat, drains poorly, and has a high water capacity (Strum and Gilbert 1979). According to a previous survey, water levels in the wetland areas remain within two decimeters of the surface during periods of dryness (Tungesvick, 2003). The soils of this area should contain of a high content organic matter (Tungesvick, 2003). pH ranges from 7.6 to 8.6.

Most of the wetland and marsh areas (including the main pond) appear to be primarily groundwater fed. Several areas of groundwater seepage occur all along the south bluff below the campus. The beaver pond north of the maintenance road appears to be fed to some degree by a small creek on the western border of the property called Hatchery Creek, the source of which is runoff from a nearby housing development. There are two or three inlets where water flows into Hatchery Creek on western border of the property. Water entering the EcoLab flows to the east and eventually drains into Crooked Creek. The area is subject to flooding from Crooked Creek during most of the year and from melting snow. In the forested wetland and cattail marsh areas, the water level can drop below the soil surface for part of the year during dry periods.

Most of the wetland areas receive full to partial sun (more than six hours per day). There are areas of moderate shade along the eastern bluff, east of the beaver pond and to the east of the Rustic Trail, which bisects a cattail marsh and forested wetland; these are small densely wooded pockets which likely receive less than six hours of sunlight per day. Most of the area around the beaver pond and the marsh/forested wetland area previously mentioned receive partial sun. Areas of direct sunlight include Marian University pond, the beaver pond, and the cattail marsh adjacent to the western bluff. There is a small cattail marsh east of the Rustic Trail which receives full sun.

According to a vegetation survey done by Tungesvick in 2003, dominant non-woody species inhabiting these areas include broad leaved cattail (Typha latifolia), narrow leaved cattail (Typha angustifolia), soft rushes (Juncus effuses), bull rushes (Scirpus validus). Other common species include swamp buttercup (Ranunculus hispidus), orange jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) and grass sedge (Carex jamesii). Less common herbaceous species include common boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum), spotted joe-pye weed (Eupatorium maculatum), willow herb (Epilobium coloratum). Trees and woody plants include several species of willow (Salix), including white willow (Salix alba), which is non-native, two species of dogwood (Cornus), and privet (Ligustrum vulgare), which is non-native. (Tungesvick, 2003). Another small cattail marsh exists on the eastern side of the forested wetland area.

The sedge meadow is dominated by woody plants and sedges including, but not limited to, sandbar willow (Salix interior) (Tungesvick, 2003), non-native white willow (Salix alba), black willow (Salix nigra), bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) (non native) and several species of sedge (Carex lacustris, trichocarpa, emoryii, frankii, jamesii). In 2003, plantings were done that include queen of the prairie (Filipendula rubra), blue flag iris (Iris virginica shrevei), great blue lobelia (Lobelia siphlitica), soft rush, arrowhead (Saggitaria latifolia), joe-pye weed, and sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale).

Most of the vegetation along the main pond has been planted recently including several species of sedges (Carex cristatella, comosa, frankii, grayii, muskingumensis, lupulina), several species of bulrush (Scirpus), swamp aster (Aster puniceus), joe-pye weed, sneezeweed, swamp rose mallow (Hibiscus palustris), pickerel weed (Pontedaria cordata) and arrowhead. Wildflowers include cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis), marsh marigold (Caltha palustris), swamp buttercup, iris, various species of smartweed (Polygonum), swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnate), and water milfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) (non-native). Several species of rye and grasses have also been planted. There is an abundance of pond lilly (Nuphar advena).

The forested wetland is primarily dominated by trees including Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis), Cottonwood (Populus deltoids), green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), willow, dogwood, and walnut. Species recently planted include silver maple, silky dogwood, river birch, and walnut (Benson, 2003). Common plants include swamp rose mallow, blue flag iris, water plantain (Alisma subcordatum), fowl manna grass (Glyceria striata), sneezeweed, false nettle and several sedges (Carex frankii, cristatella, lurida) (Tungesvick, 2003). This area has been subject to honeysuckle invasion (Tungesvick, 2003).

Open wetlands appear to be maintained by beaver activity. The beaver pond is heavily dominated by cattails and rushes. Several species of wildflowers and perennials are found in these areas including, but not limited to, nodding bur marigold (Bidens cernua), beggars ticks (Bidens frondosa), various smartweeds (Polygonum punctuatum, hydropiperoides, lapathifolium), barnyard grass (Echinochloa crus-galli) rice cut grass, water plantain, arrowhead, and swamp milkweed (Tungesvick, 2003). Trees on the edges of these areas include sycamore, willow, green ash, silky dogwood, and boxelder (Acer negundo). Native Rye grass (Elymus villosus, Elymus Canadensis, Elymus virginiana) has been planted recently along the southwestern edge of the beaver pond as well as Little Bluestem grass (Schizacyrium scoparium).

Ground water seeps at the base of the bluff keep the soil saturated here year round. The fen contains mostly shrubs, wildflowers, and perennials including, but not limited to, several sedges (Carex granularis, hystericina, laevivaginata, suberecta, vulpinoidea), fowl manna grass, moneywort (Lysimachia nummularia), swamp milkweed, fringed loosestrife (Lysimachia ciliata), blue flag iris, joe-pye weed, swamp buttercup, goldenrod (Solidago) and an abundance of non-native watercress (Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum). There also appears to be quite a bit of non-native privet in the fen as well.