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 SoilsDivided 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 Bioregion4 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

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 Paw

• Dogwood

• Buckeye

• Sassafras

• Redbud

Paw 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 MustardLesser Celandine

Autumn Olive

Burning Bush (Euonymus)

Wintercreeper (Euonymus) English Ivy

Asian Bittersweet