FLORA AND VEGETATION OF THE KOKIWANEE NATURE PRESERVE

David J. Hicks and Teresa M. MichaelisBiology Department, Manchester

CollegeNorth Manchester, IN

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K

K● Wabash

● North Manchester

Huntington ●

WABASHCOUNTY

ACRES Land Trust, Inc. 2004

SalamonieState Forest

KokiwaneeNature

Preserve(55 ha)

SalamonieDam & Reservoir

↔ Wabash CR 50S

↕ Wabash CR 600E

SalamonieRiver

x

700 ft

Kokiwanee PreserveACRES, Inc. 139 acres

1941

1951

Current

FOREST VEGETATION

20 m

50 m

Diameter of trees (>5 cm)

Basal area (πr2) for each species

20 m

50 m

25 1 m2 quadrats for herbs, shrubs and seedlings

Diversity = trees + species in m2

Forest sample

plot

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FOREST COMPOSITION

Late 1940’s (?)

2006

3 samples of young forestLow diversity (39 spp./plot)

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300

DBH, cm

Tre

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aMany small treesPeak in curve

Few large trees

Size structure of Young Forest31 ± 6 m2/ha; 810 ± 187 trees/ha

Species% of basal

area

Acer saccharum/nigrum 38

Robinia pseudoacacia 14

Prunus serotina 10

Liriodendron tulipifera 9

Fraxinusamericana/pensylvanica 8

Carya cordiformis 5

Pinus sylvestris 5

Others 11

Kokiwanee Young ForestTrees ≥ 5% basal area

1941

1951

Woodlot

Some large beechand maple

3 woodlot samplesMedium diversity (50 spp./plot)

Size structure of Woodlot28 ± 2 m2/ha; 610 ± 187 trees/ha

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150

200

250

300

DBH, cm

Tre

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a

More large trees

Fewer small trees

Species% of basal

area

Acer saccharum/nigrum 21

Liriodendron tulipifera 21

Fraxinus americana/pensylvanica 13

Ulmus americana 11

Prunus serotina 9

Carya cordiformis 5

Others 20

Kokiwanee WoodlotTrees ≥ 5% basal area

Only samples with Fagus grandifolia

1941

Late 1940’s

1951

Oak-dominated forest on bluff topHigh diversity (67 spp.)Unique species

Species% of basal

area

Acer saccharum/nigrum 29

Quercus alba 25

Juniperus virginiana 20

Quercus velutina 14

Quercus muhlenbergii 5

Others 6

Kokiwanee Bluff TopTrees ≥ 5% basal area

24 m2/ha; 700 trees/ha

Habitat Cav Native %

All species (432 spp.) 4.4±2.4 85

Bluff top (60 spp.) 5.3±2.0 92

5 samples of mesic forestBluff face and baseHigh diversity (56 spp./plot)

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Diameter, cm

Num

ber

of tr

ees/

ha Uneven age structure

with some large trees

Size structure of Bluff Face33 ± 3 m2/ha; 370 ± 105 trees/ha

Species

% of basal area

Acer saccharum/nigrum 26

Tilia americana 21

Fraxinus americana/pensylvanica 15

Juglans nigra 8

Celtis occidentalis 7

Others 22

Kokiwanee Bluff FaceTrees ≥ 5% basal area

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20

40

60

80

100

Diameter, cm

Tre

es p

er h

ecta

re

Acer saccharum

Tilia americana

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20

Diameter, cm

Tre

es p

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ecta

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J uglans nigra

Fraxinus americana

ARE THE BLUFF-FACE FORESTS OLD

GROWTH?

OLD GROWTH?

• Structure compared to known old growth

• Composition compared to known old growth

• Original survey data

Runkle criterion Kokiwanee bluff

High species diversity √

Uneven-aged √

Basal area >25m2/ha √

≥7 trees/ha ≥ 75 cm dbh 5

Large valuable trees √

Oldest trees >200 yrs ?

Tree density <250 trees/ha

368

>30 dead trees/ha 25

Tree-fall 0.6-1% of area ?

Old-growth species √

Undisturbed soils √

Little evidence of human disturbance

√

SpeciesKokiwane

eGinn Berkey

Acer saccharum/nigrum 26 44 27

Tilia america 21 8 4

Fraxinus americana/pensylvanica 15 5 6

Juglans nigra 8 <1 <1

Celtis occidentalis 7 2 <1

Fagus grandifolia 0 14 16

Ulmus americana/rubra 4 5 16

Liriodendron tulipifera 1 <1 14

Others 17 22 16Ginn Woods. Delaware County. Badger et al. 1998. Proc. IAS 107Berkey Woods. Kosciusko County. Friesner & Potzger. 1943. Butler U. Bot. Stud.

Comparison to mesic old-growth in northern Indiana

SpeciesKokiwane

eGinn Berkey

Acer saccharum/nigrum 26 44 27

Tilia america 21 8 4

Fraxinus americana/pensylvanica 15 5 6

Juglans nigra 8 <1 <1

Celtis occidentalis 7 2 <1

Ulmus americana/rubra 4 5 16

Liriodendron tulipifera 1 <1 14

Fagus grandifolia 0 14 16

Others 17 22 16Ginn Woods. Delaware County. Badger et al. 1998. Proc. IAS 107Berkey Woods. Kosciusko County. Friesner & Potzger. 1943. Butler U. Bot. Stud.

Comparison to mesic old-growth in northern Indiana

Dry prairie Beech-mapleOak-hickory Wetland

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Lindsey. 1961. Ecology

Original survey data (1820’s-1830’s)

PRESETTLEMENT VEGETATION

• Uplands (30 trees)Beech 60%Buckeye 17%Walnut 7%5 others 17%

Douglas Keller(Unpublished, 1988)

PRESETTLEMENT VEGETATION

• Salamonie River corridor (34 trees)White oak 18%Sugar maple 12%Buckeye 12%Elm 9%Sycamore 9%Ironwood 9%7 others 31%Douglas Keller

(Unpublished, 1988)

OLD GROWTH?

• History, structure, composition are compatible with old growth

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

• Eli Lilly Endowment Incorporated• Office of Academic Affairs,

Manchester College• ACRES Land Trust, especially Tim

Kimmel, Rachel Sherman and Carolyn McNagny

• Kelli Griewank and Dan Chudzynski

1941 2005