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CNC’s Rare Treasure: Our Old Growth Forest

Explore the geologic history, forest layers, and unique features of the Krippendorf Forest. Discover the horticultural legacy and defining species of this old growth forest, as well as the challenges it faces today, including invasive species.

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CNC’s Rare Treasure: Our Old Growth Forest

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  1. CNC’s Rare Treasure:Our Old Growth Forest Bill Hopple

  2. 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

  3. A Forest over A Sea

  4. 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

  5. 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

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

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

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

  9. Cincinnati Bioregion4 Ecoregions Defined by: • Geology • Topography • Climate • Hydrology • Soil type • Vegetation • Wildlife • Land Use

  10. Loamy, High Lime Till Plains Eco-region Wisconsinan deposits -rolling landscape -clay, silt, sand, boulders -alkaline, fertile soils -Beech-Maple Forest Loam - Soil composed of sand, silt, clay

  11. Hills of Bluegrass Eco-region -unglaciated -narrow ridges and valleys -neutral, well drained soils -Oak Hickory Forest

  12. Outer Bluegrass Eco-region -thin glacial till -moderately sloped -neutral well-drained soils -Mixed Mesophytic Forest

  13. 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

  14. Ohio Vegetation

  15. Ohio 1803

  16. Ohio 1903

  17. Ohio 2003

  18. Forest Layers • Canopy • Understory • Sub-Canopy • Shrub Layer • Forest Floor • Herbs and Vines

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

  20. 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).

  21. Beech-Maple Forest

  22. 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.

  23. Mixed Mesophytic (Mesic) Forest

  24. 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.

  25. Oak-Hickory Forest

  26. 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.

  27. Bottomland Hardwood Forest

  28. 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

  29. 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

  30. Carl & Mary Krippendorf • 1897 Carl purchased 75 acres in Perintown • 1900 House built as a wedding present

  31. Wildwood/Groesbeck Property

  32. Rowe Woods Vegetation Zones

  33. CNC Vegetation Descriptions

  34. Forest Layers • Canopy • Understory • Sub-Canopy • Shrub Layer • Herbs and Vines

  35. Sub-canopy • Paw Paw • Dogwood • Buckeye • Sassafras • Redbud

  36. Paw Paw

  37. Dogwood

  38. Buckeye

  39. Sassafras

  40. Redbud

  41. Shrub Layer • Spicebush • Service Berry • Bladdernut • Leatherwood • Buttonbush

  42. Spicebush

  43. Service Berry

  44. Bladdernut

  45. Leatherwood

  46. Buttonbush

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