Meeting a Rare Ecosystem:
A Walk at Prairie Creek Barrens
Daviess County, Indiana
July 27, 2013
(Note: I am polishing up and publishing this blog
entry during the cool days of early spring, 2014, though the walk took place
during the heat of July, 2013. Finishing
this article had been delayed for a long time, due to the number and difficulty
of details I needed to research and verify, but the walk and what was learned
from it were so valuable that I was determined to publish it, no matter how long
after the event. I learned a great deal
that day, and through the time spent working on the fine-tuning. There are some details I am still not 100%
certain about. On those, I placed an asterisk (*). I would be very pleased to have more
knowledgeable people send me corrections and enhance my knowledge, and then I
will edit those particular spots in the text.)
**************
It was late July in southern Indiana, and I was going to
spend some hours walking in an open, sunny, hot, prickly prairie. I must admit that if it were a normal
southern Indiana late July, I would not have gone, because I know that my
prefer-the-cold constitution would not have tolerated it. But, we were having an unusually cool summer,
so far, and it was truly a nice day. I
am glad that happened, or I would have missed a great opportunity to walk
Prairie Creek Barrens with some fellow INPAWS (Indiana Native Plant and
Wildflower Society) members, led by two of Indiana's greatest living
naturalists.
It was, certainly, a rare opportunity. First of all, though the site is now a state
nature preserve, access is through private property, so permission must be
obtained. Secondly, this type of
ecosystem, a sand barren, has become rare in the state, though it used to
occupy a healthy portion of southwest Indiana.
This sandy hill area, or barren, is described as a “natural grassland
community with droughty conditions and sparse tree growth”. They are all but gone.
Thank goodness our leaders, Michael Homoya and Harold
Allison, had seen to it that this 85-acre spot near Washington, Indiana was
bought and preserved in 1999, and that the altered section was restored. Michael Homoya is a Botanist and Plant
Ecologist with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Nature
Preserves. He has spent many years
locating and identifying plants in the state's nature preserves, and is the
author of Orchids of Indiana, as well
as Wildflowers and Ferns of Indiana Forests: A Field Guide. Harold Allison, a native of Daviess County,
is a well-known and respected naturalist, historian and columnist. He is also the author of The Tragic Saga of the Indiana Indians and Indiana’s Rare and Unusual Trees.
We entered the site via private property (unfortunately, I
arrived just a little too late for the meeting with the landowner, and so I
missed hearing the family history of the property).
We then walked through woodland, arriving in the lower, wet
portion of the site, which had been preserved but not replanted. After we explored this area, we went to the
sand hills in the upper portion, which is under restoration. Previous to purchase, the upper portion had
been planted in row crops.
We headed down into the lower area.
Homoya explained that when they first came to
the site, there were a lot of River Birch trees, which caused much shade. They hired a bulldozer to get rid of them.
Michael Homoya showing a Winged Loosestrife (Lythrum
alatum)
There was concern, of course, about whether or not native plants
would appear and remain at the site.
But, as Homoya explained, “sand is very forgiving.” Sand holds a seed bank, so the seed persists,
and then is exposed to light. They found
that the older native species did germinate, and that the site contained at
least ten species listed as state-rare.
There were two species that had never been seen in Indiana before.
Creeping St. John's Wort (Hypericum adpressum)
This plant, listed as Endangered in Indiana, was found in
Prairie Creek Barrens at the southern tip of its range. Charles Deam, an early Indiana botanist and
author of The Flora of Indiana, found
it at Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife area in northern Indiana. It is mostly a coastal southern species, but
is very common in Prairie Creek Barrens, due to the sand.
(notice that, on the notebook page, I had written “6/27/13” -
indeed, the weather was much more like a June day than late July!)
Seedbox –Ludwigia alternifolia* in bloom
Seedbox in bloom, among other plants. Some may be going to seed.
A view in the lower area:
great diversity on the prairie.
Soft-Stemmed Bulrush – Scirpus validus*
The same plant, in unripe, green stage*.
Maryland Meadow-Beauty (Rhexia mariana)
Maryland Meadow-Beauty is a rare species. Kay Yatskievych, author of Wildflowers of Indiana, lists R. mariana as an Endangered
varietal (she also lists the varietal interior as one on the Watch
List.)
I learned about a different kind of pollination at the same
time that I learned about this plant.
Homoya explained that the stamens, though yellow, look very smooth, as
if they have no pollen. But, a bumblebee
causes pollination by its vibration when it visits the plant for nectar. This method is called “buzz sonication”.
A photographer stalks some native prairie plants. Or is he stalking pollinators?
Small-Flowered Agrimony (Agrimonia parsiflora)
Homoya holds up a specimen of False Hop Sedge (Carex
lupuliformis), which is rare in Indiana.
In fact, it is rare and local where it occurs. It has longer spikes than other sedges.
I know next to nothing about sedges (or rushes, or
grasses). I do know that “sedges have
edges”. Obviously, I have a great deal
more to learn!
Homoya removes a seed from False Hop Sedge (Carex lupuliformis)
The seed of False Hop Sedge (Carex lupuliformis). Notice the triangular shape.
The little item on top of the leaf is the achene of Ravenfoot
or Crowfoot Fox Sedge (Carex crus-corvi)*. It is sitting on top of a
Buttonbush leaf that is full of insect galls.
“There are over 130 species of Carex in Indiana, from
lots of habitats”, Homoya explained (uh-oh – I have a lot to learn!). “Learn the sedges to learn the communities”.
Okay, that's my assignment – I'm going to tackle this
thing. But, the only book I find about
sedges in Indiana is Sedges of Indiana
and the Adjacent States: the Non-Carex Species by Paul Rothrock, the
sedge expert in Indiana. Read that
again: “The Non-Carex Species”! More searching is in order.
This is Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) as it
is going to seed. It likes “wet feet”
and full sun.
This beauty is Crimson-Eyed Swamp Rose-Mallow (Hibiscus
palastris, forma peckii). The
Swamp Rose-Mallow is pink or white, but this variation is white with a red
center. Kay Yatskiewicz calls it simply
Rose-Mallow: Hibiscus moscheutos,
subspecies lasiocarpus and subspecies moscheutos (also called Hibiscus
palustris). Yes, I know, it sounds
confusing! Such is botanical
nomenclature. If this plant is
subspecies lasiocarpus, then it is an endangered species, but I'm
thinking this one is subspecies moscheutos. I hope someone clarifies this for me.
Whatever it is really called, it is a stunning plant in bloom
on the prairie.
Rough Buttonweed (Diodia teres).
This is in the family Rubiaceae, which is the
family that also contains the Coffee tree.
Some late-comers arrive.
How did they find the group?
Power lines line the site. Homoya explained that the power
lines were there before they found the site.
Unfortunately, herbicides were used under them to control “weeds”, and
some rare plants were lost. But, some
individuals reappeared after the use of herbicides ended. There is an agreement to not use herbicides
there, but to control the area under the power lines with mowing (fire under
power lines is not allowed).
Here, you can see the orange flowers of Trumpet Creeper (Campsis radicans), the fading purple of
Ironweed (genus Vernonia) and the
yellow of Goldenrod (genus Solidago).
One INPAWS member gets camera help from another.
Next we moved to the upland (sand hill) area, which is the
one undergoing restoration with several thousand plugs from plant
nurseries. Recall that this area
previously was planted in row crops.
Camphorweed (Heterotheca subaxillaris)*
For the restoration, they first needed to determine what
plants would have been native to this place.
They did not know exactly what species had been in the hills, so they
compiled a list of species for repopulation of the site. Early 20th century botanists
Charles Deam, Dorothy Lawlis, Ray Friesner and Ralph Kriebel explored nearby
sand barren remnants in the 1930's and 1940's.
They also collected specimens that are now available to see in herbariums. Some species were found listed in Deam's
collection from Herschel Green Woods*.
Homoya and Allison were not going to purchase seed for the
site. “We wanted the genes that were
here ... to ensure that the genetics are preserved in this area”, Homoya
explained. So, next they had to go searching
for these plants and this seed, and for the remnants of land where they might
find them, using the list of species compiled and information gathered from the
writings of the early Indiana botanists.
Partridge-Pea (Chamaecrista foasciculata)
"We focused on (finding) seed within five miles from this
site”, Homoya explained.
And so it began. So
many remnants had been disappearing, and were continuing to disappear, so this
was likely the last chance to find and obtain genetically and ecologically
appropriate seed. They searched “little
scraps of land”; road cuts, ditch banks, cemeteries, abandoned rail lines and
other bits of land where such plants could persist.
Harold Allison
Allison added, “Landowners were very good about letting us
come on their property to collect (seeds and plants)”. In fact, they were told by some that they had
better get in and collect soon, as the particular spots were going to be altered.
“Lots of places where we got seed for this are no longer in
existence. Our dream was to find another
place like this (Prairie Creek Barrens), but we haven't found it.”
Slender-Stalked Gaura (Gaura filipes) - a state rare plant.
Next, they needed to plant the seeds and grow plants to
restore the site. Some seeds were
direct-sown, but many were started in nurseries. Homoya created a seed nursery in his “own
back yard”, and some were grown by Spence Restoration Nursery of Muncie,
Indiana. The plants flourished in
cultivation.
It was then time to add the nursery-grown plants to the
restoration site, with the help of over 100 volunteers. Homoya told that “we started planting the
site ten years ago and planted gradually for five years.”
The first planting effort was “devastating” - when they
returned to the site, they found that an animal had pulled up all of the
specimens!
But, they persevered.
“Of the thirty to forty species we planted, some individuals are still here. Hopefully we can get seed from them”.
Clustered Poppy-Mallow (Callirhoe triangulata),
protected by a chicken wire cage.
Homoya pointed out that this Clustered Poppy-Mallow is “at
the eastern end of its range.” It is the
progeny of a single plant (the only known specimen, near Oaktown,
Indiana). From the writings of early
botanists, it is known that the plant was plentiful in 1933. It is self-compatible, meaning that a flower
can pollinate another flower on the same plant.
The seed for this plant was germinated at Kankakee Sands Nature Preserve
in northern Indiana. Nineteen of them
germinated and survived.
Homoya noted that the replanting project for the hills will
be a “several human generations project”.
And, so, the project continues: gathering seed, germinating seed and raising
plants, replanting them in the hills, watching them and hoping for good
survival rate, seed production and seed dispersal, and gathering more seed....
This is a project for those, such as Michael Homoya, Harold
Allison and many volunteers, who are dedicated to seeing an almost-lost
ecosystem in Indiana regenerated for future generations.
We continued up the hills...
Green-Flowered Milkweed (Asclepias vividiflora)
Goats-Rue (Tephrosia virginiana), a legume, in flower
Goat's Rue seed pods
The seed for this plant was direct-sown into the site. It is very local in Indiana, growing only in
sandy or rocky areas.
There are a number of native grasses in the site, including
Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), Sideoats Grama (Boutelona
curtipendula) and Sand Dropseed (Sporobolus cryptandrus). The Sideoats Grama seed came from a tiny road
cut and fencerow.
Allison noted that there are some very interesting animals
here, too. The Ornate Box Turtle, a sand
barrens species, was found here in recent times, on the very eastern edge of
its range. It is very rare: before this, the last specimen was found 60
years ago, killed on the road nearby.
Allison also mentioned that there are badger burrows in the
nearby woods, and that there have been fifteen sightings of Bobcat at Prairie
Creek Barrens.
Purple Prairie-Clover (Dalea pupurea)
White Prairie-Clover (Dalea candida)
Seed for the White Prairie-Clover was gotten from a railroad
area south of Vincennes, Indiana, from only a couple of plants.
Narrow-Leaved Day-Flower (Commelina erecta) is a
native Dayflower species.
Most Dayflower species seen in Indiana are non-natives: Common Dayflower (C. communis), which is the species most often seen, and Creeping
Dayflower (C. diffusa). There is one other native species besides C. erecta: Virginia Dayflower (C. virginica).
Wild Petunia (Ruellia humilis)
Scaly Blazing-Star (Liatris squarrosa)
Switchgrass, or Sand Switchgrass (Panicum
virgatum)*
Entire-Leaved Rosinweed (Silphium integrifolium)
I am not sure if this is Hairy (Scutellaria elliptica) or
Downy (S. incana) Skullcap, though I am leaning toward Hairy*. The specimens in this photo were fading. It is easy to confuse the two species, but a
close look at the actual plants, especially the hairs on the stems and leaf
veins, probably would have convinced me which one it was.
Pale Indian Plantain (Arnoglossum atriplicifolium)
Young Sand Hickory trees (Carya pallida)
Sally Weeks, in Native
Trees of the Midwest, describes Sand Hickory as “extremely rare in the
Midwest”. A small hickory of sandy
knolls, it is easily identifiable by the “sulfur-yellow cast” of its leaves,
twigs and fruit.
Blackjack Oak tree (Quercus marilandica)
Another small tree, the Blackjack Oak is a resident of very
dry sites, common to barrens (and, recall that we have been losing sand barrens
in Indiana). It tends to become stunted
and gnarled with “persistent lower limbs”, making things difficult for pioneers
who were trying to cross the prairie. A
distinguishing feature is the very shiny leaf shaped like a duck's foot.
Post Oak tree (Quercus stellata)
The Post Oak is also called “iron oak” for its very tough,
durable, knotty wood (used for fence posts and railroad cross ties). This small- to medium-sized tree can be found
on the poorest soils, often in barrens with Blackjack Oak. It used to be the dominant tree at Prairie
Creek Barrens.
Blackjack Oak, Post Oak, and a mature Sand Hickory
These three trees, standing boldly like the Three Tenors,
were all commonly seen at this site in former times.
Insects are numerous and diverse in prairies. The Praying Mantis, an adept predator but
also food for larger animals, is part of this ecosystem.
Two INPAWS walkers examine another prairie grass, a Big
Bluestem plant (Andropogon gerardii).
Our leaders also mentioned Blue Joint Grass (Calamagrostis
canadensis). As Homoya said, this
was “the only place we've seen it in southern Indiana.”
We started heading
back downhill.
Hazelnut/American Hazelnut/Filbert (Corylus americana)
This native shrub, according to Sally Weeks, “typically
reaches 10-12 feet tall”, but they can develop a dense thicket “created by
numerous root suckers”, as they seem to have done here.
Meadow Sweet/Meadow Spirea (Spireae alba)
This woody shrub of the Rose family, with pencil-thick stems,
is listed as State-Endangered in Kentucky and Tennessee, according to Sally
Weeks. Allison said that this was
“gotten from a site that is now destroyed”.
Homoya added that they got it “in the nick of time”.
We headed back toward the woods, at the end of our walk.
And so the INPAWS walk at Prairie Creek Barrens ended. I did not end up with bug bites, Poison Ivy
rash or a heat stroke. But, I did end up
with a new knowledge of a place called a “sand barren”, an increase in my store
of plant knowledge, and also the knowledge that I had much to learn about
grasses, sedges and rushes.
What I also took along with me was a tremendous appreciation
for the work, dedication and love-of-nature of these two individuals: Michael
Homoya and Harold Allison. I sincerely
hope that future generations continue these efforts and that Prairie Creek
Barrens continues to flourish.
***********************************************************************************
I saw this bumper sticker on the vehicle of one of the
walkers, which attests to the breadth of interest, experience and involvement
of INPAWS members.
The organization is Wild
Ones: Native Plants, Natural Landscapes, with the lovely motto “Healing the
Earth One Yard at a Time”. They are
dedicated to encouraging and helping people to transform their lawns to
beautiful areas full of native plants that attract and help our native
pollinators.
How many Monarch butterflies have you seen this year?
The web site address has changed since this bumper
sticker. The address is now:
Learn more about the Indiana
Native Plant and Wildflower Society and its activities and programs, as
well as native and invasive plants, by exploring the web site:
***********************************************************************************
**Plants mentioned on the walk that I am unsure about, or I
don’t have photos of them: Bouteloua curtipendula (Sideoats grama), Calamagrostis
canadensis (Blue Joint Grass), Carex
oklahomensis (Oklahoma Sedge – endangered in Indiana), Cyperus
pseudovegetus (Marsh Flat Sedge), Juncus
effusus (Soft Rush/Common Rush), Schizachyrium
scoparium (Little Bluestem), Sporobolus
crytandrus (Sand Dropseed).
**Plants mentioned in the INPAWS Journal article “Partial
List of Species Introduced into Prairie Creek Barrens” that are not pictured or
mentioned in my article: Asclepias amplexicaulis (Sand Milkweed),
Aster patens (Purple Daisy), Coreopsis tripteris (Tall Tickseed), Desmodium sessilifolium (Sessile-leaved
Tick Trefoil), Galactia volubilis
(Mississippi Milk Pea), Kuhnia
eupatorioides (False Boneset), Lespedeza
capitata (Round-headed Bush Clover), Monarda
fistulosa (Wild Bergamot), Penstemon
calycosus (Smooth Beard Tongue), Sorghastrum mutans (Indian Grass), Sporobolus clandestinus (Rough Rush
Grass) and Ratibida pinnata (Yellow
Coneflower).
Resources Used:
Ford, Wendy; “Hike Report:
Prairie Creek Barrens”: http://www.inpaws.org/2013/hike-report-prairie-creek-barrens
“Hike Prairie Creek Barrens Restoration July 27” (information
about upcoming INPAWS hike): http://www.inpaws.org/2013/hike-prairie-creek-barrens-restoration-july-27/
Homoya, Michael; “Restoring Prairie Creek Barrens One Step at
a Time”; INPAWS Journal; Vol. 12, #4, Winter 2005-06: http://www.inpaws.org/images/resources/Journal/PDFs/Winter2005_06.pdf
Knobel, Edward; Field
Guide to the Grasses, Sedges and Rushes of the United States; Dover
Publications, Inc., New York, 1980.
Namestnik, Scott; “Southern Indiana Sedgin”; blog: Get Your Botany On; June 28, 2009: http://www.getyourbotonyon.blogspot.com/2009/06/southern-indiana-sedgin.html
Nichols, Stan, and Lynn Entine; Prairie Primer; University of Wisconsin-Extension (no publication
date).
Weeks, Sally S., and Harmon P. Weeks, Jr.; Shrubs and Woody Vines of Indiana and the
Midwest: Identification, Wildlife
Values, and Landscaping Use; Purdue University Press; West Lafayette,
Indiana; 2012.
Weeks,
Sally S, Harmon P. Weeks, Jr. and George R. Parker; Native Trees of the Midwest: Identification, Wildlife Values, and
Landscaping Use; Rev. and Expanded Second Edition; Purdue University Press;
West Lafayette, Indina; 2010.
Yatskievych, Kay; Field
Guide to Indiana Wildflowers; Indiana University Press; Bloomington,
Indiana; 2000.
Various web sites
consulted for comparison and identification of species:
plants.usda.gov
Books by Michael A.
Homoya:
Orchids of Indiana;
Indiana University Press; Bloomington, Indiana; 1993.
Wildflowers and Ferns
of Indiana Forests: A Field Guide; Indiana University Press; Bloomington,
Indiana; 2012.
Books by Harold
Allison:
Indiana’s Rare and
Unusual Trees; Harold Allison; Washington, Indiana; 1977.
Tragic Saga of the
Indiana Indians; Graphic Design of Indiana; 1986.
And ... a special thanks to all whose hands are in the photos - they graciously held plants and seeds for my camera.
