Prairie Works

Bobcat Scratching Post

Bobcats, find it neccesary to scratch the bottom portion of trees just like house cats scratch furniture or a scratching post.

Bobcats do this to mark their territory but also to keep thier claws sharp. This is sometimes often accompanied by fecal remnants. I have noticed that they always choose a soft tree with smooth bark. Maples, Basswood, Red Cedar, young Elm and Cottonwood have all been preffered. They will also scratch the soil for the same purpose.

Many people would pass by these scratchings assuming that it was the more common Buck Rub, caused by male Deer. Closer examaination of a Bobcat scratch would reveal deep verticle scratches as a result of thier large claws.

So when walking through the woods look for these signs of Bobcat. As elusive as they are this is one way to  see them without seeing them.

http://www.prairieworksinc.com/2007/11/13/bobcats/ November 2007 post about the status of Bobcats in Northwest Illinois

An exciting new program is underway in McHenry County. We hope that it can spread through county and state lines. Project Quercus,  was started in 2006 and its mission is to explore options to protect, preserve and regenerate the oak woods.

Oak woods and Oak trees have been in steady decline for some time now. Due to the lack of fire in our woodlands, the over shading of woodlands, invasive species and a tendancy to not plant Oaks in landscaping, we have now become aware of the huge loss and lack of re-production that is occurring. Our oak-hickory woodlands have diminished by more than 88.5% since the time of European-American settlement (c. 1837). Oak woods once covered nearly 40% of the landscape, but today are found on barely 4% of the landscape. 

With their strong wood, sprawling branches, gnarly trunks and majestic heights. The Oak has long served as a symbol of Americana and the Midwest. But with little or no reproduction occurring it could be a piece for the history books, like an an old car relic rotting away in the countryside. “If nothing is done, the oak in McHenry County could disappear as aself-sustaining ecosystem during the next 20 years,” said Ed Collins, the McHenry County Conservation District’s natural resource manager. “Oaks give us a sense of place, of who we are. We are not the desert Southwest or the pine forests of the north,” Collins said. “We’re the upper Midwest marked by beautiful prairies and oak groves.”

A wide variety of plants, animals, insects and organisms depend on the oak ecosystem for survival. “Even more than their historical significance, that is the main reason the trees are so important,” said Lisa Haderlein, a member of the Land Conservancy of McHenry County. “They are much more valuable for wildlife for habitat and food because they have a nut,” she said. “If something doesn’t change in the next few years, we’ll start to see them fall and we won’t be able to replace them.”

Lets all try to do our part to promote the growth of the king tree of the Midwest. “Releasing” Oak trees is some of the most important and rewarding work that Prairie Works does.

Watch YouTube Video about Project Quercus

A new study released by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is showing some interesting statistics towards the future of the woodlands in Wisconsin. The study, conducted by the Pinchot Institute of Conservation, was conducted in 2007 by interviewing some 260 children of woodland owners throughout the state. It is easy to assume that these findings would mirror similar situations in Northern Illinois and Iowa.

Currently 9.1 million acres are owned by individuals and families throughout the state. Of these 9.1 million acres: 60% of owners are 55 years or older with 49% already being retired. 10% of these lands will be sold, subdivided or converted to non-forest uses in the next 5 years. Over half of the sons and daughters interviewed are not ready for forest ownership. The 20 year future of these lands are in question.

Will the next generation of owners decide to hold on to the living asset that they inherit? Or will it be more attractive to sell to development, logging or divide amongst the siblings?

Does the next generation have the same values and knowledge base as their parents? Will brothers and sisters be able to agree on what should be done?

Some of the preliminary answers can be found here:

http://dnr.wi.gov/forestry/private/tomorrow/study_key_findings.htm

The research has generated a much needed portrait of the next generation of woodland owners. It also offers insight on what the next generation of woodland owners value and what they believe will help or hinder their ability to own and manage a family inheritance. As you can assume, financial incentives and education will be crucial in order to keep these lands intact.

Thank you Wisconsin for funding this great study!

As of late the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) has slowly crept its way into our vocabulary. Many of you may have seen the purple traps set up throughout the county and the greater northern area of the state. The media and our govermental entities have given EAB a lot of attention here in the Midwest, and for good reason. Since its discovery in the Detroit, MI area in 2002 it has killed an estimated 100 million Ash trees in Michigan, Otnario, Indiana, and Ohio. It is now creeping into neighboring states. We are currently in the midst of the largest invasive species awareness campaign in Midwest history.

The Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis) attacks trees in the Ash (Fraxinus) genus only, a genus that comprises roughly 30 percent of our woodlands here in Northwest Illinois. The Ash trees found in this area include White Ash (F. americana) found in upland habitats, Green Ash (F. pennsyvanica) found in low lying areas, and Black Ash (F. nigra). If you have any of these species please let me know. The White Ash is used for making baseball bats and Green Ash is utilized by guitar makers due to its tonal properties. 

EAB is native to Asia and arrived here in packing material or in pallets, similar to how the Asian Longhorn Beetle arrived in Chicago in 1998. Unlike the Asian Longhorn Beetle, EAB has the ability to alter the composition and character of the countryside in the Midwest. This can effect fall color change, plant life on the woodland floor, and will create a new market for Ash wood. Ash trees are also a popular street tree due to their ability to withstand poor soil conditions and salt. Their disapearence will alter the appearance of nieghborhood streetscapes.  The residual effects of this disease can be astounding.

As scary as it sounds it has two comparables. Both in recent memory, both equally destructive and both accidentally introduced. Dutch Elm Disease was first reported in the United States in 1928, with the fungus-carrying beetles believed to have arrived in a shipment of logs from the Netherlands. The disease spread slowly from New England westward and southward, reaching the Detroit area in 1950, the Chicago area by 1960, and Minneapolis by 1970. Chestnut Blight arrived in America around 1900 and by 1950 had killed almost every Chestnut tree in existance, mainly on the East Coast and Appalachia where the tree is most common. Emerald Ash Borer will cause similar destruction if not contained.

Please refer to the websites listed below to see what you can do to identify the disease and prevent the spread.

http://www.emeraldashborer.info/ USDA Forest Service

http://www.agr.state.il.us/eab/ IL. Dept. of Agriculture’s Site

http://emeraldashborer.wi.gov/ The Comprehensive Wisconsin Site

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emerald_ash_borer The Complete ‘skinny’

Right now Dutchman’s Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) is in bloom. One of the first spring flowers to bloom, Dutchman’s Breeches is a sure sign that spring is here. It is grouped into the beloved plant system known as Woodland Ephemerals. This plant will disappear completely by June.

Dutchman’s Breeches is a common plant of Oak woodlands that have not been disturbed. It attains a hieght up to 12 inches and is most common on North facing slopes but will grow on any aspect. It is found in a huge range from Canada to Georgia and from the eastern seaboard to the Dakotas. It is found in most of Illinois’ and Wisconsin’s counties.

Dutchman’s Breeches is subject to a process called myrmecochory, wich means its seeds are spread by ants. The ants are attracted to its elaiosome organ and take the seeds back to thier nest where they consume the elaiosome then leave the seed in thier nest debris. This provides great germination conditions for the seed. For this reason you can find this plant growing in some odd locations. I have seen this plant growing in landscaped mulch beds on the North side of homes.

This is a very attractive plant but has a short bloom time. It’s cousin, Dicentra spectabilis, is native to Asia and is a very popular shade-tolerant ornamental flower here in America, commonly known as Bleeding Heart. Notice that the above picture was taken on April 14th of 2006. After the hard winter of 07-08 Dutchman’s was just beggining to poke through the ground at that time this year.

Dynamic plants adjusting to dynamic midwestern weather.

http://www.missouriplants.com/Whitealt/Dicentra_cucullaria_page.html Great pictures

Ephemeral – Existing only briefly

Spring is a great (and the only) time of year to view epehemeral ponds that lay scattered in our woodlands. Ephemeral ponds, sometimes called vernal pools, are a small but important ecosystem as they harbor many different amphibians, birds and plants. They increase the local biodiversity greatly when present and are a dynamic part of woodland ecosystems.

These ponds are depressions with obstructed drainage that hold water for a short period of time following snowmelt and spring rains but typically dry out by mid-summer. Common plants of these habitats include: Yellow water crowfoot (Ranunculus flabellaris), bluejoint grass (Calamagrostis canadensis), fowl manna grass (Glyceria striata), spotted cowbane (Cicuta maculata), smartweeds (Polygonum spp.), orange jewelweed (Impatiens capensis), and sedges (Carex spp.). During their existence these plants provide critical breeding habitat for many amphibians such as frogs and salamanders.

Ephemeral ponds also provide feeding, resting and breeding habitat for songbirds and a source of food and water for many mammals. They contribute to the biodiversity of a woodland in many ways. Ephemeral ponds fit into an eco-community context by the following attributes: their placement in woodlands, isolation, small size, hydrology and length of time they hold water. Trees adjacent to ephemeral ponds provide a variety of benefits such as maintaining cool water temperatures, preventing premature drying, and adding organic matter each fall. The annual input of leaves from trees around the pool support a detritus-based food web and a support a variety of invertebrates that are part of the food web.

Here, in the Driftless Area, ephemeral ponds are not as common as they are in flatter regions and are usually found in floodplains where the land is not sloped. I have noticed that old mining holes can behave similar to an ephemeral pond, but cannot hold water for very long. These little depressions are fun to watch over the year and should be enjoyed by any birder, animal lover or plant observer. 

http://watermonitoring.uwex.edu/level3/WIephemeral.htm SE Wisconsin’s Ephemeral Pond Project

http://www.vernalpool.org/ Great Learning Resource (get a t-shirt)

http://www.epa.gov/r5water/ephemeralwetlands/ The E.P.A.’s information

Now that snow has fallen and temperatures have dropped, the controlled burn season has ended and the brush clearing season has begun. Our woodlands are easily traversed now and the ground is solid, making invasive brush removal efficient and reducing disturbance. Invasive shrubs, low quality trees, and understory woody species that are crowding Bur and White Oaks are easily removed in the winter.  Invasive shrubs include species such as Honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.), Autumn Olive (Elaeagnus umbellata), Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) and Prickly Ash (Xanthium strumarium). Low quality trees include Box Elder (Acer negundo), Black Locust (Robinia psuedoacacia), Choke Cherry (Prunus virginiana) and Maples (Acer spp.). When spring begins the cleared woodland begins to recover from encroachment. Byproducts of this management technique are low quality firewood and brush piles.

Brush piles are constructed by placing the cut materials into piles. Brush piles make for less labor hours, prevent machinery from entering the restoration area and provide habitat for a variety of fauna. Songbirds use the top branches for perching and the small dead peices for nest building. Mammals, such as fox, rabbit, bobcat, squirrel and coyote, will utilize brush piles for dens if they are remote or for shelter in inclimate weather. Many amphibians use them for those same purposes and countless insects utilize the decaying wood. 

When brush is very dense there can be many piles created or piles can become very large. In this situation, specfic piles can be burned to eliminate the quantity and size of them. Blowers with cruise control settings are used to consume piles faster and to reduce the size of the burn scar that is created. An inexpensive and easy-to-establish seed mix should be planted on top of the burn scar to assist in healing and to provide a starting point for native grasses to spread.

 Newly constructed piles are sometimes larger than desired but they will usually decrease by 50% as gravity and snow weight compress them to a shorter stature. There are three options for managing brush piles: they can be lit on fire shortly after they are piled, they can remain on site as habitat or they can sit until a controlled burn is performed, at which time the piles are consumed. In very large restoration projects a pit us dug and several thick tree trunks are layed across the top. Piles are then constructed on top of that while air is injected into the cavity below. This pit fire method consumes piles very quickly and leaves the ash to fall in the hole, which is then filled with soil.

A seemingly simple task turned into a science by land managers.