2002 Natural Resources Management

Home

Community AC -U2 Oak Woodland - brushland Qualitative Rank: D Nonnative Shrub Rank: 21 Large, open -grown white and pin oak averaging over 20 inches in diameter characterize this community that occurs with a disc golf course. The oaks have intermingling crowns in some places, but are separated by some distance in others. The overall canopy cover for the community approaches 100 percent here because the gaps between the large oaks have been filled in by younger, fast - growing trees. Some of the most common of these include quaking aspen, black cherry, green ash, and cottonwood. There are also select locations where trees have been planted, including jack pine and silver maple. The shrub layer is dense to nearly impenetrable in some locations and dominated by the nonnatives glossy and European buckthorn. Nonnatives that were planted here include caragana and maples. Native plants in that occur at least occasionally in the shrub layer include red - berried elder, black raspberry, black cherry, and boxelder. The ground layer is very disturbed here with only a few natives capable of tolerating disturbance, as well as nonnatives present. Natives found here include common milkweed, Canada goldenrod, white avens, and enchanter's nightshade. Nonnatives in the ground layer include deadly nightshade, butter - and -eggs, smooth brome, Kentucky bluegrass, and perennial ryegrass. Although the large oaks are still present here, much of the remainder of the composition and structure of this community has been altered by grazing, encroachment by nonnative brush and trees, and very importantly soil compaction. Also, the amount of foot traffic associated with the disc golf course is causing severe soil compaction, which is slowly killing the oak trees. This compactions is also hindering recovery of the shrub and ground layer in this community. For these reasons, this oak community was given a much lowered rank of "D ". City of Roseville 67 Parks Natural Resource Management