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Upland Natural Communi#y Descriptions and Managem�nt Recommendations <br />The uplands in Reservoir Woods include oak woodland/forest, prairie, and some lo�vlattd <br />hardwood forest. Also, because of a massive pine planting effort in the early 1900's, there is a <br />nice pin-hardwoad forest here. The earliest planted pines will soon approach 100 years of age. <br />This curios pine forest, along with the quality oak and prairie communities rnake this park a <br />natural gem, almost unheard of so cIose to the core of a densely popu(ated urban area. <br />Cotxamunity RW-U1 <br />1V�esic Oak Forest <br />Qualitative Rank: BC <br />Nannative Shrub Rank: 13 <br />This oak forest is on a slight to modcrate north-facing hillside on the southwest side of Reservoir <br />Woods. The canopy of this forest is generally closed with bur, white, red, and pin oaks being the <br />most common trees. These average approximately 12-.18 inches across the cornznunity. Other, <br />smaller trees that have grown up under the oaks include black chcrry, American elm, and green <br />ash. Where canopy gaps occur between the oaks, these younber trees have, or �vill soon fill them <br />in. <br />The shrub layer includes a moderately large number of species and includes both small trees and <br />true shz-ubs. Thc most common shrub are the nonnatives European and glossy buckthorn. Other <br />members of the shrub layer that were frequently encountered include boxelder, green ash, black <br />raspberry, �oosebeny and red-berried elder. <br />The ground layer composition is moderately poor in the so�th portion of this community but is <br />better quality along the north portion. Here ferns and forbs characteristic of oak forest are more <br />common and provide better overall community composition to the forest. Nonnative shrubs such <br />as European and glossy buckthorn has also likely been a factor in delayin� the establishment of <br />«oodland flo�vcrs and �raminoids. T'hc ground layer also indicates a history of �razing because <br />of tt�e fairly common thorny species. <br />Cin• of Roseti�rlle 1 Z 1 <br />Parks rVattrral Resoerrce Ma�aage�ttej2t <br />