2002 Draft Natural Resources Management

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Upland Natural Community Descriptions and Management Recommendations Central Park hosts a number of upland natural communities, including aak woodland-brushland and lowland hardwood forest. Some 50 to 100 years ago, most of the upland landscapes within the park would have been more open, with scattered groves of oak trees near Bcnnett Lake and grasses, pezhaps prairie, under them. Morc recently, xn the absence of periodic fire and grazing, these open areas were pioneered by trees typical of low-lying areas. Many areas in the upper Midwest exf�ibit similar characteristics and wilJ go through a maturation process. Community CP-Ui Oal� Woodland-brushland Qualitative Rank: D Nonnative Shrub Rank: 15 This community includes two parcels one on the northeast side of Bennett Lake and the other on the southwest side of Bennett Lake. The northeast segment includcs a narrow strip of floodplain forest along the share of thc iake, as well as the trail system and some tree/shrub plantings. Here, the oldest trees are widely scattercd larger bur oak, with stands of younger boxelder, quaking aspen, green ash, and cottonwood present. Nonnatives black locust and Si6erian elm are also present here in zrzoderately low numbers. Nlost of the younger trees are less than 10 inches in diameter. The shrub layer is moderate in thickness in most places with young areen ash and boxelder being most common. Other notabie members of the shrub layer here include common elder, juneberry, and the nonnatives European and glossy buckthorn, Tartarian honeysuckle, Siberian elm, Russian olive, black locust, ar►d whitc rriulbcrry. The ground layer varies frarr� sparse and poor quality in areas that have recenily been colonized by trees, to moder�te yuality in areas ��here prairie species persist. Nonnatives are common in City vf Roseville $5 Yctrks Nat�rral Resoru-ce Matiagenteitt