Chinquapin Oaks on Bloody Hill, Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield, Missouri
Mlekush K. 2011. Chinquapin Oaks on Bloody Hill, Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield, Missouri. Natural Resource Data Series. NPS/HTLN/NRDS—2011/155. National Park Service, Natural Resource Program Center. Fort Collins, Colorado
Bloody Hill is an area at Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield which saw major battle during the civil war in 1861, it also includes the historically important glade where much of the battle happened. On Bloody Hill, prairie grasses are prominent and along with a mixture of prairie forbs, interspersed with trees and shrubs, create a savanna-like appearance. Chinquapin oaks (Quercus muhlenbergii Engelm.) occur primarily on calcareous cliffs, glades and upland woods (Steyermark, 1972). The Chinquapin oak is a climax tree on dry soils, particularly of limestone origin (Nelson, 1987). It is moderately shade tolerant when young, but becomes increasingly intolerant of shade with age. In the open, trees usually develop a short trunk and broad crown (Tirmenstein, 1991). Individual trees of this species typically occupy the dominant or co-dominant layers in the overstory canopy. This study sets out to characterize the current condition of Chinquapin oaks across Bloody Hill.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Mlekush, Karola
- Date of Issue
- 2011-04
- Publisher
- National Park Service, Natural Resource Program Center
- Units
- HTLN , NRSS , WICR
- Keywords
- HTLN Plant Communities Monitoring