Deep Woods

Geobotany

1. Ohio can be divided into two parts, the western part and the eastern part. The western part is dominated by limestone which is prone to eroding therefore the western portion of Ohio tends to be flat. The eastern part is dominated by sandstone which allows water to pass through it, therefore making sandstone resistant to erosion. There are also portions of eastern Ohio where sandstone lays on top of shale that like limestone is prone to erosion. Thus the eastern portion of Ohio contains deep valleys and hills.
2. The original sequence from deepest to shallowest of sedimentary rock in Ohio went limestone, shale, sandstone. 200 million years ago there was an arch that was made up of those sedimentary rock which the crest ran north/south in the western portion and led down to the toe in the east. At the same time hisotrically there was a stream named the “Teays”, it flowed for about 200 million years eroding the land along the way. The glaciers curtailed this stream when they descended during the Ice Age.
3. What stopped the glaciers from moving further south was the steep sandstone hills in the eastern portion of Ohio.
4. Glacial till is defined as a mix of unsorted sand, silt, clay, and boulders. In western Ohio till is found there as a blanket rich in lime and clay. This is contrasted with eastern Ohio having till that is lacking in lime and clay.
5. The basic substrate in western Ohio is limy, clayey till which is poorly drained and not well aerated. In eastern Ohio the basic substrate is acidic and low in nutrients which is well drained and aerated.
6. Five species of trees/shrubs that occur in areas dominated by limestone substrates are:
   1. Redbud (Cercis canadensis)
   2. Red-cedar (Juniperus virginiana)
   3. Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis)
   4. Blue Ash (Fraxinus quadrangulata)
   5. Chinquapin Oak (Quercus muehlenbergii)
7. Five species of trees/shrubs that occur in areas dominated by high-lime and clay-rich substrates are:
   1. Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum)
   2. Beech (Fagus grandifolia)
   3. Shagbark Hickory (Carya ovata)
   4. White Oak (Quercus alba)
   5. White Ash (Fraxinus americana)
8. Five species of trees/shrubs that occur in the sandstone hills of eastern ohio are:
   1. Greenbrier (Smilax glauca)
   2. Chestnut Oak (Quercus montana)
   3. Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum)
   4. Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis)
   5. Mountain Maple (Acer spicatum)
9. Sweet buckeye does not occur in the glaciated portion of Ohio, it is thought that this has to do with the climate or repopulation problems. Hemlock has similar distribution as sweet buckeye, however it continues further north in the unglaciated portion of Ohio. It is thought that hemlocks are restricted to cool, moist environments. Rhododendron only occurs in the unglaciated are of Ohio, it is thought to be distributed in the historic valleys of the Teays River.

Plants We All Observed

1. Four plants that we saw on our trip that are associated with acidic sandstone substrate are:
   1. Deerberry (Vaccinium stamineum) is valued by wildlife such as bees, birds, and mammals for its flowers and fruit, which is edible to humans as well (Source: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/vaccinium-stamineum/).

      

   2. Blueberry (Vaccinium pallidum) has fruit that is desirable to humans which can be eaten raw or cooked. It has showy foliage in the fall which turns reddish/orange. (Source https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/vaccinium-pallidum/)

      

   3. Chestnut Oak (Quercus prinus) gets its name from the resemblance its leaves have to American Chestnut leaves. It has the ability to reach up to 60 feet in height and 50 feet wide if its in an open area. (Source https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/plants-trees/broad-leaf-trees/chestnut-oak-quercus-prinus#:~:text=Chestnut%20Oak%20is%20also%20listed,encompassing%20the%20greater%20Appalachian%20area.)

      

   4. Pink Ladies’ Slipper (Cypripedium acaule) is a rare beautiful orchid that is pollinated mainly by bumblebees. Charles Darwin wrote about this pollination in one of his writings. (Source: https://ohiodnr.gov/discover-and-learn/plants-trees/flowering-plants/pink-ladys-slipper#:~:text=Pink%20Lady’s%2Dslipper%20(Cypripedium%20acaule)&text=DISTRIBUTION%3A%20Widely%20scattered%20and%20local,that%20it%20hardly%20looks%20real.)

      

2. Two ferns that we had the pleasure of observing were:
   1. Cinnamon fern
      1. Frond type: Holodimorphic
      2. Frond dissection: Pinnate-pinnatifid
      3. Indusium type: Peltate

         

   2. Interrupted fern
      1. Frond type: Hemidimorphic
      2. Frond dissection: Pinnate-pinnatifid
      3. Indusium type: Naked

         

3. Two invasive plants we unfortunately encountered were:
   1. Multiflora Rose
      1. Origin: Native to China, Japan, and Korea it was intorduced to the U.S. in 1866 as an ornamental. In the 1930’s the U.S. Soil conservation Service promoted the use of it for erosion control, living fences for livestock, and wildlife cover. (Source: https://nyis.info/invasive_species/multiflora-rose/#:~:text=Multiflora%20rose%2C%20Rosa%20multiflora%2C%20also,for%20grafted%20ornamental%20rose%20cultivars.)
      2. Ecological effects: It prolifically reseeds itself and the seeds stay viable in soil for up to 20 years. Root sprouts are also possible along with layering which is when the tip of a plant can sprout roots when it touches the soil. It forms dense thickets that can out compete native vegetation readily. (Source: https://nyis.info/invasive_species/multiflora-rose/#:~:text=Multiflora%20rose%2C%20Rosa%20multiflora%2C%20also,for%20grafted%20ornamental%20rose%20cultivars.)
      3. Recommended control measures: Hand pull saplings and small plants, repeated cuttings every year for multiple years has shown effective. Herbicide can be used however it will monitoring for potential reapplications. (Source: https://nyis.info/invasive_species/multiflora-rose/#:~:text=Multiflora%20rose%2C%20Rosa%20multiflora%2C%20also,for%20grafted%20ornamental%20rose%20cultivars.)

         

   2. Japanese Stiltgrass
      1. Origin: Native to Asia, it is thought to have been introduced to the U.S. through use as packing material. (Source: https://nyis.info/invasive_species/japanese-stiltgrass/#:~:text=inhibit%20seed%20germination.-,History,a%20packing%20material%20for%20porcelain.)
      2. Ecological effects: It has the ability to overtake large areas by the ease that its seeds travel, through water and soil movement and by producing roots at node joints. (Source: https://nyis.info/invasive_species/japanese-stiltgrass/#:~:text=inhibit%20seed%20germination.-,History,a%20packing%20material%20for%20porcelain.)
      3. Recommended control measures: Hand pull small clusters, do so in late summer to ensure the seeds don’t have enough time to germinate before winter. Mowing is another option, keep the timing the same, late summer. Herbicides have been effective with management of the site, however there are reports of it becoming resistant. (Source: https://nyis.info/invasive_species/japanese-stiltgrass/#:~:text=inhibit%20seed%20germination.-,History,a%20packing%20material%20for%20porcelain.)

         

4. Bear corn is a parasitic plant that doesn’t produce chlorophyll and lives off the roots of trees, it prefers oaks. It belongs to the Orobanchaceae family. (Source: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/conopholis-americana/)

   

5. We observed two species of trees that are in trouble:
   1. Butternut also called white walnut, is in trouble due to a fungal disease called butternut canker. This disease girdles the tree, eventually killing it. Work is being done with breeding canker resistant trees. (Source: https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/butternut)

      

   2. Eastern Hemlock is in trouble from an invasive sap sucking insect called woolly adelgid. Pesticide and soil treatments have shown some success. (Source: https://www.nps.gov/shen/learn/nature/eastern_hemlock.htm)

      

Individual Assigments

I was given the assignment of finding two plants with red flowers. Both of the ones I found are of the Silene genus.

1. Round leaf catchfly (Silene rotundifolia) is recognized by its bright red flowers, similar to other species in the Silene genus. However, Silene rotundifolia has round leaves and is often found on exposed cliff sides (Source: https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.143845/Silene_rotundifolia).

   

2. Fire pink (Silene virginica) also has vibrant red flowers, if you look closely the flowers have differing lobes than the round leaf catchfly. Many of the Silene species have a sticky stem, leaves, and inflorescence this is to catch small insects. It is mainly pollinated by hummingbirds. (Source: https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/silene_virginica.shtml)