evolve

evolve. . to change, to develop gradually to become more advanced and complex, Plant Communities , A plant community is a group of living plant species that all naturally grow together in one location. All the plants in a community share the same habitat needs like the same amount of sun exposure or amount of moisture in the soil. Other times, the plants depend on each other in order to survive. For example, plants with leaves that burn in the sun live under tall canopy trees that can provide shade., Plant communities at the Arboretum have changed over time. The first settlers to the area saw vast grasslands, and only a few trees. Fires regularly burned back the prairie grass and kept trees from growing. As more people moved to the area, trees were planted, prairie was converted to farm fields, and the fires ended. This allowed trees to spread from the river bank, transforming the area to the mix of habitats at the Arboretum today., Can you locate these plant communities in the Arboretum?, River Floodplain , Grows along river edges, plants able to withstand floods. Typical plants include: Boxelder, Silver Maple, Elm, Cottonwood, Willow, Dogwood., Oak Savanna , Transition area between prairie and woodlands. Typical plants include: Oak, Redcedar, Sumac, Chokecherry., Prairie , A community of grasses and flowering plants with few trees. Typical plants include: Big Bluestem, Little Bluestem, Switchgrass, Indiangrass, Coneflower, Goldenrod, Aster., Woodlands , A community dominated by tall shade trees. Typical plants include: Maple, Linden, Elm, Dogwood, Maidenhair Fern, photos: , Mary Jo Wegner Arboretum, 2010., East Sioux Falls in the 1890s. , Photo Courtesy of Siouxland Heritage Museums in Sioux Falls, South Dakota [SHM 78.35.32]., The Large Bur Oak, , Here in the Arboretum 2010., Historic Bur Oak , One of the largest bur oaks in South Dakota, as documented by Minnehaha County, is located within the grounds of the Mary Jo Wegner Arboretum and the Perry Nature Area. Located north of this garden, the tree was last recorded to be 70' tall with a crown spread of 91' and a circumference of 10'-11"., Information for this sign is courtesy of Minnehaha County. For more information, visit www.minnehahacounty.org, Quercus macrocarpa , Bur Oak