Restoring Oak Woods and Prairies: Why Do It?

Restoring Oak Woods and Prairies: Why Do It?. . , The Gateway trail travels through a landscape that was once dominated by oak forest, oak savanna, brush land and prairie openings. Today small remnants of these plant communities can still be enjoyed along the trail providing a unique recreation experience., Woodlands here are made up of northern pin oak bur oak, black cherry, aspen, birch, green ash and basswood, mixed with brush thickets of gray dogwood, American hazel and nannyberry, and interspersed with wetlands and small lakes. Two small gravel prairie remnants have been preserved through occasional prescribed burns., These communities depended on occasional fires to maintain their character., The absence of fire has favored the growth of invasive buckthorn, honeysuckle, Amur maple and Siberian elm, which over time have replaced native shrubs and ground cover., A partnership with the Gateway Trail Association and DNR Trails and Waterways enabled the control of invasive species in selected plant communities. Management methods were cut–stump treatment of woody plants followed by prescribed burns., Ecological provinces of Minnesota and beyond