• v_o_lu_rn_e_3_ .. Living Resources
VERMILION RIvER AREA ASSESSMENT VERMILION RIVER AREA ASSESSMENT
VOLUME 3: LIVING RESOURCES
Illinois Department ofNatural Resources Office ofScientific Research and Analysis Natural History Survey Division 607 East Peabody Drive Champaign, Illinois 61820 (217) 333-4949
1999
300 Printed by the authority ofthe State of11linois Other CTAP Publications
Vermilion River Area Assessment Vol. I Geology Vol. 2 Water Resources Vol. 4 Socio-Economic Profile, Environmental Quality, Archaeological Resources The Vermilion River Basin: An Inventory ofthe Region's Resources - 22-page color booklet
Descriptive inventories and area assessments are also available for the following regions: Rock River Embarras River Cache River Upper Des Plaines River Mackinaw River Illinois River Bluffs Illinois Headwaters Spoon River Illinois Big Rivers Driftless Area Fox River Lower Rock River Kankakee River Sinkhole Plain Kishwaukee River Sugar-Pecatonica Rivers
Also available: Illinois Land Cover, An Atlas, plus CD-ROM Inventory ofEcologically Resource-Rich Areas in lllinois EcoWatch '98, annual report of the Illinois EcoWatch Network Illinois Geographic Information System, CD-ROM of digital geospatial data
All CTAP and Ecosystems Program documents are available from the DNR Clearinghouse at (217) 782-7498 or IDD (217) 782-9175. Selected publications are also available on the World Wide Web at http://dnr.state.i1.us/ctap/ctaphome.htrn, or http://dnr.state.il.us/c2000/manage/partner.htrn, as well as on the EcoForum Bulletin Board at I (800) 528-5486 or (217) 782-8447.
For more information about CTAP, call (217) 524-0500 or e-mail [email protected]; for information on the Ecosystems Program call (217) 782-7940 or e-mail at [email protected].
The Illinois Department ofNatural Resources does not discriminate based upon race, color, national origin, age, sex, religion or disability in its programs, services, activities and facilities. Ifyou believe that you have been discriminated against or ifyou wish additional information, please contact the Department at (217) 785-0067 or the U.S. Department ofthe Interior Office ofEqual Employment, Washington, D.C. 20240. About This Report
The Vennilion River Area Assessment examines an area in east central Illinois along the Indiana/Illinois border. Because significant natural community and species diversity has been found in the Vennilion River watershed, a portion ofthe assessment area has been designated a state "Resource Rich Area".1
This report is part ofa series ofreports on areas ofIllinois where a public-private partnership has been fonned to protect natural resources. These assessments provide infonnation on the natural and human resources ofthe areas as a basis for managing and improving their ecosystems. The detennination ofresource rich areas and development of ecosystem-based infonnation and management programs in Illinois are the result ofthree processes - the Critical Trends Assessment Program, the Conservation Congress, and the Water Resources and Land Use Priorities Task Force.
Background
The Critical Trends Assessment Program (CTAP) documents changes in ecological conditions. In 1994, using existing infonnation, the program provided a baseline of ecological conditions.2 Three conclusions were drawn from the baseline investigation:
I. the emission and discharge ofregulated pollutants over the past 20 years has declined, in some cases dramatically, 2. existing data suggest that the condition ofnatural ecosystems in Illinois is rapidly declining as a result offragmentation and continued stress, and 3. data designed to monitor compliance with enviromnental regulations or the status of individual species are not sufficient to assess ecosystem health statewide.
Based on these findings, CTAP has begun to develop methods to systematically monitor ecological conditions and provide infonnation for ecosystem-based management. Five components make up this effort:
I. identify resource rich areas, 2. conduct regional assessments, 3. publish an atlas and inventory ofIllinois landcover, 4. train volunteers to collect ecological indicator data, and 5. develop an educational science curriculum which incorporates data collection
At the same time that CTAP was publishing its baseline findings, the Illinois Conservation Congress and the Water Resources and Land Use Priorities Task Force were presenting their
I See Inventory ofResource Rich Areas in Illinois: An Evaluation ofEcological Resources. 2 See The Changing Illinois Environment: Critical Trends, summary report and volumes 1-7.
III respective findings. These groups agreed with the CTAP conclusion that the state's ecosystems were declining. Better stewardship was needed, and they determined that a voluntary, incentive-based, grassroots approach would be the most appropriate, one that recognized the inter-relatedness ofeconomic·development and natural resource protection and enhancement.
From the three initiatives was born Conservation 2000, a six-year program to begin reversing ecosystem degradation, primarily through the Ecosystems Program, a cooperative process ofpublic-private partnerships that are intended to merge natural resource stewardship with economic and recreational development. To achieve this goal, the program provides financial incentives and technical assistance to private landowners. The Rock River and Cache River were designated as the first Ecosystem Partnership areas.
At the same time, CTAP identified 30 Resource Rich Areas (RRAs) throughout the state. In RRAs and other areas where Ecosystem Partnerships have been formed, CTAP is providing an assessment ofthe area, drawing from ecological and socio-economic databases to give an overview of the region's resources - geologic, edaphic, hydrologic, biotic, and socio economic. Although several ofthe analyses are somewhat restricted by spatial and/or temporal limitations ofthe data, they help to identify information gaps and additional opportunities and constraints to establishing long-term monitoring programs in the partnership areas.
The Vermilion River Area Assessment
The area discussed in this assessment coincides with the boundaries ofthe Illinois portion ofthe Vermilion River basin as determined by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. This area, covering approximately 1,485 miles2 (950,380 acres) along the IndianalIllinois border, includes most ofVermilion County, large parts ofChampaign and Ford Counties, and very small parts ofIroquois, Livingston, and Edgar counties. The land in two ofthe subbasins in the area-the Middle Fork Vermilion River and Vermilion River (lower) subbasins - totaling 132,252 acres, was designated a "Resource Rich Area" because it contains significant natural community diversity. The Vermilion River Ecosystem Partnership was subsequently formed around this core area ofhigh quality ecological resources.
This assessment is comprised of four volumes. In Volume 1, Geology discusses the geology, soils, and minerals in the assessment area. Volume 2, Water Resources, discusses the surface and groundwater resources and Volume 3, Living Resources, describes the natural vegetation communities and the fauna ofthe region. Volume 4 contains three parts: Part I, Socio-Economic Profile, discusses the demographics,
IV t 1
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Drainage lMein. from 1:24000 ec.le wMer.hed bound.r•••• deUneated by the U.s.o.s. Water R..ouroe. Divi.on.
Major drainage basins ofIllinois and location ofthe Vermilion River Assessment Area I I., ~ ~.Iroq 1 LIVINGSTON CO: --I-- Watseka I ,'~ 1 ." 01 . u ° .... . IROQUOIS CO. ~I~ ""-'_...... -rjjYERMILIONco; UJ:I:X:
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Scale 1:544896
O~~~~======~======~40 Kilometc.n I O"..===~======;;;;;;;,2'OMj]es r Subbasins in the Vermilion River Assessment Area. Subbasin boundaries depicted are those determined by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. infrastructure, and economy ofthe area, focusing on Vermilion County; Part II, Environmental Quality, discusses air and water quality, and hazardous and toxic waste generation and management in the area; and Part III, Archaeological Resources, identifies and assesses the archaeological sites known in the area.
vii
Contributors
Principal Investigator William G. Ruesink
Project Coordinator. Daniel K. Niven
Editors Daniel K. Niven, Douglas S.K. Chien
Page Layout. Douglas S.K. Chien
Figures Katherine J. Hunter, Liane B. Suloway
Introduction Rick Phillippi, John B. Taft, Liane B. Suloway, Katherine J. Hunter, Douglas S.K. Chien
Natural Vegetation Communities Rick Phillippi, John B. Taft
Birds Steven D. Bailey, Scott K. Robinson
Mammals Joyce E. Hofmann, Edward J. Heske
Amphibians and Reptiles Christopher A. Phillips
Aquatic Biota:
Fishes Larry M. Page, Kevin S. Cummings, Christine A. Mayer
Mussels and Crustaceans Larry M. Page, Kevin S. Cummings, Christine A. Mayer
Other Aquatic Macroinvertebrates Mark J. Wetzel, Donald W. Webb
ix Table of Contents
Introduction Physiographic Characteristics 1 Climate Patterns 2 Vegetation History · 6 Current Land Cover 6 Biologically Significant Features of Natural Communities 15 Natural Vegetation Communities Comparison of Biodiversity in the VRAA to Statewide Pattems 25 Illinois Threatened and Endangered Species 26 Disturbance, Habitat Quality, and Restoration Potential 31 Natural Areas and Nature Preserves : .32 Terrestrial Natural Communtiy Descriptions .33 Forest. 35 Prairie : : .40 Savanna .45 Wetland .48 Lake and Pond 51 Primary Habitats 52 Cultural Habitats 53 Summary and Recommendations ,.. 54 Birds Introduction 59 Forest. 72 Wetland 74 Savanna 75 Prairie/Grassland 76 Lakes, Ponds, Impoundments, Creeks, and Rivers 78 Cultural Habitats: Cropland 79 Cultural Habitats: Successional Fields : 80 Cultural Habitats: Developed Land 82 Management Recommendations 83 Mammals Introdution 85 Forest. 87 Prairie/Grassland 89 Wetland 90 Amphibians and Reptiles Introduction 93 Forest.. 95
x Wetland 96 Prairie/Grassland 97 Lakes, Ponds, and Impoundments , 98 Creeks and Rivers 98 Cultural Habitats 99 Overall Habitat Quality and Current Management Concems 99 Aquatic Biota . Introduction 101 Statewide Comparison of Aquatic Biota 102 Common Species '" I02 Threatened and Endangered Species I 20 Non-native Species 124 Information Gaps 125 Water Quality 125 Biologically Significant Streams 126 Environmental Problems 128 Potential Management Strategies for Aquatic Species I30 References 133 Appendix I. Incomplete list of vascular plant species known from the VRAA 145 Appendix 2. Plant species, listed by scientific name 163
List ofFigures
Figure 1. Major drainage basins ofIIIinois .3 Figure 2. Subbasins in the Vermilion River Assessment Area .4 Figure 3. Natural divisions in the Vermilion River Assessment Area 5 Figure 4. Cropland : : 9 Figure 5. Grasslands , 10 Figure 6. Forest. 11 Figure 7 Wetlands 12 Figure 8. Urban land 13 Figure 9. Open water 14 Figure 10. Public land 16 Figure 11. Natural areas, nature preserves, and biologically significant stream segments 20
List of Tables
Introduction Table I. Natural division acreage 1 Table 2. Current land cover 7 Table 3. Wetland acreage 8 Table 4. Public land 15 Table 5. Natural areas 17 Table 6. Category 1 natural communities I8
xi Table 7. Nature preserves 19 Table 8. Biologically Siginificant Streams 21 Table 9. Threatened and endangered species 22
Natural Vegetation Communities Table 10. Illinois threatened and endangered plant species from the VRAA 27 Table 11. Illinois threatened and endangered plant species near the VRAA 27 Table 12. Terrestrial natural communities .34 Table 13. Invasive and exotic plant species and eradication methods 57
Birds Table 14. List of bird species in the Vermilion River Assessment Area 60
Mammals Table 15. List of mammal species in the Vermilion River Assessment Area 86
Amphibians and Reptiles Table 16. List of amphibian and reptile species in the VRAA 94
Aquatic Biota Table 17. Freshwater fishes 103 Table 18. Freshwater fishes, by habitat... 106 Table 19. Freshwater mussels 109 Table 20. Freshwater mussels, by habitat...... •...... 110 Table 21. Freshwater crustaceans 112 Table 22. Freshwater crustaceans, by habitat... 112 Table 23. Aquatic macroinvertebrates 113
XII Introduction
Physiographic Characteristics
The Vermilion River Assessment Area (VRAA) is an approximately 1,490 mile' (953,807 acre), watershed including nearly all of Vermilion County, the eastern half of Champaign County, much of the southern portion of Ford County, and small portions of Edgar, Iroquois, and Livingston counties in east-central Illinois (Figure 1). The Assessment Area includes all the Vermilion River and Little Vermilion River watersheds in Illinois including all of 29 subbasins and portions of 6 subbasins shared with Indiana along the common state-line boundary (Figures I and 2). The Assessment Area extends over portions of two Natural Divisions (Schwegman et al. 1973). Most (81.1%) of the VRAA is. within the Grand Prairie Section of the Grand Prairie Natural Division (Table I, Figure 3), the largest Natural Division in minois. The remainder of the VRAA, including portions of Vermilion and Champaign counties, is in the Vermilion River Section of the Wabash Border Natural Division (Figure 3).
Table 1. Natural divisions occurring in the Vermilion River Assessment Area'.
Division & Section Acres' % ofVRAA
Grand Prairie/Grand Prairie Section 773,319 81.1 Wabash BorderNennilion River Section 180,488 18.9
Total: 953,807 100.0
I Data from the GIS Natural Division Coverage Database (Illinois Geographic Information System).
The Vermilion River originates. in southeastern Livingston County and adjacent north central Ford County and flows southwest for 106 miles before it leaves Vermilion County, Illinois approximately IS miles southeast of Danville and enters into Vermillion County, Indiana (Figure 2). The Little Vermilion River originates in southeast Champaign County just north of Broadlands and flows generally east and southeast for 50 miles before it leaves Vermilion County, Illinois about 9 miles southeast of Georgetown and enters into Vermillion County, Indiana (Figure 2). In Indiana, the Vermilion and Little Vermilion rivers flow just a few miles before emptying into the Wabash River. Elevation within the basin ranges from 826 feet above sea level in the upper reaches of the watershed near Strawn to about 490 feet above sea level where the Vermilion River enters Indiana.
Much of the Assessment Area is a rather level to gently rolling plain of glacial till. Topography is generally provided by glacial moraines and the entrenched Vermilion and
I Little Vermilion rivers. The Vermilion rivers area is characterized by relatively flat uplands and more rugged topography along the streams due to the dissection of glacial till resulting in the formation of ravines and valleys.
The surface geology of the Assessment Area primarily is characterized by deep Woodfordian-aged glacial drift, a substage of Wisconsinan glaciation and the most recent Pleistocene glacial episode. Thickness of glacial drift in the VRAA ranges typically from SO to 400 feet; locally exceeding 400 feet in thickness in parts of eastern Ford and northern Vermilion counties and less than 50 feet in southeastern Vermilion County (Lineback 1979).
Little bedrock is exposed in the VRAA. Occasionally shale and sandstone bedrock may be found along bluffs bordering streams in the Vermilion River system where glacial deposits are lacking (Wacker 1996). Thus nearly all the parent material for soil formation is of glacial origin. These soils are predominately mollisols (formed mostly in loess deposits under grassland vegetation) with a silt-loam texture overlying medium to fine-textured Wisconsin till and outwash material. Drainage characteristics throughout the VRAA range from poorly drained to well-drained (Mount 1982, Wacker 1996). Soils developed under Jorest or savanna vegetation are primarily concentrated in stream valleys or are associated with moraines (Fehrenbacher et al. 1982).
Climate Patterns 1
The climate in the Vermilion River Area Assessment is typical of many continental locations, in that there are rather wide temperature fluctuations. The average high temperatures (0 F) in the summer are in the 80s or 90s with average lows in the 60s or low 70s. Winter highs are generally in the 30s with lows in the teens and 20s. Record temperature extremes range from -250 F to a high of 1090 F. There is an average of six months without frost each year.
Precipitation is highest during April through August (averages of 3.94 to 4.46 inches per month) and lowest in January (l.83 inches) and February (1.97 inches), with a yearly average of 39.71 inches. .
I Information in this section has been taken from the Vermilion River Area Assessment, Volume 2 (lllinois Department of Natural Resources 1999). See that volume for a more detailed discussion of climate pallerns and long term trends in the VRAA.
2 t 1
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Drainage ba.ins from 1:24000 s08le watershed boundarlea as delineated by the U.S.O.s. Water Resources Divi.ion.
, Figure 1. Ml\ior drainage basins ofIllinois and i'location of the Vennition River Assessment Area.
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I ""',.....,.....,.....,.....,.....,.....======...20Milr:s N I Figure 2. Subbasins in the Vermilion River Assessment Area. Subbasin boundaries depicted are those determined by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.
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D Grand PrairieDivi900 Scale 1:544896 GrBDd Prairie Section o Wabash Border Division , Vermilion River Section N rnm Grand Prairie Division i Kankakee Sand Area Section
Figure 3. Natural Divisions in the Vermilion River Assessment Area based on the classification developed by Schwegman (1973).
5 Vegetation History
The presettlement vegetation in Illinois can be described generally as prairie and forest. Interpretations of the original distribution of prairie and forest (Vestal 1931, Anderson 1970, Iverson et al. 1989) consistently indicated a predominance of prairie occupying about 60% of the State's total land area. The native vegetation of the VRAA was mostly tallgrass prairie with forests and savannas concentrated in areas protected somewhat from fires, particularly along major drainages. About 85% of the Assessment Area was prairie and 15% was forest/savanna at around 1820 (Iverson et al. 1989), the time of early European settlements. Proportionately, this represents a greater percentage of prairie compared with the statewide cover estimations. Total area of savanna at that time is unclear. The VRAA is within the transition zone of prairie and forest (Anderson 1983) and probably supported considerable amounts of tallgrass savanna (Nuzzo 1986). However, savannas typically were spatially dynamic and their total area and distribution varied on the presettlement landscape depending on several factors including local conditions of climate and fire frequency and fire intensity (Taft 1997). Fire generally is considered to have been a major ecological factor in the maintenance of tallgrass prairie, savanna, and open woodland vegetation in the Midwest (Anderson 1970, 1983, 1990; Axelrod 1985; Taft et al. 1995). Two common types of savannas (groves) were found in this region, streamside groves associated with water courses and groves on morainal ridges that were protected from fires by sloughs (McClain et al. 1998). Fire, drought, and grazing animal herds collectively are considered to have had important impacts on vegetation community structure and species composition within the Grand Prairie Natural Division (Gleason 1913, Rogers and Anderson 1979).
Total area of presettlement wetlands in the VRAA, based on acreage of hydric soils, can be inferred from county-wide data. For example, Vermilion County (about 245,000 wetland acres), Champaign County (about 283,000 wetland acres), and Ford County (about 140,000 wetland acres), were originally about 42 to 45% wetland (estimated wetland acres taken from Havera et al. [1994]; percent of county generated using county acreage from Illinois Geographic Information System [IGISJ). The majority of these wetlands were wet prairie and the prairie-dominated upland plains of the VRAA were characterized by scattered prairie pothole ponds (Iverson, unpublished map). Once the wetlands (including wet prairies) could be drained (tile factories were an early industry in the region) and the steel board plow made available, railroads also were developed in the region, and the prairies rapidly were converted to cropland and pastureland.
Current Land Cover
Currently, the landscape of the VRAA is dominated by agricultural land uses (Table 2 Figure 4), chiefly cropland (about 77.1%). Grassland, comprising about 12.8% of the Assessment Area, forms a distinct grid pattern on the landscape where chiefly non-native cool-season species border croplands and roadways (Figure 5). A total of about 8.6 acres of high-quality (undegraded) prairie remains among three separate sites (Illinois
6 Department of Natural Resources 1998, White 1978). An unknown quantity of degraded prairie persists locally, particularly along railroad rights-of-way. Some of this degraded prairie has restoration potential. About 5.2% of the VRAA is forested (Table 2) compared with about 15% originally; only about 155 acres are high-quality forest (Illinois Department of Natural Resources 1998, White 1978). As in the presettlement landscape, forests are concentrated on the slopes and bottomlands bordering the major rivers and associated tributaries (Figure 6). Wetlands also have declined dramatically in area. A current estimate of wetland area for the VRAA is about 9,438 acres, or 1.0% of the Assessment Area (Table 2); about 15 acres are high-quality and relatively undegraded. Wetlands also are concentrated along the riparian corridors (Figure 7). Nonforested wetlands such as marshes, wet meadows, and ponds occupy 0.3% of the Assessment Area whereas bottomland forest occupies 0.7%. A more detailed discussion of the wetlands is provided below. Urbanlbuilt-up areas occupy 3.9% (Table 2, Figure 8) and open water, which includes the Vermilion River, covers 0.7% of the area (Table 2, Figure 9).
Table 2. Current Land Cover for the Vermilion River Assessment Area'.
Land Cover Acres Percent
Cropland 735,423 77.1 Grassland 122,284 12.8 Upland forest 42,871 4.5 UrbanlBuilt-up 37,481 3.9 Bottomland forest 6,407 0.7 Water 6,302 0.7 Nonforested wetlands 3,027 0.3
Total: 953,800 100.0
I Acreage from the Land Cover of lIlinois Database (lIlinois Geographic Information System).
The characterization of the land cover of the VRAA is based on information from the Land Cover of Illinois database, which was derived from Landsat Thematic satellite imagery acquired between 1991 and 1995. The small difference in total acreage between Tables 1 and 2 are due to this. The Illinois Wetlands Inventory (IWI) provides more detailed information about the wetlands in the area. IWI data for the Vermilion River area were derived from high-altitude photography taken in 1980 and 1981. IWI data are the most recent comprehensive wetlands data available for the state.
Wetlands occupy 1.0% of the VRAA area compared to 3.5% of the total area of the state (Suloway and Hubbell 1994). In the VRAA, wetlands occupy about 9,438 acres (Table 3). Sixty-four percent of the wetland area is bottomland forest, compared to the statewide percentage of 60.5%. Approximately 16% of the wetland acreage is shallow marsh/wet meadow wetlands (compared to .13.1 % of the state's wetlands). Open water wetlands
7 account for 15.3% of the wetland acreage in the Assessment Area (compared to 11.4% for the state) followed by shrub-scrub (1.9%), deep marsh (1.4%), intermittent riverine (1.0%), shallow lake (0.3%), and perennial riverine (0.2%).
The mean size of contiguous forested wetlands is 10.0 acres (range <.1 to 150 acres); there are 587 separate forested wetlands in the Vermilion River Assessment Area. The largest forested wetland tract is located along the Little Vermilion River.
Emergent wetlands range in size from less than 0.1 acre to 41 acres, with a mean size of 1.2 acres. There are 1,281 separate emergent wetlands in the VRAA. The largest emergent wetland is located in the Middle Fork River County Forest Preserve north of Penfield.
Table 3. Wetland habitat of the Vermilion River Assessment Area'~.
% of %of Wetland Assessment Category Acreage Area Area
Palustrine Wetlands Shrub-Scrub Wetlands 181.2 1.9 0.0 Forested Wetlands Bottomland Forest 6,042.7 64.0 0.6 Swamp 0.0 0.0 0.0 Emergent Wetlands Shallow MarshlWet Meadow 1,500.4 15.9 0.2 Deep Marsh 135.5 1.4 0.0 Open Water Wetlands 1,443.7 15.3 0.2 Subtotal Palustrine 9,303.5 98.6 1.0
Lacustrine Wetlands Shallow Lake 25.9 0.3 0.0 Lake Shore 0.0 0.0 0.0 Emergent Lake 0.0 0.0 0.0 Subtotal Lac~trine 25.9 0.3 0.0
Riverine Wetlands Perennial Riverine 14.8 0.2 0.0 Intermittent Riverine 94.2 1.0 0.0 Subtotal Riverine 108.9 1.2 0.0
Total Wetlands: 9,438.4 100.0 1.0
I Adapted from Suloway and Hubbell (1994). 2 Based on Illinois Wetlands Inventory database (Illinois Geographic Information System).
8 Scale 1:544896 ~======~40Kilolnelm I "======~:WMile' N j Figure 4. Cropland in the Vermilion River Assessment Area. Cropland depicted on this map includes row crops and smaU grains from the Land Cover of Illinois database, which is based on Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) satellite imagery from 1991-1995. 9 I ,I
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Scale 1:544896 I N I Figure 5. Grasslands in the Vermilion River Assessment Area. Grasslands depicted on this map are nonurban grasslands from the Land Cover of Illinois database, which is based on Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) satellite imagery from 1991-1995.
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Wetlands depicted on this map include nonforested wetlands and bottomland forest from the Land Cover of I1tinois database, wbicb is based on Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) satellite imagery from 1991-1995. 12 ""\--i------w:- --- -~:-----1 ------~\------ -!IIf1' \ I I 1 ., 1- ,~ I '~'I~ , ('--;- .~ ..b!VINGSTON ~O_ Watseka ..-.., (I ~-;-r --- I I~ n / i. MackiIJ R. I 8 I . , I~ Z I I- .. .. ~ .""d' "~ l\i~ :> 01U 0 - IROQUOIS CO_ U • ZI« 0 ...._-... -I VERMILIqNc0. 'I' .. . oJ 0'" • ::;: ----'1u "" I 'j , 14?'i>'GIIo Fork , ---r FiffTl:ICrCity . ~I =/::-./. ~-/ 'iir ,§,; / 1 • .. I I Westvill I 1 Georgetow. 01 • \'0' ... . ~r « 0:1 Chrisma .-,-'- • -r-~-J 1 EDGAR co.- L 1 I .. { 1 . 7 -. ,.-. " . Scale 1:544896 ~======~40 I Kilclmel= N ;",,======....20Milcl j Figure 8. Urban land in the Vermilion River Assessment Area. Urban land depicted on this map includes urban/built-up land and urban grassland from the Land Cover oflllinois database, which is based on Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) satellite imagery from 1991-1995. 13 I \: ; I I .,' kJ o 1 I'i 1:..- J:..LlVlVINGSTON co, .) ~-r-- I .. ~.. I Mock"o R. I D I I -S~6SLaktJ I ~"lJ 1.<>d, 8/0u _ IROQUOIS CO. zi<{ Cl -,[}ERMlLIONCo. a ..l10"' '" ~ "" I --,I ~I ~I ~I z: - 41'IO'dle Fork 8: -' I 'I Zt 9: >, C? >:z· I I I I .,' I TOlOn? ~F o P o 0::1 CHAMPAIGN CO_ , ~ DOOOLi\Sco. -,I I \. -"JL-'"'-~L_ill -b IT ~f?' ,-_"~_~L';I , ---'-_LL _ _'_....L_____""='_____=_ _'==___C_ __·_· Scale 1:544896 ======~===""'40 1'!0 KiIoDlel= ! O""",======ol20Milta N i Figure 9. Open water in the Vermilion River Assessment Area from the Land Cover ofIllinois database, which is based on Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) satellite imagery from 1991-1995. 14 Biologically Significant Features of Natural Communities Public Land Although well over three-quarters of the land in the VRAA is used for agricultural purposes, 15,243 acres (1.60% of the VRAA) has been set aside by the state government or county as state parks, fish and wildlife areas (Table 4, Figure 10). These areas give some level of protection to the natural communities in the area, and in some cases they are the only refuge for certain endangered species or natural communities. However, these areas do not always offer adequate protection, and they are not all situated in the most biologically important areas. Table 4. Public land in the Vermilion River Assessment Areal. (There is no Federal land in the VRAA) Name Acres State Land Kickapoo State Park 2,784 Middle Fork Fish and Wildlife Area 4,221 Total state land: 7,005 County Land Forest Glen Preserve 1,762 Grandma Patton Woods 11 Kennekuk County Park 3,021 Lake Vermilion County Park 671 ,Middle Fork Forest Preserve 1,509 Outdoor Heritage Foundation 563 Salt Fork River Forest PreservelHomer Lake 701 Total county land: 8,238 I Does not include any natural areas or nature preserves that may be state owned. Natural Areas and Nature Preserves The Illinois Natural Areas Inventory (INAI) was conducted over a three-year period during the mid 1970s to document remaining significant and exceptional examples of the natural communities and other features in Illinois (White 1978). The INAI established seven categories of natural areas based on significant features. The categories are: I - High Quality Natural Communities; II - Habitat for Endangered Species; III - Habitat for Relict Species; IV - Outstanding Geological Areas; V - Approved Natural Areas and Restoration Sites; VI - Unique Natural Areas; and VII - Outstanding Aquatic Areas. The INA! also established a grading system to rank natural quality (White 1978). The natural quality of a 15 ·-...... IROQUOIS CO. - r VERMILION co. .,rG c-""" WIll Park r ~ StateLand Scale 1:544896 ~~~~======~~~~====~40Kilomell:r!l ! • Federal Land O:""'~~~~~======oi!i2 Figure 10. Public land in the Vennilion River Assessment Area. State land is limited to parks (SP), conservation areas (SCA), forests (SF), and fish and wildlife areas (SFWA) and county land to forest preserves and similar land. 16 community or area was graded as "A" (relatively stable or undisturbed), "B" (late successional or lightly disturbed), or "C" (mid-successional or moderately to heavily disturbed). Grades "D" (ear-ly successional or severely disturbed) and "E" (very early successional or severely disturbed) were used for land within a natural area that is used as a buffer for protection of the'significant or exceptional feature. In general, only grade "A" or "B" communities are designated as significant or exceptional features, although m<:lny natural areas include some Grade C-quality habitats. The estimates and comparisons of natural areas within the VRAA and statewide are based on the best available data. In some cases, comparisons are made using recent data for natural communities within the Assessment Area and comparing to statewide data that are from White (1978) and thus over 20 years old. Consequently, if discoveries of natural areas do not equal area of recently degraded or destroyed natural areas, some data for trends among natural areas may be slightly over or underestimated. Twenty-six sites within the VRAA have been identified by the INAI (Table 5, Figure II). Fourteen of these sites qualify as Category I natural areas for the INAI and comprise a total of 185.1 acres, or 0.019% of the total area of the VRAA (Table 6). This compares to 0.07% of Category I acreage for the entire state (White 1978). The high-quality natural communities within the VRAA (Table 6) include remnants of dry-mesic upland forest (Grade B), mesic upland forest (Grades A and B), mesic prairie (Grades A and B), glacial drift hill prairie (Grade A), dry-mesic savanna (Grade B), seeps (Grade A), and eroding bluff community (Grade A). The remaining natural areas are mostly Category II sites (threatened and endangered species localities) and Category VII sites (high-quality stream segments). Area of all Category I and II INAI natural areas, including buffer lands, total about 1,633 acres (about 0.17% of the VRAA) (Table 5). Comparison of the area of Category I natural communities in relation to the total remaining in Illinois is described under each community type below. Table 5. Natural areas in the Vermilion River Assessment Area and surrounding region'. Acres in NA#' County Acres' VRAA' Name 23 Vermilion 1.3 1.3 Willow Creek Seep 41 Vermilion 201.9 201.9 Russell M. Duffin Nature Preserve 45 Vermilion 54.5 54.5 Horseshoe Bend 51 Champaign 57.5 57.5 Trelease Woods 52 Champaign 64.3 64.3 Brownfield Woods 104 Vermilion 5.4 5.4 Camp Drake 352 Champaign 42.0 Nettie Hart Woodland Memorial 454 Douglas 3.8 Murdock Railroad Prairie 493 Vermilion 3.5 3.5 Harmattan Stripmine 494 Vermilion [47.4] [47.4] Middle Fork, Vermilion River 495 Vermilion [12.0] [12.0] Vermilion River 550 Ford 10.0 10.0 Clarence West Railroad Prairie 788 McLean 1,690.1 Mackinaw River 804 Vermilion 9.2 9.2 Windfall Prairie 805 Vermilion 159.2 159.2 Orchid Hill 17 TableS. Continued. Acres in NA#' County Acres' VRAA' Name 810 Vermilion 73.6 73.6 Middlefork Woods 879 Vermilion 11.4 11.4 Forest Glen Seep 992 Ford 5.0 5.0 Prospect Cemetery Prairie 993 Ford 8.6 Clarence Railroad Prairie 1037 Iroquois 4.6 Loda Cemetery Prairie 1073 Vermilion 1.7 1.7 Fairchild Cemetery Prairie & Savanna 1119 Douglas 476.5 Embarras River - Camargo 1140 Vermilion [32.0] [32.0] Little Vermilion River 1141 Vermilion [40.3] [40.3] North Fork, Vermilion River 1142 Vermilion 849.2 849.2 Kennekuk Cove County Park 1420 Vermilion 0.9 Pellville Cemetery 1427 Vermilion [35.1] [35.1] Salt Fork, Vermilion River 1429 Champaign [13.8] [13.8] Spoon River 1449 Piatt 1,554.8 Sangamon River 1511 Vermilion 14,1 14.1 Kinney's Fork Seep 1512 Vermilion 21.2 21.2 Middle Fork Seep 1515 Douglas 88.8 Kaskaskia River - Chicken Bristle 1533 Champaign 1.0 1.0 Tomlinson Pioneer Cemetery Prairie 1534 Vermilion 858.5 858.5 Harry ''Babe'' Woodyard 1540 Vermilion 79.7 79.7 Horseshoe Bottom Total in VRAA: 1633.0 I Bold type indicates natural areas within the VRAA. 2 The number of the natural area (NA#) refers to the number designated in the Natural Area Heritage Database (Illinois Department of Natural Resources 1998) and in Figure II. J Stream Natural Areas do not have acreage. This value is an approximate distance in miles. The total for acreage of natural areas does not include these stream segments. Table 6. Category I natural communities in the Vermilion River Assessment Area'. Acres of category I Acres of category 1 % of I1linois Category I in theVRAA in Illinois in the VRAA Grades in VRAA IL %ofIL Community type VRAA Grade A Grade B Total Grade A Grade B Total Grade A Grade B Total Dry-mesic upland forest B 0.0 19.0 19.0 986.0 2084.0 3070.0 0.0% 0.9% 0.6% Mesic upland forest A,B 124.0 12.0 136.0 1058.0 1473.0 2531.0 11.7% 0.8% 5.4% Mesic prairie A,B 3.8 0.8 4.6 54.0 220.0 274.0 7.0% 0.4% 1.7% Glacial-drift hill prairie A 4.0 0.0 4.0 14.0 20.0 34.0 28.6% 0.0% 11.8% Dry-mesic savanna B 0.0 2.0 2.0 0.3 8.9 9.2 0.0% 22.8% 21.7% Seep A 13.0 0.0 13.0 31.0 63.0 94.0 41.9% 0.0% 13.8% Calcareous seep A 2.0 0.0 2.0 13.0 1.5 14.5 15.4% 0.0% 13.8% Eroding bluff A 4.5 0.0 4.5 22.0 8.0 30.0 20.5% 0.0% 15.0% ------Total: 151.3 33.8 185.1 2178.3 3878.4 6056.7 I Category 1indicates natural communities that have remained relatively undisturbed and in high-quality condition, either Grade A or B (White and Madany 1978). 18 While the central goal of the INAI has been to identify high-quality natural areas and other significant features in Illinois. identification does not automatically ensure that an area will be protected. Once an area is identified that meets the criteria established for the INAI. further action is required to protect it. The highest level of protection offered in Illinois is dedication as an Illinois Nature Preserve. This means that the area formally has been protected in perpetuity by the landowner. The majority of nature preserves in Illinois are publicly owned. but privately owned nature preserves also exist. Eleven sites within the VRAA (one in Ford County. one in Champaign County. and nine in Vermilion County). totaling 481.1 acres, are dedicated as Illinois nature preserves (Table 7, Figure 11). All but one of these nature preserves occurs within a natural area. One site is a prairie reconstruction. Table 7. Nature preserves in the Vermilion River Assessment Area and surrounding region.' Acres in NP#' Corr-NA' County Acres' VRAN Name 33 41 Vermilion 160.0 160.0 Russell M. Duffin 61 992 Ford 5.0 5.0 Prospect Cemetery 70 494 'Vermilion 91.0 91.0 Horseshoe Bottom 71 810 Vermilion 79.0 79.0 Middle Fork Woods 72 804 Vermilion 61.0 61.0 Windfall Prairie 107 1037 Iroquois 3.4 Loda Cemetery Prairie 113 879 Vermilion 15.0 15.0 Forest Glen Seep 134 Champaign 1.0 1.0 Tomlinson Pioneer Cemetery Prairie 142 1073 Vermilion 0.5 0.5 Fairchild Cemetery Savanna 191 1140 Vermilion [41.4] [41.4] Carl Flierman's River 199 23 Vermilion 28.6 28.6 Howard's Hollow Seep 278 Vermilion 40.0 40.0 Doris Westfall Prairie Restoration Total in VRAA: 481.1 I Bold type designates nature preserves within the VRAA. 'The nature preserve number (NP#) refers to the number designated in the Natural Heritage database (lIlinois Department of Natural Resources 1998) and in Figure II. 3 Each of the nature preserves is associated with a corresponding natural code (Corr.-NA) referred to in Table 6. 3 Stream nature preserves do not have acreage. This value is an approximate distance in miles. The total for acreage of nature preserves does not include these stream segments. Biologic31 Stream Categorization and Biologic3lly Significant Streams Illinois streams have also been categorized based on their quality. One stream quality index used to identify high-quality streams is the Biological Stream Characterization (BSC). The BSC was developed by the lllinois Department of Conservation and the lllinois Environmental Protection Agency (Bertrand et al. 1995) and is derived from data on fish populations, water quality, and aquatic macroinvertebrates. In the BSC, stream segments are categorized from "A" (highest quality) to "E" (lowest quality). Twenty-four stream segments in Illinois currently are considered to be in the "A" category, and 50 in the "B" category. 19 I \ I I Watseka I I 103~107., I lk·;;ioda NaturflprDflar'o/f11 withinth., IROQUOIS CO. boundary 99r .YERMILION CO. -- .\.~~ 33 Ru.nll M.Ouffin - tJ1 Pro.peel Cemetery 70 Helr.llaha.Sottom 1420 71 Middle Fork Wood. 72 Windfall Prairie 107 Lod. Cemetery Pr.i,i. 1'3 FOrtnt Gilln Seep 134 Tomlinson Pioneer Cemetery Prairie 142 F.irchlld Cameterv Sflvenna 19' C.rl Flierma".. ' RiveH 189 Howard', Hollow Seep Naturals,••• within th_ bound.ry 23 Willow Crflek Seep 41 Ru••• 11 M. Duffh, Natura Preserve 46 Horle.holl Bend 61 Tr.l•••• Woods 62 Brownfield Wood_ 104 Cemp Drake Danville 493 Harm.tbn Strlpmine 494 Middle Fork of the Vermilion Ri...., 495 Vermilion Riv., 560 Cl.r.nofl We.t Railroad Pt.'r'. r 804 Wlndf8lJ Prairie B06 Orchid Hili Cwnpaigrtf'rt:l?r' 810 MiddleforkWooda 1" 879 ForaDt GlanSeflp .~.j 992 PrOflplet Cll'netelY Pr.irie 1073 Fairchild Cemetery Prairie end Savanna 1140 Little Vermilion River 1141 Norlh Fork Vermilion River 1142 Kenn.kuk Cove County Perk 1427 Selt Fork Vermilion Rive' '429 Spoon River 1611 Kinney'. Fork Seep. 1612 Middle Fork Seepa 1633 Tomlineon Pioneer Cem"ter Prairie 1634 H.rrv ·a.be· Woodyard SN 1640 Horee.hoe Bottom £!!AMPAIGN £9. DOUGLAS CO. EDGAR CO. 1515 Tuscola 1119 ( ) Nature preserves and natural areas boundaries from 1:24000 o 148 Nature preserve IGIS database. May. 1996. ! .97 Natural area Significant stream data from Page. L. M. ot. al.. 1992. r " '. Biologically significant stream Stream data derived from 1:100000 U.S.G.S. DLG hydrology. Scale 1:544896 Figure 11. Natural areas, nature preserves and ....".,==~======~'"...... = b:yi~OI~O~girnca~ll~y~Sj;gn~i~ti~c~aD~t~s~tre~~~mA!se;;gm~e=nts=-=in~th=e ~_~======~.",,,. i_Vermilion River Assessment.. Area. 20 Another study, "Biologically Significant Illinois Streams" (Page et al. 1992), was conducted to expand the list of high-quality streams beyond the BSC "A" streams by considering additional data on biodiversity; specifically, data on endangered and threatened species (fishes, crustaceans, mussels, and plants) and on mussel diversity. The expanded list identified the most important streams that should be protected and managed for their outstanding biological characteristics. Protection of streams identified in the Biologically Significant Streams (BSS) report (Page et al. 1992) will constitute a major step toward the protection of 100% of the stream-dependent biodiversity. Eight areas in the Vermilion River Assessment Area were recognized as Biologically Significant Streams (Page et aI. 1992) because of the presence of threatened and/or endangered species and high mussel and/or fish diversity (Table 8). These streams provide the best opportunities in the basin for the protection of large numbers of native species and are described in greater detail in the "Aquatic Biota" section of this report. Table 8. Biologically significant steam segments in the Vermilion River Assessment Area. Site Description Length (Miles) Little Vermilion River 37.00 Vermilion River 11.83 Vermilion River - Middle Fork 46.01 Vermilion River - North Fork, Lake Vermilion to state line 39.32 Vermilion River - Salt Fork, County line to Middle Fork 23.57 Jordan Creek 8.85 Spoon River 12.41 Stony Creek 11.98 Total: 190.97 The Biological Stream Characterization (Bertrand et al. 1996) rated Jordan Creek, Spoon River, Middle Fork from its mouth up to Knights Branch, and Little Vermilion River from the state line up to the dam at Georgetown and upstream of Archie Creek near Sidell as "A" Streams (Unique Aquatic Resource). The Vermilion River, Salt Fork, Middle Fork from Knights Branch up to Prairie Creek, North Fork upstream of Painter Creek and mouth to tributary in T2IN, RIIW, sec. 3ISW, and Little Vermilion River from the dam at Georgetown up to Archie Creek were rated as "B" Streams (Highly Valued Aquatic Resource). Other tributaries to the Vermilion River rated as "B" Streams include Big Four Ditch from Prairie Creek up to Walltown Ditch, Buck Creek, Glenburn Creek, Knights Branch, Saline Branch from the mouth up to Boneyard Creek, an unnamed tributary to the Spoon River in Champaign County, Stony Creek, Sugar Creek, Upper Salt Fork Drainage Ditch, Walltown Ditch, and Windfall Creek. The remainder of streams in the Assessment Area were rated as "c" Streams (Moderate Aquatic Resource) or not rated. 21 Threatened and Endangered Species At least 61 species of plants and animals considered to be threatened or endangered by the Illinois Endangered Species Protection Board (IESPB) occur in the VRAA (Table 9). This number includes 1 that is federally threatened and 4 that are federally endangered. Only 1.9% of the state's 363 threatened or endangered plants are known to occur in the VRAA. For other taxa, the percentage of the state's threatened or endangered species that occur in the area are as follows: mollusks (57.7%), fishes (25.8%), amphibians (28.6%), birds (75.0%), and mammals (25.0%). Additional information about threatened or endangered species is given in their respective chapters. Table 9. Threatened and endangered species occurring in the Vermilion River Assessment Area.' Common name Scientific name Status' Plants: Drooping sedge Carex prasina ST False hellebore Veratrum woodii ST Fibrous-rooted sedge Carex communis ST Queen of the prairie Filipendula rubra SE Royal catchfly Silene regia SE Wolf's bluegrass Poa wolfii SE Willdenow's sedge Carex willdenowii ST Birds: Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps ST American Bittern Botaurus lentiginosus SE Least Bittern Ixobrychus exilis ST Little Blue Heron Egretta caerulea SE Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax SE Yellow-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax violacea SE Osprey Pandion haliaetus SE Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus ST,FT Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus SE Red-shouldered Hawk Buteo lineatus ST Swainson's Hawk Buteo swainsoni SE Peregrine Faicon Falco peregrinus SE,FE King Rail Rallus elegans SE Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus ST Sandhill Crane Grus canadensis ST Upland Sandpiper Bartramia longicauda SE Wilson's Phalarope Phalaropus tricolor SE Common Tern Sterna hirundo SE Forster's Tern Sterna forsteri SE Black Tern Chilidonias niger SE Bam Owl Tyto alba SE Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus SE 22 Table 9. Continued. Common name Scientific name Status' Brown Creeper Certhia americana ST Bewick's Wren Thryomanes bewickii SE Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus ST Henslow's Sparrow Ammodramus henslowii SE Yellow-headed Blackbird Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus SE Mammals: Indiana bat Myotis sodalis FE river otter Lontra canadensis ST Amphibians and Reptiles: Amphibians silvery salamander Ambystoma platineum SE four-toed salamander Hemidactylium scutatum ST Reptiles Kirtland's snake Clonophis kirtlandii ST Aquatic Biota: Fish bigeye chub Hybopsis amblops SE river chub Nocomis micropogon SE bigeye shiner Notropis boops SE river redhorse Moxostoma carinatum ST northem madtom Noturus stigmosus SE eastern sand darter Ammocrypta pellucida SE bluebreast darter Etheostoma camurum SE Iowa darter Etheostoma exile SE Freshwater mussels slippershell mussel Alasmidonta viridis SE salamander mussel Simpsonaias ambigua SE spike Elliptio dilatata ST clubshell Pleurobema clava SE rabbitsfoot Quadrula cylindrica SE fanshell Cyprogenia stegaria SE,FE northern riffleshell Epioblasma rangiana FE snuffbox Epioblasma triquetra SE wavyrayed lampmussel .Lampsilis fasciola SE round hickorynut Obovaria subrotunda SE kidneyshell Ptychobranchus fasciolaris SE purple lilliput Toxolasma lividus SE rayed bean Villosa fabalis SE rainbow Villosa iris SE little spectaclecase Villosa lienosa SE 1 As detennined by the Illinois Endangered Species Protection Board (1998, Heckert 1991, 1994) , SE =state endangered; ST =state threatened; FE =federally endangered; FT =federally threatened 23 Natural Vegetation Communities The description of the vegetation for the Vermilion River Assessment Area (VRAA) is organized into six sections: I) Comparison to Statewide Patterns, 2) Threatened and Endangered Species, 3) Disturbance, Habitat Quality, and Restoration Potential, 4) Natural Areas and Nature Preserves, 5) Natural Community Descriptions, and 6) Summary and Recommendations. Comparison of Biodiversity in the VRAA To Statewide Patterns With the exception of forest habitats, which have lost approximately the same, or smaller proportion of their acerage as the state as a whole, habitat loss and habitat degradation in the Vermilion River Assessment Area appears to exceed rates for the state as a whole. Trends among Prairie, Forest, Savanna, and Wetland community classes are described below. Prairie - About 0.0 I% of the original area of prairie in the state persists in a high-quality condition (White 1978). Loss of prairie has been particularly dramatic in the Grand Prairie Natural Division where only about 179 acres (0.0014%) of relatively undisturbed prairie remain, mostly (142 acres) in the 9,531,000 acre Grand Prairie Section (White 1978). Champaign County was estimated to have about 592,300 acres of prairie; currently a mere I acre (0.00017%) is undegraded and in a high-quality condition (Robertson and Schwartz 1994). Based on an estimate of 85% (approximately 806,191 acres) for the total cover of prairie in the VRAA (Iverson et aI. 1989), only 8.6 acres of the original area remains in an undegraded condition (about 0.001 %). Trends for habitat loss and degradation in the VRAA is similar to the Grand Prairie Natural Division and exceed the losses for the state as a whole. Most acreage of relatively undisturbed prairie in the State is from agriculturally less suitable lands such as sand deposits (about 47%) or steep loess hills (about 16%). Forest - About 30% of the original area of forest remains statewide (Iverson et aI. 1989). However, only about 0.3% of the remaining total, or 0.1 % of original forest area, remains in a high-quality condition (White 1978). About 5.2% of the VRAA (49,278 acres) remains as forest cover in the VRAA (Table 2) compared with about 15% at the time of early European settlement. This total is about 34.3% of original total area of forest, a similar proportion to statewide trends. Also similar to statewide trends, about 155 acres of forests in the VRAA (0.31 % of the remaining forest cover) are high-quality (Illinois Department of Natural Resources 1998, White 1978). Savanna - Savannas have declined in area throughout Illinois and the Midwest, perhaps more than any other community class (Taft 1997), and the VRAA is no exception to this trend. One fragment of tallgrass savanna, totaling 2 acres, remains in the VRAA in a 25 relatively undegraded condition (see section of Natural Areas and Natural Communities below). However, ongoing habitat management efforts in the VRAA are underway that are designed to restore certain open woodland/savanna communities, particularly in the Vermilion River Section of the Wabash Border Natural Division. Wetlands - Natural wetlands in Illinois have declined from presettlement statewide estimates of about 23% of the land area to about 2.6% (Havera et al. 1994), or about 11% of the presettlement total. Only about 6,000 acres remain in a high-quality condition (White 1978), representing about 0.65% of the remaining and 0.07% of the presettlement wetland area (Havera et al. 1994). Approximately 1.0% of the VRAA remains as wetland (Table 2) compared with an estimate of 44.5% originally, mostly in the form of wet prairie, for the three predominant counties of Vermilion, Champaign, and Ford (Suloway and Hubbell 1994). About 9,438.4 acres remain as wetland in the VRAA (Table 2), about 2.2% of the original extent, representing a much greater proportionate loss of wetlands compared with statewide trends. Of the wetlands remaining, only 15 acres are high-quality and undegraded, about 0.16% of the remaining wetlands and 0.0035% of the presettlement total. This level of habitat degradation for wetlands somewhat exceeds statewide trends for wetland degradation. The species richness of vascular plants within the VRAA at the time of European settlement is unknown. About 904 plant taxa have been reported from within the VRAA, including 138 species (about 15.3%) that are not native to the VRAA (Appendix I). Common names are sorted alphabetically in Appendix I while Appendix 2 is sorted by scientific names with the corresponding common names. This compilation, based on available species lists, the Illinois Natural History Survey Herbarium (ilLS) Data Base, and floristic inventories from sites within the VRAA, probably underestimates somewhat the species richness of both native and nonnative taxa. As a comparison, the state of Illinois has approximately 3,204 taxa, including 2,200 native and 1,004 (31 %) introduced taxa (Mohlenbrock 1986). Habitat loss often results in reduction in population sizes of many species, particularly those sensitive to habitat degradation and fragmentation. As populations decline in size, they become more likely to undergo extinction locally. Richness of native species has probably declined In 'the VRAA since European settlement as a result of extensive habitat destruction and degradation and consequential reduced population sizes and local extirpation; in contrast, non-native taxa have increased. Illinois Threatened and Endangered Species Recent changes have been made to the list of threatened and endangered species in Illinois (Illinois Endangered Species Protection Board 1998) and the status for species in this discussion follow the most recent listing. Six plant species listed by the Illinois Endangered Species Protection Board (IESPB) as threatened or endangered species have extant natural populations within the VRAA (Table 10). These species are fibrous-rooted sedge (Carex communis - state threatened), drooping sedge (Carex prasina - state threatened), Willdenow's sedge (Carex willdenowii - state threatened), queen-of-the-prairie (Filipendula rubra - state endangered), Wolf's bluegrass (Poa wolfii - state endangered), 26 and false hellebore (Veratrum woodii - state threatened) (Illinois Department of Natural Resources 1998). One species grown from seed, royal catchfly (Silene regia - state endangered), has been introduced to a prairie reconstruction within the VRAA. While not known from Vermilion County, a natural population of this attractive prairie/savanna species nearby in Indiana. Five additional state endangered taxa, historically known from Champaign or Vermilion counties, are believed to be extirpated from the VRAA (see Table 10 and discussion below). Five taxa occur nearby the Assessment Area boundary and are included since suitable habitat is present for each within the boundary of the VRAA (Table II). These taxa are Mead's milkweed (Asclepias meadii - state endangered, federally threatened), prairie trout-lily (Erythronium mesochoreum - state threatened), Sangamon phlox (Phlox pilosa spp. sangamonensis - state endangered), prairie white-fringed orchid (Platanthera leucophaea - state endangered, federally threatened), and ear-leafed foxglove (Tomanthera auriculata - state threatened). Note that two of the taxa reported from nearby but outside the boundaries of the VRAA are listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Agency as federally threatened species. Each threatened and endangered species is discussed briefly in the following accounts. Table 10. Threatened and endangered plant species from the Vermilion River Assessment Area. Common Name Scientific Name Status' Habitat Buffalo clover Trifolium reflexum SE,EXT dry-mesic prairie and dry-mesic savanna Drooping sedge Carex prasina ST mesic forested seeps False hellebore Veratrum woodii ST mesic to dry-mesic forest Fibrous-rooted sedge Carex communis ST mesic to dry-mesic forest Heart-leaved plantain Plantago cordata SE,EXT clear stream gravel bars Prairie dandelion Microseris cuspidata SE,EXT dry-mesic prairie Queen of the prairie Filipendula rubra . SE mesic to wet prairies Royal catchfly Silene regia SE prairie reconstruction Showy lady's slipper Cypripedium reginae SE,EXT mesic forest White lady's slipper Cypripedium candidum ST,EXT wet-mesic prairie Wolf's bluegrass Poa wolfii SE seep Willdenow's sedge Carex willdenowii ST dry-mesic forest I SE =Scace endangered; ST =Scace threacened; EXT =extripated within the VRAA. Table 11. Threatened and endangered species from just outside the Vermilion River Assessment Area boundary and buffer zone. Common Name Scientific Name Status1 Habitat Ear-leafed foxglove Tomanthera auriculata ST mesic prairie & savanna Mead's milkweed Asclepias meadii SE,FT mesic prairie Prairie trout-lily Erythronium mesochoreum ST mesic prairie & savanna Prairie white-fringed orchid Platanthera leucophaea SE,FT mesic to wet prairies Sangamon phlox Phlox pilosa spp. sangamonensis SE mesic prairie I SE = State endangered; ST = State threatened; fT = Federally threatened. 27 Threatened and Endangered Species Currently Known Within the VRAA Fibrous-rooted sedge (Carex communis Bailey) - This perennial sedge occurs in mesic to dry-mesic upland forest, typically near the crest of steep ravine slopes with northwest to northeast-facing aspects. Generally, the plant associates that occur with fibrous-rooted sedge are those of the eastern beech-maple forest. It has been found at four localities in Vermilion County. First observed in 1980 in the Russell M. Duffin Nature Preserve, it since has been found in the Little Vermilion River State Natural Area, the Vermilion River Observatory (University of llIinois owned property), and on private land. The largest know concentration of this plant is on the state natural area where 20 populations have been observed with a total of about 530 - 560 individuals (Phillips et al. 1997). Fibrous-rooted sedge is most easily identified in late April through May when mature perigynia (fruits) are present. This species ranges from Ohio to Wisconsin and Minnesota, south to Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma and locally in the southern United States (Gleason and Cronquist 1991). Drooping sedge (Carex prasina Wah1enberg) - This perennial species is a sedge of mesic upland forest where it is confined to hillside seeps. It is known from one locality (Little Vermilion River State Natural Area) in Vermilion County. Here two populations totaling 20 individuals are found growing in or at the edge of the cold water flow from forested seeps (Phillips et al. 1997). Drooping sedge can be identified between June and August when mature perigynia (fruits) are present. This species ranges from Quebec and Maine to Michigan, south to South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama (Gleason and Cronquist 1991). Willdenow's sedge (Carex willdenowii Schukhr) - This perennial species is a sedge of dry mesic to mesic upland forest. It is known from one locality (Vermilion River Observatory) in Vermilion County. Here two populations, totaling about 20 individuals, are found growing in dry-mesic upland forests. Willdenow's sedge can be identified from May through early July when mature perigynia (fruits) are present. This species ranges chiefly in the coastal states from Massachusetts to Georgia and Texas, inland to Ohio, Tennessee, and southern Indiana (Gleason and Cronquist 1991). Queen-of-the-prairie (Filipendula rubra (Hill) Robins) - This perennial species, a member of the rose family, occurs in mesic to wet prairies. It is known from a degraded prairie along a railroad right-of-way in Vermilion County. Here, one population totaling more than 50 flowering stems occurs as a relic of a wet prairie community that is in the VRAA. Queen-of-the-prairie ranges from New York to Minnesota, south to North Carolina and Kentucky (Gleason and Cronquist 1991). Wolf's bluegrass (Poa wolfii Scribner) - This is a cool-season perennial grass that generally occurs in open woodlands in Illinois. However, in 1991 a population was discovered in a Vermilion County seep at the base of Windfall Prairie Natural Area along the Middle Fork of the Vermilion River. The population occurs below a steep slope where, due to saturation from the seep, vegetation and soil have been actively slumping. Consequently, this species is not secure at the single station within the VRAA. Efforts should be made to find and 28 protect additional populations in the VRAA, perhaps where suitable habitat occurs near the seep population. May is the best month to search for this species. Wolf's bluegrass ranges from Ohio to Minnesota, Missouri, and east Nebraska (Gleason and Cronquist 1991). False hellebore (Veratrum woodii Robbins) - This perennial species, a member of the lily family, occurs primarily in mesic upland forest, often associated with streams and rivers, and frequently persists in vegetative condition for many years without flowering. It is known from four localities in Vermilion County, Kickapoo State Park (>200 plants), Middle Fork Woods Fish and Wildlife Area (>700 plants), Forest Glen Forest Preserve (>250 plants), and the Little Vermilion River State Natural Area (>40 plants). Veratrum woodii is easy to recognize vegetatively throughout the growing season because it has distinctive, plicately veined, broad basal leaves. It is found in only six states (Ohio, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Illinois). In addition to these taxa, five other species occurred historically within the VRAA, and evidently have been extirpated for many years. These taxa are heart-leaved plantain (Plantago cordata Lam.), prairie dandelion (Microseris cuspidata (Pursh) D. Dietr.), and white lady's slipper (Cypripedium candidum Willd.) from Champaign County and buffalo clover (Trifolium reflexum L.) and showy lady's slipper (Cypripedium reginae Walt.) from Vermilion County. Heart-leaved plantain was collected most recently in 1879 from a woody swamp in Urbana where it probably occurred in a clear, gravelly stream, its typical habitat. This habitat has been eliminated from the Champaign County portion of the VRAA due to siltation from agricultural fields. Prairie dandelion was collected twice from Champaign County, the last collection from 1901 in a waste area in a cemetery partially in Urbana and Champaign, adjacent to the present-day location of the Illinois Natural History Survey. White lady's slipperwas noted to have occurred in a prairie 20 miles northeast of Champaign (Gleason 1908). Though efforts were underway in 1908 to preserve this site, the prairie apparently was destroyed. Buffalo clover was collected twice from Vermilion County, in 1837 from near Danville and in 1918 from around Oakwood on a damp bank of Possum Trot Hollow. Showy lady's slipper was collected once in Vermilion County, in 1941, between Oakwood and Collison along the Middle Fork of the Vermilion River. Species known from Nearby the Boundary of the Vermilion River Assessment Area Mead's milkweed (Asclepias meadii Torrey) - This perennial member of the milkweed family occurs in high quality mesic prairies. It is known from a single location in Ford County outside the VRAA but within one mile from the boundary. A single plant, flowering in 1996, occurs in a small area of high quality mesic prairie in a railroad right-of way. Mead's milkweed is one of the rarest prairie species in North America and is an obligate outbreeding species that requires association with a genetically diverse population to achieve production of viable seed (Tecic et al. 1998). No seed production has been known from any Illinois plant currently known to exist. The long-term survival of this species in Illinois apparently will require vigilant reintroduction from cloned individuals together with genetic material from outside lllinois. Restoration efforts, in suitable habitat, are under way in Vermilion County near the Ford County site. Mead's milkweed originally 29 ranged from central Illinois and central Missouri to eastern Kansas with outlying sites in northeast Indiana, southern Wisconsin, and southeast Iowa; now rare and restricted to Illinois, Missouri, and Kansas (Gleason and Cronquist 1991). Prairie trout-lily (Erythronium mesochoreum Knerr) - This perennial species, a member of the lily family, occurs in prairies and savannas. It is known from one locality in Champaign County (> I mile) outside the VRAA. Here one large population is known from a grazed and heavily degraded white oak savanna along Dickerson Slough (Bill McClain, pers. comm.). Prairie trout-lily is most easily identified in the Spring (March to April). It is closely related to and possibly confused with white trout lily (E. albidum). However, prairie trout-lily differs from white trout lily in that it lacks mottled leaves, its tepals are spreading and only slightly reflexed, and the fruits rest on the ground. The Champaign County site is the easternmost known location throughout the entire range of this species which extends from Illinois to eastern Nebraska and south to Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas (Gleason and Cronquist 1991). Sangamon phlox (Phlox pilosa Linnaeus ssp. sangamonensis Levin and Smith) - This subspecies is a perennial taxon in the phlox family and endemic to the Headwaters .Assessment Area of east-central Illinois. Presently, there are only two know extant populations, both in Champaign County (>1 mile) outside the VRAA (Herkert 1991). Population(s) formerly occurred in Piatt County but could not be located in recent surveys (Solecki, pers. comm.). Among the extant populations, one is in a degraded railroad right of-way that supports a few prairie species while the other, protected on private land, occurs on a ridge adjacent to the Sangamon River in a woodland opening. Morphologically, Sangamon phlox is very similar to the other two subspecies of prairie phlox (Phlox pilosa) in Illinois and can be distinguished from them primarily by the absence of stipitate glandular hairs on the corolla tube (Levin and Smith 1965, modified by pers. obs.). This species most easily can be identified when in bloom (May to mid-June). Prairie white-fringed orchid (Platanthera leucophaea (Nuttall) Lindley) - This perennial species, a member of the orchid family, occurs in mesic to wet-mesic prairies. It is known from a single location in Vermilion county (> I mile) outside the VRAA where a few plants persist in a mesic/wet-mesic prairie. Though formerly widespread in prairie and wetland communities throughout the northern half of Illinois, habitat destruction and degradation have reduced the prairie white-fringed orchid to scattered localities primarily in northeastern Illinois. Although unknown from within the VRAA, historically populations have been known from three counties (Champaign, Ford, and McLean) that are within the boundary of the VRAA (Herkert 1991). Degraded prairie within the VRAA could support an undetected small population of this species. Though this orchid is a very distinctive species, it can be surprisingly cryptic. Annual fluctuation in population size has been positively correlated to rainfall amount (Bowles et al. 1992). The best search time for this species is in late June or early July when flowering occurs. The prairie white-fringed orchid ranges from the eastern United States west to lllinois, Wisconsin, southeast Iowa, and rarely to eastern Kansas and eastern Oklahoma (Gleason and Cronquist 1991). 30 Ear-leafed foxglove (Tomanthera auriculata (Michaux) Rafinesque) - This annual species, a member of the figwort family, occurs in mesic prairies. It is known from a single location in Vermilion county. near the north-central border of the VRAA where a small population was found in a mesic prairie along an abandoned railroad right-of-way (Taft, pers.obs.). A historical collection, made in 1933, is known from a railroad right-of-way in western Champaign county (> I mile) outside the VRAA. Ear-leafed foxglove was once widespread in Illinois. However, due to dramatic losses in its prairie habitat, this species has become quite rare. It is possible that other stations will be found in prairie habitat in railroad rights-of-way within the VRAA. This species demonstrates a level of disturbance adaptation and occurs in some degraded prairie remnants. This species can be readily identified when in bloom (August) or in fruit (September) and acquires a distinctive purplish coloration to the leaves during late summer and autumn. Ear-leafed foxglove ranges from Ohio to Minnesota and south to Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma and also locally in the southern United States (Gleason and Cronquist 199 I). Disturbance, Habitat Quality, and Restoration Potential In addition to habitat loss through conversion to cropland, most remnant plant communities in the VRAA have experienced anthropogenic disturbances that have resulted in differing levels of degradation. Fire absence, fragmentation, and exotic species introductions are other typical consequences of intensive habitat conversion that have implications for habitat restoration potential. These issues are discussed below. Disturbance is a general term referring to any perturbation. Plant communities (or ecosystems) are degraded when recovery to original condition is unlikely under normal circumstances. Degraded lands can be distinguished further by those that can be restored to original condition through management efforts and those which, at best, can be reclaimed for only limited use in severe examples (e.g., strip mining), or rehabilitated to a condition somewhat similar to the original but where compositional differences remain . (Lovejoy 1975). Degraded lands are derelict when land uses become very limited (Brown and Lugo 1994). Perturbations that exceed the intensity, frequency, or duration of the natural disturbance regime can result in loss of species lacking tolerance or adaptations to the new levels. When certain "keystone" species, or assemblages of other taxa, are extirpated from a community, the system's capability for restoration is diminished and integrity is lowered. A common source of degradation in Illinois plant communities is overgrazing; however, multiple factors often are interacting. Fire is an example of a large-scale natural disturbance in many Midwestern plant communities and fire frequency is an important determining factor for many community characteristics. The compositional and structural characteristics of many native Illinois plant communities demonstrate some level of fire dependency. Fire absence in these communities can result in profound changes in community characteristics. For example, vegetation changes common throughout Illinois, such as from prairie to shrub thicket or forest, or oak-dominated woodland to maple-dominated forest, are attributable to reduced fire frequency and fire absence. 31 Fragmentation is a process describing landscape patterns where habitat remnants become isolated by land conversions. Fragmented habitats often undergo alterations in many environmental conditions. Increased surface area of edge compared to volume can result in changes in soil moisture conditions and levels ofsolar radiation, as well as increased opportunity for exotic species invasions and wind damage (Gehlhausen et al. in review). High levels of fragmentation limit restoration potential of degraded sites since immigration by native species, which is needed to compensate for the local extirpations of plants with low population levels, is seriously challenged (Taft 1996, 1997). Fragmented habitats support fewer species and at lower population levels compared to less fragmented habitats. Species at lower population levels are prone to local extirpation. Integrity is lowered not only by the loss of native species but also by the introduction of exotic (nonnative, adventive) species. Adventive taxa in a system may be sorting into disturbance or habitat niches that result in the replacement of native taxa. The establishment of adventive taxa can result in arrested development and interfere with rates of recovery processes. The recovery potential of plant communities with appropriate ecological restoration and management is an area of much needed additional research. Specific and general recommendations for restoration of natural communities in the VRAA, including exotic species control measures, are offered in the "Summary and Recommendations" section following the descriptions of Natural Communities. Natural Areas and Nature Preserves The Illinois Natural Areas Inventory (INAI) was conducted by the University of Illinois, the Natural Land Institute, and the Illinois Department of Conservation over a three-year period during the mid 1970s to document remaining significant and exceptional examples of the natural communities in Illinois (White 1978). The INAI established seven categories of natural areas based on significant features. The categories are: I - High-quality Natural Communities; II - Habitat for Endangered Species; ill - Habitat for Relict Species; IV Outstanding Geological Areas; V - Approved Natural Areas and Restoration Sites; VI Unique Natural Areas; and VII - Outstanding Aquatic Areas. The INAI established a grading system to designate natural quality (White 1978, White 1981). The natural quality of a natural community was graded from A (relatively stable or undisturbed) to D (very early successional or severely disturbed). Grade E was reserved for cropland or other highly developed lands. In general only A and B communities are designated as significant or exceptional features, although areas included on the Natural Areas Inventory often include substantial amounts of grade C natural communities. The estimates and comparisons of total acreage of natural areas within the VRAA and statewide are based on the best available data. In some cases, comparisons are made using recent data for natural communities within the Assessment Area and comparing to statewide data that are from White (1978) and thus over 20 years old. Consequently, if discoveries of natural areas do not equal area of recently degraded or destroyed natural areas, some comparisons to statewide trends among natural areas may be slightly over or underestimated. 32 Twenty-six sites within the VRAA have been identified by the INAI (Table 5, Figure 7). Fourteen of these sites qualify as Category I natural areas for the INAI and comprise a total of 185.1 acres, or 0.019% of the total area of the VRAA (Table 6). This compares to 0.07% of Category I acreage for the entire state (White 1978). The high-quality natural communities within the VRAA (Table 6) include remnants of dry-mesic upland forest (Grade B), mesic upland forest (Grades A and B), mesic prairie (Grades A and B), glacial drift hill prairie (Grade A), dry-mesic savanna (Grade B), seeps (Grade A), and eroding bluff community (Grade A). The remaining natural areas are mostly Category II sites (threatened and endangered species localities) and Category vn sites (high-quality stream segments). Area of all Category I and II INAI natural areas, including buffer lands, total about 1,633 acres (about 0.17% of the VRAA) (Table 6). Comparison of the area of Category I natural communities in relation to the total remaining in Illinois is described under each community type below. While the central goal of the INA! has been to identify high-quality natural areas and other significant features in Illinois, identification does not automatically ensure that an area will be protected. Once an area is identified that meets the criteria established for the INAI, further action is required to protect it. The highest level of protection offered in Illinois is dedication as an Illinois Nature Preserve. This means that the area formally has been protected in perpetuity by the landowner. The majority of nature preserves in Illinois are publicly owned, but privately owned nature preserves also exist. Eleven sites within the VRAA (one in Ford County, one in Champaign County, and nine in Vermilion County), totaling 481.1 acres, are dedicated as Illinois nature preserves (Table 7, Figure II). All but one of these nature preserves occurs within a natural area. One site is a prairie reconstruction. Terrestrial Natural Community Descriptions The natural communities within the VRAA (Table 12) were determined by examining data from several sources. These include descriptions of existing community types as well as plant communities inferred to have occurred prior to European settlement and large-scale alteration of the landscape. Since native vegetation in the VRAA has been so greatly converted, modified, and degraded; some of the following community types may no longer persist. Community classification follows White and Madany (1978). Botanical nomenclature primarily follows Mohlenbrock (1986). Scientific names corresponding to the common names used in this text are in the summary species list for the VRAA (Appendices I and 2). Specific data sources include known community types found in INAI sites, descriptions of vegetation in publications and technical reports, and habitat descriptions in the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (1998) Natural Heritage Database. Floodplain forests in the VRAA have been described by Boggess 1964, Bell 1974, Taft 1986, Phillippe et al. (unpublished manuscript), Larimore et al. 1999 (unpublished manuscript). Upland forests have been described by McDougall 1919; Jones 1942,1947; Boggess 1964; Boggess and 33 ------1 I Bailey 1964; Larimore et al. (unpublished manuscript); Illinois Nature Preserves Commission unpublished report Item 22; and Illinois Department of Natural Resources 1998. Few published data are available describing prairie vegetation from within the VRAA, a valuable exception is The Prairies of Vermilion County (Campbell and Westfall 1991). Some unpublished floristic data from mesic prairies and glacial-drift hill prairies also are available. These data were found in the natural area files at the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS) and in unpublished sample and inventory data from mesic prairies in the VRAA (Taft, unpublished data). Numerous botanists compiled the species lists over a period of several years. Present savanna descriptions are from Hruska and Ebinger (I 995), McClain et al. (1998), the natural area files at the INHS, and personal observation. General descriptions of savanna characteristics are summarized from White (1978) and Taft (1997). Descriptions of wetland vegetation in the VRAA (not including floodplain forest) have been limited. Marsh vegetation has been described by Taft (1986) and Larimore et al. (1999, unpublished manuscript). Seeps in Vermilion County have been the focus of relatively intensive floristic inventories (Evers [natural area files at INRS]; Morris et al. 1996 unpublished report). Table 12. Terrestrial natural communities known to occur or believed to have formerly occurred in the Vermilion River Assessment Area', FOREST WETLAND PRAIRIE Upland Forest Marsh Prairie dry upland forest marsh dry-mesic prairie dry-mesic upland forest Swamp mesic prairie mesic upland forest swamp wet-mesic prairie wet-mesic upland forest shrub swamp wet prairie Floodplain Forest Seep and Spring Hill Prairie . mesic floodplain forest seep . glacial drift hill prairie wet-mesic floodplain forest calcareous seep wet floodplain forest spring SAVANNA Savanna LAKE & POND CULTURAL dry-mesic savanna Pond cropland mesic savanna pond pastureland successional field PRIMARY developed land Cliff tree plantation sandstone cliff artificial lake eroding bluff artificial pond prairie restoration I Adapted from the Illinois Natural Areas Inventory's community classification (White and Madany 1978). 34 Forest Forests in the VRAA belong to the Prairie Peninsula Section in the Northern Division of the Oak-Hickory Forest Region (Braun 1950). Due to a level of protection from the presettlement prairie fires, forests in the VRAA were concentrated primarily on the slopes, ravines, and bottomlands associated with the major drainage's and in protected areas associated with moraines (Gleason 1912). Forest subclasses include upland forest and floodplain forest. These forest types are characterized below. Of the 5.2% of the VRAA remaining as forest (49,278 acres), about 0.31 % of the remainder (155 acres) and 0.11 % of the original total (about 143,491 acres) remains in a state of high ecological integrity (White 1978, Illinois Department of Natural Resources 1998). Considerable descriptive data are available on the remaining forests in the VRAA. Common ecological problems associated with forest communities, in general, include habitat degradation, fragmentation, exotic species introductions, and in upland forests, fire absence. A typical source of habitat degradation in forests is overgrazing, which often produces changes in the compositional and structural characteristics of forest communities. As in much of Illinois, grazing-sensitive species probably have peen eliminated from many· forest remnants in the VRAA. In contrast, species that increase with grazing (e.g., thorn bearing taxa [e.g., honey locust, Missouri gooseberry, prickly ash, red haw and Rubus spp.], exotic species [e.g., garlic mustard, Japanese barberry, multiflora rose and Osage orange], and certain weedy native species [e.g., black snakeroot and honewortJ) are often abundant in grazed forests. In many cases, abundance of exotic species appears to be directly proportional to the historic grazing intensity. Recovery of these sites following cessation of grazing appears to be slow. Complete restoration may not be possible without intensive management including species reintroduction. Fire absence in upland forest communities typically results in compositional changes in more mesic sites and primarily structural changes in drier sites, such asincreases in both stem density of woody plants and shade. The result is often a reduction in cover and diversity of the herbaceous ground flora, typically the most diverse stratum in Illinois woodlands (Taft et aJ. 1995). Upland Forest The total extent of upland forest in the VRAA is estimated to be about 42,871 acres, or about 4.5% of the total VRAA (Table 2). Upland forest communities can be classified further by soil-moisture characteristics. Xeric, dry, dry-mesic, mesic, and wet-mesic upland forest communities are recognized in Illinois in context with increasing available soil moisture (White and Madany 1978). Major tree species respond in predictable ways along these soil-moisture gradients (Adams and Anderson 1980, Fralish 1994, Taftet al. 1995). The following community types are known or suspected to occur in the VRAA. A few species that are characteristic of certain community types are confined to the Vermilion River Section of the Wabash Border Natural Division. 35 Dry Upland Forest - Dry upland forests (on non sandy sites) are uncommon and localized in central Illinois on ridge crests and upper slopes with xeric exposures (south and southwest-facing aspects). No dry upland forest communities in the VRAA have been described in detail. Remnants of this community type may occur bordering hill prairies in the VRAA and other exposed upland habitats. A total of 27 acres of Grade B dry upland forest was reported for the Grand Prairie Section and an unknown amount of Grade C dry upland forest has been reported for the Vermilion River Section (White 1978). The dominant canopy species in dry upland forests are white oak and black oak. Occasional species include chinquapin oak, red cedar, shagbark hickory, shingle oak and white ash. Subcanopy trees and shrubs include black haw, flowering dogwood, hazelnut, hop hornbeam, redbud, rough-leaved dogwood, and shadbush. Characteristic groundcover species include cylindric blazing star, everlasting, feverfew, field goldenrod, poverty oat grass, savanna sedge, shooting star, yellow pimpernel, woodland sunflower, and yellow star grass. Several of these species also occur in savanna/open woodland remnants. This community type probably was more common in the VRAA in pre-European settlement times merging locally with savanna habitats. Canopy composition of this community type would be relatively stable since mesophytic species like sugar maple would be limited by dry soil-moisture conditions. However, structural characteristics of the community could change with long fire-free intervals as oak and hickory species tolerant of dry conditions may increase in density. No threatened or endangered species are known from dry forest habitats in the VRAA. The primary ecological problems in dry upland forest are damaging grazing and fire absence. Relatively few exotic species pose severe problems in dry forests compared with other forest communities. Dry-Mesic Upland Forest - Dry-mesic upland forest occurs in the VRAA on the upper slopes and ridges of the dissected terrain bordering major streams. The total extent in the VRAA is unknown. A total of 19 acres of Grade B dry-mesic upland forest are recognized as high quality and statewide significant. This is about 0.9% of the Grade B total and 0.6% of all high-quality dry-mesic upland forest (Grades A & B) remaining in Illinois (Table 6). Dominant canopy species are black oak, mockernut hickory, pignut hickory, shagbark hickory, shingle oak, white ash, and white oak where forest composition has not been altered by logging or a history of grazing. Occasional tree species are black cherry, black walnut, chinquapin oak, red oak, sassafras, slippery elm, and sugar maple. Common subcanopy species include blue beech, flowering dogwood, hop hornbeam, Iowa crab apple, redbud, and shadbush. Typical shrubs include, black haw, black raspberry, Missouri gooseberry, and prickly ash. Ground-cover species include the vines poison ivy and Virginia creeper, and several herbaceous species (e.g., autumn bent grass, black gramma, bloodroot, bottlebrush grass, curly styled wood sedge, early meadow rue, everlasting, fire pink, poverty oat grass, purple oxalis, rattlesnake fern, savanna sedge, shining bedstraw, slender wild rye, spring beauty, toothwort, upland boneset, Virginia spiderwort, and white 36 snakeroot). Snow trillium is a relatively uncommon early spring ephemeral that is locally present in portions of the VRAA. Three species listed as threatened by the IESPB, false hellebore (Veratrum woodii), fibrous-rooted sedge (Carex communis), and Willdenow's sedge (Carex willdenowii), are known from dry-mesic forest habitat in the VRAA (Table 10). The false hellebore, more typical of mesic forest within the VRAA, is reported from this community in Vermilion County (Phillips et al. 1997). The fibrous.-rooted sedge is known from several locations in dry-mesic and mesic forest within the VRAA and further floristic inventory work in the VRAA will likely yield additional discoveries of this taxon. Willdenow's sedge is known from two populations in this community in the VRAA and further floristic inventory work may yield additional discoveries of this taxon. The major ecological problems associated with dry-mesic upland forests are degradation from grazing, habitat fragmentation, and fire absence. Fire absence can lead towards an increased importance of sugar maple in the subcanopy stratum and potentially lesser importance of oaks in the canopy. Where oaks have been removed by selective logging practices, black cherry, shagbark hickory, slippery elm, and possibly sugar maple are among the species that gain prominence in the canopy. Exotic species in dry-mesic upland forest may include the herb garlic mustard and the .shrubs autumn olive, Japanese barberry, multiflora rose, and shrubby honeysuckles (Lonicera spp.). Mesic Upland Forest - Mesic upland forest is probably the most prevalent upland forest type in the VRAA, though no data are available on the total extent. Mesic upland forests are found on lower slopes, in ravines, on high terraces of the major streams and tributaries, and occasionally as isolated remnants of former larger blocks of forest. A total of 136 acres of this community type in the VRAA is recognized by the INAI as high-quality and of statewide significance (Table 6). This is about 0.3% of the forest cover in the VRAA and 5.4% of the total high-quality mesic upland forest (Grades A & B) remaining in Illinois. The 124 acres of Grade A mesic upland forest in the VRAA is 11.7% of the Grade A total for mesic upland forests in Illinois (Table 6). Species composition is relatively rich including numerous taxa at each forest stratum. Sometimes no species are domin!Ult. Characteristic canopy tree species include American elm, basswood, black cherry, red oak, shagbark hickory, sugar maple, white ash, and white oak. Occasional tree species include beech (Vermilion River Section), bitternut hickory, black oak, black walnut, chinquapin oak, hackberry, mockernut hickory, Ohio buckeye, pignut hickory, sassafras, and yellow poplar (Vermilion River Section). SUbcanopy species include blue beech, flowering dogwood, and red mulberry. Typical shrubs include black haw, gray dogwood, hazelnut, Missouri gooseberry, paw paw, prickly ash, spicebush, wahoo, wild hydrangea, and wild plum. Woody vines include bittersweet, bristly catbrier, poison ivy, riverbank grape, running strawberry bush, and Virginia creeper. Herbaceous groundcover composition includes a rich assortment of species, particularly spring ephemerals. Selected taxa reported from the VRAA include bloodroot, blue cohosh, bluestem goldenrod, broadleaf goldenrod, Christmas fern, common phlox, doll's eyes, downy-blue violet, false rue anemone, ginseng, goldenseal, horse gentian, Jack-in-the 37 pulpit, liverleaf, maidenhair fern, mayapple, nodding fescue, northern bittercress, red trillium, rich weed, several sedges (e.g., Carex albursina, C. blanda, C. communis, C. laxiculmis, C. hirtifolia, C. jamesii, C. sparganioides), Soloman's seal, sweet cicely, toothwort, Virginia knotweed, waterleaf, white trillium, white trout lily, wild geranium, and yellow lady's slipper orchid. Three species, drooping sedge (Carex prasina), false hellebore (Veratrum woodii), and fibrous-rooted sedge (Carex communis), are listed as threatened or endangered by the IESPB and are known from mesic forest habitat in the VRAA (see previous section on "Threatened and Endangered Species"). Further floristic inventory work within Vermilion County will likely yield additional discoveries of these taxa. One species, showy lady's slipper (Cypripedium reginae), listed as state endangered by the IESPB, was historically known from mesic forest habitat in Vermilion County but is now thought to be extirpated from the VRAA. The major ecological problems associated with mesic upland forests are degradation from grazing, habitat fragmentation, and logging. Among the more abundant exotic species. within mesic upland forest are the shrubs amur honeysuckle and multiflora rose and the herb garlic mustard. Wet-Mesic Upland Forest - This community type is rare and local within the VRAA. No data are available on the total extent and no high-quality remnants have been identified within the VRAA. Typically, wet-mesic upland forest occurs where there are localized drainage limitations within an upland forest. Often, drainage is limited by a slowly permeable subsoil horizon. Local areas of seepage may contribute to saturated soils and can support this natural community. Where depressions occur in an upland forest, ponding may occur for variable periods. At Middle Fork Woods Nature Preserve in Vermilion County, a series of small forested upland depressions that retain water during some spring months are critical habitat for the silvery salamander (see chapter on "Amphibians and Reptiles"). Characteristic canopy species include swamp white oak, shagbark hickory, and white ash. A subcanopy is absent. Trumpet creeper is a common vine. Groundcover species may include a few wetland sedges. Floodplain Forest Floodplain forests are characterized by edaphic conditions of poor drainage and slow permeability. Local areas of sand and gravel increase permeability. Floodplain forest communities in Illinois include mesic, wet-mesic, and wet floodplain forest and are classified according to characteristics of flooding. Wet floodplain forest occurs in the floodplain bordering rivers most often in low areas and areas behind natural levees. Wet mesic to mesic floodplain forests occur on low and high terraces, respectively. The total extent of floodplain forest in the VRAA is estimated to be about 6,407 acres, or about 0.7% of the total area (Table 2). In general, the flooding regime, including depth and duration of flooding, is a strong selective force on composition and species richness in floodplain forests (Bell 1974) and also in regulating tree growth (Robertson 1992). Wet floodplain 38 forests are often seasonally flooded and/or have perched water during a portion of the year, often in late winter and spring. Generally, flooding is of shorter duration and less frequency in mesic floodplain forests. Wet-mesic floodplain forests are intermediate. Diversity of species composition tends to increase from wet to wet-mesic to mesic floodplain forest. Compositional changes favoring more flood tolerant tree species like silver maple appear to have occurred since presettlement conditions along the Sangamon River valley (King and Johnson 1977) and may have occurred in floodplain forests within the VRAA. Ecological problems in floodplain forest involve siltation from silt-laden flood waters, changes in the hydrological regime (e.g., stream entrenchment or increased flooding duration and frequency due to changes in the upper watershed), grazing, and exotic species invasion. A description of the composition of floodplain forest for the VRAA follows. Mesic Floodplain Forest - There is no estimate of the proportion of the approximately 6,407 acres of floodplain forest within the VRAA that is mesic floodplain forest. No areas have been identified from within the VRAA by the INAI as high-quality, undegraded remnants. Compared with other floodplain forest communities, a relatively greater diversity of tree species often can be found in examples of this high terrace community since the relatively brief flooding duration and lower flooding frequency pose fewer limitations to species. Common to occasional canopy tree species include basswood, bitternut hickory, black walnut, bur oak, green ash, white ash, Kentucky coffee tree, Ohio buckeye, shagbark hickory, slippery elm, sycamore, and white oak. Subcanopy species include red haw and red mulberry. Shrubs and vines include gray dogwood, Missouri gooseberry, paw paw, red bud, spicebush, poison ivy, riverbank grape, and Virginia creeper. Ground-cover species include many taxa also found in mesic upland forests: blue bells, common snakeroot, cream violet, common phlox, Dutchman's breeches, false Solomon's seal, Jack-in-the-pulpit, putty root orchid, Solomon's seal, toothwort, and wild ginger. One very large population of false hellebore, listed as a threatened species by the IESPB (see previous section on "Threatened and Endangered Species"), occurs associated with a mesic floodplain forest community within the VRAA. This species, more typically, is found in mesic upland forests. Ecological problems include overgrazing and exotic species invasions. Exotic species typically associated with mesic floodplain forest include garlic mustard, multiflora rose, Osage orange, and white mulberry. Wet-Mesic Floodplain Forest - There is no estimate of the proportion of the approximately 6,407 acres of floodplain forest within the VRAA that is wet-mesic floodplain forest. Although this is the most common floodplain forest community in lllinois and probably in the VRAA, no areas in the VRAA have been identified as high-quality, undegraded remnants. The wet-mesic floodplain forest generally has a high species diversity in the overstory but lower species diversity in the ground layer than found in mesic floodplain forest (White and Madany 1978). Common to occasional canopy species include American elm, bitternut hickory, black walnut, box elder, cottonwood, green ash, hackberry, honey locust, mockernut hickory, pin 39 oak, silver maple, and slippery elm. Subcanopy species include red haw and red mulberry. Shrubs and Vines include common blackberry, elderberry, bristly catbrier, leatherflower, poison ivy, riverbank grape, and trumpet creeper. Groundcover species include annual bedstraw, Aunt Lucy, common blue violet, common snakeroot, cow parsnip, cup plant, false nettle, giant ragweed, goldenglow, honewort, several sedges (e.g., Carex davisii, C. grayi, C. granularis, C. grisea, C. lupulina, and C. muskingumensis), Virginia waterleaf, Virginia wild rye, white avens, wild chervil, and wood nettle. No threatened or endangered plant species currently are known from wet-mesic floodplain forests in the VRAA. Ecological problems include changes in the watershed that alter the flooding regime, severe grazing, and exotic species introductions. Exotic species include creeping Charlie, garlic mustard, moneywort, multiflora rose, Osage orange, and white mulberry. Wet Floodplain Forest - There is no estimate of the proportion of the approximately 6,407 acres of floodplain forest within the VRAA that is wet floodplain forest. No areas have been identified from within the VRAA by the INAI as high-quality, undegraded remnants. Compared with other floodplain forest communities, fewer tree species can be found in examples of this natural community since flooding frequency and duration, typically, are limiting for many species. Common to occasional canopy species include black willow, box elder, cottonwood, green ash, hackberry, silver maple, and sycamore. Subcanopy species include red haw. Shrubs and vines include elderberry, bristly catbrier, poison ivy, riverbank grape, and trumpet creeper. Groundcover species include annual bedstraw, c1earweed, common blue violet, false nettle, giant ragweed, goldenglow, honewort, panicled aster, spotted touch-me-not, Virginia wild rye, white avens, and wood nettle. No threatened or endangered plant species are known from wet floodplain forests within the VRAA. Ecological problems include changes in the watershed that alter the flooding regime, severe grazing, and exotic species introductions. Exotic species include garlic mustard and moneywort. Prairie Six prairie subclasses are recognized in Illinois: prairie (tallgrass prairie on silt-loam soils), sand prairie, gravel prairie, dolomite prairie, hill prairie (including loess and glacial drift hill prairie), and shrub prairie (White and Madany 1978). The Prairie subclass, like the Upland Forest and Floodplain Forest subclasses, is further distinguished into natural communities by soil-moisture regime (dry, dry-mesic, mesic, wet-mesic, and wet). Considering the distribution of prairie and forest in Illinois at the time of European settlement (about 1820), as mentioned previously, most of the VRAA was tallgrass prairie (Anderson 1970, Iverson et al. 1989). Based on remnant prairies in the VRAA and inferring from soil-moisture conditions that were prevalent prior to extensive agricultural development, the following community types are/were present: tallgrass prairie (including dry-mesic, mesic, wet-mesic, and wet) and glacial drift hill prairie. However, due to the 40 near-complete elimination of prairie vegetation from within the VRAA, few examples remain to document the characteristic species that were associated with undegraded natural communities for all soil-moisture conditions that presently or formerly occurred in the region. Common ecological problems found in tallgrass prairie, in general, include fragmentation, exotic species invasions, fire absence, and habitat degradation. Small, isolated fragments tend to support many species at low population levels (thus prone to local extinction) too remote to be enhanced through natural mechanisms of species dispersal. Small, isolated prairie remnants also may be lacking appropriate pollinator species for successful sexual reproduction of many outcrossing species. The greater edge-to-volume ratios of small sites, particularly in railroad rights-of-way, offer greater opportunities for exotic species invasions since the matrix areas typically are dominated by nonnative vegetation. Exotic species pose some of the most severe threats to the integrity of existing high-quality prairie remnants in the VRAA. Highly fragmented and developed landscapes also lead to altered fire regimes often eliminating fire from prairie remnants until restoration efforts commence. Fire absence results in ecological changes, such as encroachment of woody plants, that can eliminate many shade-intolerant prairie species. Fire absence also can lead to a severe invasion of exotic cool-season grasses like the ubiquitous awnless brome grass, Kentucky bluegrass, and meadow fescue. Overgrazing by domestic stock typically degrades prairie remnants by eliminating many species and promoting the increase of several nonnative taxa (e.g., common burdock, common yarrow, and parsnip) and several weedy native taxa (e.g., broom sedge, false red top, and late boneset). Soil disturbances such as past efforts at cultivation, or soil scraping (typical of many railroad rights-of-way) result in loss of species and opportunities for the establishment of weedy taxa. All of these factors and combinations of factors tend to result in loss of species diversity and ecological integrity for all prairie community types. Prairie Approximately 85% (806,191 acres) of the VRAA was tallgrass prairie (Iverson et al. 1989). About 8.6 acres at three prairie remnants remain in a high-quality, undegraded, condition. In addition, there are a few noteworthy remnants of tallgrass prairie in railroad rights-of-way and pioneer cemeteries within the VRAA; most persist in a degraded condition. An unknown quantity remains that with proper management may be restored to a higher-quality condition. These sites largely have been identified by local conservationists, such as the Grand Prairie Friends and Mrs. Doris Westfall; these remnants provide valuable seed sources for prairie reconstruction and restoration efforts. Many important prairie species respond in predictable ways along soil-moisture gradients. The characteristic species of each soil-moisture class for tallgrass prairie are described below. Comprehensive floristic descriptions are available from the VRAA for mesic prairie and glacial-drift hill prairie. For prairie communities lacking detailed descriptions from within the VRAA, floristic composition of remnants in central Illinois outside the VRAA is used to provide a general characterization. 41 Dry-Mesic Prairie - Dry-mesic prairies have virtually been eliminated from the VRAA. They most likely occurred on crests and upper slopes of the major moraines on well drained and somewhat permeable soils with moderate water-holding capacity. No areas of high-quality dry-mesic prairie are known from the VRAA. Common grass species include crested hair grass, Indian grass, little bluestem, panic grass, porcupine grass, and prairie dropseed. Common to occasional sedge species include Carex bicknellii, C. hirsutella and C. meadii. Characteristic forbs include bastard toadflax, black eyed Susan, false boneset, field goldenrod, flowering spurge, green milkweed, heath aster, pale purple coneflower, purple prairie clover, rosinweed, rough blazing star, sessile-leaved tick trefoil, showy goldenrod, sky-blue aster, wild bergamont, wild petunia, and yellow pimpernel. Shrubs include leadplant, New Jersey tea, pasture rose, prairie willow, and smooth sumac. One species, prairie dandelion (Microseris cuspidata), listed as state endangered by the IESPB, historically was known from dry-mesic prairie habitat in Champaign County but is now thought extirpated from the VRAA. Typical ecological problems in remnants include fire absence (and consequential woody plant encroachment), habitat degradation from soil disturbances, and exotic species invasion and establishment. Common exotic species include asparagus, Canada bluegrass, cheat grass, common burdock, common St. John's wort, common yarrow, dandelion, Kentucky bluegrass, parsnip, small peppergrass, smooth crab grass, white sweet clover, and yellow sweet clover. Mesic Prairie - Mesic prairie occurs in an intermediate soil-moisture zone on the landscape between dry-mesic prairie and wet-mesic prairie. Soils can be moderately well-drained but are often saturated during short periods of the growing season. A total of 4.6 acres of high quality mesic tall grass prairie remains in the VRAA. This is 7.0% of the total Grade A mesic tallgrass prairie remaining in Illinois and 1.7% of the total high-quality mesic prairie, including all Grades A and B prairie (Table 6). Undegraded mesic tallgrass prairie is among the most species-dense plant communities in North America. Typical remnants contain from 15 to 30 species in a hlilf-meter-square sampling quadrat. About 100 to 130 taxa of vascular plants can be founei in individual, small (-5 acre), pioneer cemetery remnants in central Illinois. Common grass species include big bluestem, Indian grass, little bluestem, panic grass, porcupine grass, prairie dropseed, and prairie switch grass. Common to occasional sedge species include Carex bicknellii. C. breviar, and C. meadii. Characteristic forbs include a diverse assemblage of species (e.g., blue-eyed grass, bush clover, butterfly weed, candle anemone, compass plant, cream wild indigo, culver's root, downy gentian, downy sunflower, drooping coneflower, feverfew, golden Alexanders, hoary puccoon, lance-leaved loosestrife, lousewort, Missouri goldenrod, Missouri ironweed, New England aster, Ohio spiderwort, pale purple coneflower, prairie alurnroot, prairie blazing star, prairie dock, prairie Indian plantain, prairie milkweed, prairie phlox, prairie sunflower, prairie violet, purple prairie clover, rattlesnake master, rosinweed, shooting star, showy goldenrod, slender mountain mint, spike lobelia, tall coreopsis, white prairie clover, white wild indigo, 42 and wild bergamont). Common shrubs include hazelnut, leadplant, New Jersey tea, pasture rose, and prairie willow. No plant species listed by the IESPB as threatened or endangered species are known from extant populations in mesic prairie in the VRAA. A small population of royal catchfly (endangered in Illinois but not known from an indigenous Vermilion County population) is established in the Doris Westfall Prairie Restoration Nature Preserve. Also in the Westfall Prairie Restoration a few plants of Queen-of-the-prairie, grown from seed collected at a native Vermilion County population, have been established. Within one mile of the VRAA boundary, a small population of Mead's milkweed (listed as endangered by the IESPB and threatened by the US Fish and Wildlife Service) occurs in high-quality mesic prairie habitat. Four other species listed as threatened or endangered by the IESPB (ear-leaved foxglove, prairie trout-lily, prairie white-fringed orchid, and Sangamon phlox) are known from mesic prairie outside the VRAA boundary, but within the area displayed on Figure 2. These taxa are discussed in the previous section on "Threatened and Endangered Species." Typical ecological problems in remnants include fire absence (and consequential woody plant encroachment), soil disturbances, and exotic species invasion and establishment. Common exotic species in mesic tallgrass prairies, particularly those in pioneer cemeteries, include the following taxa: amur honeysuckle, asparagus, awnless brome grass, Canada bluegrass, common burdock, common crab grass, common lilac, common periwinkle, common St. John's wort, common yarrow, cypress spurge, dandelion, Kentucky bluegrass, lamb's quarters, orange day lily, parsnip, Queen Anne's lace, small peppergrass, smooth crab grass, teasel, white poplar, white sweet clover, yellow sweet clover, and yucca. Despite a history of fire management, recent sample data from three high-quality mesic tallgrass prairies in central Illinois (including one site from within the VRAA) indicate that exotic Poa spp. (Canada and Kentucky bluegrass) occur throughout the remnants at nearly 100% frequency among quadrats (Taft; unpublished data). Various control methods have been tested with some of the other serious exotic species (Solecki and Taft 1987, 1989). Control methods are summarized in the "Summary and Recommendations" section. Evidence of leaf bum and mortality of plants at the edges of prairies bordering cropland suggests that herbicide drift c~n. be a problem, at least to edge species, and may be an unrealized confounding factor throughout prairie remnants where they occur adjacent to cropland. Off-road vehicle use of railroad rights-of-way is becoming an increasingly damaging problem for prairie remnants. Powerline and highway maintenance vehicles and installation of fiber-optic cable have caused other damage. Examples of all of these problems have been observed for prairie remnants in Vermilion County (Campbell and Westfall 1991). Wet-Mesic Prairie - This prairie community occurs in an intermediate zone between mesic prairie and wet prairie on somewhat poorly drained sites. Inundation periods are more brief than in wet prairie. No areas of high-quality wet-mesic prairie are known from the VRAA. 43 Common grass species include big bluestem, blue-joint grass, Indian grass, and prairie cord grass. Common to occasional sedges include Carex annectens, C. buxbaumii, C. granularis, C. gravida, C. oligocarpa, and C. vulpinoidea. Characteristic forbs include closed gentian, common mountain mint, false dragonhead, grass leaf goldenrod, saw toothed sunflower, smooth phlox, winged loosestrife, and woundwort. Shrubs are uncommon but may include pale dogwood and pussy willow. A small population of prairie white-fringed orchid, a species listed as endangered by the IESPB and threatened'by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, occurs in high-quality mesic to wet-mesic prairie habitat near the boundary of the VRAA. One species, white lady's slipper (Cypripedium candidum), listed as state threatened by the IESPB historically was known from wet or wet-mesic prairie habitat in Champaign County (Gleason 1908) but is now thought extirpated from the VRAA. Ecological problems in wet-mesic prairie are associated primarily with enhanced drainage from tile. Fire absence can result in woody plant encroachment. Exotic species can include reed canary grass, bittersweet nightshade, and Kentucky bluegrass. Wet Prairie - Wet prairies occurred on poorly drained and slowly permeable soils. Due to ,drainage activities, very few undegraded remnants of wet prairie remain in central Illinois and none are known from within the VRAA. The characteristic grass species for the community type is blue-joint grass and prairie cord grass. The sedges Carex buxbaumii, C. lanuginosa and C. stricta may have been important. Forbs like cinnamon willow herb, common mountain mint, New England aster, saw-toothed sunflower, smooth phlox, and spotted Joe-Pye weed were probably common. Shrubs may have included pale dogwood and pussy willow. A colony of queen-of-the-prairie, listed by the IESPB as an endangered species, occurs within the boundary of the VRAA in a degraded railroad rights-of-way. The soil at this location is saturated by local seepage and the site may have been wet prairie prior to habitat degradation. Ecological problems for wet prairie, besides the obvious factor of total habitat destruction, include increased tile drainage altering the soil moisture regime. Hill Prairie Hill prairies typically occur on slopes with exposure to the south and southwest. Soil moisture conditions are usually very dry on these well-drained sites. For classification, hill prairies are distinguished not by soil moisture type but by substrate. Loess, glacial drift, gravel, and sand hill prairies have been recognized in Illinois (White and Madany 1978). In the VRAA, there are remnants of glacial-drift hill prairies. Hill prairies often occur as openings within forest. During long periods of fire absence, hill prairies often decline in area and many have been eliminated or severely reduced in size due to encroachment of woody plants (McClain 1983, Robertson and Schwartz 1994). 44 I I Glacial drift hill prairie - One glacial-drift hill prairie recognized by the INAI occurs within the VRAA in the Vermilion River Section of the Wabash Border Natural Division. This four-acre unit of glacial-drift hill prairie in a lO-acre natural area is recognized as high-quality and of statewide-significance. This site comprises about 12% of the high quality glacial drift hill prairie remaining in Illinois and about 29% of the Grade A total (Table 6). Most of the glacial drift hill prairie remaining in Illinois occurs in the Grand Prairie Natural Division. Characteristic grasses include big bluestem, Indian grass, little bluestem, poverty oat grass, and side oats gramma. Characteristic forbs include cylindric blazing star, elm-leaved goldenrod, everlasting, false boneset, field goldenrod, flowering spurge, green milkweed, hairy meadow parsnip, hoary puccoon, Indian paintbrush, lousewort, pale purple coneflower, partridge pea, pagoda plant, prairie dock, prairie phlox, purple prairie clover, rigid goldenrod, rough false foxglove, savanna sedge, shining bedstraw, sky-blue aster, slender bush clover, slender false foxglove, spike lobelia, stiff gentian, thimbleweed, western sunflower, yellow flax, and yellow pimpernel. Common woody plants associated with glacial-drift hill prairies include black haw, chinquapin oak, flowering dogwood, hazelnut, hop hornbeam, leadplant, New Jersey tea, pasture rose, poison ivy, redbud, red cedar, shadbush, and smooth sumac. No threatened or endangered species are known from glacial drift hill prairie in the VRAA. Ecological problems are woody encroachment due to periods of fire absence, slumping of unstable slopes, exotic species invasion, and grazing. Restoration activities (e.g., fire management and brush-cutting) have been underway at the natural area and may be reversing the trends and extending the margins of the hill prairie. However, due to a saturated, steep slope at the base of the natural area, parts of the prairie have been slumping down slope towards the Middle Fork of the Vermilion River. Canada bluegrass, Kentucky bluegrass, and white sweet clover typically form the chief exotic species problems in glacial-drift hill prairies. A cornmon seed source for these species in some hill prairies is horse manure. Horse trails also can be a serious degradation factor, particularly on steep slopes prone to erosion and compaction. A small remnant glacial drift hill prairie has been surveyed at Horseshoe Bottom Nature Preserve (Larimore et al. 1999). It is likely that other small, unmanaged hill prairies associated with slopes along the Middle Fork River still persist. Prompt management including prescribed fire and brush cutting can enhance any remaining sites. Savanna Savanna habitats occur throughout many parts of North America. The Midwest, located between the eastern forests and grasslands of the great plains, has the environmental conditions and fire history that supported many savanna habitats (Anderson 1983, Taft 1997, LaGessee et al. 1998, McClean et al. 1998). Savannas are characterized by scattered, open-grown trees, with or without shrubs, and a continuous herbaceous groundcover typically dominated by graminoid species (grasses and sedges) and numerous forbs. 4S Density and percent cover of trees vary and are intermediate between open prairie and closed woodland or forest. In the dissected terrain of major river valleys, such as the North, Middle and Salt forks of the Vermilion River and the Little Vermilion River, savannas often occurred associated with a mixture of vegetation types including prairie, woodland, and forest. Midwestern savanna-like habitats have several unifying characteristics. These include: 1) open-canopied structure (relative to closed forest); 2) canopy dominance by a few species of oaks; 3) a ground cover usually rich in species associated with tallgrass prairie; 4) a majority of floristic diversity contained in the ground cover; and 5) dependence on fire and other disturbances for maintenance of diversity and stability. Oak-dominated systems particularly appear dependent on periodic fire for persistence (Gleason 1912, Lorimer 1985, Abrams 1992). In a period of a few decades of fire absence, savannas in the Midwest were altered through vegetational changes and habitat destruction. There was a rapid conversion of open savanna to closed woodland and forest. The once widespread oak savannas have become among the rarest plant communities (e.g., Curtis 1959, White 1978, Nelson 1985). Presently in the Midwest former savanna and open-woodland areas can still be recognized locally by the form and density of the oldest trees in the closed woodland. Some small remnants persist where woody encroachment has been retarded (though not stopped) by droughty edaphic conditions. In addition, many savanna-like areas have been structurally maintained by livestock grazing. Typically, the groundcover at pastured sites is floristically degraded and dominated by nonnative species. Three savanna subclasses are recognized in llIinois: savanna (generally on fine-textured soils), sand savanna, and barrens (local inclusions of a prairie flora, typically on Shallow soils, within an otherwise forested landscape) (White and Madany 1978). Savanna subclasses are further distinguished to community type by soil-moisture characteristics. Based on inferred edaphic characteristics in the VRAA prior to settlement, the following savanna community types probably were present: dry-mesic savanna and mesic savanna (Table 12). These communities sometimes merge gradually with other community types (e.g., dry upland forest, various prairie types). Compared with other habitat types, relatively few threatened and endangered plant species appear to be dependent on savanna habitats. Floristically, savannas contain species of both prairie and open woodlands, though many taxa appear to reach their greatest frequency in transitional (ecotonal) areas such as savannas. A few rare plant species that may have occurred in savanna habitats within the VRAA include buffalo clover (Trifolium reflexum), ear-leafed foxglove (Tomanthera auriculata), and prairie trout-lily (Erylhronium mesochoreum). Fire absence, fragmentation, habitat degradation (in particular, heavy grazing), and exotic species are primary ecological problems associated with savanna habitats (Hruska and Ebinger 1995). Areas of former savanna, and possibly barrens, may occur in the VRAA . that could be restored or at least rehabilitated with prompt vegetation management. Restoration activities including brush cutting, prescribed fire, and exotic species control long have been under way at two savanna-like sites in the VRAA. Typical exotic species 46 include amur honeysuckle, multiflora rose, Osage orange, autumn olive, common yarrow, Kentucky bluegrass, meadow fescue, orchard grass, parsnip, red clover, Timothy, and white sweet clover. The following community descriptions are generalized depictions of the (former) undegraded condition. Dry-mesic savanna - Dry-mesic savanna/open woodland probably occurred in the VRAA on the upper slopes and ridge tops of areas dissected by the major streams such as the Middle Fork River. In the absence of fire, these areas rapidly developed into closed woodlands. Management at one site using prescribed fire is restoring a dry-mesic open woodland character to a formerly closed woodland habitat. Continued fire management may result in the development of a more open savanna-like habitat. There are two noteworthy remnants of dry-mesic savanna in the VRAA totaling about three acres. One two-acre site recognized by the INAI as a Grade B savanna represents about 22% of the total high-quality dry-mesic savanna remaining in Illinois (Table 6); the other site is a somewhat degraded one-acre site that is a dedicated Illinois Nature Preserve (Tomlinson Cemetery Prairie Nature Preserve). Tree species in dry-mesic savanna include black oak and white oak. In the presettlement vegetation, black oak was more common at the transitional zone from prairie to savanna in the uplands of McLean County, perhaps due to greater fire resistance (Rogers and Anderson 1979). Occasional species include black cherry, blue ash, chinquapin oak, sassafras, shagbark hickory, shingle oak, and white ash. Subcanopy stratum characteristics are dependent on the recent fire history and may include many of the previous species in stages of recruitment as well as Iowa crabapple and red haw. Shrubs include black raspberry, common blackberry, dewberry, gray dogwood, hazelnut, leadplant, New Jersey tea, pasture rose, and prairie willow. Ground-cover species include a rich assortment of graminoid and forb species from prairie, savanna, and open woodland habitats. Important grarninoid species (grasses and sedges) include big bluestem, bottlebrush grass, Canada brome grass, Culver's root, hairy panic grass, Indian grass, little bluestem, nodding fescue, poverty oat grass, and the sedges Carex pensylvanica and C. hirsutella. Characteristic forb species include arrowleaf aster, Canadian milk vetch, common milkweed, common pepper grass, early buttercup, early goldenrod, feverfew, French grass, Indian hemp, little pussy toes, Ohio spiderwort, pale purple coneflower, partridge pea, prairie Indian plantain, shooting star, slender false foxglove, small false Solomon's seal, starry catchfly, Venus' looking glass, Virginia spiderwort, wild hyacinth, woodland sunflower, yellow pimpernel, and yellow star grass. No threatened or endangered species currently are known from dry-mesic savanna habitats in the VRAA, however one state threatened species, prairie trout lily (Erythronium mesochoreum), is known from a degraded dry-mesic savanna in Champaign County just outside the VRAA boundary and buffer zone. See general comments regarding threatened and endangered species and ecological problems. A small population of a rare but unlisted orchid species, green fringed orchid, occurs in dry-mesic savanna habitat in the VRAA. 47 Mesic savanna - Mesic savannas typically were associated with prairie groves on level to slightly rolling terrain. Mesic savannas also may have occurred associated with riparian corridors. Mesic savannas are particularly dependent on recurrent fire for maintenance. Without periodic fire, the soil-moisture conditions allow rapid development of woody vegetation cover. Consequentially, due to several factors (e.g., fire absence, habitat loss, and overgrazing) undegraded remnants, though formerly widespread, are among the rarest plant communities in the Midwest and none are known from the VRAA. The compositional characteristics for mesic savannas in the VRAA are poorly known. The most characteristic tree species of mesic savannas is bur oak. Tree species can can become established in former savanna following periods of fire absence include American elm, basswood, blue ash, hackberry, honey locust, red oak, sassafras, Shagbark hickory, slippery elm, sugar maple, white oak, and yellow poplar. Shrubs are similar to dry-mesic savanna. Ground-cover species may include greater importance of mesic prairie species. Big bluestem arid Indian grass probably were abundant. Many of the ground-cover species from dry-mesic savanna probably also were present in mesic savannas. Threatened and endangered species and ecological problems associated with mesic savannas are similar to dry-mesic savanna and are discussed in the general comments for Savanna habitats. Wetland There are about 9,438 acres of wetland within the VRAA, or about 1.0% of the total area (Tables 2 and 3). Wetland community types in the VRAA, following the natural community classification of White and Madany (1978), include mesic, wet-mesic, and wet floodplain forest (about 64% of total, discussed in the Forest section of this chapter), marsh (17.3%), swamp, (possibly) shrub swamp, s.eep, calcareous seep, and spring (Table 3). Wetlands in the VRAA are concentrated along the four major riparian corridors (Figure 7). About IS acres of wetland (0.16% of wetland total), are recognized as high-quality and undegraded natural communities (Table 5). All high-quality wetland acreage is seep and calcareous seep. Marsh Marshes are palustrine wetlands characterized by having water at or near the surface during most of the growing season, dominance by herbaceous vegetation, with organic or mineral soils (White and Madany 1978). A total of about 1,636 acres (0.2% of total area) of emergent marsh vegetation occur in the VRAA (Table 3). No areas of marsh vegetation are recognized by the INAI as high-quality, undegraded sites. Characteristic graminoid species include the grasses fowl manna grass, prairie cord grass, reed canary grass, and Virginia wild rye, and the following sedges: Carex frankii, c. granularis, C. hystricina, C. stipata, Eleocharis erythropoda, and bulrushes Scirpus acutus, 48 S. atrovirens, S. fluviatilis, S. pendulus, and S. tabemaemontanii. Common forb and other monacot species include arrowleaf, blue flag, clearweed, common boneset, common cattail, common water horehound, field mint, fog fruit, groundnut, pale dock, swamp milkweed, sweet flag, water hemlock, and water smartweed. Black willow, green ash, and silver maple are common trees associated with marshes in the VRAA. No threatened or endangered species are known to occur within the marsh community type in the VRAA. A large population of false hellebore, listed as a threatened species by the IESPB, occurs adjacent to a marsh on a floodplain terrace. Ecological problems in marsh include siltation, altered flooding regimes, invasion of exotic species, and overabundance of aggressive, disturbance-tolerant native species. Siltation and altered flooding regime can reduce the integrity of a marsh. When changes in flooding dynamics result in increased frequency and/or duration of flooding, species intolerant of the new levels will decline and species tolerant of the new levels will increase. Increasers under conditions of siltation and increased flooding often include common cattail, common red reed, reed canary grass, and river bUlrush. Compared with upland habitats, relatively few exotic species are present in wetland communities (Havera et al. 1994). However, a few taxa (e.g., Lythrum salicaria - purple loosestrife and Rhamnus fragula - glossy buckthorn) are serious pests that can threaten the diversity of a wetland site. These aggressive taxa have not yet been reported in floristic surveys from within the VRAA although they are recorded from Champaign and Vermilion counties (Mohlenbrock and Ladd 1978) and may be present in the VRAA at least as small populations. Swamp Swamps are forested palustrine wetlands dominated by trees (swamp) and/or shrubs (shrub swamp) (White and Madany 1978). No areas of swamp in the VRAA are considered high quality, undegraded natural areas. Swamps are often associated with wet floodplain forest. No threatened or endangered species are reported from swamp communities within the VRAA. Ecological problems are similar to the marsh community type. Swamp - Within the VRAA, an approximate 3 acre swamp has been surveyed and described in the floodplain of the Middle Fork of the Vermilion River (Larimore et al, 1999). Dominant canopy species are black ash, green ash, and silver maple. Occasional trees include American elm, cottonwood, Ohio buckeye, swamp white oak, and sycamore. The dominant shrub species is button bush. Occasional shrubs include bladdernut, hazelnut, Missouri gooseberry, prickly ash, and spicebush. Common herbaceous species include beggar ticks, bitter cress, blue flag, blue skullcap, clearweed, common beggar ticks, common water plantain, dotted srnartweed, duckweed, grasses (fowl manna grass, stout wood reed, Virginia wild rye, white grass), green stemmed Joe Pye weed, late goldenrod, panicled aster, sedges CCarex lacustris, C. muskingumensis, C. radiata, C. stipata), sensitive fern, shining bedstraw, side-flowered aster, spotted touch-me-not, three seeded mercury, water parsnip, white avens, and yellow water crowfoot. 49 Shrub swamp - A shrub swamp is a wetland with at least 50% cover of shrubs (White and Madany 1978). A portion of some marsh and seep complexes in the VRAA are partially . dominated by shrubs and may qualify for this distinct natural community designation. Species composition includes many taxa from the marsh community. However, shrubs are dominant, including these species: button bush, false indigo bush, gray dogwood, pale dogwood, and pussy willow. Seep and Spring Seeps are wetland communities characterized by a constant diffuse flow of groundwater, typically from the lower portions of slopes of glacial moraines, ravines, and terraces (White and Madany 1978). The water chemistry of the groundwater controls to some extent species composition and is influenced by the material it flows through. In Illinois, four different seep community types and one spring community are recognized: seeps are circumneutral and occur where the groundwater is not strongly influenced by bedrock or parent material chemistry; acid (gravel) seeps occur associated with sandstone bedrock or gravel; calcareous seeps occur where the groundwater is mineralized by alkaline bedrock (e.g., limestone) and/or soil parent materials like glacial drift; sand seeps emerge from sand deposits and may be calcareous, acid, or neutral; spring communities occur where a channel is formed. In the VRAA, seeps tend to have circumneutral pH, ranging from pH 6.6 to 8.4 with a mean of 7.8; both organic and mineral soils are found in seeps in the VRAA (Morris et al. 1996). Seeps, calcareous seeps, and spring are community types known to occur in theVRAA. Seep - Seeps are localized in the VRAA and are most commonly associated with the forested riparian areas bordering the Middle Fork of the Vermilion River. Four Grade A (essentially undisturbed) seeps, totaling 13 acres, are known from the VRAA, amounting to about 13.8% of the undegraded seep acreage in Illinois and about 41.9% of the Grade A total remaining (Table 6). Herbaceous species include a diverse assortment of graminoid and forb species including arrowleaf, blue lobelia, blue skullcap, bog clearweed, bulrush, common boneset, common cattail, cup plant, dotted smart~.eed, false nettle, fen thistle, goldenglow, honewort, late goldenrod, grasses (fowl manna grass, reed canary grass, rice cutgrass, stout wood reed, white grass), marsh fleabane, marsh marigold, panicled aster, sedges (Carex blanda, C. granularis, C. hystricina, C. stipata), side-flowered aster, skunk cabbage, spotted touch-me not, swamp buttercup, swamp milkweed, sweet-scented bedstraw, water parsnip, and white avens. Woody plants include alternate leaved dogwood, American elm, black ash, gray dogwood, green ash, pale dogwood, poison ivy, riverbank grape, and Virginia creeper. Ecological problems associated with seeps include degradation by overgrazing and alterations to the watershed that influence groundwater discharge. Exotic species include asparagus, Canada bluegrass, common smartweed, crack willow, creeping Charlie, curly dock, dandelion, great water dock, green foxtail, honeysuckle, Kentucky bluegrass, lady's thumb, little-leaved mint, moneywort, Morrow's honeysuckle, multiflora rose, peppermint, self heal, water cress, white mulberry, and white sweet clover. 50 Calcareous seep - One seep with a groundwater pH measured at 8.4 (Morris et al. 1996) is a calcareous (alkaline) seep. This two-acre site is a high-quality (Grade A) natural community, accounting for about 13.8% of the total undegraded calcareous seep remaining in Illinois (Table 7). Deposits of tufa, concretions of calcium carbonate, are present and locally abundant. Common species include American bulrush (Scirpus americanus), beggar ticks, bog clearweed, c1earweed, common boneset, common cattail, common horsetail, common mountain mint, Dudley's rush (funcus dudleyi), grass-of-Parnassus, grasses (common red reed, rice cut grass), Jerusalem artichoke, nodding beggar ticks, pale dock, Riddel's goldenrod, rough-leaf goldenrod, sedges (Carex hystricina and C. stricta), scouring rush, side-flowered aster, spotted touch-me-not, white turtlehead, scouring rush, spotted Joe-Pye weed, spotted touch-me-not, swamp wood betony, and whorled loosestrife. Occasional shrubs include heart-leaved willow and sandbar willow. Wolf's bluegrass, an endangered species in Illinois (Herkert 1991), is present in this seep community. However, this taxon is more of an open woodland species and may have become established in the seep from slumping action of vegetation upslope (see discussion . in the section on "Threatened and Endangered Species"). Ecological problems at this site include exotic species (e.g., lady's thumb, moneywort, multiflora rose, Queen Anne's lace, autumn olive, white sweet clover), slumping of an unstable eroding bluff, and visitor impacts to the saturated soils. Spring community - Here vascular plant communities sometimes are not distinctive but rather associated plants reflect the natural community the spring happens to originate in and flow through. However, where a spring run emerges from within a seep community, floristic composition typically includes some of the most characteristic seep species such as grass- of-Parnassus, sedge such as Carex hystricina and Eleocharis spp., White turtlehead, and swamp wood betony. Lake and Pond Lakes and ponds are open-water habitats. In the VRAA there are natural and artificial examples of pond habitat; all lakes present are artificial empoundments. Pond Natural ponds include shallow-water wetlands that are not excavated or impounded. No high-quality natural pond remnants are known from the VRAA. There are an estimated 135 natural ponds in the VRAA totaling about 97.6 acres (IGIS data). Most of these probably have been degraded directly or indirectly by livestock or other agricultural activities. No descriptive data are available on the floristic composition of natural ponds in the VRAA. Typical species of natural ponds include coontail, duckweed, spatterdock, common cattail, and common bladderwort. Near the Middle Fork of the Vermilion River 51 are some old strip-mine ponds where several of the above species have become established with some interesting additional taxa (e.g., mosquito fern and watershield). No species listed as threatened or endangered by the IESPB are known from pond communities in the VRAA: Ecological problems include drainage, degradation from livestock use, and siltation. Primary Habitats Primary communities include glade, cliff, and lake shore communities. No glades or natural lake shore communities are present within the VRAA. However, small exposures of cliffs are present in the VRAA (Table 12). Cliff The cliff subclass found in Illinois include sandstone cliff community, limestone cliff community, dolomite cliffcommunity, sandstone overhang community, and eroding bluff community. Present within the VRAA are sandstone cliff community and eroding bluff community. Sandstone cliffcommunity - Small areas of sandstone are exposed along the Salt Fork of the Vermilion River (pers. obs.). No areas are recognized as high-quality natural communities by the INAI. No plant community descriptions have been made for the VRAA. A typical species is columbine; wild sarsaparilla is uncommon in the VRAA but is found associated with sandstone habitat in the Middle Fork River area. Few exotic species pose problems in sandstone cliff communities and there are no salient ecological problems. Eroding bluffcommunity - Eroding bluffs consists of vertical exposure of eroded . unconsolidated material such as glacial drift (White and Madany 1978). A total of 4.5 acres of Grade A eroding bluff community, about 15% of the statewide total of undegraded eroding bluff community, are present within the VRAA associated with the Salt Fork of the Vermilion River (Table 6). Eroding bluffs, typically, are maintained by the erosive action of streams. Floristic composition is predominately species that can become established and reproduce rapidly since the community is prone to frequent slumping disturbance. No plant community descriptions have been made for eroding bluffs in the VRAA. Because of the brief period for establishment of plants, some weedy exotic species may be occasional members of the eroded bluff community. Ecological problems may include altered flooding regimes that may result in more rapid undercutting of bluffs resulting in more rapid erosion. 52 ------ Cultural Habitats This class describes communities formed by anthropogenic activities and disturbances and includes cropland, pastureland, successionalfields, developed land, tree plantations, anijiciallakes and ponds, and prairie reconstructions (Table 12). This is the major community class in the VRAA comprising about 93.8% of the total land area (Table 2). No threatened or endangered species are known from cultural habitats in the VRAA. These areas impose some of the most challenging ecological problems for natural habitats in the VRAA (see discussion below). One exception is the prairie reconstruction, termed prairie restoration by the INAI (White and Madany 1978). This is the only community type mentioned below (briefly) since it is the only example in the Cultural community class of an effort to create a natural community. Prairie Restoration - Typically, prairie reconstructions are plantings of prairie species on grassland soils where the original natural community has been destroyed. Prairie species are planted sometimes in an effort to produce a warm-season grassland and sometimes with the goal of attempting to recreate the original prairie community. Prairie reconstructions often are low in diversity and strongly dominated by a few species. However, the Doris Westfall Prairie Restoration, a dedicated Illinois Nature Preserve (Table 7), is a noteworthy exception. This site, through intensive effort, care, and time, has become one of the few reconstructions that resembles the structure and composition a tallgrass prairie. This site is located in the Forest Glen County Park in Vermilion County about 8.5 miles south of Danville. The prairie reconstruction was begun by Mrs. Westfall in 1973 on 5 acres with the support of the Vermilion County Conservation District and the Vermilion County Audubon Society; the effort has been expanded over the years. Now, 25 years after its inception, the prairie totals about 40 acres and harbors about 119 native plant species and numerous animals. Many planted conservative prairie plants native to the region have become established including purple prairie clover, white prairie clover, Ieadplant, white indigo, Turk's cap lily, shooting star, pale purple coneflower, Indian paintbrush, and prairie dropseed. A mesic prairie community occurs on lower, moist ground and dry-mesic prairie is found on drier ground of the restoration. Typical plants of the mesic prairie are big bluestem, Indian grass, prairie dropseed, rattlesnake master, shooting star, white prairie clover, compass plant, and prairie dock. Characteristic plants of the dry-mesic prairie are big bluestem, Indian grass, little bluestem, porcupine grass, leadplant, pale purple coneflower, and rough blazing star. As noted previously (sections on Threatened and Endangered Species and Natural Communities), a small population of the state-endangered royal catchfly, started from seed, occurs in the prairie. Royal catchfly usually occurs in prairie and dry-mesic barrens. It is known from both the Wabash and lower Mississippi River basins in Illinois and is known from four natural popUlations in the state. The natural population closest to the Westfall Prairie restoration is at a small cemetery prairie in Indiana less than 20 miles from the Westfall Prairie. Queen-of-the-Prairie, a state-threatened plant, also is established in this reconstruction where it occurs in three locations. This attractive flower was established at Westfall Prairie with seed gathered from plants growing along a railroad track north of Georgetown. 53 Two other prairie reconstructions, the Meadowbrook Prairie and a prairie reconstruction on grounds managed by the Illinois Natural History Survey, both typical examples of low diversity prairie reconstructions, provide sites for educational field trips serving school children throughout Champaign and Urbana. Summary and Recommendations Trends in the VRAA among the terrestrial community classes of Forest, Prairie, Savanna, and Wetland, including all natural communities within these classes, indicate that habitat loss exceeds statewide averages. Habitat degradation among remnants of these community classes exceeds statewide rates for all classes except Forest. A slightly greater percent of forest remains in the VRAA in a relatively undegraded condition compared with forest throughout Illinois. However, although some old-growth and old second-growth forest tracts remain that appear to lack a damaging grazing history, removal of key ecological processes in these forest fragments has resulted in some dramatic changes in community composition and structure since the time of European settlement of the region. Despite the availability of a great deal of descriptive information regarding natural communities in the VRAA, there remain many knowledge gaps, particularly the distribution, abundance, qualitative condition, and ecological trends among remnants. This is particularly true for silt-loam prairies, formerly the most abundant community class in the basin. Though floristic information is available for the few remnants, there is a lack of quantitative data. Further, since remnants tend to have floristic differences (no two sites are the same), the fact that so little prairie remains suggests we have a poor resolution of the original (presettlement) species diversity for the VRAA. Particularly lacking are data on wet and wet-mesic prairies, natural communities that were formerly common. Additional survey efforts in the VRAA may identify new populations of threatened or endangered species and noteworthy remnants of natural communities, particularly in the Vermilion River Section of the Wabash Border Natural Division. Many of the most challenging conservation issues in the VRAA are addressed primarily at the community and ecosystem levels. There are serious ecological problems that threaten the long-term maintenance of biodiversity in the VRAA. Throughout the natural community descriptions for the VRAA are consistent references to a set of related ecological problems. These are habitat fragmentation, habitat degradation, exotic species invasion, and, for several community types, fire absence. The following five steps are recommended as an approach for gaining further insights of the natural communities in the VRAA and developing a plan for the long-term maintenance of biodiversity. 1. Inventory The Illinois Natural Areas Inventory (INAI) provides data on the distribution and abundance of statewide-significant natural communities (White 1978). However, many natural communities occur in Illinois that, though they do not meet the qualitative standards established for the INAI for undegraded and statewide-significant natural areas, contain 54 regionally exceptional and noteworthy natural features. Many natural communities in the VRAA, although somewhat degraded, retain relatively high levels of ecological integrity and have potential for further improvement through restoration efforts. Since the INAI sites are few and small in total area, the somewhat degraded but restorable natural communities that remain are critical for the long-term maintenance of biodiversity in the region. Remnants among all community classes (e.g., forest, prairie, savanna, wetland) need to be identified. For example, since no high quality dry-mesic, wet-mesic, or wet tallgrass prairie remnants are known from the VRAA, identification of the degraded remnants is central to any recovery effort for these community types and the efforts of Campbell and Westfall (1991) advanced this cause considerably. Floristic Quality Assessment, a method for evaluating the natural quality of habitat remnants that employs numerous parameters of community characteristics (including floristic inventory data and INAI grades), is a promising technique for distinguishing remnants of native vegetation that have restoration potential (Taft et al. 1997). 2. Map All results from natural community inventory efforts should be categorized and mapped to provide a spatial context for the locations of habitats with differing ecological condition. This will aid in identifying concentrations of noteworthy natural communities which can serve as focus areas. Trends in total area of each community class among qualitative units would serve as an aid in measuring success in restoration efforts (see below). 3. Protection The natural communities with the greatest integrity need to be protected from further anthropogenic degradation (e.g., damaging levels of grazing, off-road vehicle impacts, soil grading in railroad rights-of-way). Inventory and mapping in the VRAA will aid in the prioritization of protection efforts. Highly isolated remnants pose distinct conservation and protection challenges compared with clusters of restorable natural communities. Staff of the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission (S24 S. Second St., Springfield, IL 62701) are familiar with the various protection options and incentives for private landowners. 4. Identification and prioritization of ecological problems As previously indicated, a host of related ecological problems consistently are present among remnant natural communities in the VRAA (habitat fragmentation, habitat degradation, exotic species invasion, and fire absence). Some problems can be addressed more readily than others. Habitat fragmentation is a widespread problem with potentially devastating consequences for ecological integrity often resulting in an interruption of biological interactions, ecological processes, species migrations, and a reduction in habitat heterogeneity (Wilcove et al. 1986). A consequence, typically, is loss of species diversity. However, solutions to restoring biological connectivity and ecosystem-level process are extraordinarily complex and costly if the goal is to recreate corridors for all species among regional habitats. High levels of fragmentation may impose limits on maintaining or enhancing biodiversity in the long-term. The success of natural community reconstructions such as the Doris Westfall Prairie Restoration offer promise that habitat reconstruction can have an important role in reducing levels of fragmentation. 55 In contrast, habitat degradation is a widespread problem that can be slowed and/or minimized at many sites by removing the degradation factor (e.g., grazing, soil disturbances), although restoration to predisturbance condition in severe cases may require intensive vegetation management. It is difficult to find a private woodland in Illinois that does not bear indications of past cattle grazing. The effects of overgrazing can be persistent. Certain species (e.g., many ferns, orchids, trilliums, bellflower, bloodroot, blue cohosh, several grass and sedge species) appear to be sensitive to grazing disturbance and are often absent while certain grazing increasers (e.g., unpalatable species, thorn-bearing species, and plants with bristly fruits) are dominant. For instance, a typical situation in Illinois woodlands is a ground-cover and shrub flora dominated by blackberries (Rubus spp.), buckbrush, common snakeroot, honewort, Missouri gooseberry, white snakeroot, Virginia creeper, and the exotic garlic mustard. Usually, confounding influences, such as grazing, increased shade, and siltation or other soil disturbances, are involved. Exotic species invasion can be considered both a species-level and a community-level problem. Some community-level management activities address more than one ecological problem. For example, garlic mustard invasion can be reversed with appropriately timed applications of fire (Nuzzo 1991, Schwartz and Heim 1996). Other serious exotic pests, such as purple loosestrife, require direct treatment or biological control (Thompson et al. 1987, Malecki et al. 1993). Exotic species known to pose severe ecological problems occur in the VRAA and recommended control measures are summarized in Table 13. Fire is an ecological force that historically influenced many aspects of natural communities in the VRAA. Many community types require fire for maintenance of community characteristics and diversity. Fire absence has resulted in changes in forest structure, composition, and diversity. Invasion of mesophytic species such as sugar maple into oak hickory forests is a statewide phenomenon related to fire absence also occurring in east central Illinois and the VRAA. Many forests in IlIinois are dominated in the canopy by oaks but have few oak saplings. Rather, shade-tolerant (and fire intolerant) species like sugar maple often are extraordinarily more common and dense than prior to settlement (Ebinger 1986). An obvious consequence of this change is the possible loss of oak woodlands and the plant and wildlife species that depend on them. A rich assemblage of spring wildflowers still can be found in some woodlands because these spring ephemerals largely escape the ensuing shade of the dense overstory and thus selectively persist while typically only a few shade-tolerant species can be found in the summer and fall. Also, the spring flora often has been spared direct effects of cattle grazing because livestock, typically, historically have been rotated to fescue pastures during spring months. Infrequent application of prescribed fire appear unlikely to reverse these trends. Rather, a long-term program of repeated applications of prescribed fire is often necessary before compositional stability is achieved. Nevertheless, prescribed fires can be implemented to a wide variety of remnants and community types, at little cost, and achieve measurable improvements in many parameters of ecosystem integrity. 56 5. Application of appropriate vegetation management Once the ecological problems for a natural community are identified and prioritized . according to restoration effort and gain, a program of vegetation management needs to be implemented. Record keeping is vital to tracking activities and levels of success in implementing each treatment plan. Floristic Quality Assessment (Taft et al. 1997) methods may provide a framework useful in measuring progress of each restoration activity. Table 13. List of invasive exotic species known or suspected to occur in the Vermilion River Assessment Area, and recommended eradication methods'. Cut & Apply Foliar Cut &/or Sturnp-Treatrnt Herbicide Prescribed Hand Pull Dig Biological Species Herbicide Application Fire (get root) Root Control Arnur honeysuckle X Asparagus X X Awnless brorne grass X Black locust X - Garlon 4 Canada bluegrass X Common lilac X Common periwinkle X X Common yarrow X X Crown vetch X X X Cut-leaved teasel X X X X Cyprus spurge ? X X Garlic mustard X X X Glossy buckthorn X Japanese honeysuckle X X Kentucky bluegrass X Meadow fescue X X X Moneywort X Motherwort ? X X Multiflora rose X Orange day lily X X Osage orange X Purple loosestrife X X X Queen Anne's lace X White mulberry X White poplar X X White sweet clover X X Wild parsnip' X X X Yellow sweet clover X X 'Recommended herbicide is typically Round-up (glyphosate) except for black locust (Solecki 1997). 'This species has phototoxic properties and skin contact should be avoided. 57 Birds Introduction Infonnation in this section is derived from standard references of lIIinois, including the Illinois Natural Heritage Database (lIIinois Department of Natural Resources 1998), The Illinois Breeding Bird Atlas (Illinois Department of Natural Resources, in prep), Avian Ecological Investigations (lIIinois Department of Natural Resources, unpublished reports), A Birding Handbook For East Central Illinois (Kendeigh et al. 1976), Birds of the Middlefork Valley (Campbell et al. 1988), and the Birds of the Middlefork Valley checklist (Illinois Department of Conservation 1986), and the results of extensive field work by personnel from the Illinois Natural History Survey (much of it ongoing and not yet published). The Vermilion River Assessment Area (VRAA) is typical of primarily agricultural areas of central and east-central Illinois. Most non-agricultural habitats exist in narrow riparian areas where the terrain is too steep to plow, usually along the major streams and river systems. All of the public land holdings occur along these river valleys which include the Little Vennilion River and the Salt, North, and Middle Forks of the Big Vermilion River (which itself is part of the larger Wabash River Drainage Division). These areas are chronically fragmented (Figures 10, 11, and 12) and will likely remain so for the foreseeable future. Nevertheless, the existence of several large public land holdings creates some opportunities for reducing the negative effects of fragmentation. Bird species composition in the VRAA is typical for the agricultural portions of the state except that the breeding species list has benefited from the existence of several large public . land holdings (Table 4, Figure 10), including the Middle Fork State Wildlife Area (MFWA), Kickapoo State Park (KSP), Middle Fork Forest Preserve (MFFP), Kennekuk County Park (KCP), Forest Glen Preserve (FGP), Harry "Babe" Woodyard State Natural Area (WSNA), Vermilion River Observatory (VRO), and Lake Vermilion County Park (LV), as well as one fairly large private preserve, Jordan Creek (JC), owned by the Outdoor Heritage Foundation of Vermilion County. These areas contain a variety of grassland and wetland habitats, as well as restored prairies, savannas, riparian forest, upland forest, and open lake. The list has also benefited from the activities of many excellent bird watchers in the area, especially Steve Bailey, Jim Smith, Mary Jane Easterday, Marilyn Campbell, Beth Chato; and Robert Chapel. As a result, we know far more about the birds of this area than we do about any other primarily agricultural partnership area and we have a far better grasp of how we can improve habitat even in areas that will always be primarily agricultural. Approximately 270 bird species regularly occur in the VRAA (Table 14). This represents approximately 90% of the 300 species that regularly occur in the state (Illinois Ornithological Records Committee in prep.). Of these 270 species, over 140 breed 59 or formerly bred in the area (Table 14). Several nesting species have been extirpated from the site, including several that are globally extinct (Passenger Pigeon - Ectopistes migratorius and Carolina Parakeet - Conuropsis carolinensis) and some that are extinct or are nearly so in llIinois (American Swallow-tailed Kite - Elanoides forficatus, Swainson's Hawk - Buteo swainsoni, Greater Prairie-Chicken - Tympanuchus cupido, Sandhill Crane Grus canadensis, Long-billed Curlew - Numenius americanus, and Bachman's Sparrow Aimophila aestivalis). The locally extirpated Wild Turkey has been successfully reestablished in several sites, especially along the Middle Fork, Big and Little Vermilion River valleys, where it nests in shrublands and restored prairies adjacent to forest. The use of non-agricultural habitats by migrating birds is quite remarkable. Huge concentrations of migrants build up in forest, shrubland, and residential areas when bad weather forces them to stop in the area. These concentrations are one of the most attractive aspects of Iiving in this area for birdwatchers. The bird species that live in the VRAA are ecologically diverse, and although some species are able to live in a variety of habitats, many species are adapted to living in only one or a few habitats (Table 14). The following sections describe the bird communities typically found in the major habitat types on the VRAA, as well as unique environmental problems and management solutions for bird communities in each habitat. Table 14. Bird species that regularly occur in the Vermilion River Assessment Area. These are species that are likely to be present all or most years. This list excludes extinct species and the many wandering or "vagrant" species that have been recorded in tbe area. Tbe purpose is to list only those species that have or could have significant populations in the area. The table also lists the habitats that are most likely to be occupied during each season. Species1,2 Breeding'··" Winter'" Migrant'" Common Loon L Gavia immer Pied-billed Grebe. ST LW(') LW Podilymbus podiceps Homed Grebe L Podiceps auritus Double-crested Cormorant L Phalarocorax auritus American Bittern· SE W BotaUTUS lentiginosus Least Bittern - ST we,) W lxobrychus exilis Great Blue Heron LWFsF LW LW Ardea herodias Great Egret LW Ardea a/bus Little Blue Heron - SE LW Egretta caerulea 60 Table 14. Continued. Speciesl.2 Breeding,,6,' Winter',6 Migrant,,6 Cattle Egret CGW Bubulcus ibis Green Heron LWFs LWFs Butarides virescens BIack-crowned Night-Heron - SE Fs WI') FsW Nycticorax nycticorax Yellow-crowned Night-Heron - SE Fs WI') Nycticorax violacea Tundra Swan LW Cygnus calumbianus Trumpeter Swan LW Cygnus buccinator Mute Swan LW Cygnus alor Greater White-fronted Goose LW LW Anser albifrons Snow Goose LC LWC Chen caerulescens Canada Goose LWC LWCR LWCR Branta canadensis Wood Duck FsW FsWL Aix sponsa Green-winged Teal WL Anas crecca American Black Duck WLFsC Anas rubripes Mallard WCLFsG WCLFs WCLFs Anas platyrhynchos Northern Pintail WCL Anas acutal Blue-winged Teal WGIR} WL Anas discors Northern Shoveler WL Anas clypeata Gadwall WL Anas strepera American Wigeon WL Anas americana Canvasback LW Aythya valisineria Redhead LW Aythya americana Ring-necked Duck LW Aythya collaris Greater Scaup LW Aythya mar/la 61 Table 14. Continued. SpeciesI.2 Breeding',6,' Winter',6 Migrant,,6 Lesser Scaup LW Aythya affinis Oldsquaw L Clangula hyemalis Surf Scoter L Melanitta perspicillata White-winged Seater L L Melanitta [usca Common Goldeneye L L Bucephala clangula Bufflehead L LW Bucephala albeola Hooded Merganser Fs (R) LFsW Lophodytes cucullatus Common Merganser L L Mergus merganser Red-breasted Merganser LW Mergus serrator Ruddy Duck LW Oxyura jamaicensis Turkey Vulture FGCFs Say FGCFs Say FGC S SayFs Cathartes aura Osprey· SE L Pandion haliaetus Bald Eagle. ST, FT L L HaJiaeetus Jeucocephalus Northern Harrier - SE GW(') GCW GCW Circus cyaneus Sharp-shinned Hawk F Fs Say (<) FS RFs Say F S R Fs Say Accipiter striatus Cooper·s Hawk FS Say FS RSay FS R Say Accipiter cooperii Northern Goshawk FS FSWL Accipiter gentilis Red-shouldered Hawk - ST Fs (,) Fs Fs Buteo Jineatus Broad-winged Hawk F «j F Buteo plarypterus Swainson's Hawk - SE F G SaY"~) FGSav Buteo swainsoni Red-tailed Hawk FCGRS FCGRS FCGRS Buteo jamaicensis Rough-legged Hawk CG Buteo lagopus Golden Eagle FSG Aquila chrysaetos 62 Table 14. Continued. SpeciesJ.Z Breeding"'" Winter'" Migrant'" American Kestrel RC GSav R C G Say RC G Say Falco sparverius Merlin All Falco columbarius Peregrine Falcon - SE, FE All Falco peregrinus Ring-necked Pheasant* CGS CGS CGS Phasianus colchicus Wild Turkey F S Say Fs F S Say Fs C FS Say FsC Meleagris gallopavo Northern Bobwhite S GC Say S GC Say S GC Say Colinus virginianus Yellow Rail GW Coturnicops noveboracensis King Rail· SE GW") GW RaUus elegans Virginia Rail WI') WG Rallus limicola Sora WI') WG Porzana carolina Common Moorhen· ST W Gallinula ehloropus American Coot W',) L WL Fuliea americana Sandhill Crane • ST WGC Grus canadensis Black-bellied Plover LW Pluvialis squatarola American Golden-Plover WLCG Pluvialis dominica Semipalrnated Plover W Charadrius semipalmatus Killdeer WRGC WRGC Charadrius voeiferus Greater Yellowlegs W Tringa melanoleuea Lesser Yellowlegs W Tringa jlavipes Solitary Sandpiper W Tringa solitaria Willet W Catoptrophorus semipalmatus Spotted Sandpiper L W Actitis macularia Upland Sandpiper. SE G") G Banramia longicauda 63 Table 14. Continued. l Species . .:! Breeding"',7 Winter'" Migrant'" Hudsonian Godwit W Limosa haemastica Ruddy Turnstone W Arenaria interpres Sanderling W Calidris alba Semipalmated Sandpiper W Calidris pusilla Western Sandpiper W Calidris mauri Least Sandpiper W Calidris minutilla White-romped Sandpiper W Calidris juscicollis Baird's Sandpiper WG Calidris bairdii Pectoral Sandpiper CWG Calidris melanotos Dunlin W Calidris alpina .Stilt Sandpiper W Calidris himantopus Buff-breasted Sandpiper WG Tryngites subruficollis Short-billed Dowitcher W Limnodromus griseus Long-billed Dowitcher W Limnodromus scolopaceus Common Snipe WG Gallinago gallinago American Woodcock FFs S FFs S Scolopax minor Wilson's Phalarope - SE LW Phalaropus tricolor Red-necked Phaiarope LW Phalaropus lobatus Franklin's Gull LWC Larus pipixcan Bonaparte's Gull LWC Larus philadelphia Ring-billed Gull LWC LWC Larus delawarensis Herring Gull L WLC Larus argentatus Caspian Tern L Sterna caspia 64 Table 14. Continued. Species" 2 Breeding"'" Winter'·' Migrant'" Common Tern - SE L Sterna hirundo Forster's Tern - SE LW Sterna forsteri Black Tern - SE LW Chi/idonias niger Rock Dove* RC RC RC Columba livia Mourning Dove RCS RCS RCS Zenaida macroura Black-billed Cuckoo S F S Say Coccyzus erythropthalmus Yellow-billed Cuckoo F S Fs Say F S Fs Say Coccyzus americanus Barn Owl- SE CGR Say (oj CGSav CGSav Tyto alba .Eastern Screech-Owl R S Say RS Say RS SaY Otus asio Great Homed Owl FC RFs SaY FC RFs Say FC RFs Say Bubo virginianus Snowy Owl C Nyctea scandiaca Barred Owl FFs FFs FFs Strix varia Long-eared Owl F S (0) FS FS Asio otus Short-eared Owl. SE G (0) G G Asio flammeus Northern Saw-whet Owl FS FS Aegolius acadicus Common Nighthawk RSav RGC Chordeiles minor Whip-poor-will F Say F Say Caprimulgus vociferus Chimney Swift R F S Fs Say All Chaetura pelagica Ruby-throated Hummingbird F S RFsSav FS RFsSav Archilochus colubris Belted Kingfisher LW LW LW Ceryle alcyon Red-headed Woodpecker FsRC FFs Say FFsCRSav Melanerpes erythrocephalus Red-beIlied Woodpecker FFs S RSav FFs S R Say FFs S RSav Melanerpes carolinus Yellow-bellied Sapsucker FFs,oj FFs RSav FFs R Say Sphyrapicus varius 65 Table 14. Continued. Species" , Breeding""? Winter'·' Migrant'" Downy Woodpecker FFs R S Say F Fs R S Say F Fs R S Say Pieoides pubeseens Hairy Woodpecker FFs Say R FFs R S Say FFs R S Say Pieoides villosus Northern flicker S FR Say Fs S FR Sav Fs S FR SavFs Colaptes auratus Pileated Woodpecker FFs Sav F Fs Say R FFsSavR Dryoeopus pileatus Olive-sided flycatcher FFs R S Say Contopus cooperi Eastern Wood-Pewee FFs R Say FFs R Say Contopus virens Yellow-bellied Flycatcher F S Fs Empidonax flaviventris Acadian Flycatcher FFs FFs Empidonax vireseens Alder Flycatcher W SSav Empidonax alnorum Willow flycatcher WS W S Say Empidonax traillii Least flycatcher F Say (<) F S RFsSav Empidonax minimus Eastern Phoebe RFs RFs Sayornis phoebe Great Crested flycatcher FFs Sav FFsS RSav Myiarehus erinitus Eastern Kingbird S GC Sav S GAFC Say Tyrannus tyrannus Horned Lark CG CG CG Eremophila alpestris Purple Martin LRWG LWG Progne subis Tree Swallow LWFsG LWFsG Taehyeineta bieolor Northern Rough-winged Swallow LWFsG LWG Stelgidopteryx serripennis Bank Swallow LWG LWG Riparia riparia Cliff Swallow LWG(<) LWG Petroehelidon pyrrhonota Barn Swallow CRWLGS CRWLGS Hirundo rustiea Blue Jay RFFs S C Sav RFFs S C Say RFFs S C Say Cyanocitta eristata American Crow All All All Corvus braehyrhynehos 66 Table 14. Continued. Species" 2 Breeding'·6.' Winter'·6 Migrant'·6 Black-capped Chickadee F S R Fs Say F S R Fs Say Poecile atricapillus Carolina Chickadee F S R Fs Say F S RFs Say F S R Fs Say Poecile carolinensis Tufted Titmouse FR Fs Say FRFsSay F R Fs Say Baeolophus bicolor Red-breasted Nuthatch R FR Sitta canadensis White-breasted Nuthatch FRFs Say FR Fs Sav F R Fs Say Sitta carolinensis Brown Creeper· ST Fs (,) FFsR FFsR Certhia americana Carolina Wren RFFs S Say R FFs S Say R FFs S Say Thryothorus ludovicianus Bewick's Wren· SE SG(') SG Thryomanes hewickii House Wren RFS Sav R F S Say Troglodytes aedon Winter Wren FFsW FFsW Troglodytes troglodytes Sedge Wren WG WG Cistothorus platensis Marsh Wren W Cistothorus palustris Golden-crowned Kinglet FFs RSav F Fs R Sav Regulus satrapa Ruby-crowned Kinglet F S Say Regulus calendula Blue-gray Gnatcatcher FFs S Sav F Fs S Sav. Polioptila caerulea Eastern Bluebird C GR S Sav SF RC Say S FCGR Say Sialia sialis Veery FFs (0) F Fs R Sav Catharusfuscescens Gray-cheeked Thrush F Fs R Say Catharus minimus Swainson's Thrush F S RFsSay Catharus usrulatus Hermit Thrush S FRFs Sav S FR Fs Sav Catharus guttatus Wood Thrush FFs FRFs Sav Hylocichla mustelina American Robin RS FFsSay R S FFs Say R S FFsCGSay Turdus migratorius Gray Catbird S Fs R Say S Fs R Say Dumetella carolinensis 67 Table 14. Continued. Species'" Breeding'·~7 Winter" Migrant'" Northern Mockingbird RS RS RS Mimus polyglottos Brown Thrasher S RC GSav S RC Say Toxostoma rufum American Pipit CW Anthus rubescens Cedar Waxwing R S FFs Say R S FFsSav RS FFs Say Bombycilla cedrorum Northern Shrike GCS Lanius excubitor Loggerhead Shrike. ST G S C (,) GSC GSC Lanius ludovicianus European Starling" R CFFsSav R C FFs Say R CFFsSav Stumus vulgaris White-eyed Vireo S Fs Say S Fs Say Vireo griseus Bell's Vireo SG SG Vireo bellii Blue-headed Vireo F Fs Say Vireo solitarius Yellow-throated Vireo FFs FFsR Vireo flavifrons Warbling Vireo S R Fs Say S RFFs Say Vireo gilvus Philadelphia Vireo S FRSav Vireo philadelphicus Red-eyed Vireo FFs Say FFs S R Say Vireo olivaceus Blue-winged Warbler S (,) SF R Say Fs Vennivora pinus Golden-winged Warbler F S Fs R Say Vennivora chrysoptera Tennessee Warbler FRS Fs Say Vennivora peregrina Orange-crowned Warbler SF R Say Fs Vennivora celata Nashville Warbler SF R Say Fs Vennivora ruficapilla Northern Parula FFs FFs RSav Parula americana Yellow Warbler SW SWRSavFs Dendroica petechia Chestnut-sided Warbler S FFs R Say Dendroica pensylvanica Magnolia Warbler F S R Fs Say Dendroica magnolia 68 1------, Table 14. Continued. Species1,2 Breeding"'" Winter'" Migrant'" Cape May Warbler R FFs Say Dendroica tigrina Black-throated Blue Warbler F R Fs Say Dendroica caerulescens Yellow-rumped Warbler F Fs SaY F S R Fs Say Dendroiea eoronata Black-throated Green Warbler F R Fs Say Dendroiea virens Blackbumian Warbler FFs RSav Dendroiea fusea Yellow-throated Warbler Fs FFs Dendroica dominica Pine Warbler FFs Say R Dendroiea pinus Prairie Warbler S(rJ S Dendroica discolor Palm Warbler Fs S F R W G Say C Dendroica palmarum Bay-breasted Warbler F R Fs S Say Dendroica castanea Blaekpoll Warbler FFsRS Say Dendroica striata Cerulean Warbler FFs") FFs R Say Dendroica eerulea Black-and-white Warbler FRFs Say S Mniotilta varia American Redstart Fs FFs S R Say Setophaga ruticilla Prothonotary Warbler Fs Fs Protonotaria citrea Worm-eating Warbler F (r) F Helmitheros vermivorus Ovenbird F FR S Say Seiurus auroeapillus Northern Waterthrush FsR Seiurus noveboracensis Louisiana Waterthrush F FFs Seiurus motaci/la Kentucky Warbler F F Say Fs Oporomis formosus Connecticut Warbler S FFs SavR Oporomis agilis Mourning Warbler SF Fs Say R Oporomis philadelphia Common Yellowthroat GCWS RSav GCWS RSav Geothlypis triehas 69 Table 14. Continued. Species1,2 Breeding3•6.7 Winter'·6 Migrant'·6 Hooded Warbler F (r) FR Wi/sonia citrina Wilson's Warbler SF Fs R Say Wi/sonia pusilla Canada Warbler F Fs S R Say Wi/sonia canadensis Yellow-breasted Chat S S Say Icteria virens Summer Tanager FSav FSavR Piranga rubra Scarlet Tanager FFs Say FFsSav R Piranga olivacea Northern Cardinal RFFsS C Say RFFs S C Say RFFs S C Say Cardinalis cardinalis Rose-breasted Grosbeak FFs Say S FFs R S Say Pheucticus ludovicianus Blue Grosbeak Say S (,j Say S Guiracacaerulea Indigo Bunting FFs S Say FFs S C Say Passerina cyanea Dickcissel GC GC Spiza americana Eastern Towhee SF SF SFFsR Pipi/o erythrophthalmus American Tree Sparrow SGCR WSav SGCR WSav Spizella arborea Chipping Sparrow RFSav RF SavG S Spizella passerina Clay-colored Sparrow S Spizella pallida Field Sparrow S GC Say SGWSav SGCWSav Spizella pusilla Vesper Sparrow CG CG Pooecetes gramineus Lark Sparrow SCG SCG Chondestes grammacus Savannah Sparrow G G GCW Passerculus sandwichensis Grasshopper Sparrow G G Ammodramus savannarum HensIow's Sparrow. SE G (,j G Ammodramus henslowii Le Conte's Sparrow GW Ammodramus leconteii Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow W Ammodramus nelsoni 70 I I I I I " Table 14. Continued. I I Speciesl.2 Breeding"'" Winter'" Migrant'" Fox Sparrow S Fs F S Fs F R Say Passerella iliaca Song Sparrow RSWCG RSWCG RSWCG Melospiza melodia Lincoln's Sparrow SWFsR Melospiza lincolnii Swamp Sparrow w(r) WFsSG SWFsG Melospiza georgiana White-throated Sparrow RS FFs Say RS FFsSay ZonOlrichia albicollis White-crowned Sparrow SRG SRG Zonotrichia leucophrys Dark-eyed Junco RS FFs GSayC R S FFs G SavC Junco hyemalis Lapland Longspur CG CG Calcarius lapponicus Smith's Longspur CG Calcarius pictus Snow Bunting CG Plectrophenax nivalis Bobolink G (r) GW . Dolichonyx oryzivorus Red-winged Blackbird WCRGS Say CGFFs WCRGSSay Agelaius phoeniceus Eastern Meadowlark GC GC GC Stumella magna Western Meadowlark G.C(') GC Stumella neglecta Yellow.headed Blackbird· SE W(r) W Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus Rusty Blackbird CFFs RCFsW Euphagus carolinus Brewer's Blackbird CG Euphagus cyanocephalus Common Grackle RWFsF CRFFs RFFs C Say Quiscalus quiscula Brown-headed Cowbird All CRFFs All Molothrus mer Orchard Oriole SR WSay S R WFFs Say Icterus spurius Baltimore Oriole RFFsS Say FFsRS Say Icterus galbula Purple Finch FFsR FFs R S Say Carpodacus purpureus House Finch* RS RS FFs R S Say Carpodacus mexicanus 71 Table 14. Continued. 3 Species1,2 Breeding "" Winter'" Migrant'" Red Crossbill FR FR Loxia curvirostra White-winged Crossbill FR FR Loxia leucoptera Common Redpoll GSRF Carduelis jlammea Pine Siskin R S F v, RSF RSF Carduelis pinus American Goldfinch SRG S RGFFs Sav S RGFFs Sav Carduelis tristis Evening Grosbeak RFFs RFFs Coccothraustes vesperrinus House Sparrow' RC RC RC Passer domesticus , Bold type indicates an minois threatened (ST), minois endangered (SE), and/or federally endangered (FE) species, 2 * = an introduced species. 3 Breeding = species that currently or historically have bred in the area. 'Winter = species present from December through February. 'Migrant = species present during the March-May and late August-November periods. , The following babitat codes are used: L = Lakes, ponds, impoundments, rivers, larger streams C = Crops G = Grassland (inlcuding pasture and hayfield) W = Wetland (seasonally flooded, open habitats such as marshes and sedge meadows) Fs = Forested swamp (forested wetland, including wet floodplain forest) Sav = Savannah F = Upland and mesic forest R = Residential areas (including urban centers and the "urban forest") S = Shrublands (open habitats dominated by shrubs, including old fields). , (., designates a species that is currently a rare and local breeder and may he locally extirpated. Some of \hese species are good candidates for reestablishment in restored habitats. Forest Regularly Occurring Species Typical Species - Upland and mesic forests of the region have been well characterized (Kendeigh 1982, Blake 1986, Blake and Karr 1987) and are somewhat depauperate because of the pronounced area-sensitivity of many species (Blake 1986). Nevertheless, virtually all forest songbirds characteristic of this latitude have significant, predictable breeding popUlations in the remaining forest patches. These include such common, widespread species as the Wild Turkey, American Woodcock, Great Homed Owl, Whip-poor-will, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Red-bellied, Hairy, and Downy 72 woodpeckers, Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Blue Jay, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, House and Carolina Wrens, Yellow throated and Red-eyed Vireos, Scarlet Tanager, Northern Cardinal, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, and Brown-headed Cowbird. Many other less common species also breed in the area, including the Wood Thrush (widespread in more mesic woodlands, even in small woodlots such as Trelease Woods [TW), a remnant forest patch in central Champaign County, owned by the University of Illinois), Ovenbird (only in a few large, relatively flat upland forests such as the Illinois Power property south of the MFWA, FGP, WSNA), Worm-eating Warbler (steep forested hillsides in FGP and VRO), Cerulean Warbler (only in mature oak-hickory forest at FGP, WSNA, and VRO), Northern Parula and Yellow-throated Warbler (in sycamores in mesic ravines and along rivers), Hooded Warbler (irregular breeders in MFWA & FGP), American Redstarts (several colonies in sycamores and around strip mine ponds in KSP and scattered pairs along the Middle Fork River and at Lake Mingo), Louisiana Waterthrush (along most forested streams), Acadian Flycatcher (in most mesic ravines in MFFP, MFWA, KCP, KSP, FGP,VRO, WSNA), Cooper's Hawk (estimated 15-20 pairs in MFFP, MFWA, KCP, KSP, JC, FGP, VRO, and WSNA), Pileated Woodpecker (along all forested river valleys), Broad-winged Hawk (rare, but present in KCP and FGP), and the Barred Owl, Great Horned Owl, Kentucky Warbler, and Summer Tanager. Apparently the only forest species that is rare statewide that is absent from this area, at least in most years, is the Black-and-white Warbler. Threatened and Endangered Species - A few state threatened (ST) and state endangered (SE) species occur in the VRAA. There are several records of Red-shouldered hawk (SE) from the MFWA, VRO, and KCP areas and they are regular breeders at FGP. Exotic Species - European Starlings were introduced from Europe in the late nineteenth century and reached Illinois by 1922 (Bohen and Zimmerman 1989). They are now one of the most abundant species in the state, and they can have detrimental effects on native species because they usurp breeding cavities from woodpeckers in many woodlots. Population Dynamics and Management Many bird species are declining across large parts of their breeding range in the Midwest (Peterjohn et aI. 1994). The causes of such changes are likely partly related to problems with reproducing in highly fragmented landscapes. Major factors influencing productivity of forest birds in the VRAA are predation on eggs or young in nests, and brood parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbirds. Cowbirds lay their eggs in the nests of other species and often destroy one of the hosts eggs when they lay their own. Cowbird young also grow faster than their host young and out-compete them for food, often leading to the starvation of the host young. Rates of nest predation and brood parasitism generally increase as a habitat become more fragmented, creating more feeding habitat for cowbirds and travel corridors for mammalian predators such as raccoons that often inhabit the edges of open country (Robinson et a!. 1995). Ongoing studies suggest that levels of nest predation and prood parasitism are high in this region oflllinois (Brawn and Robinson 1996, S. Robinson, unpub!. data).. Most forests in the VRAA are probably population sinks for many species. 73 However, it is interesting that many of these populations are relatively stable, or at least haven't been declining consistently (Brawn and Robinson 1996). This suggests that their populations depend upon productivity from outside the region, which demonstrates a need to monitor nesting success as well as populations. Most of the woodlands in the VRAA occur in relatively narrow corridors along rivers, where predation and parasitism rates are likely high. For this reason, there is little potential to create "source" habitat for fore,st birds (where productivity will be greater than the amount needed to replace the adults). The best places for forest restoration are small openings in the midst of larger tracts that have the potential to be at least 500 acres; below this size, nest predation and parasitism levels are extremely high statewide (Robinson et al., in press). There are several sections along the Middle Fork River that could be enlarged by allowing regeneration of oak forest on ridgetops and along the old floodplain terrace. Given the importance of oaks to migrant birds, restoration efforts should seek to enhance oaks, especially White Oaks. Restoration in more mesic sites should also focus on oaks and sycamores. Wetland Although wetlands may have historically accounted for over 40% of the land in the VRAA (Havara et al. 1994), only about 6,400 acres of wetland habitat remain. This represents about 1.0% of the VRAA (Table 2, Figure 7). Most of the wetlands have been drained for agricultural purposes (see the discussion of wetlands in the introduction to this report). Regularly Occurring Species Typical Species - The presence of several restored wetlands in the area makes it possible to characterize "typical" wetland species in the VRAA in spite of the enormous loss of wetland habitat that has taken place. Breeding species include Pied-billed Grebe (KSP & KCP), Least Bittern (KCP), Great Blue Heron (rookeries present), Green Heron, Canada Goose, Wood Duck, Mallard, Northern Harrier (KCP), Red-shouldered Hawk (forested wetlands only), Killdeer, Spotted Sandpiper (strip-mine ponds), Barred Owl (forested), Belted Kingfisher, Red-headed Woodpecker (forested), Pileated Woodpecker (forested), Eastern Wood-Pewee (forested), Acadian Flycatcher (forested), Willow Flycatcher (shrubby), Eastern Phoebe, Great Crested Flycatcher (forested), Purple Martin, Tree Swallow, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Bank Swallow, Barn Swallow, Carolina Wren, Sedge Wren (grassy), Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (forested), Wood Thrush (forested), Gray Catbird (shrubby), White-eyed Vireo (shrubby), Yellow-throated Vireo (forested), Warbling Vireo (riparian willows and cottonwoods), Red-eyed Vireo, Northern Parula (forested), Yellow Warbler (shrubby), Yellow-throated Warbler (forested), American Redstart (young forested wetlands), Prothonotary Warbler (forested), Kentucky Warbler (forested), Common Yellowthroat, Indigo Bunting, Song Sparrow (shrubby), Swamp Sparrow (cattails), Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, and Orchard Oriole (shrubby). Threatened and Endangered Species - A fair number of state threatened or endangered 74 species occur in the wetlands of the VRAA. These include the Pied-billed Grebe (ST) at KSP, Least Bittern (ST) at KCP, Northern Harrier (SE) at KCP, and Brown Creeper (ST) at FGP. Several other threatened or endangered species could recolonize restored wetlands in the area, including American Bittern (SE), Common Moorhen (ST), and King Rail (SE) in marshes. Exotic species - Introduced Mute Swans have been found in the area, but are not known to breed here. Population Dynamics and Management The major conservation problems for wetland birds in the VRAA are a lack of large areas of contiguous habitat for birds of forested wetlands (Veery, Brown Creeper, Red shouldered Hawk) and the scarcity of grass and sedge-dominated marshs for bitterns, rails, moorhens, wrens, and harriers. Where this habitat exists, it attracts nesting populations. Limited data on nesting success of birds of shrubby wetlands suggest that nest predation is a problem for some species (e.g.,Yellow Warbler), but that other species may be able to nest successfully (e.g., Orchard Oriole). Wetland habitats are also used heavily by migrating waterfowl and shorebirds. Wetland habitats should be a very high conservation and management priority for the region, especially grassy and sedge-dominated wetlands that are large enough to attract breeding birds, especially rare and endangered species such as the Least and American Bitterns, King Rail, Marsh Wren, and Common Moorhen, as well as ducks (e.g., Blue winged Teal), Sedge Wrens, Swamp Sparrows, Great Egrets, and Green Herons. Wetlands within restored grasslands should increase their potential to attract Short-eared Owls and Northern Harriers. Maintaining marshy borders around waterfowl management units will increase their potential to attract rare species as well. Restoration of forested wetlands should be coordinated with restoration of upland forests within large blocks to increase nesting success. Savannas Savannas used to be found along the dissected terrain of the major river valleys in the area, such as the Little Vermilion River, and the Middle, North, and Salt forks of the Vermilion River. In recent decades since fire has been effectively suppressed, savanna habitats have been greatly altered through vegetation changes and habitat destruction. Savannas are now one of the rarest plant communities in the region (see the chapter Natural Vegetation Communities). Regularly Occurring Species Typical Species - Savanna birds are generally a subset of forest birds with a scattering of shrubland birds and a few species that actually prefer open areas with scattered trees. In 75 the VRAA, perhaps the most typical species are the Eastern Screech Owl, American Woodcock, Whip-poor-will, Red-headed Woodpecker, Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Blue Jay, American Robin, Eastern Bluebird, Yellow-throated Vireo, Summer Tanager, Baltimore Oriole, and Indigo Bunting. Least Flycatchers have nested in the VRAA in a restored savanna at the MFFP and savanna-like areas at KSP. Summer Tanagers clearly prefer tall oaks along open areas. Other species that remain common in savannas include Red-tailed Hawks, Cooper's Hawks, Great Homed Owls, Wild Turkeys, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Northern Flickers, Red-bellied, Hairy, and Downy Woodpeckers, Carolina Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, White-breasted Nuthatches, House Wrens, Scarlet Tanagers, Northern Cardinals, Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, Field Sparrows, and Brown-headed Cowbirds. Savannas with shrub thickets will attract birds of successional communities, such as Bell's and White-eyed Vireos, Blue-winged Warblers, Yellow-breasted Chats, Rufous-sided Towhees, Indigo Buntings, and American Goldfinchs. Threatened and Endangered Species - Historically, the Common Bam-Owl (SE) may have been associated with this habitat, but not recently. Exotic Species - European Starlings are now one of the most abundant species in Illinois. They are detrimental to some native savanna species, particularly other cavity nesting species (such as woodpeckers and bluebirds) because they compete for nest sites. Population Dynamics and Management There have been no detailed studies of the nesting success of birds in savanna habitat from this region. However, studies are underway elsewhere in the state (J.D. Brawn, unpub!. data), which should address this issue. Results of these studies have already shown that savannas are associated with high populations of Brown-headed Cowbirds. Many savanna nesting species, however, are at least partially resistant to cowbird parasitism. For example, some species may abandon parasitized nests or reject cowbird eggs (Rothstein and Robinson 1994) and some species nest in cavities that are inaccessible to cowbirds. Oak savannas appear to be heavily used by migrating birds, especially warblers and vireos. Oak restoration on upland ridges might also enhance populations of Cerulean Warblers, which nest just outside the area. Prairie/Grassland Native prairie habitat is extremely rare in the VRAA. Less than eight acres of high quality native prairie vegetation remain in the area (see the section on land cover in the introduction to this volume) although an area of restored prairie at FGP is now a state dedicated nature preserve. However, many bird species that historically lived in prairies are also able to live in grassland habitat such as hay fields, and sometimes pastures. These habitats are also relatively uncommon in the VRAA. Although there are about 122,000 acres of "grassland" in the VRAA (12.8% of the VRAA), one fourth of this habitat occurs 76 ------ within 100 feet of a road, usually as narrow strips along the edges of country roads (see the introductory chapter, and Figure 5). Pastures in the area are mostly heavily grazed and little-used by grassland birds. They are also favored sites for foraging by Brown-headed Cowbirds. But even though patches of available grassland habitat in the VRAA are small and heavily used, they nonetheless have potential for restoration. Regularly Occurring Species Typical Species - The restored prairies and grasslands in this region have a rich bird community. Typical species include: Red-tailed Hawk, American Kestrel, Northern Bobwhite (grasslands with shrubs), Eastern Kingbird (shrubs), Bam Swallow, Sedge Wren (rare: tall, dense grass), Homed Lark (newly burned), Loggerhead Shrike (shrubs with short grass), Sedge Wren, Brown Thrasher (shrubs), Bell's Vireo (shrubs), Common Yellowthroat, Dickcissel, Savannah Sparrow (short grass), Grasshopper Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow (open grasses), Henslow's Sparrow (tall, dense grass), Field Sparrow (shrubs), Lark Sparrow (shrubs in sandy soils), Bobolink (taller grass), J;:astern Meadowlark, and Red-winged Blackbird. Threatened and Endangered Species - Many threatened and endangered species currently nest in restored grasslands in the area, including the Northern Harrier (SE), Short-eared Owl (SE), Upland Sandpiper (SE), Loggerhead Shrike (ST), and Henslow's Sparrow (SE). King Rails (SE) also have the potential to return to restored grasslands. Exotic Species - Two introduced species are found in the grasslands of the VRAA. The Ring-necked Pheasant, which is native to Asia, was first released in Illinois in about 1890 (Bohlen and Zimmerman 1989) and they continue to be released. Pheasants are abundant in prairie remnants statewide and they also nest abundantly in many restored prairies. European Starlings feed in grasslands following grazing, mowing, or burning. Population Dynamics and Management Some grassland habitat in the VRAA has been created as a result of the Conservation Reserve program (CRP). However, these habitats may disappear with changing farm policy; for this reason, it is important to maintain reliable preserves for grassland birds. The noteworthy success of restored prairies at KCP and MFFP and FGP, among others, demonstrate the outstanding potential of prairie restoration efforts for attracting rapidly declining grassland birds. The restoration at the MFFP, for example, has substantial numbers of Bobolinks and Henslow's Sparrows and the restoration sites at KCP and FGP have Northern Harriers and Henslow's Sparrows. In spite of the success of these sites for attracting birds, their nesting success may be low. Nesting success of grassland species appears to be low in small grassland fragments elsewhere in the state, but we lack data from this region. Studies from elsewhere in the state should provide valuable clues about enhancing restoration. For example, it may be 77 ------_._- necessary to reduce woody vegetation within restorations because they are associated with higher levels of nest predation and parasitism. Small shrub thickets, however, should be . maintained to provide habitat for Bell's Vireo, Willow Flycatcher, Yellow Warbler, and Yellow-breasted Chat. Herkert et al. (1993) provide guidelines for restoring prairies for birds. Some grazing may be allowable on restorations to provide conditions for Loggerhead Shrikes, Upland Sandpipers, and Savannah Sparrows. Some areas, however, should only be grazed, mowed, or burned at 3-year intervals to maintain habitat for Bobolinks, Sedge Wrens, and Henslow's Sparrows. Migrants also use grasslands in the VRAA, which may be important stopover habitats for Smith's Longspurs, pipits, rails, bitterns, wrens, and various shorebirds. In fact, a significant portion of the global population of the Lesser Golden Plover and Smith's Longspur migrate through the Assessment Area, and these species would likely benefit from increased grassland habitat. Lakes, Ponds, Impoundments, Creeks, and Rivers. Compared to the rest of the state, the creeks and rivers of the VRAA are in relatively good condition (see aquatic section below); eight streams in the VRAA are designated as Biological Significant Stream segments (Table 8, Figure 11). Nonetheless, as with several other habitats, creeks and rivers have been greatly altered. There are very few natural lakes or ponds in the VRAA, and all open water combined accounts for only about 0.7% (6,300 acres) of the area (Table 2, Figure 9). Regularly Occurring Species Typical Species - All of the habitats covered under this heading offer a common habitat feature for birds: open, permanent water and a littoral zone. Typical breeding species include Great Blue Heron, Green Heron, Canada Goose, Mallard, Wood Duck (forested streams and Lake's Vermilion, Horner, and Mingo), Cooper's Hawk (riparian corridors), Killdeer, Spotted Sandpiper (strip-mine ponds), Belted Kingfisher, Eastern Phoebe (streams), Willow Flycatcher (willows), all swallows (except Cliff) and Purple Martins, Warbling Vireo (willows), Yellow Warbler (willows), Prothonotary Warbler (dead snags), Common Yellowthroat, Louisiana Waterthrush (forested streams), Song Sparrow, Red winged Blackbird, Common Grackle (shores), Orchard Oriole (willows), and Baltimore Oriole (riparian corridors). Prothonotary Warblers nest in flooded backwaters of rivers. Threatened and Endangered Species - There are no threatened or endangered species breeding in these aquatic habitats in the VRAA, although enhancement of marshy lake borders would attract rare wetland species. Exotic Species - The only exotic species found in these habitats in the VRAA is the Mute Swan, which occasionally may visit ponds in the area, but is not known to breed here. 78 Population Dynamics and Management We lack data on population size and nesting success of birds in these aquatic habitats. Data on the nesting success of birds in riparian corridors of different widths could be useful when combined with information used to design erosion-control buffer strips along creeks. For example, restoration to promote more natural flood pulses would help create the kinds of disturbances necessary for some floodplain species (e.g., Prothonotary Warbler) and perhaps enhance mudflats for migrant shorebirds. Restoring wetland vegetation (e.g., cattails) along lakes and trees along creeks and rivers would provide valuable nesting habitat. Restored corridors with woody vegetation (trees and shrubs) also provide excellent winter habitat for many species. But the most important role of these aquatic habitats for birds is as migratory stopover habitat for loons, grebes, herons, swans, geese, ducks, shorebirds, terns, and gulls. A study identifying which kinds of aquatic habitats are most attractive to migrants would be very helpful. Cultural Habitats: Cropland Agricultural areas generally provide poor quality habitat for most birds - diversity in cropland is much lower than in the original habitats. However, it is nonetheless important to consider the role of agricultural habitats for supporting bird populations in the VRAA because most land within the VRAA has been usurped for agricultural purposes. Over 77% of the VRAA acreage is currently used for crop production (Table 2, Figure 5). Regularly Occurring Species Typical Species - Cropland bird communities are notable mainly for the many non-native species that nest in them (see below) and for a few native grassland species that appear to thrive in them, with Homed Larks being a good example. Other species found in cropland include the American Kestrel, Killdeer, Mourning Dove, Barn Swallow, American Crow, Common Grackle, Red-winged Blackbird, and Vesper Sparrow (Warner 1994). Where there are wooded or shrubby areas along streams within cropland, other nesting species include Red-tailed Hawk, GreatHorned Owl, Eastern Screech-Owl, Eastern Bluebird (where nesting boxes are provided), Indigo Buntings, Common Yellowthroat, Field Sparrow, and Song Sparrow. Farmsteads with tall shade trees often have nesting Warbling Vireos, House Wrens, Chipping Sparrows, and Baltimore Orioles. Eastern Phoebes often nest in farm buildings, as do Bam Swallows. In addition, various waterfowl, epecially Canada Geese and Mallard, utilize harvested and fallow grainfields as feeding and loafing areas during the early part of the breeding season, as well as other periods throughout the year. Threatened and Endangered Species - The Loggerhead Shrike (ST) is the only threatened or endangered species typically found in Illinois cropland habitats. They are rare in the VRAA. 79 Exotic Species - A number of exotic species are abundantin cropland in the VRAA, including Ring-necked Pheasants, Rock Doves, European Starlings, and House Sparrows. Population Dynamics and Management Warner (1994) documented the extent to which intensively used agricultural areas have few nesting birds and low nesting success. These areas aren't suitable for game species such as pheasants, and they often have high populations of feral cats, which are nest predators. However, CRP acreage can produce breeding habitat for some native grassland species such as Henslow's, Grasshopper, Vesper and Savannah Sparrows. Enhancement of grassy roadsides, shrubby streamsides, and riparian corridors can enormously increase the bird diversity within agricultural landscapes. Early mowing of hay adversely affects many species. Intensively farmed areas offer very little in the way of stopover habitat for migrant birds, except around farmsteads and flooded fields, which are used by large numbers of shorebirds (especially Lesser Golden Plovers and Pectoral Sandpipers). In migration and winter, flocks of American Pipits, Snow Buntings and Lapland Longspurs join the resident Homed Larks, and Rough-legged Hawks to forage over some fields. Cultural Habitats: Successional Fields Successional habitats, such as abandoned fields and pastures, are relatively uncommon in the VRAA. These habitats, which are often dominated by non-native species of shrubs and vines, may be structurally similar to native successional habitats that historically occurred along the edges of meandering rivers or in large treefall gaps. Such habitats usually have dense cover and are often rich in fruit producing plants, and therefore offer rich habitat for breeding and migrating birds. However, given the scarcity of natural shrublands in the . Midwest, we know little about "natural" shrublands. Nonetheless, many local bird species that use shrubby vegetation now depend almost entirely on anthropogenic disturbances to set back succession. Regularly Occurring Species Typical Species - Successional habitats dominated by forbs, shrubs, and saplings offer rich habitat for many breeding birds. Typical breeding species include: Northern Bobwhite, Ring-necked Pheasant, American Woodcock (wet areas), Mourning Dove (especially with conifers), Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Eastern Screech Owl, Black-billed Cuckoo (rare this far south), Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Northern Flicker, Downy Woodpecker, Eastern Kingbird, Willow Flycatcher (wet), Blue Jay, Carolina Chickadee, House Wren, Carolina Wren, Gray Catbird, Northern Mockingbird (rare this far north), Brown Thrasher, American Robin, Eastern Bluebird, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Cedar Waxwing, White-eyed and Bell's vireos, Yellow Warbler, Prairie Warbler (rare-KCP and FGP), Blue-winged 80 Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow-breasted Chat, Red-winged Blackbird, Orchard Oriole, Baltimore Oriole (scattered trees), Northern Cardinal, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Blue Grosbeak (rare this far north), Indigo Bunting, House Finch, American Goldfinch, Eastern Towhee, Lark Sparrow [sandy soil], Field Sparrow, and Song Sparrow. Threatened and Endangered Species - The Loggerhead Shrike (ST) is the only threatened or endangered species typically found in Illinois shrubland habitats and they are rare in the VRAA. Exotic Species - Ring-necked Pheasants can be abundant in early successional fields. House Finches are native to the western United States, but since a captive population was released on Long Island in the 1940's they have spread westward and are now common in the VRAA, where they often nest in successional fields. Population Dynamics and Management Successional habitats add greatly to local diversity and at least a few shrubland species are declining nationally and have few or no remaining natural habitats (e.g., Prairie Warbler, Yellow-breasted Chat) or are rare in Illinois (e.g., Bell's Vireo, Lark Sparrow). For some of these species, Illinois may contain a significant portion of their global population (e.g., Orchard Oriole, Bell's Vireo). For these reasons, maintaining successional vegetation may be an important part of a conservation strategy in the VRAA. Shrubland birds are presently the object of intensive study in the VRAA (S.K. Robinson, E.J. Heske, and J.D. Brawn, in progress). The information gathered from this study will help land managers to design management strategies that will benefit both game and non game species and provide relatively stable habitat for some declining species. Nest predation rates in successional fields are very high for most, but not all species, whereas brood parasitism levels are low for all but a few species. Most species have adaptations that enable them to cope with nest predation (aggressive nest defense, rapid re-nesting following losses of nests to predators, a long nesting season allowing many nesting attempts) and cowbird parasitism (abandonment of parasitized nests, inappropriate diet for cowbird nestlings, ejection of cowbird eggs, long or late nesting season that continues after cowbirds stop parasitizing nests in mid-July). As a result, most species do not appear to be in real trouble. The exceptions mostly include neotropical migrants that have a short breeding season and are parasitized (Yellow-breasted Chat, Orchard Oriole). It appears that even relatively small shrublands «5 acres) can provide habitat for many shrubland species because of their resistance to parasitism and nest predation. The MFWA area, in particular, has a high potential to manage for early successional species. Shrublands are also very heavily used by migrating species, especially when mingled with scattered trees. Shrubland-preferring migrants include Black-billed Cuckoo, Northern Saw-whet Owl [mainly in evergreens], Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Alder Flycatcher, Least Flycatcher, Philadelphia Vireo, Golden-winged Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, 81 Chestnut-sided Warbler, Mourning Warbler, Connecticut Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, Canada Warbler, and Lincoln's Sparrow, In winter, overgrown and old field type habitat sometimes attracts small numbers of Pine Siskins and Common Redpolls in with larger flocks of wandering American Goldfinchs. Shrubland habitats therefore provide real benefits to migrant birds and greatly increase local biodiversity. Cultural Habitats: Developed Land Residential and urban areas represent about 2.2% of the VRAA (Table 2, Figure 8). These areas, scattered with lawns, parks, and other manicured vegetation, offer suitable breeding habitat for relatively few bird species. Regularly Occurring Species Typical Species - Developed lands contain an unusual mix of species that can use ornamental shrubs (e.g., Northern Mockingbird, Northern Cardinal, Song Sparrow), shade trees (e.g., Baltimore Oriole, Warbling Vireo, Carolina Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Eastern Wood-Pewee), short mowed grass (e.g., American Robin, Common Grackle, Northern Flicker, American Crow, Brown-headed Cowbird, Mourning and Rock Doves, European Starling, and Chipping Sparrow), and can nest safely in human structures (e.g., American Kestrel, [especially farmsteads], Killdeer [roofs, roads], Common Nighthawk [roofs], Chimney Swift, Eastern Phoebe, Barn Swallow, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Purple Martin, House and Carolina Wrens, American Robin, Eastern Bluebird [farmsteads], European Starling, House Sparrow and House Finch). Other species commonly found in residential and urban areas include Red-tailed Hawk [in more sparsely inhabited areas], Eastern Screech-Owl, Great Homed Owl, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Downy Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker ["urban forests"], White-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Thrasher, Common Yellowthroat, and American Goldfinch. This community has no parallel in the natural world and is characterized by abnormally high population densities of species that occasionally or regularly depredate nests (e.g., Blue jay, American Crow, House Wren, Gray Catbird, Common Grackle, and Brown-headed Cowbird). Bird feeders further augment populations of many of these species, especially the House Finch, by increasing winter survival. Threatened and Endangered Species - Now that the Bewick's Wren is practically absent from the region, there are no threatened or endangered species in the developed habitats of the VRAA other than the Bam Owl (SE), (which is extremely rare in the area, but have usually been associated with human structures), and Loggerhead Shrike (ST), which rarely forages in mowed grass of rural farmsteads. Exotic Species - Huge populations of introduced European Starlings, House Sparrows, Rock Doves, and House Finches live in developed areas, and compete for nest sites and food at bird feeders. 82 ~opulation Dynamics and Management High populations of predatory birds and cats may make it difficult for many species that build open-cup nests in accessible locations to nest successfully. However, more data are needed because nesting success of bird species of developed areas has never been systematically studied. Such studies could lead to recommendations for enhancing populations of the native species that have adapted to human developments. Although not well suited to support many native breeding birds, developed land such as tree-lined residential areas can be very important stopover habitat for migrating landbirds. Migrating birds make heavy use of shade trees in developed areas and, when available, also use shrubs. Typical migrants of "urban forests" include: Cooper's and Sharp-shinned Hawks (both forage at bird feeders), Common Nighthawk, Ruby-throated Hummingbird (especially at feeders), Northern Flicker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Red-breasted Nuthatch (conifers), Brown Creeper, Hermit Thrush, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Cedar Waxwing, Red-eyed Vireo, Tennessee Warbler, Cape May Warbler (conifers), Black-throated Green Warbler, BIackbumian Warbler, Bay-breasted Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, American Redstart, Eastern Towhee (feeders), Dark-eyed Junco (feeders), American Tree Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Rusty Blackbird, Evening Grosbeak (feeders), Purple Finch (feeders), Pine Siskin (feeders, conifers), and American Goldfinch (feeders). Management Recommendations Even though the Vermilion River Assessment Area is one of the most intensively farmed regions of the state, existing public landholdings are relatively large and often contiguous. For this reason, habitat quality for birds is surprisingly good and has the potential to get even better. For breeding birds, we recommend the following strategy for improving habitats: Forests - Forest restoration efforts should be concentrated in areas that have the potential to contain at least a SOD-acre core. Upland forests should be managed to maintain oaks and floodplain forests should contain sycamores. Grasslands - Where possible, grasslands should be at least 100 acres, should be burned or mowed on a schedule that leaves some areas unmanaged for at least three years, and should contain small wetlands. Woody vegetation should be kept to a minimum. Wetlands - Restoration of forested wetlands should be of highest priority within the largest habitat blocks. Grassy wetlands, especially sedge meadows and marshes should be 83 restored and enhanced whenever possible, including along the margins of lakes. Shrublands - These habitats can be managed simultaneously for game and nongame birds. Developed and Agricultural Areas - Any plantings that add cover and nest sites should be encouraged, especially to provide habitat during the nonbreeding season. 84 Mammals Introduction Information in this section was compiled largely from range maps and historical records in Hoffmeister (1989). The Illinois Natural Heritage Database (INHD; Illinois Department of Natural Resources [IDNRJ, Division of Natural Heritage 1998) was checked for recent records (as of August 1998) of threatened and endangered species. The mammalian fauna of Champaign and Vermilion counties is especially well-documented; many specimens have been collected in these counties because of the presence of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Taxonomy follows Wilson and Reeder (1993). Mammal species known or likely to occur in the Vermilion River Assessment Area (VRAA) are listed in Table IS. The 46 species in this table represent 78% of the 59 mammal species that currently occur in Illinois (Hoffmeister 1989); only species with ranges restricted to other parts of the state are absent from this region. Forty-four of the species have been documented within the VRAA through specimens or live-capture records (Hoffmeister 1989, Gardner et al. 1996). Nine species of bats are included in the table, but the silver-haired bat may be present only during spring and autumn migration periods and only the big brown bat is likely to remain in the VRAA during the winter. Eight mammal species are listed as endangered or threatened in Illinois (Illinois Endangered Species Protection Board 1994, with revisions adopted 21 August 1998; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1991), but only two of these are widely distributed in the state (Herkert 1992). The federally endangered Indiana bat and state-threatened river otter are known to inhabit the VRAA (Gardner et al. 1996, Bluett 1997). The population status of many mammal species in the VRAA is unknown; in these cases designations in Table 15 are projections based on their status in other parts of Illinois. The majority (77%) of the VRAA consists of cropland, an\! urban areas, including Champaign-Urbana, Danville; Rantoul, and Hoopeston, occupy an additional 4% of the area (Table 2) .. Many mammals are generalists that use a variety of habitat types and have adapted to living in areas that have been altered by humans. Larger mammals that now commonly occur in agricultural and urban areas include the Virginia opossum, eastern cottontail, fox and gray squirrels, coyote, red fox, raccoon, striped skunk, and white-tailed deer. Several species of small mammals, including the eastern mole, northern short-tailed shrew, deer mouse, and prairie and meadow voles, can occupy the hayfields, pastures, and fencerows in agricultural areas and other maintained areas such as roadsides, cemeteries, and lawns. Big brown and little brown bats commonly roost in buildings and other small mammals (such as the white-footed mouse) sometimes enter buildings in search of food and shelter. 85 The Norway rat and house mouse are the only exotic, non-domesticated mammals that occur regularly in Illinois. These species are strongly associated with human structures (e.g. houses, barns, warehouses), but both can be found in natural habitats near buildings. The house mouse, in particular, can sometimes reach substantial numbers in grasslands near structures (Hoffmeister 1989). These species are now so widespread that they are part of the mammalian fauna throughout the United States. They could not be eliminated easily from natural habitats and their presence is not a matter of great concern. Large numbers of free-roaming and feral domestic cats (Felis silvestris) occur in Illinois as elsewhere (Warner 1985, Coleman and Temple 1996). They can have a negative impact on populations of birds (especially ground-nesting birds) and small mammals and reduce prey availability for native predators (Warner 1985, Churcher and Lawton 1987, Coleman and Temple 1996). There is also the potential for unvaccinated cats to transmit diseases to wild mammals or humans (Coleman and Temple 1996). Table 15. List of mammal species known or likely to occur in the Vermilion River Assessment Area.' Order Population Common name' Scientific name Habitat' status'" Marsupials Didelphimorphia Virginia opossum Didelphis virginiana F,W,G C Insectivores Insectivora southeastern shrew Sorex longirostris G,F,W C? northern short-tailed shrew Blarina brevieauda F,G,W C least shrew Cryptotis parva G C eastern mole Sealopus aquatieus F,G C Bats Chiroptera little brown bat Myotis lucifugus F, caves, buildings C Indiana bat· FE Myotis sodalis F, caves R northern long-eared bat Myotis septentrionalis F, caves, buildings U silver-haired bat Lasionyeteris noetivagans F, caves (hibernation) U eastern pipistrelle Pipistrellus subflavus F, caves C big brown bat Eptesieus fuseus F, caves, buildings C red bat Lasiurus borealis F C hoary bat Lasiurus cinereus F U evening bat Nyeticeius humeralis F, buildings U Rabbits Lagomorpha eastern cottontail Sylvilagus floridanus G, F (edges) c Rodents Rodentia eastern chipmunk Tamias striatus F c woodchuck Marmota monax G, F (edges) c thirteen-lined ground squirrel Spermophilus trideeemlineatus G C Franklin's ground squirrel Spermophilus franklinii G R? gray squirrel Sciurus earolinensis F, urban U,C (urban) fox squirrel Sciurus niger F C southern flying squirrel Glaueomys volans F C 86 Table 15. Continued. Order Population Common name' Scientific name Habitat' status4 .5 beaver Castor canadensis W C western harvest mouse Reithrodontomys megalotis G U? deer mouse Peromyscus maniculatus G C? white-footed mouse Peromyscus leucopus F, G, W (mostly F) C meadow vole Microtus pennsylvanicus G C prairie vole Microtus ochrogaster G C woodland vole Microtus pinetorum F U? muskrat Ondatra zibethicus W C southern bog lemming Synaptomys cooper! G,W U? Norway rat· Rattus norvegicus buildings C house mouse· Mus musculus mostly buildings C meadow jumping mouse Zapus hudsonius G,F,W U? Carnivores Carnivora coyote Canis latrans F,G,W C red fox Vulpes vulpes G,F,W C gray fox Urocyon cinereoargenteus F U raccoon Procyon lotor F,W,G C least weasel Mustela nivalis G,W C long-tailed weasel Mustela frenata F,W,G C mink Mustela vison W,G,F C badger Taxidea taxus G U? striped skunk Mephitis mephitis F,G,W C river otter - ST Lontra canadensis W U bobcat Lynx rufus F R Even-toed ungulates Artiodactyla white-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus F,W,G C I Compiled from range maps and known records reported in Hoffmeister (1989) and Illinois Depanment of Natural Resources (1998). , Bold type indicates an Illinois endangered (SE) or an Illinois threatened (ST) species. * == introduced species. , Habitats: W ~ wetland, G ; grassland, F; forest. 4 Population status: C == common, U == uncommon, R == rare, ? == status uncertain , Subjective estimate based on personal experience ofEJ. Heske and J.E. Hofmann in l1linois. Forest Typical Species Mammal species known or likely to occur in the VRAA that are restricted to forested habitats are the hoary bat, eastern chipmunk, southern flying squirrel, woodland vole, and gray fox. Species that are primarily associated with forests but also utilize other types of habitat include the Virginia opossum, red bat, fox and gray squirrels, white-footed mouse, raccoon, and white-tailed deer. The little brown bat, big brown bat, northern long-eared 87 bat, eastern pipistrelle, and evening bat forage in forested habitats, but roost in buildings or other human-made structures as well as trees. Some species, such as the eastern cottontail and woodchuck, specialize in the use of forest edges. Additional habitat generalists that would typically occur in forests in the VRAA are listed in Table 15. Most species of mammals associated with forests are not restricted to a specific type of forest (i.e. upland forest or floodplain forest) and would also occupy savanna areas. Species that hibernate (e.g. woodchucks, eastern chipmunks) or are primarily fossorial (e.g. eastern moles, woodland voles) need well-drained, uninundated soils. The gray fox requires extensive forest cover and has become less common in parts of Illinois (Hoffmeister 1989). Although the total amount of forest in the VRAA is small, several sizable forest tracts are in state or county ownership and may still support gray foxes. Gray squirrels require extensive tracts of mature forest with a dense understory, whereas fox squirrels can occupy open forests, woodlots, and fencerows (Hoffmeister 1989). Consequently, gray squirrel numbers also have declined in Illinois. Nixon et al. (1978) considered the species absent or scarce in much of the VRAA, although it persists in some forest tracts such as Forest Glen Preserve and Trelease Woods. Gray squirrels also inhabit urban areas, including Champaign-Urbana, Rantoul, St. Joseph, and Danville in the VRAA (Nixon et al. 1978, Hoffmeister 1989). Some towns in the VRAA are occupied by fox squirrels rather than gray squirrels (Hoffmeister 1989). Tree squirrels, flying squirrels, and chipmunks tend to be most abundant in forests containing large numbers of mast-producing trees such as oaks and hickories. Raccoons and opossums are most abundant in forest tracts in proximity to water (Hoffmeister 1989). Threatened and Endangered Species The federally endangered Indiana bat has been found at two locations in the VRAA during the summer (Gardner et al. 1996). A maternity colony was discovered on the Middle Fork of the Vermilion River in southern Ford County in 1988. Reproductively active females or juveniles have been captured along the Little Vermilion River, downstream of Georgetown, in Vermilion County during 1990, 1994, and 1996 (Illinois Department of Natural Resources 1998). Habitat Requirements and Distribution of Listed Forest Species Indiana bat - Indiana bats congregate in a limited number of caves and abandoned mines for hibernation, but are more widely dispersed during the summer (Barbour and Davis 1969). Indiana bat maternity colonies roost primarily beneath slabs of exfoliating bark on dead trees, but have also been found beneath the "shaggy" bark of certain live hickories (Carya) and in tree cavities (Cope et al. 1973; Humphrey et al. 1977; Gardner et al. 1991; Kurta et al. 1993a, I993b, 1996; Callahan et al. 1997). Males and non-reproductive females may roost in caves or mines as well as trees during the summer. Roost trees used by this species have been located in both upland and floodplain forests; most are relatively large with a diameter at breast height of at least 30 em (Gardner et al. 1991; Kurta 1993a, 1996; 88 Callahan et al. 1997). Tree species that have been used by Indiana bat maternity colonies in Illinois are slippery elm', northern red oak, shagbark hickory, silver maple, cottonwood, post oak, bitternut hickory, white oak, American elm, sycamore, sweet pignut hickory, and green ash (Gardner et al. 1991, Kurta et al. 1993a, INHS, unpublished data). Indiana bats forage both in and along the edges of the canopy of floodplain and upland forests (Humphrey et al. 1977, LaVal et aI. 1977, Brack 1983, Clark et al. 1987, Gardner et al. 1991). There are recent summer records for the Indiana bat in 23 counties in the southern two-thirds of Illinois (Gardner et al. 1996, Illinois Department of Natural Resources 1998). Indiana bats hibernate in several caves and abandoned mines in Illinois; the most significant of these hibernacula are mines in La Salle and Alexander counties and caves in Jackson and Monroe counties (Illinois Department of Natural Resources 1998). Information Gaps Data on the distribution and population status of several forest-dwelling species in the VRAA are not available. Surveys should be conducted to determine the status of the bobcat and gray fox in the VRAA and to identify roosting areas used by Indiana bats. There are few records for the northern long-eared bat, hoary bat, evening bat, and woodland vole in the VRAA (Hoffmeister 1989, INHS Bat Survey Database); therefore, information on the distribution and abundance of these species would be of interest. Flying squirrels and eastern chipmunks appear to be absent from small, isolated patches of forest in east-central Illinois, including sites in the VRAA (Rosenblatt et aI., in press). Because forest habitat in the VRAA is fragmented, it would be valuable to further assess the ability of forest species to maintain viable populations and to disperse between forested tracts in an agricultural landscape. Prairie/Grassland Typical Species Mammal species occurring in the VRAA that are restricted to grassland habitats are the least shrew, thirteen-lined and Franklin's ground squirrels, western harvest mouse, deer mouse, prairie and meadow voles, and badger. Other species strongly associated with grassland habitats include the southeastern shrew, northern short-tailed shrew, eastern cottontail, woodchuck, southern bog lemming, meadow jumping mouse, and red fox. Additional habitat generalists of the VRAA that use grasslands are listed in Table 15. Most mammals designated as grassland species are not restricted to native or undisturbed grasslands. Rather, the vegetative composition and structure of rights-of-way, hayfields, pastures, crop field edges, old fields, and prairie restorations provide suitable habitat for many of these species. The southeastern shrew, meadow vole, southern bog lemming, and meadow jumping mouse generally prefer more mesic grasslands (Hoffmeister 1989). 1 Coresponding scientific names are listed in Appendix I. 89 Eastern cottontails and woodchucks are most abundant where grassland habitat is adjacent to forested areas and can be considered edge species. The white-footed mouse which is a forest species can be found in grasslands if scattered trees or shrubs are present. Threatened and Endangered Species None of the mammal species primarily associated with grasslands in the VRAA is listed as a threatened or endangered species in Il1inois. Information Gaps Information is needed on the current distribution and abundance of several grassland mammals in the VRAA. Franklin's ground squirrel is known historically from locations in the VRAA, but this species is thought to have declined in the eastern portion of its range, including Il1inois (Lewis and Rongstad 1992). In a recent survey only one Franklin's ground squirrel was caught at 12 sites in Champaign and Vermilion counties (Hofmann 1998). The status of this species in the VRAA should be studied further. The status of the badger in lllinois was investigated by Warner and Ver Steeg (1995) who documented its presence in Champaign, Ford, Iroquois, and Vermilion counties, but its population status in the VRAA should be determined more precisely. Although the red fox is not strictly a grassland species, it is most often associated with open habitats. It has been suggested that recent increases in the abundance of coyotes may have negatively affected populations of red fox; therefore, the status of the red fox in the VRAA should be evaluated. The VRAA contains several prairie remnants and restorations that are somewhat isolated in a landscape dominated by row crops. The persistence of grassland small mammal populations in these prairies and the ability of small mammals to travel between such habitat islands should be investigated. . Wetland Typical Species Mammal species in the VRAA that require wetlands or aquatic habitats (lakes, ponds, streams, and rivers) are the beaver, muskrat, mink, and river otter. Beaver, muskrat, and river otter are highly specialized for aquatic life and need open water, whereas mink are more terrestrial but typically occur in proximity to water. Raccoons and opossums are most abundant in areas near water. Bats occurring in the VRAA could utilize wetlands as well as aquatic habitats for foraging. The southeastern shrew, northern short-tailed shrew, southern bog lemming, and meadow jumping mouse use emergent wetlands (marshes, sedge meadows, and wet meadows) extensively in addition to other types of habitats. Small mammals such as these are not adapted for aquatic life and occupy the vegetation along the edges of wetlands or sites where standing water is not present. Additional habitat generalists that use wetlands opportunistically are listed in Table 15. 90 Threatened and Endangered Species There are no records for the state-threatened river otter in the VRAA prior to 1996 (Hoffmeister 1989, IJIinois Department of Natural Resources 1998). The IDNR released 30 river otters obtained from Louisiana in the Middle Fork of the Vermilion River in Vermilion County during 1996 and 1997 (Bluett 1997). Habitat Requirements and Distribution of Listed Wetland Species River otter - River otters occupy a variety of aquatic habitats, from coastal swamps and marshes to high mountain lakes (Toweill and Tabor 1982). They are abundant in estuaries, the lower reaches of rivers, and the tributaries and lakes of unpolluted river systems, but scarce in densely populated areas, especially if the water is polluted (Toweill and Tabor 1982). In llIinois river otters have been found in shallow lakes, sloughs, cypress swamps, rivers, streams, drainage ditches, and ponds (Anderson 1982, Anderson and Woolf 1984). Habitat used by river otters in northwestern IJIinois has the following characteristics: isolation from the main river channel (providing a relatively stable water level), extensive riparian forest (or emergent herbaceous vegetation), the persist~nce of open water during winter, good water quality (and healthy fish populations), the presence of suitable den sites (e.g. beaver lodges, log piles, exposed tree roots), and minimal human disturbance (Anderson and Woolf 1984). The shape of river otter home ranges is determined by the type of habitat and home range size is influenced by prey abundance, topography, weather conditions, and the individual's reproductive status (Melquist and Hornocker 1983). At the Lamine River Wildlife Area in Missouri otter home ranges were II to 78 km in length (Erickson et al. 1984). Only a portion of the range is used at any time; activity centers are located in areas with abundant food and suitable shelter and are changed frequently, except for females with pups in a den (Melquist and Hornocker 1983). In northwestern IJIinois activity was concentrated along tributaries and narrow backwater channels of the Mississippi River during the summer (Anderson 1982) and in areas with access to open water during winter (Anderson and Woolf 1984). River otters may travel long distances, 160 km or more, in search of suitable habitat (Jackson 1961). The main breeding population of river otters in Illinois inhabits the backwaters and tributaries of the Mississippi River in the northwestern comer of the state (Anderson 1995). Smaller populations occur in the Cache and Big Muddy river systems in southern IJIinois and the numbers of reports along the Rock River and the middle section of the Mississippi River have been increasing (Anderson 1995). Since 1994 the IDNR has released 346 river otters at 15 locations in the Kaskaskia, Wabash, and lllinois river systems (Bluett 1997). Information Gaps Aquatic habitat in the VRAA should be monitored regularly for river otters. The presence of beavers is considered favorable for otters, but the impact of beaver populations on the 91 physical structure of riparian systems in the VRAA should be evaluated. Prior to European settlement much of Champaign, Ford, and Vermilion counties consisted of wetlands (Suloway and Hubbell 1994), but only relatively small, isolated emergent wetlands remain in the VRAA. It would be interesting to determine if these wetlands are used by small mammal species other than those occupying surrounding habitat types and assess the ability of these mammals to move between wetlands. Enhancement and Restoration Potential The preservation of upland and floodplain forests would enhance the suitability of the VRAA as habitat for a variety of forest-dwelling species, including the Indiana bat, bobcat, and gray fox. Indiana bats specifically need tracts of mature forest containing large snags. Preservation and restoration of riparian forests also is necessary for the VRAA to continue providing high-quality habitat for the river otter. Reduction of silt and chemical runoff into aquatic habitats and wetlands would maintain or enhance their ability to support river otter and mink. Prairie restorations, coupled with the preservation of native prairie remnants and other types of grassland habitats, would provide habitat for the badger and red fox. Franklin's ground squirrels could be introduced into grassland tracts on state or county property. Vegetation along abandoned railroad rights-of-way in the VRAA should be preserved or restored to provide habitat and dispersal or travel corridors for mammals. Some prairies in the VRAA have suffered encroachment by woody vegetation and are undergoing restoration (e.g. by The Nature Conservancy's Volunteer Stewardship Network and Grand Prairie Friends of Illinois). These efforts may increase the suitability of these areas as habitat for grassland small mammals. 92 Amphibians and Reptiles Introduction Information in this section has been compiled from range maps in Smith (1961), the Illinois Natural Heritage Database (Illinois Department of Natural Resources 1998, the Illinois Amphibian and Reptile Vouchered Database (an Illinois Natural History Survey computer database that contains information on specimens from museum, university, and private collections), unvouchered records from the literature, and unvouchered records taken from reliable biologists and naturalists. There has not been a systematic survey of the amphibians and reptiles of the Vermilion River Assessment Area (VRAA), but Phil Smith, noted herpetologist and ichthyologist at the Illinois Natural History Survey, collected throughout this region from the early 1940s to the early 1970s and a herpetological survey was conducted at the Little Vermilion River State Natural Area in 1996 (Phillips et al. 1997). The VRAA contains portions of two of Smith's (1961) eleven .Herpetofaunal Divisions for the state; Grand Prairie and Wabash Border. Amphibian and reptile species that are known or likely to occur in the VRAA are listed in Table 16. The 23 amphibian species and 27 reptile species in Table 16 represent 57% of the amphibian species and 45% of the reptile species of the state. The state endangered silvery salamander (Ambystoma platineum) and the state threatened four-toed salamander (Hemidactylium scutatum) are known to exist in the VRAA. The state threatened Kirtland's snake (Clonophis kirtlandii) is known from the VRAA, but only one sighting has been recorded. Its status in the VRAA is uncertain. One state endangered species; the eastern massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus) has been extirpated from the VRAA probably as a result of the draining of prairie wetlands. It is known only from a 1907 specimen collected near the Spoon River in Champaign County. There have been no reports of exotic reptile species in the VRAA. When referring to the habitat designations in Table 16, keep in mind that most amphibian and reptile species are not restricted to a single habitat type. For example, all but two of lllinois' amphibians require some type of aquatic habitat (wetland, pond, creek, or river) for breeding but the adults can also be found in a variety of terrestrial habitats. Some species require a combination of two habitat types throughout their life. For example, the smooth green snake requires prairie or forest habitat, but wetlands must be present. On the other hand, some species have narrower habitat requirements than the designations in Table 16 might suggest. For example, the queen snake is listed as occurring in rivers and creeks, but it is only found in medium-sized creeks with rocky substrates. 93 Table 16. Amphibian and reptile species known or likely to occur in the Vermilion River Assessment Area with an indication of habitat preference and relative abundance. Relative Common NameJ.2 . Scientific Name l•2 Habitat' Abundance4 Amphibians spotted salamander Ambystoma maculatum F,W V marbled salamander Ambystoma opacum F,W V silvery salamander· SE Ambystoma platineum F,W V smallmouth salamander Ambystoma texanum F,W,P CIU tiger salamander Ambystoma tigrinum F,W,P,L ? two-lined salamander Eurycea cirrigera F,R V four-toed salamander-ST Hemidactylium scutatum F,W R redback salamander Piethodon cinereus F C zigzag salamander Plethodon dorsalis F ? slimy salamander Plethodon glutinosus F C mudpuppy Necturus maculosus R,L ? American toad BuJo americanus V C Fowler's toad BuJo woodhousii F,W,P elU cricket frog Acriscrepitans W,L,R e gray treefrog complex Hyla chrysoscelis or Hyla versicolor F,W C spnng peeper Pseudacris crucifer F,W V western chorus frog Pseudacris triseriata V C plains leopard frog Rana blairi F,W,P,L,R C bullfrog Rana catesheiana W,L,R C green frog Rana clamitans F,W,R e pickerel frog Rana palustris F,W,R U southern leopard frog Rana sphenocephala F,W,L,R V wood frog Rana sylvatica F,W V Reptiles snapping turtle Chelydra serpentina W,L,R C painted turtle Chrysemys picta W,L,R e Blanding's turtle Emydoidea blandingii W ? map turtle Graptemys geographica L,R R false map turtle Graptemys pseudogeographica L,R R eastern box turtle Terrapene carolina F C western box turtle Terrapene ornata P ? red-eared slider Trachemys scripta W,L,R VIR musk turtle Sternotherus odoratus W,L,R ? smooth softshell turtle Apalone mutica R ? spiny softshell turtle Apalone spinifera W,L,R V slender glass lizard Ophisaurus attenuatus P,C ? Kirtland's snake· ST Clonophis kirtlandii W,P ? racer Coluber constrictor V V ringneck snake Diadophis punctatus F,P V black rat snake Elaphe obso/eta F,W,P V fox snake E/aphe vu/pina W,P,C C eastern hognose snake Heterodon platirhinos F,W,P U 94 Table 16. Continued. Relative Common Namel.2 Scientific Namel.2 Habitat3 Abundance4 prairie kingsnake Lampropeltis calligaster F.P U eastern milk snake Lampropeltis triangulum F,W,P U northern water snake Nerodia sipedon W,R,L C smooth green snake Opheodrys vernalis P U queen snake Regina septemvittata R ? brown snake Storeria dewyi F U plains garter snake Thamnophis radix U C eastern garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis U C lined snake Tropidoclonion lineatum P ? I Nomenclature follows Collins (1990) unless noted. 2 Bold type indicates an Illinois endangered (SE) or minois threatened (ST) species. 3 F =foresl W =wetland P =prairie and savanna L =lakes, ponds, impoundments R =rivers & creeks C =cultural U =ubiquitous (all babitats) 4 C :;;; common U = uncommon R= rare ? = status uncertain Forest Typical Species Amphibian species of the VRAA that are typical of forested habitats include the spring peeper and the gray treefrog. As outlined above, some amphibians also require aquatic habitats for breeding. The gray treefrogs and spring peeper breed in forested wetlands and upland forested ponds. Among the reptiles of the VRAA, the brown snake is typical of forested areas. Threatened and Endangered Species Two of the listed species in Table 16, the silvery salamander and the four-toed salamander are restricted to the forested areas in the VRAA that have upland ponds. In the VRAA, these species are known only from Kickapoo State Park (KSP) and Middle Fork Fish and Wildlife Area (MFFWA). This is the only known Illinois location for the silvery salamander. Habitat Requirements Silvery salamander - This salamander inhabits underground burrows and runways constructed by rodents and shrews in forested areas. Adults come to the surface to migrate to woodland ponds and wetlands for courtship and breeding during late winter. These ponds must be fishless and must retain water until the aquatic larvae transform into terrestrial juveniles, usually in mid-June. 95 Four-toed salamander - This primarily terrestrial salamander is associated with undisturbed forests containing seeps or bogs. Recently, however, Illinois specimens have been taken in wooded ravines near rocky, spring-fed creeks. The activity period in Illinois is probably late March to October. Females congregate near woodland ponds in March and April for egg laying and brooding. Nests are situated so that the larvae fall directly into the water when the eggs hatch. The most common nest sites are in sphagnum mats but grass hummocks, leaf litter, rotten logs and undercut stream banks are also used. The main threats are to the breeding ponds and include draining and stocking with fish. Enhancement and Restoration Potential Maintaining small, temporary, fishless ponds in forests of the VRAA would benefit many of the reptiles and amphibians of the VRAA as well as other species groups that depend on them for food. Creating or restoring small ponds in upland forests is particularly valuable because these habitats are among the rarest in the VRAA and the state and are home to two state listed species, the four-toed salamander and the silvery salamander. The tiger salamander, spring peeper, American toad, gray treefrog, and plains leopard frog are among the amphibians that breed in this habitat. The musk turtle, rat snake, brown snake, and northern water snake would benefit from restoration or creation of woodland ponds. Wetland Typical Species Amphibian species of the VRAA that are typical of wetland habitats include the green frog and spotted salamander. As outlined above, almost all amphibians require some type of aquatic habitat for breeding and most breed in wetlands. Among the reptiles of the VRAA, the painted turtle and common garter snake are typical of wetlands. These species reach their greatest abundance in wetland habitats. Threatened and Endangered Species Kirtland's snakes was originally found near wetlands in the VRAA where the surrounding landscape was native prairie. The current status of Kirtland's snake in the VRAA is not known. Silvery and four-toed salamanders are each known to breed in a single wetland in KSP and MFFWA, respectively. Habitat Requirements Kirtland's Water Snake - Wet prairies with abundant cover are preferred, especially those that are seasonally flooded and adjacent to upland habitats. This species also use crayfish burrows as shelter, although they have been taken in vacant lots in some urban areas where 96 crayfish burrows have been completely destroyed. In these situations they rely on boards and other surface debris for cover. They are also associated with the grassy areas around spillways and dams of impoundments. Enhancement and Restoration Potential Maintaining even small, temporary wetlands in the VRAA would benefit almost all of the reptiles and amphibians of the region, as well as other groups that depend on them for food. The importance of cattail marshes under one acre should not be underestimated. Mowing in the vicinity of wetlands should be avoided. Information Gaps One of the most pressing questions concerning wetland amphibians and reptiles in the VRAA is whether the Blanding's turtle still exists in this area. This large aquatic turtle has been observed only a few times in the Vermilion River valley, but suitable wetland habitats still exist in the VRAA. In the VRAA, the Blanding's turtle is at home in prairie marshes and floodplain sloughs of the Vermilion River. It is most commonly found in shallow (10 20 cm) open water areas of cattail marshes, sloughs, ponds, and flooded ditches. Aquatic plants, especially emergent vegetation and a mud bottom are important habitat components. The activity period in northern Illinois is probably late March to October. Nesting occurs in June in sandy, weli drained soil near the aquatic habitat. Hatching usually takes place in September. An effort should be made to determine if this species still exists in the VRAA, so that appropriate management action can be taken. Prairie/Grassland Typical Species Of the amphibian species listed in Table 16, the tiger salamander and western chorus frog are typical of prairie habitats in the VRAA. The tiger salamander requires fishless ponds and wetlands for breeding. Because of the destruction and degradation of these habitats, the tiger salamander has declined in the VRAA. The western chorus frog has a shorter larval period and therefore can breed in more temporary aquatic habitats such as flooded fields and ditches. Reptile species in the VRAA that are typical of prairie habitats include the fox snake and plains garter snake. Both of these snakes can tolerate disturbed habitats such as mowed rights-of-way, pasture, old field, and agricultural edge. The Blanding's turtle was once common in wet prairie habitats of the VRAA, but its status today is uncertain. 97 Enhancement and Restoration Potential Restoring native prairie, especially wet prairie, in the VRAA would benefit a variety of amphibians and reptiles, especially the tiger salamander, and the Blanding's turtle (if still present in the VRAA). Lakes, Ponds, and Impoundments Typical Species Of the amphibian species listed in Table 16, the bullfrog and cricket frog are typical of lakes, ponds, and impoundments in the VRAA. Both of these species have developed strategies for coexisting with fish and are usually more widely distributed than other amphibians. Among the reptiles of the VRAA the snapping turtle, painted turtle, common garter snake, and northern water snake are typical of lakes, ponds, and impoundments. Enhancement and Restoration Potential Restoration of fishless, forested ponds in upland areas would benefit the tiger salamander and gray treefrogs. Leaving at least part of the shore around ponds, lakes and impoundments unmowed and providing forest or grassland connections among ponds, lakes and impoundments in the VRAA would benefit a variety of amphibians and reptiles. \ Creeks and Rivers Typical Species The cricket frog and green frog are typical of creeks and small rivers in the VRAA, while the mudpuppy is a typical inhabitant of the Vermilion River and its larger tributaries. Among the reptiles of the VRAA, the snapping turtle, map turtles, softshell turtles, and northern water snake are typical of the Vermilion River. Enhancement and Restoration Potential Restoring the riparian zone and associated floodplain forests and wetlands along the Vermilion River and its tributaries would benefit a variety of amphibians and reptiles. Water quality must also be improved if any significant progress is expected. In addition, if the Blanding's turtle still exists in the VRAA, it is in the marshes adjacent to the Vermilion River. These habitats have been adversely affected by siltation and agricultural runnoff. Special effort should be made to survey these marshes for the existence of the Blanding's turtle. 98 Cultural Habitats TYpical Species Of the amphibian species listed in Table 16, the American toad, western chorus frog, and bullfrog are typical of cultural habitats in the VRAA. These species can be found in cropland, pasture, successional field, developed land, and tree plantations providing that adequate breeding sites (ditches, flooded fields, stock tanks, remnant marshes) are present. Among the reptiles of the VRAA, the plains garter snake, common garter snake, brown snake, and northern water snake are typical of cultural habitats in the VRAA. Enhancement and Restoration Potential The American toad, western chorus frog, and bullfrog do well in patches of cattail marsh under one acre, even when the marsh is surrounded by developed land. It is always best to strive for larger size and connectivity of habitat, but the utility of these smaller areas should not be underestimated. It is important to leave a moderate buffer of unmowed grass around these habitats. Overall Habitat Quality and Current Management Concerns Overall, opportunities for amphibians and reptiles in the VRAA are good to excellent. Compared to presettlement, the present landscape of the VRAA lacks a significant amount of wet prairie. The riparian zone along some of the Vermilion River tributaries has been destroyed or degraded. The most critical management concern for the Partnership is restoration of the riparian zone along the Vermilion River and its tributaries and improvement of water quality throughout the area. Intact riparian zones may act as dispersal corridors for many amphibians and reptiles, thus reducing the effects of habitat fragmentation. 99 ------_. Aquatic Biota Introduction The combined drainage of the Vermilion River and Little Vermilion River is 1648 square miles and includes parts of Champaign, Edgar, Ford, Iroquois, Livingston, and Vermilion counties in Illinois (Page et al. 1992). The Vermilion and Little Vermilion river drainages also include Benton, Warren, and Vermillion counties in Indiana. In Illinois, two natural divisions are encompassed; Grarid Prairie and Wabash Border (Schwegman 1973). Soils are either high in organic content having developed from a thin to moderately thick layer of loess, or are thin loess over loamy till (Iverson 1987). The land drained by the Vermilion and Little Vermilion rivers is a level glacial plain carved by the rivers and its tributaries into ravines and valleys (Illinois Department of Conservation 1975). The bottomlands are occupied by forests that advanced along the streams, and the uplands are covered by prairie vegetation with occasional savannas occurring on well-drained knolls. The rivers have broad floodplains formed by glacial lakes and include terrace deposits and many meander scars. Other features of the basin include seep springs and occasional hill prairies on west-facing slopes (Page et al. 1992). Vermilion County has a history of coal mining, both shaft-tunnel and stripmining, from the 1880s to 1970. Today the major land use is agriculture. Water-based activities include fishing, boating, canoeing, camping, and hunting. The Middle Fork, a tributary of the Vermilion River, is the only federal- and state-designated Wild and Scenic River in Illinois. The Vermilion River drains 1434 square miles in east-central Illinois; 1238 square miles are . drained by its three largest tributaries: the Salt, Middle, and North forks. The drainage lies over a buried bedrock valley, but only in the lower reaches does the river reach bedrock. The Vermilion River is formed by the confluence of the Middle and Salt forks near Catlin and enters the Wabash River near Cayuga, Indiana. The North Fork enters the Vermilion River at Danville. The substrate of the mainstem is sand, gravel, and rubble with a small amount of localized silt. The mainstem is 23 miles long with an average width of 109 feel. The mainstem joins the Wabash River in Indiana, eleven miles downstream of the state line. The Salt Fork originates in Champaign County, has a gravel, rubble, and sand substrate, is 71 miles in length, and has a drainage area of 506 square miles. The Salt Fork receives moderate pollution from urban areas in its drainage. The Middle Fork originates in Livingston County, has a substrate of sand and gravel with some rubble, is 83 miles long, and has a drainage area of 438 square miles. The North Fork originates in Iroquois County, has a sand, gravel, and rubble substrate, is 62 miles long, and has a drainage area of 294 square miles. The North Fork is impounded in Danville to form Lake Vermilion just before it joins the Vermilion River. 101 '. The Little Vermilion River is 50 miles in length and drains 213 square miles before entering the Wabash River near Newport, Indiana. The substrate of the Little Vermilion is gravel and sand with some silt. The upper portion has been dredged and the river was impounded in 1936 near the city of Georgetown to create the Georgetown Reservoir. A 1.2 mile stretch of the Little Vermilion River has been designated as Illinois' first river nature preserve: Carl FIierman's River Nature Preserve. Statewide Comparison ofAquatic Biota The Vermilion River Assessment Area supports a large diversity of aquatic species. Known from the basin in Illinois are 97 species of fishes, 45 species of mussels, and 16 species of malacostracans (large crustaceans). Some species have disappeared from the drainage in recent decades; however, with improvements in water quality, species that have' been extirpated could return and natural communities could become reestablished in areas where they have been eliminated or altered. The VRAA also supports a large diversity of aquatic macroinvertebrates. Unfortunately, existing data on the distribution and natural community associations of these species are inadequate to summarize typical, unique, or rare species, or to identify exotic species. Nevertheless, based on existing information, the aquatic macroinvertebrate populations of the VRAA appear to be as diverse as those of many other watersheds in Illinois that have been surveyed in a similar manner. Over 540 species of aquatic macroinvertebrates representing seven phyla, 22 orders, 86 families, and 270 genera are known to occur, or thought likely to occur, in the VRAA. While most of these species are considered to be relatively common in Illinois, several are uncommon to rare in the state; additional surveys are necessary to more accurately document their distributional patterns. Common Species Ninety-seven species of fishes are known from the Vermilion River Assessment Area (Table 17 and 18). Common fishes throughout the drainage are the spotfin shiner, steelcolor shiner, striped shiner, bluntnose minnow, sand shiner, golden redhorse, stonecat, greenside darter, johnny darter, rainbow darter, longear sunfish, and spotted bass. . The headwaters are dominated by the creek chubs and orangethroat darters; the creeks by spotfin shiners, sand shiners, striped shiners, bluntnose minnows, stonecats, and johnny darters; and the larger river habitats by steelcolor shiners, spotfin shiners, sand shiners, bluntnose minnows, striped shiners, golden redhorses, greenside darters, longear sunfish, and spotted bass. Forty-five species of freshwater mussels have been reported from this Assessment Area (Table 19 and 20). An additional 4 species have been reported from the Vermilion River in Indiana. Common species found include fat mucket, Wabash pigtoe, giant floater, plain pocketbook, and white heelsplitter (l:;ummings and Mayer 1997, Dlinois Natural History 102 Survey Mollusk Collection data). Of the 45 mussel species known from the Assessment Area, 35 have been collected alive in the past 20 years. Sixteen species of crayfishes, isopods, and amphipods are found in the basin (Table 21 and 22). The most common crayfish is the clearwater crayfish, which is found over rocky substrates in fast current. The virile crayfish, usually found over rocky substrates or around woody debris or vegetation, also is fairly common. The devil crawfish lives in burrows along the margins of streams and is common in some areas. The most common isopod in the basin is Caecidotea intennedia, which lives in rocky areas and on woody debris. The most common ampliipod is Hyalella azteca, which is found on vegetation, usually filamentous algae growing on rocks or logs. Table 24 lists aquatic macroinvertebrate taxa known or thought likely to occur in the VRAA. Recent studies focusing on the aquatic macroinvertebrates of the VRAA include those by McNurney et al. (1977) and Rolfe et al. (1977) (in the SaIine Branch [Salt Fork, Middle Fork Vermilion River]); Brigham (1979) (throughout the Vermilion River drainage); Brigham et aI. (1980) (three Vermilion River drainage sites in the vicinity of the old General Motors Foundry in Danville); and Heidinger et aI. (l983a, b) (seven sites on the Saline Branch east of Urbana - a tributary to the Salt Fork, Middle Fork, Vermilion River), few extensive surveys of aquatic macroinvertebrate populations have been conducted. Table 17. Freshwater fishes recorded from the Vermilion River Assessment Areal. FAMILY Common Small Med.& Standing . Scientific Name'·'.4 Name Headwaters Creeks Rivers Lg. Rivers Water PETROMYZONTIDAE Ichthyomyzon unicuspis silver lamprey X ACIPENSERIDAE Scaphirhynchus platorynchus shovelnose sturgeon X LEPISOSTEIDAE Lepisosteus osseus longnose gar X Lepisosteus plarostomus shortnose 'gar X ANGUILLIDAE Anguilla rostrata American eel X CLUPEIDAE Alosa chrysochloris skipjack herring X Dorosoma cepedianum gizzard shad X X X CYPRINIDAE Camposroma anomalum central stoneroller X X X Campostoma oligolepis largescale stoneroller X X Cyprinella lutrensis red shiner X X X Cyprinella spiloptera spotfm shiner X X X Cyprinella whipplei steelcolor shiner X X X Cyprinus carpio • common carp X X X Ericymba buccata silvetjaw minnow X X X 103 ------~------ Table 17, Continued. FAMILY Common Small Med.& Standing Scientific Name''],4 Name Headwaters Creeks Rivers Lg. Rivers Water Erimystax x-punctatus gravel chub X Hybognathus nuchalis Mississippi silvery minnow X X X Hybopsis amblops • SE bigeye chub X X Luxilus chrysocephalus striped shiner X X X X Lythrurus umbratilis redfin shiner X X X Macrhybopsis aestivalis speckled chub X Macrhybopsis storeriana silver chub X Nocomis biguttatus ho~yhead chub X X Nocomis micropogon • SE river chub X X X Notemigonus crysoleucas golden shiner X X X Notropis atherinoides emerald shiner X Notropis blennius river shiner X Notropis hoops. SE bigeye shiner X X Notropis dorsalis bigmouth shiner X X X Notropis ludibundus sand shiner X X X Notropis rubellus rosyface shiner X X X Notropis volucellus mimic shiner X Phenacobius mirabilis suckermouth minnow X X X Pimephales notatus bluntnose minnow X X X X Pimephales promelas fathead minnow X X Pimephales vigilax bullhead minnow X X Rhinichthys atratulus blacknose dace X X Semotilus atromaculatus creek chub X X CATOSTOMIDAE Carpiodes carpio river carpsucker X X Carpiodes cyprinus quillback X X X Carpiodes velifer highfin carpsucker X X Catostomus commersoni white sucker X X X Erimyzon oblongus creek chubsucker X X X Erimyzon sucetta lake chubsucker X X Hypentelium nigricans northern hog sucker X X X lctiobus bubalus smallmouth buffalo X lctiobus cyprinellus bigmouth buffalo X lctiobus niger black buffalo X Minytrema melanops spotted sucker X X Moxostoma anisurum silver redhorse X X Moxostoma carinatum • ST river redhorse X X Moxostoma duquesnei black redhorse X X X Moxostoma erythrurum golden redhorse X X X Moxostoma macrolepidotum shorthead redhorse X X ICTALURIDAE Ameiurus melas black bullhead X X X X Ameiurus natalis yellow bullhead X X X X Ictalurus punctatus channel catfish X X X Noturus eleutherus mountain madtom X X 104 Table 17. Continued. FAMILY Common SmaIl Med.& Standing Scientific Name'·3.' Name Headwaters Creeks Rivers Lg. Rivers Water Noturus flavus stonecat X X Noturus gyrinus tadpole madtom X X Noturus miurus brindled madtom X X X Noturus stigmosus - SE northern madtom X Pylodictis olivaris flathead catfish X X X ESOCIDAE Esox americanus grass pickerel X X X X Esox lucius northern pike X X X ATHERINIDAE Labidesthes sicculus brook silverside X X X FUNDULIDAE Fundulus notatus blackstripe topminnow X X X POECILIIDAE Gambusia affinis mosquitofish X X X COTTIDAE Cottus bairdi mottled sculpin X X MORONIDAE Morone mississippiensis yellow bass X X X X CENTRARCHIDAE Ambloplites rupestris rock bass X X X Lepomis cyanellus green sunfish X X X X Lepomis gulosus warmouth X X X X Lepomis humilis orangespotted sunfish X X X Lepomis macrochirus bluegill X X X X Lepomis megalotis longear sunfish X X X Lepomis microlophus redear sunfish X X X X Micropterus dolomieu smaIlmouth bass X X X X Micropterus punctulatus spotted bass X X X Micropterus salmoides largemouth bass . X X X X Pomoxis annularis white crappie X X X X Pomoxis nigromaculatus black crappie X X X X PERCIDAE Ammocryptil pellucida • SE eastern sand darter X X Etheostoma blennioides greenside darter X X X X Etheostoma caeruleum rainbow darter X X X X Etheostoma camurum - SE bluebreast darter X Etheostoma exile - SE Iowa darter X X X Etheostoma flabellare fantail darter X X X Etheostoma nigrum johnny darter X X X X Etheosroma spectabile orangethroat darter X X X Etheostoma zonale banded darter X X X Percina caprodes logperch X X X Percina maculata blackside darter X X X X Percina phoxocephala slenderhead darter X X X Percina sciera dusky darter X X X 105 Table 17. Continued. FAMILY Common Small Med. & Standing Scientific Name'·',4 Name Headwaters Creeks Rivers Lg. Rivers Water Stizostedion canadense sauger x X Stizostedion vitreum walleye X X SCIAENIDAE Aplodinotus grunniens freshwater drum x x I Data from the Illinois Natural History Survey Fish Collection. 2 Bold type indicates an Illinois endangered (SE) or Illinois threatened (ST) species. J * = introduced species; #:::: common species. 'Total number of species = 97 (96 native, 1 introduced). Table 18. Freshwater fishes recored from the Vermilion River Assessment Area, by habitatI. FAMILY Common Streams Standing Water Scientific Name23.• Name Riffles Runs Pools Littoral Open Water PETROMYZONTIDAE lchthyomyzon unicuspis silver lamprey X X ACIPENSERIDAE Scaphirhynchus platorynchus shovelnose sturgeon X X LEPISOSTEIDAE Lepisosteus osseus longnose gar X Lepisosteus platostomus shortnose gar X X X ANGUILLIDAE Anguilla rostrata American eel X X CLUPEIDAE Alosa chrysochloris skipjack herring X X Dorosoma cepedianum gizzard shad X X CYPRINIDAE Campostoma anomalum central stoneroller X X Campostoma oligolepis largescale stoneroller X X Cyprinella lutrensis red shiner X X Cyprinella spiloptera spotfin shiner X X Cyprinella whipplei steelcolor shiner X X Cyprinus carpio * common carp X X Ericymba buccata silverjaw minnow X X Erimystax x-punctatus gravel chub X X Hybognathus nuchalis Mississippi silvery minnow X X Hybopsis amblops • SE bigeye chub X X Luxilus chrysocephalus striped shiner X X Lythrurus umbratilis redfin shiner X X Macrhybopsis aestivalis speckled chub X X Macrhybopsis storeriana silver chub X Nocomis biguttatus hornyhead chub X X Nocomis micropogon - SE river chub X X Notemigonus crysoleucas golden shiner X X X 106 ------Table 18. Continued. FAMILY Common Streams Standing Water Scientific Name'·'" Name Riffles Runs Pools Littoral Open Water Notropis atherinoides emerald shiner X Notropis blennius river shiner X X Notropis hoops - SE bigeye shiner X Notropisdorsalis bigmouth shiner X X Notropis ludibundus sand shiner X X Notropis rubel/us rosyface shiner X X X Notropis volucellus mimic shiner X X Phenacobius mirabilis suckermouth minnow X X Pimephales notatus bluntnose minnow X X Pimephales promelas fathead minnow X Pimephales vigilax bullhead minnow X X Rhinichthys atrotulus blacknose dace X X Semotilus atromaculatus creek chub X CATOSTOMIDAE Carpiodes carpio river carpsucker X X Carpiodes cyprinus quillback X X Carpiodes velifer highfin carpsucker X X Catostomus commersoni white sucker X X Erimyzon oblongus creek chubsucker X X Erimyzon sucetta lake chubsucker X Hypentelium nigricans northern hog sucker X X Ictiobus bubalus smallmouth buffalo X Ictiobus cyprinel/us bigmouth buffalo X Ictiobus niger black buffalo X Minytrema melanops spotted sucker X Moxostoma anisurum silver redhorse X X Moxostoma carinatum - ST river redhorse X X Moxostoma duquesnei black redhorse X X Moxostoma erythrurum golden redhorse X X Moxostoma macrolepidotumshorthead redhorse X X ICTALURIDAE Ameiurus melas black bullhead X X Ameiurus natalis yellow bullhead· X X Ictalurus punctatus channel catfish X X X Noturus eleutherus mountain madtom X Noturus flavus stonecat X Noturus gyrinus tadpole madtom X X Noturus miurus brindled madtom X Noturus stigmosus - SE northern madtom X X Pylodictis olivaris flathead catfish X X ESOCIDAE Esox americanus grass pickerel X X Esox lucius northern pike X X ATHERINIDAE Labidesthes sicculus brook silverside X X X 107 Table 18. Continued. FAMILY Common Streams Standing Water Scientific Name'.3.4 Name Riffles Runs Pools Littoral Open Water FUNDULIDAE Fundulus notatus blackstripe toprninnow X POECILIIDAE Gambusia affinis mosquitofish X X COTTIDAE Cottus bairdi mottled sculpin X MORONIDAE Morone mississippiensis yellow bass X X CENTRARCHIDAE Ambloplites rupestris rock bass X Lepomis cyanellus green sunfish X X Lepomis gulosus warrnouth X X Lepomis humilis orangespotted sunfish X Lepomis macrochirus bluegill X X Lepomis megalotis longear sunfish X Lepomis microlophus redear sunfish X X Micropterus dolomieu smallmouth bass X X X Micropterus punctulatus spotted bass X X Micropterus salmoides largemouth bass X X X Pomoxis annularis white crappie X X X Pomoxis nigromaculatus black crappie X X X PERCIDAE Ammocrypta pellucida - SE eastern sand darter X Etheostoma blennioides greenside darter X Etheostoma caeruleum rainbow darter X Etheostoma camurum - SE bluebreast darter Etheostoma exile - SE Iowa darter X X Etheostoma flabellare fantail darter X Etheostoma nigrum johnny darter X X Etheostoma spectabile orangethroat darter X X Etheostoma zonale banded darter X Percina caprodes logperch X X Percina maculata blackside darter X Percina phoxocephala slenderhead darter X X Percina sciera dusky darter X X Stizostedion canadense sauger X Stizostedion vitreum walleye X SCIAENIDAE Aplodinotus grunniens fresh water drum X I Data from the Illinois Natural History Survey Fish Collection. 'Bold type indicates lIIinois endangered (SE) or lIIinois threatened (ST) species. 3 * = introduced species; # =,common species. 'Total number of species = 97 (96 native, I introduced). 108 Table 19. Freshwater mussels recorde~ from the Vermilion River Assessment Area .' ORDER Subfamily Common Headwaters! Small Med.& Standing Scientific Name"'" Name Creeks Rivers Lg, Rivers Water UNIONIDAE Anodontinae Alasmidonta marginata elktoe X X Alasmidonta viridis - SE slippershell mussel X X Anodontoides ferussacianus cylindrical papershell X X X Lasmigona camplanata white heelsplitter X X X X Lasmigona compressa creek heelsplitter X X Lasmigana costata flutedshell X X Pyganodon grandis giant floater X X X X Simpsonaias ambigua • SE salamander mussel X X Strophitus undulatus squawfoot X X X Utterbackia imbecillis paper pondshell X X X Ambleminae Amblema plicata threeridge X X Cyclonaias tuberculata purple wartyback X Elliptio diJotata - ST spike X X Fusconaia f/ava Wabash pigtoe X X Megalonaias nervosa washboard X Pleurobema clava - SE c1ubshell X X Pleurobema sintoxia round pigtoe X X Quadrula cylindrica • SE rabbitsfoot X X Quadrula metanevra monkeyface X Quadrula pustulosa pimpleback X X Quadrulatquadrula mapleleaf X X Tritogonia verrucosa pistolgrip X X Uniomerus tetmlasmus pondhom X X X Lampsilinae Actinonaias ligamentina mucket X X Cyprogenia stegaria • SE, FE fanshell X Epioblasma rangiana • FE northern riffieshell X X Epioblasma triquetra· SE snuffbox X X Lampsilis cardium .plain pocketbook X X Lampsilis jasciola • SE wavyrayed lampmussel X X Lampsilis siliquoidea fatmucket X X X Lampsilis teres yellow sandshell X X Leptodea frag ilis fragile papershell X X Ligumia recta black sandshell X Obovaria olivaria round hickorynut X Obovaria subrotundo • SE round hickorynut X X Patamilus alatus pink heelsplitter X X Potamilus ohiensis pink papershell X X Ptychobranchus fasciolaris.SE kidneyshell X Toxolasma lividus • SE purple li1liput X X 109 Table 19. Continued. ORDER Subfamily Common Headwaters/ Small Med.& Standing Scientific Name'·].' Name Creeks Rivers Lg. Rivers Water Toxolasma parvus lilliput X X X X Truncilla rruncata deertoe X Venusraconcha ellipsiformis ellipse X X Villosa fabalis • SE rayed bean X X Villosa iris· SE rainbow X X Villosa lienosa • SE little spectac1ecase X X CORBICULIDAE Corbicula fluminea * Asian clam X X X X I Data from the Illinois Natural History Survey Mollusk Collection. 2 Bold type indicates an Illinois endangered (SE), Illinois threatened (ST). andlor federally endangered (FE) species. 3 * == introduced; # = common species. 'Total number of species = 46 (45 native, 1 introduced). Table 20. Freshwater mussels recorded from the Vermilion River Assessment Area, by habitat.' FAMILY Subfamily Common Streams Standing Water Scientific Name 2.3.4 Name Riffles Runs Pools Littoral Zone UNIONIDAE Anodontinae Alasmidonra marginara elktoe X X Alasmidonta viridis· SE slippershell mu~sel X X Anodontoides ferussacianus cylindrical papershell X X X Lasmigona complanara white heelsplitter X X X Lasmigona compressa creek heelsplitter X X Lasmigona cosrara flutedshell X X Pyganodon grandis giant floater X X X Simpsonaias ambigua • SE salamander mussel X X Strophitus undulatus squawfoot X X X Utterbackia imbecillis paper pondshell X X X Ambleminae Amblema pUcara threeridge X X X Cyclonaias tuberculara purple wartyback X X Elliptia dilatata • ST spike X X Fusconaia flava Wabash pigtoe X X Megalonaias nervosa washboard X X X Pleurobema clava· SE c1ubshell X X 110 Table 20. Continued. FAMILY Subfamily Common Streams Standing Water Scientific Name 2.3.4 Name Riffles Runs Pools Littoral Zone Pleurobema sintoxia round pigtoe X X Quadrula cylindrica • SE rabbitsfoot X X Quadrula metanevra monkeyface X X Quadrula pustulosa pimpleback X X Quadrulatquadrula mapleleaf X X X Tritogonia verrucosa pistolgrip X X Uniomerus tetralasmus pondhom X X X Lampsilinae Actinonaias ligamentina mucket X X Cyprogenia stegario • SE, FE fanshell X X Epioblasma rangiana • FE northern rimeshell X X Epioblasma triquetra. SE snuffbox X X Lampsilis cardium plain pocketbook X X X Lampsilis fasciola • SE wavyrayed lampmussel X X Lampsilis siliquoidea fatmucket XX X X Lampsilis teres yellow sandshell X X Leptodea fragilis fragile papershell X X X Ligumia recta black sandshell X X Obovaria olivaria round hickorynut X X Obovario subrotunda • SE round hickorynut X X Potamilus alatus pink heelspJitler X X X Potamilus ohiensis pink papershell X X X Ptychobranchusfasciolaris • SE kidneyshell X X Toxolasma lividus ·SE purple Iilliput X X Toxolasma parvus Jilliput XX X X Truncilla truncata deertoe X X Venustaconcha ellipsiformis ellipse X X Villosa fabalis • SE rayed bean Villosa iris • SE rainbow X X Villosa lienosa • SE little spectaclecase X X CORBICULIDAE Corbicula fJuminea * Asian clam X X X X l Data from the Illinois Natural History Survey Mollusk Collection. 2 Bold type indicates an Illinois endangered (SE). Illinois threatened (ST), andlor federally endangered (FE) species. 3 '" = introduced species; # = common species. 4 Total number of species = 46 (45 native, I introduced). 111 Table 21. Freshwater crustaceans recorded from the Vermilion River Assessment Area .' ORDER Family Common Caves & Small Med.& Standing Scientific Name'·), 4 Name Springs Headwaters Creeks Rivers Lg. Rivers Water ISOPODA (lsopods) Asellidae Caecidotea beattyi X Caecidotea forbesi X Caecidotea intermedia X X X X X Caecidotea kendeighi X Lirceus sp. X X AMPHIPODA (Amphipods) Crangonyctidae Bactrurus mucronatus X Crangonyx gracilis X Crangonyx minor X Hyalellidae Hyalella azteca X ·X X X X DECAPODA (Crayfishes & shrimps) Cambaridlie Procambarus acutus White River crawfish X X X X Procambarus gracilis prairie crayfish burrower Orconectes immunis calico crayfish X X X X X Orconectes propinquus clearwater crayfish X X X Orconectes virilis virile crayfish X X X X Cambarus diogenes devil crawfish burrower Cambarus tenebrosus X X X 1 Data from the lllinois Natural History Survey Crustacean Collection. 2 * = introduced species; #:= common species. ) Total number of species = 16. Table 22. Freshwater crustaceans recorded from the Vermilion River Assessment Area, by habitat.' ORDER Family Common Caves & Streams Standing Water Scientific Name'·) Name Springs Riffles Runs Pools Littoral Open Water ISOPODA (Isopods) Asellidae Caecidotea beattyi X Caecidotea forbesi X Caecidorea intermedia X X X Caecidorea kendeighi X Lirceus sp. X X 112 Table 23. Continued. ORDER Family Common Caves & Streams Standing Water Scientific Name'" Name Springs Riffles Runs Pools Littoral Open Water AMPHIPODA (Amphipods) Crangonyctidae Bactrurus mucronatus x Crangonyx gracilis x x Crangonyx minor x Hyalellidae Hyalella azteca x x x x DECAPODA (Crayfishes & shrimps) Cambaridae Procambarus acutus White River crawfish x X Procambarus gracilis prairie crayfish burrower Orconectes immunis calico crayfish X X Orconectes propinquus clearwater crayfish X Orconectes virilis virile crayfish X X X Cambarus diogenes devil crawfish burrower Cambarus tenebrosus x X I Data from the Illinois Natural History Survey Crustacean Collection. 2 '" = introduced species; #:= common species. 3 Total number of species = 16. Table 23. Aquatic macroinvertebrates, exclusive of the Crustacea and unionid Mollusca, recorded for the Vermilion River Assessment Area.' Phylum NEMATODA (Nematode Worms) Phylum ANNELIDA (Segmented Worms) species indeterminate Class APHANONEURA (Suction-Feeding Phylum NEMATOMORPHA (Horsehair Worms) Worms) Aeolosomatida Parachordodidae Aeolosomatidae Gordius sp. Aeolosoma hemprichi Paragordius sp. Aeolosoma variegatum Phylum BRYOZOA (Moss Animacules) Class BRANCmOBDELLAE (Crayfish Phylactolaemata Worms) Plumatellidae Branchiobdellida species indeterminate Cambarincolidae Phylum TURBELLARIA (Flatworms) species indeterminate Tricladida Class OLIGOCHAETA (Oligochaete Planariidae Worms) Dugesia tigrina Haplotaxida Haplotaxidae Haplotaxis gordioides 113 Table 23. Continued. Lumbriculida Phylum ARTHROPODA (Arthropods) Lumbriculidae Class ARACHNIDA species indeterminate Hydrachnida (Aquatic Mites) Thbificida species indeterminate Enchytraeidae Class INSECTA (Insects) species indeterminate Ephemeroptera - Mayflies Naididae Baetidae Chaetogaster diaphanus Acerpenna harti Chaetogaster diastrophus Baetis armillatus Chaetogaster limnaei Baetis dubius Dero digitata Baetis fiavistriga Dero nivea Baetis intercalaris Nais communis Baetis punctiventris Nais pardalis Baetis veteris Nais variabilis Callibaetis fiuctuans Ophidonais serpentina Cloeon cognatum Paranais frici Labiobaetis frondalis Pristina leidyi Labiobaetis propinquus Pristinella osborni Procloeon rubropictum Slavina appendiculata Procloeon rufostrigatum Stylaria lacustris Procloeon walshi Thbificidae Baetiscidae Aulodrilus pigueti Baetisca lacustris Branchiura sowerbyi Caenidae llyodrilus templetoni Amercaenis ridens Limnodrilus cervix Caenis amica Limnodrilus claparedianus Caenis hilaris Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri Caenis latipennis Tubijex tubijex Ephemerellidae Lumbricidae Seratella frisoni Eisenia foetida Timpanoga lita Class IDRUDINEA (Leeches) Ephemeridae Rhynchobdellida Ephemera simulans Glossiphoniidae Hexagenia limbata Helobdella stagnalis Hexagenia rigida Helobdella triserialis Pentagenia vittigera Placobdella multilineata Heptageniidae Placobdella ornata Heptagenia diabasia Placobdella papillijera Leucrocuta hebe Placobdella parasitica Leucrocuta maculipennis Gnathobdellida Nixe inconspicua Hirudinidae Nixe perfida Haemopis marmorata Stenacron interpunctatum Haemopis terrestris Stenonema femoratum Pharyngobdellida Stenonema mediopunctatum Erpobdellidae Stenonema mexicanum integrum Erpobdella punctata Stenonema modestum Stenonema pulchellum 114 Table 23. Continued. Stenonema terminaturn Anisoptera (Dragonflies) Isonychiidae Aeshnidae [sonychia bicolor Aeshna constricta [sonychia ruja Aeshna umbrosa [sonychia sicca Anaxjunius Leptophlebiidae Boyeria vinosa Leprophlebia cupida Epiaeschna heros Leptophlebia nebulosa Nasiaeschna pentacantha Paraleptophlebia ontario Cordulegasteridae Paraleprophlebia praepedita Cordulegaster obliquus Polymitarcidae Gomphidae Ephoron leukon Gomphus externus Tortopus primus Gomphus fraternus Potamanthidae Gomphus graslinellus Anthopotamus myops Gomphus vastus Anthopotamus verticis Hagenius brevistylus Odonata (Damselflies and Dragonflies) Ophigomphus repinsulensis Zygoptera (Damselflies) Progomphus obscurus Calopterygidae Libellulidae Calopteryx maculata Celithemis elisa Hetaerina americana Celithemis eponina Coenagrionidae Erythemis simplicicollis Amphiagrion mesonum Erythrodiplax connata Anomolagrion hastatum Libellula luctuosa Argia apicalis Libellula lydia Argiafumipennis violacea Libellula pulchella Argia moesta Libellula semifasciata Argia sedula Pachydiplax longipennis Argia tibialis Pantala flavescens Enallagma antennatum Pantala hymenaea Enallagma aspersum Perithemis tenera Enallagma basidens Sympetrum ambiguum Enallagma carumculatum Sympetrum internum Enallagma civile Sympetrum obtrusum Enallagma exsulans Sympetrum rubicundulum Enallagma geminatum Sympetrum semicinctum Enallagma signatum Sympetrum vincinum Enallagma vesperum Tramea lacerata [schnura posita Petaluridae Jschnura verticalis Tachopteryx thoreyi Lestidae Plecoptera (Stoneflies) Archilestes grandis Capniidae Lestes disjunctus Allocapnia granulata Lestes dryas Allocapnia mystica Lestesjorcipatus Allocapnia nivicola Lestes rectangularis Allocapnia recta Lestes unguiculatus Allocapnia vivipara 115 Table 23. Continued. Leuctridae Trichocorixa kanza Zealeuctra narfi Trichocorixa naias Nemouridae Gerridae (Pond Skaters) Amphinemura varshava Aquarius remigis Perlidae Gerris argenticollis Acroneuria abnormis Gerris buenoi Acroneuria arida Gerris comatus Acroneuria evoluta Gerris insperatus Acroneuria filicis Gerris marginatus Acroneuria frisoni Metrobates hesperius· Acroneuria intemata Neogerris hesione Agnetina flavescens Rheumatobates palosi Attaneuria ruralis Trepobates knighti Neoperla catharae Trepobates subnitidus Neoperla clymene Hebridae (Velvet Water Bugs) Neoperla osage Merragata hebroides Neoperla stewarti Hydrometridae Perlinella drymo Hydrometra martini Perlinella ephyre Mesoveliidae (Water Treaders) Perlodidae Mesovelia mulsanti Clioperla clio Nepidae (Water Scorpions) Hydroperla crosbyi Ranatra australis lsoperla bilineata Ranatra buenoi lsoperla nana Ranatra fusea Pteronarcyidae Ranatra nigra Pteronarcys pictetii Notonectidae (Backswimmers) Taeniopterygidae Buenoa margarataeea Strophopteryx fasciata Buenoa scimitra Taeniopteryx burksi Notoneeta irrorata Taeniopteryx nivalis Notoneeta raleighi Heteroptera (True Bugs) Notonecta undulata Belostomidae Pleidae Belostoma flumineum Neoplea striola Benacus griseus Veliidae (Little Water Striders) Lethocerus americanus Microvelia americana Lethocerus uhleri Microvelia hinei Corixidae (Water Boatmen) Microvelia pu1chella Corisella edulis Rhagovelia oriander Hesperocorixa nitida Coleoptera (Beetles) Hesperocorixa obliqua Dryopidae Hesperocorixa vulgaris Helieus lithophilus Palmocorixa buenoi Dytiscidae Ramphocorixa acuminata Aeilius semisulcatus Sigara altemata Agabus sp. Sigara grossolineata Celina angustata Sigara hubbelli Copelatus glyphicus Sigara modesta Copelatus chevrolati Trichocorixa calva Coptotomus venustus 116 Table 23. Continued. Coptotomus lenticus Dibolocelus ovatus Coptotomus loticus Enochrus ochraceus Cybister fimbriolatus Enochrus pygmaeus Desmopachria convexa Enochrus sayi Graphoderes librus Hydrobius jUscipes Hydroporus sericus Hydrochara obtusata Hygrotus laccophilinus Hydrochus neosquamifer Hygrotus nubilus Hydrochus scabratus Laccophilus fasciatus Hydrophilus triangularis Laccophilus maculosus Laccobius agilis Laccophilus proximus Paracymus conjUsus Matus ovatus Paracymus subcupreus Thermonectes basilaris Sperchopsis tesselatus Thermonectes ornaticollis Tropisternus blatchleyi modestus Uvarus lacustris Tropisternus lateralis nimbatus Elmidae Tropisternus mexicanus striolatus Ancyronix variegatus Tropisternus natator Dubiraphia quadrinotata Noteridae Macronychus glabratus Hydrocanthus iricolor Stenelmis sexline(lta Trichoptera (Caddistlies) Stenelmis vittipennis Helichopsychidae Gyrinidae Helicopsyche borealis Dineutus horni Glossosomatidae Haliplidae Protoptila lega Peltodytes duodecimpunctatus Pr{)toptila maculata Peltodytes edentulus Hydropsychidae Peltodytes lengi Ceratopsyche cheilonis Peltodytes litoralis Cheumatopsyche aphanta Peltodytes muticus Cheumatopsyche campyla Peltodytes pedunculatus Cheumatopsyche pettiti Peltodytes sexmaculatus Cheumatopsyche speciosa Haliplus borealis Diplectrona modesta Haliplus connexus Hydropsyche bidens Haliplus faciatus Hydropsyche frisoni Haliplus ohiensis Hydropsyche incommoda Haliplus pantherinus Hydropsyche orris Haliplus tortilipenis Hydropsyche simulans Haliplus triopsis Potamyia flava Hydrophilidae Hydroptilidae Berosus aculeatus Hydroptila ajax Berosus injUscatus Hydroptila angusta Ross Berosus pantherinus Hydroptila armata Berosus peregrinus Hydroptila consimilis Berosus striatus Hydroptila grandiosa Chaetarthria atra Hydroptila hamata Chaetarthria pallida Hydroptila perdita Cymbiodyta acuminata Hydroptila spatulata Cymbiodyta fimbriata lthytrichia clavata 117 Table 23. Continued. Mayatrichia ayama Polycentropus interruptus Neotrichiafalca Rhyacophilidae Neotrichia minutisimella Rhyacophila fenestra Neotrichia vibrans Rhyacophila lobifera Orthotrichia cristata Uenoidae Ochrotrichia tarsalis Neophylax concinnus Ochrotrichia xena Diptera (Flies) Glossosomatidae Ceratopogoninae Protoptila lega AUuaudomyia bella Protoptila maculata Bezzia apicata Leptoceridae Bezzia dentata Ceraclea alagmua Bezzia glabra Ceraclea tarsipunctata Bezzia opaca Ceraclea transversus Bezzia setulosa Leptocerus americanus Clinohelea bimaculata Nectopsyche candida Culicoides haematopotus Oecetis avara CuUcoides multipunctatus Oecetis cinerascens CuUcoides sanguisuga Oecetis inconspicua Culicoides stellifer Triaenodes abus CuUcoides variipennis Triaenodes injusta fenkinshelea albaria Triaenodes tardus Johannsenomyia argentata Limnophilidae Mallochohelea caudelU Anabolia consocius Nilobezzia schwarzi Hesperophylax designatus Palpomyia jlavipes lronoquia lyratus Palpomyia hirta Limnephilus submonilifer Palpomyia opacithorax Pycnopsyche subfasciata Palpomyia subasper Molannidae Palpomyia triviaUs Molanna blenda Parabezzia petiolata Molanna uniophila Probezzia paUida Philopotamidae Probezzia xanthogaster Chimarra obscura Stilobezzia antennalis Phryganeidae Stilobezzia coquilletti Agrypnia vestitax Stilobezzia pallidiventris Banksiola crotchi Forcipomyiinae Phryganea sayi Atrichopogon fusculus Ptilostomis ocellifera Atrichopogon fusine rvis Ptilostomis semifasciata Atrichopogon levis Polycentropodidae Atrichopogon peregrinus Cernotina calcea Forcipomyia brevipennis Cyrnellus fraternus Forcipomyia ciUpes Neureclipsis bimaculatus Forcipomyia concolor Neureclipsis crepuscularis Forcipomyia elegantula Nyctiophylax vestitus Forcipomyia hirtipennis Polycentropus cinereus Forcipomyia longitarsis Polycentropus crassicornis Forcipomyia pergandei Polycentropus jlavus Forcipomyia pilosa 118 Table 23. Continued. Forcipomyia squamipes Gillotia alboviridis Dasyheleinae Glyptotendipes lobiferus Dasyhelea major Lauterborniella perpulcher Dasyhelea mutabilis Lauterborniella varipennis Chaoboridae Micropsectra nigripilus Chaoborus punctipennis Micropsectra polita Chironomidae Parachironomus abortivus Tanypodinae Parachironomus tenuicaudatus Ablabesmyia monilis Paratendipes subaequalis Alotanypus venusta Polypedilum apicatum Coelotanypus concinnus Polypedilum convictum Conchapelopia rurika Polypedilium halterale Larsia decolorata Polypedilum scalaenum Labrundinia pilosella Pseudochironomus pseudoviridis Macropelopia decedens Stenochironomus hilaris Procladius bellus Stictochironomus devinctus Procladius culiciformis Stictochironomus jlavicingula Psectrotanypus dyari Tanytarsus confusus Tanypus stellatus Tanytarsus muticus Diamesinae Tribelos jucundus Diamesa nivoriunda Xenochironomus festivus Orthocladinae Culicidae Bryophaenocladius jlavoscutellatus Aedes canadensis Bryophaenocladius pleuralis Aedes dorsalis Camptocladius jlavibasis Aedes fitchii Camptocladius stercoraria Aedes grossbecki Chasmatonotus bimaculatus Aedes sollicitans Corynoneura celeripes Aedes sticticus Corynoneura similis Aedes triseriatus Cricotopus bicinctus Aedes trivittatus Cricotopus trifasciatus Aedes vexans Epoicocladius jlavens Anopheles quadrimaculatus Eukiefferiella brevinervis Anopheles punctipennis Jiydrobaenusjohannseni Culex apicalis Jiydrobaenus pilipes Culex erraticus Parametriocnemus lundbecki Culex pipiens Rheocricotopus effusus Culex quinquefaxciatus Smittia lasiops Culex restuans Chironominae Culex salinarius Chironomus artenuatus Culex tarsalis Chironomus harti Culiseta inornata Chironomus plumosus Orthopodomyia signifera Chironomus riparius Psorophora ciliata Cryptochironomus fulvus Psorophora confinnis Dicrotendipes fumidus Psorophora ferox Dicrotendipes modestus Psorophora horrida Dicrotendipes neomodestus Psorophora howardii Dicrotendipes nervosus Uranotaenia sapphirina 119 Table 23. Continued. Tabanus lineola Empididae Tabanus molestus species indeterminate Tabanus pallidescens Ephydridae Tabanus pumilus species indeterminate Tabanus quinquevittatus Psychodidae Tabanus reinwardtii species indeterminate Tabanus sackeni Simuliidae Tabanus similis Simulium spp. Tabanus sparus milleri Stratiomyidae Tabanus sublongus species indeterminate Tabanus subsimilis Tabanidae Tabanus superjumentarius Chrysops aberrans Tabanus trimaculatus Chrysops callidus Tabanus venustus Chrysops cincticornis Tipulidae Chrysops flavidus Erioptera sp. Chrysops geminatus Limonia sp. Chrysops macquarti Tipula sp. Chrysops moechus Phylum MOLLUSCA (Mollusks) (not Chrysops niger including Unionidae) Chrysops pikei Gastropoda (Snails) Chrysops sequax Ancylidae Chrysops univittatus Ferrissia sp. Chrysops vittatus Hydrobiidae Goniops chrysocoma Limnaeidae Hybomitra difficilus Fossaria sp. Hybomitra epistates Stagnicola sp. Hybomitra lasiophthalmis Physidae Hybomitra sodalis Physa sp. Tabanus atratus Pelecypoda (Bivalve Mollusks) Tabanus equalis Sphaeriidae Tabanus fulvulus species indeterminate Tabanus limbatinevris I Data are from the minois Natural History Survey Insect and Annelida conections, and literature cited in this document. List compiled by MJ. Wetzel, D.W. Webb, and SJ. Taylor, minois Natural History Survey Center for Biodiversity. Threatened and Endangered Species Fishes State endangered or threatened fishes known from the Vermilion River Assessment Area include the bigeye chub, bigeye shiner, river redhorse, bluebreast darter, and eastern sand darter, all observed as recently as 1997, river chub, observed in 1992, northern madtom, last observed in 1962, and the Iowa darter, last observed in 1980. The largescale stoneroller and gravel chub, known historically from the area, are on the Illinois Watch List. 120 The bigeye chub was common in eastern Illinois in the late 1800s but now is known in Illinois only from the Little Vermilion River below Georgetown. The bigeye shiner is found in the North Fork near Alvin and in Little Vermilion River from Route 1 to Indiana. Elsewhere in Illinois the species is known only from isolated populations in the eastern and southern parts of the state. The river redhorse is found in only a few large streams in Illinois. The only stream in which it is common is the Kankakee River. In the Vermilion River Assessment Area, it is known from the Middle and Salt forks. The bluebreast darter occurs in Vermilion County in the Middle Fork from Potomac to the Vermilion River, in the Salt Fork one mile south of Oakwood, and in the Vermilion River east of Westville. Once near extirpation in lllinois, this species has made a dramatic come back following recent improvements in water quality within the drainage. The bluebreast darter is found in Illinois only within the VRAA. I The eastern sand darter occurs in the North Fork near Alvin, in the Middle Fork from . Potomac to the Vermilion River, and in the Vermilion River, four miles east of Westville. Elsewhere in the state, the species is found only in the Embarras, Little Wabash, and Wabash rivers. The river chub is known in Illinois only from the Little Vermilion River. It was observed in the Little Vermilion River below Georgetown in 1987 and again in 1992; however, its present status needs to be determined. The northern madtom has not been observed in the Assessment Area since 1962 and roay be extirpated. The only known population of the species in lllinois is in the Ohio River in Pulaski County. The Iowa darter once occurred throughout much of northern Illinois but now is nearly restricted to a few streams and lakes in the Rock and Fox river systems. A relict population of the Iowa darter occurs in abandoned gravel quarries near Fairmount, Vermilion County, and during high water individuals spill into the headwaters of Jordan Creek. The status of this population needs to be determined. The largescale stoneroller has not been observed in the area since 1899 and almost certainly has been extirpated. The species persists in lllinois in a few streams in the northern part of the state and in Salt Creek (Sangamon River drainage) in central Illinois. The gravel chub occurs in Illinois only in the Rock River, where it is fairly common, and in the Vermilion River near Westville, where it is rare. 121 Mussels One state threatened mussel. (spike) and fourteen state endangered mussels (slippershell mussel, salamander mussel, clubshell, rabbitsfoot, fanshell, northern riffleshell, snuffbox, wavy-rayed lampmussel, round hickorynut, kidneyshell, purple lilliput, rayed bean, rainbow, and little spectaclecase) have historically been reported from the VRAA. Three of the above listed mussels (clubshell, fanshell, and northern riffleshell) are also federally endangered. Although many have been extirpated from this area, an amazing ten species are still thought to be present in the basin: slippershell, clubshell, rabbitsfoot, wavy-rayed lampmussel, round hickorynut, kidneyshell, purple lilliput, rayed bean, rainbow, and little spectaclecase. An additional three listed species; ring pink (SE, FE) sheepnose (SE), butterfly (ST) have been reported from the Vermilion River in Indiana but not on the Illinois side. The North Fork Vermilion River supports the greatest concentration of rare, threatened, or endangered mussels in Illinois and its protection is crucial to the continued survival of those species. To put it in perspective, a ten square mile area Vermilion County supports as many freshwater mussel species as the entire Illinois River. A summary of the past occurrence of each threatened or endangered mussel in the area is given below. Data used in these summaries have been taken from (Baker 1922, Suloway et al. 1981, Cummings and Mayer 1997, Cummings et a1. 1998, Illinois Natural History Survey Mollusk Collection database). Slippershell: Extant populations of the slippershell are known from tributaries to the Middle and North Forks of the Vermilion and Little Vermilion River. The Little Vermilion River may support the largest known population of slippershells in Illinois. Salamander mussel: This small mussel historically occurred in the Middle and Salt Forks of the Vermilion River and in Stony Creek, a tributary of the Salt Fork near Muncie. No live specimens have ever been reported from the basin. However, it is a small, fragile, and difficult to locate species and the presence of shells suggests that it still may survive in the area. No records of the salamander mussel exist for the Little Vermilion River. Spike: Although stated by Baker (1922) that "this mussel does not occur in the Salt Fork, nor any tributaries of the Big Vermilion above Danville", weathered dead shells have been recently found in the Middle Fork and a live specimen was found in the Salt Fork in 1957. The Salt Fork specimen was the last known occurrence of this species in the area and it is likely extirpated from the basin. Clubshell: The federally endangered clubshell was historically widespread in the Vermilion River drainage. A recent survey specifically focusing on the status of the clubshell was conducted in 1995-96 (Cummings et al. 1998). Upon completion of the survey it was thought to have been extirpated from Illinois. In September of 1998 a live clubshell was found in the Middle Branch North Fork Vermilion River. This is the only known population of the clubshell in the state and should be vigorously protected. No records of the clubshell exist for the Little Vermilion River. 122 Rabbitsfoot: The highly distinctive and state endangered rabbitsfoot was historically present in the Salt, Middle, and North forks of the Vermilion River. It has apparently been extirpated from the Salt and Middle Forks but still exists in a small stretch of the North Fork near Bismark where it was last collected alive 1996. No records of the rabbitsfoot exist for the Little Vermilion River. Fanshell: The federally endangered fanshell is known in the VRAA only from a weathered dead shell collected in the Vermilion River near Westville in 1997. It is likely extirpated from the Assessment Area. No records of the fanshell exist for the Little Vermilion River. Northern riffleshell: Like the preceding species, the federally endangered northern riffleshell is known in the Assessment Area only from a weathered dead shells collected in the North Fork Vermilion River near Bismark and the Vermilion River proper near Danville. It is likely extirpated from the Assessment Area. No records of the northern riffleshell exist for the Little Vermilion River. Snuffbox: A weathered valve of the state endangered snuffbox was found in the Vermilion River at the 1-74 bridge near Danville in 1990. This is the only known occurrence of this species from this region and it is likely extirpated from the Assessment Area. No records of the snuffbox exist for the Little Vermilion River. Wavy-rayed lampmussel: The wavy-rayed lampmussel was historically widespread in the Vermilion River drainage. Today the largest populations occur in the Middle Fork Vermilion River near Collison and the North Fork and selected tributaries near Bismark. It has apparently been extirpated from the Salt Fork drainage. No records of the wavy-rayed lampmussel exist for the Little Vermilion River. The Vermilion is the only drainage in Illinois known to support this species. Round hickorynut: The state endangered round hickorynut was widely distributed in the Vermilion River in former times. It was last collected alive 1980. Recent fresh-dead (with meat in the shell) individuals were found in the North Fork Vermilion River near Bismark (1987) and the Salt Fork near Catlin (1980). The status of this species in the Vermilion River drainage needs to be determined. No records of the round hickorynut exist for the Little Vermilion River. Kidneyshell: The state endangered kidneyshell was historically widespread in the Wabash River drainage of Illinois. Today it is restricted to two widely scattered populations in the Embarras and North Fork Vermilion River basins. Although historically present in the Little Vermilion River the kidneyshell is thought to be extirpated from that drainage. Purple lilliput: The state endangered purple lilliput was historically widely distributed in the Salt, Middle, and North Forks of the Vermilion and Little Vermilion River drainages. Today this mussel is restricted to the North Fork Vermilion and some of its tributaries. Rayed bean: The state endangered Rayed bean was historically distributed in the Salt, Middle, and North Forks of the Vermilion River. The only record of this mussel in the past 123 40 years is from the Middle Fork Vermilion River near Armstrong where it was last collected alive 1991. The status of this species in the Vermilion River drainage needs to be determined. Rainbow: The state endangered rainbow was historically widely distributed in the Salt, Middle, and North Forks of the Vennilion and Little Vermilion River drainages. Today this mussel is restricted to the North Fork Vermilion and selected tributaries in this Assessment Area where it was last collected alive 1998. Little spectaclecase: The state endangered little spectaclecase was formerly widely distributed in the Vermilion and Little Vermilion rivers. Today this mussel is restricted to one site on the Middle Fork Vermilion near Armstrong, the North Fork Vermilion and selected tributaries near Bismark, and the Little Vermilion River. The Little Vermilion River likely supports the largest known population of the little spectaclecase in Illinois. Non-native Species The common carp is found throughout Illinois. It can be found in almost any type of habitat but prefers warm sluggish waters of streams and lakes and is very tolerant of high turbidity and low oxygen levels. Native to Eurasia, the common carp has been present in Illinois since the earliest surveys, making its effect on native species difficult to determine. The species tends to destroy vegetation and increase water turbidity by dislodging plants and rooting around in the substrate, causing a deterioration of habitat for species requiring vegetation and clear water. The common carp attains a large size and has become an important commercial food species in Illinois; however, it may have done so at the expense of ecologically similar native species such as carpsuckers and buffalos. It was distributed throughout Illinois by the time of Forbes and Richardson's (1908) survey of Illinois fishes and was described as abundant in all parts ofthe state by Smith (1979). It remains common in most areas of Illinois, including the Vermilion River Assessment Area. The Asian clam is common throughout the Assessment Area. Effects of the Asian clam on native species and communities are difficult to measure, but some studies have suggested that the Asian clam may compete with native mussels for food. Of the aquatic macroinvertebrate taxa known or thought likely to occur in the Vermilion River Assessment Area, none other than one aquatic worm species is thought to have been introduced. Branchiura sowerbyi (Annelida: Oligochaeta: Tubificidae) was first reported in the USA from a lake in Ohio in 1932, most likely introduced to the continent with imported aquatic and semiaquatic plants or other aquatic organisms. Originally thought to be restricted to thermally influenced habitats, B. sowerbyi is now commonly collected from a variety of stream and lake systems. This species is widespread throughout North America and Europe, and has been recorded from all continents except Antarctica. Branchiura sowerbyi does not appear to pose any threat to native populations of aquatic macroinvertebrates. 124 Information Gaps The Vermilion River Assessment Area has been well studied with respect to fishes, mussels, and crayfishes. However, additional survey work in the smaller tributaries would better define the limits of some ofthe species, especially mussels, and possibly uncover additional populations of state endangered and other rare species. The status of several species is uncertain; additional survey work is needed to determine whether these species still occur in the drainage and, if not, whether they could be successfully reintroduced. Long-term population monitoring of selected species and communities is needed throughout the state to provide information on trends in biological resources and on the success of various management strategies. Mark-recapture studies also are badly needed to understand normal movements of fishes and other aquatic organisms and, hence, to provide baseline data for interpreting the impacts of environmental alterations and management strategies. Long-term monitoring of selected groups of aquatic macroinvertebrates in habitats throughout the state, particularly in headwater streams and, to a lesser extent, in small ponds, lakes, and wetland areas, would prOVide needed information on population trends and habitat associations. Although there have been some historical as well as recent faunal studies conducted on the aquatic macroinvertebrates occurring in Illinois [e.g., Coleoptera (beetles) (Wooldridge 1967), Ephemeroptera (mayflies) (Burks 1953), Plecoptera (stoneflies) (Frison 1935), Trichoptera (caddisflies) (Ross 1944), Hemiptera (true bugs) (Lauck 1959), Diptera (flies) (Malloch 1915 a, b; Ross 1947; Ross and Horsfall 1965; Pechuman et al. 1983), and Annelida (segmented worms) (Wetzel 1992)], the major groups of aquatic macroinvertebrates known to occur in the Vermilion Assessment Area (Table VAA) have not been as well studied as fishes, mussels, and crustaceans. Brigham (1979) provided the most recent surveys for aquatic macroinvertebrates in the Vermilion River basin but those surveys are already 20 years old; furthermore, the focus of that intensive study was directed towards functional groups of organisms rather than at the species level of identification. Water Quality The Illinois Water Quality Report (Illinois Environmental Protection Agency 1996) rated the Vermilion, North Fork, Middle Fork, and Little Vermilion rivers as "Full Support" (water quality meets the needs of all designated uses protected by applicable water quality standards). The Salt Fork was rated as "Partial SupportlMinor Impairment" (water quality has been impaired, but only to a minor degree). 125 Another stream quality index used to identify high-quality streams is the Biological Stream Characterization (BSC). The BSC was developed by the Illinois Department of Conservation and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Bertrand et al. 1995) and is derived from data on fish populations, water quality, and aquatic macroinvertebrates. In the BSC, stream segments are categorized from "A" (highest quality) to "E" (lowest quality). Twenty-four stream segments in Illinois currently are considered to be in the "A" category, and 50 in the "B" category. The Biological Stream Characterization (Bertrand et al. 1996) rated Jordan Creek, Spoon River, Middle Fork from its mouth up to Knights Branch, and Little Vermilion River from the state line up to the dam at Georgetown and upstream of Archie Creek near Sidell as "A" Streams (Unique Aquatic Resource). The Vermilion River, Salt Fork, Middle Fork from Knights Branch up to Prairie Creek, North Fork upstream of Painter Creek and mouth to tributary in T2IN, RIIW, sec. 3ISW, and Little Vermilion River from the dam at Georgetown up to Archie Creek were rated as "B" Streams (Highly Valued Aquatic Resource). Other tributaries to the Vermilion River rated as "B" Streams include Big Four Ditch from Prairie Creek up to Walltown Ditch, Buck Creek, Glenburn Creek, Knights Branch, Saline Branch from the mouth up to Boneyard Creek, an unnamed tributary to the Spoon River in Champaign County, Stony Creek, Sugar Creek, Upper Salt Fork Drainage Ditch, Walltown Ditch, and Windfall Creek. The remainder of streams in the Assessment Area were rated as "c" Streams (Moderate Aquatic Resource) or not rated. Smith (1971) gave the Little Vermilion - Vermilion River system a variable rating. Water quality problems in the system included sewage, siltation, and dredging. He called the Middle Fork "the outstanding stream in the system, and one of the finest in Illinois." Biologically Significant Streams Eight areas in the Vermilion River Assessment Area were recognized as Biologically Significant Streams (Page et aI. 1992) because of the presence of threatened/endangered species and high mussel and/or fish diversity. These streams provide the best opportunities in the basin for the protection of large numbers of native species. 1. Little Vennilion River, Vennilion County. The headwaters of the Little Vermilion River have been channelized and are periodically dredged and cleared by a local drainage district (Sauer 1989). The river ranges in width from 15 to 50 feet and is up to four feet deep. One and one half miles of the stream have been impounded for the Georgetown Reservoir. Below the impoundment the substrate is cobble and gravel with scattered boulders. Upstream of the impoundment the substrate is sand and gravel. Aquatic vegetation includes water willow, algae, Cladophora, and sagittaria. The state endangered bigeye chub, river chub, bigeye shiner, slippershell, and little spectacle case are present. Page et al. (1989), rated the LittleVermilion (in Vermilion County) among the ten most outstanding aquatic ecosystems in Illinois. 126 2. Vermilion River, Vermilion County. The Vermilion River is a site of high fish diversity, including the state endangered eastern sand darter and bluebreast darter. The state . endangered wavy-rayed lampmussel is also present. Stream habitats consist of riffles, runs and pools with a substrate of silt, sand, and gravel. The riparian zone is wide with typical river bottom trees: cottonwood, sycamore, and maple. 3. Middle Fork Vermilion River, Champaign and Vermilion counties. The clear, gravel bottomed Middle Fork is 25-60 feet wide and up to 6 feet deep. The substrate consists of sand, gravel, and cobble, although some areas of the stream bed are covered with a layer of silt. Stream habitats include many boulder riffles, extensive sand and gravel raceways, and clear pools with a sand and silt substrate. Some vascular aquatic vegetation is present. In a study of vascular plants in the streams of Champaign County, Tazik et al. (1991) reported that the Middle Fork of the Vermilion has the most vegetated sites and the highest species diversity in Champaign County. A high diversity of mussels is present including the state endangered wavy-rayed lampmussel. Also present are the state endangered eastern sand darter and bluebreast darter. The wooded riparian zone varies from a few feet to over a half mile. Although the woods are second growth and grazed, they remain significant because of their diversity and number of uncommon plants and animals. This segment of the Middle Fork runs through the Middle Fork River County Forest Preserve, Middle Fork State Fish and Wildlife Area, and Kickapoo State Park. Three nature preserves are adjacent to the Middle Fork: Horseshoe Bottom, Middle Fork Woods, and Windfall Prairie. From its mouth to Knights Branch, the Middle Fork is rated as a BSC Class "A" Stream. The Middle Fork is the only federal- and state-designated Wild and Scenic River in Illinois. 4. North Fork Vermilion River, Lake Vermilion reservoir upstream to Illinois state line, IroquoislVermilion counties. This segment of the North Fork is a natural stream, although the upper reaches may have been dredg;ed in the past. The depth ranges to five feet and the width from 25 to 65 feet. The substrate consists of sand and gravel with some silt and cobble. Stream habitats include gravel riffles, sand bars, pools, and overhanging banks. Some areas have vascular aquatic vegetation. Riparian vegetation is forest surrounded by row crops or pasture. A high diversity of mussels is present including the federally endangered c1ubshell, the state. endangered slippershell mussel rabbitsfoot, wavy-rayed lampmussel, round hickorynut, kidneyshell, purple lilliput, rainbow, and little spectacle case. Also present are the state endangered eastern simd darter and bigeye shiner. 5. Salt Fork Vermilion River, Champaign County line to Middle Fork, Vermilion County. A high-gradient small river, the Salt Fork in Vermilion County is 50-95 feet wide and up to five feet deep. Stream habitats include large rocky riffles and pools. The substrate consists of sand, gravel, and cobblelboulders with very little silt. Some vascular aquatic vegetation is present and semi-aquatic vegetation occupies small vegetated islands in the river. The wooded riparian zone varies from a few feet to almost a half mile. A high mussel diversity is present including the state endangered wavy-rayed lampmussel and round hickorynut. The state endangered bluebreast darter is present. 127 6. Jordan Creek, Vermilion County. Jordan Creek, a BSC "A" Stream, is eleven miles long and has an average width of 13 feet. In its lower reaches, the substrate consists of bedrock and gravel with frequent pools and steep riffles as the predominant stream habitat. In the upper reaches cobble, bedrock, sand, and silt comprise the substrate and long quiet pools are the common stream habitat. Beginning at its confluence with the Salt Fork, the riparian zone gradually decreases from a fairly wide zone of hardwood trees: sycamore, cottonwood, silver and sugar maple; to a few feet of grass before eventually giving way to row crop agriculture. The upper half of Jordan Creek has been dredged. The state endangered Iowa darter is present, but only in the headwaters where it washes out of abandoned gravel quarries near Fairmount. 7. Spoon River, Champaign County. This stream was rated as a Class "A" Stream by Bertrand et aL (1996) in the Biological Stream Characterization Report. No data on stream characteristics are available for this site. 8. Stony Creek, Vermilion County. Stony Creek is a small tributary to the Salt Fork Vermilion River. The substrate consists largely of gravel, cobble, and bedrock. Beginning at its confluence with the Salt Fork, the riparian zone gradually decreases from a fairly .wide zone of trees: sycamore, cottonwood, silver and sugar maple; to a few feet of grass before eventually giving way to row crop agriculture and pasture. Fresh-dead shells of the state endangered salamander mussel have been found in Stony Creek in recent years. Environmental Problems Stream ecosystems are fragmented by landscape changes that render stream habitats unsuitable for aquatic organisms and by instream modifications that eliminate stream habitats. Smith (1971) ranked the causes of extirpation or declines in fish species in Illinois as follows: siltation (as the primary factor responsible for the loss of 2, and decimation of 14, species), drainage of bottomland lakes, swamps, and prairie marshes (0, 13), desiccation during drought (0, 12), species introductions (2, 7), pollution (2, 5), impoundments (0, 4), and increased water temperatures (0, I). All of these factors render habitats unsuitable for many aquatic species throughout Illinois and lead to extirpations. Streams in Illinois naturally have wooded floodplains that are extremely important in maintaining a healthy aquatic environment. The vegetation on a floodplain shades the stream and keeps it from becoming excessively hot during the summer, stabilizes the streambank and reduces erosion, and acts as a filter that removes topsoil and pesticides which would otherwise reach the stream as water drains from croplands. During periods of high water, vegetated floodplains provide feeding and spawning areas for many species of aquatic organisms and nurseries for developing larvae. When floodplains are converted to crop production as they have been throughout much of Illinois, they no longer provide these benefits to aquatic organisms. 128 Another major landscape change that has negatively impacted streams has been the tiling of land for agriculture. Land that once drained slowly drains quickly once it is tiled. Rapid drainage of land increases the pulse of a flood and increases the intensity and duration of low-flow once the water has moved downstream. These artificially extreme fluctuations in water levels subject stream organisms to environmental conditions to which they are not adapted and can lead to the extirpation of populations. Siltation, increased water temperatures, and desiccation follow the removal of riparian vegetation and the tiling of fields as land is prepared for agriculture. The excessive siltation associated with the removal of floodplain vegetation is among the most damaging forms of stream pollution. The clean rock and gravel substrates that are normally characteristic of riffles and other stream habitats with fast-flowing water provide living space for many species of aquatic insects and other invertebrates and important spawning habitat for many species of fishes. The deposition of silt covers the rocks, leaving no place for small organisms to hide or for fishes to hide their eggs. Silt can also cover the leaves of aquatic plants and, if sufficient to prevent gas exchange or photosynthesis, will cause the plants to die. The reduction of plant life in a stream has a cascading negative impact on the stream ecosystem. Many animals, in particular insect larvae and fishes, use the plants as places to hide and forage. Some fishes use plants to hide from predators, others use plants as sites from which to ambush prey. As plants are eliminated, populations of insects and fishes are reduced or eliminated because they have fewer places to live. The impact of increased water temperatures resulting from the loss of riparian vegetation and reduced water flow during warm seasons is difficult to separate from the effects of siltation and other factors that occur concomitantly. However, throughout Illinois, increased water temperatures per se are probably especially harmful to cool-water species such as northern pike and species dependent on springs and spring-fed streams, such as the southern redbelly dace and many species of amphipods, isopods, and crayfishes. Stream desiccation is thought to be primarily an effectof the artificially extreme fluctuations in water levels that follow tiling of fields for agriculture. The rapid drainage of surrounding land increases the intensity and prolongs the duration of low-flow once the water has moved downstream. A drought that historically would have had the impact of decreasing the flow in a stream can now lead to a dry stream bed. Floodplains of large rivers normally have low areas that fill with water during floods and survive year-round as shallow lakes. These lakes provide primary habitat for a wide variety of plants and animals, and because they naturally have luxuriant plant growth, they are important feeding areas for waterfowl, and they provide spawning areas, nurseries for larvae, and overwintering refugia for fishes. Unfortunately, most of the bottomland lakes in Illinois have been drained to create cropland, and those that remain have become shallow and barren because of the tremendous silt loads deposited in them each year during periods of high water. The shallow muddy lakes no longer support the plant life that was fundamental to successful completion of the life cycles of many aquatic species. 129 The impacts of introduced fishes include competition, predation, inhibition of reproduction, environmental modification, transfer of parasites and diseases, and hybridization. Freshwater mussels and crayfishes have been seriously impacted in Illinois in recent decades by non-native invaders, most notably the zebra mussel and the rusty crayfish. Nalepa (1994) documented the severe decline in native mussels due to the invasion of zebra mussels in Lake St. Clair over a six-year period. He found that mussel densities declined from 2.4/m2 in 1986 to 0/m2 in 1992 in areas heavily infested with zebra mussels. The rusty crayfish, introduced through its use as fishing bait, is rapidly spreading through Illinois and displacing native crayfishes (Taylor and Redmer 1996). Point sources of pollution include industrial wastes and domestic sewage. In Illinois, considerable progress has been made in identifying and eliminating point sources of pollution, and water quality has improved as a result. Nonpoint sources are now a larger problem than are point sources and include siltation and agricultural pesticides that reach streams following the removal of floodplain vegetation. Impounding a stream converts it into a standing body of water that lacks the riffles, runs, pools, and other habitats that stream-inhabiting organisms require. When a stream is dammed, most native species are eliminated from the inundated area, and upstream and downstream populations become isolated from one another. Dams block migrations of fishes that in many species are necessary for reproduction. The loss of migratory fishes from a stream ecosystem can lead to the loss of mussels using the migratory fishes as glochidial hosts. Channelization is the straightening of a stream to enhance drainage of the surrounding land. The straightening converts the diversity of habitats in a stream to one continuous straight channel that supports few species. Because of their sedentary nature mussels are particularly susceptible to the effects of channelization. Potential Management Strategies for Aquatic Species Management strategies for aquatic ecosystems must consider each watershed on an individual basis. Attempting to correct problems locally without consideration of upstream activities and downstream implications will result in partial, and probably temporary, improvement. Correction of some factors that have led to stream habitat fragmentation in past decades is relatively easy. Important initiatives include building sewage treatment plants and avoiding the construction of mainstream impoundments when possible. Other initiatives, such as stopping the removal of riparian vegetation, cessation of stream channelization, and the drainage of bottomland lakes, require more public education and governmental action including, perhaps providing better incentives to landowners. Assuming that pollution will be held at current levels or reduced, nothing will be more beneficial to the biota of Illinois streams than to have natural riparian vegetation restored. Siltation, desiccation, and higher 130 than nonnal temperatures would all be reduced to acceptable levels if streams were lined with native plants that shaded the stream, stabilized the banks, and filtered sediment and chemicals from runoff before they reached the stream. Most introductions of non-native fishes have been done in an effort to improve sport or commercial fishing, and usually governmental agencies have been responsible for the introductions. We now know that non-native species alter ecosystems and the long-term effect of any introduction is likely to be negative rather than an improvement. Given the opportunity, streams will restore themselves and, often, the best approach to restoration may be to encourage restoration of the native vegetation of the drainage basin, in particular the riparian zone, correct any additional existing pollution problems, and let the stream return to natural conditions. In some instances additional measures, such as reintroducing extirpated species, may be advisable. 131 ------References Introduction Anderson, RC. 1970. Prairies in the prairie state. Transactions of the Illinois State Academy of Science 63(2):214-221. Anderson, RC. 1983. The eastern prairie-forest transition - an overview. Pages 86-92 in: R Brewer (ed.). Proceedings of the Eighth North American Prairie Conference. Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI. Anderson, RC. 1990. The historic role of fire in the North American grassland. Pages 8 18 in: S. Collins and L. Wallace (eds.). Fire in tallgrass prairie ecosystems. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman, OK. 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Upper Mississippi River Conservation Committee, Rock Island, Illinois. 293 pp. Cummings, KS., C.A. Mayer, and R.E. Szafoni. 1998. Endangered freshwater mussels (Mollusca: Unionidae) of the North Fork Vermilion River, Illinois with comments on the federally endangered c1ubshell, Pleurobema clava (Lamarck, 1819). Transactions of the llIinois State Academy of Science 91(1/2):91-102. Forbes, S.A., and R.E. Richardson. 1908. The fishes of llIinois. Illinois State Laboratory of Natural History, Danville. cxxxvi + 357 pp. llIinois Department of Natural Resources. 1998. Biological and Conservation Database System (BCD), Division of Natural Heritage, Office of Resource Conservation, Illinois Department of Natural Resources. llIinois Environmental Protection Agency. 1996. Illinois Water Quality Report (1994-95). State of Illinois, Environmental Protection Agency, Division of Water Pollution Control, Planning Section, Springfield. 241 pp. llIinois Department of Conservation. 1975. Middle Fork of the Vermilion River Vermilion County, Illinois. Environmental Assessment Report, Springfield. 241 pp. 142 Iverson, L.R 1987. Soils. in: RD. Neely and C.G. Heister (compilers). The natural resources of Illinois: introduction and guide. Illinois Natural History Survey Special Publication NO.6. 224 pp. Heidinger, R.C., W.M. Lewis, M.H. Paller, J.H. Waddell, and L.J. Wawronowicz. 1983a. Relative effects of chlodne and ammonia from wastewater treatment facilities on stream biota. Illinois Department of Energy and Natural Resources Document No. 83/ 24. Springfield, IL. xv + 93 pp. [The appendices for this report are bound separately, and cited as follows:] Heidinger, RC., W.M. Lewis, M.H. Paller, J.H. Waddell, and L. J. Wawronowicz. 1983b. Appendices for relative effects of chlorine and ammonia from wastewater treatment facilities on stream biota. Illinois Department of Energy and Natural Resources Document No. 83/24 Appendices. Springfield, IL. iv + pp. 94-310. McNumey, J.M., RW. Larimore, and MJ. Wetzel. 1977. Distribution of lead in the sediments and fauna of a small midwestern stream. pp. 167-177; In: Biological implications of metals in the environment. Energy Research and Development Administration, Symposium Series 42. Proceedings of the Fifteenth Annual Hanford Life Sciences Symposium, sponsored by Battelle - Pacific Northwest Laboratories, Richland, Washington, September 29-0ctober 1, 1975. Nalepa, T.E 1994. Decline of native unionid bivalves in Lake St. Clair after infestation by the zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 51(10):2227-2233. Page, L.M., B.M. Burr, and K.S. Cummings. 1989. Outstanding aquatic ecosystems within Illinois based on the uniqueness of their fauna and environmental quality. pp.t 18-20 in: M.A. Phillippi and B.D. Anderson (eds.). Preserving the Aquatic Biodiversity of Illinois: Inventory, Research, Regulation, and Protection. Proceedings of the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission, 25th Anniversary Symposium. 32 pp. Page, L.M., K.S. Cummings, c.A. Mayer, S.L. Post, and M.E. Retzer. 1992. Biologically significant Illinois streams. An evaluation of the streams of Illinois based on aquatic biodiversity. Final report prepared for the Illinois Department of Energy and Natural Resources and the Illinois Department of Conservation. Illinois Natural History Survey, Center for Biodiversity Technical Report I 992( la): v + 485 p. Rolfe, G.L., A. Haney, and K.A. Reinbold, editors. 1977. Environmental contamination by lead and other heavy metals. Volume ll: Ecosystem analysis. Final report. NSF RANN Grants GI-31605 and ERT 74-24276. Institute for Environmental Studies, University of lllinois at Urbana-Champaign. viii + 112 pp. Sauer, R 1989. Biological survey of the Little Vermilion River. Final Report. lllinois Department of Conservation, Division of Fisheries, Streams Program. 9 pp. Schwegman, J.E. 1973. Comprehensive plan for the Illinois nature preserves system. Part 2. The natural divisions of llIinois. Illinois Nature Preserves Commission, Springfield, Illinois. 32 pp. Smith, P.w. 1971. Illinois streams: a classification based on their fishes and analysis of factors responsible for disappearance of native species. Illinois Natural History Survey Biological Notes No. 76. 14 pp. Smith, P.W. 1979. The fishes of Illinois. University of Illinois Press, Urbana. xxix + 314 pp. 143 Suloway, L., J.J. Suloway, and W.E. LaBerge. 1981. The unionid mollusk (mussel) fauna of the Vermilion River system in Illinois. Illinois Department of Conservation. Final Report. 1981(July):1-76. Taylor, c.A., and M. Redmer. 1996. Dispersal of the crayfish Orconectes rusticus in Illinois, with notes on species displacement and habitat preference. Journal of Crustacean Biology 16:547-551. Tazik; P.P., L.L. Osborne, and D. Szafoni. 1991. Nonwoody vascular plants in the streams of Champaign County, Illinois. Transactions of the Illinois State Academy of Science. 84: 113-124. 144 Appendix 1 Incomplete list of vascular plants known from the Vermilion River Assessment Area, with notes on their habitat associations. Community Class Forest Prairie Savanna Wetland CIl CIl CIl n e ::I' ;;; 3: :l' 0 c: 'Eo 5' el. ~ ~ 0 on '0" ='""0. Sub-class § 0. ;:I. = § 2 o. '0 =- '03 [ " .,= e- Common Name'"'" Scientific Name"'" = Alsike clover* Trifolium hybridum* x alternate leaved dogwood Comus alternifolia x x x American bindweed Calyste/?ia sepium x x x American black currant Ribes americanum x x x American bulrush Scirpus americanus x American elm Ulmus americana x x x x American gromwell Lithospermum latifolium x American hop Humulus lupulus x x American spikenard Aralia racemosa x amur honeysuckle* Lonicera maackii* x x x x aneelica An/?elica atropurpurea x anise-root Osmorhiza lon/?isIYlis x annual bedstraw Galium aparine x x x aDDle* Malus pumila* x arbor vitae* Thuja oecidentalis* x arrow-leaved aster Aster Duniceus x arrowleaf Sa~ittaria latifolia x x arrowleaf aster Aster sa~ittifolius x x asDaraeus* As"ara~us officinalis* x x x Aunt Lucv Ellisia nvctelea x autumn bent lrrass A2rostisDerennans x x awl-fruited sedee Cara tribuloides x x awned lrraceful sedee Carex davisii x x awnless brome lrrass* Bromus inermis* x x balsam lrroundsel Senecio paupereulus x bare stem tick trefoil Desmodium nudiflorum x barnyard erass Eehinoehloa murieta x barnyard grass* Echinochloa crus-~alli* x basswood Tilia americana x x x bastard toadflax Comandra umbellata x x x x beak grass Diarrhena americana x x beaked black snakeroot Sanicula trifoliota x beaked willow Salix bebbiana x 145 Appendix 1. Continued. Community Class Forest Prairie Savanna Wedand c:: :!l "tl on ~ on on "tl n "tl 0 ... 0 c ~. § e; " ;:;' Sub-class or 0 ;:!. '" "tl 0 c 0 '" ~ " ~ "''" " "tl '" .§ "0 " " e:.. Common Namel ,2.3 Scientific NameL2J a "''" bIPbluestem Androoopon~ perardii " x x x bip-tooth asnen Povulus"randidentata x birds-foot trefoil' Lotus comiculatus* x bishOD's can Mitella dinhylLa x bitter cress Cardamime nensylvanica x x x x bitter dock' Rumex obtuslfolius' x x x bitternut hickorv Carva cordiformis x x bittersweet Celastrus scandens x x x x bittersweet niohtshade* Solanum dulcamara* x x black ash Fraxinus ni"ra x x black bindweed* Po-[vponum convolvulus* x black cherrY Prunus seratina x x x x black--.ITamma Brachvletrum erectum x black haw Viburnum"runlfolium x x black locust* Robinia nseudoacacia* x black maDie Acer nif!rum x black medic* Medicaoo lUiiulina* x black niphtshade Solanum ntvcanthum x x black oak rouercus velurina x x x black rasnberTV Rubus occidentalis x x x x black snakeroot SanicuLa canadensis x x black walnut Jiiilans niora x x x black willow Salix niora x x black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta x x x x x blackberrvlillV* Belamcanda chinensis* x bladdernut StanhYlea tilfolia x x bloodroot Sanpuinaria canadensis x blue ash FraxinusauadraiiiiuLata x x blue beech Carninus caroliniana x blue bells Mertensia virJ!inica x blue cohosh CaulonhVllum thalictroides x blue flap Iris shrevei x x blue lobelia Lobelia sinhilitiea x x x blue skullcan Seutellaria lateriffora x x x X blue vervain Verbena hasfara x blue water iris Iris brevicaulis x blue-eve£~ Sisvrinehium albidum X x blue-eyed M"rv Collinsia verna x x blue-ioint Prass Calamaprosris canadensis X bluesteml!oldenrod Solidiipo eaesia x boac1earweed Pilea fontanll x x x x bottlebrush Prass Elvmus hystrix x x bottlebrush sedpe Carex hvstricina x x botdebrush se(lae Carex lurida x bouncino bet* Saoonaria offieinatis* x box elder Aeer neiundo x x x bractedaTeen orchid Coeloolossum viride x bramble Rubus trivialis x x bridal wreath* Soiraeanrunlfolia* x bristleless dark--.ITeen se([;e Scimus-.eoroianus x x bristlv catbrier Smilax hisnida x x bristlY sedie Carex comasa x 146 Appendix 1. Continued. Community Class Forest Prairie Savanna Wetland c:: "ti n '0 :n O' is:: :E 0 e: 0 g' a '"< e; '" "'" ::;" O' Sub-class ~ '0" 0l § 8 ::I. § :r :; = ..,e: Q. 'Eo '0 " =O' e: Common N ameL2.l Scientific Name"'" e:. bristly sedge Carex coniuncta = x bristlv sunflower Helianthus hirsutus x x broad beech fern PheMDteris hexaMnoDtera x broad leaved galium Galium circaezans x x broad leaved panic grass Panicum cLandestinum x broad leaved Danic grass Panicum latifolium x broad-leaved sedge Carex albursina x broadleaf goldenrod SolidaKo f/exicaulis x brome grass Bromus Dur2ans x brome hummock sedge Carex bromoides x brook flat sedge Cyperus rivularis x x brookweed Samolus valerandii x broom sedge AndroPo1lon vir1linicus x x brown eved Susan Rudbeckia triloba x buckbush Svmnhoricarnos orbiculatus x x buckhorn plantain' PlantaKo laneeolata' x x buffalo c1over·SE Trifolium re(lexum • SE x x bugle weed Lvcoous virJlinicus x x bulbet·bearing water hemlock Cicuta bulbitera x bull thistle' Cirsium vulRare* x bulrush Scirous atrovirens x x bulrush Scirpus fluviatalis x bur cucumber Sicvos an.ulatus x x bur oak IOuercus macrocarva x x x bush clover Lespedeza intermedia x x bush clover LesDedeza caDitata x x butterfly weed Asclepias tuberosa x butternut JUKlans cinerea x x butterweed Senecio .labellus x x button bush Cenhalanthus occidemalis x x x x buttonweed Diadia teres x Canada bluegrass' Poa COmoressa * x x x x x x Canada btome grass Bromus Dubescens x x Canada thistle' Cirsium arvense* x Canada waterleaf HvdroDhvllum canadense x x Canada wild rye Elymus canadensis x x x Canadian milk vetch Astragalus canadensis x Canadian St. John's-wort HVDericum canadense x cancer-root Conophilis americana x candle anemone Anemone cvlindrica x Carey's wood sedge Carex carevana x carpet weed' MolluKO verticillata' x catchflY grass Leersia lenticuLaris x x catfoot Gnaohalium obtusifolium x x catnio* Nepeta cataria' x x celandine poppy StvloDhorum diDhvllum x cheat grass' Bromus rectarum * x x chess* Bromus racemosus* x Chickasaw plum Prunus an.ustifolia x chickory" Cichorium intvbis' x chickweed Stellaria lonliitolia x x x 147 Appendix 1. Continued. Community Class Forest Prairie Savanna Wetland en en en '1:1 n c::: :!l ~ s: 0 c:: "0 0 e. § < e; :< Sub-class "" '" "0" 0-" ::1. § ::r'" ;3'" f: [ ~ " "0 ~ Common Name'·'·' Scientific Name'·'·' el. '"" Quercus prinoides var. " chinquapin oak x x x x Christmas fern Polvstichum acrostichoides x cinnamon willow herb Eoilobium coloratum x x x clammy lmJund cherrY Physalis heterophylkJ x clammv hedge hyssop Gratiola neldecta x clearweed Pilea oumila x x x x cleft violet Viola triloba x closed gentian Gentiana andrewsii x cocklebur Xanthium strumarium x cooksour thorn Crataellus crus-ffal!i x x x columbine Aauilegia canadensis x x common begger ticks Bidens trondosa x x common blackberrY Rubus allegheniensis x x x x x common blackberrY Rubus oensvlvanicus x x x x x common bladderwon Utricularia vulJ!aris x common blue violet Viola pratineola x x x common boneset Euoatorium oertoliatum x x x common buckthorn* Rhamnus cathartica* x x common bur sedge Carex gravi x common burdock Arctium minus* x x x common carrion flower Smilax lasioneuron x common cat·tail Tvoha /atifolia x x common chickweed* Stellaria media' x COmmon choke cherrY Prunus virKiniana x common cinauefoil Potentilla simolex x x x x common crab grass * Digitaria sanguinoUs' x x common foxtail Alopecurus carolinianus x common goats beard* Tra.ooo.on oratensis' x common hemp* Cannabis sativa* x common hOD sedge Carex luoulina x x x common horehound* Mar114bium vul2are* x common horestail EQu;setum arvense x x x x common lake sedge Carex lacustris x x common lilac* Svrin.a vulgaris * x x common ntilkweed Asclepias syriaca x x x common morning glorv* loomoea·ourourea' x common mountain mint Pvcnanthemum virRinianum x x x common mouse ear* Cerastium vulllatum' x x common nettle Unica dioleD x common pepper grass Leoidium virginicum x x x common periwinkle* Vinca minor* x common ohlox Phlox divaricata x x common plantain Plantago rugelii x common privet* Lillustrum vulgare' x common ragweed Ambrosia artemisiitolia x x x common red reed Phragmites australis x x common satin grass Muhlenberlliafrondosa x x common smartweed* PolYllonum hvdroDiDer' x x x common snakeroot Sanicula IIreRaria X x x common speedwell* Veronica officinalis * x common SI. John's-wort* Hypericum Derforatum' x X 148 Appendix 1. Continued. Community Class Forest Prairie Savanna Wetland c: !1 a::: () "0 ~ ~ ~ 0 Sub-class "" ~ ""0> "" "" :=.. §. ::I. § "0" 0-" c: '"::r "3 ~ [ "g. "0 " 0> e:. Common Name"'" Scientific Name'·'.3 el. " common teasel* DIiiSacus SVtvestris * " x x common tussock sea;;(, Carex stricta x x x common water horehound L--;;COhUS americanus x Alisma plantego-aquatica var. common water plantain x x common wood rush Luzula muliif[ora x common wood sed~e Carex blanda x x comrnonvarrow* Achillea millefolium * x x x comnass nlant Silnhium laciniatum x coontail Ceratonhvllum demersum x conner shouldered oval sedi!e Carex bicleneliii x x corn s~edwell* Veronica arvensis* x cottonwood Ponulus deltoides x x x x cownarsnm Heracleum lanatum x cream violet Viola striata x cream wild indipo &lntisia leuconhaea x creen;'l;Charlie* Glechoma hederacea * x x x x Polygonum cespitosum var. creeping smartweed* x x * creemr1iIVellow cress* Rorinna svlvestris* x x crested hairOTass Koeleria macrantha x crown vetch* Coronilla varia* x culver's root Veronicas/rum virpinicum. x x ciinnlant Silnhiun1VeTfoliatum x x x x curly dock* Rumex crisnus* x x x x cuilvslvied wood sedi!e Carex roseo x cursed crowfoot Ranunculus sceleratus X X x curtton lady's thumb Polwonum lanathifolium x CYlindric blaziwstar Liarris bllindracea x X cvnrus ,nurae* Eunhorbitirw.arissias* x daisy fleabane Eriperon str;posus x x dandelion* Taraxacum Offlcinale* x x x dark-scaled sedae Carex buxbaumii x denthford nink* Dianthus armeria* x x dewhe;TV Rubus7'iiiiellaris x x x x dissected .;;:anefern Botrvchium dissectum x x ditch stonecron Penthorum sedoides x x dodder Cuscuta~ronovii x doll's eves Actaea nachvnoda x dotted hawthorn Crataellus Dunctata x dotted smartweed Pnlwonumnunctatum x x x downy pentian Gentiana Duberulenta X downv-oTeensed~e Carex swanii x downv skullcan Scutellan·a ineana x downv sunflower Helianthus mollis x downv-blue violet Viola soraria x x drooninuconeflower Ratibida-ninnata x x drooninp sea"e-ST Carex nrasina-ST x Drummond's aster Aster drummondii x x duckweed Lemnaminor x x x Dudlev's rush Juncus dudlpvi x x dutchman's breeches Dicentra cucullaria x x 149 Appendix 1. Continued. Community Class Forest Prairie Savanna Wetland en en en () C ::!l ~ '0 0 § ~ .,s:: :E ci' ~ Sub-class 1::."" ., " 0 ::J. § '0" 0.. "2" [ ::r'" 3 " ~ ~ .,:l e:.. 1::. " '" Common Name"'" Scientific Name"'" :l dwarf bindweed Calvste!!ia svithamaea x x dwarf larksoUf DelDhinium tricome x x dwarf olantain Plantalio vir!!inica x x ear-leafed foxldove - ST Toman/hera auriculata - ST x x earlv buttercuo Ranunculus fascicularis x earlv goldenrod Solida!!o iuncea x x x early meadow rue Thalictrum dioicum x Ebinger's wild rYe Elvmus x ebin!lerii x x ebonv spleenwort Asplenium platvneuron x elderberry Sambucus canadensis x x x elm-leaved goldenrod SolidaJlo ulmifolia x x enchanter's nightshade Circaea lutetiana x x European high bush cranberry Vibumum ovulus x x x Eurooean soindle tree" EuonvmuseuroDaeus* x evening primrose Oenothera biennis x x x everlasting Anunnarmp~nta!!inifolia x x x fall coral-root Coral/orhiza odontorhiza x false boneset Brickellia eupatorioides x x false buckwheat Poly!!onum scandens x false dandelion KriJlia biflora x false dragonhead Physoste!!ia vir!!iniana x x false flax" Cametina microcarna* x false foxglove A!!alinus pumurea x false hellebore - ST Veratrum woodii • ST x x false indilio bush Amorpha fruticosa x x false mermaid Floerkea vroseminacoides x x false nettle Boehmeria cylindrica x x false oimoemel Lindemm dubio x x false red top Tridens flavus x x x false rue anenome ]sOvyrum bitematum x false shalibark hickorY Corvo ovalis x false Solomon's seal Smilacina racemosa x x x false sunflower Heliopsis helianthoides x x x fen thistle Cirsium muticum x fescue oval sedge Carex festucacea x feverfew Parthenium inte2rifolium x x x x . fibrous-rooted sedge-ST Carex communis .. ST X field garlic" Allium vineale* x field lioldenrod SolidaJlo nemoralis x x x x field hawkweed" Hieracium caespitosum* x field milkroot Poly!!a~ san!!uinea x x field mint Mentha arvensis var. yil/osa x field pennv cress" Thlasvi arvense " x field pepper grass" Lepil/ium campestre" x field thistle Cirsium discolor x x fireoink Silene vindnica x fireweed Erechtites hieracifolia x x fleabane daisv Erifuron annuUS x x x x floatinli manna grass Glyceria sementrionalis x flower of an hour" Hibiscus trionum* x flowering dogwood Comus florida x x flowering spurge Euohorbia corol/ata x x x x 150 Appendix 1. Continued. Community Class Forest Prairie Savanna Wetland en en en "tJ n " C ::!l ::F 0 "0 0 ~ ..., s:: ~ Sub-class 0 e. e; " ~ "0" 0.. '" § 0.. :J. .,.. :r '" 2" c "0 ., "08 [ " Eo Common Nameu " Scientific Name"'" ., .. fog fruit Phvla laneeolata x x x x x forked chickweed Paronvchia canadensis x forked oanic grass Panicum dichotomum x fowl blue grass Poa valustrus x fowl manna grass Glvceria striata x x x x fox sedge Carex vulpinoidea x x foxglove beard tongue Penstemon digitalis x x foxtail Alovecurus aequalis foxtail barley' Hordeum jubatum' x foxtail' Setaria glauca' x fragile fern Cvstopteris protusa x fra!!Tant ladies' tresses SlJ;ranthes maf!nicamporum x French !!Tass Psoralea onobrvchis x x fringed loosestrife Lvsimachia ciliata x frost graoe Vitis vuloina x x garden ohlox Phlox paniculata x garlic mustard' Alliaria petiolata' x x Gattinger's oanic !!Tass Panicum eattineeri x x ,giant foxtail' Setaria faberi' x giant ragweed Ambrosia tri"da x x I ginseng Panax auinauefalius X glossvbuckthorn' Rhamnus framlula' x goat's beard' Trallopollon dubius' x golden Alexanders Zizia aurea x golden ragwort Senecio aureus x goldenglow Rudbeckia laciniata x x goldenseal Hvdrastis canadensis x x goosefoot Chenovodium standlevanum x grape honeysuckle Lonicera Drolifera x x x 'grass leaf eolderod Euthamia ",aminifolia x grass sedge Carex iamesii x grass-of-Parnassus Parnassia glauca x gray dogwood Comus racemosa x x x x x X .great bulrush Scirpus acutus x ,great duckweed Spirodela volvrhiza x x x :great water dock Rumex orbiculatus x Igreat wbite lettuce Prenanthes crepidinea x Igreen amaranth' Amaranthus hvbridus ' x Igreen ash Fraxinus vennsvlvanica x x x x Igreen dragon Arisaema dracontium x x Igreen foxtail' Setaria viridis* x x Igreen fringed orchid Platanthera lacera x Igreen milkweed Asclevias viridiflora x x Igreen stemmed Joe Pve weed Euvatorium vurpureum x x Igreen twavblade Liparis loeselii x Igreen violet Hvbanthus concolor x Iground cherry Physalis virginiana x Igroundnut ADios americana x x hackberry Celtis occidentalis x x hair grass Agrostis hvemalis x hairy aster Aster vilosus x x hairy fruited lake sedge Carex trichocarpa x 151 Appendix 1. Continued. Community Class Forest Prairie Savanna Wetland '"0 ~ '"0 n c: ::!l ~ O' ~ C1> 0 0 § O' '" C1> '2. '"<: ~ '" e1. O' Sub-class 0 ~ '0 § ~. O' t:l '"2 t:l :3 " ~ t:l '0 '2. "O' "" e: Common Name"") Scientific Name>.2.) e1. " hairv orav sedQe Carex hitchcocfiana x " hairY oreen sedoe Carex hirsutella x x halrVhawkweed Hieracium-·pronovii x hairvmeadowoarsnm Thasvium barbinode x x x hairv mountain mint lPVcnanthemumliilosum x x hairv wood sedoe Carex hirtlfolia x halbred-leaved rose mallow Hibiscus laevis x x x harbinoer ofSnrino Emenia bulbosa x x hariv blazin" star Liatris scobra x x harTVbrome* Bromus commutatus* x hawthorn CrataeDus mar--;;arettiae x hawthorn Crataepus nedicellata x hawthorn CrataeJlus oruinosa x hazelnut COrVlus americana x x x x heart-leaVed aster Aster cordifolius x heart-leavecfDiantain - SE Plantavo cordata - SE x heart-leaved skullcan Scutellaria ovata x heart-leaved willow Salix ripido x heath aster Aster ericoides x x hoarY nuccoon Lithosnermum canescens x x hoarvtick trefoil Desmodium canescens x hO;;;:V vervain Verbena stricta x hoo neanut AmDhicama bracteata x x x hollow JoePVe weed Euvatorium fistulosum x honewort Crvntotaenia canadensis x x honev locust Gleditsia triacanthos x x honevsuckle* Lonicera tararieo* x x x hooked bultercun Ranunclus recurvatus x hon hornbeam OstTVa virpiniana x x horse"entian Triosteum verfoliatum x horse-nettle Solanum carolinense x horsetail milkweed Asclevias venicillata x x x horseweed Convza canadensis x Illinois tick trefoil Desmodium i/Jinoense x Indian orass Sorf!hastrum nutans x x x Indian hem-;; li-nocvnum cannabinum x x Indian hemn Avocvnum sibiricum x x Indiannaintbrush Castillela coccinea x IndiariD10e Monotro;;a unTflora x Indian nlamain Cacalia atrinlicifolia x x Indian tobacco Lobelia inflata x inland rush Juncus interior x inland sed"e Carex interior x intennediate dcwbane AOOCVnum X medium x interrunted fern Osmunda clavtoniana x Iowa crabannle Malus ioensis x x ivv leaved mornin""lorv* IDomoea hederacea* x x Jack-in-thenuli)it Arisaerna t,.inhvllum x x Jacob's-ladder Polemonium rentans x x Jananese barberrY Berberis thunberMii* x x Jananese honevsuckle* Lcmicera----ranonica * x x x Jerusalum artichoke Helianthus tuberosus x x x 152 Appendix 1. Continued. Community Class Forest Prairie Savanna Wetland .., ." (j :!l ~ ;s: 0 0 ~ :E .a: ~. ~ '" '" Sub-class 0 '""'-< '0" '"~ " 0 '" § 0 ~. § :r 3 " 2' 0 '0 '0 ~ Common N ameJ.2·' Scientific Name'-'" a '"" Iiimoson weed' Datura stramonium * " x Johnnv-iumo-uo* Viola rafinesauii* x x !jointed rush funcus nodosus x Kentuckv blue!!Tass* Poa pratensis * x x x x x x Kentuckv coffee tree Gvmnocladus dioica x kingnut hickory Carva laciniosa x knobbed hOD sed~e Carex lupuliformis x lace grass EraJlrostis caDillaris x lady's thumb* PolYllonum Dersicaria* x x lamb's ouarters' Chenopodium album* x x lance-leaved loosestrife Lvsimachia lanceolata x x large twayblade Liparis liliitolia x lar~e-seeded mercurY Acalypha deamii x late boneset Euoatorium serotinum x x x late figwort Scrophularia marilandica x x late ~olden rod Solidaeo eieantea x x x x leadolant Amoroha canescens x x x leafcuo Polymnia canadensis x leafy oondweed PotamoJleton foliosus x x leatherflower Clematis vitcheri x Leconte's violet Viola affinis x lens !!Tass PasDalum ciliatifolium x lily of the vallev* Convallaria maialis* x limber honeysuckle Lonicera dioica x lions oaw Prenanthes alba x little barley' Hordeum pusillum * x little bluestem Schizachvrium scoparium x x x little oussv toes Antennaria neelecta x x x little-leaved mintO Mentha x $!entilis* x x live-forever'" Sedum purpureum' x liverleaf Hevatica nobilis Val". acuta x lizard's tail Saururus cemuus x x long awned bracted sedge Carex I!. ravida x x lon~ beaked sed~e Carex sDrenJlelii x x long haired panic grass Panicum villosissimum x x x long leaved arnmania Ammannia coccinea x x loose headed bracted sedge Carex sDarJ!anioides x x lopseed Phrvma leDlostachva x lousewort Pedicularis canadensis x x x love l!fass Eragrostis pectinacea x low hOD c1over* Trifolium campestre* x x maidenhair fern Adiantum vedarum x maoIe-leaved arrowwood Viburnum aceritolium x marsh bellflower Campanula aparinoides x marsh blazin~ star Liatris svicata x marsh fern Thelvpteris valustris x marsh fleabane Erilleron philadelphicus x x x x marsh mari~old Caltha valustris x x marsh oink Sabatia anl!.ularis x x marsh yellow cress Rvrippa islandica var.femaldiana x Maryland senna Cassia marilandica I I x x mavaoole Podoohvllum peltatum I x I x 153 Appendix 1. Continued. Community Class Forest Prairie Savanna Wetland en ~ en "0 () c:: :!l ::z:: Il> 0 0 4' .., :E Sub-class 'E.. E. =: ~ Il> '" So ::J. § '0" "0 8 ~ ~ .g ".... " ll> E Common Name"'" Scientific Name'.2·' E. " .' Mead's stiff sectUe Carex meadii " x x meadow anenome Anemone canadensis x x meadow fescue* Festuca Dratensis* x x x meadow narsni" Onnolis rlll'dior x meadowseMe Carex pranularis x x x Miami mist Phaceliaourshii x mild waternenner Polvponum hvdronineroides x x x Missouril!Oldenrod Solida~o missouriensis x Missouri pOoseber>'V Ribes missouriense x x x Missouri ironweed Vernonia missurica x Missouri violet Viola missouriensis x x . mistflower Eunatorium coelestinum x x mockernut hickorv Carva tomentosa x x monarda Monarda bradburiana x x monevwort* Lvsinw.chia nummularia* x x monkev flower Mimulus alatus x x x monkeYflower MimuJus rinuns x x moonseed Menisnermum canadense x x Morrow's honevsuckle' Lonicera morrowi* x x x mosnuito fern Azolla mexicana x x moth mullein' Verbascum blartaria' x motherwort* Leonurus cardiaca* x x mOllse-ear-cress* Arabidonsis thalina* x x muhIV Muhlenbema soboUfera x mullein foxplove Dasistoma macronhvlJa x x multiflora rose* Rosa multiflora' x x x x x x naniiVbenv Viburnum lentaio x narrow leaved cat-tail sedpe Carex snuarrosa x x narrow leaved cattail' fWiha au.ustifolia' x x narrow leaved oval sed<'e Carex tenera x New En.land aster Aster novae-anpliae x x New Jersevtea Ceanothus americanus x x x x nimble will Muhlenberpia schreberi x noddino beopar ticks Bidens cemoo x x noddiiil!chickweed Cerastium nutans x noddiop fescue Festuca obtusa x x noddino ladies' tresses Sniranthes cemoo x x noddinunaaonia Tiliihora trianthonhora x noddiop snuroe Chamaesvce maculata x northern bittercress Cardamine dou.lasii x northern blue violet Viola nenhronhvlla x Athyrium filix-femina var. northern lady fern I ~_~ ...... _ x northern rush--';;:;; 154 Appendix 1. Continued. Communily Class Foresl Prairie Savanna WeIland "0 "0 n c: ~ :I: '0 :!l I» s::: ~ 0 Sub-class 0 ~. S '"<: e; '" .g'"" § 0 ;:l. § 2'" :r'" '" ~ "E"" ::> ~ "" a el. " I» Common Name"'" Scientific Name"'" "" ::> Onlario asler Aster ontarionis x x oram!e dav lily' HemerocaWs tu/va' x x x x orchard ~rass' Dactvlis "lomerata ' x x Osage oran~e' Madura oomifera* x oval ladies' tresses Spiranthes ovalis x ox-eye daisy' Leucanthemum vulJ!are* x x pagoda plant B/ephilia hirsuta x x Dale beard ton~ue Penstemon paWdus x x x Dale dock Rumex altissimus x x x pale dogwood Comus oblioua x x x Dale leaved sunflower Helianthus strumosus x x Dale Durple coneflower Echinacea vaWda x x x x pale louch-me-nol Impatiens pal/ida x Panicum lanuginosum var. panic grass x x x panic grass Panicum olil!osanthes x Danicled aster Aster sim1Jlex x X X Danicled tick trefoil Desmodium vaniculatum x X x parsnip' Pastinaca sativa* x x x x Dartrid~e Dea Cassia fasciculata x x pasture rose Rosa carolina x x IDalh rush Juncus tenuis x x IDaw Daw Asimina tri/oba x peach leaved willow Salix amVJ!da/oides x pear' IPyrus communis* x x Dellitorv Parietaria oensvlvanica x Ipeppermint' Mentha x viperita' x Ioi ~nut hickorY Carva Rlabra x IDin oak I Ouercus va/ustris x IDineapple plant' Matricaria matricarioides* x Dink valerian Valeriana vaucif/ora x plains oval sed~e Carex breviar x x plains three awo lrrass Aristida oliRantha x x IDO~Oda Dlant Blephilia ciliata x x x x IDoison hemlock' Conium maculatum* x poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans x x ooke milkweed Asclevias exa/tata x x Dokeweed Phvtolacca americana x x x porcupine grass Slipa spartea x Dovertv oat lITass Danthonia sDicata x x Drairie alumroot Heuchera richardsonii x prairie blazin~ star Liatris 1Jvcnostachva x Drairie brome Bromus ka/mii x x Drairie cinquefoil Potentilla arl!uta x prairie cord lITasS SDartina peclinata x x prairie dandelion - SE Microseris cusDidata - SE x Drairie dock Silvhium terebinthinaceum x x Drairie dropseed Sporobolus hetero/epis x ,prairie Indian Dlantain Cacalia vlanta"inea x mairie lily Lilium philade/phicum x Drairie milkeed Asclepias sullivantii x ,prairie Danie lITass Panicum leiber"ii x x 155 Appendix 1. Continued. Community Class Forest Prairie Savanna Wetland en ~ en en ("') c:: !l .., ,:: 0 c: 0 e:."" ~ .., "" Sub-class 0 "' ~ " "" ::!. "' " 0- 2' 0- §'" ::r .g"' "" " "'"0 '9.. " " §. Common Name,·L3 Scientific Name'>" e. "' Ipraine parslev Polvtaenia nuttallii x " Iprairie phlox Phlox pilosa x x IDrairie rose Rosa setif!era x x x Iprairie sunflower Helianthus ritddus x 'orairie switchlmlSs Panicum vir~atum x x x x :prairie violet Viola pedatifida x x prairie willow Salix humilis X ;oricklv ash Zanthoxylum americanum x x x pricklv lettuce' Lactuca serriola * x 'pricklv sed£e Carex stipata x oricklv sida' Sida spinosa' x 'pricklv sow thistle" Sonchus asoer" x x ,pricklv wild £ooseberry Ribes cvnosbati x Dumle duckweed Lemna obscura x Ipumle giant hvssop At/astache scroohulariaefolia x ,purple loosestrife' Lvthrum salicaria' x IDumle meadow DarsniD ThasDium trifoliatum x ,purple meadow rue Thalictrum dasvcaroum x x 'purple oxalis Oxalis violacea x x IDumle orairie clover Daleo ourourea x :purple rocket Iodanthus oinnatitidus x .purple stemmed tickseed Bidens cannata x x x x Durslane sDeedwell Veronica DereIlrina X x .pussv willow Salix discolor x x x uttv root orchid Aplectrum hyemale x )ueen Anne's lace' Daucus carara * x Jueen oftbe prairie· SE Filipenduia rubra • SE x rattlebox Crotaiaria sallittalis x rattlesnake fern Botrvchium virilinianum , x x rattlesnake master Ervnt/ium yuccitolium x x x x red bulrush Scirpus pendulus x x x red cedar Junioerus virRiniana x x x red clover* Trifolium pratense * x red haw Crataet/us mollis x x red maple Acer rubrum x x red mulberry Moras rubra x red oak IOuercus robra x x red seeded dandelion' Taraxacum laeviRatum* x red top Allrostis alba x x x red trillium Trillium recurvatum x x x x redbud Cercis canadensis x x reed canary £fass' Phalaris arundinacea' x rice cuttlfass Leersia orvzoides x richweed Collinsonia canadensis x x Riddell's £oldenrod Solidallo riddellii x x x rigid t/oldenrod Solidat/o rit/ida x riverbank £fape Viris rivaria x x riverbank sed£e Carex emorvi x riverbank wild rYe Elvmus rioarius x x Robin's Dlantain Eriuron pulchellus x x rosinweed Silphium intellrifolium x rough avens Geum laciniatum x 156 Appendix 1. Continued. Community Class Forest Prairie Savanna Wetland '1:l C/J C/J C/J '1:l (") c:: :!J ~ 0> :::: 0 c: '1:l 0 § :!E ::> Sub-class 5: 0> ~ 0> '0" Q.. ~ ::>'" ::r 3 a~ ~ " ::s '0 e:- &. O> Common Name'·'·3 Scientific Name1,2,3 ::> rough bedstraw Galium aSDrelium x x rough blazing star Liatris aspera x x rough clustered sedge Carex cephalophora x rough drooseed SDorobolus aSoer x rough false foxglove Agalinis asoera x rou!!h hawkweed Hieracium scabrum x x rou!!h leaf !!oldenrod SOlidaRo oatula x rough leaved dogwood Comus drummondii x rou!!h Dig weed' Amaranthus retroflexus* x rou!!h stemmed false foxglove Agalinis gattin1!eri x rough wild lettuce Prenanthes osoera x round-leaf tick trefoli! Desmodium rotundifolium x x rue anenome Thalictrum tha/ictroides x x running marsh sedge Carex sartwel/ii x running strawberrY bush Euonvmus obovatus x x x rusty nut sedge Cvoerus ferru~;nescens x salt-marsh cocksour grass Echinochloa walteri x sandbar willow Salix exiguo x x x sassafras Sassafras albidum x x x x saYanna sedge Carex pensylvanica x x x saw400thed sunflower Helianthus Hrosseserratus x x scarlet oak Quercus coccinea x scornion grass Myosotis verna x scourin!! rush Eauisetum hvemale x x x x ramcum ollgosantnes var. Scribner's panic grass scribnenoanum x x sea oats Chasmanthium latifolium x x sedge Carex aggregata x sedge Carex annectens x x sedge Carex art;tecta x sedge Carex crislatella x x sed!!e Carex frankii x x sedge Carex glaucodea x sedge Corex gracilescens x sed!!e Carex lanullinosa x x sedge Carex leavenworthii x sedge Cara molesta x sedge Carex o/igocaroa x x sedge Carex projecta X sed!!e Carex shortiana x x sedge Carex suberecta x sed!!e Cvperus lupulinus ssp. madlentus x self heal' Prunella vulgaris' x x x x seneca snakeroot Polygala senega x sensitive fern Onoe/ea sensibilis x x x sessile flowered yellow cress Roriooa sessilif/ora x x sessile leaved tick trefoil Desmodium sessifolium x shadbush Amelonchier arborea x x shagbark hickory Carva ovata x x shepherd's ourse' Caosella bursa-oastoris' x shin!!le oak IQuercus imbricaria x x x x shinin!! bedstraw Galium concinnum x x x 157 Appendix 1. Continued. Community Class Forest Prairie Savanna Wetland CIl CIl CIl () C !1 .., n> 0 ." ~ 0>s:: ~ Sub-class 0 e."" § n> :::J"" S - 8 ::J. § Vl ." 0- 8 .., ~ n> 3 "E.. :::J ." e:.. e. 0> "'" Common Name"'" Scientific Name"" :::J shootin" star Dodecatheon meadia x x x short headed rush funcus brachvcarous x Short's aster Aster shortii x short-leaved satin ",ass Muhlenber2ia bushii x short-pointed flat sedge Cvuerus acuminatus x showy goldenrod SoUdalio speciosa x x sbowvladv'sslinner-SE Cyorioedium rel!inae - SE ? showy orchis Galearis speclabiUs x showy tick trefoil Desmodium canadense x Siberian elm' Ulmus pumila' x side flowered aster Aster lateriflorus x x ·x side-pats grama Bouteloua curtipendula x sidewalk knotweed' Polvl!onum arenastrum' x silver maple Acer saccharinum x x x x silvery-spleenwort Athyrium thelypterioides x six weeks fescue Vuloia octoflora x x x skunk cabbage Svmolocarous toetidus x sky-blue aster Aster aZUTeus x x sledoer-Ieaved panic ",ass Panicum linearifolium x x x x sleepy catchfly Silene antirrhina x x slender bush clover Lespedeza virliinica x slender false fox-glove A2alinis tenuifolia x x x slender green sedge Carex virescens x slender monutain mint Pvcnanthemum tenui/olium x x x slender mUhlv Muhlenber2ia tenuiflora x slender sedge Carex lemalea x slender spike rush Eleocharis verrucosa x x slender three seeded mercurv AcalvDha 2racilens x slender wild rye Elvmus villosus x slippery elm Ulmus rubra x x small false Solomon's seal SmUacina stellata x x x small fruited agrminony Al?rimonia parviflora x small passion flower Passiflora lutea x small pepper",ass* Leoidium densiflorum' x x small skullcap Scutellaria leonardii x small-flowered bitter cress Cardamine Daf1Jiflora VaT. arenicola x small-flowered crowfoot RanuncuJus abortivus x x x small-flowered crowfoot Ranunculus micranthus x x x smartweed Polv20num Densylvanicum x x smooth beard tongue Penstemon calvcosus x x x smooth blue aster Aster laevis x smooth crab "'ass' Di~itaria ischaemum * x x smooth false foxglove Aureolaria flava x smooth ground cherry Physalis subglabrata x smooth hedge nettle Stachvs tenuifolia x smooth ohlox Phlox lilaberrima x smooth rock cress Arabis laevigata x smooth ruellia Ruellia strepens x x smooth sumac Rhus lilabra x x x Viola pubescens var. smooth yellow violet x smooth-sheathed lake sedge Carex laevivaliinata x 158 Appendix 1. Continued. Community Class Forest Prairie Savanna Wetland 'tI n c:: 11 ~ s: '" dl c '0 0 ., § ~'" E; '" " Sub-class 0; 0 ., ., '0 P S: ::r'" 3'" " " 2' "P ~ " .," '0 ~ 2 J 1:'. " Common Namel. . . Scientific Name"·' sneezeweed Helenium autumnale '"x snow trillium Trillium nivale x snowY campion Silene nivea x soft agrimony ARrimoniapubescens x soft-stemmed bulrush Scirpus tabernaemontami· x Solomon's seal Polvfwnatum commutatum x x x sorrel Oxalis dillenii x x x sour dock' Rumex acetosella' x southern running-pine Lycopodium dieitatum x spatterdock Nuphar luteum x spear !!Tass Poa chaDmaniana x spicebush Lindera benzoin x x spiderwort Tradescantia subaspera x spike lobelia Lobelia spicata x x x spike rush Eleocharis ervthropoda x spike rush Eleocharis obtusa x spike rush Eleocharis smallii x spikemoss SelaRinelia eelipes x spinulose wood rem Dryopteris canhusiana x spotted Joe-Pve weed Euoatorium macula/urn x x x spOiled SI. John's-wort Hypericum punctatum x spotted touch-me-not Impatiens capensis x x x x spreading dogbane Apocynum androsaemifolium x spreading oval sedge Carex normalis x spreading witch !!Tass Panicum dichotomitlorum x spring avens Geumvemum x x x sprinl!" beauty Cla)'lonia virJ!inica x x Sprinl!" cress Cardamine bulbosa x x x x squirrel com Dicentra canadensis x SI. John's-wort Hypericum maius x stalked water horehound Lycopus rubellus x x starry catchfly Silene stellata x x stickseed Hackelia vir}!iniana x stickti!!ht Bidens vulJ!ata x x x stiff bedstraw Galium obtusum x stiff bedstraw Galium tinctorium x stiff !!entian Gentianella auinauefolia x x x stout blue-eved !!Tass Sisyrinchium anRustitolium x x stout wood reed Cinna arundinacea x x x strai!!ht-stvled wood sed!!e Carex radiata x x straw colored flat sedge Cyperus striJ!osus x sugar maple Acer saccharum x x x sulfur cinquefoil' Potentilla recta' x Rudbeckia fulgida var. Sullivant's orange coneflower .. x summer !!Tape Vilis aestivalis x x swamp buttercup Ranunculus sementrionalis x x x swamp dock Rumex verticillatus x x x x swamp mati!!old Bidens aristosa x swamp milkweed Asclepias incarnata x x x x swamp oval sedge Carex muskinRumensis x x swamp saxifrage SaxifraM pensvlvanica x 159 Appendix 1. Continued. Community Class Forest Prairie Savanna Wetland c:: :!1 ::;! VJ ~ VJ VJ ." n ;;: ., ~ 0 Sub-class 'E.. 0 ~. :::: e; " 0 § ::1. ., o> '0" P- 8"'" ""0 ::r '"a ~ P ~ " o '0 e:.. ~. ., Common Name"'" Scientific Name"v 0 swamn tickseed Bidens comasa x swamn white oak iOuercus bieolor x x x swamn wood betony Pedicularis lanceolata x swanmvrose Rosa nalustris x x x SWeet cicel" Osmorhiza claVtonii x sweet fl"" Acarus americanus x sweet-scented bedstraw Galium trif/orum x x svcamore Platanus oecidentalis x x x tall al!fimonv IAprimonia prvnosennla x x x x Heuchera americana var. tall alumroot o. x tall bellflower CammInula americana x x tall blackl)M'ru Rubusamtus x tall blue lettuce lAeruco biennis x tall boneset EUDatorium altissimum x x tall coreDOsis CoreOrisis trTciieris x x tall polden rod Solidapo canafIensis x x talliITound cherrv' Phvsalis loneifolia' x x tall ironweed Vemonialiliiantea x x x tall oat PTass' Arrhenatherum e/atius* x tall swam-rlmar1i>old Bidens coronata x tall thistle Cirsium altissimum x tall water hemn Amaranthus tubereulatus x tall white lettuce Prerumthes altissima x tamarisk waterhemn Amaranthus nUlis x tansv mustard' Descurainia ninnata ssn. brach earna' x terrestrial starwort Callitriche terrestris x thicketnarslev- Perideridia americana x x x thimblweed Anemone virpiniana x x three awna;:-ass Aristida loiliiisoiea x three-seeded mercurV Aea/vnha rhomboidea x x three-seeded mercurY Acalvoha vireiniea x x thYme-leaved sandwort* Arenaria serDvllifolia' x tick ttefoil Desmodium euSnidatum x tick trefoil Desmodium plabellum x tickseed Desmodiumfilutinosum x tiper Ill'" Lilium laneifolium' x Timothv' Phleum oratense' x toothed cress Arabis shonii x toothwort Dentaria laciniata x x torreYrush funeus torrevi x tree of heaven' Ailanthus altissima' x x trumnet creener Camnsis radicans x x x x trumnet honeYsuckle' Lonicera semDervirens* x Uoland boneset Eunatorium sessilifolium x unri-ht smilax Smilax ecirrhata x velvet leaf< Abutilon theOrihrasti' x Venus's lonkiili!class TriodaniS nerfoliata x x x violet bush clnver Lesnedeza violaeea x vIT.in's bnwer Clematis vireiniana x x Virpinia creener PanhenocissusQuinauffolia x x x ViWinia knotweed Polvuonum virpinianum x 160 Appendix 1. Continued. Community Class Forest Prairie Savanna Wetland ~ n C ::!l ~ 0 § ll>'" '" '" 0 Sub-class 12 0 '"el. e; ll> " '" " ll> ;:1. ll> 00 0 2' 0- "" :r " " " ~ 0" " .§ "" e. ""[ " "ll> Common Name!.'"' Scientific Name"'" .. VirQ:inia rock cress Sibara viiPinica x VirOinia snakeroot Aristoloehia serventaria x Virpinia snlderwort Tradescantia viroiniana x x x Vir~inia waterleaf Hvdronhvllum vir.inianum x x VifOinia wildrve Elvmus vir.inieus x x x wafer ash Ptelea trlfOliata x wahoo Euonvmus atrO'JUrnureus x x water cress* Nasturtum officinale* x water hemlock Cicuta maculata x x water meal Wollna columbiana x water meal Wolffla naDulifera X water-narsmn Sium suave x x x water smartweed Polvponum amnhibium x x x x water willow lusticia americana x watercIover Marsilea- nUadnfolia x waterleaf Hvdronhvllum annendiculaturn x x watershield Brasenia schreberi x waxy meadow rue Thalictrum revolutum x wavfariiiQtree" Viburnum lantana" x weak-stemmed wood sed"" Carex laxiculmis x wedge grass Sphenopholis obtusata var. I_~;~. x x western sunflower Helianthus oecidentalis x white ash Fraxinus americana x x white avens Geum canadense x x x x white clover* Trifolium renens" x whiteOTass Leersia vir2inica x x x x white ladv's olInner • SE CvnriDedium candidum - SE x white mulberrv" Morusalba" x x x x x white oak nuercus alba x x x x white nine" Pinus strobus* x whitenoniar" Ponulus alba" x x whitenrairie clover Dalea candida x white snakeroot Eunatorium ru.osum x white sweet dover* Melilotus alba" x x x x x white trillium Trillium7tex1nes x white trout IiIv Ervthronium albidum x x white turtlehead Chelone plabra x white vervain Verbena urtiCifolia x x white wild indi~o Bantisia laetea x Whitlow""l!Tass Draba verna x whorled loosestrife LvsimaehiO nuadrifolia x whorled milkwort PolvPQIa vertieillata x x wild bean StrOiihoSiVles helvola x wild bereamont MonardO fistulosa x x wild chervil Choeronhvllum nroeumbens x wild ~arlic Allium eanadense x x x x wild~eranium Geranium maculatum x x wM"Uino-er Asarum eanadense x x wild- poosenlum Prunus munsoniana x wild hvacinth Camassla scilloides x x x wild hVdra;wea BvdranJ!ea arborescens x 161 Appendix 1. Continued. Community Class Forest Prairie Savanna Wetland [J) [J) [J) " , Bold type indicates an Illinois endangered (SE), Illinois threatened (ST), andlor federally threatened (Fr). species. , Asterisk (*) indicates introduced, non-native species. 'Nomenclature generally follows Mohlenbrock (1986), with selected exceptions (e.g., Panicum spp.) 162 Appendix 2 Incomplete list of vascular plants known from the Vermilion River Assessment Area (from Appendix 1), sorted by scientific name. Scientific Name!,2" Common Name!,2" Scientific N amel.2,3 Common N amel.2.3 Abutilon theophrasti' velvet leaf' Amaranthus rudis tamarisk waterhemp Acalypha deamii large-seeded mercury Amaranthus tuberculatus tall water hemp Acalypha gracilens slender three seeded Ambrosia anemisiijolia common ragweed mercury Ambrosia trifida giant ragweed Acalypha rhomboidea three-seeded mercury Amelanchier arborea shadbush Acalypha virginica three-seeded mercury Ammannia coccinea long leaved ammania Acer negundo box elder Amorpha canescens leadplant Acer nigrum black maple Amorpha fruticosa false indigo bush Acer rub rum red maple Amphicarpa bracteata hog peanut Acer saccharinum silver maple Andropogon gerardii big bluestem -Acer saccharum sugar maple Andropogon virginicus broom sedge Achillea millefolium ' common yarrow* Anemone canadensis meadow anenome Acarus americanus sweet flag Anemone cylindrica candle anemone Actaea pachypoda doll's eyes Anemone virginiana thimblweed Adiantum pedatum maidenbair fern Angelica atropurpurea angelica Aesculus glabra Ohio buckeye Anrennaria neglecta little pussy toes Agalinis aspera rough false foxglove Antennaria plantaginifolia everlasting Agalinis gatlingeri rough stemmed false Aptos americana groundnut foxglove Apleclrum hyemale putty root orchid Agalinis lenuifolia slender false fox-glove Apocynum androsaemifolium spreading dogbane Agalinus purpurea false foxglove Apocynum cannabinum Indian hemp Agaslache nepeloides yellow giant hyssop Apocynum sibiricum Indian hemp Agaslache scrophulariaefolia purple giant hyssop Apocynum X medium intermediate dogbane Agrimonia gryposepala tall agrimony Aquilegia canadensis columbine Agrimonia parviflora small fruited agrminony Arabidopsis thaUna'" mouse-ear-cress· Agrimonia pubescens soft agrimony Arabis laevigata smooth rock cress Agrimonia rostellala woodland agrimony Arabis shortii toothed cress Agrostis alba red top Aralla nudicaulls wild sarsaparilla Agrosn's hyemalis hair grass Aralia racemosa American spikenard Agrostis perennans autumn bent grass Arctium minus* common burdock Ailanthus altissima' tree of heaven' Arenaria serpyllifolia* thyme-leaved sandwort' Alisma plantego-aquatica common water plantain Arisaema draconlium green dragon var, parviflorum Arisaema triphyllum Iack-in-the pulpit Alliaria petiolata' garlic mustard* Aristido longispica three awn grass Allium burdickil wild onion Aristido oligantha plains three awn grass Allium canadense wild garlic Aristolochia serpentaria Virginia snakeroot Allium tricoccum wild onion Arrhenatherum etatius' tall oat grass' Allium vineale' field garlic' Asarum conadense wild ginger Alopecurus aequalis foxtail Asclepias exaltata poke milkweed Alopecurus carolinianus common foxtail Asclepias incarnata swamp milkweed Amaranthus hybridus ' green amaranth' Asclepias sullivantii prairie milkeed Amaranthus retroftexus' rough pig weed' Asclepias syriaca common milkweed 163 Appendix 2. Continued. Scientific Name!,'·3 COII)mon Name1.2·3 Scientific N ame1.2·3 Common NameJ,2.3 Asclepias tuberosa butterfly weed Bramus inermis * awnless brorne grass* Asclepias venicillata horsetail milkweed Hromus kalmii prairie brome Asclepias viridiflora green milkweed Bromus pubescens Canada brome grass Asimina triloba pawpaw Bromus purgans brome grass Asparagus officinalis* asparagus' Hromus racemasus" chess* Asplenium platyneuron ebony spleenwort Bramus tectaTum * cheat grass* Aster azureus sky-blue aster Cacalia atripliciJolia Indian plantain Aster cordifolius heart-leaved aster Cacalia plantaginea prairie Indian plantain Aster drummondii Drummond's aster Calamagrostis canadensis blue-joint grass Aster ericoides heath aster Callitriche terrestris terrestrial starwort Aster laevis smooth blue aster Caltha palustris marsh marigold Aster lateriflorus side flowered aster Calystegia sepium American bindweed Aster novae-angliae New England aster Calystegia spithamaea . dwarf bindweed Aster ontarionis Ontario aster Camassia scilloides wild hyacinth Aster pilosus hairy aster Camelina microcarpa* false flax* Aster puniceus arrow-leaved aster Campanula americana tall bellflower Aster sagittifolius arrowleaf aster Campanula aparinoides marsh bellflower Aster shonii Short's aster Campsis radicans trumpet creeper Aster simplex panicled aster Cannabis sativa III common hemp"" Astragalus canadensis Canadian milk vetch Capsella bursa-pastoris* shepherd's purse* Athyrium fllix-femina northern lady fern Cardamime pensylvanica bitter cress var. angustum Cartlamine bulbosa Spring cress Athyrium thelypterioides silvery-spleenwort Cardamine douglasii nonhero bittereress Aureolaria flava smooth false foxglove Cardamine parviflora small-flowered bitter Avena sativa* oats* var. arenicola cress Azalia mexicana mosquito fern Carex aggregata sedge Baptisia lactea white wild indigo Carex albursina broad-leaved sedge Baptisia leucophaea cream wild indigo Carex annectens sedge Barbarea vulgaris* yellow rocket* Carex artitecta sedge Belamcanda chinensis* blackberry lilly* . Carex bebbii Bebb's oval sedge Berberis thunbergii* Japanese barberry Carex bicknellii copper shouldered oval sedge Bidens anstosa swamp marigold Carex blanda common wood sedge Bidens cemua nodding beggar ticks Carex brevior plains oval sedge Bidens comasa swamp tickseed Carex bromoides brome hummock sedge Bidens cannata purple stemmed Carex buxbaumii dark-scaled sedge tickseed Carex carryana Carey's wood sedge Bidens coronata tall swamp marigold Carex cephalophora rough clustered sedge Bidens frondosa commOn begger ticks Carer communis· ST fibrous-rooted sedge. ST Ridens tripanita beggar ticks Carex comosa bristly sedge Ridens vulgata sticktight Carex conjuncta bristly sedge Blephilia ciliata pogoda plant Carex cristatella sedge Rlephilia hirsura pagoda plant Carex davisit' awned graceful sedge Boehmeria cyUndrica false nettle Carex emoryi riverbank sedge Botrychium dissectum dissected grapefem Carex festucacea fescue oval sedge Botrychium virginianum rattlesnake fern Carexfrank;; sedge Bouteloua cunipendula side-oats grama Carex glaucodea sedge Brachyletrum erectum black gramma Carex gracilescens sedge Brasenia schreberi watershield Carex granularis meadow sedge Brickellia eupatorioides false boneset Carex gravida long awned bracted sedge Bromus comrnutatus * hariy brome* Carex grayi common bur sedge 164 Appendix 2. Continued. Scientific Namel.2.' Common Name'·2., Scientific Name!.2., Common N amel.2.3 Carex grisea wood gray sedge Carya laciniosa kingnut hickory Carex hirsutella hairy green sedge Carya ovalis false shagbark hickory Carex hirtifolia hairy wood sedge Carya ovata shagbark hickory Carex hitchcockiana hairy gray sedge Carya tomentosa mockernut hickory Carex hystricina bottlebrush sedge Cassia fasciculata partridge pea Carex interior inland sedge Cassia marilandica Maryland senna Carex jamesii grass sedge Castilleja coccinea Indian paintbrush Carex lacustris common lake sedge Caulophyllum thalictroides blue cohosh Carex laevivaginata smooth-sheathed lake Ceanothus americanus New Jersey tea sedge Celastrusscandens bittersweet Carex lanuginosa sedge Celtis occidentalis hackberry Carex laxiculmis weak-stemmed wood Cephalanthus occidentalis button bush sedge Cerastium nutans nodding chickweed Carex leavenworthi; sedge Cerastium vulgatum* common mouse ear* Carex leptalea slender sedge Ceratophyllum demersum coontail Carex lupuliformis knobbed hop sedge Cercis canadensis redbud Carex lupulina common hop sedge Chaerophyllum procumbens wild chervil Carex lurida bottlebrush sedge Chamaesyee maculata nodding spurge Carex meadii Mead's stiff sedge ChasmanJhium latifolium sea oats Carex molesta sedge Chelone glabra white turtlehead Care~ muskingumensis swamp oval sedge Chenopodium album" lamb's quarters" Carex nonnaJis spreading oval sedge Chenopodium standleyanum goosefoot Carex oligocarpa sedge Ciehorium intybis" chickory" Carex pensylvanica savanna sedge Cieuta bulbifera bulbet-bearing water Carex pTasina • ST drooping sedge· ST hemlock Carex projecta sedge Cicuta maculata water hemlock Carex radiata straight-styled wood Cinna arurulinacea stout wood reed sedge Circaea lutetiana enchanter's nightshade Carex rosea curly styled wood sedge Cirsium altissimum tall thistle Carex sartwell;; running marsh sedge Cirsium arvense* Canada thistle" Carex shortiana sedge Cirsium discolor field thistle Carex sparganim'des loose headed bracted Cirsium muticum fen thistle sedge Cirsium vulgare* bull thistle" Carex sprengelii long beaked sedge Claytonia virginica spring beauty Carex squarrosa narrow leaved cat-tail Clematis pitcheri leathertIower sedge Clemat"is virginiana virgin's bower Carex stipata prickly sedge Coeloglossum vin'de bracted green orchid Carex stricta common tussock sedge Collinsia vema blue-eyed Mary Carex suberecta sedge Collinsonia canadensis richweed Corex swanii downy green sedge Comandra umbellata bastard toadfiax Carex tenera narrow leaved oval Conium maculatum* poison hemlock* sedge Conophilis americana cancer-root Carex tribuloides awl-fruited sedge Convallaria majalis" lily of the valley" Carex trichocarpa hairy fruited lake sedge ConYl.a canadensis horseweed Carex virescens slender green sedge Corallorhiza odonrorhiza fan coral-root Carex vulpinoidea fox sedge Coreopsis tripteris tall coreopsis Carex willdenowii • ST Willdenow's sedge· ST Comus altemifolia alternate leaved dogwood Carpinus caroliniana blue beech Comus drummondii rough leaved dogwood Carya cordiformis bitternut hickory Comus florida flowering dogwood Carya glabra pignut hickory Comus obliqua pale dogwood 165 Appendix 2. Continued. Scientific NameJ.2.3 Common Name J.2,' Scientific Name"'" Common Name"'" Comus racemosa gray dogwood Diodia teres buttonweed Coronilla varia'" crown vetch'" Dioscorea vil/osa wild yam Corylus americana hazelnut Dipsacus sylvestris* common teasel * Crataegus crus-galli cockspur thorn Dodecatheon meadia shooting star Crataegus margarettiae hawthorn Draba verna Whitlow grass Crataegus mallis red haw Dryopteris canhusiana spinulose wood fern Crataegus pedicel/ata hawthorn Echinacea pallida pale purple coneflower . Crataegus pruinosa hawthorn Echinochloa crus-gaW' harnyard grass' Crataegus punctata dotted hawthorn Echinochloa murieta barnyard grass Crotalaria sagittalis rattlebox Echinochloa walteri salt-marsh cockspur grass Cryptotaenia canadensis honewort Eclipta prostrata Yerba de Tajo Cuscuta gronovii dodder Elaeagnus angustifolia' Russian olive* Cyperus acuminatus short-pointed flat sedge Elaeagnus umbel/ata' Autumn olive* Cyperusjerruginescens rusty nut sedge Eleocharis erythropoda spike rush Cyperus lupulinus sedge Eleocharis obtusa spike rush ssp. macilentus Eleocharis smal/Ii spike rush Cyperus rivularis brook flat sedge Eleocharis verrucosa slender spike rush Cyperus strigosus straw colored flat sedge Ellisia nyctelea Aunt Lucy Cypripedium candidum • SE white lady's slipper· SE Elymus canadensis Canada wild rye Cypripedium pubescens yellow lady's slipper Elymus hystrix bottlebrush grass orchid Elymus riparius riverbank wild rye Cypripedium reginae • SE showy lady's slipper ·SE Elymus villosus slender wild rye Cystopteris protusa fragile fern Elymus virginicus Virginia wild rye Dactylis glomerata' orchard grass' Elymus x ebingerii Ebinger's wild rye Dalea candida white prairie clover Epijagus virginiana beech drops Dalea purpurea purple prairie clover Epi/obium ciliatum northern willow herb Danthonia spicGta poverty oat grass Epilobium coloratum cinnamon willow herb Dasistoma macrophyUa mullein foxglove Equisetum arvense cornman horestail Datura stramonium* jimpson weed' Equisetum hyemale scouring rush Daucus carota* Queen Anne's lace' Eragrostis capillaris lace grass Delphinium tricorne dwarf larkspur Eragrostis pectinacea love grass Dentaria laelniata toothwort Erechtites hieracifolia fireweed Descurainia pinnata tansy mustard' Erigenia bulbosa harbinger of spring ssp. brachycarpa' Erigeron annuus fleabane daisy Desmodium canadense showy tick trefoil Erigeron philadelphicus marsh tleabane Desnwdium canescens hoary tick trefoil Erigeron pulchel/us Robin's plantain Desmodium cuspidatum tick trefoil Erigeron strigosus daisy fleabane Desmodium glabellum tick trefoil Eryngium yuccifolium rattlesnake master Desmodium glutinosum tickseed Erythronium albidum wrute trout lily Desmodium illinoense Illinois tick trefoil Euonymus atropurpureus wahoo Desmodium nudiflorum bare stem tick trefoil Euonymus europaeus' European spindle tree' Desmodium paniculatum panicled tick trefoil Euonymus obovatus running strawberry bush Desmodium rotundijolium round-leaf tick trefolil Eupatorium altissimum tall boneset Desmodium sessifolium sessile leaved tick trefoil Eupatorium coelestinum mistflower Dianthus armeria* depthford pink' Eupatorium fistulosum hollow Joe Pye weed Diarrhena americana beak grass Eupatorium maculatum spotted Joe-Pye weed Dicentra canadensis squirrel corn Eupatorium peifoliatum common boneset Dicentra cucullaria dutchman's breeches Eupatorium purpureum green stemmed Joe Pye weed Digitaria ischaemum* smooth crab grass' Eupatorium rugosum white snakeroot Digitaria sanguinaUs* common crab grass* Eupatorium serotinum late boneset 166 Appendix 2. Continued. l l Scientific Name ,2,] Common Name 1.2,3 Scientific Name ,'" Common Name1.2.3 Eupatorium sessilifolium upland boneset Hepatica nobilis var. acuta liverieaf Euphorbia coro/lata flowering spurge Heracleum lanatum cow parsnip Euphorbia cyparissias" cyprus spurge' Heuchera americana tall alumroot Euthamla gramlnifolia grass leaf golderod var. hirsuticaulis Fagus grandifolia beech Heuchera richardsonii prairie alumroot Festuca obtusa nodding fescue Hibiscus laevls halbred-leaved rose mallow Festuca pratensis* meadow fescue* Hibiscus trionum* flower of an hour'" FiJipendula rubra - SE Queen of the prairie-SE Hieracium caespitosum'" field hawkweed'" F/oerkeaproserpinacoides false mermaid Hieracium granovll hairy hawkweed Fragaria virginiana wild strawberry Hieracium scabrum rough hawkweed Fraxinus arne ricana white ash Hordeumjubatum* foxtail barley' Fraxinus nigra black ash Hordeum pusillum* little barley" Fraxinus pennsylvanica green ash Humulus lupulus American hop Fraxinus quadrangulata blue ash Hybanthus conc%r green violet Galearis spectabifis showy orchis Hydrangea arborescens wild hydrangea Galium aparine annual bedstraw Hydrastis canadensis goldenseal Gafium aspre/lum rough bedstraw HydrophyUum appendiculiuum waterleaf Galium circaezans broad leaved galium Hydrophyllum canadense Canada waterleaf Galium concinnum shining bedstraw Hydrophyllum virginianum Virginia waterleaf Galium obtusum stiff bedstraw Hypericum canadense Canadian 51. John's-wort Galium tinctorium stiff bedstraw Hypericum majus 51. John's-wort Gafium triflorum sweet-scented bedstraw Hypericum perforatum" common St. John's-wort" GauTa biennis biennial gaura Hypericum punctaturn spotted 51. John's-wort Gentiana andrewsii closed gentian Hypoxis hirsuta yellow star grass Gentiana puberulenta downy gentian Impatiens capensis spotted touch-me-not Gentlanella quinquefolia stiff gentian Impatiens pallida pale touch-me-not Geranium maculatum wild geranium Iodanthus pinnatijidus purple rocket Geum canadense white avens Ipomoea hederacea" ivy leaved morning glory" Geum laciniatum rough avens Ipomoea purpurea'" common morning glory'" Geumvemum spring avens Iris brevicaulis blue water iris Glechoma hederacea' creeping Charlie" Iris shreve; blue flag G/editsia triacanthos honey locust Iris x germanica* bearded iris'" Glyceria septentrionalis floating manna grass Isopyrum bitematum false rue anenome Glyceria striata fowl manna grass Juglans cinerea butternut Gnaphafium obtusifolium catfoot Juglans nigra black walnut Gratiola neglecta clammy hedge hyssop Juncus brachycarpus short headed rush Gymnocladus dloica Kentucky coffee tree Juncus dudley; Dudley's rush Hackefia vlrginiana stickseed Juncus interior inland rush Hamamelis virginiana witch hazel Juncus nodosus jointed rush Helenium autumnale sneezeweed Juncus tenuis path rush Helianrhus divaricatus woodland sunflower Juncus torreyi torrey rush Helianthus grosseserratus saw-toothed sunflower Juniperus virglniana red cedar Helianthus hirsutus bristly sunflower Justicia americana water willow Hefianthus moWs downy sunflower Kae/eria macrantha crested hair grass Hefianthus occidentalis western sunflower Krigia biflora false dandelion Helianthus rigidus prairie sunflower Lactuca biennis tall blue lettuce Helianthus strumosus pale leaved sunflower Lactuca canadensis wild lettuce Helianthus tuberosus Jerusalum artichoke Lactuca floridana woodland lettuce Heliopsis helianthoides false sunflower Laetuca serrio/a' prickly lettuce' Hemerocallis fulva' orange day lily' Laporrea canadensis wood nettle 167 Appendix 2. Continued. L2 Scientific Name"") Common Narne J,2,) Scientific Name .J Common Namel,2,) Leersia lenticularis catchfly grass Lysimachia nummularia>l< moneywort* Leersia oryzoides rice cutgrass Lysimachia quadrifolia whorled loosestrife Leersia virginica white grass Lythrum alatum winged loosestrife Lemna minor duckweed Lythrum sallearia' purple loosestrife' Lemna obscura purple duckweed Maclura pomifera' Osage orange' LeonuTus cardiaca >k motherwort* Malus coronaria wild sweet crab apple Lepidium campestre* field pepper grass' Malus ioensis Iowa crabapple Lepidium densiflorum' small peppergrass' Malus pumila' apple~ Lepidium virginicum common pepper grass Marrubium vulgare* common horehound* Lespedeza capitata bush clover Marsilea quadrifolia waterclover Lespedeza intermedia bush clover Matricaria matricarioides'" pineapple plant* Lespedeza violacea violet bush clover Medicago lupulina' black medic' Lespedeza virginica slender bush clover Melilotus alba' white sweet clover' Leucanthemum vulgare'" ox-eye daisy' Melilotus officinalis' yellow sweet clover' Leucospora multifida obe-wan-canobea Menispermum canadense moonseed Lialris aspera rough blazing star Mentha arvensis var, villosa field mint Liatris cylindracea cylindric blazing star Mentha x gentilis' little-leaved mint' Liatris pycnostachya prairie blazing star Mentha x piperita' . peppermint' Liatris scabra hariy blazing star Mertensia virginica blue bells Limris spicata marsh blazing star Microseris cuspidata - SE prairie dandelion· SE Ugustrum vulgare'" common privet* Mimulus alatus monkey flower Lilium lancifolium' tiger lily' Mimulus ringens monkey flower Lilium michiganense wild lily Mitella diphylla bishop's cap Lilium philadelphicum prairie lily Mollugo verticillata' carpet weed' Lindera benzoin spicebush Monarda bradburiana monarda Lindemia dubia false pimpernel Monarda clinopodia bee balm Linum sulcatum yellow flax Monarda fistulosa wild bergarnont Liparis liliifolia large twayblade Monotropa uniflora Indian pipe Liparis loeselii green twayblade Morus alba' white mulberry' Liriodendron tulipifera yellow poplar Morus rubra red mulberry Lithospennum canescens hoary puccoon Muhlenbergia bushii short-leaved satin grass Lithospermum latifolium American gromwell Muhlenbergia frondosa common satin grass Lobelia inflata Indian tobacco Muhlenbergia mexicana wirestem grass Lobelia siphilitica blue lobelia Muhlenbergia schreberi nimble will Lobelia spicata spike lobelia Muhlenbergia sobolifera muhly Lonicera diaiea limber honeysuckle Muhlenbergia sylvatica woodland satin grass Lonicera japonica * Japanese honeysuckle' Muhlenbergia tenuiflora slender muhly LanieeTa maackii* amur honeysuckle' Myosotis vema scorpion grass Lonicera morrowi* Morrow'shoneysuckle' Nastunum officinale* water cress* Lonicera prolifera grape honeysuckle Nepeza cataria'" catnip* 1..onicera sempervirens'" trumpet honeysuckle' Nuphar luteum spatterdock Lonicera tatarica'" honeysuckle' Oenothera biennis evening primrose Lotus comiculatus* birds-foot trefoil' Onoclea sensibilis sensitive fern Luzula multiflora common wood rush Orobanche uniflora one-flowered broornrape Lycopodium digitatum southern running-pine Osmorhiza claytonii sweet cicely Lycopus americanus cornmon water horehound Osmorhiza longistylis anise-root Lycopus rubellus stalked water horehound Osmunda claytoniana interrupted fern Lycopus virginicus bugle weed Ostrya virginiana hop hornbeam Lysimachia ciliata fringed loosestrife Oxalis dillenii sorrel Lysimachia lanceolata lance-leaved loosestrife Oxalis stricta wood sorrel 168 Appendix 2. Continued. l l l Scientific Name ,2,3 Common Namel.2,3 Scientific Name ,2,3 Common Name ,2,' Oxalis vioLacea purple oxalis Physalis subglabrata smooth ground cherry Oxypolis rigidior meadow parsnip Physalis virginiana ground cherry Panax quinquefolius ginseng Physostegia virginiana false dragonhead Panicum boscii bearded broad-leaved Phytolacca americana pokeweed panic grass Pilea fontana bog clearweed Panicum capillare witch grass Pilea pumila clearweed Panicum clandestinum broad leaved panic grass Pinus stTobus* white pine* Panicum dichotomiflorum spreading witch grass Plantago cordllta • SE heart-leaved plantain· SE Panicum dichotomum forked panic grass Plantago lanceolata' buckhorn plantain' Panicum gattingeri Gattinger's panic grass Plantago rugelii common plantain Panicum lanuginosum panic grass Plantago virginica dwarf plantain var. fascicuIatum Platanthera lacera green fringed orchid Panicum latifalium broad leaved panic grass Platanus occidentalis sycamore Panicum leibergii prairie panic grass Poa chapmaniana spear grass Panicum linearifolium sledner-Ieaved panic Poa compressa* Canada bluegrass' grass Poa palustrus fowl blue grass Panicum oligosanthes panic grass Poa pratensis* Kentucky bluegrass' Panicum oligosanthes Scribner's panic grass Poa sylvestris woodland blue grass var. scribnerianum Poa wolfii • SE Wolf's bluegrass - SE Panicum villosissimum long haired panic grass Podophyllum peltatum mayapple Panicum virgatum prairie switchgrass Polemom'um reptans Jacob's-ladder Parietaria pensylvanica peJlitory Polygala sanguinea field milkroot . Pamassia glauca grass-of-Parnassus Polygala senega seneCa snakeroot Paronychia canadensis forked chickweed Polygala verticillata whorled milkwon Parthenium integrifolium feverfew Polygonatum commutatum Solomon's seal Parthenocissus quinquefolia Virginia creeper Polygonum amphibium water smartweed Paspalum ciliatifolium lens grass Polygonum arenastrum* sidewalk knotweed' Passiflora lutea small passion flower Polygonum cespitosum creeping smartweed* Pastinaca sativa* parsnip* var. longisetum* Pedicularis canadensis lousewon Polygonum convolvulus' black bindweed' Pedicularis lanceolata swamp wood betony Polygonum hydropiper' common smanweed' Penstemon calycosus smooth beard tongue Polygonum hydropiperoides mild water pepper Penstemon digitalis foxglove beard tongue Polygonum lapathifolium curttop lady's thumb Penstemon pallidus pale beard tongue Polygonum pensylvanicum smanweed Penthorum sedoides ditch stonecrop Polygonum persicaria' lady's thumb' Perideridia americana thicket parsley Polygonum punctatum dotted smanweed Phocelia purshii Miami mist Polygonum scandens false buckwheat Phalaris arundinacea* reed canary grass* Polygonum virginianum Virginia knotweed Phegopteris hexagonoprera broad beech fern Polymnia canadensis leafcup Phleum pratense' Timothy' Polystichum acrostichoides Christmas fern Phlox divaricata common phlox Polytaenia nuttallii prairie parsley Phlox glaberrima smooth phlox Populus alba' white poplar' Phlox maculata wild sweet William Populus deltoides cottonwood Phlox paniculata garden phlox Populus grandidentata big-tooth aspen Phlox pilosa prairie phlox Potamogeton foliosus leafy pondweed Phragmites australis common red reed Potentilla arguta prairie cinquefoil Phryma leptostachya lopseed Potentilla recta' sulfur cinquefoil' Phyla lanceolata fog fruit Potentilla simplex common cinquefoil Physalis heterophylla clammy ground cherry Prenanthes alba lions paw Physalis longifolia* tall ground cherry* Prenanthes altissima tall white lettuce 169 Appendix 2. Continued. Scientific Name!.2.' Common Name!.2., Scientific Name!.2.J . Common NameJ.2J Prenanthes aspera rough wild lettuce Rubus flagellaris dewberry Prenanthes crepidinea great white lettuce Rubus occidentalis black raspberry Prunella vulgaris' self heal * Rubus pensylvanicus common blackberry Prunus americana wild plum Rubus trivialis bramble Prunus angustifolia Chickasaw plum Rudbeckia fulgida Sullivant's orange Prunus munsoniana wild goose plum var. sullivantii coneflower Prunus serotina black cherry Rudbeckia hina black-eyed Susan Prunus virginiana common choke cherry Rudbeckia laciniata goldenglow Psoralea onobrychis French grass Rudbeckia triloba brown eyed Susan Pte/ea trifoliata wafer ash Ruellia humilis wild petunia Pycnanthemum pilosum hairy mountain mint Ruellia strepens smooth ruellia Pycnanthemum tenuifolium slender monutain mint Rumex acetosella * sour dock" Pycnanthemum virginianum common mountain mint Rumex altissimus pale dock Pyrus communis* pear* Rumex crispus* curly dock" Quercus alba white oak Rumex obtusifolius* bitter dock" Quercus bicolor swamp white oak Rumex orbiculatus great water dock Quercus coccinea scarlet oak Rumex verticillatus swamp dock Quercus imbricaria shingle oak Sabatia angularis marsh pink Quercus macrocarpa bur oak Sagittaria latifolia aITowleaf Quercus palustris pin oak Salix amygdaloides peach leaved willow Quercus prinoides chinquapin oak Salix bebbiana beaked willow var. acuminata Salix discolor pussy willow Quercus rubra red oak Salix exigua . sandbar willow Quercus velutina black oak Salix humilis prairie willow Ranunclus recurvatus hooked buttercup Salix nigra black willow Ranunculus abortivus small-flowered crowfoot Salix rigida heart-leaved willow Ranunculus fascicularis early buttercup Sambucus canadensis elderberry Ranunculus flabellaris yellow water-crowfoot Samolus valerandii brookweed Ranunculus micranthus small-flowered crowfoot Sanguinaria canadensis bloodroot Ranunculus sceleratus cursed crowfoot' Sanicula canadensis black snakeroot Ranunculus septentrionalis swamp buttercup Sanicula gregaria common snakeroot Ratibida pinnaw drooping coneflower Sanicula trifoliata beaked black snakeroot Rhamnus cathartica* common buckthom* Saponaria officinalis* bouncing bet" Rhamnus frangula" glossy buckthorn" Sass4fras albidum sassafras Rhus glabra smooth sumac Saururus cemuus lizard's tail Ribes arnericanum American black currant Saxifraga pensylvanica swamp saxifrage Ribes cynosbati prickly wild gooseberry Schizachyrium scoparium little bluestem Ribes missouriense Missouri gooseberry Scirpus acutus great bulrush Robinia pseudoacacia* black locust" Scirpus americanus American bulrush Rorippa islandica marsh yellow cress Scirpus atrovirens bulrush vat. fernaldiana Scirpus cyperinus wool grass Rorippa sessiliflora sessile flowered yellow Scirpus fluviatalis bulrush cress Scirpus georgianus bristleless dark green sedge Rorippa sylvestris" creeping yellow cress" Scirpus pendulus red bulrush Rosa carolina pasture rose Scirpus tabernaemontanii soft-stemmed bulrush Rosa multiflora" multiflora rose* Scrophularia marilandica late figwort Rosa palustris swampy rose Scurellaria incana downy skullcap Rosa setigera prairie rose Scutellaria lateriflora blue skullcap Rubus allegheniensis· common blackberry Scutellaria leonardii small skullcap Rubus argutus tall blackberry Scutellaria ovala hean-Ieaved skullcap 170 Appendix 2. Continued. 2 2 2 Scientific Name1,2.3 COmmon Name'· ,] Scientific Name'· ., Common Name'· ,] Sedum purpureum'" liv~-forever* Spiranthes rnagnicamporum fragrant ladies' tresses Se/agine/Ia eclipes spikemoss Spiranthes ovalis oval ladies"tresses Senecio aureus golden ragwort Spirodela po/yrhiza great duckweed Senecio glabellus butterweed Sporobolus asper rough dropseed Senecio pauperculus balsam groundsel Sporobolus heterolepis prairie dropseed Setaria fabe ri' giant foxtail' Sporobolus vaginiflorus northern rush grass Setaria glauca'" foxtail' Stachys palustris woundwort Setaria viridis* green foxtail' Stuchys tenuifolia smooth hedge neule Sibara virginica Virginia rock cress Staphylea rrifolia bladdernut Sicyos angulatus bur cucumber Stellaria /ongifolia chickweed Sida spinosa'" prickly sida' Stellaria media' common chickweed' Silene antirrhina sleepy catchfIy Stipa spanea porcupine grass Silene niveo snowy campion Strophostyles he/vola wild bean Silene stellata starry catchfIy Stylophorum diphyllum celandine poppy Silene virginica firepink Symphoricarpos orbiculatus buckbush Si/phium integrifolium rosinweed Symp/ocarpus foetidus skunk cabbage Silphium laciniatum compass plant Syringa vulgaris' common lilac' Silphium perfo/iatum cup plant Taenidia integerrirna yellow pimpernel Silphium terebinthinaceum prairie dock Taraxacum laevigatum' red seeded dandelion' Sisyrinchium albidum blue-eyed grass Taraxacum officinale' dandelion' Sisyrinchium angustifolium stout blue-eyed grass Teucrium canadense wood sage Siumsuave water parsnip Tha/ictrum dasycarpum purple meadow rue Smilacina racemosa false Solomon's seal Thalictrum dioicum early meadow rue Smilacina stellata small false Solomon's Thalictrum revo/utum waxy meadow rue seal Thalictrum thalictroides rue anenome Smilax ecirrhata upright smilax Thaspium barbinode hairy meadow parsnip Smilax hispida bristly catbrier Thaspium rrifoliatum purple meadow parsnip Smilax lasioneuron common carrion flower The/ypteris palustris marsh fern Solanum carolinense horse-nettle Thlaspi arvense • field penny cress' So/anum dulcamara* bittersweet nightshade' Thuja occidenltJlis* arbor vitae* Solanum ptycanthum black nightshade Tilia amer.icana basswood . Solidago caesia bluestem goldenrod Tomanthera auriculata - ST ear-leafed foxglove - ST Solidago canadensis tall golden rod Toxicodendron radicans poison ivy Solidago flexicaulis broadleaf goldenrod Tradescantia ohiensis Ohio spiderwort Solidago gigan/ea late golden rod Tradescantia subaspera spiderwort Solidago juncea early goldenrod Tradescantia virginiana Virginia spiderwon Solidago missouriensis Missouri goldenrod Tragopogon dubius' goat's beard' Solidago nemoralis field goldenrod Tragopogon pratensis' common goats beard' Solidago patula rough leaf goldenrod Tridens jlavus false red top Solidago riddellii Riddell's goldenrod Trifolium campestre' low hop clover* Solidago rigida rigid goldenrod Trifolium hybridum' Alsike clover' Solidago speciosa showy goldenrod Trifolium pratense' red clover' Solidago ulmifolia elm-leaved goldenrod Trifolium reflexum - SE buffalo clover - SE Sonchus asper* prickly sow thistle' Trifolium repens' white clover' Sorghastrum nutans Indian grass Trillium flexipes white trillium Spartina peetinata prairie cord grass Trillium niva/e snow trillium Sphenopholis obtusata wedge grass Trillium recurvatum red trillium vat. major Triodanis perfoliata Venus's looking glass Spiraea prunifolia' bridal wreath' Triosteum perfoliatum horse gentian Spiranrhes cernua nodding ladies' tresses Triphora trianthophora nodding pagonia 171 Appendix 2. Continued. 1 1 Scientific Name .'.' Common Name!.'·' Scientific Name .'., Common Name!.'" Typha augustifolia* narrow leaved cattail* Viburnum opulus* European high bush Typha latifolia common cat-tail cranberry* Ulmus americana American elm Viburnum prunifolium black haw Ulmus pumila* Siberian elm* Vinca minor* common periwinkle* Ulmus rubra slippery elm Viola affinis Leconte's violet Urtica diaiea common nettle Viola missouriensis Missouri violet Utricularia vulgaris common bladderwort Viola nephrophy/la nonhern blue violet Uvularia grandiflora yellow bellwort Viola pedatifida prairie violet Valeriana paueiflora pink valerian Viola pratincola common blue violet Veratrum woodii - ST false hellebare - ST Viola pubeseens wedge grass Verbascum blattaria* moth mullein* VaI. eriocarpa Verbascum thapsus* woolly mullein* Viola rafinesquii* Johnny-jump-up* Verbena hastata blue vervain Viola soraria downy-blue violet Verbena strictu hoary vervain Viola striata cream violet Verbena urticifolia white vervain Viola triloba cleft violet Verbesina alternifolia .yellow ironweed Vitis aestivalis summer grape Verbesina helianthoides yellow crown beard Vitis riparia riverbank grape Vempnia gigantea tall ironweed Vitis vulpina frost grape Vernonia missurica Missouri ironweed Vulpia actoflora six weeks fescue Veronica arvensis· corn speedwell* Wolffia columbiana water meal Veronica officinalis* common speedwell* Wolffia papulifera water meal Veronica peregrina purslane speedwell Xanthium strumarium cocklebur Veronicastrum virginicum culver's root Yucca flaccida * yucca* Viburnum acerifolium maple-leaved arrowwood Zanthoxylum americanum prickly ash Viburnum lantana'" wayfaring tree'" Zr·zia aurea golden Alexanders Viburnum lentago nannyberry I Bold type indicates an Illinois endangered (SE), illinois threatened (ST). and/or federally threatened (IT) species; both scientific and common narnes for T&E plants are those used by the TIlinois Endangered Species Protection Board (I994) and Herkert (1991, 1994) , • = introduced species 'Nomenclature generally follows Mohlenbrock (1986) with modifications from Swink and Wilhelm (1994) and Gleason and Cronquist (1991) 172