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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 SOllie 1:2700000 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: ...lIO0: ~ :E ~ 1 --,.­. j F.armerCity ,tel 1'/ <>"'1 / I I 1 I 1 ~r 0::1 l' CHAMPAlGN co, . ~ DOUGEASCQ r ~ , . , I \ 4 '" 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