Sunday, November 15, 2009

Adams Lake Prairie State Nature Preserve

Last Friday before the moss workshop, I had the fortune to visit several State Nature Preserves in Adams County. The first stop of the day was Adams Lake Prairie State Nature Preserve, where I found the blackjack oak seen in the oak quiz post. There are some top notch botanists who identified this oak right away- some without ever seeing it in the field.


Little Bluestem and Red Cedar

Adam Lake Prairie is a tiny prairie patch on a hillside in Adams County. Of all my botanical travels to Ohio's hotspots of diversity, I have visited Adams County the least. It is known for its xeric limestone prairies. If you've been following along at Steve Willson's Blue Jay Barrens blog, you are familiar with this type of ecosystem. Some of these barrens also can occur on shale, and that is the case of Adams Lake Prairie. Although small, if you ever find yourself in Adams County, Ohio, not too far from the town of West Union, this little botanical wonder inside Adams Lake State Park is definitely worth a visit.


The shriveled leaves of Prairie Dock.


You nailed blackjack oak, but how about this one?




The hills created by the Allegheny Mound Ant are a common sight in this part of Ohio.





And finally, here's a violet for your perusal. I talked quite a bit about the stemless blue violets over over last weekend with Daniel Boone (yes, a real person for those of you that have never met Dan!), one of the midwest's most enthusiastic and prolific botanists. This past field season, he went on a quest to find all of Ohio's violet species, and in the process, helped us understand more about one of our endangered species, the bog violet, Viola nephrophylla.

The leaf above isn't bog violet, but I'm sure Dan would know it right away. Unfortunately, I'm itching for Tom Cooperrider's book right now, but it's a few miles away on the bookshelf at the office. Can someone pinch hit for me?

Tom


View Ohio State Nature Preserves in a larger map

6 comments:

  1. Tom, Thanks for the mention. Adams Lake Prairie State Nature Preserve is one of those neat places I've visited a lot. Over the years, I've had the pleasure of guiding dozens of school groups through the area. Hopefully, I was able to spark some interest in our natural heritage.

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  2. I think you've stumped me about that oak, Tom. My first thought was Bur Oak, but the leaf doesn't have the narrow waist I usually associate with this oak's leaves. Maybe Post Oak?

    That violet's a stumper, too. The Birdsfoot's lobes are usually more deeply cleft. Maybe this is a violet you have in Ohio but we don't have in NY. Can't wait to find out.

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  3. Ok everyone, I'm at the office, and a once through the Cooperrider book leaves me with the feeling this could be Viola palmata.

    Tom

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  4. I was thinking bur oak, too, but that's not quite right...

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  5. Post Oak (Quercus stellata)

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  6. Yes guys, you are right, it is post oak!

    Tom

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