Savanna

HRF has finally been able to start on the savanna restoration projects for 2011.  The first property is an amazing piece of land on the leading edge of the Loess Hills.  It is filled with several varieties of oak, hickory, and some black walnut as the high quality species.  HRF is completing a heavy thinning of the understory, mid-canopy, and selective main canopy trees to open the upper level canopy and flood the forest floor with light.

This thinning is also accomplishing a secondary goal of knocking back the low quality and invasive hardwoods.  These trees are monopolizing the understory and are essentially the next generation of growth.  We hope to add prescribed fire to the woods as early as this fall to help consume felled debris, knock back unwanted re-growth, and stimulate native grasses and forbes to return.

Included within the photos are images of flooding near the project.  It’s a sad and unwanted site.  Most of the areas in these photos are completely underwater at this stage.  New photos of savanna restoration will be added over the course of the next few months.