. Comprehensive plan for the Illinois Nature Preserves System. Nature conservation; Wilderness areas. spleenwort, shortleaf pine, azalea, and big-leaf snowbell-bush are part of the distinctive floral element. PRINCIPAL NATURAL FEATURES FOREST: Dry upland, mesic upland, flood- plain. LOESS HILL PRAIRIE BEDROCK: Outcrops. TOPOGRAPHY: Steep ravines, river bluffs, floodplain. AQUATIC HABITATS: Creeks, springs,sink- hole ponds. SPECIAL FEATURES: Ozarkian floral element, spring cavefish. 12 LOWER MISSISSIPPI RIVER BOTTOMLANDS DIVISION The Lower Mississippi River Bottomlands Divi- sion includes the M
. Comprehensive plan for the Illinois Nature Preserves System. Nature conservation; Wilderness areas. spleenwort, shortleaf pine, azalea, and big-leaf snowbell-bush are part of the distinctive floral element. PRINCIPAL NATURAL FEATURES FOREST: Dry upland, mesic upland, flood- plain. LOESS HILL PRAIRIE BEDROCK: Outcrops. TOPOGRAPHY: Steep ravines, river bluffs, floodplain. AQUATIC HABITATS: Creeks, springs,sink- hole ponds. SPECIAL FEATURES: Ozarkian floral element, spring cavefish. 12 LOWER MISSISSIPPI RIVER BOTTOMLANDS DIVISION The Lower Mississippi River Bottomlands Divi- sion includes the Misis- sippi River and its flood- plain from Alton to the Thebes Gorge. The Mississippi River is muddy here due to the silt load brought in by the Missouri River. Its fish fauna contains a distinctive assemblage of silt-tolerant plains spe- cies. The Northern Section (the American Bottom) originally contained prairies, marshes, and forest. The Southern Section was densely forested. The forests of this division contain a greater number of tree species than the forests of the Upper Mississippi River, Including some southern lowland species. TOPOGRAPHY The broad bottomlands of the Lower Missis- sippi River Bottomlands Division were formed by glacial flood waters. Since the retreat of the gla- ciers the river has meandered through this broad floodplain, and many meander scars and oxbow lakes remain. SOILS The soils are generally fine textured, with areas of both sandy, well drained soils and clay soils with poor Internal drainage. The soils of this division have developed from PLANT COMMUNITIES FOREST: Except for areas of wet prairie and marsh in the Northern Section, the division was entirely forested In presettlement times. The bot- tomland forests on the light soils include sliver maple, ashes, American elm, honey locust, sugar- berry, and pecan. Beech, basswood, and red buckeye grew as associated species on the loamy soils In the Southern Section; but most of these so
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Keywords: ., bo, bookcentury1900, bookcollectionbiodiversity, bookleafnumber32
