. Critical trends in Illinois ecosystems. Ecological assessment (Biology); Environmental impact analysis; Nature; Pollution; Conservation of natural resources; Environmental quality. Summarv • The most common native species in Illinois grasslands include red top grass, big bluestem, trumpet creeper, switch grass, beadgrass, and common goldenrod. • Of the terrestrial habitats, grasslands are the most heavily dominated by introduced species with 6() of 71 monitoring sites dominated by them. • Meadow fescue and Kentucky and Canadian blue grasses are the most domi- nant introduced species. • An av
. Critical trends in Illinois ecosystems. Ecological assessment (Biology); Environmental impact analysis; Nature; Pollution; Conservation of natural resources; Environmental quality. Summarv • The most common native species in Illinois grasslands include red top grass, big bluestem, trumpet creeper, switch grass, beadgrass, and common goldenrod. • Of the terrestrial habitats, grasslands are the most heavily dominated by introduced species with 6() of 71 monitoring sites dominated by them. • Meadow fescue and Kentucky and Canadian blue grasses are the most domi- nant introduced species. • An average of fewer than two grassland- dependent bird species nest at the sites (a high quality prairie would contain 6-12). • Except for the eastern meadowlark, brown-headed cowbtrds (nest parasites) were detected more often than any grass- land-dependent bird species. *- Wetlands in Illinois have declined from pre-set- tlement estimates of 23% of the state to only Of the remaining wetlands, few remain in a high-quality condition, and man)' are severely degraded due to non-native species invasion, sil- tation, changes in hydrology, runoff of roadway de-icing salts, drainage activities, and grazing. PLAN IT EARTH • CTAP wetland sites contain an average of 1S plant species, with two of them intro- duced. Sites containing introduced species have considerably lower biodiversity. • Reed canary grass, the most commonly encountered introduced species, often completely dominates a site, replacing most native species and almost forming a monoculture. It was the dominant species at 22 of 78 monitoring sites. • Some monitoring sites were diverse and still contain a high proportion of native species. Southern Illinois wetlands, in particular, seem to be the least affected b) introduced species. • The most common native species include Joe Pye weed, rice-cut grass, tall reed grass, river bulrush, water smartweed, and broad- leaved cattail. • The number of wetland-depe
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