Document: YOU-3-40-12

Development of herbaceous vegetation in an abandoned sand mine site in Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.

WILCOX, C.A.* and Y.D.CHOI

Purdue University Calumet, Hammond, IN 46323 USA ¹

Abstract:
Process of vegetation development was investigated in an abandoned sand mine site in the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Our DCA (Detrended Correspondence Analysis) ordinated two herbaceous plant communities: A grass-dominated open prairie without tree canopy and a forb-dominated understory of woodland (dominated by Populus deltoides and Quercus spp.). Both communities had similar total ground cover (112% and 106% for the open prairie and the woodland understory respectively), however the woodland understory appeared to have higher species diversity (H'=2.05) than the open prairie (H'=1.84). In the southern end of the mine flat, relatively high water table facilitated a quick establishment of woodland along with litter production and canopy formation. Mesic soil and partial shade (234 lux under 10.2% canopy cover) of the woodland on relatively water table likely have resulted in higher species diversity and relatively fertile soil (213 ppm N, 6.0 ppm P, 17.0 ppm K, and 0.50% OM). Meanwhile, xeric and exposed (670 lux under 3.5% canopy cover) environment of the open prairie on low water table maintained low species diversity and less fertile soil (180 ppm N, 4.4 ppm P, 13.3 ppm K, 0.35% OM).

Keywords: herbaceous, vegetation, sand, mine

This abstract is being presented at: 3:30 PM in session:
Poster Session #17: Vegetative Analysis.