98th ESA Annual Meeting (August 4 -- 9, 2013)

August 03 - 09, 2013

FT 3

Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park: Rare Bluffland Plant Communities of the Paleozoic Plateau

Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park contains some of the best examples in the state of bedrock bluff prairies, algific talus slopes, and other ancient plant communities unique to the Paleozoic Plateau, a landscape that escaped the Wisconsin glacial period. This extraordinary landscape features deep stream-incised bluffs, a mosaic of forest, savanna, prairie, and cliff plant communities, 172 state-listed rare species, world-reknowned cold-water trout streams, and karst features such as extensive caves, disappearing streams, and cold-water streams, seeps, and waterfalls. Discussions will include the challenges of protecting and managing fragmented bluffland habitats in a largely agricultural area, predicted impacts of climate change, ecological restoration of degraded habitats, managing fire-dependent plant communities, and new collaborative initiatives to protect and sustain biodiversity on a watershed basis. We will hike to a variety of bluffland plant communities featuring rare species and karst features. Web links: www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/ forestville_mystery_cave/index.html www.driftlessareainitiative.org/