Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 04/10/1997

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woodlands. All of the vegetation types that have existed at Mississippi West Regional Park haw developed the softs of the park into their current classifications. Relief Relief is an important landscape feature in environmental management. Differing elevations, slope lengths, slope gradients, and aspects can affect drainage patterns which dictate where erosion will occur. These differences can also influence vegetation types, temperature variability, and accessibility. Most of Mississippi West Regional Park has a very fiat terrain with 0-3% slopes. The mined gravel pit has slopes that range from 10-20%. The riverbank is a steep escarpment with a 60-80% slope. A small section of land by the riverbank that extends from the park boundary at the north western suburb, to the north western edge of the Husby life estate, grades from a 6-12% slope. Topography has played a large part in some of the vegetative community distribution present at the park. Kelief, along with vegetation type, are the only factors that change across the park. The parent material, climate, and time have all been consistent throughout Mississippi West Kegional Park. Time The softs of Mississippi West have been forming in their curr~nt landscape design since the Wisconsin glaciation. The areas native vegetation enriched the sands vdth organic matter over the course of time. These natural vegetative processes continued up until around 100 years ago when human activities began to influence the softs development through mining and agricultural production. These alterations have not drastically changed the basic development and property of the softs. The topography was changed in the gravel pit when it was mined. Natural fertility and other soft characteristics were changed when much of the land was brought into agricultural production around 100 years ago. 34