Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 11/18/2004

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Vegetative Communities Ei~,t vegetarive communrCy py?es were idenrL*ied within Mississippi Wee Regional Park (Figure 5 and Table 3). Mosz of the vegetation present has been altered or i2fluenced by human a~i,~sties on and around the park (Husby, i995). Tne. Husbys have had the goatee mnpa& on the current vegetation Lypes since they have plantM so many nm-native tr~ and =m-ass species (Larson, i990). Some oft. he areas have re,ained or are reverting to the natural commum~ty types ~at were present to the Anoka sand ptain before- hurrmn settlement. The book, ~zic~ ;o ~Varive Hc~bitat. r (7~ovcha et al, 1995), was used as a gu_ldo in naming Ne native vegetative corranunrqes o£ the Ano'ka sand plain. All communities that were non-native to the park were categorized according to the pnnm~ vegetation qypes in an area. Oak Woodland-Brushland The oak woodland-brush_land commUn2y~ makes up appro "x-tmately tkr~ percent of Mississippi West Regiona! Park and is found ~o~Vmg on r. he abandoned ~avel pit located west of Traprock Street ~igyzre 5). This vegetation ~ows on the fiat'lowlands, as well as.the st~p slopes contaMed in this area. k is a relatively apen cornmur~? ofnordaern pin oak, burr oalq, red oak quaking aspen, American elm, and red cedar. Tae shrub layer is dominated by oak sprouts and red c~iar ~routs. The ~ound layer is composed of herbs and woody plants that include red raspberr,~/, Vir~nia cr~per, blue vermin, wormwood, and wdJd ~ape.. The fore~ cmnopy is dominated mainly by mature quaking aspen, American elm, and some red cedar. There is some rind-layer growth of red cedar and oak n-ees. Most of the oaks in this area are very small sprouts, as oaks n~d the shade of an established forest to germinate. Floodplain Forest Tae floodplain forest occurs predominantly on Foster's and Cloquet Islands, which account for approximately ~1r~y four percent of the park (Fi~mlre 5). The vegetation on these islands includes silver maple, black willow, cottonwood, shppery and )anencan elm, and blue and ~een ash. The dense gound iayer cover is characterized by wild ~ape, Vi_r~_mmia creeper, and wood nettle. These islands are ~requentty flooded and r. bus narurai '.;egetarica is adar:ted ro the wet soil cond/tions. Many of the tr~ roots, especially dnose trees arou2d the edges of the islands, are }ubmerged m water tbr a good portion of the year. /-[.