Geographic Analysis and Exploration in the South Central United States

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Geographic Analysis and Exploration in the South
Central United States

• Mark P. Widrlechner
• USDA-ARS
• North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station
• Ames, IA

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Acknowledgments

• ISU Media Graphics (Rex Heer) for moisture
  balance map
• Spatial Climate Analysis Service - Oregon State
  University for precipitation maps
• Cris Nass and Robert Stebbins for help with
  scanning

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Outline of Presentation

• Overview
• Applying geographic factors to the South Central
  US
• Plants and potential sites

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Overview

• Location-specific factors influencing the
  adaptation of woody plants in the Midwest
• Photoperiod regimen
• Winter injury
• Moisture balance
• Soil type

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Photoperiod Regimen

• Key factor to signal growth and the cessation of
  growth
• Directly correlated with latitude
• Plants evolve in response to the interaction of
  photoperiod and correlated events

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Winter Injury

• Three main aspects
• Timing of hardening
• Mid-winter low temperature survival
• Timing of dehardening
• Also, interaction with moisture conditions,
  especially for evergreens
• USDA Hardiness Zones (average annual minimum
  temperature) are an easily obtainable surrogate
  (especially for regions resembling the target
  environment)

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Moisture Balance

• Perhaps as important as winter hardiness
  (especially in low maintenance situations)
• Widrlechner et al. (1992) J. Environ. Hort. 10
  192-198 and J. Environ. Hort. 16 27-32.
• Can visualize based on the Moisture Index of
  Mather and Yoshioka Im 100((mean annual
  precipitation/potential evapotranspiration)-1)

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From Widrlechner (1999) "A Zone Map for Mean
Annual Moisture Balance in the North Central
United States," Landscape Plant News 10(2)
10-14.
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Valuable Soil Types

• pH (neutral to alkaline)
• High Ca or Na content
• Relatively poor drainage
• Thin (for drought tolerance)

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Applying this Approach to the South Central
United States

• Latitude (35 to 40 North)
• USDA Hardiness Zones (6a and b)

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Resulting Region

• Southern Kansas and northern Oklahoma on the west
  
• Eastern Kentucky and Tennessee on the east

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Adding the Moisture Balance Criterion

• Areas in the western two-thirds of Kansas and
  Oklahoma have negative moisture balances (too
  dry)
• Kentucky and Tennessee have high positive
  moisture balances (too wet)
• Parts of eastern Kansas and Oklahoma, Missouri,
  northwestern Arkansas, and southern Illinois have
  appropriate moisture balances
• (Im between 0 and 40)

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Working with the Moisture Balance Criterion

• In areas that are too dry, target extremely wet
  sites along rivers, lakes, springs and
  significant north-facing slopes
• In areas that are too wet, target limestone
  barrens and other drought-prone sites
• In areas that are a good match, one can be
  broader in collecting

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Too dry Im lt 0
0 to 20
20 to 40
Too wet Im gt 40
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Can we find the right soils in this region?

• Neutral to alkaline, calcareous or saline soils
• Thin soils
• Poorly draining soils

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Can we find interesting woody plant populations?

• Plants adapted to appropriate soils
• Species reaching the northwest edge of their
  native ranges
• Endemic species
• Species with attractive aesthetic characteristics

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Oklahoma Soils

• Neutral to alkaline, calcareous soils
• Apperson, Catoosa, Foraker, Grainola, Labette,
  Lenapah, Mayes, Newtonia, Summit (mostly silty
  clay loams)
• Thin soils
• Shidler, Sogn, Talpa (mixed with limestone)
• Poorly drained soils
• Choska, Latanier, Lela, Miller, Osage, Wynona
  (clays)

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Oklahoma Plants

• John E. Williams (1973) Atlas of the woody plants
  of Oklahoma (QK 155 W55 1973)
• Forrest L. Johnson and Bruce W. Hoagland (1999)
  Catalog of the Woody Plants of Oklahoma
  http//www.biosurvey.ou.edu/shrub/cover.htm

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Arkansas Soils

• Neutral to alkaline, calcareous soils
• Clareson, Mayes, Newtonia, Summit silt loams and
  silt clays
• Thin and rocky soils
• Arkana, Elsah, Moko, Sogn, Ventris mostly stony
  silt loams (often with rock outcrops)
• Alluvial soils
• Razort silt loam

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Arkansas Plants

• Gary E. Tucker (1976) Guide to the woody flora of
  Arkansas (QK 153 .T84 1976)
• Arkansas Biodiversity The Vascular Flora
• http//www.csdl.tamu.edu/FLORA/arkansas/arkfamyy.h
  tm

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Missouri Soils

• Neutral to alkaline, calcareous soils (rocky or
  thin)
• Blueye, Brussels, Cedargap, Gasconade, Hercules,
  Knobby, Moko
• Rock outcrops
• Dolomite and other non-cherty limestones
• Poorly drained soils
• Gasconade, Snead

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Missouri Plants

• Julian Steyermark (1963) Flora of Missouri (being
  revised and updated by George Yatskievych)

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Kansas Soils

• Neutral to alkaline, calcareous soils
• Apperson, Catoosa, Kenoma silt loam
• Thin and rocky soils
• Shidler, Sogn silty and rocky clay loam
• Poorly drained soils
• Clime, Lanton, Osage, Verdigris, Zaar silty loam
  and silty clay

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Kansas Plants

• H.A. Stephens (1973) Woody Plants of the North
  Central Plains
• Great Plains Flora Association (1977) Atlas of
  the Flora of the Great Plains

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Illinois Soils

• Neutral to alkaline, some calcareous soils
• Bold silt loam, La Hogue loam, Hurst, Sable and
  Virden silty clay loam
• Upland natric (with sodium) soils
• Darmstadt, Grantfork, Huey, and Piasa silt loams
  and silty clay loams
• Thin soils
• Rare, isolated limestone outcrops in Jackson Co.
• Alluvial soils
• Ambraw, Beaucoup, Birds, Darwin, Dupo, Lawson,
  McFain, Nameoki, Tice, Titus, Wakeland

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Illinois Plants

• Works by Robert Mohlenbrock
• Series on the Flowering Plants of Illinois
• 2002 edition of the Vascular Flora of Illinois
• Mohlenbrock and Ladd (1978) Distribution of
  Illinois Vascular Plants
• Mohlenbrock and Voigt (1959) A Flora of Southern
  Illinois

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Some Potential Target Sites

• OK-KS
• E ½ of Kay Co., W ½ of Osage Co., W ½ of
  Chautauqua Co., and all of Cowley Co.
• Much of Rogers Co., W Craig Co., E Nowata Co.,
  much of Labette Co., and E Montgomery Co.
• Mayes Co. (W side of Lake Hudson and SW of Locust
  Grove)

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More Potential Target Sites

• AR-MO
• W edge of Fulton Co., N ½ of Baxter, Marion, and
  Boone Cos., SE ¼ of Taney Co., and possibly S ½
  of Ozark Co.
• W 2/3 of Carroll Co., SE ¼ of Barry Co., and
  small parts of adjacent Benton and Madison Cos.

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More Potential Target Sites

• MO-IL
• Mississippi floodplain from Perry Co. north
  towards St. Louis and Jackson to Monroe Cos. (
  limestone outcrops in Jackson Co.)
• Lower Kaskaskia River and tributaries
• Natric soils in E ½ of Madison, Bond, and Clinton
  Cos. and near Hecker in Randolph and St. Clair
  Cos.

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And now a few maps
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