Staff at the Hoosier National Forest are partnering with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) to study long-term management effects from restoring ecological health and diversity to the forest.
The forest ecosystem, known as the Clover Lick Barrens, is one of only a handful of specific plant communities in Indiana. Barrens contain wildflowers and plants more often seen in a prairie setting.
Staff from IDNR and Hoosier National Forest hypothesize that woody shrub removal and canopy thinning will restore and protect the barren.
During recent monitoring, staff identified rare and uncommon plants like the rattlesnake master, resulting from prescribed fires in the mid-90s to reduce leaf litter and woody encroachment.
“Rattlesnake master is relatively uncommon in the state of Indiana,” said Cheryl Coon, Hoosier National Forest botanist. “It’s a wildflower that typically grows in prairies and benefits from periodic fire and other activities that increase sunlight. The seeds grow readily in areas that were just burned, and it looks like it is thriving in the barrens where we performed light canopy thinning.”
Plots were established to monitor the plant response by using a quadrant, a square plastic measuring device used for sampling of plant communities, said Wyatt Williams, IDNR ecologist.
“With enough snapshots of the same plot of land before and after management, we can show how the barrens plants are responding to management efforts over time,” Williams said. “In addition to the herbaceous plants we measure, Hoosier National Forest staff gather data on the trees, shrubs, leaf litter and many other aspects of the plant community.”
Although this is the second year of monitoring, management efforts appear to have benefited the community, and the joint effort has been productive.
“It’s great working with IDNR,” said Jason Isbell, Hoosier National Forest botanist. “It’s great to have their help and expertise in monitoring the large barrens areas of the forest.”
For more information about the U.S. Forest Service, visit fs.usda.gov.
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Contact Health & Environmental Reporter Hanna Rauworth at 317-762-7854 or follow her on Instagram at @hanna.rauworth.
Hanna Rauworth is the Health & Environmental Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper, where she covers topics at the intersection of public health, environmental issues, and community impact. With a commitment to storytelling that informs and empowers, she strives to highlight the challenges and solutions shaping the well-being of Indianapolis residents.
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