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Plants & Animals > Plant Communities of the Forest Preserves of Winnebago County

Prairies Types of Winnebago County

Dry Prairie

This community is found on steep slopes that are somewhat excessively drained.  Grasses are less than 1 meter tall.

Representative Areas:    Grove Creek, Kieselburg, Seward Bluffs, Stone Bridge

 

Remnant Dry Prairie

This community is an example of a dry prairie that has been left undisturbed by human development.  There is only approximately 1 acre found in the Winnebago County Forest Preserves and is extremely rare.

Representative Areas:    Rockford Rotary

 

Dry Mesic Prairie

Moisture levels and grass height approach those of a mesic prairie, and plant species diversity is greater than that of dry prairies.

Representative Areas:   Deer Run, Fuller Memorial, Grove Creek, Headquarters, J. Norman Jensen, Kieselburg,

Laona Heights, Macktown, Oak Ridge, Rockford Rotary, Roland Olson, Severson Dells, Sugar River Alder.

 

Mesic Prairie

Favorable moisture conditions allow for maximum plant species diversity and maximum grass and forb height, which can sometimes be as tall as 2 meters.  This community was one of the largest widespread and characteristic communities in Illinois, but has become one of the rarest communities since its fertile soil makes it our richest croplands.

Representative Areas:   Atwood Homestead, Clayton Andrews, Deer Run, Four Lakes, Grove Creek,

Hononegah, Kieselburg, Millrace Isle, Oak Ridge, Pecatonica River, Seward Bluffs, Stone Bridge, Sugar River.

 

Wet Mesic Prairie

The water table is near the surface and surface water is present after heavy rains.  In terms of grass species and moisture levels, this community is an intergrade between mesic prairie and wet prairie.

 

Wet Prairie

Plant species diversity is lower than that of other prairie communities.  The soil is nearly always saturated and surface water is present in spring and winter.