# Presentation: 541370

## Geographic Analysis and Exploration in the South Central United States

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

## 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

**Notes:**
Thank Galen for the invitation

## Outline of Presentation

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

**Notes:**
Here’s an outline of the topics I’d like to cover today.  

## Overview

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

**Notes:**
First, we’ll begin with an overview covering the following points (go to list)... 

## 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

## 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)

## 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)

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

**Notes:**
Describe how this map was determined: January mean temperatures, moisture balance, which reflects the annual balance between total precipitation and potential evapotranspiration, and latitude, which is important for photoperiod regimen

## Valuable Soil Types 

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

**Notes:**
Probably not much need to explain

## Applying this Approach to the South Central United States

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

## Resulting Region

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

## 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)

## 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

## Too dry

**Too dry**
**I****m**** < 0**

**0 to 20**

**20 to 40**

**Too wet I****m**** > 40**

**Notes:**
White area is Zone 6.  To west of red line is too dry; to south and east of blue line is too wet.  You may not want to exclude sites in Zone 5b, but there will probably be a loss in target-species diversity without appreciable species gains.

## Can we find the “right” soils in this region? 

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

## 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

**Notes:**
The handout with 50 target species goes here.  It includes mostly limestone or floodplain species, some reaching the NW edge of range, endemic and aesthetically attractive species (see list) 

## 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)

**Notes:**
Avoid cherty limestone and sandstone

## 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

**Notes:**
Call number is in MBG Library

## 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

**Notes:**
Avoid sandstone and most chert

## 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.htm

**Notes:**
Call number is in MBG Library

## 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

**Notes:**
Lots of chert and sandstone to avoid.  Avoid Vaccinium and Rhododendron.

## Missouri Plants 

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

## 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

## 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

**Notes:**
Atlas has good maps for Kansas, SW Missouri, and OK, not so good for AR

## 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

## 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

## Some Potential Target Sites 

- OK-KS
- E 1⁄2 of Kay Co., W 1⁄2 of Osage Co., W 1⁄2 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)

**Notes:**
Based on extent of favorable soils.  Light color is OK, gold is KS.

## More Potential Target Sites 

- AR-MO
- W edge of Fulton Co., N 1⁄2 of Baxter, Marion, and Boone Cos., SE 1⁄4 of Taney Co., and possibly S 1⁄2 of Ozark Co.
- W 2/3 of Carroll Co., SE 1⁄4 of Barry Co., and small parts of adjacent Benton and Madison Cos.

**Notes:**
Based on extent of favorable soils. Light color is AR, gold is MO.

## 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 1⁄2 of Madison, Bond, and Clinton Cos. and near Hecker in Randolph and St. Clair Cos.

**Notes:**
Based on extent of favorable soils. Light color is MO, gold is IL.

## And now a few maps...

**Notes:**
Lead into three maps (don’t have any maps prepared for IL-MO part)

**Notes:**
NE OK map

**Notes:**
SE Kansas map

**Notes:**
AR-MO map

**Notes:**
Natural Falls SP, OK, west of Siloam Springs, AK
Photo by Sharon Dragula, April 2000