Restoring Oak Savannas in the Midwest

By Kat Gordinier

What is an Oak Savanna?

• Large Oaks– Bur and White oaks

• Diverse Understory– Grasses– Sedges– Wildflowers

Where Were Oak Savannas?

• Endemic throughout the Midwest– Minnesota, Wisconsin,

Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas

• 10% of Iowa’s Native Habitat

Oak Savanna Native Species

• Bur Oaks– Fire Dependant

• Big & Little Bluestem• White Oak

Native Species cont.

• Purple Milkweed• Jack-in-the-Pulpit• Bottle Brush Grass• Virginia Wild Rye• Bobwhite Quail• Turkey• American Goldfinch• Bobcats

Restoring Savanna

• 1st Identify Former Savanna– Open Grown Oaks

• 2nd Remove Invasive Trees

• 3rd Remove Invasive Brush

• 4th Prescribed Burn

5th Monitor

• Burn Land Annually– Fall

• Hand Plant• 4-6 years

• Treat with Herbicide• Burn Annually• Plant a Savanna Mix• 10-12 years

If land hasn’t been grazed… If land has been grazed…

Works Cited

• McGovern, Molly. “Iowa’s Oak Savannas: Rekindling a Relationship.” Iowa Natural Heritage. Summer 2003

• Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Oak Savanna Communities. Ecological Landscapes of Wisconsin – Ecosystem Management Planning Handbook.

• Withgott, Jay and Scott Brennan. Environment: the Science Behind the Stories.

• Savanna Oak Foundation, Inc. “Oak Savanna.”• S. Chaplin “Upper Midwest Forest-Savanna Transition.”

WWF Fall Report.