Chad Evans
Lecturer, Communications Department, Purdue University
Thursday October 30th, at 3:30pm, HORT 117 or via Zoom
Native American burning habits & further flora studies
It is a frequent misnomer that southwestern Indiana was covered in dense forests in pre-European settlement times. Upon reviewing land survey records 1800-1805, I found there was more tallgrass prairie in Sullivan, Greene, Knox & Daviess counties than any area south of modern-day I-70 in Indiana. These prairies have been historically floristically-rich with many subspecies of Midwestern prairie species & a blend of some more southern tallgrass & barrens species. On rich, deep loess plains atop acidic Illinoian glacial till, these prairie soils have a distinct gray color, which may be tied to Native American burning times & age of the prairies historically. They tend to lack deep, block mollisols found farther northward in the Grand Prairie.
In this discussion we highlight recent finds on some prairie remnants there & a historical perspective of the study area, in addition to list of species encountered there. I also highlight the lack of quality, truly accurate depictions of Indiana presettlement vegetation. Presettlement vegetation was not cut & dry (either prairie, forest or wetland), but a mosiac of many, many communities & habitats from native barrens to shrub swamps to thickets & brush to open barrens, to savannas, oak openings to mature old-growth forecast, forested wetlands & cypress to tamarack swamps. Lakes even varied in floral composition to a much greater degree than is currently stated.