74 Kansas Academy of Science. 



DEVELOPMENT OF THE FOREST BELTS IN THE NORTH- 

 WESTERN PART OF CLAY COUNTY, KANSAS. 



By John H. Schaffner, Columbus, Ohio. 



THE development of forest belts in the northwestern part of 

 Clay county is confined to the bottom lands and bluffs along 

 the Republican river and its tributary creeks. The two main creek 

 systems are Mulberry creek and Five creeks, the sources of both 

 being to the west, in the eastern part of Cloud county. These 

 creeks and their branches lie for the most part in Mulberry, Bloom 

 and Five Creeks townships. 



The rocks in the region belong to the Dakota group, except to- 

 ward the southeast, where the upper part of the Permian limestone 

 begins to outcrop. The soil is thus decidedly sandy, on account of 

 the great abundance of Dakota sandstone, although clays are also 

 abundant. The character of the soil seems to have some influence 

 on the distribution of certain trees and shrubs, for a number of 

 species flourish across the line in the 'Permian limestone region 

 which are not found in the Dakota. 



The Republican river has a wide flood-plain, and in some places 

 the timber belts extend outward a quarter of a mile, though usually 

 much narrower. The woody plants in the river valley in Bloom 

 and Mulberry townships are as follows : 



Salix amygdaloides Anders. 

 Salix missouriensis Bebb. 

 Populus deltoides Marsh. 

 Juglans nigra L. 

 Ulmus fulva Mx. 

 Celtis occidentalis Mx. 



TREES. 



Morus rubra L. 

 Cercis canadensis L. 

 Gleditschia triacanthos L. 

 Gymnocladus dioica (L.) Koch. 

 Acer negundo L. 

 Fraxinus lanceolata Borck. 



Farther down the river valley Quercus macrocarpa Mx. is abun- 

 dant, but it seems to be practically limited to the Permian outcrops 

 in this region. Salix nigra Marsh, may occur also, since it was 

 found in Ottawa county, which joins Clay on the southwest. 



SHRUBS AND SHRUB-LIKE TREES. 



Euonymus atropurpureus Jacq. 

 Rhus glabra L. 

 Cornus asperifolia Mx. 

 Sambucus canadensis L. 

 Symphoricarpos symphoricarpos (L. ) 

 MacM. 



Salix cordata Muhl. 

 SaHx fluviatilis Nutt. 

 Ribes missouriensis Nutt. 

 Rosa arkansana Porter. 

 Rubus occidentaHs L. 

 Prunus americana Marsh. 

 Prunus watsoni Sarg. 

 Amorpha fruticosa L. 

 Amorpha canescens Pursh. 



Symphoricarpos racemosus Mx. 

 Cephalanthus occidentalis L. 



