THE PRESERVATION AND MANAGEMENT OF VEGETATION 

 IN RAVINES IN HIGHLAND PARK, ILLINOIS 



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Kenneth R. Robertson and E. B. Himelick 



INTRODUCTION 



Vegetation is a very important component of the ravines in 

 Highland Park, both from aesthetic and erosion-control points of view. 

 Much of the beauty of the ravines is due to the lovely woods with their 

 spectacular display of spring wildflowers. The plants also significantly 

 retard the rate of erosion in the ravines. To make these comments more 

 graphic, try to visualize the ravines if they were totally denuded of 

 vegetation. Not only would they be unsightly gulches, but erosion would 

 proceed uncontrolled. 



It should be remembered that the ravines have been formed by 

 the process of erosion. This has been a very gradual development, however, 

 and the present ravines are the result of hundreds, or even thousands, of 

 years of erosion. There is no way to totally halt this natural process, 

 short of lining the ravines with concrete. It seems clear that man's 

 activities in the past 50 to 100 years has substantially increased erosion 

 in the ravines to the point where it is a serious problem. Proper conser- 

 vation practices and adequate attention given to the preservation and 

 management of the vegetation can aid in bringing erosion rates down to 



more acceptable levels. 



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Assistant Taxonomist and Curator of the Herbarium and Plant Pathologist, 

 Illinois Natural History Survey, Urbana, Illinois 61801. 



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