6-i BIG SPRING PRAIRIE. 



Just north of the area represented by map II, there 

 occurs a large area which has been repeatedly, but most 

 of it not severely burned. The shrubs on this area are: 

 Salix fluviatilis (Sand-bar Willow); Salix bebbiana 

 (Bebb's Willow); Lambucus canadensis (Elderberry); 

 Rosa Carolina (Swamp Rose); Potentilla fruticosa 

 (Shrubby Cinquefoil); but the Rosa and Potentilla are 

 not as frequent as on those areas not visited by prairie 

 fires. Occasionally Populus monilifera, Populus tremu- 

 loides, Rubus villosus, and Rubus occidentalis also oc- 

 cur. Where the sod is most completely destroyed Ur- 

 tica gracilis is by far the most abundant plant, while 

 Thalictrum polygonum, Solidago canadensis, Koellia 

 virginiana, Epilobium lineare, and Eupatorium perfo-^ 

 liatum are next most abundant, as are also various spe- 

 cies of Bidens. Ambrosia, and Dipsacus sylvestris. 

 Where the sod is completely destroyed the Urtica and 

 the weeds from cultivated ground predominate; on the 

 other portions the original plants maintain their foot- 

 hold. Those species with deepseated and extensive 

 underground rootstocks are the most successful ones in 

 holding their own. The general type of plant society 

 of this prairie area would be designated as Hydro- 

 mesophytic. 



MEADOW SOCIETIES ON AREAS FORMERLY CULTIVATED. 



At western extremity of prairie, and some distance 

 south of the Bower Ditch there occurs a meadow of 

 this type which contains 60 acres. It is extremely well 

 sodded, but has been so closely pastured, that it was 

 impossible to determine the species of grasses, but, 

 most likely, the same combination of grass seeds were 

 sown here as in the meadow just north of Carey. A 

 woods occurred just west of the pasture field. This 

 area difiers from the two pasture fields discussed under 

 map II, as there are so few species of plants to be 

 found upon it. 



