Faculty Publications & Research
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
Fall 2001
Keywords
flora, plant diversity, van horn woods, floral inventory, habitat quality, preservation, conservation, natural areas, Will County, Illinois, coefficient of conservatism, C value, floristic quality index
Disciplines
Biodiversity | Botany | Other Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Abstract
The vascular flora at Van Horn Woods Park was surveyed during the 1998-2000 growing seasons. This park is a 30 hectare site located in Plainfield Township, Will County, Illi- nois (SE1/4 S27 T36N R9E). A total of 246 taxa, representing 160 genera and 67 fami- lies, were identified within or immediately adjacent to the park. Seventy-one percent of these taxa were native. Four taxa were collected and submitted to the Morton Arboretum as new county records for Will County. The quality of this site as a natural area was also assessed using quantitative methods based on floral composition and diversity. The site was found to have a mean C value (C) of 3.44, a modal C value of 5, and a floristic quality index (I) rating of 45.51. These results indicate that Van Horn Woods is a site adequate enough in natural floristic quality to be worthy of protection and preservation.
Recommended Citation
Traina, J. (2001). Vascular flora of Van Horn Woods, Plainfield Township, Will County, IL. Transactions of the Illinois State Academy of Science, 94(3), 139-149. Retrieved from http://digitalcommons.imsa.edu/sci_pr/6
