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40-Acre Unspoiled Maple Forest To Be PreservedI #A 40-acre maple forest which is one of the best—and last—to be found in Southern Wisconsin has been a teaching laboratory for 10 years for the University, and is nqw in process of being acquired by the Wisconsin chapter of the Nature Conservancy. The group, with a present 200 members and a goal of 1,000, seeks to preserve some of the remaining relatively unspoiled sections of prairieand woodland.Last Sunday the group went to the 40-acre Abraham’s Woods, southwest of Albany, a tract called a ‘’climax” forest because it can reproduce itself, whereas the oak and preceding stages are peopled by a succession of different trees. Abraham Woods escaped most of the prairie fires which preceded white settlement, and they have suffered relatively little wood cutting and grazing.Dr. Grant Cottam, professor of botany at the University, points out that the trend toward suburban living, and the population explosion, are rapidly reducing thenative landscape. “In the last 10years, approximately 50 per cent of the relatively disturbed stands have fallen to the chain saw and the bulldozer,” he says. He continues:a‘Maple-basswood stands are considered to be the climax, or terminal forests of the region. In many ways they are the most magnificent forests we have. They have the greatest vegetational complexity and, since they are the end point toward which succession in this region trends, they are an important standard againstwhich other forests and the effects of man’s disturbance can be assessed.”of red oaks and sugar maple, with some slippery elm, Some further has been removed selectively, but the canopy was never opened sufficiently to retard succession. The red oaks do not reproduce, dtfe to the dense shade. Consequently, any red oak that was cut was replaced by maple and slippery elm. In some parts of the woods, red oak is still conspicuous and the red oak trees are very large.“Present in smaller numbers are basswood, yellowbud hickory, haekberry, black walnut, and butternut. The understory is typical of the maple-bass wood forests of the region, but in addition harbors many species rare in ^Vlsconsin.“In early spring there is a carpet of trout lily, spring beauty, tri Ilium, dutchmen’s breeches, and other spring ephemerals. In summer two species completelydominate the forest floor: woods nettle and jewel weed.**Cottam said that a survey last summer located IB stands in Southern Wisconsin, of which Abraham's Woods is one of the best. Scientists believe the prairieburned regularly before the coming of the white man, but Abraham’s Woods probably escaped most burnings because of a high east slope which foiled the prevailing winds.“At the time of settlement,” Cottgm declared, “judging from the size of the present trees, thewoods was probably a mixture 6. D. C.‘A cold recital of facts about (this forest is completely inadequate to explain its real value. Woods of this type are extremely rare in Southern Wisconsin. The typical stand is a white oak-black oak stand with a heavy layer of shrubbery and ‘summer blooming herbs.“The value of this forest for scientific and educational purposes is obvious. Less immediately apparent is the value to the average citizen. There are few of us who can fail to react to the display of beauty before us today. Even if we never come again, it is comforting to know that every spring this forest is again clothedin beauty, forever safe from the roar of the chain saw.”Paul Olson, principal of Midvale School, member of the State Conservation Commission, and widely known conservation leader, is president of the Wisconsin chapter of the Nature Conservancy.National headquarters are at 2039 K Street NW, WashingtonIff M If M'% -w m “MA TLGetting in and out just before a heavy rainstorm, more than 100 persons interested in unusual segments of Wisconsin wildlife toured Abraham’s woods southwest of Albany to see a maple woods carpeted briefly with flowers before the leaves cut off the light. *At upper left, part of the crowd is shown listening to an advance description given by Drs. Grant Cottam and Hugh litis of the University botany department, and Prof, Joseph J. Hickey of the forestry and wildlife department. The group was divided forseparate tours of the 40-acre tract, which the Wisconsin chapter of the Nature Conservancy is in process of acquiring.A small annual plant, called false mermaid, rare in Wisconsin but common in Abraham’s woods, is held up by Cottam in the picture at upper right, and gets the close attention of Miss Ruby Here (left), 601 Woodward Dr., of the State Laboratory of Hygiene, and Miss Helen Parsons, 5724 Old Sauk Rd., retired professor of home economics. The little flower’s full name is “Floerkia proserpinaeoides.”The four children of Mr. and Mrs. Bernerd Kline559 Chatham Ter., are shown in the picture at lower left, looking at a jack-in-the-pulplt, common in the woods. Left to right are Tom, Cindy, David andSally.At lower right, Prof. Cottom scans the ground for another specimen among the more than 60 flowers that fill the woods. Blue and yellow violets, duch-man’s breeches, moonseed vine, wild licorice, three kinds of buttercup, coral root and false rue anemone —even poison ivy—are among them. (Staff Photos by Herb Jacobs)
Newspaper Details
Madison Capital Times
Madison, Wisconsin, US
Sat, May 20, 1961
Page 14
Full Page
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Anonymous
WI, USA 15 Nov 2022
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