Anoka Ecosystems:
Mesic Oak Forest
Mesic oak forests in Anoka County are dominated by northern red oaks, white oaks or bur oaks as well as basswood. Unlike many of the dry oak forests in the county which were probably savannas in the past, mesic oak forests probably have historically been dominated by woodland, due to the lack of severe fire. Evidence of this can be seen in stands with taller trees with more narrrow crowns. Oaks in mesic oak forests are tall, typically 60 feet or more, and straight and often lack lower spreading branches present in dryer oak stands. Over time, though, these mesic oak stands can often become more of a maple-basswood forest.
Mesic stands often have a diverse compositions of mesic forest species including basswood, green ash, butternut, hickory, quaking aspen, paper birch, sugar maple, and sometimes white pine. The subcanopy usually contains species from the canopy, but also red maple, ironwood and American hornbeam. The shrub layer is more sparse in mesic stands than dry stands, and they feature species such as chokecherry, American hazelnut, and pagoda dogwood. However, the forb layer tends to be more diverse and dense, featuring species common to mesic, dry, and moist forests, including wild sarsaparilla, lady fern, round-banched ground-pine, and yellow violet. .
Sources:
"Minnesota's Native Vegetation: A Key to Natural Communities" Version 1.5 Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Program, 1993.
Wovcha, D, Delaney, B, Nordquist, G. Minnesota's St. Croix River Valley and Anoka Sandplain: A Guide to Native Habitats Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, 1995.
