Vegetation Gradients in the Streamside Forest of Hickory Creek, Will County, Illinois

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Abstract
Vegetation of the proposed Hickory Creek Dry Reservoir of Will County, Illinois, USA, was described by an indirect gradient of time and a direct gradient of flooding frequency. Mature uplands were dominated by Acer saccharum with Tilia americana the most common associate. Mature flood-plain regions harbored a Fraxinus pennsylvanica-Tilia americana dominated complex. The 1st forest stage in the succesfful sequence of both regions was dominated by Crataegus mollis. Successional development was determined from inter-stand relationships. Stand structure was influenced by the response of species to an elevationl gradient associated with flood frequency. Species richness and species diversity tended to increase with increasing maturity and decreasing flood stress. Mature, unflooded uplands supported the greatest number of species and the greatest species diversity.

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