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What makes <br /> F a plant community native? <br /> �y <br /> Native landscapes consist of diverse, indigenous <br /> species that have adapted,over thousands of years, to <br /> climatic extremes and local soils. Minnesota has four <br /> primary plant communities <br /> • PrairieS are open grasslands that occur in <br /> relatively dry climates where precipitation levels are <br /> generally inadequate for optimum tree growth.The <br /> grasses and wildflowers of some prairies are tall and <br /> dense while other prairies—depending upon soil and <br /> moisture conditions—are sparsely covered with short <br /> Savanna — an enchanting mix of trees and prairie. grass and flower species.While pre-settlement <br /> Minnesota included nearly 18 million acres of prairie, <br /> today only about 150,000 acres remain. <br /> • Savannas usually provide the transition between <br /> open prairie and woodlands, occurring where precipi- <br /> tation can support widely scattered,drought-resistant <br /> trees. While prairie grasses and wildflowers dominate <br /> the ground cover,scattered bur and pin oaks are not <br /> uncommon. PRI's headquarters near Princeton is <br /> located on the Anoka Sand Plain in an area that was <br /> once savanna. <br /> • Woodlands include the mixed conifer forests of <br /> northern Minnesota and the deciduous hardwood <br /> Woodland— a rich maple—basswood forest. forests of the central and southeast. Forest communities <br /> also exhibit diverse characteristics that are dependent <br /> on climate, moisture and soil conditions. PRI's <br /> enhancement work in woodlands often begins with <br /> removal of the aggressive exotic, buckthorn. <br /> • Wetlands can occur within any plant community <br /> and include plants that adapt best to saturated soil or <br /> standing water. Wetlands include marshes, fens and the <br /> banks of rivers,streams and lakes. Wetland plant <br /> communities are essential to a healthy environment, <br /> primarily because of their storage and filtering <br /> capacities, and great efforts are necessary to define, <br /> protect and restore them. Increasingly, PRI is participat- <br /> ing in significant shoreline stabilization projects,as well <br /> as the restoration of conventional basin type wetlands. <br /> Wetland— a central Minnesota marsh; includes Joe—pye weed (Eupatorium <br /> maculatum) and giant sunflower(Helianthus giganteus). <br /> 3 <br />