Mesic Prairie

Between the dry uplands and the seasonally flooded pocket marshes and stream valleys, soil moisture levels are garden like. If burning is frequent enough to discourage forest growth, a mesic prairie develops, turning the sand black with organic richness. This soil is good farmland, and as a result large areas of mesic sand prairie are scarce, existing mostly along old railroad rights-of-way.

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Xeric Prairie - full sunshine on excessively drained sand ridges.

Oak Savannas and Woodlands - open groves of black oaks with dappled sun on sandy ridges and flats.

Wetlands - sometimes flooded, rich in life but often maligned.