Des Plaines Dolomite Prairies

Description

Des Plaines Dolomite Prairies Land and Water Reserve is included on the Illinois Natural Areas Inventory for its high-quality natural communities. The community types found on the reserve include mesic prairie, wet-mesic prairie, sedge meadow, dry dolomite prairie, mesic dolomite prairie, wet-mesic dolomite prairie, and wet dolomite prairie. The site contains 9 acres of rare, high-quality Grade B dry-mesic dolomite prairie which makes up 50% of the natural community left in the state and the only high-quality community in the Grand Prairie Natural Division. The natural community type supports a unique plant diversity (including five Illinois threatened and endangered species) due to the underlaying bedrock chemistry and structure. Shallow soils overlie dolomite bedrock, restricting the growth of deep-rooted plants typical of the black soil tallgrass prairies of Illinois. The site also hosts 200 acres of diverse Grade C dolomite prairie that consists of a continuum from dry dolomite prairie to wet dolomite prairie as well as sedge meadow. Additional areas include warm and cool season grass planting dominated grasslands that support breeding populations of area-sensitive species.