MEEC 2005 FIELD TRIPS

La Rue Pine Hills Swamp

The Shawnee National Forest is contiguous across six counties in southern Illinois and one of the richest ecological areas in our state. La Rue Pine Hills is a small 10 square mile portion of the SNF but is biologically diverse, largely due to the unique topography created by the towering limestone bluffs that border a spring-fed swamp. Swamp, spring, cliff, forest, glade, cave, and hilltop prairie communities provide a wide diversity of habitats types and correspondingly diverse flora and fauna. Several rare species are found at La Rue-Pine Hills, including the Golden Mouse, Eastern Woodrat, Indiana Bat, Blue-Head Shiner, Banded Pygmy Sunfish, Spotted Sunfish, and Bantam Sunfish. In addition, numerous species of amphibians and ~20 species of snakes are known from La Rue Pine Hills.

Trip Leaders:

Dr. Ronald A. Brandon, Emeritus Professor and Former Department Chair (Department of Zoology, Southern Illinois University). Dr. Brandon’s research interests include the physiology, morphology, ecology, and evolution of amphibians. In addition to numerous scientific publications, Dr. Brandon is coauthor of A Field Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of Illinois from the Illinois Natural History Field Guide Series.

Dr. Loretta Battaglia, Assistant Professor (Department of Plant Biology, Southern Illinois University). Dr. Battaglia’s research focuses spatiotemporal patterns in wetland plant communities and the restoration ecology of wetlands. She is particularly interested in the effects of large-scale phenomena, such as exotic species invasions and hurricane disturbances, on spatial pattern formation and community dynamics.

Meeting Place: Main parking lot of Carbondale Civic Center
Time: 12:00 pm, March 13, 2005.
Difficulty: Easy to moderate walk on wooded trails.

Additional information on La Rue Pine Hills Natural Area
http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/cwe/rra/site27.html

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