The Sand Prairie-Scrub Oak State Nature Preserve, formerly called the ''Mason County State Wildlife Refuge and Recreation Area'', is a State Natural Area and

Nature Preserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or o ...

located in the U.S. state of Illinois. Containing 1,460 acres (591 ha), it is a dedicated state nature preserve. It is located in western Mason County. The nearest town is

Kilbourne, Illinois Kilbourne is a village in Mason County, Illinois, United States. The population was 265 at the 2020 census, down from 302 in 2010. Geography Kilbourne is located in southern Mason County at . Illinois Route 97 runs through the east side of the v ...

and the nearest numbered highway is

Illinois Route 97 Illinois Route 97 (IL 97) is a north–south state highway in the central and western portions of the U.S. state of Illinois. It extends from I-55 Business (Business Loop I-55) in Springfield northwest to U.S. Highway 150 (US ...

. It contains fragmentary examples of the ecosystem described in its name.

History

Sand Prairie-Scrub Oak is managed by the

Illinois Department of Natural Resources The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is the code department of the Illinois state government that operates the state parks and state recreation areas, enforces the fishing and game laws of Illinois, regulates Illinois coal mines, ...

(IDNR) as a state nature preserve. The preserve does not have on-site staff, and is managed as a disjunct area of

Sand Ridge State Forest Sand Ridge State Forest is a conservation area located in the U.S. state of Illinois. Containing , it is the largest state forest in Illinois. It is located in northern Mason County. The nearest town is Manito, Illinois, and the nearest numbe ...

, a larger conservation area within the same county. Sand Prairie-Scrub Oak was purchased in 1969 and dedicated as a State Nature Preserve in April 1970. The Sand Prairie-Scrub Oak Nature Preserve contains dry sand prairies, sand savannas, and sand forests. The soil is approximately 95% sand, 4% silt, and 1% clay.

Flora

A study published in 2008 found 393 species within the preserve. Areas of savanna and forest are characterized by

black oak Black Oak may refer to: Places in the United States * Black Oak, Arkansas * Black Oak, Daviess County, Indiana * Black Oak, Lake County, Indiana, a neighborhood of Gary, Indiana * Black Oak, Missouri Other * Black Oak Arkansas, American band ** ...

and

blackjack oak ''Quercus marilandica'', the blackjack oak, is a small oak, one of the red oak group ''Quercus'' sect. ''Lobatae''. It is native to the eastern and central United States. Description ''Quercus marilandica'' is a small deciduous tree growing to ...

, with some mockernut. In a 2015 research and inspection fan-out, arborists discovered the first example of dwarf chinkapin oak identified in Illinois. Other unusual trees identified in the preserve include what are believed to be among the northernmost natural range trees of

black hickory ''Carya texana'', or black hickory, for its dark colored bark, is a North American tree in the walnut family, Juglandaceae. It is endemic to the United States, found primarily in the southern Great Plains and the Lower Mississippi Valley. It is ...

. Prairie grasses such as little bluestem, and sand plant life such as eastern prickly pear cactus, can be found.

References

External links

Sand Prairie-Scrub Oak State Nature Preserve
{{authority control 1970 establishments in Illinois Protected areas established in 1970 Protected areas of Mason County, Illinois State parks of Illinois Nature reserves in Illinois