Carleton College Cowling Arboretum - Habitats

Habitats

The Carleton Arb is located on a natural border between prairie and forest habitat. In the time before human settlement, when fires rolled across the prairie in the South part of the state, one Cannon River habitat acted as a fire buffer. The flame tolerant species of the prairie and oak savanna communities slowed the progress of natural fires, while the fire intolerant species of the maple-basswood deciduous forests were destroyed. As a result of this old demarcation, the species found throughout different sections of the Arb today serve as reminders of these old communities. In restoring the Arb to its former state, these trees and plants are used as clues in identifying what species grew and reproduced in a given area. To see the current location of the different habitats throughout the Arb look at the Arb map. The map also details the plans for future restoration of agricultural areas and buckthorn forest. Listed below are links to the management plans and natural history for each habitat found within the Arb.