<?xml version="1.0" encoding="US-ASCII"?>
<?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" href="rss-xsl.xml"?>
<rss version="2.0">
<channel>
<title>Metroparks of Toledo Area : Habitats of the oak openings region</title>
<link>http://www.metroparkstoledo.com/metro</link>
<description><![CDATA[The Oak Openings Region of northwest Ohio is not a single habitat, but a collection of habitats, some of which contain rare and unusual species and communities of species.]]></description>
<language>en-us</language>
<generator>Site Admin 3.00</generator>
<ttl>60</ttl>
<item>
	<title>Oak Savanna</title>
	<link>http://www.metroparkstoledo.com/metro/item.asp?item_id=2239</link>
	<description><![CDATA[&nbsp;
Oak savannas, also known as "oak openings," are sparsely treed landscapes having two to 20 trees per acre. In northwest Ohio the dominate oak species are black oak and white oak, with sprawling canopies yet spaced far enough apart that a great deal of sunlight still reaches the forest floor. This light gradient from moderately shaded to uninterrupted sunlight gives oak savannas an incredible diversity of plant species.
Most prairie plants can be found in the sunny areas and more shade-tolerant plants such as woodland sunflower, fern-leaf false foxglove and zigzag goldenrod do well in the trees' shade zone. Red-headed woodpeckers thrive in these savannas, as do red-tailed hawks and summer tanagers.
Oak savannas need occasional fires to keep their understory open so the forest floor plants can receive life-giving sunlight.]]></description>
	<enclosure url="http://www.metroparkstoledo.com/metro/content/items/image/2239_l.jpg" length="" type="image/jpeg"></enclosure>
	<pubDate>Sun, 5 Apr 2009 11:48:19 EST</pubDate>
	<guid><![CDATA[http://www.metroparkstoledo.com/metro/parksandplaces/item.asp?item_id=2239]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
	<title>Oak Woodland</title>
	<link>http://www.metroparkstoledo.com/metro/item.asp?item_id=2240</link>
	<description><![CDATA[Oak woodlands are oak-dominated forests with a tree density of more than 20 trees per acre. The trees' crowns are close, but do not touch, allowing a dappled matrix of sunlight to the forest floor. Fire in woodlands is less frequent than in savannas, which accounts for the greater density of trees and woody plants.
In the understory you can find woody species such as witch hazel and serviceberry, and herbaceous species like wild geranium, Dutchman's breeches and wintergreen. Cooper's hawks, scarlet tanagers and wild turkey are just a few of the birds that make oak woodlands their home.]]></description>
	<enclosure url="http://www.metroparkstoledo.com/metro/content/items/image/2240_l.jpg" length="" type="image/jpeg"></enclosure>
	<pubDate>Sun, 5 Apr 2009 11:49:17 EST</pubDate>
	<guid><![CDATA[http://www.metroparkstoledo.com/metro/parksandplaces/item.asp?item_id=2240]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
	<title>Pin Oak Flatwoods</title>
	<link>http://www.metroparkstoledo.com/metro/item.asp?item_id=2241</link>
	<description><![CDATA[Pin oak flatwoods are seasonally inundated with water. This condition combined with occasional fire favors pin oak as a canopy tree.
&nbsp;
Tree density varies: The trees can be so dense that their crowns touch, or so sparse there are only a handful per acre.
&nbsp;
Understory plants include spicebush, winterberry, cord grass, blue flag iris and buttonbush. Birds include wood duck, red-shouldered hawk, woodcock, great-crested flycatcher and alder flycatcher.]]></description>
	<enclosure url="http://www.metroparkstoledo.com/metro/content/items/image/2241_l.jpg" length="" type="image/jpeg"></enclosure>
	<pubDate>Sun, 5 Apr 2009 11:52:33 EST</pubDate>
	<guid><![CDATA[http://www.metroparkstoledo.com/metro/parksandplaces/item.asp?item_id=2241]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
	<title>Sand Barrens</title>
	<link>http://www.metroparkstoledo.com/metro/item.asp?item_id=2242</link>
	<description><![CDATA[&nbsp;
Sand barrens have very little or no organic topsoil, and very few trees. Nutrient-poor soil, wind erosion and periodic fire keep out most woody species, yet provide opportunities to a very unique plant community. One of our region's best known barrens is the Girdham Road Sand Dunes at Oak Openings Preserve Metropark.
&nbsp;
Some interesting plants in the barrens are sand cherry, sand serviceberry, prickly pear cactus, sand milkweed and dwarf dandelion. Birds that live include the Lark sparrow and field sparrow. If you are lucky, you may even see a prairie warbler.]]></description>
	<enclosure url="http://www.metroparkstoledo.com/metro/content/items/image/2242_l.jpg" length="" type="image/jpeg"></enclosure>
	<pubDate>Sun, 5 Apr 2009 11:54:44 EST</pubDate>
	<guid><![CDATA[http://www.metroparkstoledo.com/metro/parksandplaces/item.asp?item_id=2242]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
	<title>Tallgrass Prairie</title>
	<link>http://www.metroparkstoledo.com/metro/item.asp?item_id=2243</link>
	<description><![CDATA[&nbsp;
As the name implies, the dominate plants of tallgrass prairies are grasses. These grass species, which grow from about three feet to a little over six feet by the end of August, include big bluestem, little bluestem, Indian grass and Junegrass. There are practically no trees in a prairie. While the grasses are the most obvious group of plants they are not the greatest contributor to a prairie's species diversity; this distinction belongs to the forbs (a large group of flowering plants that are not grasses), sedges and rushes.
&nbsp;
Examples of these prairie forbs are: western sunflower, blazing stars, colicroot, wild lupine, prairie lily, dotted horse mint, asters, round-headed bush clover and black-eye Susan. Some birds that nest in grasslands include: field sparrow, Lark sparrow and eastern bluebird.
&nbsp;
To stay healthy, prairies require frequent controlled fire, otherwise they will become degraded fields.]]></description>
	<enclosure url="http://www.metroparkstoledo.com/metro/content/items/image/2243_l.jpg" length="" type="image/jpeg"></enclosure>
	<pubDate>Sun, 5 Apr 2009 11:56:23 EST</pubDate>
	<guid><![CDATA[http://www.metroparkstoledo.com/metro/parksandplaces/item.asp?item_id=2243]]></guid>
</item>
<item>
	<title>Wet Prairie</title>
	<link>http://www.metroparkstoledo.com/metro/item.asp?item_id=2245</link>
	<description><![CDATA[&nbsp;
The vegetation of wet prairies are dominated by sedges, rushes and grasses and are one of the most imperiled, rare habitat types in North America. Seasonally, usually during winter and through early summer, these prairies are inundated with water. They need fire to keep woody species from overtaking the habitat and allow sunlight to nourish the unusual plant community.
&nbsp;
A sampling of plants in our wet prairies includes cardinal flower, blue lobelia, bladderwort, fringed gentian and prairie rattlesnake root. Some birds that make their home here are Wilson's snipe, sora and swamp sparrow.]]></description>
	<enclosure url="http://www.metroparkstoledo.com/metro/content/items/image/2245_l.jpg" length="" type="image/jpeg"></enclosure>
	<pubDate>Sun, 5 Apr 2009 11:59:57 EST</pubDate>
	<guid><![CDATA[http://www.metroparkstoledo.com/metro/parksandplaces/item.asp?item_id=2245]]></guid>
</item>
</channel>
</rss>
