Shawnee Group of the Sierra Club

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Natural Areas: Our greatest public treasure

by Sam Stearns

Southern Illinois was once covered with forests of trees so massive we can now hardly comprehend them. Oaks and hickories were commonly six to eight feet in diameter. Sycamores were documented which measured fifteen feet in diameter ~ ten feet off the ground! Early surveyors described grapevines in the forest “as thick as the biggest man’s waist.” The diversity of plant and animal life then was rich and complex. The forest which covered most of our rolling hills was cut only by pristine meandering streams; and interspersed occasionally with small open glades which harbored a whole other world of native species. Sandstone bluffs and tumbled monoliths held their own microhabitats of species unique to that particular terrain. Everything was wilderness and all the land forms throughout the Shawnee Hills were natural areas when the first settlers arrived.

Within a few human generations most of the ridge tops and many of the hillsides were cleared through logging, farming, and grazing. Soil scientists now estimate that we lost two to three feet of topsoil in the process. Now we measure the accretion of soil ~ the basis for all life in the hills ~ in terms of a few millimeters per year.

We do not know what species and various life forms were lost after settlement. Most land was converted to orchards, farms, and residences. By the 1970’s people realized that if we continued consuming all land for strictly human purposes, there would be nothing left of our natural heritage. This is when the Illinois Department of Conservation (now the Illinois Department of Natural Resources) initiated the Illinois Natural Areas Inventory.

Over a three year period scientists from all fields worked to find areas which were in a nearly natural condition. There were no truly virgin areas. Every inch of Illinois had been altered by the human touch at one time or another. But a few places were found which contained the last remnants of our native plant and animal species; and other unique irreplaceable features. These few fragile pockets of healthy ecosystems were designated Natural Areas. All together, they comprise seven one-hundredths of one percent of the State of Illinois. We are blessed that a greater concentration of Natural Areas occur in the Shawnee Hills than anywhere else.

In this day of tremendous technological advancement, there can be no question of the value of basic scientific research. Natural Areas are resource materials from which new knowledge can be derived. As scientists learn more about the world of nature, they are increasingly aware of the tremendous loss that will be suffered with the impending annihilation of natural communities all over the world. The loss in real wealth from the extinction of living forms is beyond comprehension. Natural Areas can serve as check areas in studies relating to air, water, and soil pollution. Gaining a greater knowledge of wild communities and populations can lead to a better understanding of the growing problems of human society, urban environment, sustainable agriculture, and serve valuable functions in research in many aspects of land management.

Natural Areas serve as outdoor classrooms for students of all levels, from grade school through college. They provide a teaching resource to fill the need of contact with the world of nature. Teachers, parents, children, and curious citizens benefit from this.

Plants and animals have evolved into a bewildering diversity of forms, varying in infinite detail with their adaptation to varying climates, soils, and living conditions. Researchers find that the wild relatives of domesticated species are valuable sources of new genetic material. The plants and animals man uses are only a tiny fraction of the wild things which inhabit the earth. The potential usefulness of the others is unknown but doubtless enormous. We are constantly discovering new uses and products from wild plants and animals previously unexploited.

Many forms of life will perish from the earth if we do not spare bits of their native habitats as havens from the flood of civilization. Simply to keep on earth the awe-inspiring myriad array of living things is our obligation to future generations.

Natural Areas are sources of beauty and inspiration, both as scenery; and in the more intimate sense of the form and color of individual groups of living things.

Natural Areas also serve as living museums: examples of the rich and diverse natural world from which the pioneers built this country. They are historic memorials that serve as living links with the primitive past in such a way as to enhance our understanding and perception of the world in which we live.

Here in Southern Illinois we enjoy the privilege of having an assortment of these Natural Areas scattered across our end of the State. We should enjoy them; but use them responsibly. Visit as many of these areas as you can, while you can. But take care to leave no trace of yourself behind. That is the only way to insure that they will be intact for others in the future.

Sam Stearns is public education coordinator for Friends of Bell Smith Springs. He based this article on information from the Illinois Natural Areas Inventory and personal experience. www.traildamage.8k.com or bellsmithsprings@hotmail.com

Updates to the original Natural Areas Inventory are now conducted through the Critical Trends Assessment Program (CTAP) of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Thir work is an on-going process to evaluate the State of the Illinois environment. It also provides scientific support for the Ecosystems Program under Conservation 2000, a multi-year initiative to preserve and restore Illinois ecosystems.

The primary goal of CTAP is to conduct statewide & regional assessments of environmental conditions. But when CTAP's first statewide assessment was completed in 1994, scientists reported that there was not enough data available to adequately assess ecosystem health. To rectify this situation CTAP have developed methods such as, land cover mapping and volunteering monitoring to systematically collect data and monitor ecosystems throughout the state. 

Visit the CTAP site for extensive mapping and Geographic Information System (GIS) resources.

For a detailed 8 1/2" x 11" map of roadless areas in the Shawnee Forest, download this high-resolution Adobe PDF file.  

The maps are data intensive and can take a considerable time to load and render (approx 1 - 4 minutes for Administrative Unit Maps with 28.8 connection). Printing is recommended to obtain the best full view and to ensure rendering is finished. It is also possible to download the maps to your computer for viewing by clicking on the map's link with the right mouse button and selecting "Save Target As..." from the menu.

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Last edited: 08/03/05