A Dendroecological Investigation of an Upland Oak-Dominated Forest within the Grand Prairie Region of Illinois

ABSTRACT We studied an upland forest located within the Grand Prairie region of Illinois and utilized tree-ring analysis to document tree cohort development and radial growth in relation to stand disturbance and climate. The overstory within the Humiston Woods Nature Center (Livingston County, Illinois) study area was dominated by oak (Quercus spp.), hickory (Carya spp.), and ash (Fraxinus spp.), while the subordinate crown classes were principally composed of elm (Ulmus spp.) and sugar maple (Acer saccharum). The study area contained tree cohorts originating during two recruitment periods. Overstory oaks and hickories primarily established between 1865 and 1900. A second tree cohort was associated with a timber harvest occurring in the late 1960s. In contrast to the 1865–1900 recruitment period, trees within the 1965–1980 cohort were primarily ash, elm, sugar maple, and black cherry (Prunus serotina). RWI values were most strongly correlated with Palmer Drought Severity Index, precipitation, and temperat...