The Forest Habitat of the University of Kansas Natural History Reservation

In Short

This technical report documents the environmental history and ecological state of the University of Kansas Natural History Reservation in the mid-1950s. By analyzing historical records, land-use patterns, and detailed field observations of tree distribution, it illustrates how the exclusion of livestock and the cessation of cultivation allowed a formerly grazed, disturbed landscape to undergo rapid secondary succession. It serves as an enduring baseline for regional naturalists, capturing a moment when human intervention and natural resilience converged to reshape the Kansas landscape.

The Story

The narrative begins with the environmental state of northeastern Kansas in the mid-1800s, characterizing the region as a complex mosaic of tall-grass prairie and deciduous forest. This landscape was fundamentally altered by the arrival of settlers in the 1850s, who brought cultivation, timber harvesting, and livestock grazing to the land north of the Kansas River. The record is patchy—relying on early settler correspondence and government maps—but it reveals a pattern where bottomlands were heavily cleared for agriculture while upland prairies were often used for grazing.

As the nineteenth century turned, the land came under the control of the J. F. Morgan family. Their management—continual tree cutting, annual mowing of prairie hay, and the use of fire to keep woody growth at bay—maintained a degree of open landscape that contrasted with the pre-settlement era. However, the mid-1930s marked a dramatic shift. Under the auspices of the University of Kansas and the U.S. Soil Conservation Service, efforts began to stabilize the eroding terrain. Gullies were filled, terraces were built, and, crucially, wooded hillsides were fenced off from livestock.

This act of protection fundamentally changed the trajectory of the Reservation. Without the pressure of browsing, young trees and shrubs began to colonize the edges of the woodlands. By the time the area became a formal Reservation in 1948 and all livestock were excluded, the process of natural succession accelerated. The book details the subsequent struggle for light and space: how elms, hickories, and oaks began to dominate, and how species like honey locust thrived in the transition from pasture to woodland, often hitchhiking in the droppings of cattle.

The final arc of the work examines the forest as it stood in the mid-1950s. The authors detail a landscape where formerly open sites were becoming "almost impassable" due to dense thickets. They describe the specific roles of various species—from the shade-tolerant shagbark hickory to the drought-sensitive red elm—and note the presence of "invaders" like the Tree-of-heaven, a non-native species marking the sites of abandoned homesteads. By concluding with an annotated list of species, the work provides a final, clear snapshot of a living, shifting habitat that continues to evolve in the wake of human influence.

How It Unfolds

The historical baseline The authors reconstruct the pre-settlement environment using fragmented settler letters and government maps. They identify the tension between prairie and forest as a primary feature of the region’s original character.

The era of disturbance Detailed accounts of farming and grazing practices explain how the landscape was suppressed for decades. This period of human management, through fire and cattle, effectively pushed back the encroaching woods.

The intervention of the thirties The narrative shifts to the University's involvement, which introduced soil conservation and the fencing of hillsides. These protection measures inadvertently acted as a catalyst for the rapid return of woody vegetation.

The observation of succession The book moves into the 1950s, using statistical sampling to show how different tree species compete for territory. It tracks the decline of sun-loving shrubs as a dense, new forest canopy closes in.

The final assessment The authors catalogue the specific flora and their associated animal residents to define the reservation’s ecological identity. This section captures the resulting diversity of a forest that has been left to its own devices.

The People

The book focuses less on individual human characters and more on the evolving relationship between the land and those who managed it. The J. F. Morgan family represents the era of early twentieth-century land use, where the primary objective was the pragmatic utility of the land for grazing and timber. They represent the last generation of humans to actively suppress the natural expansion of the forest.

The University of Kansas researchers, represented by the authors, shift the focus toward stewardship and scientific observation. Their role is to document the "resurrection" of the forest. They approach the land not as a resource to be harvested, but as a living laboratory. Finally, the native trees themselves—such as the resilient shagbark hickory and the encroaching red cedar—emerge as the true protagonists. They are in a constant state of competition, reacting to the absence of the plow and the cow. Each species has a specific "strategy"—the hickory waits in the shade, while the locust seeds ride in on cattle—and they collectively dictate the outcome of the landscape's recovery. The land ends up profoundly different: it is no longer the open, managed pasture of the nineteenth century, but a closing, thickening canopy of native growth.

In Its Own Voice

"There were high, conical hills, bearing on their tops forest trees, with dense, thick foliage; at the next moment a little shady nook, with a silvery rivulet running over its pebbly bed...."

This passage, excerpted from a nineteenth-century traveler’s account, illustrates the varied, wooded character of the region before it was fully settled and cleared.

"In every instance the abundance of young trees seemed to be inversely proportional to the amount of competing herbaceous vegetation."

The authors summarize their field findings regarding how dense ground cover inhibits the growth of new saplings in the post-agricultural fields.

What It's Really About

At its core, this is a study of secondary succession—the way life reclaims land after a period of intense human disruption. It asks a fundamental question: what happens when we stop trying to control a landscape? The book challenges the reader to view a forest not as a static, permanent feature, but as a fluid process that responds immediately to changes in soil, moisture, and, most importantly, human activity. It questions whether "original" conditions can ever truly be restored, or if the best a reserve can do is provide a space for nature to find its own new equilibrium. The research highlights the fragility of human-imposed landscapes and the persistent, slow-motion power of botanical succession.

Why Read It Today

Readers interested in environmental history, restoration ecology, or the natural landscape of the Great Plains will find this an essential resource. It provides a rare, grounded look at how specific local environments shift over time. Because it is a technical publication from 1956, the tone is clinical and observational; it does not attempt to romanticize the forest, but rather to map its mechanics with cold, clear accuracy.

It will particularly appeal to those who enjoy "detective" work in nature—the study of old stumps, soil types, and animal droppings to reconstruct the past. Be prepared for a dense, data-heavy experience; the book is filled with tables, percentages, and lists that reflect its origins as a scientific monograph. It does not contain a narrative plot, but rather a progression of ecological evidence. If you have ever walked through a patch of woods and wondered why certain trees grow where they do, or why a field is turning into a thicket, this book will give you the tools to see the history written into the landscape. It captures a specific, mid-century perspective on conservation that serves as a fascinating anchor point for anyone interested in how the American landscape continues to change today.