| |
 |
|
|
|
|
Ravine Hiking Trail
Pere Marquette State Park
A controlled burn site
near the top of the Ravine Trail
|
| Difficulty: |
Easy |
| Length: |
1/2 mile |
| Color: |
Green |
Hill prairies once dominated the land leading to the
bluff tops at Pere Marquette State Park and fire was a friend to this
ecosystem. Trees and shrubs are vulnerable to fire because they have living
tissue above ground while most prairie plants are deep rooted perennials
that go dormant in the autumn and winter months leaving only dead, extremely
flammable tops. When a fire occurred it would kill encroaching trees and
other woody growth and eliminate the accumulation of dead leaves and stems
of prairie plants, thereby helping the prairies to flourish.
Fires could occur naturally with events such as a
lightning strike or could be caused by man. Native Americans frequently used
fire as a hunting technique. Using what was called a ring fire they would
set the prairie ablaze and drive their prey into areas where hunters would
be waiting. With the arrival of early American settlers, prairie fires were
discouraged because they were seen as a threat to their farms and livestock.
The prairie began to disappear, as most of Illinois was cultivated into farmland. Although known as the "Prairie State," less than 0.01% of
Illinois' original 21 million acres of prairie remains.
When Pere Marquette State Park was formed in the
1930's, there still existed a large area of prairie area stretching from the
Illinois River to the crests of the bluffs. Fire suppression policies were
the norm for Park services until recently and this policy allowed trees and
shrubs to take over. Before the formation of the Park, the terrain that the
Ravine trail passes through would have been mostly hill prairie instead of
the young forest that currently exists today. There have been efforts
recently to restore some of the area to its original form. In April of 2002,
the Park conducted a controlled burn in the area where the Ravine and
Hickory Trails meet. Maintenance of this prairie area will give visitors an opportunity to
experience a piece of Illinois’ past.
The Ravine Trail connects with four trails: Goat
Cliff, Ridge, Hickory,
and Hickory South.
|
