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Thorn Creek Woods Nature Preserve is a 500-acre area at the southern end of a broad woodland along Thorn Creek. Narrow ridges and deep ravines, broad uplands, shallow depressions, and the stream valley are characteristics of the area. Red oak, white oak, sugar maple, black maple, and basswood are the predominant tree species. |
SIZE: 20,614 acres; 32 square miles
LOCATION: Northeastern Illinois, southern Chicago metropolitan area; Cook and Will counties
The Thorn Creek RRA is characterized as heavily urbanized with its natural resources confined along streams and in forest preserves. This is a relatively small site.
LANDCOVER : The site is 61% urban/built-up and 24% upland woods.
Much of the woods occurs in the county forest preserves; some is wooded
residential areas. Small amounts of nonforested wetlands and bottomland
forest acreages are located in this RRA.
NATURAL AREAS : The five Natural Areas in the Thorn Creek RRA total 927 acres. The natural areas include examples of upland, bottomland and ravine woodlands, glacial potholes, prairies, and streams.
BIOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT STREAMS : There are no BSS streams in this RRA.
HERITAGE SITES : There are 13 Heritage occurrences: three significant community types, seven plants species, and three animal species.
STATE AND FEDERAL LAND : There is no state or federal land at this site.
NATURE PRESERVES : The two Nature Preserves located in this site feature forest, prairie, and marsh communities.
NATURAL DIVISIONS : This site lies entirely within the Northeastern Morainal Natural Division.
SUMMARY OF SITE CHARACTERISTICS: SIZE, BIOLOGIC RESOURCES, AND PUBLIC LANDS
| Total Acreage |
20,614 |
| Natural Areas | |
|
Acreage |
927 |
|
Number |
5 |
| Biologically Significant Stream Mileage | 0 |
| Natural Heritage Sites | 13 |
| State Land | |
|
State Parks |
0 |
|
State Conservation Areas |
0 |
|
State Forests |
0 |
|
State Fish & Wildlife Areas |
0 |
|
Acreage |
0 |
|
Percentage of RRA |
0.0 |
| Federal Land | |
|
Acreage |
0 |
|
Percentage of RRA |
0.0 |
| LANDCOVER |
Acres |
% of RRA |
| Upland forest | 4,904.91 | 23.80 |
| Bottomland forest | 673.18 | 3.27 |
| Wetland-nonforested | 132.87 | 0.64 |
| Grassland | 478.29 | 2.32 |
| Cropland | 1,669.69 | 8.10 |
| Urban-Built Up | 12,511.54 | 60.70 |
| Water | 242.25 | 1.18 |
| Total | 20,612.73 | 100.01 |
| ILLINOIS NATURAL AREAS INVENTORY SITES |
Acres |
| Monee Railroad Prairie | 8 |
| Thorn Creek Woods | 631 |
| Thornton-Lansing Road | 219 |
| Volbrecht Road Woods | 3 |
| Wampum Lake Seepage Area | 66 |
None
| NATURAL HERITAGE CATEGORIES | ||
| Communities |
Occurrences |
Types/Species |
|
Wetland |
1 | 1 |
|
Forest |
1 | 1 |
|
Prairie |
1 | 1 |
| Threatened and Endangered Animals | ||
|
Bird |
3 | 3 |
| Threatened and Endangered Plants | ||
|
Plant-Dicot |
5 | 5 |
|
Plant-Monocot |
2 | 2 |
| Geological Feature | ||
| Other |
| STATE AND FEDERAL LAND |
Acres |
| State Parks | 0 |
| State Conservation Areas | 0 |
| State Forests | 0 |
| State Fish and Wildlife Areas | 0 |
| Federal Land | 0 |
| ILLINOIS NATURE PRESERVES |
Acres |
| Thorn Creek Woods | 513 |
| Thornton-Lansing Road | 80 |
| NATURAL DIVISIONS |
Acres in RRA |
% of RRA |
% of Division |
| Northeastern Morainal | 20,614 | 100.0 | 0.8 |