Vegetation
Common
trees in the Drury-Mincy
Conservation Area include
oaks and hickories in the
uplands and sycamore,
sweetgum, and ash in the
bottomlands. Prior to fire
suppression in the late
19th century
the area included
extensive regions of post
oak savanna (30%) and
dolomite glades (35%). In
the absence of fire the
savannas have been invaded
by a variety of
fire-sensitive woody
species, resulting in a
closed canopy, and glades
have been invaded by red
cedars. The Missouri
Department of Conservation (MDC) is currently
restoring these
communities with a
combination of cedar
removal and prescribed
burns.
The glades have
thin soils and are
dominated by grasses and
numerous wild flowers, and
contain five endemicspecies. The
savannas have a
prairie-like herbaceous understory similar in
composition to the glade
communities. A sinkhole
pond marsh (pond #2)
contains the rare manna
grass. Other rare and
endangered species include
giant cane and running
buffalo clover. Plants
found at the Drury-Mincy
Conservation Area are
catalogued in the Plant
Diversity website.
Bull
Shoals Field Station
