Here is a link to a PDF that contains a map of the entire Burr Oak Woods Conservation Area.
This is an earthcache. To log this earthcache as found first you will need to get to the posted coordinates location by navigating the Missouri Tree Trail and then email me the answers to the questions posted below. There is an observation deck where you will find an informational sign that has some of the answers to the questions below. To obtain the rest of the answers you will need to read through the earthcache's description and observe your surroundings.
- What type of glade do you think the Burr Oak Woods Conservation Area is? Why do you think these glades are of that type?
- From the information sign and checking the compass on your GPS, what direction does these glades face to?
- Do you see any notorious grykes on the ground below the observation deck? What does that tell you about the soil resistance to erosion?
Conservation Area Information
Missouri is a state rich in history, folklore and natural resources. The Conservation Department encourages you to visit, use and enjoy this area and other Department areas.
Burr Oak Woods Conservation Area is in Jackson County, 20 miles east of downtown Kansas City. The area is composed of 1,071 acres of woodlands, glades, native grass and forb plantings, fields and ponds, and includes a scenic portion of Burr Oak Creek. Burr Oak Woods was purchased in 1977.
Land surrounding Burr Oak Woods Conservation Area belongs to private landowners. The boundaries adjoining private property are clearly marked. Please respect landowners’ rights with these simple courtesies: obtain permission before going on private property, pick up all litter and do not damage property.
Area hours: Area is open to vehicles from 7am to 8pm daily during Daylight Savings Time and from 7am to 6pm Central Standard Time. The area is closed Thanksgiving Day, the Friday following Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
What is a Glade?
A glade is an opening in the woods due to a habitat that does not support forest. Thin soil over the limestone dries out, and the rock limits the depth tree roots can reach down for water. Most glades suffer summer drought or water stress in July and August. Surface temperatures can reach 43 to 53 °C (109 to 127 °F) on exposed bedrock within the glades.
Although their geological foundations may differ, most glades have some features in common. The majority are rocky clearings that occur naturally in timbered areas. Most occur on steep slopes of hills, where natural forces have created a landscape of protruding or exposed rock formations. Glades or barrens are found throughout the Ozarks and occasionally throughout Missouri on steep south and west facing slopes.
Glades also occur on hill tops. These are locally known as “Balds”. Periodic fires, native herbivores and local conditions of topography, bedrock, and soil greatly influence glade development. Glades are found as far north as Wisconsin, south to Texas and Louisiana, Virginia to Missouri. In Missouri, glades are found in the southern half of the state and in a few locations north of the Missouri River.
Desert-like Conditions for Flora and Fauna
The combination of shallow, rocky soils and a southern exposure makes for near desert-like conditions on glades through much of the year. As a result, only plants that can thrive in sunny, droughty conditions survive. Drought-tolerant native grasses, sedges and wildflowers are usually plentiful on healthy glades. The wildflowers usually bloom either in spring or fall, when moisture levels are higher. Trees are generally absent or are stunted on normally functioning glades. This is due to the harsh growing conditions and the extremely dry soils, which set the stage for frequent fires.
Different Types of Glades in Missouri
There are five types of glades in Missouri. Each is categorized by the type of bedrock—limestone, dolomite, sandstone, chert and igneous—beneath it. The bedrock below a glade greatly influences the native vegetation that grows there. Igneous and dolomite glades are the most common glade types in Missouri.
Limestone and Dolomite glades
Limestone glades are very common and occur throughout the Ozarks; some over 1,000 acres in size. Low ridges of limestone or dolomite cobble, typically 1-2 m high, occasionally occur on the glades. These cobble ridges were deposited by ice scour and major storm events during earlier post-glacial times.
These glades occurs on thin neutral to alkaline soils overlying limestone or dolomite bedrock. Shallow soils result in seasonal flooding in flat portions of glade from fall to spring and in drought stress during summer months. Resistance to erosion is variable; limestone and dolomite are readily dissolved by rain water, producing solution cracks that often connect to the underlying groundwater system. In contrast, those limestones and dolomites rich in sand, silt, or clay impurities from terrestrial sources are more resistant to solution and typically contain few broad cracks (also referred to as grykes).
Sandstone glades
Typically occurs on upper landscape positions such as on mid to upper slopes and ridge-tops Some glades are obvious, i.e. have a “pavement-like” outcrop of sandstone on the surface, and others are not so obvious. These latter glades may not have any sandstone “pavement” but sandstone is near the surface, and can often be viewed on the edges of the glade jutting out of the hillside. Sandstone boulders are usually strewn about in either case.
Associated soils are characteristically acidic and are highly erodable, often eroding to form an irregular, sandstone-studded landscape of gullies, bluffs, and miniature gorges and buttes. Much of the soil and rock does not present any vegetation.
Chert glades
Chert glades are most found on ridges, slopes, and valleys along streams. Soils are very well drained and very acidic, with a gravelly silt loam.
Igneous glades
Igneous glades are found on shoulders, back slopes, and domes, with moderate to steep slope. The soil is very well drained, very acidic, with a silt loam. This type of glades is very resistant to erosion.
Nature Center Information
Nature Center hours: The nature center is open from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The nature center will be closed Sundays and Mondays and closed Thanksgiving, the Friday following Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year Day.
Pets are not permitted.
Permission for this Earthcache was granted by the Burr Oak Woods Conservation Nature Center Management.