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Watts, May Theilgaard

Arboretum Landscape Teaching Aid Series: Forest Met Prairie


Identifier
3.19510
Format
watercolor and colored marker on illustration board
Digitization Status
Digitized
Reproduction:
Original
Dimensions
34 cm W x 54.6 cm H (Item)
Extent
1 sheet
Type
Drawing
Date created
mid 20th century
Description
Primarily textual teaching aid depicting Arboretum landscape. This material is depicted in the shape of a bur oak leaf. It describes how a line of bur oaks indicates where the climax forest and climax prairie met.

Header: FOREST met PRAIRIE [illustration of grass and trees]

Text and illustrations from top to bottom:
  • The Record 
    • 1. a curving line of bur oaks
    • 2. the heavy corky bark of the bur oaks, in comparison with bark of red oak.
    • 3. the change in soil profiles at edge of oaks this [illustration of soil] to this [illustration of darker soil]
  • Interpreting the Record
    • 1) Because bur oaks, with their corky bark were best able to withstand the fires that swept the prairies (often set by Indians) and
    • 2) because bur oaks are best at withstanding dry prairie winds
    • 3) because bur oaks are seldom found in the heart of the woods
    • We Read that: this line of bur oaks marks the place where the climax forest met the prairie climax
Language
English