Research

Species Lists

Bernheim participates in Kentucky Wildflower Watch during April and May.
Click here to see what's blooming.

Closer Look at Bernheim Forest

As you hike a forest trail at Bernheim, the woods may seem  uniform and unending. On closer inspection, however, this extensive forest has more variety than you might imagine. 

Recent research documented that Bernheim's forested areas are actually a combination of six different forest types, or communities.

Each forest community is made up of a different combination of trees, shrubs and herbs. The unique mix of species in these six communities is determined by the habitat where they are found. For example, some species prefer the moist, shaded conditions along stream edges; others flourish in the harsh, dry conditions along the tops of the knobs. Here's a brief guide to recognize these communities on your next hike.

The community that thrives under the moist conditions of stream edges and adjacent bottomlands is the Sycamore Forest. Sweetgum and tulip poplar join sycamores in the tree canopy, and giant cane is commonly found along the stream edges. Other species that make up this community type are dwarf crested iris, hog peanut, silvery spleenwort, and wingstem.

The wildflower-lover's favorite community type is the Beech - Sugar Maple Forest. It is found along moist ravines with limestone bedrock just up the slope from the Sycamore Forest. The diversity of wildflowers within this forest type is spectacular, and includes twinleaf, bloodroot, jack-in-the-pulpit, and trillium. Trees and shrubs include black cherry, hydrangea, pawpaw, and spicebush. Beech-Sugar Maple Forest is widespread at Bernheim, and virtually all our trails travel through it on the lower slopes of the knobs.

The  White Oak - Chestnut Oak Forest grows on the dry, steep upper slopes of Bernheim, and is by far the most extensive community found here. in addition to the oaks, other common species include pignut hickory, lowbush blueberry, greenbriar, panic grasses, and hawkweed. Soils beneath this forest type are acidic, since they formed over shale bedrock. This is typically what you are walking through as you labor up the side of a steep knob, once you get above the Beech - Sugar Maple Forest.

The White Oak - Black Oak Forest grows in areas with acidic soil and slightly more moisture than the White Oak - Chestnut Oak forest. Typical sites for this community are flat ridgetops. Although these ridgetops are exposed to the wind and sun, their flat nature helps them hold deeper soil and more moisture. Other common species here are red maple, greenbrier and spicebush.

A fifth community, Chinquapin Oak Forest, is found on steep, dry terrain like the White Oak - Chestnut Oak Forest. It grows, however, on alkaline soils that form over limestone bedrock. At Bernheim, these soils are only found deep in the research forest, along Wilson Creek and its tributaries. Sugar maple, blue and white ash, Ohio buckeye, and black walnut are some of the trees associated with this community. Its herb layer is rich and includes American columbo, bee balm, wood mint, leafcup, and four-leaved milkweed.

The least-widespread forest community at Bernheim is Virginia Pine Forest, found along the tops of some ridges and on south and southwest facing slopes where exposure to sun and wind is greatest. It's found where soil is thin and rocky, in some of the most inhospitable habitat at Bernheim. Although pines dominate, the community is interspersed white oaks, including scarlet and chestnut oaks. You'll not see it on any of our hiking trails, although some field trips cross through these pine-dominated areas.

Despite its name, Bernheim Forest is not all forested. Native grasslands are also found within Bernheim's natural areas. The grassland community here is called the Little Bluestem community. There are only three small examples of it at Bernheim, along a thin-soiled, south-facing ridge. Despite their small size, these grasslands contain diverse species typical of the prairies, including St. John's wort, yellow coneflower, hoary puccoon, false aloe, and wild petunia.

During your next hike at Bernheim, take a closer look at the forest surrounding you. You may be surprised to realize the many different forests you see.