Sand Prairie-Scrub Oak State Nature Preserve

State park in Illinois, United States

Sand Prairie-Scrub Oak State Nature Preserve

IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)

Map of the U.S. state of Illinois showing the location of Sand Prairie-Scrub Oak State Nature Preserve

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Sand Prairie-Scrub Oak State Nature Preserve (the United States)

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Location| Mason County, Illinois, USA
Nearest city| Kilbourne, Illinois
Coordinates| 40°10′19″N 90°04′48″W﻿ / ﻿40.172°N 90.080°W﻿ / 40.172; -90.080
Area| 1,460 acres (5.9 km2)
Established| April 1970 (1970-04)
Governing body| Illinois Department of Natural Resources

The Sand Prairie-Scrub Oak State Nature Preserve, formerly called the Mason County State Wildlife Refuge and Recreation Area, is a natural area located in the U.S. state of Illinois. Containing 1,460 acres (591 ha), it is a dedicated state nature preserve. It is located in western Mason County. The nearest town is Kilbourne, Illinois and the nearest numbered highway is Illinois Route 97. It contains fragmentary examples of the ecosystem described in its name.[1]

The Sand Prairie-Scrub Oak Nature Preserve is described on its webpage as "a mixture of dry sand prairie, dry sand savanna and dry sand forest." Areas of savanna and forest are characterized by black oak and blackjack oak, with some mockernut.[1] In a 2015 research and inspection fan-out, arborists discovered the first example of dwarf chinkapin oak identified in Illinois.[2] Other unusual trees identified in the preserve include what are believed to be among the northernmost natural range trees of black hickory. Prairie grasses such as little bluestem, and sand plant life such as eastern prickly pear cactus, can be found.[1]

Sand Prairie-Scrub Oak was dedicated as a State Nature Preserve in April 1970.[1]

## Current status[edit]

In the 2010s, Sand Prairie-Scrub Oak is managed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) as a state nature preserve. The preserve does not have on-site staff, and is managed as a disjunct area of Sand Ridge State Forest, a larger conservation area within the same county.[1]

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e "Sand Prairie-Scrub Oak". Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 2016-09-23.
2. ^ "Dwarf Chinkapin Oak Featured in Illinois' Bicentennial Exhibition". internationaloaksociety.org. International Oak Society. June 3, 2018. Retrieved November 17, 2019.

## External links[edit]

* Sand Prairie-Scrub Oak State Nature Preserve

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Protected areas of Illinois

Federal|

| National Historic Sites and Parks|

* Chicago Portage
* Lincoln Home
* New Philadelphia
* Pullman

|

National Forest|

* Shawnee

National Wildlife Refuges|

* Chautauqua
* Crab Orchard
* Cypress Creek
* Driftless Area
* Emiquon
* Hackmatack
* Mark Twain
* Meredosia
* Middle Mississippi River
* Port Louisa
* Two Rivers
* Upper Mississippi River

National Grassland|

* Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie

National Trails/National Heritage Area|

* Abraham Lincoln National Heritage Area
* Illinois & Michigan Canal
* Lewis and Clark
* Mormon Pioneer
* Trail of Tears

National Natural Landmarks|

* List of National Natural Landmarks in Illinois

National Wild and Scenic Rivers|

* Middle Fork Vermilion River

Wetlands of international importance|

* Cache River-Cypress Creek
* The Emiquon Complex
* Dixon Waterfowl Refuge
* Chiwaukee Illinois Beach Lake Plain (shared with Wisconsin)
* Upper Mississippi (shared)

State|

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* Giant City
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* Illini
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* James "Pate" Philip
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* Kankakee River
* Lake Murphysboro
* Lincoln Trail
* Lowden
* Matthiessen
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* Moraine Hills
* Morrison-Rockwood
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* Rock Cut
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* Shabbona Lake
* Siloam Springs
* South Shore
* Starved Rock
* Walnut Point
* Weinberg-King
* White Pines Forest
* Wildlife Prairie
* William G. Stratton
* Wolf Creek

|

State Historic Sites|

* List of Illinois State Historic Sites (including, Cahokia World Heritage Site)

State Forests|

* Big River
* Hidden Springs
* Lowden-Miller
* Sand Ridge
* Trail of Tears

State
Recreation Areas|

* Clinton Lake
* Eagle Creek
* Eldon Hazlet
* Frank Holten
* Golconda Marina
* Johnson-Sauk Trail
* Kickapoo
* Lake Le-Aqua-Na
* Moraine View
* North Point Marina
* Prophetstown
* Pyramid
* Ramsey Lake
* Randolph County
* Sangchris Lake
* Stephen A. Forbes
* Washington County
* Wayne Fitzgerrell
* Weldon Springs
* William W. Powers

State Fish &
Wildlife Areas|

* Anderson Lake
* Baldwin Lake
* Banner Marsh
* Carlyle Lake
* Coffeen Lake
* Crawford County
* Des Plaines
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* Edward R. Madigan
* Green River
* Hamilton County
* Heidecke Lake
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* Iroquois County
* Kaskaskia River
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* Newton Lake
* Jim Edgar Panther Creek
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* Pekin Lake
* Powerton Lake
* Ray Norbut
* Rend Lake
* Rice Lake
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* Saline County
* Sam Dale Lake
* Sam Parr
* Sanganois
* Shelbyville
* Silver Springs
* Snakeden Hollow
* Spring Lake
* Ten Mile Creek
* Turkey Bluffs
* Union County
* Woodford

State Natural Areas|

* Bartlett Woods
* Cache River
* Franklin Creek
* Fults Hill Prairie
* Goose Lake Prairie
* Harry "Babe" Woodyard
* Illinois Caverns
* Kidd Lake
* Mitchell's Grove Nature Preserve
* Piney Creek Ravine
* Prairie Ridge
* Revis Hill Prairie
* Sand Prairie-Scrub Oak
* Sielbeck Forest
* Spitler Woods
* Volo Bog

State Trails|

* Mormon Trail
* Trail of Tears
* Tunnel Hill

Local|

| County Districts|

* Local forest and conservation districts

|

* Category
* Chicago
* East St. Louis
* Illinois Department of Natural Resources
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