Northern Bluegrass Ecoregion
Ecoregions: Northern Bluegrass
Northern Bluegrass Ecoregion shown in light blue
The Northern Bluegrass ecoregion is deeply dissected and has some ephemeral streams in the east. The east is unglaciated whereas the plains and hills of the west are mantled by leached pre-Wisconsinan till (that is, more than 110,000 years old) and discontinuous loess (fine, wind-deposited material). This ecosystem is underlain by Ordovician limestone (approximately 485–444 million years ago) and shale which distinguishes it from nearby ecoregions. There are sinkholes, rugged terrain, a marked absence of fragipans (dense soil layers that restrict water infiltration and root penetration), and much remaining natural vegetation. In the Indiana portion of this ecosystem, western mixed mesophytic forests (diverse, oak-dominated forests) and oak-hickory forests grow, though lacking many northern species. Source: US EPA
Natural Areas in this ecoregion include:
Clifty Falls State Park (Jefferson County)
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