White Pine Hollow State Forest
Encyclopedia
The White Pine Hollow State Forest is a 944 acres (382 ha) forested area in Dubuque County, Iowa
. Of the forest, a 712 acres (288.1 ha) tract is a National Natural Landmark
and Iowa State Preserve. The state forest is named after its dominant old-growth tree, the white pine. The grove is said to be the only old-growth patch of white pines still growing in Iowa. The nearest town of any size is Luxemburg, Iowa
.
land, a subset of dolomite karstland
with many sinkhole
s, cave
rns, and other sharp changes in elevation. The conifer population may have established itself here at a time when the climate of Iowa was colder than it is today, and this grove could be a relict
of what was once a much larger population.
White Pine Hollow contains over 625 species of plants. Two endangered species
of animals, the Indiana bat
and the Iowa Pleistocene snail
, have been observed here. One threatened species of plant, the northern wild monkshood
, has also been observed growing here.
Dubuque County, Iowa
Dubuque County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 93,653 in the 2010 census, an increase from 89,143 in the 2000 census. The county seat is the city of Dubuque. Dubuque County is coterminous with the Dubuque, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is the seventh...
. Of the forest, a 712 acres (288.1 ha) tract is a National Natural Landmark
National Natural Landmark
The National Natural Landmark program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of the natural history of the United States. It is the only natural areas program of national scope that identifies and recognizes the best examples of biological and geological features in...
and Iowa State Preserve. The state forest is named after its dominant old-growth tree, the white pine. The grove is said to be the only old-growth patch of white pines still growing in Iowa. The nearest town of any size is Luxemburg, Iowa
Luxemburg, Iowa
Luxemburg is a city in Dubuque County, Iowa, United States. It is part of the 'Dubuque, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area'. The population was 246 at the 2000 census...
.
Ecology
The Dubuque region is relatively far south for the white pine to thrive. White Pine Hollow, part of the Driftless Area, is a patch of north-facing algific talus slopeAlgific talus slope
Algific talus slopes comprise a very rare, fragile ecosystem and habitat stated to exist only in the Driftless Area of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, and especially, Iowa...
land, a subset of dolomite karstland
Karst topography
Karst topography is a geologic formation shaped by the dissolution of a layer or layers of soluble bedrock, usually carbonate rock such as limestone or dolomite, but has also been documented for weathering resistant rocks like quartzite given the right conditions.Due to subterranean drainage, there...
with many sinkhole
Sinkhole
A sinkhole, also known as a sink, shake hole, swallow hole, swallet, doline or cenote, is a natural depression or hole in the Earth's surface caused by karst processes — the chemical dissolution of carbonate rocks or suffosion processes for example in sandstone...
s, cave
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
rns, and other sharp changes in elevation. The conifer population may have established itself here at a time when the climate of Iowa was colder than it is today, and this grove could be a relict
Relict
A relict is a surviving remnant of a natural phenomenon.* In biology a relict is an organism that at an earlier time was abundant in a large area but now occurs at only one or a few small areas....
of what was once a much larger population.
White Pine Hollow contains over 625 species of plants. Two endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
of animals, the Indiana bat
Indiana bat
The Indiana bat is a medium-sized mouse-eared bat native to North America. It lives primarily in eastern and midwestern states and in parts of the south of the United States. The Indiana bat is gray, black, or chestnut in colour and is 1.2–2 inches and weighs about 1/4 an ounce...
and the Iowa Pleistocene snail
Discus macclintocki
The Iowa Pleistocene snail, also known as the Pleistocene disk, scientific name Discus macclintocki, is a very small air-breathing land snail, a terrestrial pulmonate gastropod mollusk....
, have been observed here. One threatened species of plant, the northern wild monkshood
Aconitum noveboracense
Aconitum noveboracense, also known as Northern Blue Monkshood or Northern Wild Monkshood, is a flowering plant belonging to the buttercup family . Members of its genus are also known as wolfsbane....
, has also been observed growing here.