Gray dogwood
I first started hiking at this park in the late 80’s I think it was about 1986 or 87. At that time there was a couple of pastures that I hiked through to get to a forest lookout. The lookout was built by the Missouri Conservation Commission and I have enjoyed the panoramic view of the forest below in the different seasons.
It was close in and no one goes there. I have only seen a few people at that lookout in 18 years that I have hiked there. It is a good place to go for solitude.
Through the years I have noticed trees invading the pasture. At first it was just a few. As the years went on there were more and more trees coming into the pasture. Now the pasture is full of trees and is becoming a forest.
The trees that invade a pasture are not your normal trees you would see in a Missouri
forest. They are what is called primary, invasive, pioneer trees.
Gray dogwood invading pasture
Most of trees in this field are Gray dogwood.
Gray dogwood is a favorite forage plant for deer. It provides cover for birds.
It is a good tree to plant in damaged land such as strip mines and highway corridors.
It will sprout a new stem from its root system. A
Gray dogwood linksGray dogwood linksGray dogwoodFor a pasture to remain it needs management. Especially in a forested area. If cattle are
not grazing mowing will keep the trees out or burning will stop the growth of trees. But if
the pasture is left alone then it will revert back to its natural state.
Society is like this pasture. If it is to remain useful as a pasture it needs management.
