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The Terrestrial Natural Communities of Misouri

Early American travelers and explorers were enthralled with the incredible beauty and variety of the Missouri Wilderness. Henry Schoolcraft, john Bradbury, Henri Brackenridge, and Zebulon Pike were some of the major commentators on Missouri's scenery and wildlife spectacles.

Since that time, modern man has rapidly altered the fabric of delicate plant and animal communities woven into this wilderness. Logging, mining, dredging, grazing , and urban expansion have spread over the land. Indeed, looking in most places at what remains today, one finds it difficult to envision the original landscape and its complex natural communities.

This publication represents more than 10 years of field work by the author and draws upon the investigations of graduate students, naturalists, botanists, and zoologists. Especially valuable are the works of Julian Steyermark, who recognized the role of soil, water, and geologic substrates in the development of plant communities.

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