Page 61 - Park and Open Space Plan

Natural Management Overview:
The wooded area within the park shows a remarkably
intact and dense canopy as far back as 1941, in aerial

photos from that time. It was surrounded by
agriculture even then so it has likely not been exposed
to burning since then. The forest is transitioning to
mesic woods at present. On the edge of the tension
zone, it was likely more open in the 1800’s. County
parks staff has planted all of the prairie acreage.

The Core Zone for Ryan Park covers 55.5 acres of
prairie-old-field, planted prairie and woodland.
Invasive species that challenge the management of
the Core zone include Garlic mustard, Sweet clover,
Thistles, Burdock, Prairie Indian plantain (aggressive
native species). The overall goal for management is to
maintain and improve the ecological quality,
encouraging succession of native species. For the
Mesic Prairie Area, the goal is to maintain it as
grassland, not allowing woody vegetation to dominate
these areas. For the Oldfield area the goal is to allow
succession to dry-mesic or mesic woodland species.
Monitoring and controlling the area for invasive
species and new populations of existing invasives is
critical to the health of the Core Zones.

Ryan is isolated so it is not part of any designated
environmental corridors. There are some Isolated
Natural Resource Areas on the property. These are
sites of significance, as designated by SEWRPC, but do
not connect to any existing, contiguous corridors. The
M-1 forest is designated for cover and quality and the
northern wetlands (east and west) are selected for soil
moisture and the general waterway.

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