Land Through Time: A Story of Ecological Succession

Contributors: Claire Carlson, Kelly St Charles, and Kenton County Conservation District Director Matt Wooten

Take a break from hibernation, put on your boots, and immerse yourself in the rolling hills of Northern Kentucky! This month’s hike features land returning to a wild state after being home to dairy cows. Join us and bear witness to the ecological succession of a landscape on a journey from its wild roots to farm and now conservation.

Join the Kenton County Conservation District and Green Umbrella’s Greenspace Alliance for the Morning View Heritage Area Winter Hike on Friday, January 17th from 3-4:30 p.m.

We hope to see you there!

The Origin Story

In 2010, the Kenton County Conservation District (KCCD) worked with the Kentucky Land Heritage Foundation to purchase the Morning View Heritage Area (MVHA) property to protect it in perpetuity. Before this designation, six generations of the Steinhauser family stewarded the land for 154 years, where they did everything from raising families and dairy cows to opening a store and service station for the community.

The Story of the Land

Left to its own devices, even a land cultivated for years by our hands will hold only remnants of humanity as the trees grow taller and the grass thicker. Trying to survive, humans cut down trees, planted crops, and built a homestead to support their families. But that break in the wild lasts only as long as the human hands are there to tend to it, or else it will be overtaken once again. That’s the funny thing about Mother Nature – she lets you believe you can win. 

The Morning View Heritage Area is a perfect encapsulation of the wild reclaiming its space. This process, the evolution of a biological community, is called ecological succession. There are two kinds of ecological succession: primary and secondary. Primary succession occurs in environments where soil previously incapable of sustaining life develops an ecosystem over time (e.g., a lava field developing into fertile soil). Secondary succession occurs in environments where a previously existing community was removed (in the instance of MVHA, a dairy farm).

The presence of multiple secondary succession stories documented by the land is why MVHA is unique. When you visit the property you can see the mature forest canopy of undisturbed areas and alongside early succession areas marked by cedar and box elder trees. Invasive species like Multiflora Rose and Autumn Olive have filled in spaces that were once cattle pastures and mark the relatively recent disturbance of the land. This environment makes the MVHA a prime location to showcase how different conservation practices can support various phases of succession.

Stewarding the Land with KCCD

In addition to restoring the land, KCCD uses the property to run ecological experiments. In one experiment, three areas will be identified: one to be treated with herbicide to kill off invasive plants present and then left alone to see what sprouts from the soil; a second area treated with herbicide and then sown with a seed mix; and a third area left alone to use as a control. This type of experimentation will not only help KCCD learn about the MVHA property but will also help them to serve other landowners who may have similar succession stories on their properties.

Located near the banks of the Licking River, the property features even more opportunities for study and observation. This past summer, they conducted a recreational mussel inventory in the River and found 26 species of mussels, including a thriving population of the federally endangered fanshell mussel!

Additionally, KCCD provides technical assistance, educational opportunities, and outreach to Kenton County residents. Their work includes helping with grant administration, watershed planning, forest, prairie management, and pond workshops. In the coming year, they are working to restore a 2-acre forested property in Elsmere and look to expand their work into the world of urban gardens.

Explore Morning View Heritage Area

If you’re interested in leaving your cave of hibernation, we hope you’ll join us at our upcoming Morning View Heritage Area Winter Hike. The hike will take place on Friday, January 17 from 3-4:30 p.m. and will be guided by staff from Kenton County Conservation District. The hike will follow a 1.5-2 mile loop and feature conversations on their restoration efforts, the local history, and future plans. We will meet in the parking lot at 15168 Decoursey Pike, Morning View, KY 41063.

This hike is part of our monthly Meet a Greenspace Hiking series. We hope these hikes will provide those who join the time and space they need to reconnect with nature. If you have any questions, contact Green Umbrella’s Greenspace Alliance Manager Claire Carlson at claire@greenumbrella.org.