A Natural Region is a major, generalized unit of the landscape where a distinctive assemblage of natural features is present. It is part of a classification system that integrates several natural features to identify a natural region, including:
- Climate
- Soils
- Glacial history
- Topography
- Exposed bedrock
- Presettlement vegetation
- Species composition
- Physiography
- Flora and fauna distribution
A Section
A Section is a subunit of a natural region where sufficient differences are evident such that recognition is warranted.
A Natural Community
A natural community is a group of organisms, flora and fauna, that are interrelated with each other and their environment. They are identified by such natural features as:
- Soil moisture and reaction
- Substrate
- Species composition
- Vegetation structure
- Topographic position
Some natural community types, such as mesic prairies or upland forests, can be distributed across multiple regions. This distribution may represent the limits of these communities that provide habitat for species not commonly found in a Natural Region or Section.
Types of Natural Communities
Indiana has many different types of natural communities. Below is a list of different types of natural communities. If an example of the natural community is located within a published nature preserve, the name and link will be provided below it. View the full list and ranking for natural communities of Indiana.
- Barrens
- Limestone Glade
- Sandstone Glade
- Siltstone Glade
- Gravel Slope Barrens
- Sand Barrens
- Cave
- Aquatic Cave
- Cave Terrestrial
- Cliff
- Eroding Cliff
- Limestone Cliff
- Sandstone Overhang
- Sandstone Cliff
- Dune
- Foredune
- Gravel Wash
- Forest
- Bluegrass Till Plain Flatwoods
- Boreal Flatwoods
- Central Till Plain Flatwoods
- Dry Flatwoods
- Mesic Flatwoods
- Sand Flatwoods
- Mesic Southwestern
- Lowland Flatwoods
- Mesic Floodplain Forest
- Wet Floodplain Forest
- Wet-Mesic Floodplain Forest
- Dry Upland Forest
- Dry-Mesic Upland Forest
- Mesic Upland Forest
- Lake
- Lake
- Pond
- Sinkhole Pond
- Migratory Bird
- Concentration Site
- Mussel Bed
- Prairie
- Dry-Mesic Prairie
- Mesic Prairie
- Dry Sand Prairie
- Dry-Mesic Sand Prairie
- Mesic Sand Prairie
- Wet Sand Prairie
- Wet-Mesic Sand Prairie
- Wet Prairie
- Savanna
- Mesic Savanna
- Dry Sand Savanna
- Dry-Mesic Sand Savanna
- Wetland
- Marl Beach
- Bog
- Acid Bog
- Woodland Bog Nature Preserve
- Circumneutral Bog
- Fen
- Forested Fen
- Muck Flat
- Sand Flat
- Marsh
- Sedge Meadow
- Panne
- Acid Seep
- Calcareous Seep
- Circumneutral Seep
- Forested Swamp
- Shrub Swamp
