At the most southwestern edge of the sugar maple’s range in the United States, you can find a an 18-acre remnant natural area, known as Maple Woods Natural Area, with an abundance of sugar maples within a 39-acre nature preserve here in Kansas City.
This is a sight not typical in Missouri, mostly known for its oak-hickory dominant forests and woodlands. While it’s possible to find both oak and hickory trees at Maple Woods Natural Area, you will be hard pressed to find an abundance of oak saplings, thanks to the dense shade provided from the sugar maples and even the mid-story pawpaw trees. Oak saplings often need over six hours of direct sunlight to be successful, while the sugar maple thrives in shade as a sapling.
By Jacobo Barriga. Jacobo is a Kansas City WildLands Program Coordinator.
However, this site isn’t called Sugar Maple Woods, and for good reason. Maple Woods contains other maples too, such as black maple and box elder, all of which are keystone species. Keystone species are organisms that play a pivotal role in the way an ecosystem functions. What makes these trees a keystone species then, you might be asking? Well, over 100 species of butterflies and moths rely on these trees as a place to lay their eggs so their young have an easy go at finding food. These trees also have connections to other animals in their ecosystem. Across maple-dominant ecosystems, furry critters such as squirrels, chipmunks, raccoons, deer and even bears can be found munching on the helicopter-like seeds of these plants, known as samaras, or the young leaves. Our winged friends equally enjoy these seeds, and some even use the tree as a trap for a nice snack. The yellow-bellied sapsucker, a migrating woodpecker for those of us in Kansas City, will drill holes into trees such as maples, to not only drink the sap, but to also enjoy a sap-covered insect drawn to the newly made sap well.
These maple species not only offer a lot to our ecosystems, but they also play a role in many of our lives. Whether you are someone who enjoys playing an instrument, a sports game (or enjoys it from the comfort of your couch), or the sweet taste of syrup on a griddled breakfast, you can thank the mighty maple tree. Maple wood has been used for hundreds of years by humans to create tools and furniture. Native Americans have used maple wood to make things such as fish traps, baskets, snowshoes, bowls, and cups. Today, maple wood still gets used to make furniture and tools, along with many other things. Maple is the most common wood used to make sports floors, so you can thank the maple trees for your indoor games such as basketball and volleyball. It is also a popular wood for baseball bats and has been used for other sports equipment such as hockey sticks and tennis rackets. Although you might not hear the beautiful resonance of maple wood while walking among the trees, many musicians may recognize it. Instruments such as the guitar, the claves known for Latin percussion, and many sections of an orchestra including the strings, woodwinds, and the percussion, are made using maple wood.
Another part of the tree that has been used for centuries is the sap. Dating back before European settlement, Native Americans collected the sweet sap from the trees and placed it in a large shallow wooden vessel. Sap collection is typically done sometime in late winter or early spring, so at night the water in the sap would freeze while the sugars would be left behind and eventually turn the sap into a brown, sweet liquid. Although this form of maple syrup wasn’t used to top pancakes and waffles, it was still used as a sweetener for many dishes. It was also used in beverages and even as medicine for eye sores and sore throats. Sometimes, the sap was even drunk straight out of the tree as a refreshing beverage. This can still be done today, but it is recommended that the sap be pasteurized before attempting this to prevent from getting sick from potential bacteria.
It’s clear to see how special the maple tree is after learning about all its connections to humans and wildlife. If you’re itching to see what these trees look like in a natural setting, we highly recommend strolling through Maple Woods Natural Area. This location is recognized by the National Park Service as a National Natural Landmark and by Missouri as a Natural Area. The natural heritage that can be observed at Maple Woods acts as a time machine, providing us a remnant of what Missouri looked like pre-European settlement. Enjoy Maple Woods in the early spring season to see an array of spring ephemeral flowers covering the land or visit in the fall to see the glowing assortment of fall colors as maple, oak, and pawpaw tree leaves prepare to depart from their trees for the winter. When visiting, feel free to bring any of your friends or family, including your furry family members as long as they’re on a leash. Hopefully, while you’re walking through the trail, you find a connection to the maple-oak forest whether it be through your favorite hobbies, foods, nature, or simply the beauty of it all.
You can also find Maple Woods Natural Area using Google Maps.
