Abstracts for Poster Presentations
Cache
River-Cypress Creek Wetlands: 20-year Hydrologic and Sediment
Research Contribution to Wetland Management
Laura L. Keefer and Mike Demissie
Illinois State Water Survey
Center for Watershed Science
2204 Griffith Dr.,
Champaign, IL, 61820.
The Cache River-Cypress Creek Wetlands is a RAMSAR wetland of
international importance and northern most extent of cypress-tupelo
gum tree stands in the country. The wetland receives high
sediment load from the tributary watersheds which have contributed
to the degradation of these sensitive habitats. The Illinois State
Water Survey has been monitoring the sediment transport and
sedimentation processes in the Cache River Basin since 1985.
Big Creek was identified as a major contributor of sediment due to
changes in land use practices and major channel alterations over the
last one hundred years. The high sediment trap efficiency in
the wetlands is due to the complex hydraulics of the Lower Cache
River brought about by the natural setting and over a century of
major channel alterations that divided the Cache River basin into
two distinct watersheds. The monitoring data has been used to
calibrate hydrologic and hydraulic models to characterize the Big
Creek watershed. Those results have assisted resource managers
formulate solutions and secure funding to implement major
restoration efforts. Recently, a geomorphic assessment of Big Creek
was conducted to improve our understanding of the on-going channel
adjustment and erosion responses to historical land and channel
management practices. This information is being used to
determine the sediment transport characteristics of Big Creek to
further channel restoration efforts and contribute information for
post project appraisals. Results from the long-term
monitoring, modeling, and geomorphic assessment and their
contribution to management decisions will be presented.
Piezometers as Tools for Floodplain Hydrology Monitoring, Research,
and Education Programs at Congaree National Park
David C. Shelley and Theresa A. Thom, Ph.D.
Old-Growth Bottomland Forest Research and Education Center
Congaree National Park
100 National Park Road
Hopkins, SC 29061
Melodie French
Department of Geological Sciences
University of Wisconsin
Madison, WI
Brian Dolphin
Division of Hydrogeology
South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control
2600 Bull St.
Columbia, SC 29201
Congaree National Park (CNP) represents the largest and
best-preserved tract of old-growth bottomland hardwood floodplain
forest remaining in the Southeastern United States. The
dynamics and role of floodplain hydrology in forest ecology is a
core focus of the Old-Growth Bottomland Forest Research and
Education Center (The Center) at CNP. The Center is uniquely
situated to capitalize on floodplain hydrology research, management,
and education goals by installing a 10-piezometer transect from the
northern floodplain margin South 1.7 km to Cedar Creek, South
Carolina’s only stretch of Outstanding National Resource Waters.
Piezometers are constructed of 1” pvc and have 1.5 m screens seated
at depths of 4-5 m. Sampling sites are selected from various
ecological communities, disturbance gradients, and geomorphic
settings, and are situated to be both easily accessible and flexible
for use as forest ecology research sites. A second,
sub-parallel transect is planned.
The piezometers optimize several opportunities for collecting,
using, and sharing data. The infrastructure and data will be
available to academic researchers studying the floodplain
groundwater table, flooding dynamics, forest ecology, and
biogeochemical cycling. Data should serve as a reference point
for pristine, non-tidal floodplains in the Southeastern Coastal
Plain and beyond. Monitoring of short term, intra-annual, and
longer inter-annual trends will inform park resource management.
Piezometer-based interpretive and educational programs will expose
park visitors to the basics of forest hydrology, while citizen
scientist programs will get volunteers more involved in actual well
installation and data collection. Both outreach opportunities
will help improve science literacy and environmental stewardship.
Restoration and Management Practices for Canebrake Establishment
William W. Brendecke and James J. Zaczek
Department of Forestry
Southern Illinois University
Carbondale, Il 62901-4411.
Karen Arnold
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
137 Rustic Campus Drive
Ullin, Il 62992
Arundinaria is a native North American bamboo forming large
monotypic stands or canebrakes with historic distribution
encompassing floodplains the southeastern US. Cane’s fluvial
proximity has provided ecosystem services such as unique wildlife
habitat for rare species, carbon storage, and enhancement of water
quality by filtering excess sediments and nutrients from runoff.
However, land conversion and altered disturbance regimes have
limited cane to 2% of historical accounts. Canebrake restoration
efforts face difficulties such as infrequent seeding and low
viability, limited availability of seedling or rhizome planting
stock, and inefficient establishment and management techniques.
To address these problems, we are developing cane propagation and
field-scale restoration and management techniques on the Cypress
Creek National Wildlife Refuge and in the Cache River watershed in
southern Illinois. We will summarize a series of studies that
compared survival and growth of planted cane for up to six growing
seasons at nine different sites (> 7 acres). We will
also focus on a recent study that compared planted cane rhizomes
(N=2160), planted randomly in rows, using a tree planter at two
sites, to determine if collection date (fall 2006/ spring 2007),
planting date (fall/ spring), collection source (3 putative
genotypes) and cold storage affect field survival and growth.
Results and discussion address if survival and growth performance
(height, diameter, and spread) of cane relate to; container-grown
and bare rhizome stock; using pre-planting weed control, prescribed
fire, and fertilization; rhizome morphology (length, diameter, buds,
roots); collection source; and planting site over time.
Management recommendations will be given.
Phosphorus Retention by Wetland Plants in Agricultural Drainage
Ditches: A Greenhouse Study
Rani Menon1, Marjorie. M. Holland1 , Matt Moore2 , C M Cooper 2
and Robert Kroger 1
1University of Mississippi Department of Biology, University, MS,
38677.
2USDA-ARS National Sedimentation Laboratory, Oxford, MS, 38655.
Drainage ditches which support wetland vegetation can be used as
natural treatment units to remove pollutants from agricultural
runoff. Use of vegetation for retention of phosphorus (P) has
potential for being an inexpensive technology for reducing
downstream contamination since wetland plants may reduce
seasonally-available nutrients. When compared to non-vegetated
drainages, habitat advantages are obvious. Our experiment was
designed to document the uptake and release of P by three wetland
macrophytes (Juncus effusus, Carex lurida and Dichanthelium
acuminatum). These three plants are commonly found growing together
in the drainage ditches of the south, central USA. A one year
greenhouse experiment is being conducted to quantify P retained by
the selected plants in the agriculture drainage ditch system
scenario. Species dynamics may play a role when the plants are
growing together. If the rates of absorption of
nutrients are different for each species, the more efficient species
may take up the maximum amount of P and the other plants may
supplement the retention of P. The primary goal of this study
is to identify the plant or groups of plants that can be utilized
most effectively for P retention so as to reduce P load in
agricultural runoff and lessen potential downstream eutrophication
problems
Migratory Bird Stopover Use of Reforested Lands: a Portable Radar
Study
Michael Baldwin, Wylie Barrow, Stephen Faulkner, and Chad Case
U.S. Geological Survey
National Wetlands Research Center
Lafayette, LA 70506
In 2006, the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Wetlands Research
Center, and Farm Services Agency (FSA) collaborated on a study to
evaluate the conservation benefits of the Conservation Reserve
Program (CRP) as it relates to migratory bird habitat in the Lower
Mississippi Valley (LMV). Specifically, we monitored autumn
migratory stopover patterns on CRP easements and adjacent
agricultural fields in northeastern Louisiana by using a marine
weather radar system during September and October, 2006. Most
migratory landbirds are nocturnal migrants and use stopover habitat
for rest and refueling during the day. Migration resumes just
after sunset, and these evening departures are easily detected by
radar. We measured the number of migrants during exodus with a
portable, vertically aligned, X-band radar system (Furuno, FR-8100D,
10 kW) operated at a 1.8 km setting with 24 rotations per minute and
a pulse length of 0.08 μs. The radar unit was placed between
CRP and agricultural fields so that radar observations of birds were
collected simultaneously. The number of radar targets exiting
each habitat type was compared. Preliminary and ongoing radar
data analysis shows higher numbers of birds over the CRP easements
compared to the agricultural fields. Final results from this
study will create a better understanding of the conservation effects
CRP lands may have on migratory birds in the LMV.
Restoring Former Agricultural Wetlands in LMAV with Mixed Bottomland
Hardwood Species: Effects of Species Mixes and Early Management
Practices
B. F. Nero, A. J. Londo, R. P. Maiers, and J. C. Dewey
Presenter:
Dr. Andrew Londo
Associate Professor and Extension Coordinator,
313 Thompson Hall,
P.O. Box 9681
Mississippi State, MS 39762
Afforestation is regarded as a necessary first step in hardwood
ecosystem restoration. In the flood plains of the LMAV, over 3
million ha of retired agricultural lands are available for
bottomland hardwood afforestation. Concern about intra-specific
competition with single species afforestation and constraints on
seedling availability in the future have generated interest in the
potential of mixed-species afforestation, yet little is known about
the survival and growth of such stands in their early stages. This
study examines the survival and early growth of six bottomland
hardwood species mixes in the LMAV under early fertilizer and
herbicide treatments. A 6 X 2 X 2 factorial arrangement of
treatments (species, fertilizer and herbicide) was used on sites in
Greenville and Cleveland, Mississippi. Bare-root (1- 0) seedlings
were planted in winter 2006 with NPK fertilizer pellets applied in
adjacent holes to planted seedlings at time of planting and two
post-emergent herbicide treatment were applied 2 and 5 months after
planting. Survival and/or growth differed significantly with
species, fertilizer, herbicide application and their interactions on
both sites. Mean survival ranged from 90 sph for cottonwood
monoculture to 854 sph for red mulberry, after two growing seasons.
Most significant growth in height occurred on fine-textured
Cleveland soils and was associated with Cottonwood, oak mix, NRCS
and green ash/oak mix stands. Fertilizer and herbicide treatments
affected growth on the Cleveland site, and survival on Greenville
site. Mixed-species afforestation has the potential to better ensure
successful bottomland hardwood restoration and overcome adverse site
and/or climatic conditions.
Patterns of Vegetation & Avifaunal Diversity in Georgia River
Floodplains
Bryan L. Nuse
Warnell School of Forest and Natural Resources
University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30602
nuseb@warnell.uga.edu
Improved management of river floodplain ecosystems requires
increased understanding of community ontogenesis and maintenance, as
well as accurate knowledge of existing assemblage patterns. To
establish longitudinal patterns of species co-occurrence, surveys of
vegetation and breeding bird assemblages were conducted along five
river corridors in Georgia: the Flint, Ocmulgee, Oconee, Altamaha,
and Satilla. A total of 92 sites were placed regularly at
10-rivermile intervals, skipping impounded reaches. Results of
the surveys will be presented, with focus upon species and guild
distributions, and concordance between bird and plant assemblages.
The prevalence of particular communities will be assessed through a
comparison of intra- and inter-basin patterns. Apparent
reliance by birds upon vegetation physiognomy and floristics in
selecting breeding habitat, will also be addressed.
SEQ CHAPTER \h \r 1Bottomland Hardwood Old Growth: Myth or Matter
of Perspective
Brian Roy Lockhart, Research Forester
U.S. Forest Service, Southern Research Station
Center for Bottomland Hardwoods Research
Stoneville, Mississippi
James E. Kellum, Forester
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
White River National Wildlife Refuge
St. Charles, Arkansas
In the United States, old-growth forest research has focused
primarily in the West where many acres of such forests remain.
Less is known about old-growth forests in the eastern United States
due to the scarcity of such forests because of a longer period of
human occupancy and anthropogenic disturbances. Interest in
eastern United States old growth has increased recently due to a
desire to return forests back to a “natural state” and to explicit
management objectives for complex forest structure characteristics,
such as multiple age classes, tree diameters, and canopy strata.
This increase in interest is especially true for bottomland hardwood
forests due to the possible re-discovery of the ivory-billed
woodpecker (Campephilus principalis) and its need for large,
decadent trees for foraging. These trees are presumed to be
part of old-growth forests. Unfortunately, we have little
quantitative information on the species composition and structure of
bottomland hardwood old-growth forests, especially in the Lower
Mississippi Alluvial Valley. Therefore, the objective of this
paper is to discuss the state of bottomland hardwood old-growth
forests. Questions to be reviewed include: (1) Would words,
such as “complex” better describe these forests than “old growth”?,
(2) “Does bottomland hardwood old growth actually exist?”, and (3)
What are the general characteristics of bottomland hardwood complex
forests based on work in bottomland and other forest types.
Composition and structural characteristics of several bottomland
hardwood complex forests that are widely considered as “old growth”
will also be discussed. We will conclude with a list of
criteria that we consider important for determining bottomland
hardwood complex forests.
Shallow Bathymetric Mapping of Floodplain Wetlands to Assist
Management Decisions
Frank Nelson
Wetland Ecologist
Open Rivers/Wetland Field Station
Resource Science Division
Missouri Dept. of Conservation
3815 E. Jackson
Jackson, MO 63755
Understanding how topography structures habitat heterogeneity is an
important factor for successful wetland planning, management, and
restoration. Wetlands by nature are relatively “flat” compared
to the surrounding landscape. These areas often do not have adequate
elevation information because surveys lack detail or are
non-existent. Priorities, logistics, and expenses are often
limiting factors in obtaining this information. LIDAR is often too
expensive to obtain and the vertical accuracy is + 15 cm at best.
Ground surveys through timber are typically slow and expensive.
Utilizing handheld GPS and known water levels, we have developed a
cost effective method of shallow bathymetry within small flooded
wetlands. Tying this topographic information to the site
hydrology can provide valuable information for wetland managers,
i.e. flood coverage and frequency, habitat availability, and
vegetation distribution. In this presentation we will
illustrate the collection and use of such data and management
implications for two green tree reservoirs in southeast Missouri and
a passively managed early successional wetland connected to the
Mississippi River.
Evidence for a Hydrologic Control on Nutrient Removal in the
Atchafalaya River Basin, LA
Amy E. Scaroni1, J.A. Nyman1, C.W. Lindau2, R.D. DeLaune2, R.F.
Keim1
1School of Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana State University,
Baton Rouge, LA
2School of the Coast and Environment, Louisiana State University,
Baton Rouge, LA
The Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers are the major sources of
freshwater and nutrients to the Gulf of Mexico. Increased
nutrient loads from these rivers, primarily in the form of nitrate,
have caused increased eutrophication in the Gulf. Previous
research suggests that the Atchafalaya Basin removes some of these
nutrients before they discharge into the Gulf. As
sedimentation associated with the Atchafalaya River fills in lake
habitat, lakes transition to cypress swamps, and ultimately to
bottomland hardwood forests. As this natural succession
occurs, there may be a change in the amount of nutrients that are
removed. We recently initiated studies to quantify nutrient
removal in the Atchafalaya Basin based on storage in the soil and
biomass, and via denitrification in the three distinct habitat
types: lake, cypress swamp, and bottomland hardwood forest.
Comparing nutrient removal rates in each of the three habitat types
will indicate how habitat change in the Basin affects nutrient
cycling, and consequently eutrophication in the Gulf. Here, we
report preliminary results from our dendrochronology study.
Chronologies constructed at several sites within the Basin indicate
that the growth response of trees is similar both within stands and
across forest types. Evidence suggests that hydrology
partially determines the capacity for nutrient removal.
Future studies will increase the sample size to further explore the
relationship between habitat type and nutrient removal.
River Connectivity as a Determinant of Fish Communities in Oxbow
Lakes of the Yazoo River Basin
Seiji Miyazono, Nathan Aycock, Leandro E. Miranda, Chris Steffen,
and Todd Tietjen
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
Box 9690
Mississippi State University
Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA
E-mail: sm598@msstate.edu
The Yazoo River Basin of Mississippi includes several rivers that
drain an area heavily impacted by agriculture that includes hundreds
of fluvial lakes created by the meandering of the rivers. We studied
17 of these oxbow lakes distributed over the lower half of the Yazoo
River Basin to document fish assemblage patterns and identify
environmental variables that might influence these assemblages.
Results of multivariate analyses showed that the degree of
connectivity to adjacent rivers played a major role on the
environment and fish communities. Lakes with direct connectivity
tended to be deeper, less turbid, produce less phytoplankton
biomass, and had greater fish species richness that included more
riverine species. Conversely, as connectivity with the river was
reduced or lost, lakes became shallow, more turbid, had higher
phytoplankton biomass, and a less speciose lacustrine fish community
dominated by centrarchid species. Seemingly, after lakes separate
from the river, they trap sediments from annual floods and over
years become progressively shallower; this sequence in turn modifies
such characteristics as area and substrate composition. These
results suggested that the river connectivity could be an important
factor in determining not only fish community composition but also
in shaping physicochemical conditions of these floodplain lakes.
Effects of changes in connectivity of floodplain lakes; the loss or
addition of connections to main rivers should be considered in lake
restoration efforts. Management goals may be attainable by
increasing or decreasing lake connectivity and thereby influencing
fish migration, dispersal, and introductions, and modifying the
overall physicochemical environment.
Wood Duck Duckling Mortality and Survival in Mississippi and Alabama
Floodplain Ecosystems
J. Brian Davis
Ducks Unlimited, Inc.
261 Newman Dr.
North Little Rock, AR 72117
Bruce D. Leopold and Richard M. Kaminski
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
Mississippi State University
Box 9690
Mississippi State, MS, 39762
Robert R. Cox, Jr.
P.O. Box 712
Ipswich, SD 57451
Floodplain ecosystems in southeastern United States provide critical
habitats and resources for resident and migratory populations of
North American wood ducks (Aix sponsa) yet little is known about
mortality and survival of wood ducks in these systems. We
studied radiomarked hen and duckling wood ducks that used palustrine
and riverine wetlands in Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge (NNWR) in
Mississippi in 1996-1999 and the Tennessee-Tombigbee Rivers and
Waterway (TTRW) in Alabama in 1998-1999. We estimated
cause-specific mortality rates for 234 and 90 mortality events of
ducklings at NNWR and TTRW, respectively. Mortality of
radiomarked ducklings (n) was caused primarily by avian and aquatic
predators at NNWR in 1996-1999 and TTRW in 1998-1999. Other
agents of mortality at both areas included snakes, mammals,
exposure-related, and unknown causes. A composite estimate of
duckling mortality among years and areas was avian (0.459; n = 155),
aquatic (0.234; n = 79), snake (0.062; n = 21), mammalian (0.053; n
= 18), exposure-related (0.021; n = 7), and unknown causes (0.130; n
= 44). Our study was the first to quantify agents of mortality
and habitat-specific survival rates of wood duck ducklings (Davis et
al. 2007; Journal of Wildlife Management 71:507-517). Managers
may increase local wood duck survival and recruitment by promoting
suitable brood habitats (i.e., scrub-shrub wetlands) without
aggregations of nest boxes that may attract predators and dispersing
nest boxes amid or adjacent to these habitats.
Stand Structures in Riparian Floodplain and Upland Forests along
Thorn Creek in Northeastern Illinois
Xiaoyong Chen, Mary Carrington, and Jon Mendelson
Division of Science
College of Arts and Sciences
Governors State University
Upland forests – riparian floodplain forests – streams (rivers)
ecosystems are considered to be the functioning components of a
forested watershed. The interactions and connections between these
components in terms of energy, mass and nutrients construct an
important linkage of terrestrial and aquatic environments and form
the integrity of the ecosystems. Despite ecological relevance of the
linkage of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, there is a lack of
quantitative information about the difference in patterns, structure
and dynamics between these components. We investigated the
structural characteristics in riparian floodplain and upland forests
in northeastern Illinois. The tree species composition, dimensions
(diameter, height and volume) distribution, and the structure of
snag and coarse woody debris between the specific forest types were
compared. Importance values showed that White oak, Red oak and
Ironwood were the most important tree species in the upland forests,
while Sugar maple, Elm and Basswood made the most contribution in
the floodplain community. On average, basal area of living trees was
larger in floodplains (6.7 m2/ha 3.2 m2/ha; average standard
variation) than uplands (6.1 m2/ha 1.5 m2/ha); and the number of
snags was higher in uplands (10.4 snags/ha) than floodplains (7.4
snags/ha). However, the basal area of snags was higher in
floodplains (0.65 m2/ha) than uplands (0.63 m2/ha). The number and
volume of coarse woody debris in floodplains were 46.5 piece/ha and
6.1 m3/ha, respectively, which were higher than in uplands (43.9
piece/ha and 5.8 m3/ha, respectively). The structural differences
between the two forest types are expected to affect the ecological
and biological processes in the ecosystems.
Bird Habitat Associations on the Lower Missouri River Floodplain
Wayne E. Thogmartin1,, Maureen Gallagher2,3, Neal Young2,4, Jason J.
Rohweder1, Frank Durbian5, and Melinda G. Knutson1,6
1 United States Geological Survey Upper Midwest Environmental
Sciences Center, 2630 Fanta Reed Road, La Crosse, WI 54603
2Fish and Wildlife Service Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife
Refuge, 4200 New Haven Road, Columbia, MO 65201
3 Fish and Wildlife Service Appalachian Partnership Coordination
Office, 1 College Ave, Wise, VA 24293
4 Missouri Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 38, Mindenkmines, MO
64769
5 Fish and Wildlife Service Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge,
P.O. Box 158, Mound City, MO 64470
6 Fish and Wildlife Service Regions 3 and 5 Biological Monitoring
Team, 2630 Fanta Reed Road, La Crosse, WI 54603
Floodplain habitat provides important migration stopover and
breeding habitat for birds in the southeastern and midwestern United
States. Despite the ecological importance of floodplain habitat for
birds, few studies have examined how the breeding bird assemblage
changes with different stages of floodplain forest succession in the
United States. We conducted 869 point counts in open areas dominated
by wet prairie/forbs, 673 point counts in early successional
forests, and 864 point counts in mature forests from 2002 to 2004 to
describe the spring migrating and summer breeding bird assemblage in
the lower Missouri River floodplain. We recorded 131, 121, and 141
species in the three respective habitats, a number higher than most
locations in the midwestern United States and comprising >15% of all
of the species in North America. Species diversity generally
increased from west to east along the river, differed in important
respects among land cover classes, but overlapped between seasons
(migration and breeding) and years. Perhaps surprising was the high
number of species of high conservation concern (n = 20) observed in
wet prairie/forbs, emphasizing the conservation importance of this
habitat. These data provide important insight into the comparative
composition of avian floodplain biota and can be used to ascertain
the conservation value of agricultural land abandoned and
subsequently acquired as a consequence of the mid-1990s floods on
the lower Missouri River.
The Effect of Microtopography on Drainage Patterns, Hydroperiod, and
Tree Species Distribution within the Cache River Floodplain,
Arkansas
Richard H. Day
U.S. Geological Survey
National Wetlands Research Center
Lafayette, LA 70506
Tree species distribution within a riverine forested wetland is
controlled by the hydroperiods imposed upon the landscape by
riverine flooding, drainage patterns, and soil permeability. Soils
with high clay and silt content and low permeability are typical in
the Mississippi River alluvial valley and tend to retain water,
creating local ponding conditions with the potential for wetland
hydroperiods very different from those predicted by the adjacent
river stage. I analyzed the effect of microtopography on
hydroperiods and forest composition within the Cache River
floodplain, Arkansas. Contour elevation data from USGS topographic
maps was supplemented by a laser level survey to produce a detailed
digital elevation model of the study area. Water level gages were
installed to accurately measure the depth and duration of flooding
in locations chosen to reflect potential areas of ponded water left
perched at varying elevations within the forested wetland by
receding floodwater. Forest composition was quantified in plots
centered at points in a regularly spaced grid superimposed upon the
study area. Tree species distribution was categorized by hydroperiod
and compared qualitatively to previous vegetation surveys of the
Cache River and other literature values of tree species flooding
tolerance. Observed hydroperiods within distinct ponded areas were
compared to the hydroperiods which would be predicted by the
hydrograph of the Cache River. The greatest differences between
observed and predicted hydroperiods occurred during the growing
season (April-September), highlighting the difficulty of using river
hydrographic data to predict hydroperiod and subsequent tree species
distribution within the Cache River floodplain.
Efficacy of Chemical Site Preparation for Competition Control in
Hardwood Afforestation Areas
A.B. Self and A.W. Ezell
Department of Forestry
Mississippi State University
Successful establishment of hardwoods in retired agricultural areas
of the Southeast is dependent upon a number of factors. Of
principal importance are seedling quality, seedling handling, site
preparation, planting quality, and competition control.
Competing vegetation on retired agricultural areas is typically
comprised of a mixture of grasses, sedges, and forbs, and the
planting site may also be occupied by vines, shrubs, or tree
species. The use of chemical site preparation is becoming
increasingly popular in these afforestation efforts and may be
essential for survival of the planted seedlings in some situations.
However, competition control during the first growing season is
critical for survival in most old field plantings. This study
was conducted to evaluate the competition control provided by
chemical site preparation treatments both on the pretreatment
vegetation and as residual control of herbaceous vegetation during
the first growing season. Chopper EC®, Arsenal AC®, and One
Step were applied to a retired agricultural field in Louisiana which
was fully occupied by a mixture of grasses, forbs and woody species.
Herbicides were applied in August and oak seedlings (cherrybark and
Nuttall) were planted on the area the following December.
Competition control evaluations were completed on a monthly basis
during the first growing season. Since all herbicides in the
study have soil activity and potential for residual effects on the
planted oaks, the seedlings were evaluated for any symptoms of
herbicide damage. Results will be presented for initial
treatment efficacy, residual herbaceous control during the first
growing season, and crop tolerance for the oak seedlings. The
information has the potential to both save millions of dollars in
establishment costs and enhance survival in these afforestation
efforts.
Evaluation of Minimum-length Limits for Crappies in a Large
River-floodplain System
John R. Jackson
Arkansas Tech University
Department of Biological Sciences
McEver Hall Rm 4
Russellville, Arkansas 72801 USA
Michael A. Eggleton
Aquaculture/Fisheries Center
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
1200 N. University, Box 4912
Pine Bluff, Arkansas 71601 USA
Benjamin J. Lubinski
Illinois Natural History Survey
Great Rivers Field Station
8450 Montclair Avenue
Brighton, Illinois 62012 USA
Sport fisheries management has been infrequently attempted in large
river-floodplain systems in the United States (U.S.). We
collected black crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus (Lesueur) and white
crappie P. annularis (Rafinesque) from floodplain lakes within the
lower White River, Arkansas. Data from 16 representative lakes
were used to define basic stock structure statistics for the
population and evaluate whether minimum-length limits could
potentially improve crappie fisheries. Modeling efforts
focused on predicting yield, mean size, number harvested, and size
structure of crappies in response to a 254-mm minimum length limit
compared to no length limit. Additional modeling assumed
different levels of recruitment variability. Modeling
indicated that implementation of a 254-mm minimum length limit for
crappies would reduce the number harvested by half and minimally
increase crappie yield when exploitation was high. Modeling
also suggested the length limit would increase mean size (length and
weight) harvested, with more substantial increases observed when
recruitment was held constant. In the presence of high
recruitment variability (population size CV>75%), length-limit
implementation exhibited similar trends with yield and harvest as
with low recruitment variability (population size CV<50%), and
produced minimal improvement in population size structure.
However, within this modeling scenario, greater variability was
observed in all predicted population statistics over long-term time
scales, which suggested that years of high-quality crappie fisheries
would be balanced with as many poor years. Modeling results
from the lower White River were generally similar to previous
efforts for these species done in reservoirs and small impoundments.
Roost Site Selection of a Rare Bat in an Old Growth Bottomland
Forest
Jessica S. Lucas and Susan C. Loeb
Southern Research Station
USDA Forest Service
Clemson University, SC
Rafinesque’s big-eared bat (Corynorhinus rafinesquii) is a rare
species that is thought to be declining. In the southeastern
Coastal Plains, the bat is associated with large hollow trees in
bottomland hardwood forests. We studied Rafinesque’s big-eared
bat in Congaree National Park, the largest remaining tract of old
growth bottomland hardwood forest in the US, to determine roost site
selection under optimal conditions. Roost trees were located
by tree searches and radiotelemetry. For each roost and random
tree we recorded species, decomposition state, DBH, tree height and
opening characteristics and established 0.1 ha plots with a roost or
random tree at the center. During 2006 and 2007, we located 43
day roosts throughout the park. Rafinesque’s big-eared bats
showed strong selection for Nyssa aquatica for roosting. Roost
trees were significantly larger and more decomposed than random
trees. The area surrounding roost trees had significantly
greater basal area, and trees within the plots had greater DBH,
height, and number of openings than random plots. Species
composition of roost plots also differed from random plots and
contained fewer water elm (Planera aquatica), oaks (Quercus spp.)
and swamp tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica). Our results suggest that
Rafinesque’s big-eared bats selected large Nyssa aquatica in older
bottomland hardwood forests. Thus, effective forest management
for this species includes conservation of mature forest with
abundant cavity trees.
Small Mammal Community Associations with Topographic Complexities on
a Wetland Restoration Site in Southeast Arkansas
Tiffany Whitsitt and Philip A. Tappe
School of Forest Resources and Arkansas Forest Resources Center
University of Arkansas at Monticello
Monticello, AR 71655
Commonly practiced on lands enrolled in the Wetlands Reserve Program
(WRP) is excavation of shallow basins and creation of associated
mounds. These structures increase microtopographic
complexities which serve a variety of purposes, including
development of diverse water regimes, vegetative communities, and
wildlife habitat. Our objective was to investigate
microhabitat associations of small mammals on the Bob White Memorial
Wetlands Research and Teaching Station (BWMW). The BWMW
consists of 146 ha and is located in the Mississippi Alluvial Flood
Plain in Chicot County, Arkansas. It was enrolled as a
permanent WRP easement in 2001. Sherman live traps spaced at
15 m intervals were used in 4 (7x7) 0.8-ha trapping grids located in
basin-mound complexes to sample small mammal communities.
Trapping and habitat measurements were conducted monthly
(February-August, 2007). Species captured included the marsh rice
rat (Oryzomys palustris), hispid cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus),
house mouse (Mus musculus), Peromyscus spp., fulvous harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys
fulvescens) and the least shrew (Cryptotis parva). The hispid
cotton rat and marsh rice rat comprised >80% of the individuals
captured. Marsh rice rats were found at lower elevations, with
house mice and Peromyscus spp. preferring higher elevations.
Marsh rice rats were associated with water and cattails, presence of
the fulvous harvest mouse was related to woody plants and vines and
the least shrew with forbs and ground litter. Spatial
distributions of small mammals as related to microhabitat
characteristics were influenced by the complexity of the vegetative
and physical environment associated with the basin and mound
structures.
Restoration of the Flat Fork Valley
Greg Babbit, Tennessee Stream Mitigation Program (TSMP), 300 Walker
Boulevard, Maryville, TN 37803
Andrew Bick, Baker Engineering, 797 Haywood Road, Suite 201,
Asheville, NC 28806
The Tennessee Stream Mitigation Program is in the process of
restoring approximately three miles of Flat Fork and three of its
tributaries which are on Tennessee’s 2006 303(d) list for numerous
impairments. The primary goals of this restoration project are
to improve water quality and aquatic and riparian habitat within the
Flat Fork valley.
These goals can be accomplished by succeeding in the following
objectives:
·
reduce bed and bank erosion resulting in elevated non-point source
sediment loads downstream;
·
reduce thermal impacts caused by a lack of shade from forest canopy;
·
improve water quality by excluding unrestricted livestock access and
provide a riparian buffer on both stream banks;
·
improve natural sediment movement by removing multiple impoundments;
·
improve in-stream habitat by restoring natural stream channel
dimension, pattern and profile using relict floodplain meander
scrolls;
·
enable the stream to be self-adjusting and self-maintaining;
·
and provide for the recovery of natural stream functions.
Previous channelization, dredging, realignment and straightening
have left the Flat Fork channel extremely incised with vertical,
eroding banks, poor bed features, and unstable patterns.
Multiple stream crossings on Flat Fork function as mini-dams that
impede sediment transport capability, cause massive bed and bank
scour, degrade aquatic habitat and exacerbate flooding. This
paper focuses on strategies that incorporate fluvial geomorphic
processes (analytical) and form (analog) based design approaches
using native plant and substrate materials to remedy the causes of
physical degradation to Flat Fork, its tributaries and floodplain.
Battle Bend Slough Restoration Apalachicola River (Liberty County,
Florida)
Michael J. Hill
Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission
1338 Avondale Way
Tallahassee, FL 32317
850-251-8919 work
850-410-2842 fax
Michael.Hill@MyFWC.com
The Apalachicola River is located in the Florida Panhandle and is
the largest river in Florida. It is home to many species of
endangered mussels, anadromous striped bass (Morone saxatilis) and
the endangered Gulf sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus destotoi).
Battle Bend is located at Navigational Mile 28.8 and was once part
of the main channel of the river until the U. S. Army Corps of
Engineers (USACE) excavated a cutoff in 1968 which bypassed this
bend in the river. Over the next two decades, sediment
deposition created a blockage in the lower arm of Battle Bend that
restricted fish passage and angler access into the backwater pool of
the severed bendway. Navigation maintenance activities
(dredging) contributed to the entrenchment of the river channel
which resulted in the loss of important floodplain habitat along the
river corridor.
The purpose of this project was to re-establish a channel 200’ wide
by 1,000’ long at the lower arm of Battle Bend. Sediment
removal from Battle Bend was accomplished using excavators with
spoil material loaded onto barges for transport. Reconnection
of this old cutoff river channel will improve its water quality
during low flow conditions and enhance its function as an important
backwater habitat for spawning, feeding and/or nursery areas for
many important Apalachicola River fishes. Material was
transported by barge 14 miles downstream to Bloody Bluff, then,
trucked 15 miles to the disposal site. Total material to be
excavated was about 64,000 cubic yards at a total project cost of
$1.94 million dollars.
Effects of River Connectivity on Floodplain Lake Fish Communities of
the Lower White River, Arkansas
Sandra J. Clark-Kolaks and John R. Jackson
Department of Biological Sciences
Arkansas Tech University
Russellville, AR
Steve E. Lochmann
Aquaculture and Fisheries Center
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
Pine Bluff, AR
Floodplain lakes have been extensively studied in tropical
ecosystems, but little is known about the influence of connectivity
on floodplain lake fish communities in temperate ecosystems.
Relationships between floodplain lake connectivity and fish
communities within the White River National Wildlife Refuge,
Arkansas were investigated and temporal patterns in fish communities
were characterized. Forty-one floodplain lakes were sampled using a
combination of gear types collecting over 70 fish species.
Environmental variables including water quality, lake morphometrics,
and quantitative measures of connectivity were measured for each
lake. Canonical correspondence analysis identified temperature, lake
shape, type of connection, and start date of connection as most
important in the structuring of floodplain lake fish communities.
Three-floodplain lake classification types were generated with
large, deep, long, narrow lakes with great temporal connection via a
slough or bayou having greater abundances of rheophilic species.
Intermediate size, shape, depth, and connectivity lakes were
associated with rheophilic and lacustrine species; while small,
shallow, round lakes with low temporal connection due to overbank
connection were associated with more lacustrine species. Results
indicate that connectivity is more important in influencing
floodplain lake fish communities than previously documented.
Wood Duck Duckling Mortality and Survival in Mississippi and Alabama
Floodplain Ecosystems
J. Brian Davis
Ducks Unlimited, Inc.
261 Newman Dr.
North Little Rock, AR
Bruce D. Leopold and Richard M. Kaminski
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
Mississippi State University
Box 9690
Mississippi State, MS, 39762
Robert R. Cox, Jr.
P.O. Box 712
Ipswich, SD 57451
tc \l1 "CHAPTER VFloodplain ecosystems in southeastern United States
provide critical habitats and resources for resident and migratory
populations of North American wood ducks (Aix sponsa) yet little is
known about mortality and survival of wood ducks in these systems.
We studied radiomarked hen and duckling wood ducks that used
palustrine and riverine wetlands in Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge
(NNWR) in Mississippi in 1996-1999 and the Tennessee-Tombigbee
Rivers and Waterway (TTRW) in Alabama in 1998-1999. We
estimated cause-specific mortality rates for 234 and 90 mortality
events of ducklings at NNWR and TTRW, respectively. Mortality
of radiomarked ducklings (n) was caused primarily by avian and
aquatic predators at NNWR in 1996-1999 and TTRW in 1998-1999.
Other agents of mortality at both areas included snakes, mammals,
exposure-related, and unknown causes. A composite estimate of
duckling mortality among years and areas was avian (0.459; n = 155),
aquatic (0.234; n = 79), snake (0.062; n = 21), mammalian (0.053; n
= 18), exposure-related (0.021; n = 7), and unknown causes (0.130; n
= 44). Our study was the first to quantify agents of mortality
and habitat-specific survival rates of wood duck ducklings (Davis et
al. 2007; Journal of Wildlife Management 71:507-517). Managers
may increase local wood duck survival and recruitment by promoting
suitable brood habitats (i.e., scrub-shrub wetlands) without
aggregations of nest boxes that may attract predators and dispersing
nest boxes amid or adjacent to these habitats.
Using Elevation Data to Improve GIS-based Estimates of Potential
Habitat in Bottomland Systems: A Case Study with Swainson’s Warblers
at White River National Wildlife Refuge, Arkansas
Thomas J. Benson, Jeremy D. Brown, Nicholas M. Anich, and James C.
Bednarz
Department of Biological Sciences
Arkansas State University,
State University, AR 72467
To identify habitat for species of conservation concern, biologists
have increasingly used large-scale technologies such as Geographic
Information Systems (GIS). Indeed, numerous efforts, including GAP
analysis and the Partners in Flight prioritization process, have
used these data to identify suitable habitat for priority species.
However, these land-cover data are relatively-coarse filters and do
not account for habitat variation within each land-cover type.
Because floods remove understory vegetation in low-lying forests,
elevation exerts a strong influence on habitat structure.
Thus, adding elevation data to existing land-cover databases may
improve the ability of biologists to estimate potential habitat in
bottomland systems, particularly for understory-dependent species
whose habitats are vulnerable to flooding. One such species,
Swainson’s warbler (Limnothlypis swainsonii; SWWA), is a
conservation priority in the southeastern U.S. In the
Mississippi Alluvial Valley, accounts of available habitat for SWWA
generally include all of White River National Wildlife Refuge
(WRNWR), a >60,000 ha section of mostly bottomland forest in eastern
Arkansas. Using data from surveys of >2000 points in WRNWR
between 2000 and 2005, we found that SWWAs occupied only
relatively-high elevations in the refuge (mean = 47 m). Based
on elevation, we estimate that only 23% of WRNWR is potentially
suitable for SWWAs. However, because of variation in habitat
structure even at relatively-high elevations, the actual amount of
suitable habitat is <23% of WRNWR. We suggest that using
elevation data with existing land-cover databases can help separate
potentially-suitable from unsuitable habitat for
conservation-priority species, and more effectively focus the
management of bottomland systems.
Primary Productivity, Hydroperiod, and Nutrient Cycling in Four
Floodplain Forest Communities on a Blackwater River.
Marianne K. Burke1,2, Mark H. Eisenbies1,3, Charles A. Harrison1,
and Hal O. Liechty1,4.
1USDA Forest Service, SRS, Center for Forest Watershed Science,
Otto, NC 28763
2Currently at USDA Forest Service, Research and Development,
Washington, DC, 20250-1129
3Currently at USDA Forest Service, SRS, Center for Bottomland
Hardwood Research, Stoneville, MS 38776
4Currently at School of Forest Resources, University of Arkansas,
Monticello, AR 71656
A characterization of a blackwater river floodplain forest in South
Carolina was conducted to 1) provide a reference for better
management and restoration of this forest type, 2) test the subsidy
stress hypothesis, 3) relate variations in hydroperiod to primary
productivity and nutrient cycling among years and communities, 4)
identify ecological processes potentially responsible for
differences in productivity among communities and years, 5) identify
mechanisms that contribute to water quality improvement by these
forests, and 6) identify potential limiting nutrients on the site.
The forest communities exhibited the classic subsidy stress curves
of productivity along a flooding gradient over a period which
included a wide range of moisture conditions. Greatest
productivity occurred on the community occupying middle elevations.
Also in that community, amplitude in productivity increased when
flooding returned after several dry years, and this was attributed
to luxury consumption of P during dry years and a fertilization e
effect by N subsidies arriving with subsequent floods. Several
mechanisms of N sequestration were identified, including uptake by
trees with induced N deficiencies through luxury P uptake, and there
was evidence of a N limitation of productivity in this nutrient rich
and productive floodplain forest. Because eutrophication of
marine systems is related to N runoff from terrestrial sources,
these forests may be important to sustainable water quality on the
coast.
Floodplain Research at the Old-growth Bottomalnd Forest Research and
Education Center, Congaree National Park, SC
Theresa A. Thom and David C. Shelley
National Park Service - Congaree National Park
100 National Park Road
Hopkins, SC 29061
Congaree National Park encompasses approximately 27,000 acres of
floodplain forest, including 15,010 acres of National Wilderness
Area. Congaree was established to “preserve and protect for the
education, inspiration, and enjoyment of present and future
generations an outstanding example of a near-virgin southern
hardwood forest situated in the Congaree River floodplain in
Richland County, South Carolina”. Congaree is home to nearly 90
species of trees, over 700 plant species, more than 180 species of
birds, and provides critical habitat for various floodplain species.
As part of the South Atlantic Coastal Plain Biosphere Reserve, a
Globally Important Bird Area, and a Wetland of International
Importance, Congaree National Park provides an exceptional location
for research and education. Ecological studies have been conducted
within Congaree for over 50 years, with diverse projects including
inventories, natural history work, and long-term ecological studies
involving biological communities, geomorphology, surface water and
groundwater hydrology, vegetation dynamics, and impacts from
anthropogenic disturbances and natural catastrophic events. These
data provide important baselines for current data interpretation and
adaptive management.
In 2004, the park became home to the Old-Growth Bottomland Forest
Research and Education Center, one of 17 Research Learning Centers
across the Nation. The Center facilitates research, encourages
science-based education, and is uniquely situated to capitalize on
floodplain research, management, and educational opportunities.
Congaree data sets, coupled with new technologies, park support, the
connectivity to the National Park Service Network, and the close
proximity to Columbia, South Carolina make Congaree National Park a
desirable location for future collaborative floodplain science.