Historical trajectories and restoration strategies for the Mississippi River alluvial valley

Abstract

Unlike upland forests in the eastern United States, little research is available about the composition and structure of bottomland forests before Euro-American settlement. To provide a historical reference encompassing spatial variation for the Lower Mississippi River Alluvial Valley, we quantified forest types, species distributions, densities, and stocking of historical forests using General Land Office (GLO) records from Missouri. For modeling historical species distributions, we applied random forests classification and predictor variables included terrain and soil characteristics. Historical forest types predominantly were sweetgum, black and white oak, and elm. Contemporary forests increased in maples and hickories, which are replacing sweetgum and oaks.

Keywords

Lower Mississippi River Alluvial Valley, General Land Office, historical forests, reference condition

Citation

Hanberry, Brice B.; Kabrick, John M.; He, Hong S.; Palik, Brian J. 2012. Historical trajectories and restoration strategies for the Mississippi River alluvial valley. Forest Ecology and Management. 280: 103-111.