Conservation of Louisiana's coastal wetland forests

Jim L. Chambers¹, Richard F. Keim¹, William H. Conner², John W. Day Jr.³, Stephen P. Faulkner⁴,
Emile S. Gardiner⁵, Melinda S. Hughes¹, Sammy L. King⁶, Kenneth W. McLeod⁷, Craig A. Miller¹,
J. Andrew Nyman¹, and Gary P. Shaffer⁸

¹School of Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana State University AgCenter,
Renewable Natural Resources Building, Baton Rouge, LA 70803
²Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology and Forest Science, Clemson University, P O Box 596, Georgetown, SC 29442
³Loisiana State University Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, 1002-Y Energy,
Coast and Environment Building, Baton Rouge, LA 70803
⁴USGS National Wetlands Research Center, 700 Cajundome Boulevard, Lafayette, LA 70506
⁵Center for Bottomland Hardwoods Research, USDA-Forest Service, Southern Hardwoods Laboratory,
P O Box 227, Stoneville, MS 38776
⁶USGS Louisiana Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit and Louisiana State University AgCenter, School of Renewable Natural Resources, Baton Rouge, LA 70803
⁷Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, P O Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29802
⁸Department of Biological Sciences, Southeastern Louisiana University, Box 10736, Hammond, LA 70402

Abstract: Large-scale efforts to protect and restore coastal wetlands and the concurrent renewal of forest harvesting in cypress-tupelo swamps have brought new attention to Louisiana’s coastal wetland forests in recent years. Our understanding of these coastal wetland forests has been limited by inadequate data and the lack of a comprehensive review of existing information. The importance of these forests is now being recognized and the loss and degradation of the ecosystem functions and services provided by Louisiana’s coastal wetland forests is significant. Since Louisiana’s coastal wetland forests are of tremendous economic, ecological, cultural, and recreational value to Louisiana, the country, and the world, the Louisiana Governor’s office commissioned a Science Working Group to examine these forests and make recommendations for their conservation, protection and use. This paper summarizes the report findings and provides recommendations for what state government, professional foresters, research scientists, landowners, and the public can do to ensure the sustainability of Louisiana’s coastal wetland forests well into the future.

Keywords: Baldcypress, Taxodium distichum, stump sprouting, wetland function, regeneration, restoration, endangered species, water tupelo, Nyssa aquatica, sustainability, coppice regeneration.

SREL Reprint #2971