COMPOSITION AND VULNERABILITY OF BOTTOMLAND HARDWOOD FORESTS OF THE COASTAL-PLAIN PROVINCE IN THE SOUTH CENTRAL UNITED-STATES

A past history of declines in forest area affirms the need for documentation on the extent and species composition of today's bottomland hardwood ecosystem. This paper summarizes the forest composition and related vulnerability of bottomland hardwood forests using data from the many existing resource bulletins and the current inventory data base maintained by the USDA Forest Service. These forests support a complex mix of tree species. The 6.1 million-ha ecosystem is common in three physiographic sections of the Province. The East and West Gulf sections are typified by moist-site cover types, with stands widely dispersed. The Mississippi Alluvial Plain contains both moist- and wet-site cover types. Southern portions of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain are characterized by wet-site cover types with stands being concentrated spatially. Cover types are susceptible to varying degrees of human-induced disturbance, which may ultimately lead to permanent removal of forest cover. © 1990.