Bottomland Hardwood Forest Characteristics

Historic blhs were a product of the natural hydrologic and geomorphic processes associated with their adjacent rivers.

Bottomland hardwood forest characteristics.

They are generally found along the edges of lakes and rivers and in sinkholes. Typical tree species growing in these forests range from cottonwoods and sweetgums to cherrybark oaks water oaks and hickories. The bottomland hardwood forest is a type of deciduous and evergreen hardwood forest found in us broad lowland floodplains along large rivers and lakes. Bottomland forests represent a transition between drier upland hardwood forest and very wet river floodplain and wetland forests.

1 common characteristics of bottomland swamp forests in the south atlantic coastal plain hydrology effects species composition o persistent. They are occasionally flooded which builds up the alluvial soils required for the gum oak and bald cypress trees that typically grow in this type of biome. You can use the term bottomland forest loosely to refer to a variety of wooded habitats but true bottomland forests have these characteristics. Our objective was to characterize the vegetative composition and abundance in a bottomland hardwood stand which had been under an annual flooding regime for over 50 years.

276 characteristics of wetlands ecosystems of southeastern bottomland hardwood forests william h. Bottomland hardwood forests support a great variety of tree and shrub species. Leitman introduction bottomland hardwoods blh occur throughout the riverine floodplains of the southeastern united states figure 1. Bottomland hardwood forests can reduce the risk and severity of flooding to downstream communities by providing areas to store floodwater.

These zones are the result of an active river cutting its banks and forming new land putnam 1960. Patrick jr j george dissmeyer 2 donai d. Results indicate that overcup oak is dominant in all three vertical layers while the more desirable willow oak is common only in the overstory. Bottomland hardwood forests are recognized as an important feature of the landscape joining riverine systems with upland forests and function as areas of filtration for.

They are seasonally wet areas for example from annual spring flooding. Bottomland hardwood forests blh are found in temperate humid regions of the southeastern us primarily on alluvial floodplains adjacent to rivers. The soil which erodes from the bank is often deposited on the inside bend downstream on what is referred to as a point bar. Hook 3 victor w.