Vascular plant community deelopment on mudflats in the Mississippi River delta, Louisiana, USA

White, David

Plant community development and phytosociology on mudflats on to inner deltaic splays in the Mississippi River delta, Louisiana, are described. The splays supported three communities based upon plant species occurence, soil, and plant biomass data collected over seven growing seasons. About 77% of the vegetated land on the splays became dominated by Scirpus deltarum Schuyler thress growing seasons after mudflat emergence. Net primary production of these marshes was 523g dry weight m-2 year-1. On the highest mudflats, i.e. more than 11 cm above the Scirpus deltarum domintated mudflats, Salix nigra Marshall became the dominant plant. This woody community occupies 21% of the land area on the splays. Backwater subsrated (2% of land area) just below the Scipus community became a community dominated by Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott. From analysis of substrate grain size, ezch community can be described by proportions of sand, silt, and clay. The Scirpus community had the coarsest sediment with the greatest amount of clay and silt. Each community differed also in total organic material, the Colocasia community having twice as much as the other two communities. These communities are maintained by the hydrology and associated factors, especially influxes of sediment during spring floods.

Vascular plant community deelopment on mudflats in the Mississippi River delta, Louisiana, USA

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