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Flooding effects on stand development in cypress-tupelo

Informally Refereed

Abstract

The effects of inundation on growth of cypress (Taxodium spp.) and tupelo (Nyssa spp.) trees have been extensively researched, but conclusions are often complicated by attendant effects on stand development. Flooding affects development of cypress-tupelo stands by limiting seedling germination and survival, truncating species richness, and reducing site quality. Persistence of the cypress-tupelo type therefore depends on flood stress sufficient to prevent establishment of other species, and sufficient stability of hydrologic regime to prevent mortality. This research investigated the role of flooding stress in controlling stand development in a pair of natural bald cypress ()-water tupelo (N. aquatica) stands in Louisiana. Both stands have been at high enough density to experience self-thinning during the duration of the measurements, 1980 to 2005. Bald cypress is establishing dominance in both stands because of crown breakage in water tupelo, but flooding stress itself does not appear to be favoring one species over another. The most obvious effect of flood stress on stand development is to slow the rate of growth and self-thinning.

Parent Publication

Citation

Keim, Richard F.; Dean, Thomas J.; Chambers, Jim L. 2013. Flooding effects on stand development in cypress-tupelo. In: Guldin, James M., ed. 2013. Proceedings of the 15th biennial southern silvicultural research conference. e-Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-GTR-175. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 431-437.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/43668