Effects of Permanent Flooding on Bottomland Hardwoods and Implications for Water Management in the Forked Deer River Floodplain

Seasonally flooded bottomland hardwoods along the Middle Fork-Forked Deer River have been replaced by a shallow-water marsh as a result of blockage in a lateral drain to the river. This study compares the shallow-water marsh with a nearby seasonally flooded bottomland hardwood forest. Plant species diversity and the diversity of microhabitats have been reduced due to shallow-water impoundment during the growing season. If the obstruction to the lateral drain were removed, the shallow-water marsh area would likely be replaced by a viable hardwood stand with a seasonal flooding regime. Not only would removal of the obstruction improve flood control but also, as shown by this study, increase species diversity and enhance wildlife habitat.