Development and ecology of bottomland hardwood sites

A basic knowledge of the origin, development, and ecology of bottomland hardwood sites is important for assessing harvesting impacts on those sites. This paper presents an overview of the geologic origin and development of hardwood sites, species-site relationships and the natural patterns of ecological succession on those sites, and the implications of that information for forest management. Bottomland hardwoods occur on floodplain sites primarily in the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains. Past geologic events led to the formation of broad stream valleys in those areas because of the erodible, sedimentary geologic materials. Natural patterns of ecological succession on floodplain sites are influenced by autogenic and allogenic processes in that the sites may undergo constant change because of deposition. Three natural patterns of succession are recognized for floodplain sites of major river bottoms-those occurring on permanently flooded sites, those on low elevation wet sites, and those on higher elevation, better drained sites. Floristic composition and successional patterns are strongly influenced by the hydrologic events on the sites and particularly by rates and types of deposition.