Historical trajectories and restoration strategies for the Mississippi River alluvial valley

摘要: Abstract Unlike upland forests in the eastern United States, little research is available about composition and structure of bottomland before Euro-American settlement. To provide a historical reference encompassing spatial variation for Lower Mississippi River Alluvial Valley, we quantified forest types, species distributions, densities, stocking using General Land Office (GLO) records from Missouri. For modeling applied random classification predictor variables included terrain soil characteristics. Historical types predominantly were sweetgum, black white oak, elm. Contemporary increased maples hickories, which are replacing sweetgum oaks. Forest densities 215 to 350 trees/ha 350 400 trees/ha trees ⩾12.7 DBH. Basal area historically was greater by factor 1.6–2.6 percent full, except an open oak-dominated ecosystem, whereas today have lower comprised young, small diameter trees. elevation, texture determined expect that with loss fire flooding, ecological separation site factors has become less influential current distribution. Selection oaks planting would restore better than ash other shade-tolerant species, promotes conversion under undisturbed conditions rather restoration disturbance regimes. We also recommend managing large thinning promote more rapid growth residual Although there uncertainty reconstruction, these results new information presence variability oak Valley post-settlement transformation alluvial landscapes.