Restoration of bottomland hardwood forests in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley, U.S.A.

The world’s third largest river, the Mississippi, extends more than 3700 km through the central U.S. where it drains 41% of the conterminous U.S. before reaching the Gulf of Mexico. The river historically served as a primary travel corridor and trade route for Native American Indians, provided access for exploration and colonization to early European settlers, and today remains the backbone of commerce for much of the central U.S. The southernmost reach of the river is flanked by a 10 million ha physiographic region, the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley (LMAV). The rich alluvial soils in this flood-plain historically supported vast expanses of mixed-species, deciduous forests. These bottomland hardwood forests are unique because their species composition and structure are linked to the past and current dynamics of the fluvial processes of the river. Inherently diverse in tree, shrub, and vine species, bottomland hardwood forests provide habitat for a rich fauna, function to abate floodwater and improve water quality, produce an exceptional timber commodity, and offer an abundance of recreational opportunities.