ABSTRACT
Wildlife species and communities of southern forested wetlands have many values. Historically, native Americans and early European settlers made extensive use of wetland-associated animals. Ecologically, forested wetlands are transitional habitats between uplands and standing and flowing bodies of water. This chapter discusses ecological functions and relationships of wildlife, physical and biological factors affecting their presence and abundance, wildlife that occur in southern forested wetlands, and considerations related to accommodating wildlife communities in forested wetlands that are managed. One important function of wildlife is facilitating the dispersal of plants and other organisms. The abundance of wildlife species varies with the temporal context of factors affecting populations. In many cases, controlling or limiting factors will have different short- and long-term effects. Principal abiotic factors in forested wetlands are soil, water, weather, topography, and disturbance.
