What Is Bottomland Hardwoods

Years later huffman and forsythe 1981 used the term to describe floodplain forests throughout the eastern and central.

What is bottomland hardwoods. The term bottomland hardwoods was first used to describe forests of the southeastern us that occurred on river floodplains. Bottomland hardwood forests are a prominent ecosystem in the southeast. Typical tree species growing in these forests range from cottonwoods and sweetgums to cherrybark oaks water oaks and hickories. Poorly to well drained soils.

Bottomland hardwood forests can reduce the risk and severity of flooding to downstream communities by providing areas to store floodwater. Bottomland hardwoods serve a critical role in the watershed by reducing the risk and severity of flooding to downstream communities by providing areas to store floodwater. Bottomland hardwood forests are one of many important riparian ecosystems in the united states. Bottomland hardwoods forests constantly change and are altered over time by natural disturbance and climatic changes.

They are characterized by infrequent low intensity fire. In addition these wetlands improve water quality by filtering and flushing nutrients processing organic wastes and reducing sediment before it reaches open water. Bottomland hardwood forests support a great variety of tree and shrub species. Bottomland hardwoods may be underwater part of the year and completely dry during droughts.

Scientists often consider a bottomland hardwood forest ecosystem as an extension of a river. Regular flooding is an integral part of a river s cycle so. They are occasionally flooded which builds up the alluvial soils required for the gum oak and bald cypress trees that typically grow in this type of biome.