Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Swamp Ecology In A Dynamic Coastal Landscape: An Investigation Through Field Study And Simulation Modeling, Susanne Sigrid Hoeppner

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Increased flooding, nutrient and sediment deprivation, and saltwater intrusion have been implicated as probable causes of coastal swamp deterioration in the Mississippi Delta. An understanding of the interactive effects of these factors is required to enable successful planning of wetland restoration activities. I used field data collected from 2000 till 2005 at forty study sites to characterize the baseline conditions of the Maurepas swamp. I used a cluster analysis to identify four swamp habitat clusters, and characterized the clusters on the basis of soil properties, salinity, basal area, stem density, and other tree-related variables. ANOVA and related statistical techniques showed …