PRESENTERS

John A. Stanturf, PhD, U.S. Forest Service John W. Groninger, PhD Southern Illinois University

ABSTRACTS

Restoring Bottomland Hardwood Forests – John A. Stanturf, PhD, U.S. Forest Service

Bottomland hardwood forests (BLH) occur in the floodplains of major and minor rivers and reach their greatest extent in the southern US, in particular the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley. These species rich forests have been extensively cleared for agriculture and the rivers altered for flood control and navigation. Nevertheless, federal, state and private programs are attempting to restore BLH, mostly on economically marginal agricultural land. Matching species to site, primarily in terms of inundation regime and flooding tolerance, is a critical performance factor but often difficult to accomplish in altered landscapes. The challenges of obtaining quality seedlings and insuring an adequate planting job have resulted in outright failures or sub-par results. Adequate competition control may be constrained by limitations placed by federal cost-sharing programs. Attempts to restore microtopography and hydrological re-connection can be costly, produce adverse off-site impacts, or both. The presentation focuses on best available science and current practice in bottomland hardwood restoration.

Bottomland Hardwood Forests: Managing the Middle Years – John W. Groninger, PhD, Southern Illinois University

Agency land managers in the Cache River Wetlands of southern Illinois are faced with maintaining the full range of habitat conditions for diverse wildlife species. Following a period of intense afforestation concluding approximately 15 years ago, the Cache has been subjected to several significant stand and landscape level forces having long-term implications for restoration performance. Forest stand dynamics, historic disturbance patterns, invasive species and the use of i