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Forested Wetland Communities as Indicators of Tidal Influence along the Apalachicola River, Florida, USA

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Abstract

On coastal rivers, tidal freshwater forested wetlands occur at the upriver extent of tidal influence. How far upriver is uncertain, because tidal conditions gradually diminish and it is unknown how forest species and edaphic conditions shift in response. Forested wetlands along the lower Apalachicola River were evaluated for the influence of tidal hydrology on community composition, structure, and soil conditions. A total of 37 forest plots were established along a tidal gradient and classified as tidal or non-tidal based on data from water level recorders and wetland proximity to the river mouth. Canopy trees were measured to calculate species importance values and four distinct communities (two tidal and two non-tidal) were discerned based on a two-way cluster analysis. Forest structure differed between wetlands, with tidal wetlands having smaller tree diameters and greater density. Surface soils in tidal wetlands contained higher percent carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur. Soil electrical conductivity was also higher in tidal wetlands and, along with concentrations of extractable Na and Mg, corresponded with 2-dimensional ordination axes for species analyzed by non-metric multidimensional scaling. Forest communities clearly differed in composition, structure, and soil conditions, and provided a good indicator of tidal hydrology along the Apalachicola River.

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Acknowledgements

This study was funded by the Auburn University Center for Forest Sustainability. Assistance with fieldwork was provided by numerous individuals including Ana Cerro, Joe Clewley, Nathan Click, Rachel Jolly, Tug Kesler, Lauren Levi, Helen Light, Jennifer Mitchell, Wayde Morse, John Timpone, Jennifer Trusty, and Jennifer Wanat. Helen Light provided valuable background information and assisted with tree identification. We greatly appreciate Lauren Levi and the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve for their time and use of a boat for river access. Jerry Pitts and Phil Manor of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission provided valuable site information and property access to wetlands. We appreciated comments from Diane De Steven and two other reviewers that greatly improved this paper.

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  1. School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA

    Christopher J. Anderson & B. Graeme Lockaby

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  1. Christopher J. Anderson
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  2. B. Graeme Lockaby
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Correspondence to Christopher J. Anderson.

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Anderson, C.J., Lockaby, B.G. Forested Wetland Communities as Indicators of Tidal Influence along the Apalachicola River, Florida, USA. Wetlands 31, 895–906 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-011-0204-5

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