Aquatic Invertebrate Abundance and Biomass in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Missouri Bottomland Hardwood Forests During Winter

• Published in: Journal of fish and wildlife management 2014-12, Vol.5 (2), p.243-251
• Main Authors: Foth, Justyn R, Straub, Jacob N, Kaminski, Richard M, Davis, J Brian, Leininger, Theodor D
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Invertebrata
• ISSN: 1944-687X; 1944-687X
• DOI: 10.3996/092013JFWM061

The Mississippi Alluvial Valley once had extensive bottom-land hardwood forests, but less than 25% of the original area remains. Impounded bottom-land hardwood forests, or green-tree reservoirs, and naturally flooded forests are important sources of invertebrate or other prey for waterfowl, but no previous studies of invertebrate abundance and biomass have been at the scale of the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. Additionally, the Lower Mississippi Valley Joint Venture of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan requires precise, contemporary estimates of invertebrate biomass in hardwood bottom-lands to determine potential foraging carrying capacity of these habitats for wintering ducks. We recommend the Lower Mississippi Valley Joint Venture adopt 18.39 kg(dry)/ha as a revised estimate for invertebrate biomass for naturally flooded forests, because this estimate is reasonably precise and less than 2% of remaining hardwood bottom-land is impounded green-tree reservoirs in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley.