Floodplain Forests

Links to pdf versions of our floodplain forest work:

November 2010 Report of Floodplain Forests of Dutchess and Columbia County

The Dancers Hem - Summary of 2008 Report

2008 Floodplain Forest Report

One of our Nuggets, summarizing our floodplain work.

 

Floodplain forests are special and yet somewhat maligned dips in our landscape. Located along our larger, flatter streams, these forests often appear muddy, brushy, and littered with flood debris - not the most charismatic of reputations. On the other hand, their regular flooding has presented unique challenges to the organisms that live within them and has meant that soil nutrients are regularly re-charged. The former characteristic has meant that certain creatures are found almost exclusively in these forests. The latter characteristic has, understandably, led to the frequent clearing of floodplains for agriculture. Our work, at fifteen sites around Columbia County, focused on documenting the plants and animals found in these habitats and considering some of the factors that might be influencing patterns in that biodiversity. There are some beautiful organisms and intricate patterns to be found. The documents available from the links above describe our findings.