Stephen Faulkner Bobby D. Keeland M.J. Baldwin John W. McCoy Steven C. Hughes Diane De Steven 2015 <p>In the Mississippi River Alluvial Valley (MAV), complete alteration of river-floodplain hydrology allowed for widespread<br />conversion of forested bottomlands to intensive agriculture, resulting in nearly 80% forest loss. Governmental programs have<br />attempted to restore forest habitat and functions within this altered landscape by the methods of tree planting (afforestation)<br />and local hydrologic enhancement on reclaimed croplands. Early assessments identified factors that influenced whether<br />planting plus tree colonization could establish an overstory community similar to natural bottomland forests. The extent<br />to which afforested sites develop typical understory vegetation has not been evaluated, yet understory composition may be<br />indicative of restored site conditions. As part of a broad study quantifying the ecosystem services gained from restoration<br />efforts, understory vegetation was compared between 37 afforested sites and 26 mature forest sites. Differences in vegetation<br />attributes for species growth forms, wetland indicator classes, and native status were tested with univariate analyses;<br />floristic composition data were analyzed by multivariate techniques. Understory vegetation of restoration sites was generally<br />hydrophytic, but species composition differed from that of mature bottomland forest because of young successional age and<br />differing responses of plant growth forms. Attribute and floristic variation among restoration sites was related to variation<br />in canopy development and local wetness conditions, which in turn reflected both intrinsic site features and outcomes of<br />restoration practices. Thus, understory vegetation is a useful indicator of functional progress in floodplain forest restoration.</p> application/pdf 10.1111/rec.12210 en Society for Ecological Restoration Understory vegetation as an indicator for floodplain forest restoration in the Mississippi River Alluvial Valley, U.S.A. article