Mississippi lowland forests
| Mississippi lowland forests | |
|---|---|
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| Ecology | |
| Biome | Temperate broadleaf and mixed forest |
| Bird species | 222 |
| Mammal species | 62 |
| Geography | |
| Area | 112,300 km2 (43,400 sq mi) |
| Country | United States |
| Conservation | |
| Habitat loss | 72.508% |
| Protected | 5.21% |
The Mississippi lowland forests are a temperate broadleaf and mixed forest ecoregion in the eastern United States, covering an area of 112,300 km2 (43,400 sq mi).
Located on the Mississippi Alluvial Plain from Louisiana north to the southern edge of Illinois, the original forest cover of the Mississippi lowland forests was primarily bottomland hardwood forests, often subject to seasonal flooding which dictates the growth rate and composition. The forests historically occupied over 10,000,000 hectares of thick well-established forest of cypress (Taxodium spp.), hickory, oak and cedars similar to that found in the Middle Atlantic Coastal Forests region. However nearly all the original forest along the Mississippi has now been cleared. The Mississippi floodplain is distinct from the surrounding countryside which is higher and drier.
The remaining woodlands are a mixture of oak, hickory and pine along with a rich mixture of other trees including bald cypress (Taxodium distichum), water tupelo (Nyssa aquatica), black willow (Salix nigra), water hickory (Carya aquatica) in the swampier areas. The Mississippi River is an important pathway and many of these species would have been carried and dispersed by the river system.
The forest was at one time host to forest interior species such as the ivory-billed woodpecker and the Mississippi is still an important migration route for many birds, including large numbers of wintering mallard ducks, wood ducks and hooded mergansers. Other birds of the area include many songbirds, bald eagles, herons and egrets.
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