An approach to the inventory of forested wetlands for timber-harvesting impact assessment

Abstract

A methodology for assessment of timber-harvesting impacts in a tidal freshwater Nyssa-aquatica/ Taxodium-distichum palustrine wetland in southwestern Alabama, U.S.A. was developed. The inventory objective was to provide data based upon relevant biophysical and socio-economic parameters to assist wetland regulatory and policy-making agencies. In addition to estimating stand timber stocks, the approach assessed the degree of disruption of ecosystem functions and processes. Specifically, indices were chosen to detect changes in net primary productivity, plant nutrient assimilative capacity, soil nutrient retention and transformation, decomposition, sedimentation rate, hydrology, and provision of wildlife habitat. Methods were chosen for data collection efficiency, interpretive simplicity, and ability to provide a relative index of the integrity and recovery rates of a disturbed ecosystem. This assessment enables wetland managers to determine which parameters are sensitive to functional changes, as well as the relative effects of various harvesting methods for use in promoting best forest-management practices.