Abstract
Bald cypress has long been a dominant timber species in Louisiana's wetland forests. Early settlers recognized the value of this species, and because of its durability and workability bald cypress remained a stable commodity of the lumber industry from the 18th through the early 20th Centuries. Early estimates of the area of bald-cypress forests range from 0.67 to 3.64 million ha. Bald-cypress timber was cut extensively from 1890 to 1925 when the last virgin stands of timber in the state were depleted. In 1934 there were 0.66 million ha of cutover bald-cypress forests in Louisiana. Recent estimates indicate that there are 0.14 million ha of bald-cypress swamp forest left in the state. Regeneration problems have increased in recent years due to human changes in hydrology and natural subsidence (> 1 m per century) and the introduction of the rodent, nutria, ( Myocastor coypus) from South America. Even though the volume of bald-cypress growing-stock in the state continues to increase, the total acreage of bald-cypress swamp is declining. More work needs to be done in these wetland forests to ensure their survival for the future.
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