| Abstract: | Long-term monitoring began in 1990 to follow community changes resulting from hurricane disturbance. In addition, one-year-old Taxodium distichum seedlings were planted to determine if planting was feasible in saltwater-flooded areas. The canopy of the least impacted swamp recovered rapidly, but there were few seedlings growing in the understory. Planted seedlings survived well, but they grew very little. Both lack of seedlings and poor growth of planted seedlings were probably due to intense shading and flooding. Two impacted areas contained a greater number of seedlings, most of which were found growing on raised microsites like Taxodium knees. The majority of the seedlings in all areas were shrub species. Planted seedlings grew cell (30 cm/yr) where open canopy conditions allowed sunlight to reach the forest floor and no new saltwater has been introduced since the hurricane. |
