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3. Coastal Vistas: Vegetation
- Texas A&M University Press
- Chapter
- Additional Information
T he Louisiana coast is characterized by a variety of wetlands and adjacent upland areas, and this chapter describes and illustrates some of their more common and easily observable plant species . the chapter emphasizes wetland plants, for it is the state’s extensive swamps and marshes that make the louisiana coast distinctive both physically and culturally. Without the wetland plants, which have adapted to an area’s elevation, water depth, and water salinity—all of which are subject to change over time—a wetland would not be a wetland; it would be a body of open water. the wetland plants are critically important for the coastal region’s productivity, as well as for its longterm survival. these two stories are as intertwined as the myriad twisted roots of the wetland plants, for the roots not only supply nutrients, they also grip the wet soil, holding it in place and providing a matrix for the plants’ continued growth. in the humid subtropical climate of south louisiana, this growth is vigorous, and there is an abundance of both living and decaying plant material (detritus) in the wetland’s shallow waters. While seeds, roots, and stalks of wetland plants nourish creatures like ducks, geese, nutria, and muskrats , detritus sustains organisms at the base of the food chain and feeds a multitude of fish and crustaceans. these include blue crabs, crawfish, brown shrimp and white shrimp, speckled trout, redfish, menhaden, largemouth bass, and many other aquatic species. the brackish marsh, where fresh and saltwater meet, is an especially productive habitat that harbors postlarval and juvenile forms of many commercially and recreationally valuable fish and shellfish species. its sheltered, food-rich waters provide a vital “nursery ground” for these tiny fish and crustaceans as they grow to adulthood. Without the roots of the plants to hold the soil in place against the erosive power of wind, wave, and tide, there would be no “nursery chapter 3 Coastal Vistas Vegetation 40 chapter 3 ground,” no wetland-based seafood industry, no wild louisiana seafood in restaurants and family kitchens, and no commercial and recreational activity associated with the wetland’s wildlife and fishery resources. economy and culture, as well as a sense of coastal identity, are rooted in these wetlands; they are as inseparable from it as are the plants themselves. Plant Distribution and Identification the distribution of these plants tells much about the lands and waters in which they grow. How deep is the water? is it fresh or saline? is this “dry land” sometimes inundated, or is it consistently well drained? the photographs that constitute this part of the guide help answer these questions . to facilitate identification, the photographs are organized as typical landscape scenes within four broad and easily recognizable habitat types: coastal uplands and wetland edges, forested wetlands (swamps), grassy wetlands (marshes), and beaches and tidal mudflats. Within these habitat types, the photos depict common and easily observable plants in the context of their surrounding species, and seasonal vistas depict the species that are most prominent or visible at a particular time of year. the accompanying descriptions are not the technical, jargon -rich entries of a traditional field guide; they are more observation oriented and are designed to assist the observer both with identification and with learning more about the coastal habitat in which the plants grow. Readers will find additional information and additional species in the books listed at the end of this work. Coastal Uplands and Wetland Edges: Natural Levees, Cheniers, Barrier Islands, Spoil Banks, and Roadsides Adjacent to Wetlands the “high lands” of coastal louisiana include natural levees along alluvial rivers and bayous, chenier ridges, and barrier islands, as well as human -made spoil banks and roadbeds. these linear features provide habitat variety in the coastal region, for their elevations are several feet higher than the surrounding wetlands, and, accordingly, their soils are better Even a few inches of elevation makes a difference in determining what will grow in the lowlands of coastal Louisiana. The large live oak tree (Quercus virginiana) is rooted in the slightly higher land of the chenier ridge, while a decaying stump bears witness to the fate of upland trees when their roots become submerged. Photographed at Chenier Perdue in November. [174.129.190.10] Project MUSE (2024-03-29 15:53 GMT) Coastal Vistas: Vegetation 41 Coastal Vistas: Vegetation 41 The trunk of the honey locust tree (gleditsia triacanthos) features long, sharp spines, while its compound leaves (visible at upper left and upper right) are...