Upper Mississippi River Restoration Program Long Term Resource Monitoring

Survival and growth of four floodplain forest species in an Upper Mississippi River underplanting

Windmuller-Campione, M., M. Van Appledorn, A. Meier, and L. Reuling. 2022. Survival and growth of four floodplain forest species in an Upper Mississippi River underplanting. Tree Planters Notes 65 (2): 87 - 97. Available at: https://rngr.net/publications/tpn/65-2.

Abstract

Aging canopy trees and invasive species can shift floodplain forests of the Upper Mississippi River to open meadows. There may be opportunities to proactively underplant tree seedlings to avoid shifts. The authors assessed the survival and growth of four tree species planted under a moderate canopy of silver maple across an elevation gradient over a 2-year period. Survival rates and growth rates varied across the four species: swamp white oak had higher survival rates across the entire elevation gradient compared to sycamore, hackberry, or silver maple seedlings. Results highlight the potential for underplanting as a proactive restoration strategy with the need to consider local site conditions.

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