Cover

CHAPTER IV: WILDLIFE HABITATS FOR MISSISSIPPI’S SGCN,

THREATS AND CONSERVATION ACTIONS^129

and their habitats.

A Encourage appreciation of SGCN and their habitats by providing public access and compatible
recreational activities.

3.4 Lower Slope/High Terrace

Hardwood Forests

„ Value to SGCN - 76

„ Rank - 5th of 29 Inland Terrestrial Complexes

(Terrestrial, Wetland, Subterranean and Anthropogenic)

DESCRIPTION
The moderately moist and occasionally wet (palustrine)
hardwood forest habitats of this type are found on lower slopes
and high terraces of streams and rivers of Mississippi. Small
drainageways, floodplains, stream terraces, levees, low moist
plains, and some lower slopes are landforms that support this
vegetation type. The lowlands have soils ranging in textures
from clay and silt to, occasionally, sandy loam. The coarser
textured soils are usually found on ancient secondary terraces. Although these landforms sometimes
flood, they often have deeper soils and receive lateral subsurface seepage and surface runoff from
adjacent uplands. Their low position on the landscape ensures that the habitat remains moist during the
growing season. This habitat type often has an elevated water table during the late winter and early
spring. However, the water table will drop precipitously during early spring growth.

Forests include mixed hardwood, sweetgum – mixed oak and hardwood pine types. Important species
include sweetgum, water oak, cherrybark oak, white oak, swamp chestnut oak, willow oak, and pignut
hickory, bitternut hickory and shagbark hickory that include pignut, bitternut and shagbark. Loblolly
and spruce pine are locally common. Shrub and small tree associates include ironwood, winged elm, red
maple, possumhaw, sugarberry, pawpaw, common sweetleaf and giant cane. Partridge berry, netted
chainfern, jack-in-the-pulpit, common lady fern, small-spike false nettle, jumpseed, mayapple and wild
petunia are representatives of the herb layer.

Of historical significance are the canebrakes of the Mississippi riverine areas of the state, especially in
the Delta region. Extensive, impenetrable giant cane thickets that were apparently mostly devoid of
trees formed along the levees of stream corridors. Historical documents noted fires of canebrakes
sounded like “a barrage of musket fire” as the cane-stems exploded when heated. The intense fires
apparently killed larger trees and subsequently prevented their reestablishment. With fertile soil and