RECOVERY STATUS OF A TUPELO-CYPRESS WETLAND 7 YEARS AFTER DISTURBANCE- SILVICULTURAL IMPLICATIONS

Three disturbance treatments were imposed on a palustrine forested wet land (Nyssa aquatica-Taxodium distichum) located in southwestern Alaba ma in 1986: (i) clearcutting with helicopter log removal (HELI), (ii) HELI followed by rubber-tired skidder traffic simulation (SKID) and (i ii) HELI followed by removal of all vegetation during the first two gr owing seasons via glyphosate herbicide application (GLYPH). After two growing seasons, it was hypothesized that eventual woody plant growth would be best in the HELI-treated areas, because SKID plots had reduce d rates of water movement and soil aeration. However, measurements at stand age seven years indicate that SKID actually has greater total ab ove-ground biomass (65 979 kg/ha) than HELI (46 748 kg/ha) and SKID pl ots have a higher proportion of the most desirable timber species (Nys sa aquatica). GLYPH areas resemble freshwater marshes, although the ar eas are being invaded by Salix nigra seedlings. All disturbance treatm ents have significant groundflora components that have increased sedim ent accumulation 70-175% relative to an undisturbed reference area. By age seven years, regrowth of vegetation has lowered the water table d uring the growing season but has had little effect on soil redox poten tial and pH. Our observations suggest that this wetland system is rapi dly recovering from logging disturbance seven years ago.