Distribution and Characterization of Forested Wetlands in the Carolinas and Virginia

Recent,forest inventories of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia, included sampling for hvdr-ic x,egetution, hydrk soils, and wetland hydrology. Forest samples that met all 3 of these criteriu were classified us ,forested wetland. This study characterizes wetland ,forests by extent, owner, uge, ,forest type, physiogruphy, volume, growth. and removuls, and evaluates its contribution to the timber supply. Wetland stands comprise 8.1 million ac, or 1770 qf the forests in the 3 States. They are ol’er 90% priiwtely owned, they vary widely by type andphysiogr-aphy, and they contribute 21 o/c of all removals. Clussification of wetland area bused simply on broad management class andphysiography will result in inuccurute estimates. South. J. Appl. For. 2/(2),x54-70. The Southern States (Louisiana to Virginia) have more than a third of the wetlands in the lower 48 states (USDA 1994). There is tremendous interest and work toward delineating and mapping these areas (Hefner and Storrs 1991). At a regional scale, most efforts have gone into interpreting aerial photography and satellite imagery for identification (Tiner 1990). The fact that a wetland must possess the 3 criteria of a hydric soil, hydric vegetation, and a wetland hydrology (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 1987) hinders the accuracy of offsite interpretations because soils must be identified onsite. An intensive sample from the USDA Soil Conservation Service Natural Resources Inventory (NRI) identified broad, as well as specific forest type acreages for subregions of the South. Using this source, Cubbage and Flather (1993) described forested wetland areas by forest type and distribution. However, detailed mensuration data about forested wetlands have not been available to date. Saucier and Cost (1988) quantified forested wetland acreage based on forest type and physiographic region using forest survey data collected in the Southeast. This method did not incorporate federal criteria for hydric vegetation, hydrology, and soils. Subsequently, Tansey and Cost (1990) combined forest survey data with 2 of the 3 criteria to assess forested wetland occurrence. Since 1990, the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) project (USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station) has collected data for all 3 wetland defining criteria. These data, in combination with the standard forest measurements collected, now make it possible to describe and quantify NOTE Manuscripr received March 14, 1995, accepted April 15. 1996. many attributes of forested wetlands. Knowing ownership patterns, what forest types are present, the extent of these forests, the age and condition of the stands, how much volume is present, the amount harvested, how many acres are planted, and so on, permits better evaluation of the economic role of wetland forests and the importance of silvicultural exemptions.