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Louisiana Trip, Habitats
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A significant
aspect of the deltaic habitats is the salinity gradient that exists
between the river and the sea. Fresh water marshes yield to salt
marshes over many miles, providing a range of habitats that supports the
region's biodiversity. |
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In the State Arboretum, near Lafayette,
Laura inspects skink eggs in a freshwater marsh. We also
saw upland forests in this wonderful preserve. |
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Cypress is one of
the hallmark species of the area. Many old growth stands of cypress
have been lost, and with them species dependant on this habitat, most
notably the Ivory Billed Woodpecker, once a hallmark species in the
area.
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A swamp tour from Houma took us
from fresh into brackish marsh. During the tour, we met a
fisherman who had caught a saltwater fish (redfish) in an area that had
been a pasture during the memory of our guide...startling testimony to
the related problems of subsidence and saltwater incursion in the area. |
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We had a chance to
see the Gulf of Mexico from Grand Island, one of Louisiana's barrier
islands. The water was chocolate colored from suspended
sediment. We could count over a
dozen off shore oil rigs on the horizon, testifying to the economic
importance of this area. |
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NEXT: Engineering
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For more information, contact Dr. Tim Lincoln, Institute for
the Study of the Environment, Albion College, Albion MI 49224.
Phone (517) 629-0486 – e-mail tlincoln@albion.edu
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