Forest habitats within the Upper Mississippi River floodplain are used by many wildlife species including migratory songbirds, waterfowl, hawks and eagles, deer, other mammals, reptiles and amphibians.
During the past 150 years, large forests have been divided into smaller and smaller patches as land has been cleared for agriculture and development. Wildlife species richness declines as the size of forest tracts is reduced. Many forest-dwelling songbird species rely on large blocks of habitat in order to nest successfully and their numbers have decreased due to forest fragmentation.
The quality of the remaining forests has declined due to human-induced changes in flood frequency, duration, and depth. Many forests that once contained a wide variety of tree species and ages, now consist largely of mature silver maple with little natural regeneration.
An abandoned agricultural field reverting to cottonwood trees
Current management of floodplain forests at the Middle Mississippi NWR has two main components:
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Reduce forest fragmentation by allowing selected refuge fields to naturally regenerate to trees. Initial species composition consists largely of willow, cottonwood, and silver maple.
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Manage forests for increased diversity by planting oak, pecan, hickory, and other native tree species on suitable sites.
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