Treeband measurements of Taxodium distichum in coastal Louisiana, USA from August 2004 through April 2016

To study the long-term effects of hydrology and salinity on the health of these systems, we fitted dendrometer bands on selected trees in permanent forest productivity plots established between 2004 and 2006 within six baldcypress stands. Three of these stands were in freshwater sites permanently or seasonally flooded with low salinity (0.1-1.3 ppt), while the other three are affected by tide and chronic, slightly higher salinity (0.2-4.9 ppt). Water level was logged continuously, and salinity was measured manually monthly to quarterly on the surface and in groundwater wells. Higher salinity decreased baldcypress radial growth, while more flooding increased radial growth. Results of this study illustrate that complex interactions between hydrology and salinity drive the growth and productivity of tide-influenced baldcypress forests in coastal Louisiana.