Forest Mystery
Forested wetland along the Wacammaw River in North Carolina. The trees are mostly bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) and overcup oak (Quercus lyrata). The plants in this forest must survive -- be adapted to -- the frequent inundation as the river rises and falls. The river guides said that the river had fallen about 10 inches in the seven days before our visit. I am sure our paddling trip would have been completely different had the water been higher.
As a wetland, parts of the water column are likely to become anoxic, which will lets anaerobic microbes make their living. This will slow the organic matter decomposition, but enable biogeochemical processes such as denitrification and DNRA.
Forest Mystery
Forested wetland along the Wacammaw River in North Carolina. The trees are mostly bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) and overcup oak (Quercus lyrata). The plants in this forest must survive -- be adapted to -- the frequent inundation as the river rises and falls. The river guides said that the river had fallen about 10 inches in the seven days before our visit. I am sure our paddling trip would have been completely different had the water been higher.
As a wetland, parts of the water column are likely to become anoxic, which will lets anaerobic microbes make their living. This will slow the organic matter decomposition, but enable biogeochemical processes such as denitrification and DNRA.