MEEC 2005 FIELD TRIPS
Mississippi Alluvial Valley
The Lower Mississippi Valley consists of
~24 million acres of alluvial floodplain surrounding over
900 river miles from the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi
rivers to the Gulf of Mexico. Historically, this region was
likely one of the most productive freshwater regions of pre-Columbian
North America. Prior to European settlement, this valley was
covered with bottomland hardwood forest, the largest extent
of that habitat type on earth, and was subject to annual flooding
by the Mississippi River and its tributaries. Today, at least
91 species of freshwater fish still inhabit this region. Nearly
40% of North America's waterfowl and 60% of all bird species
in the United States migrate through the valley where shorebird
species use managed wetlands as stopover sites during migrations.
Remnant forests harbor populations of Swainson's Warbler,
Prothonotary Warbler, and Swallow-tailed Kite and nearby wetland
habitats support colonial waterbirds such as White Ibis and
Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron.
Trip Leader:
Dr. Brooks M. Burr,
Professor (Department of Zoology, Southern Illinois University).
Dr. Burr’s research interests include the ecology
and systematics of fishes, with emphasis on North American
freshwater fishes and neotropical fishes of the Peruvian
Amazon. Dr. Burr is coauthor of A Field Guide to Freshwater
Fishes: North America and North of Mexico from the
Peterson Field Guide Series and recently prepared
species accounts for Fishes of Illinois: A Century of
Change.
Meeting Place: Main parking
lot of Carbondale Civic Center
Time: 12:00 pm, March 13, 2005.
Difficulty: Moderate field activities to
include seining and easy hiking.
Specific items: Hip boots or waders are suggested.
Equipment will be provided for temporarily collecting and
examining amphibians, fishes and macroinvertebrates. Feel
free to bring binoculars for birding opportunities on this
trip.
Additional information on Lower Mississippi
Alluvial Valley
http://biology.usgs.gov/s+t/SNT/noframe/ms137.htm
http://www.ducks.org/conservation/Projects/Southern/MSAlluvialValley/index.asp
http://www.1mrcc.org/Ecosystempage1_html/Ecosystem.html
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