Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 2013 Spatial structure and dynamics of the plant communities in a pro-grading river delta : Wax Lake Delta, Atchafalaya Bay, Louisiana Melissa Carle Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations Part of the Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Commons Recommended Citation Carle, Melissa, "Spatial structure and dynamics of the plant communities in a pro-grading river delta : Wax Lake Delta, Atchafalaya Bay, Louisiana" (2013). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 73. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/73 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized graduate school editor of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please [email protected]. SPATIAL STRUCTURE AND DYNAMICS OF THE PLANT COMMUNITIES IN A PRO-GRADING RIVER DELTA: WAX LAKE DELTA, ATCHAFALAYA BAY, LOUISIANA A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences by Melissa M. Carle B.A., Tulane University, 2000 M.E.M., Duke University, 2002 December 2013 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This project would not have been possible without the support of numerous individuals over the past four years. First and foremost, I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. Charles Sasser, for believing in this project and assisting me throughout the entire process of turning it into a reality. I would also like to thank Dr. Robert Twilley, who first opened the door for this research and helped me to sketch out and better define my dissertation goals. I am also grateful for the expertise and guidance provided by the other members of my committee, Dr. Harry Roberts and Dr. Lei Wang and to my Dean’s Representative, Max Conrad, for bringing his unique perspective to our discussions. I am also indebted to Brian Milan for his help coordinating field work and for assistance during many long days in the field, to Elaine Hebert for assistance with image interpretation, and to Azure Bevington, for assisting with logistics and sharing her knowledge of the Wax Lake Delta. During my time at Louisiana State University, I have been fortunate to be supported by a Board of Regents Fellowship, which was instrumental in allowing me to design and pursue this research project. I also received spatial data and support from the National Center for Earth- surface Dynamics (NCED) and from the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (LCPRA). High resolution WorldView-2 imagery provided through the DigitalGlobe 8-Band Research Challenge greatly enhanced my dissertation research. Finally, I am extremely thankful for the unending support provided by my family. I greatly appreciate the encouragement provided by my parents, Bobi and Shay Eddleman and Michael Vernon and by my in-laws, Thomas and Laureen Carle and by the entire Vernon and Carle clans. Above all, I am grateful for my husband, Timothy Carle, for agreeing to travel with me on this journey and for helping me juggle all the pieces of our busy lives over the past four years and I thank my children, Jacob, Aidan, and Sabrina, for helping me to remember to make time for laughter along the way. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................ ii LIST OF TABLES .............................................................................................................. v LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................... vii ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... ix CHAPTER 1 – PLANTS IN DELTAIC ENVIRONMENTS: A SYNTHESIS ................. 1 General Factors Controlling Plant Species Distributions ................................................ 2 Species Distributions In Coastal Ecosystems .................................................................. 4 Species Distributions In Riverine Ecosystems ................................................................ 5 Species Distributions In River Deltas ............................................................................. 6 Examples From River-, Wave, And Tide-Dominated Deltas ....................................... 10 The Role Of Climate ..................................................................................................... 11 Study Area – The Wax Lake Delta ............................................................................... 12 Research Objectives ...................................................................................................... 14 CHAPTER 2 – MAPPING FRESHWATER MARSH SPECIES DISTRIBUTIONS USING WORLDVIEW-2 MULTISPECTRAL SATELLITE IMAGERY ..................... 15 Abstract ......................................................................................................................... 15 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 15 Methods ......................................................................................................................... 18 Results ........................................................................................................................... 24 Discussion ..................................................................................................................... 28 Conclusions ................................................................................................................... 32 CHAPTER 3 – FACTORS CONTROLLING PLANT SPECIES DISTRIBUTIONS IN A YOUNG RIVER DELTA ................................................................................................. 33 Abstract ......................................................................................................................... 33 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 33 Methods ......................................................................................................................... 35 Results ........................................................................................................................... 43 Discussion ..................................................................................................................... 49 Conclusions ................................................................................................................... 54 CHAPTER 4 – PRODUCTIVITY AND RESILIENCE: LONG-TERM, SEASONAL, AND STORM-DRIVEN FLUCTUATIONS IN THE PLANT COMMUNITY OF THE ACCRETING WAX LAKE DELTA ............................................................................... 56 Abstract ......................................................................................................................... 56 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 56 Methods ......................................................................................................................... 60 Results ........................................................................................................................... 63 Discussion ..................................................................................................................... 71 iii Conclusions ................................................................................................................... 75 CHAPTER 5 –ACCRETION AND VEGETATION COMMUNITY CHANGE IN THE WAX LAKE DELTA FOLLOWING THE HISTORIC 2011 MISSISSIPPI RIVER FLOOD ............................................................................................................................. 77 Abstract ......................................................................................................................... 77 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 77 Methods ......................................................................................................................... 81 Results ........................................................................................................................... 87 Discussion ..................................................................................................................... 99 Conclusions ................................................................................................................. 103 OVERALL CONCLUSIONS ......................................................................................... 105 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................... 109 APPENDIX ..................................................................................................................... 137 VITA ..............................................................................................................................