Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1969 Survival and First-Year Growth of Water Tupelo (Nyssa Aquatica L.) in Relation to Flooding and Siltation. Harvey Ellis Kennedy Jr Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Kennedy, Harvey Ellis Jr, "Survival and First-Year Growth of Water Tupelo (Nyssa Aquatica L.) in Relation to Flooding and Siltation." (1969). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 1668. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/1668 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 Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. This dissertation has been microfilmed exactly as received 70-9068 KENNEDY, Jr., Harvey Ellis, 1933- SURVIVAL AND FIRST-YEAR GROWTH OF WATER TUPELO (Nvssa aguatica L.) IN RELATION TO FLOODING AND SILTATION. The Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, Ph.D., 1969 Agriculture, forestry and wildlife University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan SURVIVAL AND FIRST-YEAR GROWTH OF WATER TUPELO (Nysaa aguatica L.) IN RELATION TO FLOODING AND SILTATION 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 School of Forestry and Wildlife Management by Harvey Ellis Kennedy, Jr. B.S., Louisiana State University, 1963 M.F., Louisiana State University, 1964 August, 1969 PLEASE NOTE: Several pages contain colored illustrations. Filmed in the best possible way. UNIVERSITY MICROFILMS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author is indebted to the U.S . Forest Service , Southern Forest Experiment Station, and Southern Hardwoods Laboratory for permission to use this study for a dissertation. Acknowledgment is made to Mr. J. S. "Sid" McKnight, Project Leader for Timber Management Research at the Southern Hardwoods Laboratory, for his advice and encouragement during the study. The author is also indebted to Dr. N. E. Linnartz for his advice and help in the completion of this study and the prepara­ tion of this dissertation; and to Drs. W. H. Patrick, Jr., P. Y. Bums, T. Hansbrough, and B. A. Bateman for their critical review of the manuscript. Special thanks are extended to Mr. R. L. Johnson for his advice and suggestions during the study; to Mr. R. M. Krinard for his statistical advice and writing the computer programs used; and to Mr. W. D. Boykin for his assistance in the field and laboratory work. Special acknowledgment is made to the author's wife for her typing of this manuscript and for her understanding and encourage­ ment, without which the study may never have been completed. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS............................. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS................... ..................... iii LIST OF TABLES........ ,.................................. v LIST OF FIGURES *....... viii LIST OF PLATES............................................ ix ABSTRACT........ x INTRODUCTION.............................................. 1 REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE................... 3 Flooding Studies with Water Tupelo and Various Other Hardwoods•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 3 Flooding Studies with Species Exclusive of Water Tupelo. .... ••••• 10 Effects of Flooding on Various Soil Properties......• 15 Summary. .... ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 20 METHODS AND PROCEDURES.................................... 22 Physical Layout•••••••••••••••••••••.•••••••.....•••• 22 Plot Selection and Treatments ..... 24 Planting and Flooding•••••••••••••••••.......•••••••• 28 Measurements ..... 30 Chemical Analyses •••••... 31 Statistical A n a l y s e s 33 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION.................................... 36 Effects of Flooding and Siltation on Growth and Survival•••••.........••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 36 Total heights and root-collar diameters36 Survival. • ........... ..••••••. 56 Dieback. 58 iii Page Effects of Flooding on Some Soil Properties and Nutrient Uptake by S e e d l i n g s 60 Oxidation-reduction potentials........ 63 Ammonium accumulations ........ 65 Nitrate reduction.•••••• ..... 65 Bxtractable phosphorus•••••••••••••••••••••.••••••• 67 Potassium.......... 69 Calcium.•• • • • • • • • • • • • • . 6 9 . Organic matter and pH.••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 72 Relationship of soil changes to growth and survival••••••••••••••••••••••.•••••••••••••••• 74 Nutrient uptake•.•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 75 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS................................... 78 LITERATURE CITED...................... 83 APPENDICES.............................. 88 Appendix A: Analytical Procedures for Chemical Analyses .....••••••••••••••• 88 Appendix B : Statistical Analyses•••••••••.....•••••• 101 iv LIST OF TABLES Number Page 1* Average heights, diameters, and survival of water tupelo by flooding depths and drainage date (Phase I).*..............**....*....*........ 37 2* Average heights, diameters, and survival of water tupelo by siltation depth, flooding depth, and drainage date (Phase II)••*•••••••••••••••.••• 38 3a Average heights, diameters, and survival of water tupelo by date and duration of reflooding (Phase III)................................ 39 4. Soil and water temperatures and oxygen content of water in Riase I plots*....•••••••••••••••••••• 44 5. Soil and water temperatures and oxygen content of water in Phase III plots...•••••••••••••••••••• 59 6. Nitrogen content of soil by treatment before, during, and after flooding...*.••••••••••••••••••• 66 7. Phosphorus content of soil by treatment before, during, and after flooding.• •••••••••••••••••••... 68 8. Potassium content of soil by treatment before, during, and after f l o o d i n g . •••••••••••• 70 9. Calcium content of soil by treatment before, during, and after flooding..............o*........ 71 10. Organic matter and pH of soil by treatment before, during, and after flooding.•••••••• ..... 73 11. Nutrient contents of leaves at the end of the growing season.•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••.. 76 12. Analysis of covariance for total heights in Phase I....................•••••••••••••••••.•• 101 13. Analysis of covariance for root-collar diameters in Phase I.•••••••••••••.102 v Number Page 14. Factorial analysis of variance of arcsin transformed survival percentages in Phase I....... 103 15. Analysis of covariance for total heights in Phase II....................................... 104 16. Analysis of covariance for root-collar diameters in Phase II.•••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 105 17. Factorial analysis of variance of arcsin transformed survival percentages in Phase II.••••• 106 18. Analysis of covariance for total heights in Phase I I I . 107 19. Analysis of covariance for root-collar diameters in Phase III......•••••••••••••••••••••• 108 20. Factorial analysis of variance of arcsin transformed survival percentages in Phase III..... 109 21. Analysis of variance for nitrogen content of leaves (Fhase 1)..«..................•••••••••• 110 22. Analysis of variance for phosphorus content of leaves (Phase I)............................... 110 23. Analysis of variance for potassium content of leaves (Phase I).... ••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 111 24. Analysis of variance for calcium content of leaves (Phase I)............................... H I 25. Analysis of variance for calcium content of leaves (Phase II)•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 112 26. Analysis of variance for nitrogen content of leaves (Phase II)•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 112 27. Analysis of variance for potassium content of leaves (Phase II)•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 113 28. Analysis of variance for phosphorus content of leaves (Phase II)•••••••••••••••••••••••.•••••• 114 29. Analysis of variance for nitrogen content of leaves (Phase III).•••••••..••••••••••••••••••• 115 vi Number Page 30. Analysis of variance for phosphorus content of leaves (Fhase III)•••••.... •••••••••••••••••• 115 31. Analysis of variance for potassium content of leaves (Phase III).••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 116 32. Analysis of variance for calcium content of leaves (Phase III)............................ 116 vii LIST OF FIGURES Number Page 1. Diagrammatic layout of plots and irrigation system..•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 23 2. Diagrammatic layout of plots with randomly assigned treatments••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 27 3. Response of total height to depth and duration of flooding in Phase I..... ..... 4 7 4. Response of root-collar diameters to depth and duration of flooding in Phase I 48 viii LIST OF PLATES Number Page 1. Dock extending over Shell Lake with pump installed and attached to power unit.............. 25 2. Overall view of plots......••••••••••••••••••••••• 26 3. A shallow-flooded plot photographed early in the growing season............................. 41 4. A moderate-flooded plot photographed early in the growing s e a s o n . 42 5. Seedlings in a shallow-flooded plot at the end of the growing season.•••••••••••••••••••••••• 45 6. Seedlings in a moderate-flooded plot at the end of the growing season.•••••••••••••••••••••••• 46 7. Seedlings subjected to 6 to 8 inches of siltation in conjunction with moderate flooding until June l............................. 50 8. Seedlings subjected