Natural Resource Summary for Big Thicket National Preserve (BITH) Final Report December 2004 Prepared by Robert J. Cooper Sandra B. Cederbaum and Jill J. Gannon Warnell School of Forest Resources University of Georgia Athens, GA TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................................................ I LIST OF FIGURES..................................................................................................................................................III EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................................................................................................................... IV RESEARCH REVIEWS .............................................................................................................................................1 NATURAL RESOURCES .....................................................................................................................................2 BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES...............................................................................................................................3 VEGETATION ........................................................................................................................................................3 Big Thicket region ............................................................................................................................................................ 3 Big Thicket National Park................................................................................................................................................. 4 General plant community surveys, studies................................................................................................................... 4 General vegetation surveys.......................................................................................................................................... 6 Species surveys, studies ............................................................................................................................................... 7 Pines ....................................................................................................................................................................... 7 Bryophytes ............................................................................................................................................................. 7 Bromeliads ............................................................................................................................................................. 8 Fungi ...................................................................................................................................................................... 8 Lichens ................................................................................................................................................................... 9 Pitcher Plants.......................................................................................................................................................... 9 Other....................................................................................................................................................................... 9 Individual Unit Surveys and Studies............................................................................................................................... 10 Beaumont Unit........................................................................................................................................................... 10 Big Sandy Creek and Menard Creek Units................................................................................................................ 10 Loblolly Unit.............................................................................................................................................................. 11 Beech Creek Unit....................................................................................................................................................... 11 Hickory Creek Unit.................................................................................................................................................... 11 Turkey Creek Unit...................................................................................................................................................... 11 Jack Gore Baygall-Neches Bottom, and Upper and Lower Neches Corridor Units .................................................. 12 Lance Rosier Unit and Pine Island Bayou-Little Pine Island Bayou Corridor Unit.................................................. 13 MAMMALS ..........................................................................................................................................................14 Summary reports............................................................................................................................................................. 14 General surveys, studies.................................................................................................................................................. 15 Game species surveys, studies ........................................................................................................................................ 15 Non-game species surveys, studies ................................................................................................................................. 16 HERPETOFAUNA.................................................................................................................................................16 Summary reports............................................................................................................................................................. 16 General surveys, studies.................................................................................................................................................. 17 Species surveys, studies .................................................................................................................................................. 18 BIRDS .................................................................................................................................................................18 Summary reports............................................................................................................................................................. 18 General surveys, studies.................................................................................................................................................. 19 Individual unit surveys.................................................................................................................................................... 20 Species surveys, studies .................................................................................................................................................. 20 FISH ...................................................................................................................................................................22 Summary reports............................................................................................................................................................. 22 General surveys, studies.................................................................................................................................................. 22 Individual unit surveys.................................................................................................................................................... 23 INVERTEBRATES .................................................................................................................................................24 Summary reports............................................................................................................................................................. 24 Terrestrial Invertebrates .................................................................................................................................................. 25 General surveys, studies ............................................................................................................................................ 25 Species surveys, studies ............................................................................................................................................. 25 Aquatic Invertebrates...................................................................................................................................................... 27 General surveys, studies ............................................................................................................................................ 27 Water quality studies, general .............................................................................................................................. 27 Water quality studies, individual units/waterways ............................................................................................... 28 i Species surveys, studies ............................................................................................................................................