Credits

Created by Kerry Skiff, Explore Natural Communities Intern Summer 2017, NatureServe.

Sounds: Water, recorded by Lisa Redfern (soundbible.com). Public Domain. Frog Croak, Water Splash, Indigo Bunting, and Woodthrush, recorded by ENC Interns 2017. Licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0.

Photo: Floodplain, by Kerry Skiff, courtesy of NatureServe. Licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0.

References:
Calcium in Plants and Soil
Wild North Carolina: Discovering the Wonders of our State's Natural Communities (book)

Transcript

Podcast time: 2:43 minutes

[sound of water] You've probably seen how destructive flooding can be in human communities, but did you know that some natural communities actually thrive from frequent flooding? Believe it or not, there are plants that love to get their feet wet. These plants live in areas called floodplains, which naturally flood often because they are low and close to the stream. Forests that grow in floodplains provide an important service to the ecosystem. [sound of birds]

The Rich Floodplain Forest is an example of one of nature's most diverse ecosystems. [sounds of frog, birds, splashing] It supports a lot of wildlife like beavers, mink, salamanders and mussels. It serves as a natural buffer for the river, absorbing pollutants from farms and neighborhoods next door. This natural community also slows and disperses floodwaters as they move downstream.

The Rich Floodplain Forest is found along the edge of major rivers like the Potomac. It gets its nutrient-rich soil from the sediment that's laid down when the rivers flood. These nutrients feed a great variety of plants. For instance, the Rich Floodplain Forest has calcium in its soil. And, just like calcium helps you grow strong bones, it also strengthens plant cells and protects plants from heat stress and disease.

Because this natural community is so fertile, beautiful spring flowers grow abundantly and many different species of trees grow in the wet conditions. If you look up, you may find maple (Acer spp.), black walnut , hackberry (Celtis occidentalis), sycamore , elm  or tuliptree  in the canopy.

Down in the shrub layer, there are native plants like the fragrant northern spicebush and pawpaw, which grows delicious fall fruit.

But many nonnative invasive species also thrive in this natural community. Plants like Japanese stiltgrass and garlic mustard compete for nutrients and water, which means seasonal wildflowers and other native plants could be crowded out. As native plant species disappear, the animals that depend on them will leave as well. [sound of birds disappears] Over time, nonnative invasive plants degrade the health and beauty of the Rich Floodplain Forest.

Some of the greatest non-natural threats to floodplain communities are pollution and development. Both destroy wildlife habitat and undermine the natural buffering effect provided for the river during heavy rains. [sound of rain] By choosing not to develop floodplain areas and reducing the use of harmful chemicals, we give natural communities like the Rich Floodplain Forest a chance to continue their great service.

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