A preliminary study of plants at the Lower Hamburg Bend Conservation Area prior to flooding with a reopened chute of the Missouri River.

The Lower Hamburg Bend Conservation Area (LHBCA) contains approximately 3,000 acres of wetland habitat located on the east side of the Missouri River just south of the Iowa border. As part of a joint project of the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE), a chute was reopened through the LHBCA to form an island, sloughs, and backwater areas during the summer of 2004. Within the study area plots were used to sample herbaceous plants, woody seedlings, saplings, and over-story trees according to the Vegetation Monitoring System (VMS) of the MDC. All sampling was done in June and July of 2002, 2003 and 2004 before the construction of the chute. This study compares VMS Importance Values of the top herbaceous species in all three years including Solidago altissima, Setaria faberil, Bromus inermis, and Lippia Ianceolata. In addition, it was found that most of the plants sampled during these preliminary surveys are introduced or generalist plants. This 3-year study shows evidence that Populus deltoids was the primary woody species that survives to maturity. Salix nigra showed dramatic increases in seedling and saplings, but showed a decrease in over-story trees during the three years of this study. Salix interior demonstrated its typical role as a pioneer species by having high importance values during the first year of the study (2002) and showing dramatic decreases in importance values in 2003 and 2004. It is expected that native wetland species will increase as the marsh habitat expands after the river cute is reopened and backwater areas are established. Support from the Missouri Department of Conservation.

* Miller, L. and J. Rushin. Biology Department, Missouri Western State College.