Theodore Roosevelt National Wildlife Refuge Complex - Topography

Topography

Theodore Roosevelt National Wildlife Refuge Complex manages approximately 42,000 acres (170 km2) of bottomland hardwood forest in the Mississippi Delta region. Refuge staff have reforested an additional 25,000 acres (100 km2) of former agricultural land, bringing the Complex’s total area of bottomland forest to 67,000 acres (270 km2).

More than 60 species of trees are known to occur on the Complex. The lowest areas on refuge lands contain bald cypress, buttonbush, and water tupelo, except on Yazoo National Wildlife Refuge, where water tupelo does not occur. Other woody species in permanent or semi-permanent flooded areas include swamp privet, water elm, black willow and water locust.

Prior to European settlement, the Lower Mississippi Valley was covered with over 24 million acres (97,000 km2) of bottomland hardwood forest that supported a rich diversity of fish and wildlife species. Historically, the dominant forest type was oak-gum-cypress. Canebrakes covered the broader flats on slightly higher ground, forming extensive nearly pure stands beneath huge bottomland hardwood trees. Settlers began clearing the forest in the early 19th century. Today more than 75% of the forest coverage has been lost to land clearing operations for agriculture, transportation, industrialization, and urbanization. The remaining 4.8 million acres (19,000 km2) of forest are isolated islands of habitat surrounded by cotton, corn, rice, and bean fields. Most of the surviving forests now occupy low ground dominated by water tolerant species.