Mississippi floodplains losing trees to increasing floods

Worsening floods are leading to extensive tree loss and habitat changes along the upper Mississippi River.

Richard Mertens reports for Yale E360.

In short:

Intensified flooding along the upper Mississippi is killing off significant numbers of floodplain forests, including various species such as silver maple and elm.
The Army Corps of Engineers is working on a restoration project to combat tree loss and invasive species, aiming to enhance biodiversity and habitat for wildlife.
While certain bird species benefit from the changes, overall forest health is declining, affecting ecological diversity and regional water management.

Key quote:

“The magnitude of this is kind of mind-blowing. You just don’t see hundreds of acres of dead trees.”

— Andy Meier, forester, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Why this matters:

The loss of floodplain forests due to climate-induced flooding is alarming because these ecosystems play a crucial role in biodiversity, flood mitigation, and climate regulation.

Be sure to read: Severe flooding increasingly cutting people off from health care.

e360.yale.edu

Mississippi floodplains losing trees to increasing floods

Solar is now bigger than coal in China — and yet still way behind

Task force warns of worsening drought on track to match last year

Comparing green space for urban cooling, study

Satellite images of penguin droppings reveal impact of antarctic warming

Farmers are growing a new grain to combat climate change

Air pollution from ships may be more harmful than road traffic emissions, port study finds

Malaysia declares emergency in Sarawak town as haze reaches critical level

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Pennsylvania health advocates say Trump’s first 100 days in office have caused “100 harms” to local communities

“They're terrorizing these scientists because they want to keep them silent.”

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.