Lower than an hour exterior of New Orleans lies an iconic panorama stuffed with all of the issues one might consider when picturing Louisiana: bald cypress bushes draped in delicate Spanish moss, alligators roaming the waters with snouts and eyes barely seen, and large-winged herons and egrets searching alongside the flooded forest flooring. Maurepas Swamp, one of many largest remaining swamp forests in the USA, offers a important hyperlink for birds like Prothonotary Warblers migrating between their nesting grounds in North America and their wintering grounds in Central and South America. This treasured swamp, and the birds that depend on it, are presently in decline, and a brand new venture breaking floor right now goals to avoid wasting them.
Like most of Louisiana’s coastal wetlands over the previous 150 years, Maurepas Swamp has been deteriorating because of quite a few threats. Again within the early 1900s, it was clear-cut for timber, nevertheless it began to bounce again within the Nineteen Twenties. Sadly, issues took a flip for the more serious when levees have been constructed alongside the Mississippi River, reducing the swamp off from the contemporary water, vitamins, and sediment it wanted to thrive. This isolation, together with stagnant waters and rising salinities within the Pontchartrain Basin within the a long time that the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet was open, put the swamp in a steep decline. Now, bushes are dying, and there aren’t sufficient younger ones rising to interchange them. Maurepas serves as a important buffer for surrounding communities from storms and flooding—with out it, main cities like New Orleans and Baton Rouge would face even higher challenges as local weather change will increase these threats. It is a swamp in critical want of a comeback.
Researchers at Audubon Delta, Southeastern Louisiana College, and Louisiana State College spent over 20 years analyzing the well being of the Maurepas Swamp and the influence of those disruptions on the susceptible ecosystem’s hydrology—the move of water out and in of the swamp. They tracked chicken populations and even checked out an surprising indicator—caterpillars—to get the total image of what is taking place on this distinctive swamp.
Caterpillar outbreaks on the 2 dominant tree species in Maurepas Swamp, bald cypress and water tupelo, can defoliate massive expanses of forest in some years. Though this may occasionally appear alarming, these caterpillars solely have one technology per yr, and the bushes shortly regrow leaves after the outbreak is completed by late summer time. Importantly, these caterpillars are additionally not newly launched—in truth, their emergences coincide with the nest season for meals for insectivorous swamp birds just like the Prothonotary Warbler, Northern Parula, and Yellow-throated Warbler, and due to this fact play an essential position in sustaining a wholesome ecosystem.
Audubon’s analysis has proven that over the past 20 years, bald cypress leafroller caterpillar outbreaks have change into more and more uncommon, and in consequence, swamp forest songbird populations, just like the Prothonotary Warbler, have declined by about half. These caterpillars depend upon wholesome cypress bushes to thrive, however the whole swamp ecosystem is more and more out of steadiness, largely due to the shortage of freshwater move. To forestall additional collapse of the swamp, we have to restore the swamp’s meals internet, and to do this, we have to restore its connection to contemporary water, particularly from the Mississippi River.
Fortunately, there is a resolution on the best way. The River Reintroduction to Maurepas Swamp venture is about to carry a much-needed increase of freshwater, vitamins, and sediment to the wetlands, giving the swamp the carry it must thrive for the lengthy haul and change into extra resilient than ever.
This novel diversion venture is about to reconnect one of many largest forested wetland complexes within the U.S. with the mighty Mississippi River, stopping additional wetland loss and habitat injury. Within the face of local weather change and sea-level rise, this plan will shield over 45,000 acres, boosting a pure wetland buffer that helps cut back storm surges for communities all the best way from Better Baton Rouge to Better New Orleans. It’s a game-changer for each the atmosphere and the individuals who depend upon it.
Immediately, the State of Louisiana breaks floor on this river diversion venture with assist from a number of federal companies, nonprofits, and group companions. This venture is a key piece of Louisiana’s Coastal Grasp Plan, and it was funded partially by the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement. Audubon is proud see the development of this venture start after finding out and advocating for the swamp for a few years as a member of the Mississippi River Delta Coalition.
With the River Reintroduction venture on the bottom, Maurepas Swamp will hold offering an ideal dwelling for the Prothonotary Warbler and a complete host of different superb wildlife, from wading birds and migratory birds to bald eagles, alligators, and lots of extra. One other key piece of Louisiana’s coast is poised for a much-needed revival, making certain that this important ecosystem continues to thrive for generations to come back, supporting each its unbelievable wildlife and the communities that depend on its safety.
