V-A-5 



Chabreck, R.H. 1971. Ponds and lakes of the Louisiana coastal marshes 

 and their value to fish and wildlife. Proceedings of the twenty-fifth 

 annual conference of the Southeastern Association of Game and Fish 

 Commissioners, pp. 206-215. 



The broad, flat coastal region of Louisiana is one of the unique 

 areas of the world. The vast marshes, interlaced with bayous, ponds 

 and lakes, combine to make the area extremely productive for fish and 

 wildlife. Ponds and lakes add tremendous diversity to the region and 

 serve as concentration areas for the energy flow from adjacent marshes. 



Tidal ponds and lakes are important nursery and feeding grounds for 

 many marine organisms. Ponds and lakes are extremely important for 

 ducks and coots ( Fulica americana ) , and the wintering populations 

 using such areas number several million. Alligators ( Alligator 

 mississippiensis ) plus valuable fur-bearinq animals, such as mink 

 ( Mustela vison ) and otter ( Lutra canadensis ) depend on ponds and lakes 

 for survival. Also, nutriaT Myocastor coypus ) are closely associated 

 with water areas, and often use ponds and lakes for escape and travel 

 lanes, and aquatic vegetation for food. Wading birds and shore birds 

 along the Louisiana coast depend heavily on ponds and lakes for a 

 source of food. 



A survey of the Louisiana coastal area disclosed that ponds and lakes 

 make up one-fourth of the area. The ponds and lakes range from less 

 than 0.01 acre to over 400,000 acres in size and had an aggregate area 

 of 5.3 million acres. The study showed that the fresh, brackish and 

 intermediate marshes are of high value to waterfowl because of high 

 pond density and plant growth. Ponds and lakes in the saline marshes 

 are of low value to most waterfowl, but of extreme importance to marine 

 organisms. 



This study was undertaken to determine the basic ecological factors 

 influencing the distribution of important wildlife food plants in 

 coastal Louisiana. Laboratory experiments were conducted to determine 

 the effects of salinity on seed germination and plant growth. All 

 species examined, except Sesuvium portulacastrum , exhibited significant 

 reduction of germination with increasing salinity. Relative response 

 was determined by comparing regression equations for each species. 

 Two different response types were detected, linear and quadratic. 

 Distichlis spicata , Scirpus olneyi , Scirpus americanus and Setaria 

 magna were in the linear response group. They are listed in 

 decreasing order of salinity tolerance. In the quadratic response 

 group were, Echinochloa walteri , Oryza sativa , Scirpus robustus , 

 Polygonum pensylvanicum and Sacciolepis striata . These species are 

 also listed in order of decreasing salinity tolerance. The slope 

 of the regression equation was used to compare the salinity tolerance; 

 and the "Y" intercept, the theoretical germination in distilled water. 



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