ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF JEAN LAFITTE NATIONAL 

 HISTORICAL PARK, LOUISIANA: BASIS FOR A MANAGEMENT PLAN 



Nancy C. Taylor 



and 



John W. Day, Jr. 



Coastal Ecology Institute 



Center for Wetland Resources 



Louisiana State University 



Baton Rouge, LA 70803 



and 



George E. Neusaenger 



Jean Lafitte National Historical Park 



423 Canal St. 



New Orleans, LA 70130 



ABSTRACT 



A management plan for Jean Lafitte National Park based on surface hydrology, salinity regime, 

 soil characteristics, and historical changes in vegetative community patterns is presented. Results 

 indicate that portions of the interior part of the park and areas affected by spoil banks are 

 converting to a floating ecosystem. The park has experienced both a sediment deficit and a slight 

 salinity increase accompanied by encroachment of Spartina patens. Vegetative health and soil 

 characteristics indicate that saltwater intrusion has not been a problem. Management strategies for 

 the park include reestablishment of natural hydrology and enhancement of sediment input to the 

 area. Suggested management actions for the park include a shoreline erosion control and 

 revegetation experiment, breaching or elimination of spoil banks along some major waterways, 

 introduction of resuspended lake sediments into floating marshes, rollover weirs, and freshwater and 

 sediment diversions. Managed succession is proposed as a management tool for some coastal 

 wetlands. The environmental data collected and synthesized from the study provide needed 

 information for park management; however, management strategies should be carried out in phases 

 so that monitoring and modification can be implemented if needed. 



INTRODUCTION 



This paper describes an active management plan for the Jean Lafitte National Park which was 

 developed based on an ecological characterization. The area requires an active management 

 approach because of the dynamic nature of the natural system and because it has been heavily 

 influenced by human activity, especially the construction of canals for wetland reclamation for urban 

 expansion, upland runoff of sewage effluent, and surface drainage. The plan was designed to 

 achieve the National Park Service's goal to reestablish, insofar as possible, the natural environment 

 as it existed before human interference. The objectives include preserving the original vegetation, 

 productivity, and hydrology of the area and limiting the encroachment of nuisance or introduced 

 species, such as Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum) and wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera). 



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