list identifies only presence or absence of a species in a zone and does 

 not identify the ecological amplitude or optimum position of each 

 species along the hydrologic gradient. 



Purpose and Objectives 



The purpose of the study was to develop flood tolerance index 

 (FTI) numbers that refect the optimum position for plant species occur- 

 ring along the hydrologic gradient in bottomland forests of the south- 

 eastern United States. The resulting FTI numbers can then be used to 

 estimate the hydrologic regimes of similar ungauged areas using vegeta- 

 tion. Specific objectives were to develop methods for translating 

 recorded hydrologic data into hydrologic zone elevations for southeast- 

 ern bottomland forests, calculate weighted averages of plant species 

 based on dominance, and determine methods for applying FTI numbers to 

 species occurring in bottomland forests of the southeastern United 

 States. 



