Tree-Ring and Sediment Analyses Reveal Processes of Bald Cypress Ghost Forest Formation From Dredging in the Cape Fear River, North Carolina, USA.

ABSTRACT: Forested, freshwater tidal wetlands in the southeastern US are dominated by bald cypresses (Taxodium distichum), which tolerate low levels of salinity. However, the response of old-growth bald cypress trees to prolonged increases in salinity remains uncertain. Bald cypress ghost forests occur along Smith Creek, a tributary of the Cape Fear River, North Carolina which has been dredged multiple times since 1871. Atop relative sea-level rise, dredging may be accelerating saltwater intrusion and ghost forest formation. To examine the effects of increased salinity on bald cypress and improve understanding of the process of ghost forest formation, we sampled trees and sediments along a salinity gradient in Smith Creek. We developed tree-ring chronologies for a high-salinity (8-12 ppt) and

SUBMITTER: Devereux K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12391831 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature