The Bottomland Forests of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain

The Bottomland Forests of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain is an aggregate approach to Improved Forest Management. The properties in this project are primarily owned by smaller landowners and families. NativState unites these owners with the goal of maintaining forest CO2e stocks through sustainable management.

The Mississippi Alluvial Plain buffers the Mississippi river from the lower tip of Illinois to the boot of Louisiana. It contains the largest continuous system of wetlands in North America. This region is home to many species including black bear, alligator snapping turtle, and white tail deer. Hundreds of migratory bird species use the bottomland forests in this region during their migratory journey in the fall and spring as they travel through the corridor known as the Mississippi Flyway. 

The rich soil in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain is extremely productive for agriculture. Rice, soybean, cotton, and corn are just a few of the crops grown here. The forests in this region act as an important filter to prevent harmful agricultural runoff containing pesticides and fertilizers from entering waterways which can harm aquatic species downstream. 

While bottomland forests once covered significant portions of the Southeastern United States, today, only about forty percent of the region still supports these unique ecosystems, making NativState’s conservation efforts here invaluable. This project provides significant climate benefits and co-benefits through carbon sequestration from native forests.