Physiographic features

The Bluff Hills and the Southern Rolling Plains (EPA Level IV Ecoregions 74A and 74C, respectively) of the Southern Mississippi Valley Loess (MLRA 134) are located in southwest Mississippi and southeast Louisiana. The areas lie within the Coastal Plain Province of the Atlantic Plain. The underlying geology consists of marine deposits of sand, silt, clay, and lignite of the Pascagoula, Hattiesburg, Catahoula and Citronelle formations. The Bluff Hills, which bound the Mississippi River floodplain, are capped by loess deposits often greater than 50 feet thick (Chapman et al., 2004). The adjacent terraces of the Southern Rolling Plain are loess mantled as well.

“Loess” is the geologic term of German origin that refers to widespread deposits of homogeneous layers of friable, porous silt mixed with minor amounts of clay or fine sand (Heinrich, 2008). The loess mantle, created by well-sorted windblown silt, was deposited during the Pleistocene age. Its source was glacial sediment from glacial meltwater that was flowing down an extensive braided stream system depositing large volumes of silt over the floodplain of the Mississippi River (Heinrich, 2008). Glacial meltwater ceased flowing when southern edges of ice sheets stopped melting in fall and winter, thereby creating dry conditions on the previously flooded Mississippi River Valley. Strong seasonal winds blew across dry floodplains and eroded large quantities of silt-sized sediment, and transported it out of the Mississippi alluvial valley and deposited it on adjacent uplands and terraces (Heinrich, 2008). Over thousands of years, the silt accumulations created loess deposits that are many feet thick (Heinrich, 2008). The Bluff Hills and Southern Rolling Plains are covered mainly with 2 separate layers (and ages) of loess deposits, the older and lower Sicily Island loess and the younger Peoria loess at the soil surface.

Where blankets of loess are thicker than 6 feet, the soils formed entirely in loess. Where loess deposits are less than 6 feet thick, soils reflect the nature of the underlying parent material (McDaniel, 2001). Thick loess areas produce intensely dissected terrain with excessively steep slopes and ridge and ravine topography (McDaniel, 2001). The Bluff Hills tend to have deeper, calcareous loess and steeper, much more dissected topography than the Southern Rolling Plains to the east. The loess mantle on the Southern Rolling Plains begins to thin and become more acid in the east as it transitions to the Southeastern Plains. Stream gradients in the Bluff Hills are high with narrow drainageways and floodplains, while the stream gradients become lower with broader floodplains in the Southern Rolling Plains.


This Site occurs mainly on the higher elevations of broad floodplains and low stream terraces of large creeks and rivers and their tributaries draining the Southern Rolling Plains and flowing through the Bluff Hills in Mississippi and Louisiana. Smaller areas of this site occur on the alluvial fans/aprons at the base of the loessal bluffs that border the Mississippi River floodplain. Slopes are level to nearly level (0 to 3 percent). These sites include the floodplains and drainageways of the Second Creek, the Homochitto River and its tributaries, such as Sandy Creek and East Field Creek; the Big Black River, Bayou Pierre and its tributaries, such as Little Bayou Pierre, White Oak Creek; Foster Creek, Bahala Creek, the North Fork and South Fork of Coles Creek, McCall Creek, McGehee Creek; the Bogue Chitto, Buffalo River; the Pearl river, the Amite River and its tributaries; and the West Fork of Little Comite Creek.

Table 2. Representative physiographic features

Climatic features

The Southern Rolling Plains portions of MLRA 134 in Mississippi and Louisiana has a warm, humid climate, with fairly long summers and relatively short winters. The result is a long growing season and abundant plant growth. As you move northward in this region temperature trends lower and Precipitation is not as well distributed. This change in distribution does not imply that there is a rainy season and dry season, however there is a change in distribution. Water is a definitive part of this landscape, largely due to the combination of low elevation and fairly abundant rainfall in most years. Mean annual precipitation ranges from 50 to 70 inches over this region, and is fairly well distributed throughout the year. There have been very few years when less than 50 inches of precipitation has fallen. Snow is a rarity, however chances increase as you move Northward through the region. Growing seasons are long, typically from late February to late November. Hurricanes and tropical storms impact the climate of this region predominately in the southern areas, with some impact occurring nearly every year in some areas. However, devastating storms do not occur too often, and heavy rain is usually the biggest concern compared to wind damage. The following climatic data are averages from the ten weather stations listed below. Temperature and precipitation may vary considerably from that listed for each month. Site specific weather data should be used for land management decisions. For site specific weather conditions, obtain data from a weather station close to the site. Information can be accessed from specific weather stations at http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/coopmap/ or http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/summary/climsmla.html.

Table 3. Representative climatic features

Climate stations used

• (1) CLINTON 5 SE [USC00161899], Clinton, LA

• (2) HAZLEHURST 5 SW [USC00223920], Hazlehurst, MS

• (3) WOODVILLE 4 ESE [USC00229793], Centreville, MS

• (4) MCCOMB/PIKE CO/JOHN E LEWIS AP [USW00093919], McComb, MS

• (5) BROOKHAVEN CITY [USC00221094], Brookhaven, MS

• (6) CRYSTAL SPGS EXP STN [USC00222094], Crystal Springs, MS

• (7) OAKLEY EXP STN [USC00226476], Raymond, MS

• (8) NATCHEZ [USC00226177], Natchez, MS

• (9) PORT GIBSON 1 NE [USC00227132], Port Gibson, MS

• (10) MEADVILLE [USC00225704], Bude, MS

Influencing water features

This site is influenced by both surface and sub-surface hydrology as part of the flood plain of Streams and creeks. Soils may be saturated into early spring. Wetness is a dominate driver of this system and in Alternative States it will be a limiting factor.

Soil features

Soils are moderately well drained Fluvaquentic Eutrudepts (Adler, Riedtown), moderately well drained Aquic Udifluvents (Collins) moderately well drained Fluvaquentic Dystrudepts (Oaklimeter), well drained Fluventic Dystrudepts (Ariel), well drained Dystric Eutrudepts (Weyanoke), well drained Typic Udifluvents (Morganfield, Vicksburg), and well drained Haplic Glossudalfs (Leverett). Soils also include miscellaneous areas of riverwash, sandy and mixed alluvial land. These soils formed in water-reworked loess and loamy to sandy alluvium derived from streams that drain the loess-mantled uplands of the Southern Mississippi Valley Loess (MLRA 134) and Southern Coastal Plain (MLRA 133A) of the late Pleistocene Age. Slopes range from 0 to 3 percent. These deep and very deep, moderately to rapidly permeable soils are found on the higher parts of narrow to broad floodplains, low stream terraces, and on the alluvial fans/aprons at the base of the loessal bluffs that border the Mississippi River floodplain. The water table is within 2 to 6 feet of the surface during winter and spring months in normal years. Most of these soils are subject to occasional to frequent flooding of brief to long duration.

The soils listed in this section of the description may not be all inclusive. There may be other soils that fit this site concept, as well as in some areas where the listed soils are mapped they may not fit the site concept. Some soil map units and soil series included in this Provisional Ecological Site grouping were used as “best fit” for a particular soil-landscape catena during a specific era of soil mapping, regardless of origin of parent material or Major Land Resource Area. Therefore, these soil series may not be typical for MLRA 134, and those soil map units deserve further investigation in a joint ecological-soil survey project. When utilizing this description verify it is the correct site utilizing multiple parameters, the soils, the physiography and the location. If the site does not fit the particular location well utilize the Similar or Associated Sites listed in the Supporting Information section of this description to determine if another site may be a better fit to your location.

Table 4. Representative soil features

Animal community

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Hydrological functions

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Recreational uses

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Wood products

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Other products

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Other information

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Other references

Autin, W. J., Burns, S. F., Miller, B. J., Saucier, R. T., & Snead, J. I. (1991). Quaternary geology of the lower Mississippi Valley. The Geology of North America, 2, 547-582.

Chapman, S.S, Griffith, G.E., Omernik, J.M., Comstock, J.A., Beiser, M.C., and Johnson, D., 2004, Ecoregions of Mississippi, (color poster with map, descriptive text, summary tables, and photographs): Reston, Virginia, U.S. Geological Survey (map scale 1:1,000,000).

Cowardin, L. M., Carter, V., Golet, F. C., & LaRoe, E. T. (1979). Classification of wetlands and deepwater habitats of the United States. US Fish and Wildlife Service FWS/OBS, 79(31), 131.

Daigle, J.J., Griffith, G.E., Omernik, J.M., Faulkner, P.L., McCulloh, R.P., Handley, L.R., Smith, L.M., and Chapman, S.S., 2006, Ecoregions of Louisiana (color poster with map, descriptive text, summary tables, and photographs): Reston, Virginia, U.S. Geological Survey (map scale 1:1,000,000).

Emerson, F. V. (1918). Loess-depositing winds in Louisiana. The Journal of Geology, 26(6), 532-541.

Ezell, A. W., & Hodges, J. D. (1995). Bottomland hardwood management: Species Site Relationships. MSU Extension Service Publication 2004.

Guyette, R. P., Stambaugh, M. C., Dey, D. C., & Muzika, R. M. (2012). Predicting fire frequency with chemistry and climate. Ecosystems, 15(2), 322-335.

Heinrich, P. V., (2008)_Loess Map of LA, Louisiana Geological Survey

Kochian, L. V., Pineros, M. A., & Hoekenga, O. A. (2005). The physiology, genetics and molecular biology of plant aluminum resistance and toxicity. In Root Physiology: From Gene to Function (pp. 175-195). Springer Netherlands.

Miller, B. J., Lewis, G. C., Alford, J. J. & Day, W. J. (1984) Loesses in Louisiana and at Vicksburg, Mississippi. Guidebook for Friends of the Pleistocene Field Trip.

Miller, B. J., Day, W. J., & Schumacher, B. A. (1986). Loesses and loess-derived soils in the Lower Mississippi Valley. Guidebook for soils-geomorphology tour.

Pettry, D. E., & Switzer, R. E. (1998). Sodium soils in Mississippi.

Rutledge, E.M., M.J. Guccione, H.W. Markewich, D.A. Wysocki, and L.B. Ward. 1996. Loess stratigraphy of the Lower Mississippi Valley. Engineering Geology 45: 167-183.

Saucier, Roger T. 1994. Geomorphology and Quaternary Geologic History of the Lower Mississippi Valley, Volume II. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Vicksburg, MS.

Schumacher, B. A., Miller, B. J., & Day, W. J. (1987). A chronotoposequence of soils developed in loess in central Louisiana. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 51(4), 1005-1010.

Theriot, R. F. (1992). Flood tolerance of plant species in bottomland forests of the southeastern United States.

United States Salinity Laboratory Staff, USA, USDA (1954), Diagnosis and improvement of saline and alkali soils, USDA Agriculture Handbook 60,1954, 160 pp.

Contributors

D Charles Stemmans II
Rachel Stout Evans