An Ecological Characterization Study of the Chenier Plain Coastal Ecosystem of Louisiana and Texas. Volume I. Narrative Report

摘要

Socioeconomic and environmental information on the subject area was collected, reviewed and synthesized to produce this volume. The present physical setting of the Chenier Plain is described, as well as the geological history of the region. The effects of agricultural and oil and gas industries on the natural (biological) resources in each of six drainage basins are discussed. Habitat types in the Chenier Plain are described, and the impact of human activities on them are evaluated. The conversion of habitats from one type to another over a twenty-year period is documented. Life history information is provided for many of the important fish and wildlife species in the ecosystem.