An Annotated Bibliography 189. Penfound, W. T., and E. S. Hathaway. Plant communities in the marshland of southeastern Louisiana. Fire is an important influence in southeastern Louisiana marshes. Muskrat trappers fire the marshes to ease access and to remove marshhay cordgrass and encourage saltmarsh bulrush and Olney bulrush, preferred muskrat foods.
Fire removes debris and thus impedes marsh accretion.
In marshes partially drained by canals, fires in the dry season can destroy major portions of the 30 to 91 cm thick peaty humus, greatly lowering the marsh. A more hydric community results. This paper provides a good review of plant communities, edaphic factors, and phenology of these coastal marshes.