The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season resulted in 3 billion-dollar hurricanes, with Hurricane Laura costing $1.6 billion in losses in agriculture and forestry alone, according to the LSU AgCenter. Valued at over $7 billion, agriculture and forestry are one of the most important industries in Louisiana, and as more Category 4 and 5 storms are projected, due to climate change, these sectors are left vulnerable in the years to come. While damages to agriculture were minimal, high winds uprooted trees and resulted in extensive damage to forestry.
Southern states provide 63% of total timber harvested in the U.S., generating $251.1 billion annually and supplying 2% of all jobs in those states.[1] With more intense hurricanes due to climate change, this industry is most vulnerable during the Atlantic hurricane season, as saltwater intrusion and flooding kill trees and expand salt marshes into coastal forests. The alteration of the ecological make-up of these coastal forests is detrimental to both local economies and our environment. The preservation of mangrove forests is especially important due to their role as carbon sinks, habitats for endangered species, and shoreline buffers. Additionally, these windstorms also select for shorter and younger trees, given the vulnerability of taller and older trees to survive them, further destabilizing the ecology of coastal forests.[1] Climate change will only continue to intensify tropical storms and threaten the agriculture and forestry economy of the southern coast.
Salt marsh: costal wetland subject to frequent flooding and serves as a buffer between land and ocean through absorption of wave energy during storms.
Storm surges: a rising of the sea resulting from atmospheric pressure changes and wind associated with a storm
Mangrove forests: a region of trees and shrubs in coastal intertidal zone
To learn more about the impact of hurricanes on forest ecosystems: Analyzing Hurricane Impacts on Forest Ecosystem Services on the Gulf (noaa.gov)
To learn more about the agriculture and forestry economy of Louisiana: 2015 ag summary pages 1-30pdf.pdf (lsuagcenter.com)
To learn more about mangroves: Mangroves | Smithsonian Ocean (si.edu)
References:
[1] Sharma, A., Ojha, S.K., Dimov, L.D., Vogel, J.G., & Nowak, J. (2020). Long-term effects of catastrophic wind on southern US coastal forests: Lessons from a major hurricane. PLoS ONE 16(1).
Her, Y.G., Smyth, A. Fletcher, P., Bassil, E., Stingl, U., Brym, Z., & Qiu, J. Hurricane impacts on florida’s agriculture and natural resources. IRAS Extension.
Jaiphong, T., Tominaga, J., Watanabe, K., Suwa, R., Ueno, M., & Kawamitsu, Y. (2017). Changes in photosynthesis, growth, and sugar content of commercial sugarcane cultivars and erianthus under flood conditions. Plant Production Science 20:1.