Riparian vegetation structure along the industrially impacted Mahoning River, Ohio

Abstract

The steel mills lining the banks of the lower Mahoning River in northeast Ohio once produced a full ten percent of our nation's steel. The incessant operation of the mills for nearly a century also produced tremendous amounts of toxic wastes and by-products, which were discharged directly into the Mahoning River. This historic industrialization has severely impaired the aquatic habitat and biota of the lower Mahoning River, but the biological impairment has not extended to the terrestrial component of the river. The riparian corridor flanking the severely degraded river boasts a healthy and diverse woodland, where tree basal area is dominated by native Eastern cottonwood, American sycamore, silver maple, and American elm. Statistical analysis reveal no correlation between riparian woodland structure and degree of industrialization or aquatic degradation. Multivariate ordination analysis instead identified land-use history and riverbank topography as factors most influential upon the localized structure and composition of the streamside community. Therefore, conservation of the intact native riparian woodland should be prioritized. Land use and development next to the river should be limited through legislation, and the proposed remediation of the lower Mahoning River must carefully avoid possible detrimental effects to this vital streamside ecosystem.