The De Soto is characterized by gently rolling terrain covered by southern pine ridges and hardwood bottoms with clear, tea-colored streams meandering throughout the forest. At 378,538 acres, the De Soto Ranger District is the largest district in Mississippi and is within easy driving distance of the coastal areas and Hattiesburg. Year-round recreation opportunities abound for the hiker, bicyclist, camper, canoeist, ATV rider, horse enthusiast, hunter and fisherman. Vast expanses of national forest lands are perfect settings for bird watching and rejuvenating the spirit. Courtesy: USDA Forest Service

This is the setting of one of our sampling locations for the 2004-2005 academic year. We sampled ten transects within an area of this forest to help determine the species richness and diversity. These transects were taken on April 18, 2005. Please look at the data that we’ve collected that is posted on this site. Thank you.