i Proceedings of the Big Thicket Science Conference: Biodiversity and Ecology of the West Gulf Coastal Plain Landscape Preface and General Acknowledgments Jerry L. Cook* Approximately every four years since 1996, scientists interested in the Big Thicket region have held a Big Thicket Science Conference. Each conference has differed slightly by its general theme, and the emphasis of the Fifth Big Thicket Science Conference was “Biodiversity and Ecology of the West Gulf Coastal Plain Landscape”. Many of the talks for this conference also incorporated a focus on “Changing Landscapes and Changing Climate”. The proceedings of this special issue constitute a representation of the presentations of the conference and a sample of recent scientific studies in the Big Thicket region. The Big Thicket is a biologically rich area of the United States Gulf Coast that is generally situated in southeastern Texas, southwestern Arkansas, and eastern Louisiana. This region has diverse habitat types that include swamps, eastern deciduous forests, coastal plains, pine savannas, and xeric sandhills. The region is a crossroads of biodiversity that encompasses the eastern and western United States species as well as subtropical species found in northern Mexico. Thus, this region is diverse and unique in its character. The Fifth Big Thicket Science Conference was hosted by Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacodoches, TX on April 8–10, 2011.Research was presented through 63 oral presentations and 28 posters. There were also three field trips associated with the conference. The conference had 166 registrants. The Conference Planning Committee (in alphabetical order) included Chris Comer, Stephen F. Austin State University; Warren Conway, Stephen F. Austin State University; Jerry Cook, Sam Houston State University; Bruce Drury, Big Thicket Association; Will Godwin, Jarvis Christian College; Mona Halverson, Big Thicket Association; Maxine Johnston, Big Thicket Association; Wendy Ledbetter, The Nature Conservancy; Jim Neal, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Craig Rudolph, U. S. Forest Service; Dan Saenz, U.S. Forest Service; Cliff Shackelford, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department; Julie Shackelford, The Conservation Fund; Jason Singhurst, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department; and Suzanne Walker, Azimuth Forestry. Editors for this special issue were Jerry L. Cook, editor, Sam Houston State Universitiy; Clifford E. Shackelford, associate editor, Texas Parks and Wildlife; and Warren C. Conway, associate editor, Stephen F. Austin State University. *Department of Biological Sciences and Texas Research Institute for the Study of Environmental Studies, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX 77341; BIO_JLC@SHSU.EDU. Proceedings of the 5th Big Thicket Science Conference: Changing Landscapes and Changing Climate 2014 Southeastern Naturalist 13(Special Issue 5):i–ii Southeastern Naturalist J.Cook 2014 ii Vol. 13, Special Issue 5 Each Big Thicket Science Conference was made possible by sponsors who are herein recognized for their support. Conference sponsors for the Fifth Big Thicket Science Conference were (in alphabetical order): Advanced Ecology Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture, Stephen F. Austin State University Azimuth Forestry Big Thicket Association Big Thicket National Preserve (National Park Service) Pineywoods East Texas Partners