This habitat description is reprinted by permission from the report:  Kiilsgaard, C. 1999. "Land Cover Type Descriptions, Oregon Gap Analysis (1998 Land Cover for Oregon)." Oregon Natural Heritage Program, Portland, OR.

STREAMSIDE FOREST
(formerly termed National Wetland Inventory (135) & GAP Palustrine Forest (200))

Geographic Distribution. Palustrine forest wetlands are characterized by overstory canopy vegetation greater than 18 feet in height. All water regime influences: lacustrine, riverine, and tidal margin areis included. Palustrine forests, indeed all riparian vegetation systems, occur along the interface between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. The distribution of this type is a function of surface hydrologic features.

Structure and Appearance. Dominant overstory vegetation is trees. Canopies range from open to closed and in well-developed stands are typically multi-storied. The tree layer can be dominated by deciduous, conifer, or mixed canopies. The shrub layer, both tall and low, generally forms dense thickets. Forb layer is abundant and diverse.

Composition. Common eastern Oregon deciduous canopy trees in this type are: black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa), white alder (Alnus rhombifolia), quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides), and peachleaf willow (Salix amygdaloides). Conifer trees in eastern Oregon palustrine forests typically do not dominate the overstory. Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), lodgepole pine (P. contorta), and Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) are the most commonly encountered overstory conifers.

Western Oregon palustrine forests commonly include deciduous trees include: big leaf maple (Acer macrophyllum), red alder (Alnus rubra), western ash (Fraxinus latifolia), black cottonwood Oregon white oak (Quercus garryana), and pacific willow (Salix lucida). Conifers commonly dominate the overstory in many western Oregon palustrine forest conditions. Lodgepole pine is common in bogs and deflation plains in the coastal margin. Western red cedar (Thuja plicata), western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla), Douglas fir, and grand fir (Abies grandis) are also common..

Landscape Setting. Palustrine forests tend to be narrow, linear features that closely follow the moving watercourse.

References. Chappell et al. 1999, Kagan and Caicco 1992, Kovalchik 1986