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Wetlands

Shrub Swamps and Shrub Riparian

Riparian wetland, John Day River, Wheeler County

Shrub swamps and shrub riparian
John Day River, Wheeler County
(John A. Christy, Oregon Biodiversity Information Center)

Shrub swamps and shrub riparian (see also Alkaline wetlands and Fens) occur along rivers and streams throughout the state and are often intermixed with upland portions of floodplains in a jumble of units that are difficult or impossible to map separately. Shrub swamps and shrub riparian are usually associated with seasonal flooding by streams and rivers along which they occur, but they may also be hydrated by perennial or seasonal seepage, tributary streams, or flooding caused by tidal cycles. Vegetation may be forested, scrub-shrub, or herbaceous, but is usually a mixture of alternating patches of all three different types. Historically, most riparian areas were grazed intensively by livestock, and severely degraded by soil compaction, denudation, downcutting of streams, and subsequent invasion by upland or exotic species. These impacts also degraded streams and caused problems for fish and other aquatic species. Over the last 20 years, extensive areas of riparian vegetation and hydrology have been restored by improved management practices.

Riparian Wetlands Map

Shrub swamps and shrub riparian map



Habitat: Edges of rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds; edges and interiors of peatlands; slopes, basins, and flats
Water regime: Perennially to seasonally flooded
Water chemistry: Fresh

Ecoregion*: BM = Blue Mountains, BR = Northern Basin and Range, CB = Columbia Basin, CR = Coast Range, EC = East Cascades, KM = Klamath Mountains, WC = West Cascades, WV = Willamette Valley  
  Scientific & Common Name Global & State Rank Ecoregion*
wetland type image Acer circinatum / Athyrium filix-femina - Tolmiea menziesii Shrub Swamp
Vine maple / lady fern - piggyback plant (Murray 2000: 23; NS)
G5S3 WC
wetland type image Acer circinatum - Corylus cornuta / Oxalis Riparian Shrubland [Provisional]
Vine maple - California hazelnut - sorrel (McCain 2004: 231)
G3S3 CR
wetland type image Acer glabrum - Philadelphus lewisii - Symphoricarpos albus Riparian Shrubland [Provisional]
Mountain maple (Crowe et al. 2004: 184; Wells 2006: 114)
G3S1 BM
wetland type image Alnus incana / Athyrium filix-femina Wet Shrubland
Mountain alder / lady fern (Crowe et al. 2004: 201; NS)
G3S2 BM
wetland type image Alnus incana / Calamagrostis canadensis Wet Shrubland
Mountain alder / bluejoint reedgrass (Crowe et al. 2004: 198; NS)
G3S3 BM
wetland type image Alnus incana / Carex (aquatilis, kelloggii, luzulina, pellita) Shrubland
Mountain alder / sedge (Crowe et al. 2004: 197, 199; NS)
G3S3 BM
wetland type image Alnus incana / Equisetum arvense Wet Shrubland
Mountain alder / common horsetail (Crowe et al. 2004: 204; Wells 2006: 104; NS)
G3S3 BM
wetland type image Alnus incana / Glyceria striata Wet Shrubland
Mountain alder / fowl mannagrass (Crowe et al. 2004: 206; McCain et al. 2014: 62; Wells 2006: 104; NS)
G3S3 BM
wetland type image Alnus incana / mesic forbs Wet Shrubland
Mountain alder / mesic forbs (Murray 2000: 30; Christy 2004: 36; Crowe et al. 2004: 209, 210; Odion et al. 2013: 95; NS)
G3S3 BM
wetland type image Alnus incana / Scirpus microcarpus Wet Shrubland
Mountain alder / smallfruited bulrush (Crowe et al. 2004: 195; NS)
G3SS BM, CB, EC
wetland type image Alnus incana - Betula occidentalis / Carex amplifolia Wet Shrubland [Provisional]
Mountain alder - water birch / big-leaf sedge (Crowe et al. 2004: 193; Wells 2006: 120)
G3S3 BM
wetland type image Alnus incana - Cornus sericea Wet Shrubland
Mountain alder / creek dogwood (Crowe et al. 2004: 217; Wells 2006: 100, 102, 105; NS)
G3S3 BM, BR, EC
wetland type image Alnus incana - Cornus sericea - Philadelphus lewisii Wet Shrubland [Provisional]
Mountain alder - creek dogwood - Lewis' mockorange (Crowe et al. 2004: 224)
G2S2 BM
wetland type image Alnus incana - Physocarpus capitatus / Equisetum arvense - Elymus glaucus Shrubland [Provisional]
Mountain alder - Pacific ninebark / common horsetail - blue wildrye (Crowe et al. 2004: 219)
G3S2 BM, CB, EC
wetland type image Alnus incana - Ribes (inerme, hudsonianum, lacustre) Wet Shrubland
Mountain alder - Pacific ninebark / common horsetail - blue wildrye (Crowe et al. 2004: 219)
G3S2 BM, EC
wetland type image Alnus incana / Spiraea douglasii Wet Shrubland
Mountain alder / Douglas spiraea (Crowe et al. 2004: 212; NS)
G3S2 BM, EC
wetland type image Alnus incana / Symphoricarpos albus Wet Shrubland
Mountain alder - snowberry (Crowe et al. 2004: 220; Wells 2006: 105)
G3S2 BM, EC
wetland type image Alnus incana - Betula occidentalis Shrubland
Mountain alder-water birch
G2S1 BM, BR
wetland type image Alnus viridis ssp. sinuata / Athyrium filix-femina - Cinna latifolia Wet Shrubland
Sitka alder / lady fern shrub - slender woodreed (Crowe et al. 2004: 241, 244; Wells 2006: 99; NS)
G4S4 BM
wetland type image Alnus viridis ssp. sinuata / Lysichiton americanus Wet Shrubland [Provisional]
Sitka alder / skunk cabbage (Christy 2004: 37)
G3S3 WC
wetland type image Alnus viridis ssp. sinuata / mesic forbs Wet Shrubland
Sitka alder / mesic forbs (Crowe et al. 2004: 239; Wells 2006: 97; NS)
G3S3 BM, KM
wetland type image Alnus viridis ssp. sinuata / Acer circinatum Shrub Swamp
Sitka alder / vine maple (NS)
G4S3 WC
wetland type image Alnus viridis ssp. sinuata / Athyrium filix-femina - Cinna latifolia Shrubland
Sitka alder/lady fern shrub - slender woodreed
G4S4 BM
wetland type image Alnus viridis ssp. sinuata / Oplopanax horridus Shrub Swamp
Sitka alder / devils club (NS)
G4S4 BM, WC
wetland type image Alnus viridis ssp. sinuata / Rubus (lasiococcus, parviflorus) Wet Shrubland
Sitka Alder / (dwarf bramble, thimbleberry) (NS)
G4S4 BM
wetland type image Alnus viridis ssp. sinuata - Rubus spectabilis Wet Shrubland [Provisional]
Sitka Alder / salmonberry (Murray 2000: 32; McCain 2004: 108; McCain et al. 2014: 66)
G3S3 WC
wetland type image Betula occidentalis - Crataegus douglasii Wet Shrubland
Water birch - Douglas hawthorn (NS)
G1S1 CB, BM, BR
wetland type image Betula occidentalis - Philadelphus lewisii Wet Shrubland
Water birch - Lewis' mockorange (Crowe et al. 2004: 174; NS)
G2S2 BM, BR
wetland type image Betula occidentalis - Philadelphus lewisii - Symphoricarpos albus Wet Shrubland
Water birch - Lewis' mockorange - common snowberry (Crowe et al. 2004: 175; Wells 2006: 106; NS)
G2S2 CB, BM
wetland type image Celtis reticulata - Philadelphus lewisii Wet Scrub
Netleaf hackberry - Lewis' mockorange (Crowe et al. 2004: 187; Wells 2006: 116, 118; NS)
G1S1 BM, CB
wetland type image Cornus sericea Pacific Shrub Swamp
Creek dogwood (Crowe et al. 2004: 165, 167, 169, 171, 172, 226; Wells 2006: 108; NS)
G4S3 BM, BR, EC
wetland type image Cornus sericea / Lysichiton americanus Shrub Swamp [Provisional]
Creek dogwood / skunk cabbage (Murray 2000: 33; Christy 2004: 40)
G3S3 WC
wetland type image Cornus sericea - Salix (hookeriana, sitchensis) Shrub Swamp
Creek dogwood - (Hooker willow, Sitka willow) (NS)
G3S3 CR, WV
wetland type image (Populus tremuloides) / Crataegus douglasii / Heracleum maximum Wet Shrubland
(Quaking aspen) / Douglas hawthorn / cow parsnip (NS)
G1S1 CB
wetland type image Crataegus douglasii - Rhamnus alnifolia Wet Shrubland [Provisional]
Creek dogwood - alder buckthorn (Crowe et al. 2004: 177)
G2S2 CB
wetland type image Crataegus douglasii - Rosa woodsii Wet Shrubland
Douglas hawthorn / pearhip rose (Crowe et al. 2004: 179; NS)
G2S2 BM, BR
wetland type image Crataegus douglasii - Philadelphus lewisii - Physocarpus malvaceus - Acer glabrum - Prunus virginiana Wet Shrubland [Provisional]
Douglas hawthorn - Lewis' mockorange - mallow ninebark - mountain maple - chokecherry (Crowe et al. 2004: 182)
G3S2 BM, CB, EC
wetland type image (Populus tremuloides) / Crataegus douglasii - Symphoricarpos albus Wet Shrubland
(Quaking aspen) / Douglas hawthorn - common snowberry (Crowe et al. 2004: 180; Wells 2006: 110, 112; NS)
G3S2 CB
wetland type image Dasiphora fruticosa ssp. floribunda / Deschampsia caespitosa  Wet Shrubland
Shrubby cinquefoil / tufted hairgrass (Crowe et al. 2004: 229, 271; Wells 2006: 96; NS)
G4S2 BM
wetland type image Kalmia microphylla / Carex nigricans Wet Dwarf-shrubland
Small-leaved bog laurel / black alpine sedge (Crowe et al. 2004: 264; Wells 2006: 92; NS)
G3S2 BM, BR
wetland type image Kalmia microphylla / Carex scopulorum Wet Dwarf-shrubland
Bog laurel / mountain sedge (NS)
G3S3 BM
wetland type image Malus fusca Shrub Swamp
Oregon crabapple shrub-swamp (Christy 2004: 49; NS)
G3S3 CR, WV
wetland type image Oplopanax horridus - (Rubus spectabilis, Ribes bracteosum) Wet Shrubland [Provisional]
Devil's club - (salmonberry, stink currant) (McCain 2004: 158, 214)
G3S3 CR, WC
wetland type image Philadelphus lewisii Wet Shrubland
Lewis' mockorange (Crowe et al. 2004: 186; NS)
G2S2 BM, BR, CB, EC
wetland type image Philadelphus lewisii - Symphoricarpos albus Wet Shrubland
Lewis' mockorange - common snowberry (NS)
G1S1 CB
wetland type image Phyllodoce empetriformis Parkland Alpine Dwarf-shrubland
Pink mountain heather (Wells 2006: 94; McCain et al. 2014: 206, 215; NS
G5S3 BM, EC, WC
wetland type image Phyllodoce empetriformis / Vaccinium deliciosum Alpine Dwarf-shrubland
Pink mountain heather / Cascade bilberry (Crowe et al. 2004: 265; NS)
G4S3 BM, EC, WC
wetland type image Rhamnus alnifolia Riparian Wet Shrubland
Alder buckthorn (Crowe et al. 2004: 225; NS)
G3S2 BM
wetland type image Ribes bracteosum - Rubus spectabilis / Chrysosplenium glechomifolium Wet Shrubland [Provisional]
Stink currant - salmonberry / western golden carpet (McCain 2004: 200)
G4S3 CR
wetland type image Ribes bracteosum - Rubus spectabilis / mesic forbs Wet Shrubland [Provisional]
Stink currant - salmonberry / mesic forbs (Murray 2000: 34; McCain 2004: 68, 94, 102, 207, 211)
G4S3 CR, WC
wetland type image Ribes lacustre - Ribes hudsonianum / Cinna latifolia Wet Shrubland
Prickly currant - black currant / slender woodreed (Crowe et al. 2004: 189; NS)
G2S2 BM
wetland type image Ribes lacustre - Ribes hudsonianum / Glyceria striata Wet Shrubland
Prickly currant - black currant / fowl mannagrass (Crowe et al. 2004: 191; NS)
G2S2 BM
wetland type image Rubus parviflorus / Achlys triphylla Riparian Shrubland [Provisional]
Thimbleberry / vanillaleaf (McCain 2004: 76)
G3S3 WC
wetland type image Rubus spectabilis / mesic forbs Wet Shrubland [Provisional]
Thimbleberry / vanillaleaf (McCain 2004: 76)
G3S3 WC
wetland type image Rubus spectabilis / mesic forbs Wet Shrubland [Provisional]
Stink currant - salmonberry / mesic forbs (McCain 2004: 221, 225, 234, 244)
G4S3 CR, WC
wetland type image Rubus spectabilis / Tolmiea menziesii Wet Shrubland [Provisional]
Salmonberry / piggyback plant (McCain 2004: 86)
G3S3 CR, WC
wetland type image Rubus spectabilis - Vaccinium ovalifolium / Lysichiton americanus Wet Shrubland [Provisional]
Salmonberry - early blueberry / skunk cabbage (McCain 2004: 170)
G3S3 WC
wetland type image Rubus spectabilis - Vaccinium ovalifolium / Polystichum munitum Wet Shrubland [Provisional]
Salmonberry - early blueberry / sword fern (McCain 2004: 239)
G3S3 CR
wetland type image Salix amygdaloides - Salix exigua Riparian Woodland
Peachleaf willow - narrow-leaved willow (NS)
G1S1 CB, BM
wetland type image Salix boothii / Calamagrostis canadensis Wet Shrubland
Booth willow / bluejoint reedgrass (Crowe et al. 2004: 256; Wells 2006: 84; NS)
G3S3 BM
wetland type image Salix boothii / Carex scopulorum Wet Shrubland [Provisional]
Booth willow / mountain sedge (Crowe et al. 2004: 253; Wells 2006: 78)
G3S2 BM
wetland type image Salix boothii / Carex utriculata Wet Shrubland
Booth willow / southern beaked sedge (Crowe et al. 2004: 273; NS)
G4S3 BM, EC
wetland type image Salix boothii / Deschampsia cespitosa Wet Shrubland [Provisional]
Booth willow / tufted hairgrass (Crowe et al. 2004: 257)
G2S2 BM, EC
wetland type image Salix boothii / mesic forbs Wet Shrubland
Booth willow / mesic forbs (Wells 2006: 82; NS)
G3S3 BM, EC
wetland type image Salix boothii / mesic graminoids Wet Shrubland
Booth willow / mesic graminoids (Crowe et al. 2004: 284, 288; NS)
G3S2 BM, BR, EC
wetland type image Salix (boothii, geyeriana) / Carex aquatilis Wet Shrubland
(Booth willow, Geyer willow) / aquatic sedge (Crowe et al. 2004: 279; NS)
G3S3 BM, EC
wetland type image Salix boothii - Salix eastwoodiae / Carex nigricans Wet Shrubland
Booth willow - mountain willow / black alpine sedge (Crowe et al. 2004: 258; NS)
G3S2 BM, EC
wetland type image Salix boothii - Salix geyeriana / Carex angustata Wet Shrubland
Booth willow - Geyer willow / widefruit sedge (Crowe et al. 2004: 282; NS)
G2S2 EC
wetland type image Salix boothii - Salix lemmonii Wet Shrubland
Booth willow - Lemmon willow (Crowe et al. 2004: 289; NS)
G3S2 EC, BM
wetland type image Salix commutata / Carex aquatilis var. dives Wet Shrubland [Provisional]
Undergreen willow / Sitka sedge (Murray 2000: 35)
G3S2 WC
wetland type image Salix commutata / Carex scopulorum Wet Shrubland
Undergreen willow / mountain sedge (Christy 2004: 51; Crowe et al. 2004: 251; Wells 2006: 80; NS)
G3S3 BM, EC
wetland type image Salix drummondiana / Carex scopulorum Wet Shrubland
Drummond willow / mountain sedge (Wells 2006: 90; NS)
G2S2 BM
wetland type image Salix drummondiana / mesic forbs Wet Shrubland
Drummond willow / mesic forbs (NS)
G4S1 BM, BR
wetland type image Salix eastwoodiae / Deschampsia caespitosa Wet Shrubland
Sierra willow / tufted hairgrass (Odion et al. 2013: 100; NS)
G3S1 KM
wetland type image Salix eastwoodiae - Salix boothii / Carex aquatilis [Provisional]
Sierra willow - Booth willow / water sedge (Crowe et al. 2004: 254)
G2S2 BM, EC
wetland type image Salix eastwoodiae - Salix commutata / Carex utriculata Wet Shrubland [Provisional]
Sierra willow - undergreen willow / southern beaked sedge (Crowe et al. 2004: 255)
G3S2 BM, EC
wetland type image Salix exigua / gravel bar Wet Shrubland
Narrow-leaved willow / gravel bar (Crowe et al. 2004: 291; Wells 2006: 86; NS)
G5S4 BM, BR, CB, EC
wetland type image Salix exigua / Equisetum arvense Wet Shrubland
Coyote willow / common horsetail (Crowe et al. 2004: 293; NS)
G3S2 BM, BR, CB, EC
wetland type image Salix exigua - Salix lasiandra var. caudata Wet Shrubland
Coyote willow - greenleaf willow (NS)
G2S2 BM, BR, CB, EC
wetland type image Salix exigua - Salix lasiandra var. lasiandra - Cornus sericea Riparian Shrubland [Provisional]
Coyote willow - Pacific willow - red-osier dogwood (Crowe et al. 2004: 294)
G3S3 BM, BR, CB, EC
wetland type image Salix farriae / Allium validum - Carex scopulorum
Farr's willow / Pacific swamp onion - mountain sedge (Crowe et al. 2004: 271; Wells 2006: 89)
G2S1 BM
wetland type image Salix farriae / Carex aquatilis Wet Shrubland [Provisional]
Farr's willow / water sedge (Crowe et al. 2004: 270; Wells 2006: 88)
G2S1 BM
wetland type image Salix geyeriana / Calamagrostis canadensis Wet Shrubland
Geyer willow / bluejoint reedgrass (Crowe et al. 2004: 272; NS)
G5S3 BM, EC
wetland type image Salix geyeriana / Carex utriculata Wet Shrubland
Geyer willow / southern beaked sedge (Crowe et al. 2004: 273; NS)
G5S3 BM, EC
wetland type image Salix geyeriana / Deschampsia cespitosa - Carex nebrascensis Wet Shrubland [Provisional]
Geyer willow / tufted hairgrass - Nebraska sedge (Crowe et al. 2004: 287)
G3S2 BM, EC
wetland type image Salix geyeriana / mesic forbs Wet Shrubland
Geyer willow / mesic forbs (NS)
G3S3 BM, EC
wetland type image Salix geyeriana - Salix eriocephala Shrubland
Geyer willow - rigid willow (NS)
G3S1 BR, CB
wetland type image Salix geyeriana - Salix hookeriana Wet Shrubland
Geyer willow - Hooker willow (NS)
G1S1 CR, WV
wetland type image Salix geyeriana - Salix lemmonii / Carex aquatilis var. dives Wet Shrubland
Geyer willow - Lemmon willow / Sitka sedge (Murray 2000: 35; Crowe et al. 2004: 276; NS)
G3S2 EC
wetland type image Salix hookeriana - (Malus fusca) / Carex obnupta - Lysichiton americanus Wet Shrubland
Hooker willow - (Oregon crabapple) / slough sedge - skunk cabbage (Christy 2004: 54; NS)
G3S3 CR
wetland type image Salix hookeriana - Myrica californica Wet Shrubland
Hooker willow - Pacific waxmyrtle (NS)
G4S4 CR
wetland type image Salix lasiandra var. lasiandra / Urtica dioica ssp. gracilis Swamp Woodland
Pacific willow / northwest nettle (Christy 2004: 55; NS)
G2S2 WV
wetland type image Salix lasiandra var. lasiandra Riparian Shrubland [Provisional]
Pacific willow (Crowe et al. 2004: 297)
G3S3 BM, BR, EC
wetland type image Salix lasiandra var. lasiandra / wet graminoids Wet shrubland [Provisional]
Pacific willow / wet graminoids (Crowe et al. 2004: 299)
G3S2 BM, BR, EC
wetland type image Salix lasiandra var. lasiandra - Salix exigua var. columbiana Swamp Woodland
Pacific willow - Columbia River willow (NS)
G3S2 WV
wetland type image Salix lasiandra var. lasiandra - Salix sitchensis / Lysichiton americanus Swamp Woodland [Provisional]
Pacific willow - Sitka willow / skunk cabbage (Christy 2004: 56)
G2S2 CR, WV
wetland type image Salix lasiolepis - Rosa woodsii / mixed herbs Wet Shrubland
Arroyo willow - pearhip rose / mixed herbs (Crowe et al. 2004: 301; NS)
G3S2 BM, BR, CB
wetland type image Salix lemmonii - Rosa woodsii Wet Shrubland
Lemmon's willow - pearhip rose (Crowe et al. 2004: 302; NS)
G3S2 BM, BR, CB, EC
wetland type image Salix lutea / Carex utriculata Wet Shrubland
Rigid willow / beaked sedge (NS)
G4S2 BM
wetland type image Salix (melanopsis, sitchensis) Cobble Bar Shrubland
(Dusky willow, Sitka willow) (Crowe et al. 2004: 247; NS)
G3S3 BM
wetland type image Salix pedicellaris / (Carex aquatilis var. dives) Wet Shrubland [Provisional]
Bog willow / (Sitka sedge) (Murray 2000: 35)
G2S2 WC
wetland type image Salix petrophila / Carex subnigricans Wet Dwarf-shrubland [Provisional]
Rock loving willow / nearlyblack sedge (Crowe et al. 2004: 268)
G3S1 BM
wetland type image Salix petrophila - Salix boothii / Eleocharis quinqueflora Wet Dwarf-shrubland [Provisional]
Rock loving willow - Booth's willow / few-flowered spikerush (Crowe et al. 2004: 269; Wells 2006: 76)
G3S1 BM
wetland type image Salix planifolia var. planifolia / (Carex aquatilis var. dives) Wet Shrubland [Provisional]
Tea leaf willow/ (Sitka sedge) (Murray 2000: 36)
G2S2 WC
wetland type image Salix prolixa - Rosa woodsii Wet Shrubland
Mackenzie's willow - pearhip rose (Crowe et al. 2004: 296; NS)
G2S2 CB, BM, BR
wetland type image Salix scouleriana Riparian Shrubland [Provisional]
Scouler's willow (Crowe et al. 2004: 300)
G3S3 BM, BR, EC
wetland type image Salix sitchensis Wet Shrubland
Sitka willow (NS)
G4S4 KM, WV
wetland type image Salix sitchensis / Equisetum arvense - Petasites frigidus Wet Shrubland
Sitka willow / common horsetail - sweet coltsfoot (Murray 2000: 36, 37; Christy 2004: 57; McCain 2004: 50; NS)
G4S3 CR, WC
wetland type image Spiraea douglasii Wet Shrubland
Douglas spiraea (Christy 2004: 58; NS)
G5S4 CR, EC, KM, WC, WV
wetland type image Spiraea douglasii - Rosa woodsii / Scirpus microcarpus [Provisional]
Douglas spiraea - pearhip rose / small-fruited bulrush (Crowe et al. 2004: 228)
G3S3 EC
wetland type image Spiraea douglasii - Vaccinium uliginosum / Carex (aquatilis var. dives, exsiccata) Wet Shrubland [Provisional]
Douglas spiraea - bog bilberry / (Sitka sedge, western inflated sedge) (Murray 2000: 37, 38; McCain et al. 2014: 120)
G3S3 WC
wetland type image Spiraea douglasii - Viburnum edule / Viola palustris Wet Shrubland [Provisional]
Douglas spiraea - highbush cranberry / marsh violet (Murray 2000: 38)
G2S2 WV
wetland type image Vaccinium ovalifolium Riparian Shrubland [Provisional]
Early blueberry (Murray 2000: 39; McCain 2004: 110)
G4S3 WC

Authored by John A. Christy, Wetlands Ecologist, (ORBIC) Oregon Biodiversity Information Center (2012 rev. 2017)

randomness