Wetalnd vegetation in Washington
[ Wetland | Coast | Marsh ] in Washington
Wetland vegetation
The US Fish & Wildlife Service has a comprehensive classification system useful for wetlands.
Coastal vegetation
The environment of coastal estuaries (Estuarine system), including river deltas, and bays is dominated by tidal fluctuations. This factor and its correlates, such as fluctuating salinity,poor aeration, wave action, and twice daily cycles of submergence and exposure, produce vegetation types characterized by relatively few species. Coastal marshes are highly productive.
Mudflats:
Low intertidal to subtidal muds, dominated by Zostera marina. Typical association: Zostera marina
Low salt marsh:
Higher intertidal, usually with some fresh water influence, especially in river deltas. Inundated nearly every day. Typical associations: Scirpus maritimum; Carex lyngbey; Calydistichlis spicata; Jaumea carnosa-Disp; Disp-Salicornia virginica; Savi.
High salt marsh:
Upper marshes, where daily inundation is less than a daily occurrence. Typical associations: Agrostis alba-Festuca rubra; Agal-Carex lyngbyei; Caly-Distichlis spicata; Disp-Salicornia virginica; Potentilla pacifica-graminoids.
| Species | Eelgrass | Low marsh | High Marsh |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zostera marina | X | ||
| Salicornia virginica | t | X | x |
| Triglochin maritimum | t | X | x |
| Carex lyngbeyi | X | x | |
| Jaumea carnosa | X | x | |
| Spergularia marina | X | x | |
| Scirpus americanus | X | x | |
| Cotula coronopifolia | X | x | |
| Cuscuta salina | X | t | |
| Spartina alterniflora | X | t | |
| Atriplex patula | x | X | |
| Plantago maritima | x | X | |
| Distichlis spicata | x | X | |
| Scirpus maritimum | t | X | |
| Deschampsia caespitosa | X | ||
| Hordeum brachyanthermum | X | ||
| Grindelia integrifolia | X | ||
| Potentilla pacifica | X | ||
| Trifolium wormskjoldii | X | ||
| Agrostis alba | X | ||
| Festuca rubura | X |
Inland wetland vegetation is generally associated with rivers (Riparian), lakes (Lacustrine), or other wetlands not directly influenced by lakes or rivers (Palustrine). Riverine vegetation is usually unstable and dominated by elements of the forested wetlands described below.
Freshwater marsh
Usually associated with lakes (lacustine), or areas of limited drainage (palustrine).
Typical Lacustrine Associations: Deep: Nuphar-Nymphaea; Scirpus acutus; Shallow: Typha latifolia; Phalaris arundinacea; Phragmites communis; Tyla-Lythrum salicoria; Carex obnupta (plus various graminoids-dominated associations); Phar-Iris pseudacorus; Tyla-Scirpus microcarpus.
| Deep marsh | Emergent wetland | |
|---|---|---|
| Eleocharis spp. | Emergent | |
| Epilobium angustifolium | Emergent | |
| Iris pseudacorus | Emergent | |
| Lemma minor | Floating | |
| Lythrum salicaria | Emergent (intro) | |
| Myriophyllum spicatum | Submerged (intro) | |
| Nuphar polysepalum | Floating fixed(intro) | |
| Nymphaea odorata | Floating fixed(intro) | |
| Oenanthe sarmentosum | Emergent | |
| Phalaris arundinacea | Emergent | |
| Phragmites communis | Emergent | |
| Polygonum spp. | Submerged | Submerged-emergent |
| Scirpus microcarpus | Emergent | |
| Typha latifolia | Emergent |
Palustrine systems are nontidal wetlands dominated by woody vegetation or persistent emergents. They include marshes, swamps, ponds (not lakes) and bogs. They can be located shoreward of lakes and rivers, on flood plains, or in isolated catchment basins.
Foster's Island
The trail starts behind the MOHAI and traverses through several wetland associations. Characterize each association, based on the US Fish and Wildlife system (e.g., palustrine forested wetland).
| Species | Common name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Carex aquatilis | water sedge | leaves w/3-ranked sheaths |
| Eleocharis spp. | spike-rush | solitary, term. spike; emergent |
| Equisetum spp. | horsetail | |
| Iris pseudocorus | yellow marsh iris | yellow flowers; emergent |
| Juncus balticus | baltic rush | diffuse inflorescence |
| Juncus effusus | common rush | stem round; many flowers, lateral, dense inflorescence |
| Lemna minor | duckweed | floating aquatic |
| Lythrum salicaria | purple loosestrife | red flowers, leaves like fireweed; emergent |
| Myriophyllum spicatum | watermilfoil | feathery leaves; submerged aquatic |
| Nuphar polysepalum | Indian pondlily | sepals = 9; flowers yellows |
| Nymphaea odorata | American waterlily | sepals = 4; flowers white/pink |
| Oenanthe sarmentosa | water parsley | dissected leaves |
| Phalaris arundinacea | reed canarygrass | congested panicle; large ligules; emergent |
| Potentilla pacifica | Pacific silverweed | pinnately compound leaf |
| Rumex crispus | curly dock weed | |
| Scripus microcarpus | small-fruited bulrush | many large, terminal spikelets; emergent |
| Scripus pallidus | pale bulrush | few large, lateral spikelets |
| Typha latifolia | cattail | emergent |
| Alnus rubra | red alder | leaves with revolute margins |
| Betula sp. | birch | white bark |
| Cornus stolonifera | red-osier dogwood | red stem; cottony veins when pulled apart |
| Populus trichocarpa | black cottonwood | large deltoid leaves |
| Rhamnus purshiana | cascara | rhomboid leaf; thick veins |
| Salix lasiandra | Pacific willow | narrow leaf, large round stipules, glands |
| Salix hookeriana | Hooker's willow | broad, rounded leaf |
| Salix scouleriana | Scouler's willow | butterfly stipules, broadleaf, leaves reddish beneath |
| Spiraea douglasii | steeplebush | hardback cylindric rose-colored inflorescence |