Sellwood Riverfront Park is nested along the Willamette River. This park is a popular site for Portlanders during the summer because of the park’s proximity to Oaks Amusement Park. The park features picnic tables, an off leash dog park, a boat ramp, and a walking trail traversing through wetland and riparian zones extended along the river. Changing habitats throughout the park support a diverse variety of plant and wildlife. In this report I will draw conclusions from my observations made using the Portland Tree Inventory Project about the health of the trees in the Sellwood Riverfront Park. Also, I will examine how the tree species change from riverside to the edge of the park.
I expected that the trees in this park would be in poor health because of the high exposure to human disturbance and pollution from proximity to the city. To my surprise, all of the trees but one are in fair if not good condition. It would have been more shocking if many of the trees were considered to be in “good” condition. After a closer examination I determined that the trees in this park are able to maintain fairly good health despite exposure to disturbance because of their life history attributes. For example, the Ash genus is a hardy tree that is naturally highly adaptable and favors Oregon’s cold climate. Also, Scotts pine is highly adaptable and able to grow in almost any climate. It is also highly efficient at reseeding. This explains why Scotts Pine is one of the most abundant tree species in the park and why they are able to thrive in areas despite disturbances.
What first interested me in Sellwood Riverfront Park is its diverse variety of habitats because of its proximity to the Willamette River. It is rare for a park along the river in the middle of Portland to be so large and feature so many activities. I expected that tree species would be very different at the riverside compared to near the edges of the park. One pattern I observed in the Portland Tree Inventory Project is that varieties within the Willow genus dominated the river’s edge. Further research showed that Willows thrive in wet soils and are commonly found near water.
Overall the trees at Sellwood Riverfront Park are doing very well for where they are located. The trees are well adapted to all of the disturbances that come along with parks. Also, the trees near the river are quite different from the trees located around the edge of the park. It was interesting to see how proximity to water directly affects tree species distribution. In conclusion, Sellwood Riverfront Park’s trees are highly adapted to the disturbances caused by people, dogs, boats, and proximity to major pollution sources. This park is a good example showing an area can have high tree species diversity and health, and still be for human use.
Refrences
Portland Parks & Recreation. (2011). Street Tree Inventory Report Sellwood-Moreland Neighborhood November 2011. Retrieved from https://www.portlandoregon.gov/parks/article/373002
United States Geological Survey. May 26, 2004. Geographic Names Information System. Retrieved December 20, 2010.
Seeing Trees PDX 