South Slough Reserve, Oregon

South Slough Reserve, Oregon

Flora (Plant Life)

Upland areas of the South Slough watershed are typical of the Coos estuary watershed and include 30-50 year old mixed conifer forests, new and recovering clearcuts and shrub covered slopes. The South Slough contains some small stands of trees over 80 years old and occasional specimens estimated to be well over 100 years old. Sitka spruce (Picea sitchenis), Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla)and Port Orford cedar (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana) are the predominant conifers found in the upland forests. Deciduous upland trees include red alder (Alnus rubra) and Pacific wax myrtle (Myrica californica), with big leaf maple (Acer macrophyllum) and willows (Salix spp.) common in riparian areas.

Understory plants within the watershed include salmonberry (Rubus parviflorus), thimbleberry (Rubus spectabilis), blackberry (the native Rubus ursinus and nonnative Rubus discolor and Rubus lacianata), salal (Gaultheria shallon), evergreen huckleberry (Vaccinium parvifolium) and Pacific sword fern (Polystichum munitum). Pacific sword fern is also common among streamside herbaceous communities typically, along with deer fern (Blechnum spicant) and lady fern (Atherium filix-femina).

Freshwater wetland communities within the reserve are characterized by sedges (Carex obnupta, Scirpus microcarpus), cattail (Typha latifolia), soft rush (Juncus effusus), spike rush (Eleocharia spp.), bur-reed (Sparganium spp.)and skunk cabbage (Lysichitum americanum). Plant communities of South Slough saltmarshes are typical of the region and include tufted hairgrass (Deschampsia caespitosa), saltgrass (Distichlis spicata), Lyngby's sedge (Carex lyngbyei) and seaside arrowgrass (Triglochin maritimum). Pickleweed (Salicornia virginica) and fleshy jaumea (Jaumea carnosa) are typical of low saltmarshes, with Baltic rush (Juncus balticus), Pacific silverweed (Potentilla pacifica)and gumweed (Grindelia integrifolia) commonly found in the high saltmarsh. A few small marshes with sandy soils in the reserve support the less common salt marsh bird's beak (Cordylanthus maritimus) and sea lavender(Limonium californicum).

In the late summer, up to 160 acres of eelgrass (both Zostera marina and nonnative Zostera japonica) may be found in the reserve, with additional beds of unknown size in the northern part of South Slough. These eelgrass beds, together with the deep channels in the estuary, shelter a large number of fish and invertebrates.