Phone: 503-823-7529
1120 SW Fifth Avenue, Portland, OR 97204
Natural Area Vegetation
About the Inventory
Portland Parks and Recreation has completed vegetation surveys of its natural area parkland from 2003 to 2008 as a step in Portland's ecosystem management process. Several natural area properties not owned or managed by PP&R were also surveyed. The field methodology was designed to identify vegetation community characteristics such as dominant and invasive plant species, management concerns, and overall ecological health to inform park management and citywide natural resource planning.
A total of 1,072 surveys were conducted covering 8,213 acres. Average unit size was 8 acres (17 acres within Forest Park). Forest Park accounted for 4,743 (58%) of the total acres surveyed.
Distribution of community types within survey:
| NVCS Subclass (National Vegetation Classification System) |
% of Total Acreage | Total Acres | Number of Units |
| Mixed Evergreen - Deciduous Forest | 41.9 | 3438 | 319 |
| Deciduous Forest | 25.1 | 2058 | 217 |
| Evergreen Forest | 13.5 | 1,112 | 114 |
| Deciduous Open Woodland | 6.4 | 522 | 129 |
| Mixed Evergreen - Deciduous Open Woodland | 1.4 | 114 | 45 |
| Deciduous Shrubland | 2.1 | 176 | 49 |
| Perennial Grassland Vegetation | 5.7 | 468 | 115 |
| Perennial Forb Vegetation | 0.9 | 74 | 10 |
| Other types | 3.1 | 251 | 74 |
| Ecological Health Scores | Number of Units | Total Acres | % of Total Acreage |
| 1 - Healthy | 4 | 97 | 1.2 |
| 2 - Good | 166 | 2,593 | 31.8 |
| 3 - Fair | 319 | 3,128 | 38.3 |
| 4 - Poor | 332 | 1,587 | 19.4 |
| 5 - Severely Degraded | 232 | 757 | 9.3 |