Field Trip Report 2: Freshwater marshes on the east side and the Sammamish Plateau

We will start the field trip by looking at wetlands in the Big Bear Creek drainage east of Woodinville. Big Bear Creek is probably the least disturbed of all of the drainages on the east side, yet it is filled with invasives. Then we will go south to the Redmond watershed, a large forested preserve with a number of excellent wetlands (near the Redmond Block wetlands that are now developed as Trilogy and Redmond Ridge). Up on the Sammamish Plateau we will visit the Hazel Wolf wetland and then finish up by going to Queen’s Bog in Klahanie.

Invasive plants

Look at the invasive plants that are at different wetlands. Collect samples of them. Why are they there? Try to figure out the disturbance history of a site, and whether such a history has resulted in an increase in invasive plants.

Water

What is the hydrology of each wetland? How does the water get there and where does it come from? Is the water permanent? How much do you think it fluctuates during the year? How wet is each site?

Shade

What does shade do to the diversity of invasive plants? What effect does shade have on what kinds of native wetland plants are present? Collect samples of native plants.

Nutrients

Which sites are nutrient rich and which are nutrient poor (oligotrophic)? How do the nutrients get to each site? What is the impact of nutrients on plant communities?

1. Make a list of invasive plants that do well in full sun.
2. Make a list of invasive plants that do well in shade.
3. List natives that are found in saturated soil.
4. List natives that are found in standing water.
5. List natives that are found in open water (aquatics).
6. List natives found in low nutrient environments.
7. List environmental conditions that discourage invasive plant species.