The ecological, recreational, and economic value of the 134 mile (216 km) riparian corridor within the Ozark National Scenic Riverways (ONSR) is of great interest to land managers and conservationists. Recent interest in applying ecosystem management to forest systems has necessitated a fresh look at the tools and methods in use to assess existing patterns of plant community structure and diversity. The purpose and objective of the study described in this report was to initiate a series of vegetation studies that could be integrated with existing research and management infonnation on the riparian vegetation in the ONSR. Defining the compositional and spatial attributes of the riparian corridor were at the core of our research efforts. We used multivariate analysis and ordination techniques to characterize the composition and distribution of woody and herbaceous vegetation within the ONSR.