Guidelines for Tree and Shrub Plantings Along Amazon Creek <br /> ,,. • Plant Communities: Existing Conditions <br /> The tables show the existing plant communities on the Amazon Creek. A plant community is <br /> a set of native plant species that regularly occur together in a specific landscape, such as a <br /> riparian forest. The tables are divided into canopy and woody understory and also into <br /> dominant and associate species. Plants at the canopy or tree overstory layer are at least —20' <br /> tall. Most plants in the woody understory (beneath the overstory) are shrubs between —3' and <br /> —20'. Dominant species are more abundant than other plants, and they "control" the plant <br /> community. The associate species in comparison occur less frequently. <br /> The tables show only the native plants, even though there are many non - native trees and shrubs <br /> along the Amazon Creek. The intent of focusing the plant community tables only on existing <br /> native species is twofold. First, the description focuses on the site's current capacity to support <br /> native species. Second, it is useful for identifying remnant historic plant communities in each <br /> location, which may in turn serve to guide restoration prescriptions. <br /> • Guidelines for Tree and Shrub Plantings <br /> This document does not include planting guidelines for every section of Amazon Creek, <br /> because not every section may need new plants including the reach from Martin Street to <br /> Snell Street and from 33 Avenue to 29 Avenue. The notes in the beginning of each section <br /> of "Guidelines for Tree and Shrub Planting" contain information about the length of the <br /> section and other important information to consider. The tables show which species to plant, <br /> the numbers of the plants for both banks, per cluster, and the planting zones. Below the tables <br /> is a planting diagram that shows in which zones the different plants should be planted. Some <br /> sections also have a tree/ shrub cluster diagram for further clarification. <br /> c <br /> 5 <br />