Guidelines for Tree and Shrub Planting Along Amazon Creek, October 2008

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