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How to use this key Pacific Island Plant Restoration is an interactive plant database available for use by the public. It is intended to assist managers of restoration projects in selecting plants appropriate for their project outplanting sites in the pacific. This database covers Hawai‘i, American Samoa, Palau, Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia. The use of this key is strictly for selection of plants that will grow in the site described. It does not provide information on how to plant, or what will happen to the site, or plants outplanted at the site, under extenuating circumstances. The use of Pacific Island Plant Restoration must accompany other conservation and restoration plans and procedures to be effective. Always follow state and federal laws and permitting procedures when performing any type of restoration, and when outplanting endangered plants. For a list of endangered plants visit: http://ecos.fws.gov/tess_public/servlet/gov.doi.tess_public.servlets.UsaLists?state=all. The establishment or preservation of a riparian buffer is essential for the reduction of non-point source pollution of our streams, waterways, and oceans. Healthy native riparian buffers trap sediment, slow water velocity, reduce flooding risk, increase water absorption, filter out pollutants, reduce erosion, and increase streambank stability. They also provide shelter and food sources for native birds and insects, and are aesthetically appealing. Please see Terms and Conditions for Use of this key. Useful Equipment for the field required and recommended for this key. Before you start. It is important to note that the database is broken into two distinct sections: existing site characters, and desired plant characters. The site characters and corresponding attributes are listed first. They include the characters Island Ecosystems, Site Elevation, Exisiting Habitat, Planting Zone, Site Moisture Availability, Aquatic Habitat, Water Salinity, Site Slope, Site Substratum, Soil Texture, Soil Drainage Class, Flood Hazard Affecting Area, Soil Reaction/pH, and Existing %Canopy/Shade at Site. It is recommended that each of these characters be evaluated for the site when applicable. This is a good stopping point in the key to evaluate the list of taxa remaining. They are the taxa that best fit the site described. The remaining set of characters provide the desired attributes of plants. These include: Desired Functional Benefits, Desired Site Vegetation, Desired Plant Type, Desired Plant Longevity, Distribution of Plants, Plant Indicator Status, Desired Foliage Density of Plant, Optimal Growth Rate, Plant Federal Status, and Ease of Propagation. Selection of desired plant characters will narrow the list of remaining taxa quickly, to a single attribute set. These characters are used to select certain plants from the "best fit list". As an example, once you have a list of plants that best fit the site, you have the option of sorting through the desired plant characters and selecting all trees on that list, or all taxa that are indigenous, or a combination of obligate sedges that are indigenous. |