The Trustees contracted with Battelle Marine Sciences
Laboratory to conduct a vegetation
survey that would provide a quantitative description
of the conditions under which intertidal wetland plant
species occur and flourish in Commencement Bay. The Trustees
adopted this report in June 2000 and incorporate
the vegetation planting information in the design of their
restoration projects. The project was intended to provide
the Trustees with (1) an accurate map of the location
and species composition of existing intertidal natural
vegetation, (2) survey information from natural and semi-natural
stands on the primary factors generally known to control
community species composition (e.g., elevation, slope,
soil conditions, sediment characteristics, physical description
of energy regimes, temperature, and salinity), (3) range
and optimal conditions of environmental factors for each
major wetland plant species, and (4) a framework to evaluate
and interpret the data.
