Appendix B: Bioengineering for Streambank Erosion Control -- Guidelines
f.
Some suppliers may grow plants on contract but it will be necessary to contact them
several months to a year before the plants are needed.
Advantages of Purchasing Plants
a.
Plants are readily available at the planting location in predicted quantities and at the
required time.
b.
No special expertise is required to collect or grow the plants.
c.
No wild source for the plants must be found and there are no harvesting permits to
obtain from state or local governments.
d.
Cost can be more readily predicted and controllable than harvesting from the wild
or growing your own.
Disadvantages of Purchasing Plants
a.
Plants may arrive in poor condition.
b.
Selection of species is limited.
c.
Plants may not be adapted to the local environment. Contract growing may solve
this problem.
d.
Cost may be high and shipping cost needs to be considered.
e.
Quantities may be limited.
f.
It may be necessary to store large quantities of plants and consequently necessitate
procurement of adequate and appropriate storage facilities.
Collecting Plants from the Wild
Collecting plants from the wild may be very demanding because of "hard-to-reach" plants
that are off main access routes. Wild plants must then be moved immediately to a nursery or
hold-over site or to the project site. Logistical and plant handling problems need to be
carefully assessed and solutions planned well ahead of time. Care should be taken if this
method is selected because of the possibility of contaminating the harvested donor plants with
unwanted weedy species that could become a problem at the project site. Samples should be
collected ahead of time in order to determine what kind of problems will be encountered in
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