Transplant Time Requirement 



It is difficult to determine the time involved in the 

 transplanting operations when experimental plantings are being 

 established. In May 1981 we kept records of the time required for four 

 persons to dig and transplant sprigs of Halimione and plugs of 

 Puccinellia . Halimione plants were dug, separated into sprigs and put 

 into plastic bags for transport to the planting site at the rate of 

 about 180 per person hour. Puccinellia plants were dug, cut into plugs 

 and put into a container for transport to the planting site at the rate 

 of about 75 per person hour. These rates indicate that Halimione 

 sprigs can be obtained about 2.4 times faster than Puccinellia plugs. 



The planting operation includes opening the transplant hole with a 

 soil auger, inserting the appropriate amount of fertilizer, and 

 inserting the transplant and firming the substrate around it. Both 

 types of transplants can be planted at the rate of about 40 per person 

 hour. 



These time requirements for digging and planting make no allowance 

 for travel, supplies, and equipment, which must also be considered in 

 the total cost of a planting operation. Based on our digging and 

 planting time requirements only, the time required to plant 1 ha of 

 Halimione on a 0.5 m spacing (40,000 transplants) would be about 1,220 

 person hours (220 person hours to dig sprigs + 1,000 person hours to 

 plant). The time required to plant 1 ha of Puccinellia on a 0.5 m 

 spacing would be about 1,530 person hours (530 person hours to dig + 

 1,000 person hours to plant). These cost estimates indicate that it 

 would take four persons working 8 hour days about 38 days to plant 1 ha 

 of Halimione on a 0.5 m spacing and about 48 days to do the same using 

 Puccinellia. 



Recovery of Transplant Source Sites 



From the beginning of our restoration efforts we were aware of the 

 potential for impact to the natural marsh in digging transplants for 

 the plantings. Consequently, we confined our digging of plants in the 

 natural marsh to areas adjacent to narrow drainageways (Fig. 6) or to 

 small areas (0.25 m 2 ) in the marsh. All Puccinellia transplant 

 source sites were replanted and those areas that were dug in 1979 and 

 1980 were almost completely revegetated by May 1981' (Figs. 48, 49). In 

 a further attempt to lessen the pressure for obtaining transplants from 

 the natural marsh, we have initiated nursery areas for Halimione and 

 Puccinellia . These combined actions will help keep impact to the 

 natural marsh to a minimum and serve as a model for others who may 

 engage in similar activities in the future. 



Nursery Plantings 



The Puccinellia nursery area at Kerlavos was established in May 

 1979 and now contains about 300 plants that can be dug and separated 

 into transplants. Although the plants vary in size, the average cover 



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