the plant community is usually nonwetland (pro- 

 ceed to Step 3 if any question). Record the data and 

 return to the applicable step of the onsite determina- 

 tion method being used. 



Step 3. Are hydric soils present? If YES, 

 record the data and proceed to Step 4. If NO, then 

 the area is nonwetland and the plant community is 

 not hydrophytic. Record the data and return to the 

 applicable step of the onsite determination method 

 being used. {CAUTION: Become familiar with 

 problematic hydric soils that do not possess good 

 hydric field indicators, such as red parent material 

 soils, some sandy soils, and some floodplain soils, 

 so that these hydric soils are not misidentified as 

 nonhydric soils; see pp. 58-59.) 



Step 4. Answer the following questions: 



1) Is there evidence of inundation or soil sat- 

 uration during the growing season, as indicated by 

 aerial photographs, recorded hydrologic data, pre- 

 vious site inspections, testimony of reliable per- 

 sons, or direct observations? 



2) Are oxidized channels (rhizospheres) 

 present along the living roots and rhizomes of any 

 plants growing in the area? 



3) Are water-stained leaves caused by inun- 

 dation present in the area? 



If the answer is YES to one or more of these ques- 

 tions, then the area showing these signs is a wet- 

 land. Record the data and return to the applicable 

 step of the onsite determination method being used. 

 If the answer NO to all questions, proceed to Step 

 5. 



Step 5. Use one's best professional judge- 

 ment in determining whether the FACU -dominated 

 community is wetland or nonwetland. Consider the 

 following questions in making this determination: 



1) Are other indicators of wedand hydrology 

 present? (See pp. 17- 19.) 



2) Are observations being made during the 

 dry time of the year? Would conditions be different 

 enough during the wetter part of growing season to 

 affect the determination? 



3) Could this plant community be one of the 

 problem area wetlands listed in the following sub- 

 section? 



4) Is the dominant vegetation introduced or 

 planted? {Note: If YES, one may choose to evalu- 

 ate a nearby reference site having natural vegeta- 

 tion.) 



5) Could the plant community reflect succes- 

 sion in a wedand? 



6) Are OBL or UPL species present in sub- 

 stantial numbers? 



7) If the area is forested, does a nearby ref- 

 erence area (where timber has not been harvested) 

 have a plant community where more than 50 per- 

 cent of the dominant species from all strata are 

 OBL, FACW, and/or FAC species, or a plant com- 

 munity with a prevalence index of less than 3.0? 



8) Is the region experiencing a series of dry 

 years or long-term drought during the natural 

 hydrologic cycle and could vegetation be reflecting 

 this condition? If so, is hydrophytic vegetation 

 present during the wet phase of the cycle? 



9) Is the area exposed to wide annual fluctu- 

 ations in vegetation, i.e., wet season vegetation is 

 hydrophytic, while dry season vegetation is domi- 

 nated by FACU and UPL species? 



10) Is the area designated as wetland on 

 National Wetiands Inventory maps, USGS topo- 

 graphic maps, or other maps? 



In making a determination in these situations, it 

 may be advisable to consult a wetiand expert. 

 Decide whether the area is wetland or nonwetiand, 

 record data, and return to the applicable step of the 

 onsite determination method being used. 



2) Evergreen forested wetlands - Wetlands 

 dominated by evergreen trees occur in many parts 

 of the country. In some cases, the trees are OBL, 

 FACW, and FAC species, e.g., Atlantic white 

 cedar {Chamaecyparis thyoides), black spruce 

 {Picea mariana), balsam fir {Abies balsamea), slash 

 pine {Pinus elliottii), and loblolly pine {P. taeda). 

 In other cases, however, the dominant evergreen 

 trees are FACU species, including red spruce 



56 



