The New Zealand Indigenous Plant Species Selector is an expert-in-a-box tool to help choose and evaluate plants for a variety of land management applications. It is one component of The Green Toolbox, a comprehensive desktop package for resource managers, available from Landcare Research.
Note: if you are having trouble using this tool, please email the Webmaster, webmaster@landcareresearch.co.nz or use our Feedback form.
To create a plant list, specify values for as many of the constraints as you wish. Click on any of the drop-down lists to choose the appropriate value for a constraint. The species list will be updated automatically. Placing the cursor over a constraint label displays an extended label; more information is provided below. Double click on the name of any species within the species list to view the attributes of that plant.
'Uncheck' any plants that you do not require, then click List to preview and print the list of checked species. Choose 'Minimum' constraints to view plants which equal or exceed your requirements. Set Plant name to Scientific or Common, but be aware that some species do not have common names. In the adjacent box, enter any text within the plant name to limit the list by name. Specify Ecological Sector before Ecological Region, and Primary Form before Secondary Form. Click Reset to zero all constraints. Use the F11 key to toggle full screen mode on/off.
Help material below has been transferred directly from The Green Toolbox.
Native species within the plant database are those species considered to be of value for a range or soil conservation, ecological restoration and land rehabilitation uses, nationwide in New Zealand. Most of the plants are available through nurseries.
The Native Plants page allows you to specify your requirements in terms of a number of species attributes. Choosing values for these attributes automatically causes The Plant Species Selector to update the species list so as to be compatible with the new constraint.
When you enter the Native Plants module the Species list displays all the native plants known to The Plant Species Selector. Each species has a check associated with it. This check may be toggled on or off. With the check off, the species will not be transferred to the report. Leave species checked if you consider that you may wish to use them. Clicking on any species within the List provides access to the Plant Info page, where you may explore data about any particular plant.
Species requirements specified on the Native Plants page may be interpreted as minimum or exact. Choosing Minimum constraints causes The Plant Species Selector to find plants that meet or exceed the specified requirements. This is the usual method. Choosing Exact causes The Plant Species Selector to find plants which exactly meet the requirements. This can be useful when checking species data, and where lower tolerances are associated implicitly with desirable plant characteristics.
The Plant Info page is accessed by clicking on any species within the species list. Here you may browse the information about the species.
Use the Reset button to remove all constraints on plants, and return the species list to list at start-up.
Use the Ecological Sector to choose one of four sectors in New Zealand. This reduces the number of Ecological Regions to browse through if you wish to specify the Ecological Region, and reduces the plant list to those species which naturally occur within the chosen sector.
Ecological Region is a contiguous geographic zone with common ecological characteristics. Each Ecological Region comnprises one or more Ecological Districts, whose defining characteristics may be viewed from the Land Resources / Ecological module. Choose an Ecological Region to restrict the plant list to species which naturally occur within your Region.
Soil Order is the broadest category in a classification of New Zealand soils. The occurrence of Native plants in their natural state is highly correlated with Soil Order, as soils and indigenous plant communities evolved together over thousands of years. Choose a Soil Order appropriate to your site. If necessary, consult the Land Resources / Soils module for expert help in identifying your Soil. Specifying Soil Order restricts the plant list to species which occurring naturally on these soils. There are 15 Soil Orders.
Allophanic
Anthropic
Brown
Gley
Granular
Organic
Oxidic
Melanic
Pallic
Podzols
Pumice
Raw
Recent
Semiarid
Ultic
Use the Wind tolerance criterion to express the desired plant tolerance levels for your site.
Low: Strong or gale force winds cause severe desiccation or mechanical damage to leaves and branches.
Moderate: Strong or gale force winds cause minor damage. However the plant will not grow well in persistent prevailing winds. Species which are not drought hardy will suffer windburn from hot dry winds.
High: Strong or gale force winds cause little or no damage. Plants will generally tolerate persistent wind. However drought susceptible species will do poorly in hot dry winds.
Use the Salt Wind tolerance criterion to express the tolerance that plants at your site require to salt on leaves, salt-laden winds and salt-spray.
Low: Little or no tolerance.
Moderate: Loses vigour rapidly with continual, heavy or frequent
deposits of salt
High: Tolerates salt laden winds and salt-spray and to some extent salt
build-up in the ground water
Use the Drought criterion to specify the tolerance of drought required at your site.
Low: May withstand short periods
(e.g., a day or two) of mild moisture stress but will rapidly lose vigour or
suffer permanent damage under longer periods of moisture stress.
Moderate: Can withstand seasonal
droughts providing the soil moisture does not drop below the 'wilting point'
for extended periods (e.g., several weeks or more).
High: Can withstand prolonged seasonal drought and in some cases semi-arid
conditions.
Use the Frost criterion to specify the frost severity plants must tolerate.
Low: Maximum frost tolerated is in range
0 to 6 degrees C
Moderate: Maximum frost tolerate is in range 6 to 10 degrees C
High: Maximum frost tolerated exceeds 10
degrees C
Use the Waterlogging criterion to specify the required plant tolerance to waterlogging for periods 3-4 months at a time.
Low:
Moderate:
High:
Use the Low Fertility criterion to specify the required plant tolerance of low fertility.
Low:
Medium:
High:
Use the Animal Browsing criterion to limit the plant list to species with specified tolerance to animal browing. The choices are
Intolerant
Moderately tolerant
Tolerant
Specify the constraint on plant height using the Av. Height criterion. Enter the height in metres in the box provided. Choose the "less than or equal to" (<=) operator to select plants which usually do not exceed this height, under normal conditions. Choose the "greater than or equal" (>=) operator to select plants which normally do exceed this height.
Use the Growth Rate criterion to specify the desired growth rate, after establishment.
Slow: 1-25 cm/yr
Moderate: 25-50 cm/yr
Fast: > 50 cm/yr
Note that the growth rate classes for natives are different for natives and exotics: a fast growing native may have a "medium" growth rate as compared with exotics.
Use the Growth form criterion to specify broad constraints on the plant form. Growth form influences ground shading and microclimate for other species, and may be an important aesthetic consideration. Trees, small trees and shrubs are the most critical for slope stabilisation. The choices are:
Herbaceous
Fern
Tree
Graminoid (grass-like)
Shrub
Vine
Small
tree
Use the Secondary form criterion to specify additional constraints on the form of the plant. The choices offered will depend on your choice for Primary form, but will be a subset of the following (relevant Primary forms in parentheses):
Scapose
(herb plant)
Tussock forming (fern, graminoid)
Palm-like(tree, shrub, small tree)
Reed (graminoid)
Spreading or forming wide canopy (tree,
small tree)
Turf (graminoid)
Divaricating, i.e. tangled branches (tree,
shrub, small tree)
Rhizomatous (i.e. spreads by rhizomes) /
reptant (fern, graminoid)
Heath-like (tree, shrub, small tree)
Deciduous (fern, tree, small tree)
Fastigiate,
i.e. upright branches (shrub, small tree)
Use the Succession criterion to restrict the list to plant species which require specific degrees of site rehabililitation or restoration of the soil and / or plant communities.
Pioneer / colonising: Good for planting
on bare and often infertile soils or subsoils
Colonising: Suited to stabilised surfaces and ofetn requiring extra fertiliser
on infertile soil. Often suited to planting on slip faces or earthworks and
useful as a nurse crop.
Mid-successional: Requires better soils and often some shelter.
Later-successional: Long lived large trees, vines and epiphytes. Provide
shelter and stability or may be very shade tolerant ground plants that do not
tolerate frost, exposure, or dense ground competition from herbaceous weeds.
Use the Application criterion to limit the list to plant species with value for particular common applications. Choices include:
Freshwater wetlands
Saline wetlands
Windbreaks and hedgerows
Sand dune restoration
Streambanks and seepages
Slope
stabilisation
Use this criterion to restrict the plant list to species which have particular value to vertebrates or invertebrates.
Fleshy: value to some birds
Nectar: value to some birds and insects
Insect: general value to insects
Seed/grain: value to birds
Reptile fruit: colour of fruit (usually purple) attracts reptiles.
You may enter character sequences which occur within the plant's common name or scientific name. Click on the "scientific" or "common" option button to ensure correct interpretation of the text you supply. Plants with the given text within their name will be retained within the species list. Many native species do not have common names.