How to increase the supply of native seed to improve restoration success: the US native seed development process

Abstract

With the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, restoration of damaged ecosystems is turning into a global movement. Restoration actions that are not based on science and an understanding of ecosystem function can thwart desired restoration outcomes at best and cause further damage to ecosystems at worst. Restoration often includes revegetation using seed. Where we source seed for restoration can make a difference for species establishment, restoration outcomes, and recovery of ecosystem function. However, sourcing seeds of native species, let alone genetically appropriate seed, is not currently possible for many restoration projects. The process of increasing and sourcing suitable seed for restoration includes many steps that need to be addressed typically years before a restoration project is initiated. These steps of seed collection, evaluation and development, field establishment, production, certification and procurement, storage, and finally restoration, need to be considered ideally at a scale larger than individual restoration projects and with research conducted in each step. We describe these steps as implemented in the United States, the challenges therein, and provide suggestions and examples of how groups can make efficient and effective progress toward getting the right seed in the right place at the right time.

Jatropha curcas L. as a Plant Model for Studies on Vegetative Propagation of Native Forest Plants

“…However, there are several factors related to the reproductive characteristics of the native plants that serve as obstacles to their wide reproduction under controlled conditions, such as the uneven development of the plants obtained via seminiferous, increasing costs related to labor during management; in addition to the difficulties in defining the ideal point of seed and fruit maturation, to obtain a greater germination potential [ 10 , 11 ]. In addition, most of the native forest species correspond to plants that have not undergone a domestication process [ 12 ].…”

Local seed sourcing for sustainable forestry

“…Furthermore, many local populations will not be in suitable areas in the future, as in the case of Southern populations of Scots pine [ 66 ] or in Maritime pine or Aleppo pine [ 59 ], and they do not have any source from southern populations with similar expected future conditions. On one hand, an integrative approach aimed at developing suitable restoration materials for a given area [ 75 ] based on their out-planting performance requires well designed field experiments with representative planting stock quality [ 34 , 76 ]. On the other hand, the rapid development of genomic research can contribute to optimizing seed sourcing strategies by increasing our knowledge of local adaptation and of the main drivers determining the patterns of variation.…”

“…They are also the most frequent of all the existing basic materials (in the EU, for instance, they represent 79.2% of the total basic materials). However, the amount of species under regulation, the presence of different areas for afforestation, and the cost of collecting reproductive material from many different zones, haves shown a reduced availability that amount a major limitation in forestry and ecosystem restoration [ 33 , 34 ].…”

Ten years to restore the planet: a seedy situation

“…irrigation, weed control, monoculture) can maximize seed production, purity, and quality (Zinnen et al 2021). To optimize restoration success, stock seed for establishment of SPA's must be effectively sourced from wild populations to ensure genetic structure, diversity, and adaptations are maintained (McCormick et al 2021; Zinnen et al 2021). SPAs provide a unique opportunity to better understand the biology (e.g.…”

“…Regulation of native seed markets must also accompany shifts in seed sourcing and production methods (Pedrini & Dixon 2020; Gibson‐Roy et al 2021; McCormick et al 2021). Unregulated native seed markets mean that seed is often of unknown quality, reliant on under‐resourced sole or small operators, and poses a risk to wild plant populations as the value and demand for native seed increases (Pedrini & Dixon 2020; Gibson‐Roy et al 2021).…”