Preparing for the Need for a Supply of Native Seed

Harrison, Susan; Schoen, Robin; Atcitty, Delane; Fiegener, Rob; Goodhue, Rachael E.; Havens, Kayri; House, Carol; Johnson, R. C.; Leger, Elizabeth A.; Lesser, Virginia M.; Opsomer, Jean; Shaw, Nancy Stoller; Soltis, Douglas E.; Swinton, Scott M.; Toth, Edward; Young, S. A.

doi:10.3368/er.38.4.203

Cited by 8 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 1 publication

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Other studies indicate that seed availability is a major impediment to prairie restoration (Rowe 2010; Goldsmith et al 2021). At the national level, seed availability has also been recognized as a limiting factor in meeting restoration targets (Elzenga et al 2019), and in response, a national assessment of native seed needs and market capacity is currently being undertaken in the United States (Harrison et al 2020; NASEM 2020).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors influencing seed mix design for prairie restoration

Barak

Brudvig

et al. 2021

Restoration Ecology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Decision‐making is central to restoration practice, from the framing of objectives to the employment of tools and strategies. Yet, it remains largely unclear how decisions are made during restoration and this limits understanding of how restoration managers design and implement restoration projects and what restoration approaches may be most effective. This is true for tallgrass prairies in the Midwestern United States, which are commonly restored through seed sowing. To understand how managers make decisions during prairie restoration, we used a mixed‐methods approach including interviews, a focus group, and an online survey, to ask managers about: restoration objectives, factors influencing seed mix design, tools and resources used in seed mix design, seeding methods, and monitoring. Respondents considered biodiversity the most important restoration objective, and the most important biodiversity measures were species richness and functional group diversity. Seed mix design was influenced by seed availability. We identified 141 taxa that managers would like to use in restoration, but cannot due to factors like cost, availability, or problems with germination or establishment. Managers most frequently used their own experience and consultation with other practitioners to guide seed mix design; and commonly used tools developed within their organization. Most managers agreed that monitoring was important for assessing restoration outcomes, but were unable to devote enough time to monitoring. These findings illustrate opportunities for partnerships, among restoration managers, and among managers, seed producers, and researchers.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors influencing seed mix design for prairie restoration

Barak

Brudvig

et al. 2021

Restoration Ecology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…• Identifying regions that experience disturbance over large areas or are likely to be imperiled due to disturbance at a high proportion can guide the collection and conservation of plant materials and better align available plant material with future restoration needs INTRODUCTION Predicting seed needs for restoration is a worldwide challenge (Breed et al 2018), and access to desired seeds is a common limitation for restoration projects (Broadhurst et al 2008;Harrison et al 2020). Whether wild-collected or sourced from agricultural production fields, the complexity of plant life histories requires advanced planning to ensure that seeds are available when they are needed (Erickson & Halford 2020;Pedrini et al 2020).…”

Section: Implications For Practicementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Predicting seed needs for restoration is a worldwide challenge (Breed et al 2018), and access to desired seeds is a common limitation for restoration projects (Broadhurst et al 2008; Harrison et al 2020). Whether wild-collected or sourced from agricultural production fields, the complexity of plant life histories requires advanced planning to ensure that seeds are available when they are needed (Erickson & Halford 2020; Pedrini et al 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The uncertain timing, size, and location of this type of restoration makes ensuring seed availability a challenge for such projects. By using historic information and prediction of future events to forecast needs, it may be possible to proactively ensure that required seed resources are available for the areas most likely to need them (Harrison et al 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Not all seed transfer zones are created equal: Using fire history to identify seed needs in the Cold Deserts of the Western US

Barga

Kilkenny

Jensen

et al. 2022

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Restoration planning requires a reliable seed supply, yet many projects occur in response to unplanned events. Identifying regions of greater risk could help guide seed procurement. Using fire perimeters (2000-2019), we investigated differences in fire occurrence (frequency, area burned, percent of area burned) among seed transfer zones within Cold Deserts of the US. We considered both provisional seed transfer zones (PSTZs), created using climate and stratified by ecoregion, and empirical seed transfer zones (ESTZs) for two species commonly used in restoration. Finally, we present a case study on fire occurrence within Northern Basin and Range greater sage-grouse Priority Areas for Conservation (PACs). Historic fire was effective for prioritizing seed zones: 23 of 132 PSTZs burned every year, and, within each ecoregion, two PSTZs comprised ≧50% of the total area burned across all years. Similarly, fire disproportionately occurred in some ESTZs; in the Northern Basin and Range, one (Artemisia tridentata - 83%) or two zones (Pseudoroegneria spicata - 65%) made up a majority of total area burned. Fire occurrence within PACs largely reflected the PSTZ and ESTZ priorities found for the ecoregion, with small exceptions. Imperiled PSTZs (high proportion burned) in PACs largely reflected the patterns found across the ecoregion, while imperiled ESTZs departed from ecoregional patterns. Considering historic disturbance can focus seed procurement efforts on regions that encounter regular disturbance, experience large disturbances, or have particular conservation value. This information can guide seed production, purchase, and storage, create more certainty for growers and managers, and ultimately increase restoration success.

show abstract

“…Here, we consider these questions in the Great Basin Desert of the Western United States, an area that is home to one of the world's largest ongoing wildland seeding efforts (Harrison et al, 2020 ). Seedling establishment is a major barrier to successful restoration in this region (Leck et al, 2008 ; Pilliod et al, 2017 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phenotypes and environment predict seedling survival for seven co‐occurring Great Basin plant taxa growing with invasive grass

Agneray

Leger

2022

Ecology and Evolution

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Trait–environment correlations can arise from local adaptation and can identify genetically and environmentally appropriate seeds for restoration projects. However, anthropogenic changes can disrupt the relationships between traits and fitness. Finding the best seed sources for restoration may rely on describing plant traits adaptive in disturbed and invaded environments, recognizing that while traits may differ among species and functional groups, there may be similarities in the strategies that increase seedling establishment. Focusing on three grass genera, two shrub species, and two forb genera, we collected seeds of all taxa from 16 common sites in the sagebrush steppe of the western United States. We measured seed and seedling characteristics, including seed size, emergence timing, and root and shoot traits, and compiled a suite of environmental variables for each collection site. We described trait–environment associations and asked how traits or environment of origin were associated with seedling survival in invaded gardens. Sampling seven taxa from the same sites allowed us to ask how trait–environment–performance associations differ among taxa and whether natural selection favors similar traits across multiple taxa and functional groups. All taxa showed trait–environment associations consistent with local adaptation, and both environment of origin and phenotypes predicted survival in competitive restoration settings, with some commonalities among taxa. Notably, rapid emergence and larger seeds increased survival for multiple taxa. Environmental factors at collection sites, including lower slopes (especially for grasses), greater mean annual temperatures (especially for shrubs and forbs), and greater precipitation seasonality were frequently associated with increased survival. We noted one collection site with high seedling survival across all seven taxa, suggesting that conditions within some sites may result in selection for traits that increase establishment for multiple species. Thus, choosing native plant sources with the most adaptive traits, along with matching climates, will likely improve the restoration of invaded communities.

show abstract

Preparing for the Need for a Supply of Native Seed

Cited by 8 publications

References 1 publication

Factors influencing seed mix design for prairie restoration

Factors influencing seed mix design for prairie restoration

Not all seed transfer zones are created equal: Using fire history to identify seed needs in the Cold Deserts of the Western US

Phenotypes and environment predict seedling survival for seven co‐occurring Great Basin plant taxa growing with invasive grass

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About