As restoration needs for natural landscapes grow due to higher frequency and/or intensity disturbances, pressure from invasive species, and impacts resulting from changing climates, considerable time and resources are being invested to guide the development and deployment of native plant materials (NPMs). Across lower elevations of the Colorado Plateau, a region composed primarily of public land where arid conditions make restoration especially challenging, NPM coordination has been spearheaded by the Bureau of Land Management’s Colorado Plateau Native Plant Program (CPNPP) since 2009.
To help CPNPP achieve its vision of healthy and resilient native plant communities, the Southwest Biological Science Center (SBSC) has provided scientific support and leadership since 2010. SBSC’s research includes field, lab, and greenhouse activities, many of which currently culminate in the development of species-specific seed transfer zones. These zones are developed to protect species’ natural patterns of genetic variation and depict species’ adaptations to regional climatic gradients so that managers and practitioners can make informed seed transfer and plant material decisions.
Background & Importance
The majority of native plant materials (NPMs) used for restoration represent wide-ranging species that provide important ecosystem services like stabilizing soils and filtering water.
Disturbed ecosystems benefit from the use of genetically appropriate NPMs or those that display ecological fitness, are compatible with other species in the plant community, and will not become invasive, because they can rejuvenate ecosystem function.
While many NPMs have been developed, a broader diversity of species and geographic sources is needed to provide the right choices in relation to a restoration site. Determining the right NPM for a restoration site can be tricky, which is why researchers develop tools like seed transfer zones.
Seed transfer zones are maps that allow managers and practitioners to easily match an NPM to areas where it may best be used in a restoration treatment. Guidance on seed transfer has been developed from common garden studies, molecular research, and climate modeling investigations.
All these approaches intend to improve the germination and establishment of NPMs at restoration sites, thereby supporting successful outcomes and stretching limited resources (e.g., time and money).
Genetic data (which hereafter refers to molecular/sequencing data) have broad utility when considering how to use existing NPMs or develop new NPMs. For example, landscape genetic analyses can illuminate patterns of genetic diversity across a species’ distribution and delineate the geographic distribution of evolutionary lineages.
Determining how long evolutionary lineages have been separated from one another and their rates of gene flow (e.g., cross-pollination) can help practitioners identify regions of a species’ range where individuals should not be mixed, even if those individuals occupy similar environments.
In addition, genetic diversity is well suited to determine taxonomic relationships when morphological variation is questionable. Landscape genetics can also identify adaptive genetic variation, or variation that may provide a benefit to the survival (and therefore reproductive capacity) of a species.
For most of the important Colorado Plateau restoration species, knowledge on adaptive differentiation, genetic diversity, and spatial variation in standing genetic diversity is unavailable.
General Methods
Leaf tissue samples for priority restoration species are field collected from sites located across the Colorado Plateau – sampling sites are stratified to represent the dominant, regional climatic gradients.
Colorado Plateau collections are often supplemented with leaf tissues from herbarium vouchers or collected by collaborators so as to incorporate/identify genetic patterns across species’ western distributions.
DNA is extracted and used to develop next-generation sequencing libraries at a laboratory at Northern Arizona University. Libraries are sequenced at the University of Oregon’s Genomics and Cell Characterization Core Facility on an Illumina HiSeq 6000. Data processing and analyses are completed at SBSC and take advantage of the USGS Yeti supercomputer.
Important Results
Genetically informed seed transfer zones for the Colorado Plateau and adjacent regions are available for eight species:
James’ galleta grass (Pleuraphis jamesii; syn. Hilaria jamesii); small-leaf globemallow (Sphaeralcea parvifolia); sand dropseed (Sporobolus cryptandrus); Rocky Mountain beeplant (Cleome serrulata); showy goldeneye (Heliomeris multiflora), rushy milkvetch (Astragalus lonchocarpus); yellow beeplant (Cleome lutea); and hoary tansyaster (Machaeranthera canescens).
Seed transfer zones reflect both genetic differentiation and putative adaptation and are available, along with the zones for other western species, from the Western Wildland Environmental Threat Assessment Center.
Future Directions
The Genetics for Western Restoration and Conservation (GWRC) research group has a variety of ongoing molecular and field-based projects.
For example, we are researching how the agricultural increase of seeds (i.e., the production of native plant materials) affects patterns of genetic diversity, as well as the long-term impacts of native plant materials on their conspecifics at restoration sites.
Please reach out to Rob Massatti (rmassatti@usgs.gov) for more information!
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Genomic Research Supporting Western Conservation
Wind Erosion and Dust Emissions on the Colorado Plateau
RestoreNet: Distributed Field Trial Network for Dryland Restoration
Colorado Plateau Futures: Understanding Agents of Change on the Colorado Plateau to Facilitate Collaborative Adaptation
Southwest Energy Exploration, Development, and Reclamation (SWEDR)
Restoration and Ecosystem Recovery Dynamics in Arid and Semiarid Landscapes
Colorado Plateau Native Plant Program Field Trial Study
Dryland Forest Sustainability
Ecohydrology and Climate Change in Drylands
New Approaches for Restoring Colorado Plateau Grasslands
Plant Responses to Drought and Climate Change in the Southwestern United States
Aeolian Dust in Dryland Landscapes of the Western United States
- Overview
As restoration needs for natural landscapes grow due to higher frequency and/or intensity disturbances, pressure from invasive species, and impacts resulting from changing climates, considerable time and resources are being invested to guide the development and deployment of native plant materials (NPMs). Across lower elevations of the Colorado Plateau, a region composed primarily of public land where arid conditions make restoration especially challenging, NPM coordination has been spearheaded by the Bureau of Land Management’s Colorado Plateau Native Plant Program (CPNPP) since 2009.
To help CPNPP achieve its vision of healthy and resilient native plant communities, the Southwest Biological Science Center (SBSC) has provided scientific support and leadership since 2010. SBSC’s research includes field, lab, and greenhouse activities, many of which currently culminate in the development of species-specific seed transfer zones. These zones are developed to protect species’ natural patterns of genetic variation and depict species’ adaptations to regional climatic gradients so that managers and practitioners can make informed seed transfer and plant material decisions.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Colorado Plateau native plant community dominated by globemallow (Sphaeralcea parvifolia), Indian ricegrass (Achnatherum hymenoides), and sand dropseed (Sporobolus cryptandrus) west of Los Lunas, New Mexico. (Credit: Rob Massatti, USGS. Public domain.) Background & Importance
The majority of native plant materials (NPMs) used for restoration represent wide-ranging species that provide important ecosystem services like stabilizing soils and filtering water.
Disturbed ecosystems benefit from the use of genetically appropriate NPMs or those that display ecological fitness, are compatible with other species in the plant community, and will not become invasive, because they can rejuvenate ecosystem function.
While many NPMs have been developed, a broader diversity of species and geographic sources is needed to provide the right choices in relation to a restoration site. Determining the right NPM for a restoration site can be tricky, which is why researchers develop tools like seed transfer zones.
Seed transfer zones are maps that allow managers and practitioners to easily match an NPM to areas where it may best be used in a restoration treatment. Guidance on seed transfer has been developed from common garden studies, molecular research, and climate modeling investigations.
All these approaches intend to improve the germination and establishment of NPMs at restoration sites, thereby supporting successful outcomes and stretching limited resources (e.g., time and money).
An individual galleta grass (Pleuraphis jamesii) that was collected from a monsoon gradient and transplanted into a common garden for a field trial. Genetic data (which hereafter refers to molecular/sequencing data) have broad utility when considering how to use existing NPMs or develop new NPMs. For example, landscape genetic analyses can illuminate patterns of genetic diversity across a species’ distribution and delineate the geographic distribution of evolutionary lineages.
Determining how long evolutionary lineages have been separated from one another and their rates of gene flow (e.g., cross-pollination) can help practitioners identify regions of a species’ range where individuals should not be mixed, even if those individuals occupy similar environments.
In addition, genetic diversity is well suited to determine taxonomic relationships when morphological variation is questionable. Landscape genetics can also identify adaptive genetic variation, or variation that may provide a benefit to the survival (and therefore reproductive capacity) of a species.
For most of the important Colorado Plateau restoration species, knowledge on adaptive differentiation, genetic diversity, and spatial variation in standing genetic diversity is unavailable.
General Methods
Leaf tissue samples for priority restoration species are field collected from sites located across the Colorado Plateau – sampling sites are stratified to represent the dominant, regional climatic gradients.
Colorado Plateau collections are often supplemented with leaf tissues from herbarium vouchers or collected by collaborators so as to incorporate/identify genetic patterns across species’ western distributions.
DNA is extracted and used to develop next-generation sequencing libraries at a laboratory at Northern Arizona University. Libraries are sequenced at the University of Oregon’s Genomics and Cell Characterization Core Facility on an Illumina HiSeq 6000. Data processing and analyses are completed at SBSC and take advantage of the USGS Yeti supercomputer.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Dryland, shrub-dominated plant community typical of sandy substrates near Page, Arizona. (Credit: Rob Massatti, USGS. Public domain.) Important Results
Genetically informed seed transfer zones for the Colorado Plateau and adjacent regions are available for eight species:
James’ galleta grass (Pleuraphis jamesii; syn. Hilaria jamesii); small-leaf globemallow (Sphaeralcea parvifolia); sand dropseed (Sporobolus cryptandrus); Rocky Mountain beeplant (Cleome serrulata); showy goldeneye (Heliomeris multiflora), rushy milkvetch (Astragalus lonchocarpus); yellow beeplant (Cleome lutea); and hoary tansyaster (Machaeranthera canescens).
Seed transfer zones reflect both genetic differentiation and putative adaptation and are available, along with the zones for other western species, from the Western Wildland Environmental Threat Assessment Center.
Future Directions
The Genetics for Western Restoration and Conservation (GWRC) research group has a variety of ongoing molecular and field-based projects.
For example, we are researching how the agricultural increase of seeds (i.e., the production of native plant materials) affects patterns of genetic diversity, as well as the long-term impacts of native plant materials on their conspecifics at restoration sites.
Please reach out to Rob Massatti (rmassatti@usgs.gov) for more information!
- Science
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 16Genomic Research Supporting Western Conservation
In the western United States (U.S.), there are many regionally restricted, rare species resulting from complex demographic and ecological processes through time. In addition to the inherent risks associated with being rare (i.e., having few individuals spread over a limited area that could be disproportionately affected by chance events), anthropogenic disturbances are increasing in magnitude...Wind Erosion and Dust Emissions on the Colorado Plateau
Wind erosion of soils and dust emissions are a significant resource management challenge on the Colorado Plateau. Loss of topsoil and associated aeolian sediment (wind-driven sediment) movement can lead to reduced soil fertility as well as abrasion and burial of vegetation. Dust in the atmosphere poses a threat to human health, visual resources, and regional water supplies (due to interactions...RestoreNet: Distributed Field Trial Network for Dryland Restoration
Starting in 2017, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) researchers and land managers are co-producing a network of restoration field trial sites on Department of Interior (DOI) and surrounding lands in the southwestern U.S. The network systematically tests restoration treatments across a broad range of landscape, soil, and climate conditions. Each site in the network is used to test suitable seed mixes...Colorado Plateau Futures: Understanding Agents of Change on the Colorado Plateau to Facilitate Collaborative Adaptation
The objective of this interdisciplinary research effort is to 1) characterize agents of change important to land management decision makers on the Colorado Plateau; 2) identify and analyze relationships between agents of change and key landscape attributes and processes; 3) collectively assess the influence of agents of change and attributes and processes on the services provided by the ecosystem...Southwest Energy Exploration, Development, and Reclamation (SWEDR)
Deserts of the southwestern US are replete with oil and gas deposits as well as sites for solar, wind, and geothermal energy production. In the past, many of these resources have been too expensive to develop, but increased demand and new technologies have led to an increase in exploration and development. However, desert ecosystems generally have low resilience to disturbance. More frequent...Restoration and Ecosystem Recovery Dynamics in Arid and Semiarid Landscapes
Dryland regions have been degraded by invasive species, wildfire, overgrazing, agricultural conversion, energy development, recreational activity, and urban growth. These disturbances and others are accelerated by one of the fastest growing human populations in the country and a pressing background of decreasing water availability due to drought and elevated temperatures that are projected to...Colorado Plateau Native Plant Program Field Trial Study
In the southwest US, monsoon precipitation increases sharply along a northwest to southeast gradient. Pleuraphis jamesii or galleta grass, is an important C4 grass species that spans across this large range in precipitation pattern. In this study we are assessing the ability of galleta grass to adapt to changes in the seasonality of rainfall (termed “plasticity”). In the fall of 2014, we...Dryland Forest Sustainability
Forests in the semiarid southwestern U.S. are expected to be highly vulnerable to increasing aridity anticipated with climate change. In particular, low elevation forests and the processes of tree regeneration and mortality are likely to be highly susceptible to climate change. This work seeks to characterize how, where and when forest ecosystems will change and identify management strategies to...Ecohydrology and Climate Change in Drylands
Drylands cover 40% of the global terrestrial surface and provide important ecosystem services. However, climate forecasts in most dryland regions, especially the southwest U.S., call for increasing aridity. Specifically, changing climate will alter soil water availability, which exerts dominant control over ecosystem structure and function in water-limited, dryland ecosystems. This research seeks...New Approaches for Restoring Colorado Plateau Grasslands
Historic over-grazing of arid grasslands in the Intermountain West has led to widespread soil erosion, loss of plant diversity, and invasion by exotic species. Degraded grassland conditions can be very persistent, even after livestock use has ceased. For example, in national parks on the Colorado Plateau, livestock have been excluded for decades, but soil and native plants have not recovered on...Plant Responses to Drought and Climate Change in the Southwestern United States
Land managers face tremendous challenges in the future as drought and climate change alter the abundance, distribution, and interactions of plant species. These challenges will be especially daunting in the southwestern US, which is already experiencing elevated temperatures and prolonged droughts, resulting in reduced soil moisture in an already water-limited environment. These changes will...Aeolian Dust in Dryland Landscapes of the Western United States
Dust emission caused by wind erosion has received considerable attention because of its far-reaching effects on ecosystems, including the loss of nutrients and water-holding capacity from source areas, changes to climate and global energy balance in areas where dust is entrained in the atmosphere, fertilization of terrestrial and marine ecosystems, in addition to decreases in snow albedo, causing... - Data
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