Bridging theory and practice to inform seed selection for restoration

Introduction

Land managers often face the critical decision of what plant materials to select for ecological restoration. Selection depends on factors that span ecological conditions and human interventions in the restoration process, which can strongly influence the recovery of a degraded ecosystem.

Objectives

To improve the seed selection process, we compared scientific literature and guidance from five federal agencies to bridge seed selection “theory” and “practice” in the interior western and central United States.

Methods

We extracted recurring themes and keywords associated with abiotic, biotic, land management, and producer practices that influence seed selection and analyzed their proportional use between agency guidance and scientific literature.

Results

We identified significant overlap between key concepts in guidance and literature, highlighting the interconnectedness between science and management. However, nuanced patterns emerged across seed selection themes, including more focus in the literature on local adaptation and genetic structure, ramifications of introducing gene flow and artificial selection during plant production, and provenancing strategies to address changing climatic conditions. In contrast, agency guidance focused on genetically appropriate and environmentally suitable seed selection and practical concerns, including seed cost, availability, and diversity. Seed selection studies in the literature were concentrated in the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau, scattered in the Great Plains, and were largely experimental.

Conclusions

Our review suggests new opportunities for co-production of science and decision-making frameworks among researchers, land managers, and seed producers to inform seed selection guidance for restoration.