Native Plant Conservation Partnership with BLM and Development of Seed Zones for Restoration.

Native forest and rangeland plant communities in the arid Western U.S. are increasingly threatened by overgrazing, uncharacteristically frequent wildfires, invasive weeds, and climate change. As a result, the need for conservation of native plant materials and their use in restoration has increased. The National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) BLM have partnered through the Seeds of Success (SOS) program to promote both in situ and ex situ conservation of native species needed for restoration. So far, approximately 3,600 new native accessions have been acquired for the NPGS.  For key restoration species such as Achnatherum hymenoides, Allium acuminatum, Bromus carinatus, Pseudoroegneria spicata, and Poa secunda, common garden studies have shown strong differences in plant traits associated with diverse seed source locations, indicating genetic variation across the landscape. Correlation has linked temperature and precipitation at seed source locations with genetic variation in common gardens, suggesting adaptation to varying climates.  Plant production, phenological, and morphological traits with links to local climates were used to develop regression models for mapping seed zones.  The seed zones are suggested to provide guidance for selecting germplasm for restoration that is sustainable from both an ecological and plant adaption perspective.