Integrating Science and Management to Improve Seed-Based Restoration

Laura C. Shriver, Jared D. Huxley, Samuel E. Jordan, Amy J. Symstad, Lesley A. DeFalco, John B. Bradford, Todd C. Esque, Claudia Mengelt, Seth M. Munson, Sarah C. Barga, Francis F. Kilkenny, Jess Kindred, Sarah M. Kulpa, Judy L. Perkins, Adrienne M. Pilmanis, Fred S. Edwards, Alison C. Agneray, Bradley J. Butterfield, Akasha M. Faist, Margaret Gaddis, Magda Garbowski, April M. Goebl, Julie E. Larson, Reed Clark Benkendorf, Daniel F. Shryock, Mandy L. Slate, Amy G. Vandergast, Christopher B. Woolridge, Rob Massatti. Ecological Restoration, University of Wisconsin Press. Volume 44, Number 2, June 2026. pp. 114-127

Abstract

Native plant seed can be used to restore healthy, resilient ecosystems in an era of global degradation and change. In the United States (U.S.), federal agencies bolster the availability of native seed by coordinating seed collection, agricultural production, and use in restoration and reclamation with a broad network of federal and non-federal partners. As a result, the native seed supply has greatly expanded, but challenges and knowledge gaps remain for effective native seed development and use. To address these issues, we synthesize lessons learned from 20+ years of experience across federally organized native plant programs engaged in developing and using native seed. We then identify strategic research directions that can help ensure that restoration can meet challenges imposed by future land disturbance and other stressors. We focus on the Bureau of Land Management Ecoregional Native Plant Programs, which began in the early 2000s to address growing demand for native seed. Our synthesis reveals that sustained partnerships can help connect a complex network of land managers, researchers, and seed growers to develop seed resources, guidance, and decision-support tools. Partners' experiences illuminated knowledge and technology gaps that constrain our abilities to maintain ecosystem resilience. However, integrating identified research themes into restoration treatments and native seed production could help address uncertainties in native seed production and use. The lessons learned and research directions described here can provide a basis for future research and collaborative management to enhance seed-based restoration efforts in the U.S. and beyond.