Francis Kilkenny
USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station
Boise, Idaho USA

USA The Great Basin
Public Lands : 41 x 10 4 km 2
Total Area : 55 x 10 4 km 2
Oregon Idaho
Nevada Utah
California

 Needs assessment/ species selection
Which, from where and how much?
 Cultural practices
For agricultural seed production
 Wildland seedings
Multiple species – multiple issues
 Science delivery
Where is the info?

Research
Project s
Collectors:
 Project Cooperators
 Seeds of success
 Agency personnel
 Volunteers, students Germplasm conservation
Initial increase

Based on:
 Minimum winter temperature
 Aridity index
 Omernik ecoregions overlay
Development of pooled sources
A Bower et al. 2010.

Species Specific Seed Zones:
Evidence for adaptation - Correlation between traits and source environments - Allium acuminatum
Collect seed from many sources
Seed zone map
Oregon Idaho
Nevada
Grow families in common environments Measure many adaptive traits
GIS
Trait vs source environment
(RC Johnson et al. 2010)

Seed Technology
Harvesting methods, Seed cleaning techniques, Storage regimes,
Germination requirements,Testing protocols
Stand Establishment
Soil requirements, Seeding equipment,
Seeding strategies
Stand Maintenance
Weed control, Irrigation, Seed predators, Diseases, Pollinators,
Harvesting
Sagebrush Seed Storage Lot WP High Purity Seed
6 months
80
60
40
20
0
-20 -8 2
Storage Temperature C
20
70
30
50
40
E
R
H
%

USDA
Forest Service
Nursery
Private Growers
USDA
Plant
Materials
Center

Wildland Seedings
Greenhouse, laboratory and small plot studies
 Seed ecology
 Seedbed/microsite requirements
 Species interactions
 Response to environmental
variables
Large plot seedings
 Operational equipment
 Multi-species seedings

 Websites
 Technical notes
 Video
 Plant guides
 Planting protocols
 Seed transfer
guidelines
 Manuals
 Manuscripts
 Workshops
 Symposia
 Field tours

Future Priorities: The Vision
 Species selection priorities: manager feedback, production capacity
 Increased focus on genetics: more species specific seed zones, rapid testing of provisional seed zones, climate change, enclosure / common garden network!!!
 Focus on seed increase: work to set up a better / more rapid way to increase seed stock for foundation seed

USDI Bureau of Land Management,
Native Plant Materials
Development Program and Great Basin Restoration Initiative
Great Basin Cooperators