Science-management collaboration is essential for improving seed-based restoration

Summary of potential research and coordination directions for restoration programs.

Synthesizing the outcomes from long-standing federal native plant programs demonstrates that science-management collaborations have provided critical guidance and tools for informing decision-making on seed sourcing, seed production, and landscape restoration.

Future research is set up to improve seed-sourcing approaches by incorporating climate variability and ecological community interactions into the development of science-based management tools.

Standardized monitoring protocols, nationally coordinated data management, and ongoing syntheses of new information will support continued advancement of best management practices. Research and collaborations supported by federal native plant programs, like the BLM Ecoregional Programs, are integral to guiding native seed development and improving the outcomes of seed-based restoration.

Lessons learned from the projects that they support have produced valuable insights at local to national scales and offer a shared vision and sustained role for collaboration within science-based management into the future. Native plant programs in the United States are premiere examples of science-management collaborations and are now being emulated around the world.

A new publication synthesizes 20+ years of experience across federal native plant programs that support science-management collaboration to improve the development and use of native seed in restoration. This work covers lessons learned, identifies constraints and technology gaps,  and makes recommendations for strategic future research directions that will address the challenges expected due to future land disturbances and other stressors.