You don’t need to scour the forb literature, we already did!

Are you developing a management plan to maintain biodiverse plant communities? Do you need background information to aid in seed collection and development of your seed and plant mix for reclaiming a burned site? Are you looking to transition a portion of your agricultural land to the production of native forb species? 

Photo Credit

Photo by Corey Gucker of the Great Basin Fire Science Exchange

Website and Field Guide Companion cover feature a native forb community in the Big Wood River Valley, Idaho. 

Start at westernforbs.org. 

Western Forbs synthesizes knowledge gained from decades of research and practical experience with more than 50 native forb species. Establishment of native forbs following wildfires and other disturbances is a critical step in reestablishing diverse plant communities that provide wildlife and pollinator habitat, high quality forage, resistance to exotic invasives, and resilience to wildfires, climate change, and other disturbances.

The website contents aid managers in development of management plans and selection of appropriate native forbs for restoration. It provides researchers with ready-made literature reviews and highlights knowledge gaps for key research species. University faculty use it as a resource for teaching botany, ecology, and restoration ecology.

The Western Forbs project is the only resource of its kind. Demand for native forb seed has increased over recent decades due to greater recognition of its importance for restoring biodiverse communities, providing habitat for pollinators and other wildlife, and increasing community resilience. Concurrent increases in forb research and management of forb seed supplies has greatly increased knowledge of native western forbs and the technology critical for improving the efficiency of all links in native forb seed supply chains. This project provides the most extensive resource to date that compiles research results and practical applications for individual forbs that are priority species for ecological restoration. In addition to literature reviews, data from sources such as the Bureau of Land Management Seeds of Success Program, the Forest Service Bend Seed Extractory, private sector seed collectors, nurserymen, and seed growers is incorporated to improve the usefulness of the chapters and Quick Look-up table.

Seed quality evaluation procedures, seed sourcing tools, distribution maps, and instructions for certifying wildland collections and seed production fields are provided as well as available images of life history stages from seed to mature plant. The Western Forbs project is truly a co-production of science and application. Western land managers with good knowledge of current and potential forb seed supplies from the private sector and anticipated forb use for restoration prioritized the list of forb species for review. This project also provides a useful model that can be used in other regions. The WesternForbs.org template is being used to initiate similar resources by the Mojave and Colorado Plateau regions.