FY2016Information on climate adaptation of native plants used in restoration is needed to help guide seed transfer from collection sites to restoration areas across the Great Basin. This project evaluates variation among populations planted together in common gardens of sagebrushes or bluebunch wheatgrass to achieve the goal.
The need for seeds for sagebrush ecosystem restoration and rehabilitation projects has led to the transfer of seed across climate zones and hundreds of miles. Development and application of climate-based seed zones are needed to improve seeding success and return-on-investment. USGS, in collaboration with USFS, has accumulated considerable data on climate responses of key native (and cultivar) perennials across >30 climate experiments and common gardens spanning the Great Basin. Data include growth, survival, and physiologically determined thresholds in temperature and water tolerance for sagebrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, and other natives. Synthesis and analysis of existing data is needed to help inform climate and seed transfer guidelines. This information would help inform BLM’s seed procurement and provide post-fire rehabilitation specialists with the basic information needed to use “the right seed in the right place at the right time”. The information need is emphasized in SO 3336 on rangeland fire and restoration.
