Native plant materials development does not happen in a vacuum and requires a high level of communication and coordination to be successful. Enter the native seed supply chain – a system composed of the activities, resources, information, and people that supply native seed for restoration, revegetation, and mitigation projects. At the most basic level the supply chain moves from collection to research and planning to cultivation to harvesting and cleaning to distribution to end users and includes a diverse group of stakeholders along every link. As native seed is the backbone of restoration, but not always the expertise of an ecologist, it is essential to understand parts of this system to improve the success of restoration projects. This may include an understanding of how to procure native seed, develop a site appropriate native seed mix, and write seed transfer zones into restoration planning. Restoration ecologists can play a big or small role in the native seed supply chain, depending on the scale and their interest and expertise. This presentation will describe the native seed supply chain, why there is a growing focus on improving this system, and how restoration ecologists and land managers can engage at different points in the chain.
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