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Massive quantities of native species’ seed are necessary for habitat restoration in fallow agricultural lands, post-fire habitats, reclamation sites and other places that have experienced major disturbances . This has created a heavy demand for native seed that is likely to continue to rise with climate-induced extreme events such as droughts, floods, and wildfires. In some cases, revegetation projects are undertaken using improved varieties and cultivars of native perennial grasses. Plant attributes that are selected for during cultivar development differ depending upon the conservation problem at hand and the limiting factors associated with the species, but typically are aimed at creating a source of abundant and high quality seed with a high rate of seedling emergence, rapid establishment, vigorous growth, disease resistance, and high survival. However, it is not always clear whether the traits that are selected for high initial cultivar performance result in Unfortunately, many large-scale restorations, even those that use native seed, have failed in recent decades. This has raised questions about the compatibility between the genetic source material and the restoration site into which it is planted. In response, some have advocated for greater use of local collections. In this research project, we are exploring the selection on cultivars of wild grass species in the oilfield reclamation sites where they have been planted.
Massive quantities of native species’ seed are necessary for habitat restoration in fallow agricultural lands, post-fire habitats, reclamation sites and other places that have experienced major disturbances . This has created a heavy demand for native seed that is likely to continue to rise with climate-induced extreme events such as droughts, floods, and wildfires. In some cases, revegetation projects are undertaken using improved varieties and cultivars of native perennial grasses. Plant attributes that are selected for during cultivar development differ depending upon the conservation problem at hand and the limiting factors associated with the species, but typically are aimed at creating a source of abundant and high quality seed with a high rate of seedling emergence, rapid establishment, vigorous growth, disease resistance, and high survival. However, it is not always clear whether the traits that are selected for high initial cultivar performance result in Unfortunately, many large-scale restorations, even those that use native seed, have failed in recent decades. This has raised questions about the compatibility between the genetic source material and the restoration site into which it is planted. In response, some have advocated for greater use of local collections. In this research project, we are exploring the selection on cultivars of wild grass species in the oilfield reclamation sites where they have been planted.
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