Post on 26-Apr-2018
transcript
Generalized Provisional Seed Zones for Native Plants
Andy BowerBrad St. Clair
Vicky Erickson
Great Basin Native Plant Selection and Seed Increase ProjectAnnual Meeting
February 22, 2011 – Salt Lake City
Why are Seed Zones important?
• Use of appropriate plant materials is a core component of successful restoration projects
• The key to identifying appropriate plant materials (e.g. seeds) lies in understanding the genetics of adaptation
• Molecular markers reflect demographic history NOTthe effects of selection
• “Selectively neutral” molecular markers are not appropriate for determining seed zones
Seed zones for Forest Trees
• First seed movement guidelines in 1939 by U.S. Forest Service in response to plantation failures
– 100 miles north or south of planting site– 1,000 feet in elevation– consideration given to unusual climatic,
topographic or soil conditions
Seed Zones for Small Native Plants
• To date, very few seed zones have been delineated for shrubs, grasses or forbs
• But we know that there is ecotypic variation
Potentilla glandulosa from three different elevations planted at three different elevations
(from Clausen, Keck and Hiesey 1940)N
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Common Garden Studies
• Common garden studies (although cost and time intensive) are the only way to assess variation in adaptive traits
• In 2002 the Interagency Native Plant Materials Report to Congress (USDI and USDA) noted the value of common garden studies and genetic analysis for delineating seed zones for maintaining diverse and well-adapted plant populations
What to do for species with no info available on genetic variation?
• USDA plant hardiness zones• Forest tree seed zones• Watershed / elevation band• Climate “matching”• Ecoregions
–Bailey,Omernick, level III, level IV• PAR’s
Use climate data to match source and planting site environments
PRISM (http://www.prism.oregonstate.edu/)
Building Provisional Seed Zones
• Independent of genetics
–Intended for species with no specific genetic data available
• Provisional seed zones are a “starting point”
• Local and species specific knowledge important in adjusting zones for use
Methods• High resolution (800m x 800m) climate data
obtained from PRISM (www.prism.oregonstate.edu)
• 30-year climate normals (1970-2000)
–Minimum temp (trees & woody plants)
–Maximum temp (grasses & herbaceous plants)
–Annual precipitation
• GIS used to combine temperature & precipitation into zones of similar climate
Results
Region Zone # zones # polygons Mean Polygon Area (km2)
Area Std. Dev.
Eastern U.S. Min. temp./precip 45 7024 728.3 12494.8
Western U.S. Min. temp./precip 63 26673 141.9 3008.8
Eastern U.S. Max. temp./precip 23 4222 1256.7 32484.5
Western U.S. Max. temp./precip 27 10674 367.2 10260.0
• 68 minimum temp / precipitation bands
• 28 maximum temp / precipitation bands
BluebunchWheatgrass
(Pseudoroegneriaspicata)
•114 Locations
•10 max temp zones•16 min temp zones•12 Level III ecoregions
Seed Zones vs. Ecoregions(For Bluebunch Wheatgrass)
Max Temp Zone # Loc'ns Min Temp Zone # Loc'ns Level III Ecoregion # Loc'ns
> 60 Deg. / 14 - 24 in. 1 5 to 10 / 10 - 14 in. 1 Blue Mountains 39
60 - 70 Deg. / 10 - 14 in. 3 5 to 10 / 14 - 24 in. 2 Cascades 1
60 - 70 Deg. / 14 - 24 in. 20 10 to 15 / 14 - 24 in. 7 Central Basin and Range 7
60 - 70 Deg. / 24 - 48 in. 10 10 to 15 / 24 - 48 in. 2 Columbia Plateau 26
60 - 70 Deg. / 48 - 100 in. 3 15 to 20 / < 10 in. 1 E. Cascades Slopes & Foothills 5
70 - 80 Deg. / < 10 in. 6 15 to 20 / 10 - 14 in. 13 Idaho Batholith 1
70 - 80 Deg. / 10 - 14 in. 26 15 to 20 / 14 - 24 in. 16 Klamath Mountains 1
70 - 80 Deg. / 14 - 24 in. 34 15 to 20 / 24 - 48 in. 8 Middle Rockies 2
70 - 80 Deg. / 24 - 48 in. 5 15 to 20 / 48 - 100 in. 1 North Cascades 1
80 - 90 Deg. / 10 - 14 in. 2 20 to 25 / < 10 in. 5 Northern Basin and Range 21
20 to 25 / 10 - 14 in. 17 Northern Rockies 2
20 to 25 / 14 - 24 in. 24 Snake River Plain 4
20 to 25 / 24 - 48 in. 4
20 to 25 / 48 - 100 in. 2
25 to 30 / 14 - 24 in. 6
25 to 30 / 24 - 48 in. 1
92% in 6 zones 91% in 9 zones 93% in 6 zones82% in 4 zones 83% in 7 zones 85% in 4 zones
Provisional Seed Zone Caveats
• Microsites must be appropriate for the species (e.g., use riparian species on riparian sites, not dry upland sites)
• Seed zones differ by species, so local knowledge is important
• Research needed to construct seed movement guidelines based on actual genetic data
Validation With Common Gardens
Species Distribution SampledRoemer's fescue Festuca idahoensis W. Oregon & Washington
California oatgrass Danthonia californica W. Oregon
Prairie junegrass Koleria macrantha Colubia Plateau
Blue wildrye Elymus glaucus NE Oregon
Bluebunch wheatgrass Pseudoroegneria spicata Great Basin & Columbia Plateau
Sandberg's bluegrass Poa secunda Great Basin & Columbia Plateau
Mountain Brome Bromus marginatus NE Oregon
California brome Bromus carinatus W. OregonTapertip onion Allium acuminatum Great Basin
Oceanspray Holodiscus discolor W. Oregon & Washington
Bigdeer vetch Lotus crassifolius OR Cascades & Coast Range
Indian ricegrass Acnatherum hymenoides Great Basin & Colorado Plateau
Fernleaf biscuitroot Lomatium dissectum Oregon and Idaho
Broadleaf lupine Lupinum latifolius W. Oregon & Washington
Antelope bitterbrush Purshia tridentata E. Oregon & Washington
Alder Alnus rubra W. Oregon & Washington
Douglas-fir Pseudotsuga menziesii W. Oregon & Washington