Plant Material - Project Planning and Management for Ecological Restoration - page 119

• Final determination of purity
• Measuring moisture content of seed (requires using a small amount of seed)
• Storage facilities available for rent
• Germination tests (taking up to four hundred seeds)
• Cut test on fifty to one hundred seeds (can be used on all seeds, even seeds less than 1
millimeter, because the x-ray test is unable to differentiate structures on smaller seeds; the
cut test, as with the radiograph method, determines the presence of an embryo in the seed)
• Seed drying to reduce moisture content of the seed to enhance long-term storage
Note, however, that not all providers or labs offer all of the services listed here.
Seed laboratories and businesses operate differently throughout the world. Prior to using a local
provider's services, verify the services, conditions of service, product provided, time, basis of cost,
and other contingencies.
Seed Collection Guidelines for Native Plants
As discussed in chapter 5, species selected for a restoration site are primarily directed by the vegetation
community, location, slope, aspect, and soil conditions. However, even when your species list con-
tains appropriate species for a specific site, it still may not be feasible to obtain specimens of all spe-
cies occurring on-site. Nurseries have not propagated all species that would be desirable in a project,
because either the species are rarely requested or the methods of propagation have not been resolved.
In recent years, various conservation organizations and government agencies have expressed
concerns about the overcollection of some native materials and the genetic suitability and diversity
of the material collected. Some of these organizations have developed very detailed lists of crite-
ria for collection and documentation of seed. The following list summarizes the most important
issues raised by these organizations:
• Obtain permits (if required by government agencies) and permission from the property
owner prior to collecting plant materials. Species in wetlands and those that have special
designated status (e.g., as endangered, at risk, or sensitive) or cultural significance to
indigenous peoples require special attention.
• Give priority to collection sites as close to your project as possible.
• If infeasible to collect nearby, select sites with similar environmental conditions, rainfall,
temperature regime, elevation, soil conditions, aspect, and any other factors that may
influence the vegetation you are restoring. Collect from sites in the same watershed if they
meet the aforementioned conditions.
• Be sure of your identification. There are several species that have subspecies and variants
with dramatically different physical forms. There are also species that are very similar to
others but have significantly different habits that may not be suitable for your project.
• Avoid collecting from isolated stands or individuals outside of a main concentration
of plants. Also avoid unhealthy or atypical plants, which will reduce the problem of
collecting genetically inferior plants.