Australia
December 9, 2008
The answer to successful
revegetation of native flora is in sourcing genetically diverse
seed, not necessarily relying on seed sourced from remnant local
native vegetation.
“A common belief is that local native plants are the best source
of seed for revegetation projects,” says
CSIRO Plant Industry
scientist, Dr Linda Broadhurst, “It has been presumed that local
seed is adapted to local conditions and therefore provides the
best results for restoration projects.
“However, the research shows that where vegetation loss is high
and across large areas, ‘local’ seed sources are often small and
isolated and can be severely inbred resulting in poor seed
crops.
“This can lead to germination failure and poor seedling growth.”
The findings are based on a review the results of which have
been published in an article entitled; ‘Seed supply for
broadscale restoration: maximising evolutionary potential’ which
appears in the latest edition of the journal, Evolutionary
Applications.
The review – undertaken by Dr Broadhurst and her collaborators
part of the ARC-NZ Research Network for Vegetation Function –
covers the appropriateness of using ‘local’ seed, how much seed
and the types of populations that should be sampled, and the
impact that over-harvesting might have on remnant populations.
“The current emphasis on using local seed sources for
revegetation will, in many cases, lead to poor restoration
outcomes,” Dr Broadhurst says.
“Our findings show that seed sourcing should concentrate less on
collecting from local environments and more on capturing high
quality and genetically diverse seed.
“This will ensure that restored populations across Australia
have ample genetic diversity to respond to changing environments
over the coming decades.”
Land and water degradation resulting from land clearing is a
global problem. Effective restoration techniques are essential
in reducing the damage and improving the environment. |
|