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

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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

USDA Plant Hardiness Zones(min winter temperatures)

Use general forest tree seed zones

Use climate data to match source and planting site environments

PRISM (http://www.prism.oregonstate.edu/)

Ecoregions (Omernick’s level III)

http://www.epa.gov/naaujydh/pages/ecoregions/level_iii.htm

Use combination of ecoregions and temperature

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

Winter Min. Temp. 5o F. Bands

Data obtained from www.prism.oregonstate.edu

Avg Max. Temp. 10o F Bands

Data obtained from www.prism.oregonstate.edu

Annual Precipitation (6 bands)

Data obtained from www.prism.oregonstate.edu

Climate Based Provisional Seed Zones

Winter Min Temp / Annual Precip

Climate Based Provisional Seed Zones

Average Max Temp / Annual Precip

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

Omernick’s Level III Ecoregions

http://www.epa.gov/naaujydh/pages/ecoregions/level_iii.htm

Seed Zone + Ecoregion

Winter Min Temp / Annual Precip

Seed Zone + Ecoregion

Average Max Temp / Annual Precip

“But That’s Too Many Zones!”

•15 Level III Ecoregions

•24 Max Temp Zones

•50 Min Temp Zones

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

Acknowledgements

• Matt Horning, RC Johnson, Randy Johnson, Dale Darris

• Ken Vance-Borland

http://www.fs.fed.us/wwetac/threat_map/SeedZones_Intro.html