Seed Selection Tools

Native Plant Seed Mapping Toolkit
The Seed Selection Tool allows users to visualize the climatic similarity between a restoration material’s (RM’s) location of origin and a defined geographic area. We use “restoration material” to refer to any type of seed used in a restoration treatment (e.g., germplasms, cultivars, wild-collected, source-identified, etc.). This tool helps users 1) prioritize which RMs may be best matched to a restoration site and 2) identify locations where RMs need to be developed. RM origins are uploaded as a text file or can be selected from a table of commonly-used RMs across the Intermountain West. When multiple RMs are selected, this tool can either 1) display a map identifying RMs that surpass the user-defined climate similarity threshold, or 2) split climate space within the defined region into as many partitions as there are RMs, with each partition showing the geographic area over which one RM is most closely matched.
The Climate Partitioning Tool allows users to split climate variation into a selected number of groups, or partitions, across a defined geographic area. Users may also upload geographic points that are displayed on top of the climate partitions; these points may represent, for example, wildland seed collections. As such, the tool allows users to 1) visualize the geographic distribution of environmental gradients across a region, 2) investigate how seed collections represent environmental variation across a geographic area, and 3) identify collection gaps to prioritize future seed collection. Climate and partition data can be downloaded for geographic points, which may assist in downstream activities like choosing seed sources for composite native plant materials development strategies (e.g., Bucharova et al. 2019).
The Climate-Adapted Seed Tool (CAST)
The Climate-Adapted Seed Tool (CAST) helps land managers identify seed sources best adapted to local climate conditions at their planting sites. CAST currently serves five western US states (CA, OR, WA, ID, & NV), though some features are limited to California.
The Climate Smart Seedlot Selection Tool
The Seedlot Selection Tool (SST) is a GIS mapping program designed to help forest managers match seedlots with planting sites based on climatic information. The climates of the planting sites can be chosen to represent current climates, or future climates based on selected climate change scenarios.
Climate Smart Restoration Tool
Over a century of genetic research has shown that environment, in particularly climate, strongly affects plant genetic adaptation and the geography distance seed can be moved from its source location. The Climate Smart Restoration Tool (CSRT) was developed to provide information on seed collection and transfer of native plants. The CSRT maps current and future seed transfer limits for plant species with or without genetic information using climate data generating from ClimateNA (Wang et al. 2016).
Climate Distance Mapper
The Climate Distance Mapper is a spatial decision-support tool designed to help land managers match seed sources with restoration sites. Plant populations are commonly adapted to local climate gradients and frequently exhibit a home-site advantage. For this reason, climate information may serve as a proxy for local adaptation in restoration designs. Climate Distance Mapper allows users to rank the suitability of seed sources for restoration sites by displaying the multivariate climate distance from user-specified input points to the surrounding landscape. Users can perform calculations for either the current or future climates.
Ecoregional Revegetation Application Tool
The Ecoregional Revegetation Application Tool (ERA) is a map-based, searchable application to select native plants for restoration and pollinator habitat enhancement by US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Level III Ecoregions. Since ecoregions are areas of similar climate and topography that contain characteristic, geographically distinct assemblages of natural communities and species, they are an ideal organizing unit for selecting plants for restoration.
Seed Selection Cost Comparison Decision Tool
The Seed Selection Cost Comparison Decision Tool provides farm producers with an ability to consider yield and economic returns of selecting seed products. Utilizing test plot or in-field yield results, producers can determine which seed hybrids or varieties provide the best opportunity to maximize production and profitability.
Seed4Forest Mapping Tool (Europe)
Seed4Forest is a mapping application which shows the vulnerability of European tree species in future climate and recommends optimum seed sources for reforestation and afforestation.
Seed-Spec Selection Tool (Southwest/Southern United States)
Seed-Spec is a geo-spatially enabled web application to develop custom native seed blends for re-vegetation projects using site specific soil and plant information and minimal user inputs.
EcoRestore Arizona—Native Plant Species Finder Tool (Arizona, USA)
Restoration of arid and semi arid areas can be extremely difficult due to the low amounts and high variability of precipitation. This platform provides an assessment with which to investigate potential species based on site characteristics and management goals.
Native Seed Selection Tool (Texas, USA)
To view a custom seed mix for your area, first select the region that your property is located in. Within the zoomed region select your county. Once you click on your county a box will generate which will list the soil types within each ecoregion in that county. Select the soil type that applies to your area and a pdf will generate once selected.
TransPlant Seed Plant Calculator (California, USA)
TransPlant is a seed plant calculator tool to aid Caltrans Landscape Architects when selecting regionally appropriate plant species for erosion control, revegetation, biofiltration, and other highway planting situations. Before recommending grasses, forbes and plants, TransPlant takes into consideration factors such as elevation, rainfall, soil type and regional plant communities.
Native Plant Traits—WRI Seed Mix Workbook (Utah, USA)
Utah’s Watershed Restoration Initiative (WRI) is a partnership based program in Utah to improve high priority watersheds throughout the state.
EcoRestore Utah—Native Plant Species Finder Tool (Utah, USA)
EcoRestore Utah has compiled Utah-relevant restoration resources in a single place to facilitate easy access for stakeholders and restoration practitioners.
Colorado Seed Tool (Mac App Store; coming soon to Google Play!)
Beta version. Discover seeds that will work for your location and management goals or verify an existing seed mix for your location and management goals.
Seed Mix Workbook
Download the workbook here.
Climpart
Currently under redevelopment. Check back later!

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