Mike Stefancic, an SCA intern,spent the 2004 field season collecting seeds for the Bishop, CA Field Office through the Seeds of Success program.

Seeds of Success is a partnership withRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew coordinated by the Plant Conservation Alliance.

What is Seeds of Success?What is Seeds of Success?• A Partnership

• A Seed Collection Protocol

• A Collection of Seed for the Royal Botanic

Gardens, Kew Millennium Seed Bank

• A Collection of Seed for Local Restoration

Projects

What is Seeds of Success?What is Seeds of Success?• A Partnership

PartnershipsPartnerships

PartnershipsPartnerships

What is Seeds of Success?What is Seeds of Success?• A Partnership

• A Seed Collection Protocol

Collecting by EcoregionCollecting by Ecoregion

BLM Offices with SCA Teams in 2004BLM Offices with SCA Teams in 2004

• Bishop, CA

• Kanab, UT

• Denver, CO

• Carson City, NV

• Fort Ord, CA

• Phoenix, AZ

• Pocatello, ID

Bishop Field OfficeBishop Field Office

                                            

 

The Bishop crew is led by Anne Halford and Karen Ferrell-Ingram

Collection ProtocolCollection Protocol• At least 50 individuals

from a single population

• 10,000 to 20,000 seeds

• Take < 20% of the available seed

Data CollectionData Collection

• Detailed location information

• Population and seed quality assessment

• Habitat and associated species

• Collection details

Herbarium specimens will be collected, prepared, and given to:

• Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

• Smithsonian Institution

• Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden

• Bishop Field Office

A Collection of Seeds from A Collection of Seeds from Native Plant PopulationsNative Plant Populations

Western eupatorium (Ageratina occidentalis)

Coffeeberry (Frangula californica)

• Trees, shrubs, forbs, and grasses

Species Needed for RestorationSpecies Needed for Restoration

• Geographically appropriate species, subspecies, varieties and ecotypes

• Early, late and mid successional species in classic climax theory

Paiute Morning Glory (Calystegia longipes)

©1995 Saint Mary’s College of California

Species with Forage or Browse Species with Forage or Browse ValueValue

• Plants that provide wildlife habitat

• Species important to common grazers, browsers and declining wildlife

Green Rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus)

Species Endemic to an Species Endemic to an EcoregionEcoregion

Mono beardtongue (Penstemon monoensis)©1997 Christopher Christie

Monotypic SpeciesMonotypic Species

Mormon tea (Ephedra viridis)

Species with Significance Species with Significance to Tribesto Tribes

Greasewood (Sarcobatus vermiculatus)

Species Important for Species Important for PollinatorsPollinators

Narrow-leaf milkweed (Asclepias fascicularis)

Species Closely Related to Species Closely Related to Rare SpeciesRare Species

Paintbrush (Castilleja angustifolia)

Species Closely Related to Species Closely Related to Invasive Weed SpeciesInvasive Weed Species

Cobweb thistle (Cirsium occidentale)

©1995 Saint Mary’s College of California

““Flagship” SpeciesFlagship” Species

Evening primrose (Oenothera cespitosa ssp. marginata)©1997 Larry Blakely

Species not included in the projectSpecies not included in the project

• Species with rare, threatened or endangered status

• Agricultural or food crop species

• Non-native species

Bishop Team Accomplishments Bishop Team Accomplishments for 2004for 2004

• 42 collections completed from list of 50 target species

• 6 additional collections for research at the Berry Botanic Garden in Portland, Oregon

• Publicized the SOS project with articles in the CNPS Bristlecone Chapter newsletter and the Inyo Register

What is Seeds of Success?What is Seeds of Success?• A Partnership

• A Seed Collection Protocol

• A Collection of Seed for the Royal Botanic

Gardens, Kew Millennium Seed Bank

Royal Botanic Gardens, KewRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Mission: To enable better management of the Earth's environment by increasing knowledge and understanding of the plant and fungal kingdoms - the basis of life on earth.

The Millennium Seed Bank The Millennium Seed Bank Project ObjectivesProject Objectives

• Ex situ seed conservation

• Promote seed conservation research

• Transfer seed technology to partners

• Educate and involve public

Millennium Seed Bank: Royal Botanic Gardens Wakehurst Place, Ardingly, Near Haywards Heath

West Sussex, UK

The seed will be used for:The seed will be used for:

• Conservation and

germination research

• Restoration projects

• Safeguard against

extinction Seed collections are fully dried and placed in air tight containers prior to storage at -20°c.

                                                      

   

The Goal:The Goal:

To collect at least one population seed sample from 24,200 non-domesticated species, principally from drylands, by 2010.

16 Participating Countries in 200416 Participating Countries in 2004

• Australia• Chile• Egypt• Jordan• Kenya• Lebanon • Mexico• South Africa

                                          

            

Seeds of Success is the U.S. ProjectSeeds of Success is the U.S. Project

BLM and Kew Project BLM and Kew Project CommitmentsCommitments

• Work cooperatively to facilitate collection, study and conservation of seed from the U.S.

• Develop annual work plans

• Work together to seek additional funds for plant conservation

• Work through the Plant Conservation Alliance

BLM will:BLM will:

• Grant access and coordinate collection of seeds

• Send seeds to Kew for cleaning, processing, germination testing, and long term storage

• Seek additional funds• Hire a coordinator to work with Kew to

develop a collecting program in the United States

Ex situ Ex situ andand In situ In situ ConservationConservation

As a land managing agency, the BLM mission is thought of as practicing in situ conservation. The Seeds of Success project promotes complementary use of both types of conservation.

Kew will:Kew will:

• Fund a coordinator position in BLM for 2001 and 2002

• Provide training and advice in seed collection and conservation

• Clean, process, test, and store seed from BLM

• Provide BLM with data from the collections and results of testing

• Send 50% of the seed to USDA

What is Seeds of Success?What is Seeds of Success?• A Partnership

• A Seed Collection Protocol

• A Collection of Seed for the Royal Botanic

Gardens, Kew Millennium Seed Bank

• A Collection of Seed for the ARS Native

Plant Germplasm Collection

USDA-Agricultural Research Service USDA-Agricultural Research Service Western Regional Western Regional

Plant Introduction StationPlant Introduction Station

• Located at Washington State University in Pullman, WA

• Mission: To acquire, maintain, evaluate, document and distribute the germplasm of over 2,600 plant species from 376 genera.

The BLM is in the process of working out an agreement with the station regarding storage and distribution of seed collected through Seeds of Success.

What is Seeds of Success?What is Seeds of Success?• A Partnership

• A Seed Collection Protocol

• A Collection of Seed for the Royal Botanic

Gardens, Kew Millennium Seed Bank

• A Collection of Seed for the ARS Native

Plant Germplasm Collection

• A Collection of Seed for Local Restoration

Projects

Bishop Field Office Bishop Field Office Restoration ProjectsRestoration Projects

• Deepest Valley Cooperative Native Plant

Propagation Center

• Round Valley Mule Deer Winter Range

• Fish Slough Hill Climb

• Long Valley Alkali Meadow and Hot Tub

Deepest Valley Cooperative Native Deepest Valley Cooperative Native Plant Propagation CenterPlant Propagation Center

CooperatorsCooperators

• BLM Bishop Field Office• California Native Plant Society • University of California – White Mountain

Research Station• Inyo County Water Department• Inyo National Forest• Los Angeles Department of Water and Power

FacilitiesFacilities

• 6 x 12 meter

shadehouse

• 3 x 6 meter

greenhouse

Project GoalsProject Goals

• To provide site-specific plant material for

small scale revegetation projects

• To enhance appreciation of the benefits

native plants have in local landscape design

• To increase educational opportunities for

local schools and universities in the field of

restoration

California Native Plant Society – California Native Plant Society – Bristlecone Chapter Bristlecone Chapter

• Collections for Annual Native Plant Sale

• Seed packets of local

native species

• Work day at DeDecker Garden at Eastern California History Museum

Carol SpurrierCarol Spurrier

Bureau of Land Management

Botany Program Lead

Fish, Wildlife and Botany Group WO-230

Washington DC

http://www.nps.gov/plants/sos

Credits

• Slides 11 & 12 – Pictures and map from www.ca.blm.gov/bishop/index.html

• Slides 18,20,26,27 – Pictures from CALFLORA database

• Slides 31,33-36 – Pictures from www.rbgkew.org.uk/msbp/index/html

• Slide 28 & 43 – Pictures from www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archivefeb03/germ0203.htm

• Slides 47 & 58 – Pictures courtesy of Anne S. Halford

• Slide 49 – Picture from www.wmrs.wdu/facilities/OVL/default.htm

• Slide 51 – Picture from www.bristleconecnps.org/Native%20Plant%20Sale/1997.htm