The Prairie Acre Seed Bank

The University of Kansas May 4, 2017

Presented by:

Teresa Alagna Shane Belew

Elizabeth Burney Sam Harms

Emily Kaplan Laura Metz Darra Stuart

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Table of Contents

Abstract ……………………………………………………………..…………………. 3

Introduction …………………………………………………………………………… 3

The Science of Seed Banking …………………………...…………….…………....…. 4

Successful Seed Banking …………………………………………………………...…. 7

Potential Challenges for Seed Banks ……………………………………………...…. 8

Community Involvement ……………………………………………………………. 12

Connection to the University …………………………………………………………14

Prairie Acre and the Seed Bank …………………………………………………….. 16

Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………..... 20

Bibliography ….………………………………………………………………………. 21

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Abstract

Several reasons have been given as to why the tall grass prairie, an ecosystem

once covering large tracts of the United States, has seen a constant decline in quantity and

quality. One reason that has received much this attention is that of seeds, the most

fundamental part of a prairie plant. This purpose of this report is to analyze the

availability, effect, and benefit of establishing a seed bank for the tall grass prairie –

specifically Prairie Acre at the University of Kansas. We provide background on the

science of seed banks as well as an analysis on the potential challenges and successes

behind appropriate seed banks. Finally we discuss the provisions a seed bank of Prairie

Acre offers for both the University and Lawrence communities, and provide a structure of

the proposed seed bank.

Introduction

The current agricultural discourse is filled with negativity in discussion of over-

nitration causing dead zones in our waterways, chemical runoff leading to poisoned water

and soil, and an over-reliance on industrial farming. In light of the recent Monsanto

Tribunal, there has been recognition of the importance seeds play in the agricultural

arena. General concern over environmental security in soil erosion and seed diversity loss

has led to an increase in seed banks as a way to conserve biodiversity and protect species

(Vandvik 8-9).

Seed banking is one of the ways in which agriculture has been adapted to fit the

world residing in the shroud of climate change and industrial agriculture. A seed bank

can best be understood as storage for seed collections that protect biodiversity, provide

material for research, and safeguards against disease (Sensi Seeds). Being one of the

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strongest and easiest ways to protect genetic diversity, applying seed banking methods to

the tall grass prairie, an ecosystem that has lost 94% of its acreage, makes sense.

(Chicago Botanic Garden).

The tall grass prairie, once covering over 400 million acres, is now largely limited

to the Flint Hills of Kansas, parts of Oklahoma, and smaller sections in the Midwest

(Grassland Heritage Foundation). With Kansas at one point being almost entirely prairie,

the loss of this ecosystem to agriculture affects Kansans more than other states – sparking

the University of Kansas to engage in a prairie restoration on campus for Prairie Acre.

Restoring Prairie Acre to the level of ecological diversity of virgin prairie would provide

many benefits to the University of Kansas: support of KU tradition, provision of learning

environments, provision of interdisciplinary research opportunities, pleasing aesthetics,

and provision of habitat. In attempt to support the prairie restoration on the University of

Kansas campus, the Environmental Studies Capstone seeks to create a native plant seed

bank from and for Prairie Acre.

The Science of Seed Banking

When researching seed banks, it is beneficial to begin within the scientific

perspective due to it showing, in data, where seed banks come from and where they have

room for further growth. This idea is applied to Prairie Acre in that it is possible to grow

from what other people have done with their seed banks and identify room for

improvement. What other people have done when studying these complex systems range

in differences such as location, types of actual banks, and whether the seed bank was a

primary motive in the study. In studying seed banks, it is critical to add these specific

studies to the reasoning as to why a seed is both significant and important.

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The studies that were looked at for this project include two that focus on grassland

vegetation, one on an abandoned meadow, two on the topic of freshwater tidal wetlands,

and a study that looks at the management of seed banks. The two grassland vegetation

studies apply more directly to Prairie Acre, as the acre is primarily grasses and forbs. The

abandoned meadow study, with the meadow being primarily filled with grasses and forbs,

is also applicable to Prairie Acre. The wetlands studies provide more data in order to

make an informed decision on seed banks. The management of seed banks is something

that isn’t focused on in a lot of studies, giving this particular study priority for Prairie

Acre because there is question of who would be in charge of a possible seed bank and

how they maintain it effectively.

The data in which the two grassland vegetation studies examined were first, the

potential seed bank to promote the re-establishment of chalk grassland vegetation that

had not been cultivated for 10 years (Hutchings and Booth 1) and second, the permanent

soil seed bank of a chalk grassland under various management (Dutoit and Alard 1). As

mentioned before, the abandoned meadow has a similar makeup, however the study itself

focuses on the composition and size of a seed bank and vegetation dynamics over a 20-

year period (Falinska 1).

Other data comes from the freshwater studies, including examination of the

survival of macrophytes in a stream channel along with field seedling emergence and

seed banks (Parker and Leck 1). The other tidal freshwater marshes study used examines

the effects of hydrology on vegetation over time, and seed bank productivity based on

soil levels. Seed bank productivity refers to how well the seeds did in different soil types

and this affects species richness (Baldwin et al.1).

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The last set of data includes one study that examines a Japanese plant in depth and

the breadth that a seed bank with these specific seeds has (Washitani et al. 1). It also

includes one study that looks at management, especially through an empirical viewpoint

(Reif et al. 1).

Overall, the data itself is positive toward reasons why a seed bank is beneficial to

have for the life and longevity of an ecosystem. This shows promise for Prairie Acre,

giving further reason why a seed bank should be established. It is important to note

though that both of the chalk grassland studies are negative about seed banks. From the

study that focuses on management, the findings were that the seed bank seemed

insignificant in restoring a species-rich community after grazing intensification and

abandonment (Dutoit and Alard 1). However, when reading this study, it seemed as

though their description of a seed bank was not exactly what a seed bank should be. The

findings from the other study, which looks at re-establishment, did not say overall

whether seed banks were good or not, but only commented on the fact that the seed bank

made little contribution to what was happening despite the species richness increasing

(Hutchings and Booth 1). It is important for Prairie Acre that a seed bank be defined in

writing somewhere at the University and that it plays a more significant role moving

forward.

As already mentioned, the rest of the studies touted that seed banks were

something that they supported in their findings. One example of this is the study that

looks at the Japanese plant. In this its findings, this study states:

Recent decrease in the colonization rate of new subpopulations due to diminishing

seed sources might accelerate the decline of the metapopulation. To break the

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extinction vortex in which the species has been involved, we propose human-

aided seed dispersal to safe-sites in order to strengthen the conservation of this

threatened species. (Washitani et al. 1)

This relates back to Prairie Acre because it shows support to break the extinction vortex

through seed banks. At Prairie Acre, it is critical retain species year after year, and then

further increase them, which can be accomplished through a seed bank.

“The seed bank may be determined by the species composition of the vegetation,

but may also depend to some extent on other, possibly random, events” (Falinska 1).

What is looking to be accomplished at Prairie Acre could be greatly influenced by a seed

bank, which in turn is being influenced by what is happening at the acre.

Successful Seed Banking

The first objective of designing a seed bank is addressing why the seed bank is

necessary in the first place. Is it essential to later human life in times of disaster? Is it

essential to crossing crops to form better genes? Or is it essential for the fact that it

preserves nature from the harm of mankind? The Prairie Acre Seed Bank would best fit

the latter, preserving the Kansas prairie ecosystem (Pellegrini 2762).

In order to operate the seed bank with the highest success, characteristics have

been taken from already established, successful banks around the world to implement

into the Prairie Acre bank. Firstly, adequate funding must be found (Haidet 170).

Luckily, Prairie Acre has received funding from various University and community

groups including the Center for Sustainability, the Environmental Studies Program, and

the Elizabeth Schultz Fund of the Douglas County Community Foundation. Secondly,

having a dedicated and educated team that is able to collect a variety of seeds is necessary

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to maintain the bank and ensure processes are being carried out reliably. This team

should include knowledgeable people in the field of seed collection, botany, and record

keeping. Records should include collection location, surrounding location conditions,

number of individuals and number of fruits per plant, and as well as anything else

pertinent to the seed (Pellegrini 2759). Proper storage conditions are needed to allow

seeds to stay viable for as long as possible. Seeds must be dried according to a

standardized process and then tested for things like germination rate, percent moisture,

percent seed fill, seeds per pound, purity, and finally, seeds are packaged in waterproof

bags and stored in chambers set at less than zero degrees Fahrenheit (Haidet 168;

Pellegrini 2759). The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, located in Norway, is kept at a

temperature of negative eighteen degrees Celsius in vaults built within a mountain, and is

completely automated (Clary 68). Although it is not realistic for the Prairie Acre Bank to

match the conditions practiced in Norway, it will be treated with the same sense of

importance and precision.

Another characteristic of a successful seed bank is maintaining an ethical protocol

in seed collection. The Nagoya Protocol calls for protection of indigenous and local

communities’ rights to share the benefits of collected seeds (Pelligrini 2758). It is

important to follow this protocol because it instills the highest agreed upon ethics in

collection of seeds. If seeds are collected on lands held by indigenous peoples, measures

must be taken to address the equal use of the seeds and the information they may possess.

In order for Prairie Acre Seed Bank to be successful, all of these characteristics should be

implemented and maintained.

Potential Challenges for Seed Banks

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There can often be many challenges in successfully establishing a seed bank, and

the Prairie Acre Seed Bank at the University of Kansas is no different. It is critical to

consider seed bank challenges that other world-class institutions have addressed so that

best practices may be adopted by KU. As mentioned above, best practices must

encompass protocols for these major segments of the seed bank: Systematic Standards,

Collection, Processing, Storage, Alliances and Funding. The primary focus of this section

will be on collection.

Collection standards must be established to ensure research is viable and

conservation practices are observed. Standards include submission of a Field Data Sheet

showing when the seed was collected, location accurately identified via GPS, the

genotype properly labeled, name of collector, along with systematic storage and retrieval

methods being already established.

Collection of seeds requires established protocols because this can be the area

where the seeds become misidentified from the field. For example, prior to field

collection, major seed banks require that the population be targeted, selected and

identified by a knowledgeable expert. The Dixon Tallgrass Prairie, under the auspices of

the Chicago Botanic Garden, believes the ideal collection will come from a large number

of individuals (between 100 and 500) and will contain between 10,000 and 20,000 seeds

(Chicago Botanic Garden). Although they will accept as few as 3,000 seeds from a single

species, the higher seed numbers support research and conservation.

Collecting wild prairie seed comes with important restraints. By way of example,

the Dixon National Tallgrass Prairie Seed Bank lists the following caveats prior to

collection:

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• Collectors should ensure the population is of wild origin, not planted or

cultivated populations of less than 50 individuals, or yielding less than

3,000 viable seeds should be left alone.

• Seed development can vary within and between populations of the same

species so collectors should take time to monitor seed maturation and to

assess insect damage or empty seeds throughout the population before

making the seed collection.

No more than 20% of any species should ever be collected. This guideline has an

ethical component to ensure plants are not stripped of the seed numbers they need to

propagate. The U.S. government has numerous resources devoted to best practices for

conservation and diversity. The Bureau of Land Management has produced the National

Seed Strategy for Rehabilitation and Restoration, which is an extensively crafted guide

with principles, methods and importance reflected.

Excursions targeting the species to be collected will enable the collection times to

be forecasted along with ensuring there is sufficient seed for germination. Some species

should be collected in the spring, whereas others in the fall when the plant is transitioning

energy below ground. Recognizing the targeted plants earlier in the season will assist

with identification once the plant looks dried out and loses its identifying characteristics.

Collectors should focus on one species as a general rule so as not to mix seeds,

miscalculate the impact of collection, or miss insect damage to the plants and seeds.

Along with the Volunteer Collector Data Sheet, a digital photo of the plant should be

submitted with the processed seeds to ensure accuracy in specie identification. Often,

major seed banks require at least two Voucher Herbarium Specimens (dried, pressed

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plant) with submission. This would require additional resources and add a layer of work

that can be eliminated with the digital photo submission. A digital or paper Volunteer

Collector Sheet will allow KU to secure seeds from third parties and allow KU to issue

targeted collection requests. If Wild Mint is the target species, then this specific

collection sheet will be offered to Volunteer Collectors. Likewise, these sheets may be

used for class field collection to target desired plants. After a good collection of digital

Herbarium Specimens have been assembled, they should be cross-referenced with

location specifics and accompanied by various digital photographs showing different life

cycle stages of the selected species.

Example of a volunteer collector sheet: front.

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The scientific name (Latin name) should

always be the primary identifier as the common

name sometimes changes with local use and

understanding. An excellent guide for identification

is the Central Region Seedling ID Guide for Native

Prairie Plants. Plants often change dramatically

through their growth-cycles so an awareness of these changes greatly assists in

recognizing targeted species.

Generally, seed collection is done when forbs have faded and flower petals have

dried or stalks and seedpods have dried and are ready to be dispersed. Seeds are often

gathered in double brown paper sacks properly identified with the collector focused on

one species. Along with the completed Field Data Sheet, if multiple bags are involved,

they should be named 1 of 3, etc. Seeds should be kept dry. One storage method is with

Example of a volunteer collector sheet: back.

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silica gel. When the silica beads turn orange, around seven days, the seeds are properly

dried.

Having a leading role in tall grass prairie recovery and restoration is part of KU’s

heritage. How this specific collection is done and how the seeds are stored are just a few

of the challenges that can be seen when it comes to the role that Prairie Acre plays in the

recovery and restoration of this ecosystem.

Community Involvement

A key focus of a seed bank is the ability to involve the community. Key

objectives for Prairie Acre and a subsequent seed bank are to create a space for prairie

service learning and allowing an accessible dispersal of seeds to the surrounding

community. In determining a proposal for a Prairie Acre Seed Bank, it is vital to look at

the role of the community.

Concentrating on Lawrence,

Kansas and Prairie Acre, there is

already infrastructure for a seed library

at the Lawrence Public Library. This “seed

library” retains seeds from donations and

repackages them for dispersal to the community. Since its conception in 2014, the seed

library has distributed 4,000 seed packets to the community. The seed library focuses

largely on vegetable varieties, making food accessible, and providing the tools necessary

for community members to grow their own food. Melissa Fisher Isaacs, the information

services coordinator at the Lawrence Public Library, explained an interest in native

plants, but a lack of ability to provide them (Isaacs).

Source: Lawrence Public Library 2017

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A Prairie Acre Seed Bank could give the Lawrence community access to an

invaluable resource: the botanical history of the land. As Cindy Connor, the author of

Seed Libraries, explains, “Since, as a culture, seed saving is not a way of life anymore,

people need knowledge and encouragement in order to save seeds” (Connor). The benefit

of Lawrence Public Library’s “seed library” is the existing foundation to get seeds to

community members who will use them. Thus Prairie Acre could harvest seeds

internally, keeping a percentage of those seeds. The rest of the seeds would then be

repackaged for the libraries use with help of student volunteers.

Some initial harvesting from other prairies, such as Rockefeller Prairie and a

variety of local prairies in Douglas County, will be necessary to start up a seed bank. The

more local prairie locations collected from, the more local diversity in the genetic of the

seeds themselves. The goal is that Prairie Acre Seed Bank can eventually focus on

harvesting internally as well as external harvesting. This internal harvesting will make it

easier for students on campus to harvest. Courtney Masterson, a board member of the

Kaw Valley Native Plant Coalition and self-proclaimed seed enthusiast, discussed the

benefit in having a prairie for University of Kansas students as an outdoor laboratory

(Masterson). This can serve as a way for students to learn how to harvest seeds and those

species that are in abundance, such as grasses, can be given to the Lawrence Public

Library. This relationship between the library and the seed bank has potential for growth.

This includes students and faculty presenting at the library on various prairie related

topics, service-learning opportunities for library patrons, and various volunteer

opportunities collecting, cleaning, and packaging seeds.

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Connection to the University

Environmental Studies courses at KU have provided a workforce for recent

restoration and maintenance efforts at Prairie Acre. Seeds collected by students in the

Field Ecology course have been a source of local native plant seeds for the Prairie Acre

for several years. Developing a Prairie Acre Seed Bank could provide a way of

organizing a more coordinated purpose to this dimension of the Field Ecology course,

while maximizing the efficiency of collection activities. The Environmental Studies

Capstone course, the origin of the Prairie Acre Seed Bank project proposal, will not

always be oriented around a topic that initiates student engagement. The annual turnover

of incoming and graduating students makes it difficult to insure that the Prairie Acre Seed

Bank will be maintained after its implementation. Creating continuity in student

engagement will be key for the success and development of the Prairie Acre Seed Bank.

Working with related University programs, student groups, and service programs will

provide the Prairie Acre Seed Bank project with the continuity necessary for the seed

bank to be a learning and research tool for future students and faculty members.

Coordinating with the Center for Sustainability’s Kim Criner and Jeff Severin in

promoting the Prairie Acre Seed Bank to students is a starting point for creating a reliable

infrastructure that engages new students in the both the Prairie Acre and the Prairie Acre

Seed Bank. The Sustainability Certificate option, directed by Criner, requires

participating students to complete three to four courses exploring interdisciplinary

approaches to sustainability in addition to engaging in 60 hours of experiential learning

(Undergraduate Certificate in Sustainability). Working with the seed bank could be a way

for students to earn their experiential learning hours. Increasing the visibility of the

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prairie acre and raising awareness of the seed bank project as an option for volunteer

hours is important for the continued success of the project. Campus clubs and

organizations offer sources of both student engagement and funding. The Center for

Community Outreach (CCO) and the Environs are both organizations that could be

interested in working with the seed bank and potentially taking on future responsibilities

for the project. Students participating in the Honors Program, sports clubs, and Greek life

also have service requirements and could be sources of student volunteers. As the faculty

advisor to the Student Environmental Advisory Board, Severin could help connect

students interested in implementing improvements to the seed bank with funding options

for their ideas.

The Prairie Acre Seed Bank has the potential to be a hands-on tool for faculty to

teach students about sustainability practices, while also introducing new students from

different departments to Prairie Acre. The Center for Sustainability’s Oread Project is an

opportunity for faculty from different disciplines to attend a workshop on how to either

create or modify a course that integrates sustainability concepts defined by the Campus

Sustainability Plan. The Prairie Acre Seed Bank could be introduced to faculty through

the Oread Project as a tool for cross-curricular education, raising interdisciplinary

awareness for the Prairie Acre Seed Bank.

Prairie Acre and the Seed Bank

Creating a seed bank for Prairie Acre benefits more than just the Acre as there is

potential for strong ties within the Lawrence and KU communities. Among the project

goals we identified for the seed bank, these connections, as well as a system that is

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designed for easy maintenance were the main focuses. These goals were for longevity of

the seed bank as a way to provide continual and increasing benefits to Prairie Acre.

The structure of the Prairie Acre seed bank includes a physical and an online

component. Currently, Dr. Kindscher houses the seeds that are collected annually from

the Rockefeller Prairie tract at the Kansas Biological Survey (Kindscher). The best

methods for seed preservation include keeping the seeds stored in a cool, dry location

with consistent monitoring for seed rot and mice exposure. It is anticipated that as the

seed bank grows, a dedicated space for the physical component of the base will be

necessary, but for the next few years, it is recommended that the bank stay with Dr.

Kindscher. Until a full time management position can be established, seed cleaning and

storage can be continued under the supervision of Dr. Kindscher and the rest of the

Kansas Biological Survey (Kindscher).

As seeds have been collected for classes over the last few years, they have been

stored in small cachets and labeled with their scientific names. In addition to this

information, we propose that the original site of collection as well as the common or

colloquial name be added. This information will be pertinent the more the seed bank

grows because if there is a shortage of a specific seed, it will be beneficial to be able to

trace the seed back to its original tract. This information can also aid in tracking the

spread and viability of the seed in virgin and non-virgin prairie tracts. Additionally, once

the seed bank has been developed enough to be sold or disseminated through the

Lawrence community, having the colloquial name as well as original location adds ease

of use for Lawrence residents who might be interested in collecting on their own. A

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caveat of this however, is the potential for over-harvesting. Providing an online and up-

to-date database for the seed bank offers opportunities to counter this.

The online database is the second component of the seed bank. It is our

recommendation that this is run through the University interface as a way to allow multi-

user access. One of the goals for the seed bank was to encourage and promote University

use of Prairie Acre for interdisciplinary research. The online component of the seed bank

offers a place where professors and students can go and look up what plants are found on

the acre as well as potential benefits of those plants. The information found on the

database can be drawn from other groups’ projects such as the Pollinators group. Their

information on pollinator friendly plants may be of use for research programs or as a way

to develop the way stations they are promoting across campus. The database will serve

not only as a way to house names and numbers of seeds planted and in storage within the

bank, but also as a dedicated space where additional information about Prairie Acre can

be found. In this way, all of the proposed Capstone 2017 projects can be integrated

together for a prolonged benefit and protection of Prairie Acre.

The database structure we are recommending includes a list of plants found in

Prairie Acre as well as amount planted. Alongside this will be an additional number of

seeds that remain in the bank and their original location where they were harvested. At

the end of each year, we recommend that the survival rate or dissemination of the plants

on the Acre be accounted for as well. As the seed bank is able to expand throughout the

years, the organization of the bank can be changed according to need. It is the survival of

this information that will keep Prairie Acre and the seed bank moving forward through

the years because it minimizes additional work, should the prairie fall into disrepair

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again. It also offers the opportunity for maintenance of the seed bank to change hands

with relative ease, as the information will be standardized.

It is our hope that the seed bank will be equipped to also serve the Lawrence and

University communities by being able to offer plants that are of interest to these various

parties. For example, if a professor is looking to use a particular plant in a research

project, he or she could search the bank, and if the seed isn’t on record, can request

harvesting. In this way, the seed bank grows according to interest and in the best way to

promote use and bring in interested volunteers. It also raises Prairie Acre’s value to the

University and Lawrence community, protecting the plot for future use.

While the seed bank is organized according to best management practices, it will

still be a substantial undertaking. The Fire and Invasive Species Management Group has

proposed a full time position of Native Land Manager. This position has been identified

as a way to spread native landscaping across the University campus as well as provide

upkeep of Prairie Acre. It is recommended that maintenance and operation of the Prairie

Acre seed bank fall under this position as well. Once the seed bank has been established

for several years, the administrative aspect of the bank can fall under a specialized

position such as the Native Land Manager. Under this position, the Native Land Manager

will have access to the specific number and range of species Prairie Acre has to offer.

This increases the likelihood that native plants can spread across more of the campus,

especially the Central Campus as the Fire and Invasive Species Management Group has

suggested. Having an established seed bank that can provide seeds will reduce

landscaping costs dramatically and opens the University to a more sustainable future.

This falls under University goals that the campus and running of the university continue

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on a more sustainable path, and doubly opens the connection with the Sustainability

Program. It is undeniable that the seed bank has many benefits attached to it, and this

marketing to the University as both a sustainable and historical attachment to Prairie Acre

will be a major step forward for the Environmental Studies department.

The following is a schedule for the next few years in the development of the

Prairie Acre seed bank:

Year One (2018) – establishment of the seed bank including the physical and online

database components.

Year Two (2019) – data input and tracking for number of seeds harvested from various

prairie tracts including Prairie Acre, introduction of new species into Prairie Acre, and

tracking of plant success and viability within the acre.

Year Three (2020) – continuation of data collection, establishment of full time seed bank

manager (Native Landscape Manager), opening of seed bank and Prairie Acre for

University research and use, beginning to disseminate seeds within the Lawrence

community (through the Lawrence Public Library).

Year Four+ (2021+) – continued upkeep of seed bank, increasing dissemination of seeds

and plants, possible use of seed bank for other landscaping projects on the campus.

With the right volunteer base and an interest in maintenance, we believe that the

Prairie Acre seed bank can be running within the next several years, and established

within the next five. The project has been designed for longevity and the ability to adapt

to continue to meet the needs of those using Prairie Acre. Like the prairie, this seed bank

functions as a living organism and needs to be treated with the same mindset and care as

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the acre. The seeds and data that we collect and save provide much potential for the

future and ensure the continuation and health of Prairie Acre.

Conclusion

Prairie Acre is a valuable yet vulnerable resource within the University. Our

proposed seed bank has been designed to specifically meet the needs of the University

and Lawrence communities within an easy maintenance system. The benefits connected

with the proposed seed bank include: records of what plants have been planted in Prairie

Acre, extra seeds for future use and provisional needs, a chance to provide

interdisciplinary research opportunities and increased sustainability practices within the

University, and volunteer opportunities and native landscape planting knowledge and

access to seeds for the Lawrence community. Our proposal highlights not only the

functionality of seed banks but also specific measures behind how the seeds should be

collected and stored as well as a record of the physical and online makeup of the seed

bank. We believe that having a seed bank offers opportunity for integration within the

other 2017 Capstone Groups, and is the best chance for continued health and value

attached to Prairie Acre.

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