Through a series of laboratory and field experiments, the seed feasibility study has documented the necessary steps involved in using seed to create dense mosaics of native riparian land covers. Steps in the process included, seed collection, storage, treatment, planting, germination, and monitoring seedling growth and survival. Using seeds may be feasible if it involves less labor, is more cost effective, or preserves the genetic diversity of the riparian habitat created under the LCR MSCP. The amount of nonnative to native vegetation resulting from using seed for restoration will also be an important factor in determining the feasibility of this method.
Over four seasons, the techniques to achieve riparian seeding have been refined using information and best practices from the laboratory experiments and through the establishment, monitoring and management of a series of small plot studies. The details of these experimental trials are available on the LCR MSCP website in the technical reports section. A summary of the results is provided below.
Four years of study on the feasibility of using native seeds for riparian restoration have pointed toward the following conclusions:
The applicability of seeded for large-scale restoration is still unclear. The results of this study show promise, however a large-scale demonstration of these established techniques and protocols would be prudent to determine the true effort, logistics, and costs involved in establishing riparian cover type in a restoration setting. In addition, long-term monitoring of the experimental plots should be continued to determine if the competitive treads in these experiments will continue and if seeding can produce the desired species composition and habitat characteristics necessary for LCR MSCP covered species. Additional information can be found in the 2008 Annual Report found at this link.
Updated November 26, 2012