What are seed transfer zones?
How seed transfer zones guide movement of plant materials, what they do well, and where caution is needed.
Resources
Practical tools and guidance for landscape stewardship.
Short educational guides plus selected external tools, standards, and program references for restoration, seed sourcing, native plant materials, and conservation planning.
Educational guides
Plain-language explainers for restoration decisions.
Start here for practical definitions and common decision points.
What does genetically appropriate seed mean?
A practical guide to local adaptation, genetic diversity, and matching plant materials to restoration goals.
Climate-smart seed sourcing
How managers can weigh local climate, future climate, uncertainty, and risk when choosing seed sources.
Native seed production and agricultural increase
Why growing native seed as a crop matters, and how production choices can shape genetic diversity.
When to use landscape genomics
Where genomic data can clarify restoration, seed sourcing, and conservation decisions.
Rare plant translocation basics
Key genetic and ecological considerations for augmentation, reintroduction, and assisted movement.
External tools
References and decision-support tools.
National Seed Strategy
BLM information on the national strategy for native seed development, restoration, and resilient plant communities.
USFS Native Plant Materials
US Forest Service guidance and program information for native plant materials development and restoration.
Western Wildland Environmental Threat Assessment Center Seed Zone Mapper
Interactive USFS web map for exploring provisional seed zones and related seed movement guidance.
Seed Transfer Zone Repository
USFS repository for seed zone GIS data, including provisional and species-specific seed transfer zone layers.
Climate Distance Mapper
USGS tool for comparing climate distance among locations to support climate-informed restoration and planning.
Seedlot Selection Tool
Interactive tool for identifying seed sources or planting sites based on climate transfer considerations.
Native Seed Standards
International standards and guidance from SER and INSR for native seed use in ecological restoration.
Great Basin Native Plant Project
Research, tools, and partner resources supporting native plant development and restoration in the Great Basin.