Roadside Revegetation

IMPLEMENTATION GUIDES
Production), nursery grown seeds (see Section 10.2.4, Nursery Seed
Production), and/or occasionally to sow directly on a disturbed site.
Since seed and seedling propagation hinges on availability of wild
seeds, collection is one of the first major tasks of a revegetation
plan. Depending on the purpose, the lead-time for collecting wild
seeds might be up to 3 to 4 years before sowing or planting the
project site (Figure 10-49).
Tasks
Determine seed needs
Locate collection sites
Seed Production
Wild Seed Collection
Road Construction
Sow
Develop & award contract
Grass and forb species are usually seeded directly onto disturbed
sites. In order to obtain enough seeds for direct seeding, wild
Pick seed
seed collections are usually “increased” in nursery production (see
Section 10.2.4, Nursery Seed Production). Trees and shrubs, on the
Clean seed
other hand, are not typically seeded across disturbed sites. Wild
seed collections for these species are sent to nurseries for seedling
Test
propagation, then outplanted. Seeds from wetland genera, such
as sedges (Carex spp.) and rushes (Juncus spp.) are often collected
for both seed and seedling production purposes.
Revegetation plans are seldom finalized before wild seeds are collected.
At a minimum, planning should have identified revegetation
units, described reference areas, determined species to propagate,
and completed a survey of the construction site to determine the amount of area to be
revegetated. The quantity and location of wild seed collection is based on these early surveys.
Collecting wild seeds can be expensive. Multiple collection trips are often needed to monitor
and collect each species. Each species has a small ripening window, and most species do
not ripen at the same time. In addition, many species do not consistently produce seeds
from year to year, requiring multiple year collections. Working around these complexities
to obtain adequate supplies of wild seeds requires excellent planning and administration of
seed collection and cleaning contracts.
Before collecting wild seeds or setting up collection contracts, it is worth the effort to contact
Forest Service district or Bureau of Land Management (BLM) area offices first to see if seeds
are already available for your project. Often these local agencies will have seeds in storage for
many of the species growing near the project area, especially species used for reforestation.
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Year
Figure 10-49 | Early planning is
essential when collecting wild seeds
Wild seed collection is one of the first
contracts developed during planning.
Seeds are needed to implement seed
and seedling propagation contracts.
A lead-time of 2 to 4 years is typically
needed for wild seed collection.
Develop Timeline
Wild seed collection should be one of the first tasks to consider when beginning revegetation
planning because other tasks, such as seed and seedling propagation contracts, cannot be
conducted without this plant material. Up to 3 or 4 years are often necessary in order to locate,
collect, clean, and test wild seeds, and still allow the nursery or seed producer enough lead
time for plant and seed production (Figure 10-49).
The seed collection contract is awarded early in the spring to give the contractor enough time
to locate and assess the collection areas. Seeds are monitored from June through August and
collected when ripe. Wild seed harvests are cleaned from September through October and
then tested. Results from seed testing facilities are returned by December. Seeds designated
for seedling propagation must be sent immediately to the nursery for preparation for sowing in
early winter. If seed propagation is the objective, seeds are stored until the following summer
and sent to seed producers for a late summer sowing.
Determine Wild Seed Needs for Seed Production
Wild seed collection and the nursery seed increase contracts are often developed simultaneously
because the information needed for wild seed collection is based on the expected seed yields
Roadside Revegetation: An Integrated Approach to Establishing Native Plants and Pollinator Habitat
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