Roadside Revegetation

IMPLEMENTATION GUIDES
ripen continuously through the growing season. Seeds from these species are often obtained
by making multiple trips to the field and collecting seeds from the lower portions of the stem
without disturbing the flowers or immature seeds above.
Seeds of many shrub species are often collected by holding a bag or tray under the plant
and shaking the plant or flailing the branches with a stick or tennis racket. While the seeds
of some shrub species ripen and remain on the seed head, others, such as Ceanothus spp.,
shatter when they ripen and must be collected as soon as they ripen. Since multiple collection
trips can be expensive, an alternative approach is to enclose the seed head of each plant in a
mesh or paper bag before the seeds have begun to ripen. At the end of the season, ripened
seeds will have dispersed into the bags, which can be easily collected. The seed collection
contractor should specify the methods that will be used for collection.
Seeds should be collected in approximately equal quantities from approved collection areas
(see Section 10.2.1.5, Locate Plants in the Wild). To ensure adequate genetic representation,
collect from a large number of widely spaced or unrelated parent plants per area (over 50 is
optimal). To preserve populations, no more than 50 percent of the seed crop at each site should
be collected in a year. Seeds or seed bearing fruits should not be collected from the ground.
Each seed collection bag or container must be clearly identified in the field with the following
information:
◾◾
Species (scientific name)
◾◾
Forest or BLM district
◾◾
District or BLM resource area
◾◾
Legal description
◾◾
Date of collection
◾◾
Name of collector
◾◾
Number of populations collected
◾◾
Elevation
◾◾
Road project name
1) Identification Code:
The Forest Reproductive Material Identification Tag is an excellent way to capture this
information (Figure 10-53). These are often available at Forest Service district offices or seed
extractories. To assure the identity of the seedlot in case the tag is accidentally removed during
handling or shipping, it is a good idea to duplicate the tag and place it into the collection bag.
Field collections must be grouped into seedlots prior to sending these collections to the seed
extractory for cleaning. Individual collections within a species are only maintained as separate
seedlots if the objective is genetic testing or research. The expense of cleaning, packaging,
and keepingrecordsofamultitudeofcollectionsoutweighsthenecessityofstoringthemseparately.
The information displayed on the seed tag can be used to identify or name a seedlot. Each
seedlot is identified by a seedlot identification code constructed in the following manner:
Species - Forest - Seed Zone - Elevation - Project Name - Collection Year
Species – The species short code can be obtained from the Plants Database on the National
Resource Conservation Service website (http://plants.usda.gov/index.html).
Forest or BLM District Office – This is a numerical number assigned to each forest or BLM
district office.
Seed Zone or Breeding Zone – For conifer and many native species, seed zones and breeding
zones are geographic areas that have been identified by geneticists. Consult with the local
reforestation, botanist, or area geneticist for seed zone and breeding zone maps.
Elevation – Elevation is generally listed as a range and abbreviated for conifer and many
native species (For example, a 4,000 to 5,000 elevation band is listed as 4,050).
FOREST REPRODUCTIVE MATERIAL
IDENTIFICATION TAG
U.S.D.A. FOREST SERVICE
/
Species Forest BZ/Seed Zone Type Coll. Elev. Band Year Cert.
2) Number of Trees 3) Ranger District 4) Elevation
(Feet above sea level)
4) Tree Numbers:
6) Area of Collection
T. R. S.
7) Accession No. 8) Plant Association
(TI Collections: affix bar code tag
if available)
9) Alpha Code
10) Collection Date / /
11) Signature
(Person filling out tag)
Figure 10-53 | Recording seed
collection information is imperative
A Forest Reproductive Materials Identification
Tag should be completed and
attached to each collection bag sent to
the seed extractory. A copy should also
be placed inside the bag.
Roadside Revegetation: An Integrated Approach to Establishing Native Plants and Pollinator Habitat
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