A new perspective and approach to ecosystem restoration: a seed enhancement technology guide and case study

Abstract

Restoration efforts in dryland systems are often limited by a complex range of environmental variables and chronically low establishment of seeded native species. Methods for restoring large tracts of degraded drylands in the western United States and southwestern Australia have not advanced substantially since the early 1900s despite continuous efforts to improve success. Historic agricultural practices used in large‐scale restoration efforts are often unsuccessful. A multidisciplinary approach toward problem resolution is necessary for future advancements in restoration applications and methods. Specifically, agricultural technologies such as seed enhancements should be applied to native restoration approaches. Seed enhancement technologies, such as activated carbon coating and extruded pelleting, are novel in the restoration context. However, their use is increasingly recognized as an opportunity to overcome current limitations to restoration efforts. At this early juncture in the development of seed enhancement technologies within restoration, we reflect on the need to tailor current agricultural technologies in light of the differences between agricultural and restoration contexts and reconceptualize our approach to seed enhancement technologies. In this paper, we provide a guide for the development of seed enhancement technologies in ecological restoration.