Restoration seed banks - a matter of scale

Comment on the current state of restoration in relation to seed banks and scale. The authors preface the article with the fact that seed banks don't have enough seed for large-scale restoration projects. Seed banks must shift from being “stamp-collections” of species to collections that can provide tons of seeds and the expertise to improve restoration efforts. Further, in the seed bank system, seed source, availability, or management and use of seeds are rarely considered in collections. The lack of information about each seed lot can lead to storage and planting failures. Some needs are seed farming of native species, seed technology for effective use and site delivery, genetic analysis tools to address provenances in seed farming, refinement of seed collection and utilization strategies, and transfer of knowledge on collecting, using and storing seeds.