Climate Change / Assisted Migration

Seed transfer guidelines and zones are used to manage the movement of plant materials, but by the end of the century many landscapes across the globe will have climates that are incompatible with current vegetation. The mismatch in rates between climate change and plant migration and adaptation will pose challenges for natural resource managers. One challenge is to stay up-to-date on the latest research, policies, and terminologies. To alleviate this challenge, we compiled literature that has bearing on native plants and includes references about climate change, conservation and restoration, assisted migration, and transfer guidelines and zones. The bibliography provides information that can be used by scientists, land managers, policymakers, and the general public to ensure that natural resources are conserved, restored, and resilient to changing climates

Presentations by lead professionals about assisted migration. The symposium was held in Portland, Oregon at the World Forestry Center on February 21, 2013 and sponsored by the USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station, the University of Idaho and the Western Forestry and Conservation Association.

A collection of references on native plant transfer guidelines as related to genetic studies, nursery operations, seed collection and storage, climate change, and assisted migration.

Most references are peer-reviewed articles from journals (> 70%) and the remaining are government documents, books, reports, graduate theses, and grey literature, such as newsletters, websites, and presentations.

Foundational Literature for Moving Native Plant Materials in Changing Climates

References are retrievable by author, title, and subject (species, geographic area, etc.) and include a summary and URL, if available. Each search produces a bibliography that matches user specifications. References are labeled in terms of their content: Justification – reviews, summaries, opinions, editorials, comments; Development – models, common garden studies, provenance trials, approaches, cultivars; Transfer Guideline – seed zones, seed transfer guidelines, recommendations; Resource - directories, decision support systems, online tools, databases.