Connecting demand, evidence and custodians
Native seed supply
Why suitable native seed is difficult to secure at restoration scale, what SeedPOD contributes and what requires direct confirmation.
The bottleneck
Supply is more than a list of species
Projects need seed that is taxonomically correct, ecologically appropriate, genetically representative, legally obtained, physically available, of documented quality and deliverable on time. A failure at any stage can reduce restoration success.
Restoration targets have grown faster than the native seed sector's capacity to supply them. Global commitments such as the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and national tree- and habitat-planting programmes imply seed demand at a scale that wild collection alone cannot reliably meet, particularly for species with unpredictable seeding years, low seed yield or narrow, fragmented source populations. Seed farming and production areas can increase volume, but only for a limited number of species and only where genetic representativeness of the source population is maintained. Where demand outstrips supply, projects are more likely to substitute unsuitable species, source seed from a narrower or less representative gene pool, or delay sowing – each of which can lower long-term restoration success. This is a widely documented, structural bottleneck rather than a simple logistics problem, and is discussed extensively in the restoration ecology literature (see evidence and references below).
Before making an enquiry
Prepare a clear material request
- Identify the collectionRetain the SeedPOD link, accession identifier, taxon and custodian.
- Describe the purposeExplain the project, site, use, quantity, timing and evidence needs.
- Check suitabilityAssess provenance and quality with relevant local expertise.
- Check permissionsIdentify agreements, benefit-sharing, import/export and biosecurity requirements.
- Contact the custodianUse its enquiry route and confirm current availability and conditions.
- Keep recordsRetain identifiers, permissions, handling history and monitoring data.
Increasing supply-chain visibility
Seed supplier information
Visit our seed supplier directory to find organisations with native seeds available for distribution.
Further reading
Evidence on the native seed supply bottleneck
- Broadhurst, L.M., Lowe, A., Coates, D.J., Cunningham, S.A., McDonald, M., Vesk, P.A. & Yates, C. (2008) Seed supply for broadscale restoration: maximizing evolutionary potential. (opens in a new tab) Evolutionary Applications.
- Merritt, D.J. & Dixon, K.W. (2011) Restoration seed banks – a matter of scale. (opens in a new tab) Science.
- Kildisheva, O.A., Dixon, K.W., Silveira, F.A.O., Chapman, T., Di Sacco, A., Mondoni, A., Turner, S.R. & Cross, A.T. (2020) Dormancy and germination: making every seed count in restoration. (opens in a new tab) Restoration Ecology.
- Pedrini, S. & Dixon, K.W. (2020) International principles and standards for native seeds in ecological restoration. (opens in a new tab) Restoration Ecology.
See also the restoration standards and practical resources on the MSBP Technical Information Sheets page.