Integrating genetics into native seed production: evolutionary foundations for restoration resilience

Global efforts to mitigate human-driven habitat loss have created an urgent need for ecological restoration initiatives and a rapidly growing demand for native seed. As this demand increasingly exceeds what can be sustainably collected from wild populations, native Seed Production Areas (SPAs) are becoming essential for enabling large-scale restoration. When thoughtfully designed and managed, SPAs can enhance both seed availability and quality relative to wild-sourced material. However, realizing this potential requires the strategic integration of evolutionary insights and genetic data at key stages of production. In this review, we examine how genetic data have been applied in studies relevant to native seed production. Through reanalysis of published data, we show that while higher genetic diversity at establishment predicts diversity retained, the number of source provenances has only a marginal effect on levels of genetic diversity. We then systematically outline how evolutionary considerations may inform SPA establishment and management, including current barriers to incorporating genetic data into SPA best practices. Fully integrating genetic data into SPA design and monitoring will maximize restoration outcomes and yield important fundamental insights into the nature of adaptive potential and evolutionary processes.