Date of Award

2017

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Natural Sciences

First Advisor

Saarinen, Emily

Area of Concentration

Biology

Abstract

Ongoing declines of plant biodiversity demand integrated conservation planning, including a range of in situ and ex situ methods. Here, I review the literature on collecting and utilizing seed for ecological restoration. I hypothesized that collectors must account for species-specific traits, like life history traits and reproductive strategies, to optimize genetic diversity and the extent of local adaptation in their collections. Of speciesspecific traits, I found that collectors must account for seed set, seeding phenology, species’ distributions, mating system, and population size. Population size and mating system can help infer distributions of genetic diversity and the population genetic structure within and between populations. I compiled my findings into a planning framework, which is illustrated through a case study on collecting seed from three South Floridian species (Linum arenicola, Euphorbia deltoidea, and Chamaecrista lineata var. keyensis). They reside in critically-imperiled pine rocklands habitat and are nominated for federal listing. I conclude with a discussion of the potential for experimental collection/restoration projects to optimize resources, gauge project performance, and advance scientific theory.

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