On March 24, 2026, Rob Massatti gave a training for the Tribal Pesticide Program Council on how native plants can support restoration of healthy, resilient ecosystems.
The training began with a practical reality familiar to anyone working in disturbed landscapes: restoration is difficult. Sites may have long disturbance histories, invasive species, ongoing land-use pressures, variable weather, and changing climate conditions. Even when the goal is clear, practitioners still need to decide how to restore, what plant materials to use, and how to plan for future conditions.
Why native plant materials matter
Native plants are a foundation for functioning ecosystems. They support soil stability, wildlife habitat, pollinators, plant community recovery, and long-term resilience. But using native plants effectively requires more than choosing a species name from a list. Populations of the same species can differ genetically because of their history, climate, soils, and ecological setting.
Those genetic patterns are part of biodiversity. They can influence how well plants establish, how they interact with other species, and how they respond to changing conditions. This is why restoration planning increasingly emphasizes genetically appropriate plant materials: seed or plant sources that are suited to the restoration site and likely to support ecological relationships over time.
Tools for better restoration decisions
The training introduced several tools and concepts that help practitioners choose native plant materials more carefully. Seed transfer zones can help identify areas where seed movement is more likely to be appropriate. Climate-smart restoration tools can help compare current and future climate conditions, making it possible to think beyond simple local sourcing when conditions are changing quickly.
These tools are decision aids, not shortcuts. They work best when paired with local knowledge, clear restoration goals, and an understanding of the species being used.
From seed sourcing to propagation
The training also highlighted examples where genetics can shape restoration outcomes: historical climate patterns that structure plant populations, post-management patterns in seeded landscapes, agricultural increase of native seed, propagation of rare or culturally important plants, and hybridization among closely related species.
One recurring message was that restoration materials can change as they move through collection, propagation, production, and planting. For example, genetic shifts can occur between wild seed collection and production-field establishment. Understanding where those shifts happen can help practitioners preserve useful diversity and avoid unintentional filtering.
A shared goal
Healthy ecosystems depend on decisions made across many steps: invasive species management, restoration planning, seed sourcing, plant propagation, monitoring, and long-term stewardship. Trainings like this one help connect those pieces so restoration practitioners can use native plants in ways that are practical, culturally and ecologically meaningful, and responsive to changing landscapes.
Interested in related work? See LSC's seed sourcing, native seed production, and landscape genomic consulting services.