Courtney Wilson Dr. Robert Meinke and Kelly Amsberry Plagiobothrys hirtus: Seed Viability for Recovery

Why Plant Conservation Matters Biodiversity Natural resources Medicinal Agriculture/horticulture It’s so important, it’s the law Photos available at: cyberlawindia.com, beginlivinghealthy.com, paulpenders.com, constructionnvqs.com

Overview Introduction to Plagiobothrys hirtus and its habitat Germination testing and viability studies Site selection for outplanting Recovery applications Future study Photo by ODA staff

P. hirtus and its habitat Boraginaceae family Facultatively perennial Hairy stems Populations limited to ~45 acres of Douglas County, Oregon Wetland species found in swales, wet meadows, open marshes Photo by Kelly Amsberry Photo by Melissa Carr

Wetlands Ecological role of wetlands:  Habitat for plants and animals  Water filtration  Flood control Humans and Wetlands  Economic importance: EPA estimates functions performed worldwide by wetlands is valued at $14.9 trillion per year  Tourism and recreation: birdwatching, fishing, canoeing, hunting Photo by ODA staff

P. hirtus habitat destruction  Development  Agriculture  Roadside pesticide usage  Invasive species  Recreational abuse Photos by Courtney Wilson, ODA staff, and available at supermotors.net

Federal and state listed endangered plant species P. hirtus is Oregon’s # 1 priority recovery species Taxonomically a species Facing a high level of threat High potential for recovery As a small population, P. hirtus is especially vulnerable to: Genetic drift Reduced population adaptability Inbreeding depression Photo by Melissa Carr

Research Question: Do different maternal lines express differing germination rates? Photo by ODA staff

What we know about the germination of P. hirtus In the wild, it germinates when fall rains begin Under proper conditions, germination rates are ~67-95% Does not express dormancy Objectives: Find out if there is a relationship between genetic diversity and germination rate Develop protocol for seed management Find new administratively protected sites for reintroductions Grow plants in the OSU greenhouses Transplant to new sites Downlist P. hirtus from endangered to threatened

Seed Collection Collections from 4 populations in Douglas County  1. South Side Swale-DSWCD  2. Popcorn Swale-TNC  3. North Star Property  4. West Gate-BLM

Seed Collection Protocol  Monitor plants for ripeness from June-July  Seed collected from 25 maternal lines from each of the 4 populations  Phenotypic traits of each plant noted:  size  performance  flower size  flower quantity  Seeds dried at 55˚ C for 24 hours Photo by Kelly Amsberry

Genetic diversity visible in the range of phenotypic traits Phenotypic traits of populations

Seed Germination 5 Weeks 4 Populations 100 germination trials Outcome: Viability ranking and range for each population Relationships between phenotypic traits and germination rates Photo by Julia McGonigle

Dormancy: a groundbreaking discovery We know it takes less than 7 days for P. hirtus seeds to germinate. 7 days + no germination events + proper enviro. conditions=these seeds were expressing dormancy! I used 3 different treatments to break dormancy. Week 1 Treatments 100% seeds  DI water Weeks 2 and 3: Treatments added 20% seeds  0.05% GA3 20% seeds  0.25% KNO3 20% seeds  13˚C cold stratification 40% seeds  DI water Photo available at “Naturalism: a Genesis” from

Results: treatments Some seeds treated with DI water began to mold Seeds treated with cold stratification had the highest germination rate

Results: cold stratification Germination rate by population 54% 88% Popcorn Swale Germination rates by population. n=5 for all populations. Relevance calculated using one-way ANOVA (P=0.001) Note that bars topped with the same letter are not significantly different, however, trends indicate that populations with higher genetic diversity have a higher germination rate.

Results: reproductive capacity by population Reproductive capacity calculated by multiplying (X)(Y)(Z)(G) (X) seeds per flower (Y) flowers per inflorescence (Z) inflorescences per plant (G) germination rate PopulationReproductive capacity Viability range in maternal lines North Star South Side Swale Popcorn Swale West Gate

Cold remediation Put all the dormant DI treated seeds (40% of entire experiment) in cold stratification Why?  To salvage genetic material for transplanting new populations Photo by Courtney Wilson

Site selection for restoration at NBHMA *GIS: compiled aspects of slope and soil type *Habitat suitability analysis Model based on the condition and presence/absence of 9 characteristics: 1.Invasive species4. Hydrology7. Elevation 2. Associated species 5. Canopy cover8. Proximity 3. Rush/sedge/grass dominated marsh 6. Soil type9. Disturbance

Potential habitat map Map by Mike Hubbard

Results: NBHMA restoration populations

Recovery Applications We now know: P. hirtus expresses dormancy. Dormancy is most easily broken with cold stratification. Recovery strategies should mix seed to achieve highest levels of genetic diversity. Photo by Courtney Wilson

Downlist P. hirtus The PLHI recovery plan requires 9 protected reserves with a minimum of 5,000 plants each to downlist status from endangered to threatened Currently on our way at three more potential populations and ~700 plants in the greenhouse Outstanding support from agencies and private landowners Photo by Sam Friedman

Future Study The more I observe, the more questions I have! Grazing: friend or foe? Medicinal properties? Roadside locations and spontaneous abortion? Dormancy mechanism?

Many thanks HHMI ODA Mentors Robert Meinke and Kelly Amsberry Kevin Ahern My field crew Jordan Brown, Sean Elseth, and Matt Groberg  Bureau of Land Management  The Nature Conservancy  Douglas Soil and Water Conservation District  Danny Lang and Al Beck