Plants play an important role in the success of conservation. They offer a
natural solution for stabilizing soil, improving water quality, and providing
food for livestock and wildlife. Plants are also an essential element of many
Farm Bill conservation programs funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) and administered by the department’s Natural Resources Conservation
Service (NRCS). Difficult environmental conditions such as eroding streambanks,
land impacted by wildfires, mineland reclamation sites, arid rangelands require
finding the right plants for the job. A highly specialized group of scientists
within the USDA NRCS Plant Materials Program studies and selects these plants.
The Plant Materials Program is a nationwide network of 27 Plant Materials
Centers and 17 Plant Materials Specialists, based in ecologically distinct
service areas. Together, these centers and specialists seek out plants and
state-of-the-art technology to restore critical habitats, mitigate environmental
concerns, and sustain healthy natural resources. Plant Materials Centers
evaluate plants for specific conservation traits, select top performers, and
make these materials available to the public as conservation plant releases.
They also develop innovative ways for land managers to use and manage a variety
of conservation plants. Specialists relay information about new plant releases
and offer on-the-ground assistance with conservation plantings. Techniques for
reestablishing plant cover after wildfires have been developed by Plant
Materials Centers and Plant Materials Specialists.
“The Plant Materials Program and its cooperators have contributed the
bulk of the material and technology now used in ecosystem restoration and
are our foundation for meeting conservation challenges of the future.”
From D.T. Booth and T.A. Jones, “Plants for ecological restoration: a
foundation and philosophy for the future” in Native Plants Journal,
Spring 2001.
Conservation Needs
Many people associate the work of the Plant Materials Program with more
traditional conservation needs related to agriculture. However, Plant Materials
Centers also address emerging issues such as:
- Native alternatives to non-native invasive species:
In the western U.S., we are studying the ability of native plants to prevent
reinvasion of Russian olive once it has been controlled.
- Riparian Conservation: We select plants and
provide training for improving riparian and streambank zones.
- Establishment and management of plants important to Native
American cultures: We are developing production methods for
plants like sweetgrass, to be used on tribal lands.
- Grazing Issues: We develop establishment methods
for rotational grazing systems, like this eastern gamagrass paddock.
- Use of conservation plants for biofuels: We are
cooperating with the Department of Energy to study switchgrass and eastern
gamagrass for alternative sources of fuel.
- Drought Work: We are testing drought tolerance of
plants and methods for revegetating arid lands.
We can only realize the goals of achieving a sustainable natural resource
base and a high quality environment with sound plant
science. Through the past 60 years and today, the work of Plant Materials
Centers and Plant Materials Specialists has been vital to
these efforts, and the strength of the NRCS Plant Materials Program lies in its
continued commitment to the conservation of
America’s resources.
Additional information on this subject can be found Technical Resources.
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