A role for assisted evolution in designing native plant materials for domesticated landscapes

Developers of native plant propagation materials for wildland restoration may emphasize naturally occurring genetic patterns or, in contrast, the material's empirical performance in comparative field trials. We contend that both approaches have value and need not be mutually exclusive. Anthropogenic influences have pushed many ecosystems across ecological thresholds, to less desirable states, so that actively managing for “domesticated nature” – nature as modified, either intentionally or inadvertently, by humans – is more realistic and more likely to succeed than recreating the original ecosystem. Furthermore, when domesticated nature is the most reasonable objective, empirical performance, together with geographical origin, are plausible criteria for choosing restoration plant material. For altered ecosystems, we suggest that evolution should be assisted by the inclusion of plants that (1) reflect general historical evolutionary patterns, (2) are particularly suited to the modified environment, (3) are able to adapt to contemporary selection pressures, and (4) contribute to the restoration of ecosystem structure and function.