Seed enhancement of Australian native species to improve seed-based restoration

Direct sowing of seeds (i.e. seed-based restoration) is an approach by which a previously cleared plant community can be re-established. The use of seeds is particularly important when restoration occurs over large areas. Using seed as the plant propagule to restore indigenous biodiversity and ecosystems within disturbed landscapes should be a cost-efficient and highly scalable method. However, many different factors influence seed-based restoration, and often restoration is done in ecosystems that have not been well characterised (Merritt and Dixon 2011). Thus, for seed-based restoration to be successful, it is critical to have appropriate knowledge of each species ecological requirements for germination and establishment. The development of such knowledge could significantly improve the restoration of threatened ecosystems.