Restoration seedbanks for mined land restoration

Restoration seedbanks have become a key infrastructure resource in efforts to restore damaged and degraded environments across the globe. Large-scale ecological restoration typically utilizes large volumes of valuable, usually wild-collected seeds, but insufficient knowledge seed biology (including storage requirements some cases) ecology for many species continues hamper utility meet this rising demand. Poor germination establishment when seeds are deployed from can stem factors such as premature collection, low quality, poor processing, handling storage, variable quality year year, and, critically, understanding dormancy, traits, stimulation. While these may impact success seed-based both synergistically idiosyncratically, they be universally addressed by adopting best practice principles seedbank management operation through an improved stored species. Drawing upon industry case study seedbanking post-mining restoration, we outline how optimizing conditions focus on deliver broad immediate benefit cost-efficiency native use. Such improvements crucial developing more effective approaches returning biodiverse plant communities highly modified landscapes foundational meeting aspirations at global scales coming decade.