Operational seed planning reference

Seed planning is important for making sure there is enough seed of the right species and provenance available to establish free-growing stands. Seed used in Crown land reforestation must meet the Chief Forester's Standards for Seed Use to make sure regenerated stands are genetically diverse, adapted, healthy and productive—now and in the future.

Determining future seed and seedling requirements involves many variables and uncertainties, such as:

• Changing harvest levels and operating areas
• Use of different silviculture systems (for example, clearcut, shelterwood, variable retention, seed tree)
• Different stocking standards, including species selection and densities of planted stock and natural regeneration
• Forest disturbances, including pests and wildfires
• Changes in seed inventories, including the production of seed orchard seed
• Changes in seed transfer standards in response to climate change
• Seed use efficiency

As a seed planner, you should do your best to take these variables and uncertainties into account when determining seedling and seed needs. Be as specific as possible about the variables you use to calculate seed needs.

This reference will help you to plan operational seed needs. It will:

• Provide you with a checklist for determining your tree seed needs and supply
• Provide useful links and references, such as websites for the Seed Planning and Registry System (SPAR), SeedMap and the Chief Forester's Standards for Seed Use
• Help you to identify seed available for specific areas of the province
• Help you meet your reforestation goals, Forest and Range Practices Act seed use regulations and the Chief Forester's Standards for Seed Use
• Avoid unnecessary seed shortages or redundant expenditures, such as cone collections

This reference is not a detailed guide on how to use SPAR, SeedMap or on how to collect cones from natural stands, nor does it provide guidance for collecting vegetative lots.