Shryock, D.F. DeFalco, L.A. Esque, T.C. 20200527 raster and vector digital data Denver, CO U.S. Geological Survey data release https://doi.org/10.5066/P9BQ6IYJ Empirical evidence that local adaptation and home-site advantages are frequent across plant taxa has increased recognition that local adaptation plays a fundamental role in shaping plant responses to seed transfer (i.e., when plant materials are introduced to a site during restoration). Use of maladapted plant materials can lead to poor project outcomes if propagules exhibit poor germination or seedling survival, low population fitness, inbreeding or outbreeding depression. Accounting for local adaptation in restoration designs is a promising approach for increasing revegetation effectiveness, particularly in drylands where extreme environmental variation potentially drives high levels of selection. Consequently, demand has increased for genetically appropriate plant materials for use in arid land restoration. Empirical Seed Transfer Zones Seed provenance strategies that incorporate spatially explicit genetic information promote effective revegetation by reducing genetic risk factors, such as maladaptation, outbreeding, and inbreeding depression. This project uses genetic analyses to develop empirical seed transfer zones for species that have been genotyped in the Mojave Desert. Empirical seed transfer zones delineate areas within which seeds may be transferred with limited risk of maladaptation. Seed transfer zones for each species are based on a multivariate spatial model linking variation in potentially adaptive genetic loci with gradients in climate, including variation in precipitation and temperature. Provisional Seed Transfer Zones Despite considerable effort, genetic guidelines are still lacking for numerous plant species that are desirable targets for restoration. In place of species-specific genetic studies, provisional seed transfer zones use climate variation as a proxy for genetic variation and are intended to aid seed transfer decisions when genetic information is not available for a species. A secondary goal of this project was to develop improved provisional seed transfer zones for arid regions of the desert southwest (including the Southern Great Basin, Colorado Plateau, Mojave Desert, and Sonoran Desert) through a robust multivariate analysis. Although species and populations differ with respect to the mechanisms shaping local adaptation, multivariate climate models capture a holistic representation of the variation in climate and are most likely to represent relevant environmental variation across different species and functional types. The provisional seed transfer zones provided here are based on climate variables of known importance to desert plants, including averages, extremes, and ranges of variability in both precipitation and temperature. This project provides seed transfer zones for native plant species to guide seed sourcing and native plant material development decisions. Empirical seed transfer zones are developed through landscape genetic studies and reflect patterns of genetic variation across the landscape. The seed transfer zones delineate areas within which seeds may be transferred with limited risk of maladaptation and are based on predictive models of local adaptation for a species. Provisional seed transfer zones use climate variation as a proxy for local adaptation and are intended to guide seed transfer decisions when genetic information is not available for a species. 2024 publication date In work As Needed Four regions in the arid southwestern United States as defined by combinations of, or renaming of, the EPA’s Omernik level III ecoregion polygons (Omernik and Griffith 2014): the Sonoran Desert (Sonoran Basin and Range combined with Madrean Archipelago), Mojave Desert (Mojave Basin and Range), Colorado Plateau (Colorado Plateaus combined with Arizona / New Mexico Plateau), and Southern Great Basin (Central Basin and Range). -120.3440 -105.3440 42.3572 31.3322 ISO 19115 Topic Category biota environment climatologyMeteorologyAtmosphere USGS Thesaurus genetic diversity atmospheric and climatic processes geospatial analysis None local adaptation restoration seed transfer zone genetic variation native plant USGS Metadata Identifier USGS:5ea88c8482cefae35a1faf16 Common geographic areas Great Basin Arizona California Colorado Nevada New Mexico Utah None Colorado Plateau Mojave Desert Sonoran Desert No access constraints. Please see 'Distribution Info' for details. No use constraints. Questions pertaining to appropriate use or assistance with understanding limitations or interpretation of the data are to be directed to the individuals/organization listed in the Point of Contact section. U.S. Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center Data Manager mailing and physical

3020 State University Drive, Modoc Hall, Suite 4004

Sacramento CA 95819 US 279-782-0904 gs-b-werc_data_management@usgs.gov Funding was provided by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Mojave Desert Native Plant Program. Daniel F. Shryock Caroline A. Havrilla Lesley A. DeFalco Todd C. Esque Nathan A. Custer Troy E. Wood 20170130 publication Ecological Applications vol. 27, issue 2 n/a Wiley ppg. 429-445 https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.1447 Daniel F. Shryock Lesley A. DeFalco Todd C. Esque 20181005 publication Ecosphere vol. 9, issue 10 n/a Wiley ppg. e02453 https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.2453 Daniel F. Shryock Loraine K. Washburn Lesley A. DeFalco Todd C. Esque 20210102 publication Molecular Ecology vol. 30, issue 3 n/a Wiley ppg. 698-717 https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.15672 James M. Omernik Glenn E. Griffith 20140916 publication Environmental Management vol. 54, issue 6 n/a Springer Science and Business Media LLC ppg. 1249-1266 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-014-0364-1 GS ScienceBase U.S. Geological Survey mailing address

Denver Federal Center, Building 810, Mail Stop 302

Denver CO 80225 United States 1-888-275-8747 sciencebase@usgs.gov Unless otherwise stated, all data, metadata and related materials are considered to satisfy the quality standards relative to the purpose for which the data were collected. Although these data and associated metadata have been reviewed for accuracy and completeness and approved for release by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), no warranty expressed or implied is made regarding the display or utility of the data on any other system or for general or scientific purposes, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Updated to Digital data (tif) https://doi.org/10.5066/P9BQ6IYJ None 20241213 Lesley A DeFalco USGS - SOUTHWEST REGION Research Plant Ecologist mailing and physical

USGS Boulder City Collocation,Boulder City Office Space

Boulder City NV 89005 US 702-294-6591 ldefalco@usgs.gov FGDC Biological Data Profile of the Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata FGDC-STD-001.1-1999