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Why Use Native Plants?

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Guides Here:


Restoration Guide
(1.4 MB)
Grassland Management Guide
(4.4 MB)
Guide to Selling Native Seed
(4.6 MB)


Benefits of using local-ecotype seed:

  • adapted to the planting site.
  • they are not overly aggressive, so they work well in diverse mixes.

Using local-ecotype seed can prevent problems:

  • non-local seed can fail to grow in sites too far from its origin.
  • cultivars are bred for particular qualities (large size, aggressive growth, and resistance to diseases, etc). They can be overly aggressive and dominate mixed plantings, lowering diversity.
  • non-native seed risks becoming invasive in the future.
  • non-local and improved varieties of native plants may interbreed with plants in local prairies, alter their genetic makeup, and reduce their adaptability to local conditions.

Benefits of high-diversity plantings:

  • provide better habitat for wildlife, and require less management to maintain that habitat quality.
  • are more consistent pollen and nectar sources for native pollinators.
  • lead to higher diversities of native insects, birds, and wildlife.
  • increases resistance to invasive weeds.

 

child with seeds

The Terrestrial Ecological Systems and Natural Communities  of Nebraska

 This document has been structured after and crosswalked with the U.S. National  Vegetation Classification developed by NatureServe. It defines and describes 19 systems and 83 communities for the state.

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