World Interest in Diverse Native Plant Stands

World Interest in Diverse Native Plant Stands

The objective of this paper was to provide a brief overview of native plant use and development including examples of native plant research being conducted in Canada. There is increasing interest in native plants in various countries. Currently, native plants are used in reclamation, biomass biofuel production, forage seeding, habitat restoration, and water and soil conservation efforts. Many countries have active programs for native plant preservation and new germplasm development, but seed cost, seed quality, and ease of establishment are still challenges for large-scale use. Many improved native plant germplasms have been released in recent years. In some countries, legislation and/or regulations were introduced to encourage use of native plants by industry such as in mine reclamation.