Editing Provenance (section)

===Seed provenance===
Seed provenance refers to the geographic location of a parent plant, from which seeds were collected. In the context of ecological restoration, [[Seed Provenancing|seed provenancing]] refers to a seed-sourcing strategy that focuses on the geographic location of seed sources, as each provenance can describe the genetic material from that location.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Breed |first1=Martin F |last2=Harrison |first2=Peter A |last3=Bischoff |first3=Armin |last4=Durruty |first4=Paula |last5=Gellie |first5=Nick J C |last6=Gonzales |first6=Emily K |last7=Havens |first7=Kayri |author-link7=Kayri Havens |last8=Karmann |first8=Marion |last9=Kilkenny |first9=Francis F |last10=Krauss |first10=Siegfried L |last11=Lowe |first11=Andrew J |last12=Marques |first12=Pedro |last13=Nevill |first13=Paul G |last14=Vitt |first14=Pati L |last15=Bucharova |first15=Anna |date=2018-06-13 |title=Priority Actions to Improve Provenance Decision-Making |url=https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biy050 |journal=BioScience |volume=68 |issue=7 |pages=510–516 |doi=10.1093/biosci/biy050 |issn=0006-3568}}</ref> Local provenancing is a position maintained by ecologists that suggests that only seeds of local provenance should be planted in a particular area. However, this view depends on the [[adaptationist program]] – a view that populations are universally locally adapted.<ref>Gould S. J.; Lewontin; R. C. (1979). "The Spandrels of San Marco and the Panglossian Paradigm: A Critique of the Adaptationist Programme". ''Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B: Biological Sciences'', 205: 581-598</ref> It is maintained that local seed is best [[Adaptation|adapted]] to local conditions, and that [[outbreeding depression]] will be avoided. [[Evolutionary biologists]] suggest that strict adherence to provenance collecting is not a wise decision because:
# Local adaptation is not as common as assumed.<ref name="Gould & Lewontin 1979">Gould & Lewontin 1979</ref>
# Background population [[maladaptation]] can be driven by natural processes.<ref name="Gould & Lewontin 1979"/>
# Human actions of [[habitat fragmentation]] drive maladaptation up and adaptive potential down.<ref>Willi Y, Van Buskirk J, Hoffmann AA (2006) Limits to the adaptive potential of small populations. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics 37: 433-458.</ref>
# [[Natural selection]] is changing rapidly due to [[climate change]].<ref>Parmesan C (2006) Ecological and evolutionary responses to recent climate change. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics 37: 637-669.</ref> and habitat fragmentation
# Population fragments are unlikely to divergence by natural selection since fragmentation (<&nbsp;500 years). This leads to a low risk of outbreeding depression.<ref>Frankham R, Ballou J, Eldridge M, Lacy R, Ralls K, et al. (2011) Predicting the probability of outbreeding depression. Conservation Biology.</ref>

Provenance trials, where material of different provenances are planted in a single place or at different locations spanning a range of environmental conditions, is a way to reveal [[genetic variation]] among provenances. It also contributes to an understanding of how different provenances respond to various climatic and environmental conditions and can as such contribute with knowledge on how to strategically select provenances for [[climate change adaptation]].<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Konnert, M., Fady, B., Gömöry, D., A'Hara, S., Wolter, F., Ducci, F. Koskela, J., Bozzano, M., Maaten, T. and Kowalczyk, J.|title=Use and transfer of forest reproductive material in Europe in the context of climate change|journal=European Forest Genetic Resources Programme (EUFORGEN), Bioversity International, Rome, Italy|date=2015|page=xvi and 75 p|url=http://www.euforgen.org/fileadmin/templates/euforgen.org/upload/Publications/Thematic_publications/EUFORGEN_FRM_use_transfer.pdf}}</ref>