拥有健康的生态系统，才能改善人民生计、抵御气候变化以及阻止生物多样性丧失。生态保护和生态修复离不开包括高质量种子在内的乡土植物材料的支撑。美国于2015年启动实施了针对生态修复和恢复的“美国生态修复和恢复国家种子战略2015—2020”，旨在为生态恢复提供遗传上合适的乡土植物种子，以期恢复有活力的、具有较高生产力的植物群落和可持续的生态系统。介绍了美国生态种子战略的产生背景、目标和运行机制、乡土种子研发和使用的流程及关键措施、实施5年来的进展及其典型案例。我国退化和受损生态系统面积很大，尤其是在干旱半干旱的西北地区，修复任务艰巨，应借鉴美国实施国家种子战略的经验，高度重视乡土植物在生态修复和生态建设中的利用，加强生态修复方面的乡土植物资源普查、种子收集、鉴定评价、繁殖特性研究以及繁育推广和应用，提高我国生态保护修复的成效。

Ecological restoration is a worldwide challenge but is constrained by the lack of sufficient and viable native plant material. High-quality native plant material, including seeds, is key to ecosystem restoration and conservation. In 2015, the United States National Seed Strategy for Rehabilitation and Restoration was developed by the Plant Conservation Alliance in partnership with 12 federal agencies and over 300 non-federal cooperators in the United States. Its mission is to ensure the availability of genetically appropriate native seeds for restoration in the United States. With the vision of depositing the right seed in the right place at the right time, the four goals of the strategy are to: identify seed needs and ensure the reliable availability of genetically appropriate seeds; identify research needs and conduct research to provide genetically appropriate seeds; improve technology for native seed production and ecosystem restoration; and develop tools that enable managers to make timely, informed seeding decisions for ecological restoration. Develop strategies for internal and external communication. The strategy made great accomplishments during 2015-2020 by establishing nationwide networks of seed collectors, researchers to develop seeds, farmers to grow native seeds, nurseries and seed storage facilities to supply adequate quantities of appropriate seeds, and restoration ecologists who knew how to place the right seed in the right place at the right time. Understanding the background, goals, and progress of this strategy will help to improve the pace and scale of ecological restoration in China.