What To Plant Where Portal

Tree planting is a powerful tool for restoring ecosystems, enhancing livelihoods, and combating climate change. However, the success of large-scale initiatives relies critically on selecting the right species and the right seed source adapted to local climatic conditions. High project failure rates often stem from a mismatch between the seed's origin and the planting site's environment.

The Where to Plant What (WTPW) Decision Support Tool is a free, interactive, online decision-support application developed to address these high failure rates. The tool provides a systematic methodology to select suitable tree species and identify their best-matching seed sources for any specified planting location in countries covered by the Right Tree for Right Place project.

This short module introduces you to WTPW’s key features, helping you navigate its interface and effectively apply its filtering tools to procure traceable seeds for you intended uses.

By using this resource, you will be able to:

• Explain the scientific rationale behind the Where to Plant What (WTPW) decision-support tool, particularly the concepts of climatic suitability scores and environmental distance.
• Navigate the WTPW interface and its five main tabs to generate a complete, evidence-based seed sourcing plan.
• Select appropriate tree species aligned with local community needs, , restoration goals and the environmental conditions of the proposed planting site.
• Interpret seed source rankings and environmental distance scores to make data-driven, climate-smart procurement decisions.
• Apply procurement best practices and documentation protocols to ensure high-quality, traceable, and genetically appropriate germplasm sourcing.