Treesearch

A strong focus on tree germplasm that can resist threats such as non-native insects and pathogens, or a changing climate, is fundamental for successful genetic conservation efforts. However, the unavailability of tools for rapid screening of tree germplasm for resistance to critical pathogens and insect pests is becoming an increasingly serious bottleneck. Here we present the development of a new technique that can potentially revolutionize genetic conservation efforts. Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy is a chemical fingerprinting technique that has been recently shown to be...

The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) has worked since 1983 to introduce genetic resistance to the chestnut blight fungus (Cryphonectria parasitica) into an American chestnut (Castanea dentata) population. As part of a broader goal for species restoration, TACF seeks to instill within that population sufficient diversity so as to enable the species to reproduce on its own in forests throughout its native range. Dr. Charles Burnham proposed introgressing blight-resistance from Asian chestnut species into a predominantly American chestnut genetic background with backcross breeding. Hybrids...

How do we conserve tree diversity in a rapidly changing world, dominated by intensive human impact on the landscape? The Anthropocene is a useful term to describe a new era in Earth’s history, where we dominate the globe’s resources so completely that our activities alter basic nutrient, water, climate, and energy cycles. These rapid environmental changes and the substantial decline in available and appropriate habitat for many organisms has led to predictions of a sixth global extinction event, where a large fraction of the world’s species are lost. These mass extinctions clearly impacted...

Forests are thought to adapt too slowly to anthropogenic climate change, making them highly vulnerable to large-scale loss. Losses can accrue swiftly because generations are lengthy, particularly at higher latitudes (>23⁰ to 73⁰) where wind-pollinated forest species are commonly found to mature slowly. Losses incurred during adaptation to climate change translates into less allelic richness, or genetic diversity, and one can expect some resilience on this point because forests have more genetic diversity than other seed plants and this feature has shaped the forest fragmentation paradox...

American Public Gardens Association, founded in 1940, represents over 600 member gardens spanning North America and 24 countries. Its diverse membership includes botanic gardens, arboreta, and other public gardens which contribute to tree gene conservation. Some maintain ex situ collections nationally accredited through the Association’s Plant Collections Network, a 21-year collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service. This program promotes excellence in curatorial practices while facilitating a continent-wide approach to germplasm preservation....

The southern United States is home to some of the world’s most biologically diverse temperate forests. These forests range from the Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains to the Southern Appalachian Mountains and are home to more than 140 tree species which provide a number of ecosystem services, including clean air and water, carbon storage, recreational opportunities, wood, and fiber to feed a growing population’s need for solid wood and paper products. Many of these species are threatened by natural and human-caused disturbances, including native and exotic insects, diseases, invasive plants,...

Among forest-associated plant species in the United States, less than one percent has been determined to be extinct. However, 57 trees or trees/shrubs are officially listed as threatened or endangered by the U.S. Department of Interior Fish and Wildlife Service. Most of these listed species are tropical island endemics; 35 are from Hawaii and 13 from Puerto Rico and/or the United States Virgin Islands. As required by law, these listed species have restoration plans that are in some state of implementation. Federal land management agencies also strive to conserve species that are considered...

Camcore is an international tree breeding and conservation program with headquarters at North Carolina State University. Camcore was founded in 1980 as a cooperative, non-profit organization to identify and save the dwindling natural populations of pines in the highland regions of Guatemala in Central America. Funded by the private sector, the program has played an important role as an international gene conservation cooperative. The program emphasizes ex situ conservation as a complement to in situ conservation to ensure that a wide range of genetic variation in a species is protected....

Over the last 200 years, humans have impacted the genetic diversity of forest trees. Because of widespread deforestation and over-exploitation, about 9,000 tree species are listed worldwide as threatened with extinction, including more than half of the ~600 known conifer taxa. A comprehensive review of the floristic-taxonomic literature compiled a list of 4,331 recorded tree species in Mexico. The highest diversity of pine and oak worldwide is located in the Mexican temperate forests. Because species diversity and genetic diversity are often positively associated, there is expectation of...

Laurel wilt disease is incited by the exotic fungus Raffaelea lauricola and transmitted by the Asian redbay ambrosia beetle (Xyleborus glabratus). The disease has spread from Savannah, Georgia in 2002 across the coastal southeast as far south as the Everglades, and in 2014 was discovered as far west as Texas. Mortality is severe, with locations in Florida reporting more than 90 percent loss of redbays, 7.6 to 10.2 cm (3 to 4 inches) in diameter and greater. Surviving redbays from coastal maritime forest ecosystems have been collected and propagated for the study of disease resistance and...