The goal of this 'assisted migration' experiment is to see if humans could not only help the American chestnut tree deal with climate change but also help restore it.
John Emery makes his way through a secluded orchard of chestnut trees in Weston where chestnut blight-resistant tree hybrids are being cultivated.
“We're simultaneously trying to restore the chestnut in our experiment, as well as testing how well it will perform in a future environment if moved a bit farther north,” said Peter Clark, theAfter a blight fungus decimated American chestnut trees across the eastern U.S. in the mid-20th century, dedicated naturalists have kept the species alive by breeding hybrids of the American chestnut with the Chinese chestnut.
In his study, out of nine tree species that were transplanted, the chestnuts ranked second in growth and survival. It doesn’t mean it was easy for the chestnut hybrids — they grew fast in the spring, but cold snaps injured their roots in the winter. Still, over time, more than 400 chestnuts continue to grow.
She thinks studies of assisted tree migration like Clark’s will be key to learning how to manage forests with climate change. He also pointed to the importance of human assisted migration in the past, when Indigenous peoples helped spread chestnut seeds that formed the original American chestnut range. “The bigger movement historically would have been on Indigenous people just given how important it was to their culture for food staple.”A chestnut tree hybrid resisting blight infection by walling off.
“When young male deer in the fall rub their antlers on the bark, that creates an opening for blight fungus to come in,” he says.
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Researchers bioengineer skin, bioprint cartilage to fix ear malformationResearchers in Switzerland and the United States have combined bioengineered human skin with bioprinted cartilage to produce what in the future could be perfect-looking ears to replace the outer shell of an ear that developed wrong while a baby was in the womb.
Read more »
Researchers demonstrate a high-speed electrical readout method for graphene nanodevicesGraphene is often referred to as a wonder material for its advantageous qualities. But its application in quantum computers, while promising, is stymied by the challenge of getting accurate measurements of quantum bit states with existing techniques.
Read more »
Researchers urge: It's high time for alliances to ensure supply chain securityGovernments and companies emphasize the importance of protecting themselves from disruptions. Yet, they hesitate to share data with each other. But why should they embrace the idea of building a supply chain mapping alliance? There are several compelling reasons for this.
Read more »
Researchers confirm postpartum depression heritability, home in on treatment mechanismResearchers have conducted a large-scale meta-analyses of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to investigate the genetic architecture of PPD.
Read more »
San Diego researchers see role for public opinion in global warming fightSan Diego researchers think there is a way to make sure countries keep their climate friendly promises laid out in the Paris Agreement. They suggest calling them out publicly if they fall short.
Read more »
Coin tosses are not 50/50: Researchers find a slight biasWant to get a slight edge during a coin toss? Check out which side is facing upwards before the coin is flipped –- then call that same side.
Read more »