| If you have any new info on the blooming status of trees you are checking, please let us know soon. Please count if the tree or tree cluster has at least 25 blooming tips - hopefully averaging 2 or more females per bag if 25 bags placed. A full line on the first try is our goal. For completing a line we could consider one with fewer tips, but remember it's very expensive for companies to send a truck, would like the probability of harvesting the full balance needed to finish the line.
Bagging may start during the week of the 13th. With the warm weather it appears the season is coming on very fast - much earlier than last year.
We're checking if additional bucket truck companies may be available, so knowing which towns helps with the request. Please consider helping on site. We can send out bags, ties and markers to number the bags, you would need pruning shears (although the truck arborist usually has his/her own). There are resources on our websites about timing and what to do. Some low growing trees may be able to facilitate a successful ground based bagging, please be careful.
Keep in mind that the bucket truck companies need advance notice of at least a few days to schedule their trucks.Gayle Kida The American Chestnut Foundation® CT Chapter Tree Breeding Coordinator Gayle7258gk 'at' gmail 'dot' com |
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By Kendra Gurney
TACF® New England Region Science Coordinator
In spring of 2009 Dr. Fenny Dane, a professor at Auburn University, presented her research on the evolutionary history of Castanea species at CT-TACF's Annual Meeting. Dr. Dane has used the DNA of chloroplasts, small organelles within the plant cell, to trace populations of Castanea species over millions of years. The study of chloroplast-DNA is a common tool for plant scientists interested phylogeography because the DNA of the chloroplast is effectively haploid (only has one set of chromosomes) and inherited maternally. This provides the ability to trace seed-mediated migration and colonization of plant populations over time. Differences in chloroplast DNA can be used to designate haplotypes, or different genetic lineages.
It has been shown that each Castanea species has several distinct chloroplast types. More differences can be detected among Asian species than within European or North American species using chloroplast DNA analysis. Dr. Dane hypothesizes that the genus originated in Asia, migrated to Europe and then continued west to North America. From an analysis of samples from the Appalachian range of the US we can hypothesize that Castanea found refuge in the southern region of the Appalachian Mountains during glacial periods. Following the retreat of the ice sheet, one lineage, the C. dentata D1 haplotype, migrated in a north-easterly direction.
Much of Dr. Dane's work with Castanea in North America has focused on samples from the southern and central Appalachians, where more diversity in chloroplast type has been detected. Dr. Dane suggested that it would be helpful to her work if the CT Chapter could provide her with samples of genetic material from known, validated Castanea dentata (American chestnut) examples from Connecticut. Currently, such specimens are validated by scientists who use a dichotomous key to analyze a sample for traits indicating C. dentata lineage. Positive validation leads to the selection of mother trees appropriate for inclusion in the CT chapter's breeding program. Analyzing the chloroplast DNA of validated C. dentata samples from CT would benefit Dr. Dane's work by providing more samples to support the single north-easterly linage hypothesis. Such an analysis would also benefit the CT Chapter, by verifying that the current process of sample validation for selecting mother trees is in fact identifying pure C. dentata from the local population. This past summer, CT Chapter President Bill Adamsen took on the task of collecting samples for Dr. Dane from the chapter's mother trees, as well as the backcross offspring that have been produced. His total journey was just over three hundred miles and he collected a total of collection totaled thirty five mother tree samples and twelve orchard back-cross samples.
Thirty three of those samples collected were submitted to Dr. Dane (some samples were omitted because of collection timing issues) and the results are in! Her graduate student, Xiaowei Li, isolated DNA from the leaf samples and amplified small sections of the chloroplast genome using the polymerase chain reaction, followed by sequencing analysis. All samples showed the C. dentata D1 haplotype, most commonly detected in populations of the American chestnut (see Figures). This means that all samples are from the linage that travelled north-east following the retreat of the ice sheet. The analysis cannot pin-point the origin of the trees any further, but does provide evidence that the mother trees used in the CT Chapter's breeding program are, in fact, Castanea dentata, or American chestnut, which is a nice validation of the careful selection process used.
For more information see: Dane, F. 2009. Comparative phylogeography of Castanea species. Proceedings of the Fourth International Chestnut Symposium. Acta Horticulturae 844: 211-222.
Home page of Fenny Dane at Auburn
Article by Kendra Gurney
The American Chestnut Foundation®
New England Regional Science Coordinator
USFS Northern Research Station
705 Spear Street
South Burlington, VT 05403
Tel: 802.951.6771 x1350
Cell: 802.999.8706
Kendra@acf.org
By Bill Adamsen - Wilton, CT
Director of The American Chestnut Foundation, President, CT Chapter
The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) has embarked on a major initiative to bring its tree data closer to the end user by developing a web-interface on a database application. The solution is expected to allow members and constituents to use on-line forms to provide observation data on wild trees, orchards, and restoration plantings. Outside collaborators can create experiments and analyze metrics for success by leveraging internal algorithms such as coefficients for kinship and inbreeding to help define optimal pedigrees. The goal is to support the efforts of TACF to develop a blight resistant American chestnut through a traditional plant breeding program.
By Bill Adamsen - Wilton, CT
Director of The American Chestnut Foundation, President, CT Chapter
A few weeks ago I had the chance to speak to Dr. David Wagner at the University of CT about the functional extinction of the American chestnut and he commented with an anecdote I'd not heard before. He pointed out that the functional extinction of the American chestnut accounts for a significant percentage of the recorded invertebrate extinctions in modern times. In fact Dr. Wagner provided this qualified quote ...
“American chestnut extinction correlates to the greatest invertebrate extinctions on earth in the modern era. That there are only 61 invertebrate extinctions in modern era ... 41 in North America and of those, 5 are directly related to loss of chestnut.”
Dr. David Wagner
The five insects believed to be extinct as a result of the chestnut's demise (see the IUCN Red List) are Argyresthia castanella, Ectoedemia castaneae, Ectoedemia phleophaga, Tischeria perplexa, and Swammerdamia castaneae. In fact, seven are (were) red-listed as extinct but two of those - Synanthedon castaneae and Coleophora leucochrysella - have been subsequently found by Dr. Wagner and his team.
While the specifics are probably important, the general concept is truly monumental. Loss of a single species in an isolated ecosystem can have dramatic and unanticipated effects. In the most recent publication of the Annual Review of Entomology, David Wagner and Roy G. Van Driesche discuss some of the threats to rare insects by invasive species and the evidence is telling .
Since its discovery in Michigan in 2002, the Chinese buprestid Agrilus planipennis has killed more than 30 million ash (Fraxinus) trees in the northcentral United States (43, 122). If ash suffers the same fate as American chestnut (Castanea dentata), numerous Fraxinus specialists will perish. Wagner (168) identified 21 ash-feeding moths and butterflies potentially threatened by the beetle, of which five sphingids--Ceratomia undulosa, Manduca jasminearum, Sphinx canadensis, Sphinx chersis, and Sphinx franckii--are thought to be especially vulnerable.
Annual Review of Entomology 2010 55:565
This is a good reminder of the complexity of our ecology and the impact of a single foreign invasive pathogen. A bird lover, I always wonder how insect abundance affects birds. There is of course much more to the puzzle. If you have comments or other examples, please feel free to put them in the comments below.
By Bill Adamsen - Wilton, CT
Director of The American Chestnut Foundation, President, CT Chapter
Several months ago a friend sent a link to an article which provides evidence that chestnut really was a dependable source of food for wildlife - something frequently mentioned - but without documentation. After reading the article Hard Mast Production Before and After the Chestnut Blight I thought more CT Chapter members might appreciate the opportunity to read it. It provides a comparison of estimated hard nut production in a Southern Appalachian forest that happened to be assessed carefully at the time of the blight, for hardwood composition.
The immediate impression the article had on me - was realization of the impact the loss of a high volume producer (chestnut) must have had on wildlife. Looking at the graph below (or reading the referenced article) one is struck by how dissimilar the large year-to-year variability in mast production among oaks is to chestnuts (the bright green section on histogram bars to left). The loss of American chestnut must have greatly increased mortality for many mammals and birds which would have depended on the stable and consistent food supply chestnut provided.
The below graph uses the data provided in Hard Mast Production Before and After the Chestnut Blight to display calculated total hard mast production for a 10 yr interval in a Coweeta Basin forest before and approximataly 35 years after the chestnut blight epidemic.
All data by Diamond, Giles, Kirkpatrick and Griffin
Graph formatting by Bill Adamsen
The publication is available on-line. The authors are Seth J. Diamond, Robert H. Giles, Jr., and Roy L. Kirkpatrick, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, and Gary J. Griffin, Department of Plant Pathology, Physiology, and Weed Science, Virginia Polytechnic Institute.
Thanks to Leila Pinchot for forwarding the article.
So is titled Connecticut's fifth Statewide Forest Forum. Be sure to look at the agenda and list of speakers - there's not a session you'd want to miss. Hope to see you there!
The 5th annual Connecticut Statewide Forest Forum will be held on Tuesday, November 24 at the University of Connecticut Rome Ballroom in Storrs. Complete details and registration information are attached, and are available at www.ctwoodlands.org.Connecticut's Forest Forums were created to enable anyone interested in forest resources, regardless of background or experience, to come together, share ideas and work towards solutions to our forest-related problems. Past Forums have highlighted such issues as forest sustainability in an urbanizing environment, blending science and policy, and valuing forest ecosystem services.
This year, we build on these themes by looking at Connecticut in the context of critical global and national issues. A fascinating look at the complex and rapidly changing global forces shaping Connecticut's forests will be followed by an overview of national forest policy, including the 2008 Farm Bill and its impacts on Connecticut. We then turn to the state level and a new state forest resource assessment which is in progress as we meet. The results will produce a strategy to guide future use of state and federal forest funding. The morning concludes with a fresh look at forest ecosystem services, followed by ample time for questions.
The afternoon begins with a roundtable session where participants can add their ideas to the developing statewide strategy and plan. Three concurrent sessions follow. The Private Forest Stewardship session delves into key current issues including climate change, carbon sequestration and details of the 2008 Farm Bill programs. Forest Research and Forest Health provide four reports on research underway in the Highlands of western Connecticut. Urban & Community Forestry is examined in the context of the latest Smart Growth initiatives and Connecticut's shifting political environment.
The $50 registration fee includes all breaks, lunch and handout materials. Questions and suggestions may be directed to Steve Broderick, Forester and Program Director at the Goodwin Forest Conservation Education Center, at 860-455-9534 or sbroderick@ctwoodlands.org.
We look forward to seeing you there!!
Thomas E. Worthley Assistant Extension Professor Middlesex County Extension Center 1066 Saybrook Rd. Haddam, CT 06438-0070 phone: 860-345-5232 fax: 860-345-3357
2009 Forest Forum Brochure [1800kb]
Bill Adamsen President, CT Chapter of The American Chestnut Foundation
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Professor Fenny Dane of Auburn University presented her Castanea Migration Theory at last year's CT Chapter Annual Meeting. Each Castanea species has several distinct chloroplast types. More differences can be detected among Asian species than within European or North American species using chloroplast DNA analysis. However from analysis of samples from the Appalachian range we can hypothesize that Castanea found refuge in the southern region of the Appalachian mountain range during glacial periods and that following the retreat of the ice sheet, one lineage migrated into north easterly direction. Dr. Dane had suggested that it would be helpful to her work if the Connecticut Chapter could provide her with samples of genetic material from known validated American chestnut examples we'd found in Connecticut. We keep accurate track of the samples and validation process, and by summer's end had twenty seven validated American chestnut that we had either successfully pollinated or felt had a high probability of flowering and providing an opportunity to pollinate. Validation is a time and resource consuming process whereby several scientists use dichotomous keys to analyze a sample for traits indicating American lineage. We use the same group of scientists - though it evolves over time - to ensure a consistent review. It should be noted that only a small percentage of the samples found in Connecticut are actually validated using this approach. The majority (about seventy-five percent) of samples submitted are rejected as being hybrids with Asian chestnut or European chestnut traits. And also, since it time consuming and resource consuming - we do not to bother validating samples of trees with known low probability to flower. So for instance, I'll see dozens of trees during a trail hike or canoe ride or even driving - but rarely bother to report the trees unless they look large enough to flower, with enough light, and accessible by bucket truck. |
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We've completed our predictive model for finding American chestnut trees in Litchfield County and now need your help determining whether this model works! Do you live in or visit Litchfield County? Print out one of these maps and tell us if you find an American chestnut tree while driving through one of the identified hot-spots. We have a fantastic prize for the greatest number of sightings.
by Bill Adamsen
Achieving the goals set out in our regional adaptation program require finding native American chestnuts and capturing their genes. We do this by finding American chestnut that can be ...
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a) validated as being pure American chestnut b) cooperate by flowering c) are accessible trees with accessible flowers d) cooperate by being compatible with our advanced breeding pollen e) have the vitality to survive till harvest with the number of nuts outlined as required |
Even with this daunting list of requirements we have slowly yet surely been inching towards our goals as outlined in our strategic plan for capturing genes.
by Christine Cadigan
After a day of testing the hypothesis suggested in A Needle in a Haystack, I think our geospatial predictor hypothesis for chestnut may have merit. Those of you who read the article will recall that we used soil type, road proximity, sun aspect and other criteria to hypothesize a prediction model for spotting native American chestnut sprouts from a car. To test the model, I drove around the western part of Litchfield County near Segar Mountain Road and Skiff Mountain Road, locations with a high incidence of "hot spots" according to the model. . How did it work? I found only one reproductive tree, but I certainly found numerous sprouts! The results of my adventure include some additional ideas for tweaking the model and also some advice on methodology.
My first mission was to explore the Segar Mountain Road area (rt. 341). This section showed up on the map with perhaps the most significant number of hotspots for likely chestnut territory. This, as many of you may know, is a rather busy road and attempting to study the roadsides was nearly impossible.
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As soon as I pulled over and shut down my car, I noticed a little chestnut sprout staring straight up at me (almost mockingly, really). |
Slightly frustrated at my inability to spot chestnut trees (let alone identify the species of any tree), I immediately pulled off onto a small side street to get out my map and regroup. As soon as I pulled over and shut down my car, I noticed a little chestnut sprout staring straight up at me (almost mockingly, really). After exploring this area for a while, I eventually chose to turn down another, larger side street that had several "hotpots" on it as well. Turning right on Kenico, I made a huge loop through Gorham to end up back on Segar Mountain Road. Where the loop turns into Gorham is most definitely chestnut territory. It's a previously disturbed area in very early succession stages–prime chestnut location. I saw several sprouts on this street as well, though none were reproductively active.
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Sometimes chestnut is easy to find - such as this example providing irrefutable evidence of a previous year's flowering. |
The lesson learned for wannabee chestnut hunters is, it is highly recommend recruit an assistant chestnut hunter. I suspect it is far easier to drive and search with two sets of eyes. Either way, if you've found a potentially great area that straddles a larger, well-trafficked road, I would advise ignoring the map and pulling off on the first side street. Small shoulders on busy roads would not only be difficult for spotting chestnut, but would create havoc for a pollination team with a bucket truck as well. When finding chestnut to pollinate, considering logistics simply makes good sense.
Next stop was Skiff Mountain Road - which leads to my next bit of advice. The potential hotspots displayed on the map certainly do not take all aspects of chestnut ecology into account. Skiff Mountain Road is a fairly narrow, relatively undisturbed road with mature growth and very dense stands. There is not a lot of light coming through and large hemlock forests seem to shade out the possibility of chestnut. I, therefore, did not find very many sprouts on this road. My advice is to keep in mind those important facts about chestnut ecology when using this map. Especially when time is off the essence, I might advise eliminating shady, narrow roads from your list.
Other factors making chestnut spotting easier: key in on sunny spots (chestnuts thrive off of release; not to mention, it's far easier to spot them with a little light), choose side streets that may be less traveled, and don't be afraid to pull over and park if you've spotted a single sprout (chances are, there's probably a few more around too).
Good Luck!
Christine M. Cadigan
Candidate for Master of Environmental Management and Master of Forestry 2010
Nicholas School of the Environment
Duke University
Summer Intern - CT Chapter TACF
| In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks. -John Muir |
