Science
Scientists test young American elms for disease resistance to aid restoration efforts
Researchers in Vermont injected thousands of young trees with Dutch elm disease spores to identify tolerant survivors for a breeding program.
The short version
- Scientists from the U.S. Forest Service and The Nature Conservancy Vermont spent the summer injecting 6,000 young American elms with Dutch elm disease spores.
- The surviving trees will be placed in a fenced seed orchard to grow for roughly 15 years, with the goal of harvesting seeds to restore the species in forests, riverbanks, and residential yards.
- Unlike inoculation projects such as the one protecting ash trees with insecticide, the elm initiative is a long-term breeding program aimed at cultivating genetic diversity and regional resilience.
Key facts
- Researchers injected 6,000 young American elms in Vermont with Dutch elm disease spores to evaluate their natural resistance to the pathogen.[Associated Press · ABC News]
- The tested saplings were bred from a small group of a few dozen Northeast elm trees that managed to survive the historical wave of Dutch elm disease.[Associated Press · ABC News]
- Survivors of the trial will be relocated to a seed orchard for about 15 years until they produce seeds, which will then be distributed for ecological restoration.[Associated Press · ABC News]
- Dutch elm disease is caused by a fungus spread by bark beetles that stops trees from transporting water, and has killed tens of millions of American elms since arriving in the U.S. nearly a century ago.[Associated Press · ABC News]
- In a separate effort to combat forest pests, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy has treated approximately 1,400 ash trees with insecticides since 2016 to defend against the emerald ash borer.[Associated Press · ABC News]