SLIDE 1 Forest Health: Context for contemplating the role of biotechnology to enhance forest health
Kimberly F. Wallin, PhD
Associate Research Professor and Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Programs University of Vermont, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources USDA Forest Service NASEM: Committee on the Potential for Biotechnology to Address Forest Health: Measures and characteristics of forest health most appropriate when evaluating the risk of releasing trees produced using biotechnology Open Session │February 8, 2018
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Forest Health: It is everything and it is nothing
SLIDE 3 Forest Health: It is everything and it is nothing
Forest health needs to encompass:
- range of functions and services
- management objectives and threats
all present at a variety of scales. Due to the complexity of the forest health concept, no definition can be sufficient therefore, it is most appropriate to explicitly consider the above points when discussing the health of a forest.
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Urban forests consist of about 3.8 billion trees valued at $2.4 trillion.
Forest Health: Urban forests
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Natural forest is a forest self-generated on the location and consists of naturally immigrant tree species and strains, and has not been planted.
Forest Health: Naturally regenerating forests
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Forest Health: Working landscapes
Leaf-peeping in New England is worth over $5 billion annually (VT, NH, ME, MA, RH: Departments of Tourism)
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Forest Health: Foundation species
Unique forests that many species depend on for survival
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Forest Health: Production
Plantation forests show promise for biofuels in southern US (R. Gonzalez, J. Wright, D. Saloni)
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Threats to forest health and management options
Examples: 1) Invasive species pose threat on forest health 2) Range expansion of native species 3) Re-introduction of trees 4) Plantations
SLIDE 10 Invasive species pose threat on the health of forests, especially urban forests
Photo credit: Ben Eastaugh and Chris Sternal-Johnson.
SLIDE 11 Ash trees in a Toledo, Ohio neighborhood in June 2006. Credit: D. Herms Ash trees in a Toledo, Ohio neighborhood in June 2009. Credit: D. Herms
Invasive species pose threat on the health of forests, especially urban forests
SLIDE 12 Knowledge gap: Does biotechnology have a role to enhance urban forest health in the face of invasive species?
- Maybe, but why invest in this strategy?
- Probability of success is unknown
- Probability of lasting effectiveness is likely low
- Next pest is right around the corner
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- Alternatively, learn from the past and increase diversity of urban
trees.
- Invest in this proactive management practice
- Probability of success is high
- Probability of negative impacts are low
- Increase urban ecosystem diversity
Bocana Street, in the Bernal Heights neighborhood of San Francisco
Knowledge gap: Does biotechnology have a role to enhance urban forest health in the face of invasive species?
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Knowledge gap: Does biotechnology have a role to enhance the health of forests as native species expand their range?
Mountain Pine Beetle Southern Pine Beetle
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Dendroctonus
(Latin for tree killer)
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Landscape level mortality caused by mountain pine beetle Over 18 million hectares in CN
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Landscape level mortality caused by mountain pine beetle Over 34.5 million hectares in North America
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Really good at locating host trees
SLIDE 19 Host Selection and Colonization
Secondary host selection
- Response to aggregation pheromones and host tree
volatiles
SLIDE 20 MPB girdle trees by cutting off the flow of water and nutrients
In addition, MPB carries an fungus Grosmannia
- clavigera. This fungus cuts off the flow of water
and nutrients in the tree
Mountain pine beetle
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Overcome tree defenses!
SLIDE 22 Defenses: are they heritable?
Ott, Yanchuk, Wallin. 2012.
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SLIDE 24 Dendroctonus (Latin for tree killer)
Southern pine beetle are not just southern anymore
Dodds, 2015
SLIDE 25 Photo by Bob Williams, Land Dimensions
New Jersey pines killed within weeks by D. frontalis
SLIDE 26 Maybe, but need to know,
- What is the target? Host selection? Host defenses?
- Probability of lasting effectiveness is likely low
- Classic ‘arms race’
Knowledge gap: Does biotechnology have a role to enhance the health of forests as native species expand their range?
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- Alternatively, actively manage our forests
- MPB: Increase age class and species diversity
- SPB: Management program is the shining star of success in
the history of forest pest management
- Communicate methods across regions
Knowledge gap: Does biotechnology have a role to enhance the health of forests as native species expand their range?
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Knowledge gap: Does biotechnology have a role to enhance the health of forests by reintroducing trees?
SLIDE 29 Probably,
- Whitebark pine trees are expensive to propagate, add powerful
tool to breeding repertoire.
- Perhaps breed for tolerance to warming winters.
- The American Chestnut Foundation values each B3F3 seed at
$250 (Schaberg), biotechnology could increase return on this investment.
- OxO gene has shown to be effective against blight.
Knowledge gap: Does biotechnology have a role to enhance the health of forests by reintroducing trees?
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Knowledge gap: Does biotechnology have a role to enhance the health of plantation forests?
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- Probably,
- Probability of success is promising due to abiotic focus
- Probability of negative impacts are unknown
Does biotechnology have a role to enhance the health of plantation forests?
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- Probably,
- Probability of success is promising due to abiotic focus
- Probability of negative impacts are unknown
- Do we want our southern forests to be eucalyptus
plantations?
Does biotechnology have a role to enhance the health of plantation forests?
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Δ pestilence challenges environmental security
Forest Health: Context for contemplating the role of biotechnology to enhance forest health
Will it benefit forest health however you decide define it and at what scale? Define objectives Can past management plans or mistakes inform current/future forest health? Learn from past mistakes and successes What can be done to prevent movement invasive species? “Prevention is the best medicine” Invest in good science that is translatable across regions Communicate and share knowledge
