BigLoad
Trail Wise!
Pancakes!
Posts: 12,911 
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Post by BigLoad on May 22, 2020 14:45:50 GMT -8
I think I posted on this a few years ago, but it comes back to mind every year. The blight in the early 1900s eliminated all but a tiny few American Chestnuts as standing adult trees in their native range. However, many of their root systems live on, some hundreds of years old. At this time of year, you can find clonal chestnut sprouts growing in the eastern forest. They'll never become adult trees, but it's interesting to see them and ponder their tenacity.
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whistlepunk
Trail Wise!
I was an award winning honor student once. I have no idea what happened...
Posts: 1,446
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Post by whistlepunk on May 22, 2020 16:33:56 GMT -8
Yeah, they get large bush sized, or maybe a small tree, then the blight gets them.
Every once in while you read of some large old chestnut found deep in the forest. Researchers mark them, protect them, and take DNA samples for analysis. If it has a natural resistance then that tree becomes genetic gold.
The same for Sugar Pines in the west. Trees that are naturally resistant to Blister Rust are marked and protected, and the seeds collected for reforestation. The Rust Resistant Sugar Pine program is a major ongoing project in California.
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