Genetics and disease resistance in eastern North America trees: American Beech, Butternut, and Eastern Hemlock

Forests are being inundated with invasive pests and pathogens, as well as climate change. Traditional disease resistance breeding is slow for trees, which can take decades to reach sexual maturity. Identification of genetic markers of resistance can accelerate this process. Researchers from the Plant Computation Lab at the University of Connecticut will talk about their work to identify disease resistance genetic markers in 3 systems: American Beech—Beech Bark Disease—Beech Leaf Disease, Butternut—Butternut Canker Disease, and Eastern Hemlock—Hemlock Woolly Adelgid. They will also discuss the ability of landscape genetics to forecast range shifts, and introduce a citizen science project for landscape collections in American Beech.