there may be a method to combat Chestnut blight in the future. The American chestnut tree is threatened to become extinct. This is occurring because of a fungus know as chestnut blight. Chestnut blight attacks the roots of a tree and produces Oxalic acid that destroys the cambium where the tree grows from so the tree dies. Drs. William Powell and Charles Maynard of the SUNY Collage of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) believe they may have a way to save the American chestnut. Powell and Maynard created transgenic American chestnut trees with a gene derived from wheat. This gene in previous tests showed the ability to increase the resistance of poplar trees to fungal pathogens. This is one of many genes to be tested at a site in The New York Botanical Garden. This site is relevant because it is in the area where the chestnut blight was discovered in the United States over 100 years ago. Saving the American chestnut would be a good first step to stopping evasive species from taking over the ecosystems where they don’t belong. Also the economic incentives for food and higher quality lumber could keep money in the American economy. It sounds minor but this research could have direct effects on many people.
Friday, April 13, 2012
Combating Blight in the American Chestnut.
According to an article published at sciencedaily.com 
there may be a method to combat Chestnut blight in the future. The American chestnut tree is threatened to become extinct. This is occurring because of a fungus know as chestnut blight. Chestnut blight attacks the roots of a tree and produces Oxalic acid that destroys the cambium where the tree grows from so the tree dies. Drs. William Powell and Charles Maynard of the SUNY Collage of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) believe they may have a way to save the American chestnut. Powell and Maynard created transgenic American chestnut trees with a gene derived from wheat. This gene in previous tests showed the ability to increase the resistance of poplar trees to fungal pathogens. This is one of many genes to be tested at a site in The New York Botanical Garden. This site is relevant because it is in the area where the chestnut blight was discovered in the United States over 100 years ago. Saving the American chestnut would be a good first step to stopping evasive species from taking over the ecosystems where they don’t belong. Also the economic incentives for food and higher quality lumber could keep money in the American economy. It sounds minor but this research could have direct effects on many people.
there may be a method to combat Chestnut blight in the future. The American chestnut tree is threatened to become extinct. This is occurring because of a fungus know as chestnut blight. Chestnut blight attacks the roots of a tree and produces Oxalic acid that destroys the cambium where the tree grows from so the tree dies. Drs. William Powell and Charles Maynard of the SUNY Collage of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) believe they may have a way to save the American chestnut. Powell and Maynard created transgenic American chestnut trees with a gene derived from wheat. This gene in previous tests showed the ability to increase the resistance of poplar trees to fungal pathogens. This is one of many genes to be tested at a site in The New York Botanical Garden. This site is relevant because it is in the area where the chestnut blight was discovered in the United States over 100 years ago. Saving the American chestnut would be a good first step to stopping evasive species from taking over the ecosystems where they don’t belong. Also the economic incentives for food and higher quality lumber could keep money in the American economy. It sounds minor but this research could have direct effects on many people.
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This was really interesting and a good sign for the trees! Hopefully these methods can indeed be used in other species to help prevent extinction.
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