Can foresters utilize beech and ash tree species from arid habitats in other localities?
Due to the negative effects of climate change on forest ecosystems, foresters are increasingly focusing on implementing mitigation measures. Researchers can assist them in this effort.
Photo: European beech on a dry site on a slope above the Vltava River, Central Bohemia, author Jan Řezáč
An increasingly large area is at risk from prolonged periods of drought and hot temperatures during the growing season.
One contributing factor is often the inappropriate species composition of existing forest stands. To help create a more stable ecosystem, it is important to focus on using tree species that are already adapted to extreme habitats. However, the growth patterns and morphological characteristics of these potentially more resilient tree species when planted in different locations and optimal conditions have yet to be determined.
In their research on this issue, scientists from the Forestry and Game Management Research, v. v. i., collaborated with practical foresters from Lesy ČR, s. p., and the Masaryk Forest School Enterprise Křtiny (part of Mendel University in Brno). Together, they initiated the project TA ČR SQ01020166 titled “Possibilities for the Forestry Use of Ecotypes of Selected Native Forest Tree Species from Arid Habitats.” This project integrates elements of both basic and applied research, as well as experimental development.
Photo: Left – beech located on a dry slope in the Křivoklát region (selected for the project); right – a provenance area for beech established from high-quality seeds, or category A stands; author Martin Fulín
The research project is a pilot initiative focused on identifying stands or individual trees of European beech and common ash in arid habitats in the Czech Republic. The aim is to employ molecular analyses (including DNA and RNA assessments) to determine their genetic variability and to understand the adaptation mechanisms related to tolerance to abiotic stresses in connection with habitat conditions. Additionally, scientists will utilize dendrochronological methods to examine growth increments in response to drought in selected ecotypes.
The beech ecotypes identified in arid habitats will serve as the starting material for producing reproductive materials (such as seeds and grafts) for provenance research. This research will monitor resistance to increasing annual temperatures and decreasing precipitation. The resistant provenances identified can then be used in areas affected by climate change.
Once provenance trials are established, scientists will evaluate the suitability of specific tree species from arid regions for long-term forestry use. Their objectives are founded on the belief that these tree species possess a genetic resilience to extreme environmental conditions.
Photo: European beech on a dry site in the Vltava hillside, Central Bohemia, author Jan Řezáč
As part of the planned activities for the four-year project, local sites will be monitored to identify suitable trees or stands for the collection of reproductive material. This will be followed by gathering plant specimens for genetic analysis and taking trunk samples for dendrochronological studies.
The next phase will involve cultivating the collected reproductive material, processing the samples, and evaluating the data to identify locations for establishing a provenance experiment.
By combining traditional breeding methods with molecular genetics, scientists aim to create unique provenance areas that feature genetically characterized populations of tree species of interest. Furthermore, researchers will investigate the defense and regulatory mechanisms of selected adapted beech genotypes by monitoring the expression levels of specific genes.
(* Gene expression is the process through which genetic information encoded in a specific gene is translated into a distinct function.)
Due to the long-term nature of provenance research, the completion of provenance plantings in newly established research trials will continue even after the project concludes. This will be followed by a gradual, long-term assessment of the experimental material. The goal is to obtain new, verified knowledge about the adaptability of plant provenances originating from arid habitats and to understand the dynamics of their growth over time.
As a result, this project will provide foresters and scientists with more precise information that has significant potential for application in sustainable forestry practices.
Contact: Ing. Martin Fulín, Ph.D., e-mail: fulin@vulhm.cz