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The importance of site quality to backcross chestnut establishment success

Informally Refereed

Abstract

Short-term studies show that American chestnut (Castanea dentata) grows faster on mesic compared to xeric sites. Long-term impacts of site quality and corresponding moisture and nutrient availability on backcross chestnut establishment success and resistance to the chestnut blight fungus, Cryphonectria parasitica, however, have not been evaluated. We report here the first year results from a study designed to evaluate the effects of three site quality treatments—mesic, xeric, and intermediate—on the establishment success and blight resistance of chestnut seedlings planted on the Allegheny Plateau in northwestern Pennsylvania. We hypothesized that long-term chestnut growth and competitive ability will be greatest on sites intermediate in resource availability, and severity of blight will be lowest on mesic sites.

Parent Publication

Citation

Pinchot, C.C.; Royo, A.A.; Peters, M.P.; Schlarbaum, S.E.; Anagnostakis, S.L. 2017. The importance of site quality to backcross chestnut establishment success. In: Sniezko, Richard A.; Man, Gary; Hipkins, Valerie; Woeste, Keith; Gwaze, David; Kliejunas, John T.; McTeague, Brianna A., tech. cords. 2017. Gene conservation of tree species—banking on the future. Proceedings of a workshop. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-963. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. p. 198.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/55136