DOCSLIB.ORG

Restoration of the American Chestnut in New Jersey

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Restoration of the American Chestnut in New Jersey U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Restoration of the American Chestnut in New Jersey The American chestnut (Castanea dentata) is a tree native to New Jersey that once grew from Maine to Mississippi and as far west as Indiana and Tennessee. This tree with wide-spreading branches and a deep broad-rounded crown can live 500-800 years and reach a height of 100 feet and a diameter of more than 10 feet. Once estimated at 4 billion trees, the American chestnut Harvested chestnuts, early 1900's. has almost been extirpated in the last 100 years. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Jersey Field Value Office (Service) and its partners, including American Chestnut The American chestnut is valued Cooperators’ Foundation, American for its fruit and lumber. Chestnuts Chestnut Foundation, Monmouth are referred to as the “bread County Parks, Bayside State tree” because their nuts are Prison, Natural Lands Trust, and so high in starch that they can several volunteers, are working to American chestnut leaf (4"-8"). be milled into flour. Chestnuts recover the American chestnut in can be roasted, boiled, dried, or New Jersey. History candied. The nuts that fell to the ground were an important cash Chestnuts have a long history of crop for families in the northeast cultivation and use. The European U.S. and southern Appalachians chestnut (Castanea sativa) formed up until the twentieth century. the basis of a vital economy in Chestnuts were taken into towns the Mediterranean Basin during by wagonload and then shipped Roman times. More recently, by train to major markets in New areas in Southern Europe (such as York, Boston, and Philadelphia. the Italian and Swiss Alps) were The fruit of the American chestnut called the “Chestnut Civilization” is also a valuable food source for for several hundred years. Native wildlife, providing remarkable Americans relied on the American nutritional value to deer, black chestnut as a dietary staple. The bear, raccoon, rabbit, squirrel, chestnut was also used extensively chipmunk, turkey, grouse, and during the colonization of America quail. Wood from chestnuts as a premier tree, providing wood is valuable for posts, poles, for railroad ties, house framing, pilings, railroad ties, shingles, barns, fences, and fuel. Chestnuts paneling, fine furniture, musical were once so numerous along the instruments, and fences. The wood eastern forests of the U.S. that it is also rich in tannic acid. More is said a squirrel could jump from than half of the tannin used by the chestnut tree to chestnut tree all American leather industry at the Old growth chestnuts. the way from Georgia to New York turn of the century came from the without ever touching the ground. American chestnut. Restoration Efforts Currently, many chestnut trees that are dead above ground maintain living roots from which sprouts grow. Healthy chestnut sprouts will eventually be killed by the blight, which continues to persist in eastern forests. However, the sprouts do contain American chestnut fruit. genetic information necessary to finding and breeding resistant County Parks to cross-breed trees. Only by growing and local trees (at Huber Woods and observing offspring and back- Hartshorne Woods Parks) isolated crossing and interbreeding trees from other American chestnuts by that have shown resistance will transporting pollinating catkins Historical Distribution of strains be developed that retain (male flowers) to the local trees. American Chestnut. the hardiness and other desirable In this manner, the Service and qualities of the American chestnut. its partners hope to produce Chestnut Blight The Service through the Partners viable fruit and grow seedlings for for Fish and Wildlife Program dispersal in other areas of The decline of the American has participated in this effort by New Jersey. chestnut began in 1904 with planting resistant seedlings on the discovery of chestnut blight lands owned by our partners. The Service and its partners are [Endothia parasitica (synonym: Specifically, the Service has active in trying to restore American Cryphonectria parasitica)]. obtained chestnuts from trees that chestnuts to New Jersey. However, Chestnut blight was first found have demonstrated resistance to assistance from federal, State, in chestnut trees on the grounds blight and has these seeds grown county, and municipal agencies of the New York Zoological to seedlings at Bayside State as well as growers, collaborators, Gardens by Herman W. Merkel, Prison through a cooperative volunteers, and landowners is a forester at the Bronx Zoo. It is program. The seedlings are critical to the success of this believed that Asian chestnut trees then provided to landowners restoration effort. If you would like (Castanea mollissima) imported with appropriate planting more information or would like to as nursery stock were the source areas to promote restoration participate in this restoration effort of this new invasive fungus. The of the American chestnut. In please contact the Partners for Fish fungus enters the tree through addition, the Service has worked and Wildlife Program at the U.S. cracks in the bark then “eats” cooperatively with Monmouth Fish and Wildlife Service’s New away the inner layers (vascular Jersey Field Office at 609/646 9310. cambium and phloem) that transports nutrients to and from the leaves and roots. Within two to ten years the entire tree is dead. The threat was recognized, and in 1911 – 1913 special funds were U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service appropriated to study and combat Ecological Services New Jersey Field Office chestnut blight. However, by 927 North Main Street World War I, war appropriations Heritage Square, Building D Pleasantville, New Jersey and the evident futility of control 08232 efforts caused cuts in funds for P: 609/646 9310 chestnut blight research. Most F: 609/646 0352 of the American chestnut trees in E: [email protected] the eastern U.S. were completely W: http://www.fws.gov/ northeast/njfieldoffice destroyed within 40 years. This represented 50 percent of the Federal Relay Service for the deaf and hard-of-hearing overall value of eastern hardwood 800/877 8339 timber stands. Chestnut tree in Monmouth County. May 2006.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • CHESTNUT (CASTANEA Spp.) CULTIVAR EVALUATION for COMMERCIAL CHESTNUT PRODUCTION
    CHESTNUT (CASTANEA spp.) CULTIVAR EVALUATION FOR COMMERCIAL CHESTNUT PRODUCTION IN HAMILTON COUNTY, TENNESSEE By Ana Maria Metaxas Approved: James Hill Craddock Jennifer Boyd Professor of Biological Sciences Assistant Professor of Biological and Environmental Sciences (Director of Thesis) (Committee Member) Gregory Reighard Jeffery Elwell Professor of Horticulture Dean, College of Arts and Sciences (Committee Member) A. Jerald Ainsworth Dean of the Graduate School CHESTNUT (CASTANEA spp.) CULTIVAR EVALUATION FOR COMMERCIAL CHESTNUT PRODUCTION IN HAMILTON COUNTY, TENNESSEE by Ana Maria Metaxas A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Environmental Science May 2013 ii ABSTRACT Chestnut cultivars were evaluated for their commercial applicability under the environmental conditions in Hamilton County, TN at 35°13ꞌ 45ꞌꞌ N 85° 00ꞌ 03.97ꞌꞌ W elevation 230 meters. In 2003 and 2004, 534 trees were planted, representing 64 different cultivars, varieties, and species. Twenty trees from each of 20 different cultivars were planted as five-tree plots in a randomized complete block design in four blocks of 100 trees each, amounting to 400 trees. The remaining 44 chestnut cultivars, varieties, and species served as a germplasm collection. These were planted in guard rows surrounding the four blocks in completely randomized, single-tree plots. In the analysis, we investigated our collection predominantly with the aim to: 1) discover the degree of acclimation of grower- recommended cultivars to southeastern Tennessee climatic conditions and 2) ascertain the cultivars’ ability to survive in the area with Cryphonectria parasitica and other chestnut diseases and pests present.
    [Show full text]
  • TFEC 1-2019 Standard for Design of Timber Frame Structures And
    TFEC 1-2019 Standard for Design of Timber Frame Structures and Commentary TFEC 1-2019 Standard Page 1 January 2019 TFEC 1-2019 Standard for Design of Timber Frame Structures and Commentary Timber Frame Engineering Council Technical Activities Committee (TFEC-TAC) Contributing Authors: Jim DeStefano Jeff Hershberger Tanya Luthi Jaret Lynch Tom Nehil Dick Schmidt, Chair Rick Way Copyright © 2019, All rights reserved. Timber Framers Guild 1106 Harris Avenue, Suite 303 Bellingham, WA 98225 TFEC 1-2019 Standard Page 2 January 2019 Table of Contents 1.0 General Requirements for Structural Design and Construction .......................................6 1.1 Applicability and Scope ........................................................................................ 6 1.2 Liability ................................................................................................................. 6 1.3 General Requirements ........................................................................................... 7 1.3.1 Strength ........................................................................................................... 7 1.3.2 Serviceability ................................................................................................... 7 1.3.3 General Structural Integrity ............................................................................. 7 1.3.4 Conformance with Standards .......................................................................... 7 1.4 Design Loads ........................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Frank Meyer, Isabel Shipley Cunningham Agricultural Explorer
    Frank Meyer, Isabel Shipley Cunningham Agricultural Explorer For 60 years the work of Frank N. Meyer has 2,500 pages of his letters tell of his journeys remained a neglected segment of America’s and the plants he collected, and the USDA heritage. Now, as people are becoming con- Inventory of Seeds and Plants Imported con- cerned about feeding the world’s growing tains descriptions of his introductions. population and about the loss of genetic di- Until recently little was known about the versity of crops, Meyer’s accomplishments first 25 years of Meyer’s life, when he lived have a special relevance. Entering China in in Amsterdam and was called Frans Meijer. 1905, near the dawn of the single era when Dutch sources reveal that he was bom into a explorers could travel freely there, he be- loving family in 1875. Frans was a quiet boy, came the first plant hunter to represent a who enjoyed taking long walks, reading government and to search primarily for eco- about distant lands, and working in his fami- nomically useful plants rather than orna- ly’s small garden. By the time he had mentals. No one before him had spent 10 fimshed elementary school, he knew that ’ years crossing the mountains, deserts, farms, wanted to be a world traveler who studied he ’,if and forests of Asia in search of fruits, nuts, plants; however, his parents could not afford vegetables, grains, and fodder crops; no one to give him further education. When he was has done so since. 14 years old, he found work as a gardener’s During four plant-hunting expeditions to helper at the Amsterdam Botanical Garden.
    [Show full text]
  • Castanea Mollissima Blume): the Roots of Nut Tree Domestication
    ORIGINAL RESEARCH published: 25 June 2018 doi: 10.3389/fpls.2018.00810 Signatures of Selection in the Genomes of Chinese Chestnut (Castanea mollissima Blume): The Roots of Nut Tree Domestication Nicholas R. LaBonte 1*, Peng Zhao 2 and Keith Woeste 3 1 Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States, 2 Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an, China, 3 Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center, Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, West Lafayette, IN, United States Chestnuts (Castanea) are major nut crops in East Asia and southern Europe, and are unique among temperate nut crops in that the harvested seeds are starchy rather than oily. Chestnut species have been cultivated for three millennia or more in China, so it is likely that artificial selection has affected the genome of orchard-grown chestnuts. The genetics of Chinese chestnut (Castanea mollissima Blume) domestication are also of Edited by: interest to breeders of hybrid American chestnut, especially if the low-growing, branching S. Hong Lee, habit of Chinese chestnut, an impediment to American chestnut restoration, is partly University of South Australia, Australia the result of artificial selection. We resequenced genomes of wild and orchard-derived Reviewed by: Guo-Bo Chen, Chinese chestnuts and identified selective sweeps based on pooled whole-genome SNP Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital, datasets. We present candidate gene loci for chestnut domestication and discuss the China potential phenotypic effects of candidate loci, some of which may be useful genes for Chaeyoung Lee, Soongsil University, South Korea chestnut improvement in Asia and North America.
    [Show full text]
  • Chestnut Growers' Guide to Site Selection and Environmental Stress
    This idyllic orchard has benefited from good soil and irrigation. Photo by Tom Saielli Chestnut Growers’ Guide to Site Selection and Environmental Stress By Elsa Youngsteadt American chestnuts are tough, efficient trees that can reward their growers with several feet of growth per year. They’ll survive and even thrive under a range of conditions, but there are a few deal breakers that guarantee sickly, slow-growing trees. This guide, intended for backyard and small-orchard growers, will help you avoid these fatal mistakes and choose planting sites that will support strong, healthy trees. You’ll know you’ve done well when your chestnuts are still thriving a few years after planting. By then, they’ll be strong enough to withstand many stresses, from drought to a caterpillar outbreak, with much less human help. Soil Soil type is the absolute, number-one consideration when deciding where—or whether—to plant American chestnuts. These trees demand well-drained, acidic soil with a sandy to loamy texture. Permanently wet, basic, or clay soils are out of the question. So spend some time getting to know your dirt before launching a chestnut project. Dig it up, roll it between your fingers, and send in a sample for a soil test. Free tests are available through most state extension programs, and anyone can send a sample to the Penn State Agricultural Analytical Services Lab (which TACF uses) for a small fee. More information can be found at http://agsci.psu.edu/aasl/soil-testing. There are several key factors to look for. The two-foot-long taproot on this four- Acidity year-old root system could not have The ideal pH for American chestnut is 5.5, with an acceptable range developed in shallow soils, suggesting from about 4.5 to 6.5.
    [Show full text]
  • Appendix A~K
    Appendix A~K Appendix A. Detailed information for the 146 Chinese chestnut (C.mollissima) accessions and nine chinese chinquapin (C.henryi) accessions used in this study Sample Name Species Cultivars Group Germplasm Cultivation region 1 Huijian Castanea mollissima Bl. Northwest China PC Shanxi,China 2 Mingjian Castanea mollissima Bl. Northwest China PC Shanxi,China 3 Chunli Castanea mollissima Bl. Northwest China PC Shanxi,China 4 Zuohongli Castanea mollissima Bl. Northwest China PC Shanxi,China 5 Zhenbashuangjie Castanea mollissima Bl. Northwest China PC Shanxi,China 6 zha 18 Castanea mollissima Bl. Northwest China LC Shanxi,China 7 Jingshuhong Castanea mollissima Bl. North China PC Beijing,China 8 Huaixiang Castanea mollissima Bl. North China PC Beijing,China 9 Huaihuang Castanea mollissima Bl. North China PC Beijing,China 10 Huzhaoli Castanea mollissima Bl. North China LC Beijing,China 11 Huaifeng Castanea mollissima Bl. North China PC Beijing,China 12 Yanshanhongli Castanea mollissima Bl. North China PC Beijing,China 13 Xiazhuang Castanea mollissima Bl. North China LC Beijing,China 14 Xinzhuang 2 Castanea mollissima Bl. North China LC Beijing,China 15 Huaijiu Castanea mollissima Bl. North China PC Beijing,China 16 Yanchang Castanea mollissima Bl. North China PC Beijing,China 17 Yanfeng Castanea mollissima Bl. North China PC Beijing,China 18 Yanshanzaofeng Castanea mollissima Bl. North China NC Hebei,China 19 Donglimingzhu Castanea mollissima Bl. North China PC Hebei,China 20 Zipo Castanea mollissima Bl. North China PC Hebei,China 21 Tasi Castanea mollissima Bl. North China PC Hebei,China 1 22 Zundali Castanea mollissima Bl. North China PC Hebei,China 23 Duanzhiyabian Castanea mollissima Bl.
    [Show full text]
  • Sample Planting Grids All Chestnuts in the Planting Must Have Permanent Embossed Numerical Tags for That Planting and Will Be Monitored by That Tag
    Sample planting grids All chestnuts in the planting must have permanent embossed numerical tags for that planting and will be monitored by that tag. The basic module is 6 x 6 ft spacing with a minimum of 20 ft borders. Such plantings allow easy fencing and mowing. Rows and columns need not be continuous nor do they need to be the same length. Mapping should show gaps. Create a simple schematic map of the planting once done. These configurations can be modified in a wide variety of ways but if lengthened in either direction, a depth of a least 3 rows in any dimension should be maintained. Remember that the pines are an early succession planting designed to create early site coverage and encourage upward growth in hardwoods. Their removal will be a first step in thinning. Different configurations will impose other thinning regimens over time: for example, red oaks might be removed in #1 over time if there is high chestnut survival and vigorous growth. These plantings are designed to introduce at least 30 chestnuts on the site. These should represent at least 2‐3 chestnut families, and may include Kentucky stump sprout families. #1. Alternate row planting 024 ft 30 ft 36 ft 42 ft 48 ft 54 ft 60 ft 66 ft 72 ft 78 ft 98 ft Dimensions 24 ft Pine Chestnut Pine Red Oak Pine Chestnut Pine Red Oak Pine Red Oak 110 x 98 ft 10780 sq ft 30 ft Pine Red Oak Pine Chestnut Pine Red Oak Pine Chestnut Pine Chestnut 36 ft Pine Chestnut Pine Red Oak Pine Chestnut Pine Red Oak Pine Red Oak Acreage 42 ft Pine Red Oak Pine Chestnut Pine Red Oak Pine Chestnut
    [Show full text]
  • Castanea Mollissima
    Castanea mollissima As the American chestnut struggles with disease, the blight- resistant Chinese chestnut is quickly gaining popularity. The sweet-tasting nuts are often roasted for holiday eating and have been made famous in turkey stuffing recipes across the country. But this is more than a nut tree. The shade of its spreading canopy is dense, providing relief in the hot, dry climates the Chinese chestnut does well in. Hardiness Zones: The chinese chestnut can be expected to grow in Hardiness Zones 4-8. Tree Type: This is a nut-producing tree, yielding nuts for human and wildlife consumption. Mature Size: The Chinese chestnut grows to a height of 40-60' and a spread of 40-60' at maturity. Growth Rate: This tree grows at a slow to medium rate, with height increases of anywhere from less than 12" to 24" per year. Sun Preference: Full sun is the ideal condition for this tree, meaning it should get at least six hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight each day. Soil Preference: The Chinese chestnut grows in acidic, loamy, moist, sandy, well-drained, and clay soils. It is drought-tolerant. Attributes This tree: Should be planted in pairs or groups to ensure pollination. 1 Yields a ripened nut crop mid/late September through October. A prickly 2-3 /2" seed husk en- closes 1-4 nuts. The nuts are large, meaty, crisp, and sweet, although less sweet than American chestnuts. Begins to bear nuts in 4-5 years if grown from seed. Provides dense shade with a handsome, spreading canopy. Has wood that is very durable and resistant to rot.
    [Show full text]
  • The Wood Lumber Company
    Te Wood Lumber Company by Deborah Grifn Scanlon Tis story starts with Edmund Wood, who owned One hundred and three years later, Falmouth has the Greene and Wood Lumber Yard, a chain of about 32,000 year-round residents, too many lumber warehouses based in New Bedford that dwellings to count, LED streetlights and a 60-per- dated back to 1835. In 1912 Mr. Wood saw son police department. Te Miskells - Joseph’s potential for growth in Falmouth and decided to grandson, Dana Miskell, and his wife Eileen - still open a branch here. He bought James Cameron’s own, manage, and welcome new and old customers small lumber yard on Locust Street and named it to Te Wood Lumber Company. Te Wood Lumber Company. Te lumber business that Edmund Wood bought on Locust Street from Mr. Cameron was originally on King Street. Owned since at least 1875 by B. B. King, for whom the street was named, the business was purchased in 1895 by Mr. Cameron. A native of Scotland, Mr. Cameron came to Fal- mouth by way of Naushon Island, where he was superintendent of the Forbes’s farm. He operated the lumber business on King Street until 1909, when he moved it to Locust Street. Te frst build- ing he put up was a large cypress shed which was in Te frst Wood Lumber Co. ad in Te Enterprise, March use for many years. In 1912, Mr. Cameron sold his 12, 1912 business to Mr. Wood and then lived in Falmouth Joseph B. Miskell, the 22-year-old son of James in retirement for another 25 years.
    [Show full text]
  • Chestnut Oak Botanical/Latin Name Quercus Montana
    Chestnut Oak Botanical/Latin name Quercus Montana Chestnut Oak owes its name to its leaves, 4”-6” long, looking like those of the American Chestnut. It is a species of oak in the white oak group native to eastern U.S. Predominantly a ridge-top tree in hardwood forests. Also called Mountain Oak or Rock Oak because it grows in dry rocky habitats, sometimes even around large rocks. As a consequence of its dry habitat and harsh ridge-top exposure, it is not usually large, 59’–72’ tall; specimens growing in better conditions however can become large, up to 141’. It is a long-lived tree, with high-quality timber when well-formed. The heavy, durable, close-grained wood is used for fence posts, fuel, railroad ties and tannin. Saplings are easier to transplant than many other oaks because the taproot of the seedling disintegrates as the tree grows, and the remaining roots form a dense mat about three feet deep. It is monoecious, having pollen-bearing catkins in mid-spring that fertilize the inconspicuous female flowers on the same tree. It reproduces from seed as well as stump sprouts. The 1”-1-1/2” long acorns mature in one growing season, are among the largest of native American oaks and are a valuable wildlife food. Acorns are produced when a tree grown from seed is about 20 years of age, but sprouts from cut stumps can produce acorns in as little as three years after cutting. Extensive confusion between the chestnut oak (Q. montana) and the swamp chestnut oak (Quercus michauxii) has historically occurred.
    [Show full text]
  • Impact of Structural Defects on the Surface Quality of Hardwood Species Sliced Veneers
    applied sciences Article Impact of Structural Defects on the Surface Quality of Hardwood Species Sliced Veneers Vasiliki Kamperidou 1,* , Efstratios Aidinidis 2 and Ioannis Barboutis 1 1 Department of Harvesting and Technology of Forest Products, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 541 24 Thessaloniki, Greece; [email protected] 2 Department of Forestry and Natural Environment Management, Agricultural University of Athens, 118 55 Athens, Greece; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +30-2310998895 Received: 20 August 2020; Accepted: 7 September 2020; Published: 9 September 2020 Abstract: The surface roughness constitutes one of the most critical properties of wood and wood veneers for their extended utilization, affecting the bonding ability of the veneers with one another in the manufacturing of wood composites, the finishing, coating and preservation processes, and the appearance and texture of the material surface. In this research work, logs of five significant European hardwood species (oak, chestnut, ash, poplar, cherry) of Balkan origin were sliced into decorative veneers. Their surface roughness was examined by applying a stylus tracing method, on typical wood structure areas of each wood species, as well as around the areas of wood defects (knots, decay, annual rings irregularities, etc.), to compare them and assess the impact of the defects on the surface quality of veneers. The chestnut veneers presented the smoothest surfaces, while ash veneers, despite the higher density, recorded the highest roughness. In most of the cases, the roughness was found to be significantly lower around the defects, compared to the typical structure surfaces, probably due to lower porosity, higher density and the presence of tensile wood.
    [Show full text]
  • American Chestnut Restoration in Eastern Hemlock-Dominated Forests of Southeast
    American Chestnut Restoration in Eastern Hemlock-Dominated Forests of Southeast Ohio A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Science Nathan A. Daniel June 2012 © 2012 Nathan A. Daniel. All Rights Reserved. 2 This thesis titled American Chestnut Restoration in Eastern Hemlock-Dominated Forests of Southeast Ohio by NATHAN A. DANIEL has been approved for the Program of Environmental Studies and the College of Arts and Sciences by James M. Dyer Professor of Geography Brian C. McCarthy Professor of Environmental and Plant Biology Howard Dewald Interim Dean, College of Arts and Sciences 3 ABSTRACT DANIEL NATHAN A., M.S., June 2012, Environmental Studies American Chestnut Restoration in Eastern Hemlock-Dominated Forests of Southeast Ohio (51 pp.) Directors of Thesis: James M. Dyer and Brian C. McCarthy Restoration of American chestnut (Castanea dentata (Marsh.) Borkh.) is currently underway in eastern North American forests. American chestnut and eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carr.) trees historically co-occurred in these forests. Today, hemlock-dominated forests are in decline due to hemlock wooly adelgid (Adelges tsugae Annand) infestation, and as such, may serve as appropriate habitat for chestnut reestablishment. To investigate this notion, I evaluated the performance of American chestnut seedlings planted under healthy eastern hemlock-dominated canopies. Two process-oriented greenhouse experiments were also performed to study the response of American chestnut to drought stress and to test the competitive performance of chestnut against red maple (Acer rubrum (L.)), the most abundant hardwood found in the understory of regional hemlock-dominated forests.
    [Show full text]