University of Tennessee, Knoxville TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 8-2010 Steps Toward Butternut (Juglans cinerea L.) Restoration Sunshine L. Brosi University of Tennessee - Knoxville, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss Part of the Forest Biology Commons, Forest Management Commons, Genetics Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Plant Breeding and Genetics Commons, Population Biology Commons, and the Sustainability Commons Recommended Citation Brosi, Sunshine L., "Steps Toward Butternut (Juglans cinerea L.) Restoration. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 2010. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/779 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Sunshine L. Brosi entitled "Steps Toward Butternut (Juglans cinerea L.) Restoration." I have examined the final electronic copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in Natural Resources. Scott E. Schlarbaum, Major Professor We have read this dissertation and recommend its acceptance: Frank T. van Manen, David S. Buckley, Nathan J. Sanders Accepted for the Council: Carolyn R. Hodges Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School (Original signatures are on file with official studentecor r ds.) To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Sunshine Liberty Brosi entitled “Steps Toward Butternut (Juglans cinerea L.) Restoration.” I have examined the final electronic copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in Natural Resources. Scott E. Schlarbaum Major Professor We have read this dissertation and recommend its acceptance: Frank T. van Manen David S. Buckley Nathan J. Sanders Accepted for the Council: Carolyn R. Hodges Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School (Original signatures are on file with official student records.) Steps Toward Butternut (Juglans cinerea L.) Restoration A Dissertation Presented for The Doctor of Philosophy Degree The University of Tennessee, Knoxville Sunshine Liberty Brosi August 2010 Copyright © 2010 Sunshine Liberty Brosi All rights reserved. ii DEDICATION I dedicate my dissertation to Summer Ela Shaper, my daughter, my heart, and my inspiration to preserve species for the future. Summer, this dissertation was written for you and includes so much of you. You stood in the rain with your umbrella, avoided the copperheads, drew pictures while I collected data, and read to me as I typed. This journey has been your entire life and was only possible with you on my back, in the truck, walking along side in the woods, and always on my mind. May you live life knowing that you are as strong as the mightiest trees in the forest. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS E. Lucy Braun was on my mind throughout this journey, imagining her in the same woods with her model T many decades before, inspired me tremendously. My sincerest gratitude goes to Dr. Scott E. Schlarbaum, for serving as my major professor and mentor for many years. This dissertation would not have been possible without his support, guidance, friendship, patience and kindness. I thank him for seeing my potential and pushing me to meet goals. I also thank the other members of my committee, Dr. Frank van Manen, Dr. David Buckley, and Dr. Nathan Sanders. I am greatly indebted to Dr. Arnold Saxton for his support with statistical analysis. The University of Tennessee Tree Improvement Program (UTTIP) personnel have been invaluable in their assistance, especially support from David Griffin. I would like to thank the late Gene Johnston for giving perspective, purpose, and being an invaluable mentor in my life; his advice will stay with me forever. Thanks to Allison Mains, Tracy Binder, Allison Houser, Shinara Taylor, Laura Beth Jones, Laura Thompson, and Wes Tilley. I express my appreciation to my fellow past and present graduate students in Annex B for friendship and support, especially Dr. Stacy Clark, Belinda Esham, and Ami Sharp. I would like to thank Dr. Sandra Anagnostakis and Dr. Jeanne Romero-Severson for advice and support. My appreciation is given to several current and retired employees of the USDA Forest Service. Edwin Manchester has been a teacher, an inspiration and a friend. Dr. Robert L. Anderson taught me a great deal about butternut and answered many questions along the way. I would also like to thank the following for their valuable assistance with technical advice and field work: Paula Spaine, Carol Young, John Knighten, Dr. Paul Kormanik, Tim Dalton, Ted Oprean, Dave Casey, Jessica Beir, Jeff Lewis, John Brooks, Bill Jones, Robyn Taylor, and Clay Logan. Thanks to Tom Tibbs for inadvertently introducing me to the Tree Improvement Program. I would also like to thank the land managers at planting sites including John Perry, Scott Friedhoff, George Bullard, Bobby McCormick, Stephen Beason, Jonathan Wild, Ron Myers, David Cozzo, John Brittan, Brice Leech, and Mark DePoy. Funds for this project have been secured from grants through the USDA Forest Service State and Private Forestry, The National Park Service, and The Revitalization of iv Traditional Cherokee Artisan Resources subsidiary of the Cherokee Preservation Foundation. Cooperators for this project include: U.S. Geological Survey (Southern Appalachian Field Laboratory), USDA Forest Service (Southern Region, Forest Health Protection and Genetic Resources Program, Daniel Boone, Jefferson, Pisgah, Nantahala and Cherokee National Forests, Bent Creek Experiment Forest), National Park Service (Mammoth Cave National Park), CT Agricultural Experiment Station, The Nature Conservancy (Kentucky Chapter), Healing Stones Foundation, TN Division of Forestry, US Army Corps of Engineers (Nashville District), NC Division of Forest Resources, NC Department of Environmental and Natural Resources, CT Department of Environmental Protection, KY Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, TN Department of Environment and Conservation and Notre Dame University. Thanks to Dr. William C. Davis, my first forestry professor, and the 4-H Forestry Camp in Jabez, KY for inspiring my love of being in the woods. I would like to thank the support of my entire extended family, for field assistance, childcare, and advice. Thanks for being such a large part of my life’s journey and helping me reach many of my goals. I would especially like to thank Brook Brosi, Dr. Berry Brosi, Blossom Brosi, Sky Marietta, Glade Brosi, Eagle Brosi and my parents George and Connie Brosi. My sincerest thanks go to Steven Shaper, for financial and emotional support along my college career and for help with fieldwork. Thanks to my friends, for babysitting, being tough, teaching, rousing, and studying with me for comprehensive exams, for proofreading drafts, and for my absence at so many social events. I thank Annie’s Natural Foods for healthy options on those long research days. Special thanks to people who have shared many aspects of this professional and personal journey including old and new chapters from my transition from forester to naturalist. This dissertation would not have been written without the persistent encouragement and support of my husband and fellow scholar, Daniel J. Feller. I look forward to many more years of research collaboration with him by my side. My greatest thanks are also given to my stepson, Caeman Feller, for letting me hog the computer and for cooking so many great lunches on snow days. I wish him success in school and beyond. v ABSTRACT Butternut (Juglans cinerea L.), a lesser-known relative of black walnut (Juglans nigra L.), is a native tree species beneficial for wildlife, valuable for timber, and part of the great diversity of species in the eastern forests of North America. Populations of butternut are being devastated by butternut canker disease, caused by the fungus Sirococcus clavigignenti-juglandacearum (V.M.G. Nair, Kostichka, & Kuntz), which is thought to be introduced to North America. The disease causes multiple branch and stem cankers that eventually girdle trees. Lack of sprouting and shade intolerance exacerbates the disease and results in permanent losses of butternut across the native range. Fortunately, healthy, canker-free butternut trees have been found proximal to diseased trees, indicating that a breeding approach could be a feasible strategy for producing and reintroducing resistant butternuts. A successful restoration program will require an understanding of genetic variation in open-pollinated seedlings, disease resistance, seedling establishment procedures, site requirements, a greater understanding of disease development over time and levels at various populations. This dissertation is divided into six parts, with the overall goal of insight into butternut ecology and management techniques which could be used to guide restoration decisions for this important species. The first two parts are an introduction and a literature review. In the third section, butternut