Rare disease-resistant white pines found deep in Mexico's forests
Johnson JS, Heck E, Kegley A, Padilla T, Reynolds GJ
Climate Adaptation
If you've ever admired a high-elevation pine forest, this research maps out which wild trees carry natural armor against a fungal killer before it wipes them out, giving foresters a chance to save seeds while there's still time.
Southwestern white pine trees are dying from a fungal disease called white pine blister rust, but some trees carry a natural gene that makes them resistant. Researchers tested over 20,000 pine seedlings from parent trees across the entire range, from the U.S. down into Mexico, and found this resistance gene shows up in about 3% of trees, including some in Mexican forests the disease hasn't reached yet. That's valuable because it tells conservationists exactly which trees to protect and collect seeds from now, before the disease spreads south and makes the choice for them.
Key Findings
Researchers evaluated 20,533 seedlings from 475 parent trees over ten years to detect the Cr3 resistance gene.
Up to 34 of the 475 parent trees carried the resistance gene, including 4 located in the core range in Mexico.
Range-wide frequency of the resistance gene was about 3% in offspring and 2-4% in pollen/seed, with disease-free trees more common in the northern and eastern range.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists found a natural disease-resistance gene in southwestern white pine trees scattered across their entire range from the U.S. into Mexico, including in Mexican forests that haven't yet been hit by the deadly blister rust disease. This gives conservationists a head start on protecting those still-healthy trees before the disease arrives.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Range-Wide Geographic Variation of Major Gene Resistance (Cr3) to White Pine Blister Rust in Pinus strobiformis (Southwestern White Pine).
Southwestern white pine (Pinus strobiformis) is native to the U.S. and Mexico and is susceptible to the pathogen Cronartium ribicola, which causes the disease white pine blister rust. A major gene,...
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Pinus strobiformis, also known as Chihuahua white pine, is a medium-sized white pine tree endemic to western Mexico in the Sierra Madre Occidental mountain range. It is typically a high-elevation pine growing mixed with other conifers in montane forest. It was formerly considered conspecific with...