Conservation of forest resources through improved seed quality and seedling stress resilience in conifers

我们的项目汇集了一个多学科的领先种子和压力研究生物学家小组，以及BC省森林部，加拿大森林服务局和工业合作伙伴，以解决当前的两个主要挑战：(1)缺乏足够和健康的种子和幼苗，以应对气候变化引起的珍贵的本地针叶树物种的减少；(2)由于种子在处理和加工过程中受到损害，种子在储存过程中失去了发芽能力。1. 气候变化和自然环境的相关变化导致了一些针叶树物种的急剧减少，预计未来还会有更多的物种受到影响。黄柏和白皮松这两个物种受到了非常负面的影响。黄柏是一种具有重要经济和文化意义的本土针叶树；白皮松是一种重要但濒临灭绝的树带界线的关键物种，为熊和鸟类等野生动物提供营养和避难所，并防止土壤侵蚀。这两种高海拔物种正在因气候变化的压力而死亡，包括寒冷、干旱、对病原体和食草昆虫的易感性。这两个珍贵物种的保护和恢复需要可靠的种子生产和可用于重新造林的强壮健康的幼苗。我们的项目使用最先进的技术，包括无损成像和其他方法来可视化水通量和应激保护代谢物的概况，以创建一个全面的知识基础，了解环境对种子到幼苗再生的影响及其与抗逆性的关系。我们关注的是种子成熟早期的环境如何影响幼苗后期的“应激恢复力”——它抵抗诸如寒冷、干旱和病原体等压力的能力。2. 其他具有经济和生态重要性的针叶树物种，如真冷杉、西部红杉和铁杉，生产的种子数量充足，但种子库面临挑战，因为种子的种皮中含有树脂囊泡，在准备储存时容易损坏。这种损害导致种子寿命差，发芽率降低；研究了潜在的原因，以防止种子的损失。

Our project brings together a multidisciplinary group of leading seed and stress research biologists, along with the BC Ministry of Forests, Canadian Forest Service, and industrial partners to tackle two major current challenges: (1) lack of sufficient and healthy seeds and seedlings to fight the climate-change induced decline of valuable native conifer species, and (2) loss of germination capacity during storage of seeds due to their damage during handling and processing. 1. Climate change and the associated changes in natural environments have led to dramatic declines in several conifer species, and many more are predicted to be affected in the future. Two species that have been very negatively affected are yellow cypress and whitebark pine. Yellow cypress is a native conifer of great economic and cultural importance; whitebark pine is an important yet endangered keystone species of the timberline that provides nutrition and refuge for wildlife from bears to birds, and prevents soil erosion. These two high elevation species are dying due to climate-change stresses including freezing, drought, and susceptibility to pathogens and insect herbivores. The conservation and restoration of these two valuable species requires reliable seed production and strong healthy seedlings that can be used for reforestation. Our project uses state-of-the-art technologies, including non-destructive imaging and other methods to visualize water flux and profiles of stress-protective metabolites, to create a comprehensive knowledge base of environmental influences on seed-to-seedling regeneration and its connection to stress hardiness. We focus on how the environment during earlier seed maturation influences the later 'stress resilience' of the seedling - its ability to withstand stresses such as cold, drought and pathogens. 2. Other conifer species of economical and ecological importance, such as the true-firs, western red cedar, and hemlocks, produce seeds in sufficient quantity, but seed banks face challenges because the seeds contain resin vesicles in their seed coats that are easily damaged during preparation for storage. This damage leads to poor seed longevity and reduced germination; the underlying causes are studied so that losses of seeds are prevented.