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

我们的项目汇集了领先的种子和压力研究生物学家的多学科小组，沿着与BC省森林部，加拿大林务局和工业合作伙伴，以解决两个主要的当前挑战：（1）缺乏足够和健康的种子和幼苗来对抗气候变化引起的宝贵的本地针叶树物种的减少，和（2）由于种子在处理和加工过程中的损坏，种子在储存过程中丧失发芽能力。1.气候变化和自然环境的相关变化已导致几种针叶树种的急剧减少，预计未来还会有更多的针叶树种受到影响。有两个物种受到非常不利的影响，是黄柏和白皮松。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关键树种，为从熊到鸟类的野生动物提供营养和避难所，并防止土壤侵蚀。这两种高海拔物种由于气候变化压力而死亡，包括冰冻，干旱以及对病原体和昆虫食草动物的易感性。保护和恢复这两个宝贵的物种需要可靠的种子生产和强壮健康的幼苗，可用于重新造林。我们的项目使用最先进的技术，包括非破坏性成像和其他方法来可视化水通量和胁迫保护代谢产物的概况，以创建环境影响种子到幼苗再生及其与胁迫抗性的联系的全面知识库。我们专注于早期种子成熟过程中的环境如何影响幼苗后期的“压力恢复力”-抵御寒冷，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种，如冷杉、西部红雪松和铁杉，都能产生足够数量的种子，但种子库面临挑战，因为种子的种皮中含有树脂囊泡，在储存准备过程中容易受损。这种损害导致种子寿命短和发芽率降低;研究其根本原因，以防止种子损失。

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.