Adopt-a-Tree: Red Oak Adaptation to Environment

What makes trees adapted to where they grow? Some tree species grow across very different climate zones. Northern red oak, for example, grows from Louisiana to southeast Canada, and from Maine to Minnesota. Its close relative, Northern pin oak, likes to grow on sandy soils across the northern distribution of Northern red oak. Sandier soils are more drained so these trees have to survive with less water. In this project we will plant ~2,000 trees of Northern red oak, Northern pin oak, and hybrids of the two species. Acorns were collected from Tennessee to Michigan, and from Wisconsin to Virginia, to cover much of the geographic range of both species. The trees are growing in the greenhouse at Michigan Tech right now, but will be transferred to two experimental forests in June 2019: The Ford Center and Forest near L'Anse, MI and the Kellogg Experimental Forest near Kalamazoo, MI. We will measure the growth of the trees, and leaf, branching and root morphology. We will measure physiological parameters such as photosynthesis and respiration, and we will investigate differences in leaf chemicals. After sequencing the trees' genomes, we will be able to find out which genes allow trees to adapt to their environment. This will enable selection of the best trees for changing climates, and avoid large scale extinction of forests and wildlife.