Long Live the Elm
Restoration of Wych Elm through genetic analysis and testing propagation approaches
Wych elm is the only native elm species in the UK and, much like the English elm, millions of trees were infected by Dutch elm disease (DED) and died leaving standing skeletons across the landscape. However, even in the most infected areas individual trees still survive indicating that resilience to DED exists within these trees. This Treescapes Fellowship focused on identifying and collecting samples from surviving wych elms in three areas of Scotland including the Borders and Highlands in areas where intensive spread of DED has occurred in the past, and the Scottish Islands that possess isolated populations that remain untouched by DED. Over 200 surviving and infected trees were sampled and genetics analysed using microsatellite markers to understand the genetic diversity and similarity of the species across the landscape that could point to potential levels of resilience against DED. The surviving trees have also been used to cross pollinate with one another to create super elms that will be able to fight the DED and continue to regenerate increasingly resilient trees for generations. Alongside this scientific exploration of resilience, the Fellowship will produce a children’s book to raise awareness about elm and highlight ways in which citizen scientists from all over the country can become involved in the elm hunt.
Researchers: Dr Euan Bowditch.
