Cryogenic methods used to biodiversity conservation of common ash and three elm species in t he Kostrzyca Forest Gene

1. Cryogenic methods used to biodiversity conservation of common ash and three elm species in the Kostrzyca Forest Gene Bank Paulina Hrydziuszko Małgorzata Pałucka Czesław Kozioł 18th Cold Hardiness Seminar in Poland Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences Kórnik 14-15 May 2013

2. 18th Cold Hardiness Seminar Poland "Conservation of biodiversity, through the conservation of ex situ common ash and three elm species in Lower Silesia in Natura 2000 areas" • Why did we choose ash and elm trees to protect biodiversity? • Ash dieback in Europe. • Elms dieback in Europe. • Examples of ash and elm protection in Poland. • Assumptions of our project. • Expected results.

3. 18th Cold Hardiness Seminar Poland The location of common ash and three elm species in Lower Silesia in Natura 2000 areas. Range of the project covers an area of ​​Lower Silesia. Species covered by the project have their positions on the surface protected areas (Natura 2000 sites, nature reserves). The Natura 2000 ares Forest Districts with habitats of common ash Forest Districts with habitats of elms Nature reserves of elms and ashes

4. 18th Cold Hardiness Seminar Poland "Conservation of biodiversity, through the conservation of ex situ common ash and three elm species in Lower Silesia in Natura 2000 areas" • Dramatically rapid rate of extinction of the common ash from the 90’s of the XXth century and elms from the 20's and then in the 70's of XXth century, caused high concern to the survival of these species in many European countries. • The reasons of ash and elm trees dying were carefully diagnosed. In accordance to changes in the natural environment, such as river valleys conversion, riparian drainage, flood barriers constructions preventing flooding of the natural habitats, but the main cause are fungal pathogens. • Loss of biodiversity of elm-ash habitats was an inspiration for the Kostrzyca Forest Gene Bank to protect these species from extinction by implementation of the project entitled "Conservation of biodiversity, through the conservation of ex situ common ash and three elm species in Lower Silesia in Natura 2000 areas". • The main objective of the project is ex situ conservation of three species of elm and common ash through the cryogenic storage of seeds and shoots with dormant buds. The first part of the project will cover the terrain of Lower Silesia.

5. 18th Cold Hardiness Seminar Poland Ash dieback in Europe-short history • 1992 - first signs of severe dieback of ash in north-eastern Poland (Stocki 2001, Sierota et al. 1993) • After 1992 - the disease has been observed in other parts of Poland (Kowalski 2001, Przybył 2002) over an area of ​​10,000 hectares (Gil et al. 2006) • Ash dieback in Europe has been observed in Norway, Denmark, Lithuania, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Slovenia, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia and Switzerland • In 2012, the first signs of dieback are found in the British Isles (Coghlan 2012) • The speed of disease spreading according to Euforgen is 20-30 km per year (Euforgen, News, 14.12.2012).

6. 18th Cold Hardiness Seminar Poland Ash dieback in Europe-short history • Austria - symptoms of F.excelsior L., F.angustifolia Vahl., F.ornus L. disease • Slovenia, Romania, Czech Republic, Germany - symptoms of F.excelsior L., F. angustifolia Vahl. disease [Schumacher et al. 2007, Jankovsky, Holdenrieder 2009] • Estonia - symptoms of F.excelsior L. F.mandshurica Rupr., F.nigra, F. pennsylvanica and F. americana L. • By the end of 2012, there was no ash dieback caused by Chalara fraxinea on any other continent outside Europe.

7. 18th Cold Hardiness Seminar Poland Changes in forest area of common ash as the dominant species [ha] in the years 2001-2011 based on data from the General Directorate of State Forests in Poland Subsequent years

8. 18th Cold Hardiness Seminar Poland The fruiting bodies of the pathogen Hymenoscyphus pseudoalbidus (anamorphic stage-Chalara fraxinea (Kowalski 2006) Symptoms of ash dieback Discoloration of wood in the form of sectors and discoloration in the shape of the letter "T" Cortical necrosis, wood cancers, local hypertrophy Wilting, discoloration and local orfull necrosis of leaves and their premature precipitation Dieback of whole branches or their peaks, irregular leaves of crown

9. 18th Cold Hardiness Seminar Poland Symptoms of ashdieback

10. 18th Cold Hardiness Seminar Poland Hymenoscyphus pseudoalbidus-Teleomorph stage of the pathogen. Pathogen's fruiting bodies form (VII-IX) at last year's ash leaf nerves, produce spores spread by wind.The spores infect the tree, starting the process of dying. Chalafafraxinea- Pathogen's vegetative stage (anamorphic). Grows on infectedfallen leaves.It produces a form of survival of the pathogen, which in the summer of next year will produce fruitingbodiesHymenoscyphuspseudoalbidus.

11. 18th Cold Hardiness Seminar Poland Hymenoscyphuspseudoalbidus

12. 18th Cold Hardiness Seminar Poland Genetic resources of Fraxinus excelsior L.in theKostrzyca Forest Gene Bank

13. 18th Cold Hardiness Seminar Poland DUTCHELM DISEASE (DED) • Dutch elm disease (DED) is caused by a member of the sac fungi (Ascomycota) affecting elm trees and is spread by the elm bark beetle. • Although believed to be originally native to Asia, the disease has been accidentally introduced into America and Europe, where it has devastated native populations of elms, which had not had the opportunity to evolve resistance to the disease. • The factors impacts of DED are ascomycete microfungi. Three species are now recognized: • Ophiostoma ulmi, which afflicted Europe in 1910, reaching to North America by imported wood in 1928, • Ophiostoma himal-ulmi, a species endemic to the western Himalaya, • Ophiostoma novo-ulmi, an extremely virulent species which has been first described in Europe and North America in the 1940s and which devastated elms in both areas since the late 1960s.

14. 18th Cold Hardiness Seminar Poland Symptoms of Dutch Elm Disease • DED symptoms are the result of the infection in the vascular system of the tree (system conducting water). • Infection causes clogging of vascular tissues and obstructing regular flow of water to the crown of the tree. • Symptoms are visible on the leaves, branches and stems. Final outcome of the disease is the death of the whole tree. • Symptoms are often observed in early summer, but they may be present at any time of the growing season. Early symptoms - still green but wilting leaves Summer -brown, wilted leaves Dieback of tree

15. 18th Cold Hardiness Seminar Poland Changes in elm forest area Unfortunately,the Kostrzyca Forest Gene Bank does not have sufficient data on changes in the area occupied by different species of elms. In the State Forests National Forest Holding elms are treated only as a admixed species, not as the main tree species.

16. 18th Cold Hardiness Seminar Poland Conservation of the ash and elmsin Poland Protection recommendations (Chief Inspector for Environmental Protection) on the type of habitat: Riparian forests of oak and elm-ash (Code habitats 91F0) after monitoring research in the years 2009-2011 (monitoring of species and habitats with particular emphasis on Special Areas of Conservation Nature 2000) • Improving the hydrological regime of riparian forests (e.g. reconstruction of levees system-restore the effect of inundation) • Breeding activities, such as artificial replenishment of species which natural renewing is difficult (e.g. oaks along the Bug River) • Proposed modification procedure in stands areas where ash dominates and dieback is observed

17. 18th Cold Hardiness Seminar Poland Conservation of the ash and elms in Poland To maintain habitat 91F0 itis necessary to: • Limit removal of ash trees, even at the cost of leaving some of them to the natural decay of the forest, • Extend the species composition in habitats • In areas where riparian forests have uniform-age oaks as dominant species, it is suggested to exclude some of them from forest management … What about the harvest of the seed?...

18. 18th Cold Hardiness Seminar Poland Assumptions for the project which will be implemented intheKostrzyca FGB • Verification of the number of individuals and their health at selected positions. • Collection of seeds and stems with buds ash resting for cryogenic storage. • Cryotherapy of common ash seeds to inactivate the pathogen. • Thermotherapy of common ash seeds to inactivate the pathogen. • Dissemination of theproject results in the form of publications and brochures. • DNA isolation to prepare DNA data bank for the future molecular research.

19. 18th Cold Hardiness Seminar Poland Assumptions for the project which will be implemented in the Kostrzyca Forest Gene Bank • The project will be co-financed by the Regional Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management in Wroclaw • Duration of the project covers the period: 2013 - 2016

20. Thank you for yourattention The Kostrzyca Forest Gene Bank Miłków 300 58-535 Miłków 75 7131048 lbg@ lbg.lasy.gov.pl