Forest health adaptation strategies to mitigate increasing harmful effects of pathogenic organisms in climate vulnerable regions under increasing restrictions

The joint project aims to develop sustainable healthy forest concepts for selected regions in Germany, which either currently or in the future are expected to be highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, globalization, and agglomeration. The study area extends along a diagonal transect from southwest to northeast of Germany, connecting similar sensitive habitats with limited water availability and under increased heat conditions. Therefore, the expected results obtained in this case study can be transferable and used for predicting future conditions and mitigating adverse effects. The project focuses on adapted tree species (oaks and pines), which are characterized by a wide ecological amplitude and are very important for the future forestry. The investigations aim at promoting the natural resilience, adaptation and optimization of diagnostic, monitoring and prediction methods, as well as to future oriented forest protection with broad acceptance of the society.
After the analysis of family structures (PP1) in different pine and oak provenances 10 trees will be selected from each (together with PP1). Total-DNA and total-RNA will be isolated from buds, roots or leafs or needles, respectively. In the case of total-DNA selected candidate genes will be amplified on the genomic level by PCR (polymerase chain reaction). SNP-analysis within a larger sample set will be performed by using a 454 sequencing platform. The genotyping of the SNPs will be done for all provenance samples (together with PP1) and population genetic parameters will be analyzed. In selected oak and pine trees the different expression patterns of the candidate genes will be analyzed by RT-PCR.