Distribution Patterns of Chestnut Blight in American Chestnut Populations
Wellish S. 2015. Distribution Patterns of Chestnut Blight in American Chestnut Populations. National Park Service
ABSTRACT: The American chestnut, an ecologically dominant and commercially valuable tree, was functionally eliminated from the wild following the introduction of the ascomycete pathogen Cryphonectria parasitica (chestnut blight). The potential for reintroduction of resistant hybrid trees has led to a need for increased understanding of American chestnut distribution patterns and how they affect the spread of disease. I examined the relationship between chestnut coppice distribution and disease levels in three populations of American chestnut. Many coppices exhibited a clumped distribution pattern, and disease was more prevalent within clumps if a tree was heavily impacted. Isolated coppices were less frequently infected, suggesting that the risk of disease transmission is greatest over short distances.
- Type
- Unpublished Report
- Authors
- Wellish, Sarah
- Date of Issue
- 2015
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- GRSM
- Keywords
- American chestnut, APHN, Appalachian Highlands Network, Castanea dentate, chestnut blight, clumped distribution, Cryphonectria parasitica, disease pathology, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, GRSM, GRSM-01251, SER, Southeast Region, spatial analysis, vectors