Ecological Research Institute (ERI)
ERI’s hemlock activities include collecting branch-tip tissue samples from both healthy and unhealthy trees at sites where the vast majority are dead or dying, as well as healthy trees from stands that have remained healthy despite long-term infestation. All sampled trees are in or near established hemlock plots, ensuring there is accompanying long-term data on infestation history and health status. This enables the assessment of resistance and its heritability, as well as the genomics associated with resistance. Samples are sent to Holden Forests & Gardens and University of Connecticut for assessment and archiving. ERI has also developed a site selection guide to help determine where to prioritize lingering hemlock searches and hemlock health monitoring plots.
University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology
UTK’s Staton Lab, led by Dr. Meg Staton, specializes in apps to aid scientists in sample collection, tracking, and data analysis. Their portfolio is diverse, but includes the app utilized by the Lingering Hemlock Project: TreeSnap. They continue to streamline the back-end development of TreeSnap to increase developer agility in infrastructure updates, bug fixes, and feature additions and enhancements.
Holden Forests and Gardens
Holden F&G’s hemlock work involves the continued assessment and refinement of propagation methods for eastern hemlock, including methods to induce early flowering and accelerated seed production. They are considering a repeat trial to refine the results of the previously successful study to induce early flowering and cone production in hemlock using Procone®. (ProCone® is a commercially available plant growth regulating compound). Additionally, Holden F&G began its collaboration with Bartlett Tree to explore experimental application of natural tree defense chemicals within the hemlock plantings at Holden F&G, with Bartlett planning a trial of the application of salicylic acid this winter. This work will inform modeling of possible HWA resistance through chemical signals, with the possibility of applying the research to identify promising hemlock genotypes in the future.
A newly hired scientist and postdoctoral scientist will soon begin work on improving lingering hemlock protocols through analysis of existing historical datasets on hemlock mortality.
University of Connecticut, Plant Computational Genomics Lab
UConn’s Plant Computational Genomics Lab, led by Dr. Jill Wegrzyn, conducts research on eastern hemlock through targeted genetic and chemical analyses, which greatly improves the quality of information in multiple datasets, strengthening our ability to draw comparisons between lingering and susceptible hemlock individuals. Additional hemlock work includes reference genome development, range-wide sampling, and investigations into the genetic basis of resistance to their specific threats. UConn also leads the monthly meetings for the partners within the Lingering Hemlock Project.
New York State Hemlock Initiative
Hemlock Restoration Initiative
The Hemlock Restoration Initiative’s role in the Lingering Hemlock Project (LHP) is centered around the goal of identifying, promoting LHP to, and training appropriate audiences to identify hemlock trees that could be used in breeding research using the lingering hemlocks search protocol. Their outreach is primarily focused on the protocols for finding individual or groups of lingering trees in areas of high mortality throughout the range of eastern hemlock, in particular using TreeSnap.
The Nature Conservancy
This project is led and coordinated by The Nature Conservancy.