Climate change in BC impacts our forests and makes them more susceptible to insect pests and fungal pathogens. Unhealthy forests grow slower, produce less timber and absorb less carbon dioxide.  These changes present new challenges for the BC Ministry of Forests (MoF) and Canadian Forest Services, who have the responsibility and mandate of breeding superior trees for reforestation and preparing strategies to help our forests adapt to climate change.

Douglas-fir is an iconic tree in BC with great ecological and socio-economic importance. However, it is susceptible to a fungus that causes Swiss Needle Cast (SNC), a disease leading to early foliage loss. This disease has become a serious and increasing concern for coastal BC Douglas-fir as a direct consequence of climate change. Fortunately, natural variations in disease tolerance suggest that breeding for disease resistance is possible.

Under this project, University of Victoria researcher, Dr. Jürgen Ehlting, and Ministry of Forest scientist, Jonathan Degner, are assessing genetic variation in three Douglas-fir populations using genetic marker information and large-scale DNA sequencing. They aim to identify genes linked to SNC disease resistance. The team will also evaluate whether drones equipped with remote sensing technologies can be used to quickly and effectively assess the severity of SNC in forests. If successful, these tools can improve and accelerate local tree breeding programs and help breeders identify and develop the best trees for seed production and reforestation.

There is one additional aspect to this research project. Microbes inside conifer trees are known to boost their resilience to pests and pathogens. The effect of microbial communities on plant health in Douglas-fir trees remains insufficiently researched. The researchers will use a large-scale metagenomic sequencing approach to evaluate the natural variation among microbiomes within Douglas-fir needles from multiple locations in BC. The findings may set the stage for the development of natural, microbe-based solutions to protect Douglas-fir trees. The microbiome information will also inform the breeding program by incorporating microbiome community composition into tree breeding selection models. The long-term goal is to improve forest health and productivity to ensure a secure timber supply, enhance carbon capture, and contribute to more resilient forest ecosystems.