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The demise and potential revival of the American chestnut

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Re: The demise and potential revival of the American chestnut

#31

Post by teruakohatu »

Swizec wrote: post #18
Maursault wrote: post #4

This is exciting. The American Chestnut is an amazing tree that once grew with trunks as wide as a car. The article did not mention that once the blight was discovered, there was somewhat of a panic to harvest them, which rather reduced the genetic diversity and ruined the possibility of any natural resistance. The horrendous effect our species has on the diversity of life is incredibly sad, re: Dodos and Carrier Pig…

> But I would not cry if the biting mosquito that spreads disease, the bacteria that causes wet dog smell, and Cryphonectria parasitica went extinct never to appear again. Remember when Mao tried that with evil evil sparrows stealing seeds from the party and caused the greatest famine in human history? Fun times. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Pests_Campaign

Not all mosquito spread disease or bite humans and the ones that do are not a major part of important ecosystems. When DEET was used heavily it didn't collapse any ecosystems. If we eliminate those species, the non-spreaders will fill the niche while eliminating major human suffering. It is not comparable to killing any sparrow sized bird.

Re: The demise and potential revival of the American chestnut

#32

Post by 0x53 »

I recently bought a house in a wooded area. In the backyard was a large old tree that I could not identify. After much searching I figured out that it was a chestnut tree! The article says they are the "perfect tree", but the chestnuts are incredibly sharp and tough. Very painful to step on.

Re: The demise and potential revival of the American chestnut

#33

Post by whyenot »

whyenot wrote: post #9

There is an old chestnut orchard in the Santa Cruz mountains above Silicon Valley that has the Asian, European AND American chestnut species. American chestnut has the smallest nuts of the three, but they are the sweetest and best tasting.

Here is some more information about the orchard.

http://skylinechestnuts.com/about2.html

Re: The demise and potential revival of the American chestnut

#35

Post by mikesabbagh »

There is a good chance in 10 years we will look back and ask ourselves why the heck it took us so long to allow the genetically engineered chestnuts. There is a big difference between genetic engineering to remove a species from existence vs reversing a bad thing we did and protect a species from going extinct. Our duty is to protect nature from us, and not not intervening when we destroy it. We did this accidentally by introducing the fungus. It is therefore Our duty to protect the chestnut by any means we have to reverse the damage we did, and restore equilibrium

Re: The demise and potential revival of the American chestnut

#36

Post by libraryatnight »

mikesabbagh wrote: post #35

There is a good chance in 10 years we will look back and ask ourselves why the heck it took us so long to allow the genetically engineered chestnuts. There is a big difference between genetic engineering to remove a species from existence vs reversing a bad thing we did and protect a species from going extinct. Our duty is to protect nature from us, and not not intervening when we destroy it. We did this accidentally…

I was unfamiliar with the chestnut debacle until I read The Overstory - I immediately put the book down and went to read about chestnuts being wiped out in droves.

Re: The demise and potential revival of the American chestnut

#37

Post by cmrdporcupine »

The goal can be accomplished through hybridization and backcrossing, with marker assisted selection.

I have a Chinese-American F1 hybrid growing here on my farm that is in its 8th year doing very well. I keep meaning to get some more, since I don't get consistent pollination on it.

Re: The demise and potential revival of the American chestnut

#38

Post by chrisweekly »

libraryatnight wrote: post #36
mikesabbagh wrote: post #35

There is a good chance in 10 years we will look back and ask ourselves why the heck it took us so long to allow the genetically engineered chestnuts. There is a big difference between genetic engineering to remove a species from existence vs reversing a bad thing we did and protect a species from going extinct. Our duty is to protect nature from us, and not not intervening when we destroy it. We did this accidentally…

I was unfamiliar with the chestnut debacle until I read The Overstory - I immediately put the book down and went to read about chestnuts being wiped out in droves.

Same; reading Overstory: A Novel by Richard Powers (which deserved its Pulitzer) was a profound experience. Trees are amazing.

Re: The demise and potential revival of the American chestnut

#39

Post by Ericson2314 »

billfor wrote: post #28

I thought the Dunstan Chestnut was an American Chestnut that was blight resistant. I have one growing in my yard for the last 4 years and it's doing fine. https://chestnuthilltreefarm.com/learning-center/dunstan-che...

Reading that page, I think the problem is that that hybrid might be insufficiently derived from the American chestnut for wide-scale replanting of it to count as conservation.

Re: The demise and potential revival of the American chestnut

#40

Post by samhuk »

not2b wrote: post #8

Under a spreading chestnut-tree The village smithy stands; The smith, a mighty man is he, With large and sinewy hands; And the muscles of his brawny arms Are strong as iron bands. -- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I'm intruiged as to your take on how this ties into this.
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