Decoding California’s Redwood Trees to Bolster Future Forests
Mercury News (September 26, 2017)

The operating instructions for nature’s tallest and biggest trees have long been hidden inside their tiny seeds — until now.

On Tuesday (September 26), scientists are announcing an ambitious plan to decode the full genetic sequences of California’s two most iconic trees — the coast redwood and giant sequoia — to better understand and protect California’s grandest forests.

Why are some trees more resilient than others? Could they offer hope for future generations? That’s what the $2.6 million project, a partnership between UC Davis, Johns Hopkins University and the San Francisco-based Save the Redwoods League, aims to discover.

The two related species are stressed by loss of habitat and changing environmental conditions. Now it’s time for the next step — Conservation 2.0: Revealing the DNA of the hardiest trees could guide a rescue strategy for troubled forests.

Read the full article here.