This semi-regular e-newsletter celebrates all-things Pacific madrone, highlighting our conservation and restoration efforts while connecting tree researchers and enthusiasts along the way
The Collective
Arbutus ARME 2019 Accomplishments
Our inaugural report is available to peruse. It highlights the mission of Arbutus ARME and the activities we carried out during our first full year of existence as a community-powered project. Read it by following this link.
Hot Topic: Restoration and Monitoring
Seattle Parks and Recreation outplanted fifty seedlings into Discovery Park this past planting season as part of Green Seattle Partnership's "Madrone Recovery Project." Baby trees went into the South Bluff and Bird Alley portions of the park. Plants from different provenances were installed; and, plant ecologists and volunteers will monitor for health and disease over time using protocol similar to what is laid out in the Pacific Madrone Assessment Guidebook. For example, to see differences in leaf blight it’s good to monitor in the early spring before all the foliage is blighted and before the new foliage flushes out.
Featured Fungus - Mycorrhizae
We usually talk about diseases in this column, but this month we will discuss the "good guys" that associate with Pacific madrone. These are beneficial fungi that are found on the roots and are called "mycorrhizae", meaning "fungus root" in Greek. These fungi form a network that can extend the reach of the host tree root system into the soil, allowing it to absorb more nutrients and water. The fungus benefits by taking sugars produced by the tree during photosynthesis. Madrones can share mycorrhizal fungi with other trees. Madrones can help with establishment of a forest after a fire since their root systems harbor mycorrhizal fungi that will colonize conifers that germinate from seed. Maybe that is why we sometimes see them "hugging" Douglas-fir in the forest. Read more about this association here.
Also check out Kennedy et al. (2012). Arbutus menziesii facilitates regeneration dynamics in mixed evergreen forests by promoting mycorrhizal fungal diversity and host connectivity. Am. J. Bot. 99(10): 1–11
Michael and Marianne will be at the South Sound Sustainability Expo at the Tacoma Convention Center on Saturday 3/14/20. The Sustainability Expo is a great annual family-friendly event. Come visit with us! For the latest Expo updates, follow @TacomaSustainability on Facebook and Instagram.
