Abstract
Natural and urban forests worldwide are increasingly threatened by global change resulting from human-mediated factors, including invasions by lethal exotic pathogens. Ash dieback (ADB), incited by the alien invasive fungus Hymenoscyphus fraxineus, has caused large-scale population decline of European ash (Fraxinus excelsior) across Europe, and is threatening to functionally extirpate this tree species. Genetically controlled host resistance is a key element to ensure European ash survival and to restore this keystone species where it has been decimated. We know that a low proportion of the natural population of European ash expresses heritable, quantitative resistance that is stable across environments. To exploit this resource for breeding and restoration efforts, tools that allow for effective and efficient, rapid identification and deployment of superior genotypes are now sorely needed. Here we show that Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy of phenolic extracts from uninfected bark tissue, coupled with a model based on soft independent modelling of class analogy (SIMCA), can robustly discriminate between ADB-resistant and susceptible European ash. The model was validated with populations of European ash grown across six European countries. Our work demonstrates that this approach can efficiently advance the effort to save such fundamental forest resource in Europe and elsewhere.
Highlights
Natural and urban forests worldwide are increasingly threatened by global change resulting from human-mediated factors, including invasions by lethal exotic pathogens
Our ability to readily and reliably detect superior genotypes could enhance the success of current restoration efforts, or protect trees from logging or other activities associated with forest and urban landscape management, in support of in situ conservation
A low proportion of the natural population of European ash expresses heritable, quantitative resistance that is stable across environments[23,24,25], and genomic solutions to uncover mechanisms associated with disease resistance have been explored as a means to accelerate breeding of trees with resistance against ADB26,27
Summary
Natural and urban forests worldwide are increasingly threatened by global change resulting from human-mediated factors, including invasions by lethal exotic pathogens. These disturbances have the potential to cause massive and irreversible damage[8] by eliminating keystone tree species in many areas of the world, and permanently altering trophic structures, nutrient dynamics[1] and primary productivity[2] of forest communities Such wide ranging ecological impacts can compromise the maintenance of ecosystem services upon which humans rely, including those associated with reduced incidence of human morbidities[9]. Considering that plant resistance against pests and pathogens essentially relies on host chemistry[16], vibrational spectroscopy-based techniques hold vast potential in distinguishing between plant chemical phenotypes (chemotypes) that are genetically and epigenetically driven, and vary in disease susceptibility Among these techniques, Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy has so far shown promising results in applications involving forest trees[13], including delineating resistance to invasive pathogens such as Ophiostoma novo-ulmi, causal agent of Dutch elm disease[17,18], and Phytophthora ramorum, causal agent of sudden oak death[19]. The technique was able to successfully model tree resistance prior to infection
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