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Chinese elm study could strengthen other tree species

Kurt Hauglie/Daily Mining Gazette Dr. Ramesh ThaKur looks over some of the young specimens of the Chinese elm, which is the subject of a research project he’s conducting at Michigan Technological University to determine why the tree is so rugged.

HOUGHTON —  The Chinese elm is a rugged tree, which Dr. Ramesh ThaKur thinks might be able to provide genetic information applicable to improving or strengthening other tree species.

ThaKur, who is a Tech research scientist in the School of Forestry Resources and Environmental Science, is continuing work involving the Chinese elm started by former Michigan Technological University forestry professor David Karnosky, who began investigating a Chinese elm, which lived for more than 100 years in New York City’s Central Park. Eventually, the tree became hollow because of old age and was cut down.

“He started this work in the 1970s while working in New York,” ThaKur said.

ThaKur said Karnosky, who worked for the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation at the time, noticed that the Chinese elm was staying green and keeping its leaves longer than the other tree species in the area. It also wasn’t bothered by the pollution in the city.

Karnosky took cuttings from the Central Park elm, and began studying it, ThaKur said.

“That work he kept going after his movement from New York to Michigan Tech,” he said. “I came here in 2001, and I kept working with him.”

Karnosky died in 2008, and ThaKur said he continued the work Karnosky started.

“I’m working in collaboration with the J&AR Foundation,” he said.

Janet and Arthur Ross started the Arthur Ross Foundation, which funded Karnosky’s work in New York and then at Tech. When Arthur Ross died in 2007, the name of the foundation was changed to the J&AR Foundation, which is still funding the research into the tree.

The goal of the project is to propagate and distribute the tree as much as possible, ThaKur said.

The Chinese elm is resistant to diseases, such as Dutch elm disease, which almost eliminated elms in the United States. Karnosky’s, and now his work is trying to determine why that is, ThaKur said.

There could be breeding programs and hybridizations, using the Chinese elms, which ThaKur said could be applied to other elm species, and give them resistance to Dutch elm disease and other diseases.

ThaKur said part of his work with Chinese elm is trying to determine if it can be made to survive in colder climates, such as the Upper Peninsula, but so far they don’t do well outdoors during the winter. The farthest north they do well in Michigan so far is the lower half of the Lower Peninsula.

“This is not the right area for this plant,” he said.

However, ThaKur said some of what he’s learning with his research might be applicable to other species, which do grow in this area.

“I’m finding new ways to propagate, so we can use those techniques for other important American species, such as American chestnut,” he said.

He’s working alone on the Chinese elm project, ThaKur said, but he does involve some of his students with various projects.

ThaKur said he’s uncertain how much longer he’ll be able to continue research into the Chinese elm.

“It depends on funding,” he said.

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