Dear EarthTalk:

How can cloning endangered trees help fight climate change?

O. Jones, via email

With only five percent of old-growth coast redwood forests left after extensive logging, conservationists are developing methods to restore these carbon-rich ecosystems. Forests absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) through photosynthesis, storing carbon their mass and surrounding soil. Organizations like Archangel Ancient Tree Archive (AATA) are using cloning to replenish these forests.

Cloning involves clonal propagation, where scientists replicate trees from living tissue, producing genetically identical saplings. AATA, founded by tree farmer David Milarch, collects genetic material from ancient “champion trees”—exceptionally old and large specimens—to preserve ancient genetic material. AATA’s Jake Milarch, who oversees tree propagation, has collected cuttings from the approximately 1000-year-old Brotherhood Tree, hoping to reproduce its genetics. As Milarch explained, “it's proven itself over time, that it can deal with adverse conditions.”

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Old-growth coast redwoods are particularly valuable to restore due to their unique traits. Research shows that since redwoods are old and massive, they sequester more carbon and support greater biodiversity than younger forests. They can also live for thousands of years, while their thick, tannin-rich bark is naturally resistant to fire and insects. Due to their natural size, longevity, and strength, restoring redwood forests can contribute effective long-term carbon storage.

Beyond cloning, researchers are also exploring genetic engineering to strengthen trees, creating saplings that will grow into trees resistant to an even greater array of threats. Scientists at SUNY-ESF have applied this strategy to American chestnuts, introducing a wheat gene that would provide the nuts the enzymes to break down a toxin produced by blight fungi. Andrew Newhouse, director of the chestnut restoration project, attributes their success to the development of synthetic biology, which “opens up possibilities that really haven’t existed until now to address this problem.”

However, genetic engineering still raises concerns that may require it to undergo years of development and testing before practical, widespread application. Smithsonian reported that experimental Darling 54 chestnuts demonstrated slower growth and higher mortality rates—unintended side effects that prompted the American Chestnut Foundation to withdraw support. With further development and consideration of limitations, genetic engineering can be a powerful tool to secure a forest’s future. But as Canadian forest scientist Armand Seguin states: “I don’t think gene editing is the solution, but it’s part of the solution”.

CONTACTS

• Three Stunning Ways Biologists Aim to Edit Animal and Plant Genes to Fight Diseases and Extinction, smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/three-stunning-ways-biologists-aim-to-edit-animal-and-plant-genes-to-fight-diseases-and-extinction-180988036.

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