Adapting oak trees for climate change, one acorn at a time
Alison Hewitt with the UCLA Newsroom highlighted the partnership between researchers from UCLA’s Sork Lab and The Nature Conservancy in a groundbreaking new conservation approach using gene sequencing to save oak trees, which have been threatened by climate change and habitat conversion. Oaks play a critical role in supporting ecosystems and biodiversity, providing habitat for thousands of plants and animal species and removing carbon from the atmosphere.
Genomics provides an important link between academic research and applied conservation. The data from the Sork Lab utilizes genomics to map patterns of genetic variation among populations, providing a scientific framework for conservation efforts for oak species in California and across the globe. The Garden’s Director and lead author of the research, Dr. Victoria Sork spoke about the necessity of the research: “We have to plant seeds for the future, with the climate-adapted genetic variation to help them survive.”
