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Arboretum employee travels to China to save ash species

Posted February 22, 2009 10:00 pm

Joan Broz

When the seeds won't come to you, sometimes you have to go to the seeds. The Morton Arboretum's Kris Bachtell climbs a tree to collect seeds from a Manchurian ash in China. Courtesy of Morton Arboretum

Travel on a vicarious journey to the far-off Orient with plant explorer Kris Bachtell.

Over lunch in the Morton Arboretum's Ginkgo Restaurant on Thursday, Feb. 26, the arboretum's director of collections and facilities will share his recent travels to the north slope of the Qin Ling Mountains in the Shaanxi Province of China.

The mountain range is a unique natural geographic dividing line between the north and south parts of the country. The range's north side has weather comparable to Lisle while its south side enjoys a subtropical climate.

Over the past 18 years, Bachtell has made seven trips to China, traveling to the provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Shanxi and Gansu. For each expedition he packs both field clothes and rain gear for his adventures. Last year, the four-week trip included a day in Beijing following the Olympics.

"This trip was different because it was to an affluent province with good roads and Chinese tourist hotels," Bachtell said. "But we still needed to submit a list of the plants we were interested in getting and secure all proper permits."

Bachtell joined Christopher Carley from the U.S. National Arboretum and Tony Aiello from the Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania for the trip to the north slope of the mountains. Kang Wang, from the Beijing Botanic Garden, and local guides joined the men. One guide was a proficient tree climber.

As part of the North American China Plant Exploration Consortium, Bachtell and the others collected several thousand seeds to mount a defense to protect North America's ash trees from the emerald ash borer.

"Plants that we collected in 1996 from this region have been very good performers here at the arboretum," Bachtell said. "So that is why we went back to this area."

When taking seeds for research out of a country, they all need to be inspected to make sure they are clean and harbor no pests or diseases. They are inspected again before entering the United States. Seeds are easier to transport because anything that touches soil, such as a seedling, would need to be quarantined for three years.

The researchers hope to find borer-resistant trees to reduce and eliminate the devastating effects the bug has caused native ashes.

The emerald ash borer is an invasive pest first reported in Michigan in 2002. The thought is that the bug first entered the United States within untreated wood pallets. Its destruction has spread into Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Missouri and West Virginia.

According to arboretum information, an estimated 25 million ash trees have been destroyed and the metallic-green pest shows no signs of stopping. The cost to municipalities, homeowners and nurseries is profound.

"There is very good evidence that the China ash tree shows a resistance to the emerald ash borer," Bachtell said. "To test a species for its insect and disease resistance, it's best to test a tree that's not a hybrid. That's why we collect wild seeds, to get the species' pure form."

The seeds from the Chinese countryside that Bachtell's group collected include the Pax's ash, Manchurian ash, Chinese ash, Chinese flowering ash, island ash, hardy linden and several different maple species. Data shows that these ashes have developed a natural defense against the pest.

"The island ash is so rare it is believed not to exist in the United States," he said.

In the moist, sun-filled greenhouses at the arboretum, Bachtell is proud to see the thin Chinese ash seeds sprout. Each tray of 3- to 5-inch green seedlings generates hope that someday these adult trees will ensure the ash tree's survival. In 8 to 12 years, the trees will begin to produce seeds of their own to continue the process.

If left unchecked, the potential damage from the emerald ash borer is stifling.

"Twenty percent of the trees in the five-county metro Chicago area are white or green ashes," Bachtell said. "Five or six percent of the natural woodlands in Illinois are ash trees too."

Although years from having definitive answers to save the ash tree population, the project resembles the successful work of George Ware at the Morton Arboretum in the 1980s and '90s to protect the American elm tree from the Dutch elm disease. Ware's uncompromising work led to the development of two disease resistant cultivars - Triumph and Accolade - and reinstated healthier elms to urban and suburban landscapes.

Bachtell's first trip to China with Ware was a learning experience. It brought into focus Bachtell's penchant for trees that took root during Friday walks in the woods with his classmates in Mrs. Clayton's first grade in Park Forest.

Bachtell earned his horticulture degrees at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. His zeal for trees and nature makes his determination to preserve the ash tree his crusade.

The arboretum's Learn with Lunch runs 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 26, and includes a buffet meal. Tickets are $20. Call (630) 719-2468 to reserve your spot.

The emerald ash borer's infestation reinforces the need for import regulations.

In the Midwest, firewood is a primary way the beetle is moved to new areas. Campers should purchase and use their campsite firewood locally and never transport it back home or from home to summer cottages.

Federal quarantines and fines are in place for moving firewood across state lines. A multistate emerald ash borer Web site is emeraldashborer.info.

Being aware is something we need to do for the environment.

• Joan Broz writes about Lisle. E-mail her at jgbroz@yahoo.com.

Kris Bachtell

Kris Bachtell sorts through thousands of seeds trying to ensure none are diseased or carry bugs. Customs officials would later X-ray them to make sure they were clean. Courtesy of Morton Arboretum

The Morton Arboretum's Kris Bachtell, left, inspects a rare species of seed called island ash during a recent trip to China. Courtesy of Morton Arboretum

Bachtell inspects a day's haul while sitting on a bed in his Chinese hotel room. In this case, the bed consisted of a frame and box spring but no mattress. Courtesy of Morton Arboretum

If you go What: Travelogue and lunch with Kris Bachtell, Morton Arboretum's director of collections and facilities When: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 26 Where: The Ginkgo Restaurant at Morton Arboretum, 4100 Route 53, Lisle Cost: $20 Info: (630) 719-2468 or <a href="http://www.mortonarb.org" target="new">mortonarb.org</a>

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