Holden Arboretum

GROWING RESILIENT FORESTS

FOREST RESILIENCY AND CONSERVATION AND CANOPY COVERAGE EXPANSION PROJECT

THE GOAL IS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE DYNAMICS OF TREE POPULATIONS AFFECTED BY INVASIVE PESTS AND TO DEVELOP METHODS TO IDENTIFY, PROPAGATE AND BREED TREES WITH IMPROVED GENETIC RESISTANCE TO SUCH PESTS. A FOCUSED EFFORT ON FOUR TREES SPECIES OF CRITICAL IMPORTANCE TO NORTHERN TEMPERATE FORESTS OF THE GREAT LAKES REGION: 1 ASH SPECIES WHICH ARE THREATENED BY THE INVASIVE EMERALD ASH BORER 2 AMERICAN BEECH TREES WHICH ARE THREATENED BY BEECH BARK DISEASE CAUSED BY THE BEECH SCALE INSECT AS WELL AS BEECH LEAF DISEASE THE NEMATODE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS DISEASE; 3 EASTERN HEMLOCK WHICH ARE THREATENED BY THE INVASIVE INSECT HEMLOCK WOOLY ADELGID AND ELONGATED HEMLOCK SCALE 4 AMERICAN ELM WHICH IS THREATENED BY DUTCH ELM DISEASE. THE FUNDS WILL CONTINUE THE PRODUCTION OF SUPERIOR PEST-RESISTANT TREES AND SEED SOURCES FOR USE IN FOREST RESTORATION PLANTINGS BY BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE LANDOWNERS ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES BASIN.

HOLDEN FORESTS & GARDENS WILL WORK WITH A CONSULTING FIRM TO CREATE A MAPPING APPLICATION THAT SHOWCASES THE LIVING COLLECTIONS AT THEIR CLEVELAND BOTANICAL GARDEN AND HOLDEN ARBORETUM CAMPUSES. THIS PROJECT WILL MERGE THEIR CURRENT PLANT RECORDS SYSTEM WITH A MODERN GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM (GIS) AND PRODUCE THEIR FIRST INTERACTIVE, PUBLIC MAPPING APPLICATION. THIS WORK WILL ALLOW STAFF TO ACCESS AND UPDATE DATABASES FROM MULTIPLE PLATFORMS, INCLUDING MOBILE DEVICES, AND PROVIDE DIGITAL ACCESS TO COLLECTIONS INFORMATION TO EXTERNAL AUDIENCES. THE CREATION OF A PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE WEB PORTAL THAT CONNECTS THE STAKEHOLDERS WITH INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR PLANTS AND TREES WILL SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION'S STRATEGIC GOALS.

GREAT LAKES RESTORATION INITIATIVE PROPAGATION AND SCREENING OF HARDWOOD TREES THREATENED BY INVASIVE PESTS

HOLDEN FORESTS AND GARDENS WILL CREATE A MASTER INTERPRETIVE PLAN FOR ITS CLEVELAND BOTANICAL GARDEN AND HOLDEN ARBORETUM CAMPUSES THAT COMMUNICATES A UNIFIED ORGANIZATIONAL BRAND WHILE HIGHLIGHTING EACH CAMPUS’S UNIQUE IDENTITY. THE NEW PLAN WILL ENHANCE STORYTELLING, WAYFINDING, AND EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH ON HOLDEN CAMPUSES, MAKING ITS ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH MORE ACCESSIBLE AND FOSTERING DEEPER COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS WITH NATURE. THE PROJECT WILL INCLUDE SITE ASSESSMENTS, STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS, AND COMMUNITY LISTENING SESSIONS TO INFORM THE PLAN. THE RESULTING FRAMEWORK WILL GUIDE MESSAGING FOR CURRENT AND FUTURE TRAILS, GARDENS, AND EDUCATIONAL SPACES, ENRICH VISITOR EXPERIENCES, AND REINFORCE THE GARDEN’S ROLE AS AN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION LEADER IN NORTHEAST OHIO.

THE BEECH LEAF MICROBIOME DETERMINATION OF THE CAUSAL AGENT OF BEECH LEAF DISEASE

OPTIMIZING RAPID DETECTION TECHNIQUES FOR LITYLENCHUS CRENATAE

LANDSCAPE SCALE RESTORATION MAKING A YOUNG LANDSCAPE OLD LANDSCAPE SCALE FOREST RESTORATION TO PROMOTE BIODIVERSITY AND RESILIENCE TO ENVIRONMENTAL

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: SYNTHETIC MICROBIAL CONSORTIA FOR ORGANISMAL RESILIENCE AND REPRODUCIBLE ECOSYSTEM SERVICES IN CHANGING ENVIRONMENTS -AS OUR PLANET'S CLIMATE CONTINUES TO CHANGE, FINDING NEW APPROACHES TO ALLEVIATE ITS IMPACT IS CRUCIAL. MICROBIOMES, WHICH CONSIST OF SMALLER ORGANISMS MAKING A LIVING ON LARGER SPECIES, CAN AFFECT HOW THEIR HOSTS RESPOND TO ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE. THIS PROJECT EVALUATES WHETHER AND HOW WE CAN ASSEMBLE SYNTHETIC MICROBIOMES TO HELP HOST SPECIES COPE WITH THE IMPACTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE. DUE TO THE ENORMOUS DIVERSITY OF MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES, THERE ARE NUMEROUS WAYS TO ENGINEER SYNTHETIC MICROBIOMES, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO IDENTIFY THE PRINCIPLES THAT UNDERPIN THEIR IMPACTS ON HOST SPECIES. THE RESEARCHERS WILL EMPLOY HIGH-THROUGHPUT TECHNIQUES TO SIMULTANEOUSLY EVALUATE THE IMPACTS OF DIFFERENT SYNTHETIC COMMUNITIES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS ON PLANT HOSTS. THE RESULTS WILL EXPAND OUR UNDERSTANDING OF HOW ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE ALTERS THE IMPACTS OF MICROBES ON HOSTS AND HOW ENGINEERED SYNTHETIC MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES MAY HELP HOSTS ADAPT TO A CHANGING CLIMATE. THE RESEARCHERS WILL ACTIVELY MENTOR STUDENTS FROM MIDDLE SCHOOL TO UNDERGRADUATE LEVEL, CREATE A NEW COURSE-BASED UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH EXPERIENCE LAB COURSE IN THE CUTTING-EDGE FIELD OF SYNTHETIC MICROBIOLOGY, AND DESIGN A BACKYARD RESEARCH PROGRAM FOR UNDER-SERVED MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO PROVIDE TRAINING TO ATTRACT THEIR INTEREST TO POSSIBLE CAREERS IN STEM. THIS STUDY WILL EXPLORE THE INTERSECTION OF DIFFERENT RESEARCH AREAS TO STUDY THE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN HOSTS AND MICROBES, INCLUDING SYMBIOSIS, EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY, AND ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONING. IT WILL ASSESS HOW ELEVATED TEMPERATURES AFFECT THREE CRUCIAL COMPONENTS OF HOST-MICROBE INTERACTIONS: (1) MICROBE-MICROBE INTERACTIONS AND THEIR IMPACT ON HOST FITNESS, (2) FUNCTIONAL REDUNDANCY AND ITS EFFECT ON BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONS, AND (3) EVOLVABILITY DURING MICROBIOME BREEDING. TO ACHIEVE THIS GOAL, THE RESEARCHERS WILL COLLECT DUCKWEED, A WIDESPREAD AQUATIC PLANT, ACROSS A TEMPERATURE GRADIENT, ACQUIRE BACTERIA FROM DUCKWEEDS AND OTHER SOURCES, AND USE THESE COLLECTIONS IN LARGE MULTIFACTORIAL EXPERIMENTS ON AN AUTOMATED, HIGH-THROUGHPUT PLATFORM. THE COLLECTIONS, RESULTS, AND EXPERIMENTAL METHODS WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF MICROBIAL CONSORTIA THAT CAN ENHANCE ORGANISMAL AND ECOSYSTEM RESILIENCE IN THE ANTHROPOCENE. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.

AWARD PURPOSE: TO ENGAGE THE AND EDUCATE THE PUBLIC AND OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL PROFESSIONALS IN THE SOUTHERN GREAT LAKES REGION ON THE IDENTIFICATION AND MITIGATION OF HEMLOCK WOOLY ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: IMPLEMENT NEW INTERPRETIVE SIGNAGE NEAR HIGH TRAFFIC VISITOR AREAS AT THE ARBORETUM TO ENHANCE INFORMAL EDUCATION WITHIN THE INSTITUTION. THE DEVELOPMENT AND DISTRIBUTION OF INFORMATIONAL PAMPHLETS TO TRAVEL CENTERS IN NEIGHBORING STATES IS THE SECOND COMPONENT OF THIS PROJECT. WITH A TOTAL OF SIX INFORMATIONAL SESSIONS (THREE IN PERSON, THREE VIRTUAL), WE HOPE TO REACH BETWEEN 15-25 PARTICIPANTS PER SESSION DURING A 45-MINUTE PRESENTATION WITH 15 MINUTES FOR QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. THIS PROJECT IS TO HOST INFORMAL EDUCATION TABLING EVENTS AT BOTH CLEVELAND BOTANIC GARDENS AND HOLDEN ARBORETUM AS WELL AS LEAD AT LEAST ONE SCHOOL FIELD TRIP TO TEACH STUDENTS ABOUT FOREST HEALTH. DELIVERABLES AND EXPECTED OUTCOMES: INCREASE THE KNOWLEDGE OF INVASIVE PESTS AND PATHOGENS AS DRIVERS OF GLOBAL CHANGE TO THE PUBLIC AND SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN. RAISE AWARENESS, SPECIFICALLY TARGETING REGIONAL TRAVELERS, OF TWO DESTRUCTIVE ORGANISMS THAT ARE CONTINUING TO SPREAD THROUGH THE GREAT LAKES REGION, POTENTIALLY PREVENTING INADVERTENT SPREAD. INCREASE RECOGNITION OF THE ORGANISMS TO ENHANCE EARLY DETECTION BY THE PUBLIC AND THOSE WORKING IN THE NOT-FOR-PROFIT PLANT INDUSTRY. SHARE MITIGATION TECHNIQUES WITH OTHER BOTANICAL GARDENS AND ARBORETA WHERE THESE ORGANISMS MAY SOON SPREAD, TO MINIMIZE LOSSES OF ORNAMENTAL PLANTINGS. INTENDED BENEFICIARY(IES): LOWER GREAT LAKES REGION OF OHIO.SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES, IF KNOWN OR SPECIFIED AT THE TIME OF AWARD: NONE AT THIS TIME