A new initiative aims to replant American Chestnut trees in New York City, which were decimated by a fungal disease. Collaborating with the New York Restoration Project and the American Chestnut Foundation, researchers are planting 1,000 trees over several years to restore this species, which once thrived in the region. The project involves propagating trees that show resistance to the disease, aiming to revive the ecological role these trees previously held in northeastern forests.
A fragile sapling now taking root in Green-Wood Cemetery's Chestnut Path is part of an ambitious new effort to bring back a tree that once dominated northeastern forests.
Scientists estimate that we lost around 3 billion trees within a really short window of time. It was the first real disaster caused by an invasive disease in our forests after colonization.
In the wild, they don't grow to maturity anymore. They rarely flower or fruit. So the role they played in our forest is gone.
Our chestnuts are really productive, and the few trees that continue to thrive are being propagated for future planting across the five boroughs.
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