She fighting for European ash

The ash population in Sweden has declined significantly since the mid- 1990s due to a disease called ash dieback. The situation is serious, and the ash is now threatened with extinction - which would have devastating consequences for biodiversity.

Can you tell us what you are working on?

‒ To help improve the situation, my work focus on develope a resistant population of Europain ash. We do this by combining traditinal tree breeding and a portable tool that uses infrared light to identify resistent trees directly in the forest. In addition, I study how the potential future threat from the emerald ash borer — a harmful insect not yet established in Sweden - might affect ash trees, by investigating how the trees defend themselfes and how this interacts with ash dieback.

‒ As a part of a larger project called Save the Ash (Rädda Asken), I also asses the health and growth of ash trees that have been clonally reproduced and planted in four trial areas in southern Sweden. This will help us identify the best-performing trees to use in future restoration efforts.

What got you interested in this particular field?

‒ When I studied at the University of Padua, I chose to specialize in forest biotic and abiotic disturbance and their interactions with forest health. The courses on forest entomology and forest pathology immediately cought my attention, and I also wrote my master's thesis on ash dieback.

What do you hope to contribute with?

‒ The main benefit of my work is its contribution to the long-term conservation and restoration of the European ash population. By identifying and promoting the selection of resistant trees, my work helps ensure that European ash populations can better cope with ongoing and future threats. Some of our results already show that certain trees have lower susceptibility and stay relatively healthy over time. These are promising candidates for future breeding and restoration efforts.

‒ Another part of the work is introducing a portable Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy tool - a fast, non-invasive method for screening tree resistence directly in the field. This can signigicantly speed up the selection process, reduce costs, and make resistance breeding more efficient.