Rooting Quercus dumosa shoots in vitro and investigating the possible use of native mycorrhizal fungi to improve growth

Quercus dumosa, or the coastal sage scrub oak, faces numerous threats to its native range, such as fires, urban development, and climate change. Unfortunately, Q. dumosa’s acorns cannot survive the dry conditions required for seed banking, and living collections require considerable space. One alternative for ex situ conservation is tissue culture, in which microplants from many individuals […]

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The Development of a Micropropagation Protocol Suitable for a Wide Range of Quercus dumosa Genotypes for Ex Situ Conservation

Quercus dumosa, or Nuttall’s scrub oak, is endangered due to human encroachment, misidentification, disease, and wildfire. Micropropagation is a method of ex situ conservation in which plants maybe be preserved under aseptic conditions away from the many threats they face. However, each genotype grows differently; what may encourage growth in one individual may prove lethal […]

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Quercus dumosa, Nuttall’s Scrub Oak, Coastal Sage Scrub Oak

Screenshot of "Quercus dumosa, Nuttall's Scrub Oak, Coastal Sage Scrub Oak" video

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance postdoc, Dr. Joe Ree, presented some of his work with Quercus dumosa at the 2021 Channel Islands and California Native Oak Workshop. Dr. Ree is working with tissue cultures to try and establish a method of propagating this rare scrub oak. He hopes to further preserve the tissues using cryopreservation […]

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