Jeremy Johnson

As Michigan’s climate warms, tree species like red pine and eastern white pine may no longer thrive here. Their native regions are moving north faster than forests can keep up with. …To help forests stand a chance, Michigan State University forest genetics professor Jeremy Johnson is experimenting with “assisted tree migration.” …“We can improve the genetic gain in those trees and start an orchard where we have seed that is adapted to the future climates”. Johnson is backed by a $500,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, which he’ll use to plant thousands of trees at nine sites across the state and spend the next 20 years tracking their performance. …Johnson hopes to find individual trees with traits that help them survive in the simulated conditions. Their seeds can then be planted on the edges of existing forests where they can cross-pollinate with other trees and spread those traits, making the forests more resilient.