Researchers from the Bohlmann lab revealed genomic insights for a cornerstone forest tree species of the Pacific Northwest, the iconic Western Redcedar (WRC). For thousands of years, and long before the arrival of European settlers, WRC has been integral to a multitude of practical, cultural and ceremonial practices of the Indigenous people of the region. WRC serves a central role in the temperate rain forest ecosystem of the Pacific Northwest and into the interior. With its beautiful, rot resistant wood it is a prized building material. Unfortunately, climate change and logging of old-growth WRC pose challenges for the species. The Bohlmann lab published two papers in the journals Genome Research and Evolutionary Applications that share novel findings about the genome, adaptation and resilience of this species.
