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American chestnut (Castanea dentata) near St. Williams, ON., ca.
1912 |
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The American chestnut (Castanea
dentata) was once one of North America's most important forest trees. The wood,
easily worked and durable, was used for interior trim, furniture, as well as for posts and
fencing. Some split rail fences constructed early in this century are sill
standing. The annual chestnut crop made it important to the forest community,
providing a reliable food source for wildlife as well as early settlers. Although
the nuts are smaller than other kinds of chestnut, they are very delicious. True
chestnuts are sometimes confused with Horse chestnuts and Buckeyes (Aesculus
species) which have compound leaves and inedible nuts.
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The edible nuts of
American chestnut |
- The natural range of the American
chestnut is in the Carolinian region of eastern North America, and extends from
southeastern Michigan through southern Ontario to Maine, and south to Georgia.
Chestnut commonly made up to 25 percent of mixed stands and formed pure stands on many dry
ridgetops of the Appalachians.
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Original distribution
of American chestnut and spread of Chestnut blight
(adapted from National Geographic 177:128-140) |
- Until the 1940's, American chestnut
was a prevalent tree species in southern Ontario and occurred throughout the Carolinian or
deciduous forest region. It was most common on sandy soils and on well drained
slopes in Norfolk County and around Dundas, and millions of trees were present in these
areas. American chestnut was a common and well-recognized tree at that time.
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- However, after the 1940's, this
species was devastated by the introduction of a plant pathogen from Asia that caused the
plant disease called Chestnut blight. Today, there are only several hundred sites
left in southern Ontario where Chestnut trees and saplings still survive, from
Windsor through London to Oakville and south to Lake Erie.
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Surviving stump of American chestnut that was killed by Chestnut blight |
- Due to the introduction of Chestnut
blight to North America, American chestnut is now considered a threatened species by the
World Wildlife Fund.
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