Scientists & Staff

Mary E. Mason

Geneticist

Genetics, Biological Control, and Management of Invasive Species

359 Main Road

Delaware, OH, 43015-8640

Phone: 740-368-0189

Contact Mary E. Mason

News Releases

Scientists identify genes tied to ash trees' resistance to emerald ash borerMay 26, 2020

Current Research

Genetics and resistance breeding of ash species to emerald ash borer
Genetics and resistance breeding of American beech to beech bark disease

Research Interests

genetics and ecology of trees threatened by invasive pests in the US
use of the tools of tree breeding to address forest health problems

Past Research

Genetics of fusiform rust resistance in Southern Pines
Cytogenetics of Southern Pines
Molecular regulation of the plant circadian clock
Molecular regulation of etiolation and de-etiolation

Why This Research is Important

Invasive plants, insects, and diseases are changing forest often by damaging or killing individual trees, and these impacts are expected to increase in the future. Understanding the genetics of resistance to invasive pests and how it is inherited helps foresters understand if trees may adapt over time. Utilizing resistance in tree breeding programs may allow foresters to preserve or accelerate the recovery of threatened tree species.

Education

The Ohio State University, B.S. Forestry Forest Biology,
University of Florida, M.S. Forestry Forest Molecular Biology,

Professional Experience

Research Associate, The Ohio State University 1998 - 2020
Biologist, US Forest Service, Southern Research Station, Southern Institute of Forest Genetics 1992 - 1998

Featured Publications & Products

Koch, J.L. ; Carey, D.W. ; Mason, M.E. ; Poland, T.M. ; Knight, K.S. 2015. Intraspecific variation in Fraxinus pennsylvanica responses to emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis). New Forests
Mason, Mary E.; Krasowski, Marek; Loo, Judy; Koch, Jennifer. 2011. Comparison of protein profiles of beech bark disease-resistant or beech bark disease-susceptible American beech. In: McManus, Katherine A; Gottschalk, Kurt W., eds. 2010. Proceedings. 21st U.S. Department of Agriculture interagency research forum on invasive species 2010; 2010 January 12-15; Annapolis, MD. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-75. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station: 105.

Publications & Products

Carey, David W.; Allmaras, Marjorie ; Bloese, Paul ; Burke, David ; Berrang, Paul ; Dalton, Lindsay ; Gettig, Roger ; Hall, Tom ; Hille, Andrea ; Kochenderfer, Jeff D.; Lint, Scott ; Mason, Mary ; Mckenna, James ; Rogers, Scott ; Rose, Jill ; Young, Carol ; Konen, Keith ; Koch, Jennifer L. 2020. A Collaborative Multi-Agency Program to Develop Resistance to Beech Bark Disease in American Beech (Fagus Grandifolia). In: Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-252. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Southern Research Station
Islam-Faridi, Nurul ; Mason, Mary E.; Koch, Jennifer L.; Nelson, C. Dana. 2020. Cytogenetics of Fraxinus mandshurica and F. quadrangulata: ploidy determination and rDNA analysis. Tree Genetics & Genomes
Kelly, Laura J.; Plumb, William J.; Carey, David W.; Mason, Mary E.; Cooper, Endymion D.; Crowther, William ; Whittemore, Alan T.; Rossiter, Stephen J.; Koch, Jennifer L.; Buggs, Richard J. A. 2020. Convergent molecular evolution among ash species resistant to the emerald ash borer. Nature Ecology & Evolution
Koch, Jennifer L.; Carey, David W.; Mason, Mary E.; Romero-Severson, Jeanne ; Poland, Therese M.; Knight, Kathleen S.; Tubesing, Charles ; Gettig, Roger. 2020. Restoring Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica): Breeding for Resistance to the Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis). In: Publication: Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-252. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service. Southern Research Station
Steiner, Kim C.; Graboski, Lake E.; Knight, Kathleen S.; Koch, Jennifer L.; Mason, Mary E. 2019. Genetic, spatial, and temporal aspects of decline and mortality in a Fraxinus provenance test following invasion by the emerald ash borer. Biological Invasions
Mason, Mary E.; Koch, Jennifer L.; Krasowski, Marek; Loo, Judy. 2013. Comparisons of protein profiles of beech bark disease resistant and susceptible American beech (Fagus grandifolia). Proteome Science. 11:2.
Koch, Jennifer L.; Carey, David W.; Knight, Kathleen S.; Poland, Therese; Herms, Daniel A.; Mason, Mary E. 2012. Breeding strategies for the development of emerald ash borer - resistant North American ash. In: Sniezko, Richard A.; Yanchuk, Alvin D.; Kliejunas, John T.; Palmieri, Katharine M.; Alexander, Janice M.; Frankel, Susan J., tech. coords. Proceedings of the fourth international workshop on the genetics of host-parasite interactions in forestry: Disease and insect resistance in forest trees. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-240. Albany, CA: Pacific Southwest Research Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. pp. 235-239.
Koch, Jennifer L.; Mason, Mary E.; Carey, David W. 2012. Screening for resistance to beech bark disease: Improvements and results from seedlings and grafted field selections. In: Sniezko, Richard A.; Yanchuk, Alvin D.; Kliejunas, John T.; Palmieri, Katharine M.; Alexander, Janice M.; Frankel, Susan J., tech. coords. Proceedings of the fourth international workshop on the genetics of host-parasite interactions in forestry: Disease and insect resistance in forest trees. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-240. Albany, CA: Pacific Southwest Research Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. pp. 196-208
Rivera-Vega, Loren; Mamidala, Praveen; Koch, Jennifer L.; Mason, Mary E.; Mittapalli, Omprakash. 2012. Evaluation of reference genes for expression studies in ash (Fraxinus spp.). Plant Molecular Biology Reporter. 30: 242-245.
Koch, Jennifer L.; Carey, David W.; Mason, Mary E.; Nelson, C. Dana; Barakat, Abdelali; Carlson, John E.; Neale, David. 2011. Development of molecular tools for use in beech bark disease management. In: McManus, Katherine A; Gottschalk, Kurt W., eds. 2010. Proceedings. 21st U.S. Department of Agriculture interagency research forum on invasive species 2010; 2010 January 12-15; Annapolis, MD. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-75. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station: 38-40.
Koch, Jennifer L.; Knight, Kathleen; Poland, Therese; Carey, David W.; Herms, Daniel A.; Mason, Mary E. 2011. Strategies for selecting and breeding EAB-resistant ash. In: McManus, Katherine A.; Gottschalk, Kurt W., eds. Proceedings, 22nd U.S. Department of Agriculture Interagency Research Symposium on Invasive Species; 2011 Jan. 11-14; Annapolis, MD. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-92. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station: 33-35.
Mason, Mary E.; Herms, Daniel A.; Carey, David W.; Knight, Kathleen S.; Faridi, Nurul I.; Koch, Jennifer. 2011. Update on exotic ash collection for hybrid breeding and survey for EAB-resistance in native North American species. In: McManus, Katherine A; Gottschalk, Kurt W., eds. 2010. Proceedings. 21st U.S. Department of Agriculture interagency research forum on invasive species 2010; 2010 January 12-15; Annapolis, MD. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-75. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station: 104.
Knight, Kathleen S.; Karrfalt, Robert P.; Mason, Mary E. 2010. Methods for collecting ash (Fraxinus spp.) seeds. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-55. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 14 p.
Koch, Jennifer L.; Carey, David W.; Mason, Mary E.; Islam-Faridi, M. Nurul. 2010. Overcoming obstacles to interspecies hybridization of ash. In: Michler, Charles H.; Ginzel, Matthew D., eds. 2010. Proceedings of symposium on ash in North America; 2010 March 9-11; West Lafayette, IN. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-72. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station: 41-44.
Koch, Jennifer L.; Carey, David W.; Mason, Mary E.; Nelson, C. Dana. 2010. Assessment of beech scale resistance in full- and half-sibling American beech families. Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 40: 265-272.
Koch, Jennifer L.; Mason, Mary E.; Carey, David W.; Knight, Kathleen; Poland, Therese; Herms, Daniel A. 2010. Survey for tolerance to emerald ash borer within North American ash species. In: Michler, Charles H.; Ginzel, Matthew D., eds. 2010. Proceedings of symposium on ash in North America; 2010 March 9-11; West Lafayette, IN. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-72. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station: 60.
Koch, Jennifer; Carey, Dave; Mason, M.E. 2010. Use of microsatellite markers in an American beech (Fagus grandifolia) population and paternity testing. Silvae Genetica. 59(2-3): 62-69.
Koch, Jennifer; Pureswaran, Deepa; Carey, David; Mason, Mary; Poland, Therese. 2009. Asian ash species as a source of resistance to EAB: development and characterization of novel ash species. In: McManus, Katherine A; Gottschalk, Kurt W., eds. Proceedings. 19th U.S. Department of Agriculture interagency research forum on invasive species 2008; 2008 January 8-11; Annapolis, MD. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-36. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station: 40.
Koch, Jennifer L.; Carey, David W.; Mason, Mary E. 2008. Development of novel ash hybrids to introgress resistance to emerald ash borer into north American ash species. In: Mastro, Victor; Lance, David; Reardon, Richard; Parra, Gregory, comps. Emerald ash borer research and development meeting; 2007 October 23-24; Pittsburgh, PA. FHTET 2008-07. Morgantown, WV: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Health Technology Enterprise Team: 36-37.
Koch, Jennifer; Mason, Mary; Eyles, Alieta; Carey, David; Larson, Richard; Chan, Charlotte; Smitley, David; Bonello, Pierluigi; Herms, Dan. 2008. Development of novel ash hybrids to introgress emerald ash borer resistance into North American ash species. In: Gottschalk, Kurt W., ed. Proceedings, 18th U.S. Department of Agriculture interagency research forum on gypsy moth and other invasive species 2007; 2007 January 9-12; Annapolis, MD. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-28. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station: 45.
Mason, Mary E.; Davis, John M. 1997. Defense Response in Slash Pine: Chitosan Treatment Alters the Abundance of Specific mRNAs. MPMI Vol. 10, No. 1, 1997, pp. 135-137.

Last modified: Thursday, October 1, 2020