Now that many U.S. farmers have grown used to genetically modified (GM) soy and corn, the controversy surrounding GM crops may shift over to GM eucalyptus–a fast-growing Australian tree that, in its unmodified strains, dominates the tropical timber industry.
Two industry giants, International Paper Co. and MeadWestvaco Corp. have formed a biotech venture called ArborGen LLC that is looking to introduce this tree to the southeastern forests of the United States. The company is seeking greater governmental deregulation so it can roll out its plans of replacing native pines in southeastern plantation forests with the genetically engineered eucalyptus, which can survive freezing winter temperatures.
Unlike the pine trees used in Southern plantations — which have quietly helped displace tobacco in the region’s economy — eucalyptus can deploy a full canopy of leaves within a few years. It is greedy for carbon, and within 27 months can grow to 55 feet in height [The New York Times]. ArborGen points out that the high growth rate will allow the company to grow more wood on less land, which could provide a boost to the region’s timber exports. What’s more, the wood could potentially serve as a biofuel feedstock.
Critics, however, worry that the plant would grow untrammeled, like a weed gone wild, and would consume whole forests and wipe out native foliage. One of the two species used to breed ArborGen’s hybrids, Eucalyptus grandis, had previously turned invasive in South Africa–raising concerns about this tree turning invasive in the south. ArborGen has received conditional approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to expand its experimental eucalyptus operations to 28 sites in seven states, for a total of 330 acres of forest. Given the uncertainty involved, however, the Nature Conservancy has recommended to USDA that ArborGen be allowed fewer acres and trees to flower, and none in Florida, [ecologist Doria Gordon] said. The draft permit approved by USDA would allow flowering in 10 sites across the state [The New York Times]. ArborGen has pointed out that the tree that grew invasive in South Africa was thriving in arid conditions, something that would not happen in Florida due its moist climate.
ArborGen also says that the GM trees won’t spread because of a genetic tweak that prevents the trees from reproducing. (Similar techniques have been used to make GM plants like corn and soy infertile, a controversial tactic that forces farmers to buy new seeds each year.) In the case of the eucalyptus trees, ArborGen restricts their pollen production with a bacterial gene that produces a toxic enzyme called barnase that slices apart genetic material in a cell, causing death. Through genetic trickery, the enzyme is only produced in the pollen-spreading parts of the tree, destroying its ability to reproduce — at least most of the time [The New York Times].
It’s not yet clear how the public will feel about GM forests. But scientists note that some trees that have been genetically tweaked to prevent disease have already gained widespread acceptance–like papaya trees in Hawaii that are less susceptible to the ringspot virus, and American chestnuts that resist a deadly fungus. ArborGen’s scientists argue that tweaking eucalyptus trees for commercial reasons isn’t so different from those earlier efforts, and say the trees could eventually play a significant role in biofuel production. Tree geneticist Steve Strauss, who consulted with ArborGen, says: “If we’re going to rely on biofuels as a significant part of a diverse portfolio of renewable technology,” then harvesting trees is the best way to go, he said. “There’s a lot of marginal land that could be used” [The New York Times].
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Image: iStockphoto
February 1st, 2010 at 5:06 pm
Fight it, this tree is destroying the ecosystem in my country (Portugal), most of our “forests”, are now eucalyptus, the native trees are declining rapidly.
It should be banned altogether from non endogenous land.
February 1st, 2010 at 5:20 pm
Doesn’t matter. Like it or not we’re changing the face of the full earth, one acre at a time. Our population is growing in such a way that we’ll eventually have to manage every inch of land available.
What we should be doing is enforcing environmental protection regulations on these companies to genetically modify the native forests to fight off eucalyptus invasions.
The leaves harvested from these trees will be a good source for biofuels.
You can cut these things down to stumps and they’ll fully regrow. Maybe even faster because they already have their full root network in place. Amazingly industrious plant.
Corn grows wild, right? It’s not indigenous, it was crafted via years of genetic tampering. We’ve just exponentially accelerated the process. That is technology.
February 1st, 2010 at 5:39 pm
Would these increase the fire danger in the southeast (compared to what’s there now) if they were accepted and cropped up all over?
February 1st, 2010 at 6:15 pm
The fire danger would incise (eucalyptus leafs have some kind of oil), and don’t compare to corn, theses things grown wild and spread like crazy, and governments aren’t going send team to cut them on hills and highlands.
It’s your country, still forest protection was one of the things US did better that southern European countries, lets see what the future holds,
And about modifying existing trees, there is no gain (money wise) in doing that, so I wouldn’t expected.
February 1st, 2010 at 8:50 pm
Hopefully this will make caring for my Koalas a lot cheaper. I am spending $5000 per/mo to import eucalyptus from Australia. You might not think it, but Koala meat is one of the tastiest in nature.
February 1st, 2010 at 9:33 pm
bad idea.
February 1st, 2010 at 10:24 pm
These tree/weeds are already an invasive species along the coast of California, displacing native plants because some clever fool imported them years ago to use for growing wood for fence posts and telephone poles.
The article says these trees could provide a boost to timber sales. No way. Problem is, the wood they produce is crap – not even good enough for fence posts.
What they are wanted for is to fuel wood fired power plants in the South because they don’t have a significant coal industry. A German utility firm has plans to build one of the largest wood pellet fired power plants in the world in the American southeast. And like the article says, the tree is greedy for carbon – which will all be released as CO2 immediately upon burning, just like coal.
Of course I’m sure all levels of the government would be willing to give them a gift from the citizens in the form of tax breaks or other financial incentives to sequester this unfortunate byproduct of modern power production – on top of whatever incentives they will get to build the plant in the first place.
Ain’t progress wonderful?
February 2nd, 2010 at 1:02 am
@farranger #7.
Can’t you tell your representatives you don’t need a eucalyptus fired power plant, you want solar panels on your roof instead, and you want them manufactured close by to produce some needed jobs? You live in the south somewhere? You got plenty of sun? You say in your post you’re “sure all levels of the government would be willing” to hand out tax breaks for those trees. How bout solar? Government representatives don’t come up with great ideas by themselves; you gotta tell them what you want.
February 2nd, 2010 at 10:19 am
@Martin – Aren’t you worried about drop bears?
February 2nd, 2010 at 3:23 pm
Nick you’re a moron, you couldn’t be more wrong, and as you seem to like hearing yourself talk so much, try singing in the shower instead.
February 2nd, 2010 at 5:55 pm
Ask the Hawaians about these trees. I believe they have been a disaster.
February 3rd, 2010 at 2:20 am
What the F@#K! Do these bufoons have to get hit in the head by a flying carp to see the forest thru the kudzoo?
February 16th, 2010 at 3:56 pm
I think i might get some of these and plant them next to my buckthorn, burning bush, and siberian elm.
nothing like an invasive garden.
/sarcasm.
id love to see the day where the world is educated on invasive species and how much harm they cause to our enviornment. could be spending those billions this problem costs elsewhere.
February 23rd, 2010 at 1:09 am
GM eucalyptus plantations around the George River in Tasmania have been found to be releasing toxins into the catchment areas & are contaminating drinking water supplies.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/02/23/2827997.htm