A Little Hypothetical Game

Bacara eucalyptus tree flower
seed bloom yellow throat warbler.

Lets say some big company wants to start planting genetically modified eucalyptus trees on the FGCU campus. Lets also say that the USDA wants someone like me to testify about the the merits and pitfalls of this company's plan to modify the campus and the trees. After doing some research I think I've figured out what I would say...

Pink Flowering Gum Tree (Eucalyptus ficifolia)

The eucalyptus tree is a tree that is known by many names, and takes on many different forms. You can see these trees on almost every continent and is more commonly known to grow in Australia under the name of the Australian Mountain Ash. These beautiful plants are covered in beneficial barks that are one of the characteristics that classify the different eucalyptus trees. The trees are harvested for many reasons, but are more widely known for their ability to produce oils. Eucalyptus trees also have a terrible side to them. These trees are among the most flammable in the world, they are seen as one of the contributers to wildfires. The roots of the eucalyptus tree are also an issue to surrounding foliage, these roots soak up the underlying water and make it impossible for the any other species of plant to drink. (To not make the tree sound too bad, in marsh areas the roots can soak up all the water and prevent diseases like malaria spreading in the region.) The roots are also very shallow causing the tree to be easily knocked over by wind and rain, and especially in Florida weather this can be a threat to animals and humans alike.

Genetically modified
eucalyptus tree farm

After finding out that ArborGen genetically modified these trees so that they could make paper, and help fuel biomass power plants you have to think to yourself is it worth it?! The company says that when they modified the genes of this plant they took out the flammability and the annoying wondering self-overproduction. The company states that eucalyptus is a better fuel source than pine (which is what the company heavily relies on now). The benefits to the school would be slight though, because the school campus does not need any of these things. You still have to ask yourself the simple question of do any of these things that ArborGen has done to the genes of the tree outweigh the potential concerns for this plant to be grown in our area?

Gum tree blossum

One of the major intrinsic and extrinsic concerns of this situation is what happens when the gene mutation doesn't actually work?! Eucalyptus trees are notorious for taking over and killing the natural plants in the area. In turn when all the natural plants are gone, that could drive away or even kill the animals that live off those natural plants. Only certain animals in this world can thrive off of the eucalyptus plants, too much of the oils within the tree is toxic to a large portion of wildlife. The faulty genetics in this new species of plant could ruin the ecosystem in its entirety. It could still be highly flammable too, which in the dry parts of the year could cause more concern and problems than the benefits of the plant can bring actually us.

Signs from the un-hypothetical
situation with ArborGen and the
Southern states

The ArborGen genetically modified eucalyptus tree isn't worth it, at least not in this area. The potential for harm to the ecosystem in this and the surrounding areas is far to extensive then any benefit that the plant can potentially offer to anyone. I wouldn't suggest bringing this plant anywhere, but since the government has already given the okay to this company to start using it in test plots in our great Southern states, I guess we should all cross our fingers and hope that those scientists did a good job.


Images from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/27241501@N03/5347540254/, http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2010/02/01/will-genetically-modified-eucalyptus-trees-transform-southern-forests/, http://www.flickr.com/photos/martin_heigan/2193593386/