ArborGen (a biotech company) has expressed a desire to plant test plots
of genetically modified eucalyptus here at FGCU! This GM eucalyptus has
been engineered with enhanced cold tolerance. This allows it to grow not
only in Southwest Florida, but potentially as far north as South
Carolina. As an eco-aware citizen, the USDA has subpoenaed you to
testify on the merits and pitfalls of this plan.
There are many different species of Eucalyptus tree. It is estimated to be somewhere in the 700-800 range. It grows inland of water and helps establish riverbanks. They grow quickly and produce wood, oil, and natural insecticides. The eucalyptus tree is also beneficial to draining out lakes, swamps, rivers. It can empty the bodies of water through what is called 'water-sucking.' The Eucalyptus tree is good for making paper, but as it is in the wild is not beneficial to a wide variety of plant and animal life.
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| Eucalyptus Plant |
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| Eucalyptus Tree |
Genetically Modifying a plant such as Eucalyptus could be beneficial for many reasons. One of the major benefits of making a GM eucalyptus is that it has the potential to be able to resist the adverse affects of cold and freezing weather. Ensuring plants resist freezing temperatures would lead to more sources for paper, wood, oil, and energy. Since more trees would survive more energy can be harvested and used. Although GM Eucalyptus does have it's benefits, it also has it's downfalls. There are both intrinsic and extrinsic concerns for creating a GM Eucalyptus plant. Eucalyptus could become a catalyst of drought, it could also dominate other plants since it is made to sustain otherwise in-climate weather conditions. Creating a plant with super powers that allow it to fight against the natural environment. This makes it very threatening to create and spread GM Eucalyptus. Although there are ways to research the consequences and manage them, it is also very risky and extremely costly to produce a plant with super growing powers.
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