In the last article, the benefits of biotechnology to different human groups surviving in various environments were considered. These areas are occupied by both plants and animals, and their sustainability depends on the vegetation cover.
Biotechnology is an artificial process of recombining genes from different organisms by bypassing natural barriers to sexual reproduction. It promotes the engineering of new biochemical pathways to increase species that are stress-tolerant.
Its application has enabled crops, trees, and their products to possess traits that meet public demands, easing primitive stress conditions. This article will explore the benefits and potential risks of plant biotechnology in forestry.
Applications of Plant Biotechnology
Much of the information related to plant biotechnology focuses on its use in crop production. This is primarily because the technology has been applied and used in this way.
However, it is still being debated and tested in laboratories for other uses, such as in forestry. Other applications include using biotechnology to produce ornamental flowers with new colors, fragrances, and increased longevity.
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Crop Production
Plant biotechnology provides farmers with tools that can make production cheaper and more manageable. For example, some biotechnology crops can be engineered to tolerate specific herbicides, simplifying weed control.
Other crops have been engineered to be resistant to specific plant diseases and insect pests, making pest control more reliable and effective while decreasing the need for synthetic pesticides. These crop production options help countries meet food demands while reducing production costs.
Several biotechnology-derived crops have been deregulated by the USDA and reviewed for food safety by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), with many other crops now in the research and development stages.
Advances in plant biotechnology may provide consumers with nutritionally enriched foods, long-lasting produce, or foods with lower levels of certain naturally occurring toxins. Developers are working to reduce saturated fats in cooking oils, allergens in foods, and increase disease-fighting nutrients in foods.
Research is also being conducted to use genetically engineered crops in producing new medicines, which might lead to a plant-made pharmaceutical industry, reducing production costs through sustainable resources.
Genetically engineered plants are also being developed for phytoremediation, where plants detoxify pollutants in the soil or absorb polluting substances, allowing the plants to be harvested and safely disposed of. This results in improved soil quality at polluted sites.
Additionally, plant biotechnology may be used to conserve natural resources, enable animals to utilize nutrients in feed more effectively, reduce nutrient runoff into rivers and bays, and help meet the increasing demands for food and land.
Researchers are working on developing hardier crops that will thrive in harsh environments and require less fuel, labor, fertilizer, and water, thus decreasing the pressure on land and wildlife habitats.
Forestry
Forestry researchers are working on ways to create trees that resist pests, make pulp and paper processing easier, and assist in the restoration of endangered tree species. Developing a more sustainable means of producing wood and paper products is an urgent need.
For example, Americans consume 750 pounds of paper each year, not to mention the wood products used for construction and other purposes. Although the United States now has 20% more trees than it did on the first Earth Day 25 years ago, it is estimated that an additional 800 million hectares of low-yielding native forests, or 25% of the Earth’s forest estate, will need to be logged to meet worldwide demand by 2050.
Given the heavy reliance on forest products, biotechnology could reduce the need to log old-growth forests. For example, trees could be engineered to grow more efficiently on plantations, producing stronger lumber or more pulp for paper.
Such genetic enhancements could increase the productivity of tree farms and produce trees that use less energy and fewer chemicals during processing, resulting in cleaner air and water.
Scientists believe that if there is to be widespread use of genetically engineered (GE) trees, it will first occur in intensively managed forest plantations, where the most current science and intensive management practices are already in use to improve timber quality and production.
Research has demonstrated how GE technology could provide commercial plantations with trees that grow faster, produce pulp more easily, and offer better wood quality than conventional trees. However, while the potential benefits are promising, environmental consequences must be carefully considered.
Some observers believe it could take over 10 years for genetically engineered trees to become commonplace, but developing countries may move much more quickly. For instance, large test plots of GE poplars are currently being cultivated in China, and other developing countries may adopt GE trees commercially in as little as a year.
One concern about GE trees is that their pollen can drift for miles, and even if the technology is applied only to private forests, the pollen could spread GE traits to “wild” stands, including national forests, parks, and other public lands.
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Benefits of Using Biotechnology in Forestry
- Revealing trees’ unique biological properties, which increases wood yield and quality
- Reducing pressure on natural forests by increasing productivity in managed forests
- Improving disease and insect resistance and assisting in restoring endangered tree varieties
- Reducing the environmental impact of pulping and helping clean up toxic waste
- Serving as a new source for feed and pharmaceuticals.
Risks of Using Plant Biotechnology in Forest Production
- Trees could become invasive, supplanting natural forests
- Environmental impacts could persist because of the long life spans of trees
- It could be difficult to track escapes and reverse potential damage
- It could be hard to predict the consequences in complex ecosystems
- The aesthetic qualities of forests could be altered
- Consumer concerns could emerge
- It could foster inequities between large and small landowners.
Biotechnology uses the tools of genetic engineering, which involve isolating, manipulating, and reintroducing DNA into cells to produce desired characteristics.
These tools have been invaluable for researchers in helping to understand the basic biology of living organisms. As products continue to meet desired purposes, greater achievements are possible, particularly in agriculture.
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