Exotic Species Essay

INTRODUCTION

The world now has 50 million hectares of fast- growing timber plantations and the proportion of the world's wood supplies coming from plantations is increasing. It estimated that within 30 years the plantation area will have increased by 60% and plantations will dominate more and more of our landscapes. In the pulp and paper industry a few multi-national companies control vast areas of industrial monocultures - mainly of exotic species. Even the multitude of small plantations and woodlots in the developed and developing world are composed largely of exotic species.

The number of species exploited for industrial wood is decreasing and with the advent of genetically modified trees there will be further concentration on a few species

At the same time, there is a fear that catastrophic outbreaks of pests and diseases may occur suddenly in exotic plantations. Examples can be cited for both situations. Is the risk of pest outbreaks in plantations associated with the exotic status of the species? Or is it characteristic of monocultures, irrespective of whether a species is indigenous or exotic? Are the projected virtues of indigenous species an expression of an emotional attitude, similar to patriotism, rather than scientific truth? The uncertainty remains. The questions have become important in the context of the ongoing, rapid expansion of exotic plantations in the tropics, particularly large-scale industrial plantations aimed at production of pulpwood and medium-density fireboard. This study was undertaken to critically assess the risk of pest outbreaks associated with exotic tree plantations. We need to examine the scientific issue, after disentangling it from a host of closely intertwined social, political, and other scientific issues connected with exotics, such as water use, biodiversity,