Brad Potts
University of Tasmania
The containment of introduced germplasm to the initial site of
planting is an issue not only in forestry, but also in agriculture,
horticulture, environmental restoration and in ornamental plantings
(gardens and roadsides etc). The spread of planted forestry
germplasm beyond the target site may occur through seed dispersal
and ‘wildling’ establishment, pollen dispersal and
hybridisation (followed by introgression), or a combination of
both. The main plantation eucalypts in Australia (E.
globulus and E. nitens) have relative poor seed
dispersal mechanisms and pollen dispersal is believed to be a major
factor affecting the spread of genes. Assessing the risks and
consequences of pollen-mediated gene flow from non-local introduced
species (or germplasm) into wild local populations is the objective
of research subproject 4.2.6. However, as our research
progresses we are finding that the terminology describing this
process is evolving. Terms such as 'genetic incursion',
'genetic pollution' and 'exotic gene flow' are all being used to
describe the process of hybridisation and introgression between
introduced populations and wild populations. A full
discussion of this terminology can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_pollution
