Biofuel analysis considers poplar introgression

Biofuel analysis conducted at the Laurentian Forestry Centre in collaboration with other Canadian forestry research centres has looked at the risks of introducing species of poplar into geographical areas.

The team were keen to learn whether new, hardy species of poplar present a genetic risk to native species if they are introduced in order to grow biomass.

Exotic species can prove more resistant to disease, they explain, or may yield larger amounts of useful material.

However, their biofuel analysis may reassure some people, as penetration of genes into the native group - introgression - was found to be relatively low.

Parental alleles from one generation to the next were composed of more than 95 per cent native genes, they found.

The remainder may die out in the following generation; however, the researchers say more tracking is needed to determine whether they might instead proliferate over time, while large exotic plantations close to small groups of native poplars may pose greater risk.