Introduction to the Invasive Plant Species and the New Bioeconomy Symposium

Extract

The rapid expansion of the plant bioeconomy is creating strong economic incentives to distribute novel plant material, including transgenic cultivars, exotic species, and species that were formerly constrained to small geographical areas, at large geographical scales. Such introductions carry with them the risk of invasive spread of the introduced species (Simberloff and Alexander 1998). Deployment of plant species for biofuel production offers a clear example of the benefits and risks associated with the new bioeconomy (Raghu et al. 2006).

In a measure aimed at reducing U.S. dependence upon foreign petroleum reserves for energy production, President Bush announced the Advanced Energy Initiative (AEI) in his 2006 State of the Union address. This initiative provides federal funding and guidelines for the development of renewable energy sources, including plant biofuels. The objectives of the AEI, though admirable, have the potential to create a conflict with Executive Order 13112, which states that “[Federal agencies shall] not authorize, fund, or carry out actions that it believes are likely to cause or promote the introduction or spread of invasive species in the United States or elsewhere unless, pursuant to guidelines that it has prescribed, the agency has determined and made public its determination that the benefits of such actions clearly outweigh the potential harm caused by invasive species; and that all feasible and prudent measures to minimize risk of harm will be taken in conjunction with the actions.”