Abstract
There is an increased interest for commercial use of GM trees and many different types are now available, e.g. insect, pathogen and herbicide resistant types and types with growth and flowering modifications. However, the ecological implications of GM trees have not yet been evaluated. GM forest trees potentially pose ecological problems beyond those faced by transgenic agricultural crops. The reasons are that forest trees are essentially undomesticated which makes escape of transgenics to the wild more probable. Trees also have long life spans, dominate the landscape and define the structure of many communities. The aim with this study is to address the very important but rarely explored questions on how the use of GM trees might influence biodiversity and ecosystem processes. By comparing the communities of arthropods and pathogens on GM and un-modified poplars in short and long term field trials we will be able to determine if GM trees with modifications of wood and fibre characteristics or resistant traits (Bt) support a different community of arthropods and pathogens than un-modified poplars. Furthermore, we will determine if the genetic modification will affect decomposition processes, macro-invertebrates in aquatic systems, biotic interactions and lead to change in selection pressures on herbivores and pathogens. The project will provide vital data that can be used in current development of GM trees and for future political decisions on the use of transgenic trees.
Sweden