Biofuels as Invasive Species?

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — As the United States looks to crops as possible future sources of energy, a University of Arkansas researcher and his colleagues call for caution, citing the possibility of some biofuel crops becoming invasive species.

Robert N. Wiedenmann, professor of entomology, and his colleagues S. Raghu, Roger C. Anderson, Curt C. Daehler, Adam S. Davis, Dan Simberloff and Richard N. Mack put forth their argument for ecological studies of biofuel crops in the policy forum in the Sept. 22 issue of Science.

“Most of the traits that are touted as great for biofuel crops — no known pests or diseases, rapid growth, high water-use efficiency — are red flags for invasion biologists,” Wiedenmann said. “We want to start a dialog and approach the question of biofuels systematically.”

 
Susan Post, Illinois Natural History Survey, in front of a research plot of Miscanthus.

S. Raghu of the Illinois Natural History Survey holds an 8-week-old Miscanthus plant in one hand, and a kudzu vine in the other. Miscanthus, a candidate for a biofuel crop, also has many of the characteristics common to invasive species.
President George Bush announced the U.S. renewable energy initiative in his 2006 State of the Union address, bringing to the forefront the identification and use of potential biofuels as alternative energy sources. The authors of the Policy Forum article in Science call for an examination of potential invasiveness as crops are examined for their biofuel potential and before putting such crops into large-scale production.

Seemingly benign crops that have become invasive species have already occurred in the United States. Wiedenmann and his colleagues cite the case of Sorghum halepense, otherwise known as Johnson grass. Johnson grass was introduced as a forage grass and now has become an invasive weed in many states, causing up to $30 million annually in losses for cotton and soybean crops in just three states.

One proposed biofuel crop, Miscanthus, can grow up to eight feet in six weeks. Wiedenmann describes it as “Johnson grass on steroids.”

“Plants like these, particularly grasses, have great potential from an energy standpoint, but the benefits need to be balanced with the costs,” Wiedenmann said.

Although invasive species are traditionally thought of as introduced species, a native species also can become invasive through alterations to the environment, Wiedenmann said. One example: the removal of oak and chestnut trees along much of the east coast has led to sugar maples becoming invasive in some areas.

Invasive species alter ecosystems in ways that can cause both ecological and economic harm. Since 1999, the U.S. government has had an invasive species council, which develops invasive species management plans.

Researchers investigating the potential for biofuels tend to be engineering or agricultural specialists who are looking at maximizing energetic conversion or crop size. Wiedenmann and his colleagues want to see ecologists at the table with engineering and agricultural researchers addressing the potential for invasiveness.

He cites a lack of communication in one government organization where some scientists were examining a plant for heavy metal mitigation, while another group of scientists were working on biological control of the same plant.

Wiedenmann is a professor in the UA System’s Division of Agriculture and the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences. The article, “Adding Biofuels to the Invasive Species Fire?” can be found on page 1742 of the Sept. 22 issue of Science.

Contacts

Robert N. Wiedenmann, department head and professor, entomology
Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences
Division of Agriculture
(479) 575-2451, rwieden@uark.edu

S. Raghu, Center for Ecological Entomology
Illinois Natural History Survey
raghu@uiuc.edu

 Melissa Lutz Blouin, director of science and research communications
University Relations
(479) 575-5555, blouin@uark.edu


Headlines

First Students to Use Online Degree to Hone Nursing Leadership, Elevate Patient Care

Hanna Baxendale and Wendi Kimbrell will begin coursework in the Doctor of Nursing Practice-Executive Master of Business Administration program offered by the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing and Walton College.

Join the Office for Sustainability on a Final Cruise to Campus

Cruise to Campus Wednesdays have fostered a gathering space for individuals interested in biking to campus. Drop by the Old Main Lawn from 7:30-10 a.m. Wednesday for coffee, something to eat and conversation.

Fay Jones School Student Ambassador Program Gives Voice to Design Students

The student ambassador program at the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design is built to connect top design students with their school, its alumni, its future students and others inside and outside the school.

Honors College Selects Executive Board for Student Ambassadors Program

The board consists of seven officers, including honors students Abdullah Asif, Esther Beller, Ria Collins, Daniella Fernandez, Alekhya Kavi, Olivia MacDonald and Kennedy Williams.

Goering Named Kansas State University Alumni Fellow

Christian Goering, a professor of curriculum and instruction in the College of Education and Health Professions, was recently named a 2024 Alumni Fellow by Kansas State University.

News Daily