Preserving pine's genetic heritage

CSIRO scientists are working against the clock to collect genetic information from one of the last remaining natural stands of radiata pine on the island of Guadalupe off the west coast of Mexico.

"Australia's radiata plantations are much less diverse than the native populations although they occupy a much greater area," says Dr Colin Matheson of CSIRO Forestry and Forest Products, who joined researchers from American and Mexican universities on an expedition to Guadalupe Island in May 2001.

"CSIRO does a lot of breeding work with industry and we need to access as much genetic material as possible to continue a program of tree improvement," he says.

Dr Matheson continues, "In particular, we are interested in the Guadalupe Island trees as they grow in a dry climate and have higher density wood. We are investigating planting radiata in drier parts of the Murray Darling Basin beyond the range currently thought of as economically viable".

With a world wide plantation area totalling around 4 million hectares radiata pine is a very versatile species and is used widely in Australia for building and construction, for paper making, in composite wood products and in hygiene products.

The stand of just 220 trees on the rugged Mexican island of Guadalupe is currently in good health but is under threat from the voracious appetites of the island's goat population, which make a quick meal of any young seedlings.

Each seed sample collected by Matheson and his colleagues has been carefully recorded noting the tree that it came from and the exact the location of the tree. "We hope that, after quarantine requirements have been met, this seed can be brought into Australia and tested in low-rainfall areas."