JATROPHA CURCAS: PROMISING BIOFUEL FEEDSTOCK OR INVASIVE SPECIES?

Generally speaking, transplanting a species from one part of the world to another – either accidentally or on purpose – has, on occasion, had some really negative consequences. A prime example is kudzu that was moved from Asia to the southeast US beginning in the 1930’s to control erosion. It did that but now kudzu overgrows just about everything in its path and is almost impossible to get rid of.

Now, with the push to find alternative and renewable sources of fuel in the US and elsewhere, oil from the seeds from a shrub called Jatropha Curcas has arisen as a very good source of biodiesel. But it’s not a native plant to every corner of the Earth; thus if it is transplanted in say South Carolina or Iowa (places where it may not be found today) would it become an invasive species?
What would be the impacts, the consequences, of farming Jatropha curcas on a large scale? (It’s already classified in Western Australia as an invasive species and its use in biodiesel production is banned.)

Here’s a short list of what we know about Jatropha curcas: Green Energy News