New biofuel species likely to wreck habitat

The Global Invasive Species Program, meeting in India, has said countries should avoid planting crops for biofuels that stand a high risk of becoming invasive species.

GISP has identified all the crops currently being used or considered for biofuel production and ranked them according to the risk they pose of becoming invasive species.
Sarah Simons, executive director of GISP, has said: ‘The dangers that invasive species pose to the world couldn’t be more serious. They can threaten livelihoods and human health, and they cost billions in control and mitigation efforts.’

Ms Simons said many of the plant species being considered for biofuels have the potential to become invasive if introduced to new areas.

The giant reed Arundo donax, for example, is a proposed biofuel crop from West Asia which is already invasive in parts of North and Central America.

In South Africa, the giant reed is considered a national problem as it drinks 2,000 litres of water per standing metre of growth.

Malaysia Sun