March 1st, 2013
The eucalyptus was indigenous to Australia and has made its way to other continents and eventually to the United States.
There are pros and cons of this tree, however in this particular instance of bringing the tree to FGCU, I must argue against it for several reasons.
The benefits to the eucalyptus tree are the financial stimulation they bring to certain poverty stricken areas. The trees grow extremely fast and the wood is able to be chopped off and the root quickly regenerates which in turn provides areas with a cash crop to bring money in. The next “pro” is a catch-22 in that the roots need an extreme amount of water for survival and in turn dry the soil and surrounding area out but lessen the malaria population for the local residents.
As aforementioned these trees draw a lot of water lower the water table underneath the ground and reduce the soil salinity. Another pitfall is the oil these trees generate is extremely flammable and combustible and the branches have been known to fall due to their high density therefore causing potential dangers to campers.
These trees also disrupt local ecological biodiversity and displace current wildlife because they cannot survive on the food that is provided.
For this particular situation, I must contest the notion to bring these plants to the campus as they provide no value – financially or economically for the staff, students, and local wildlife.
Sources:
Wikipedia.com
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