Planting 30 million hectares of Jatropha curcas sounds like a
disaster waiting to take off!!!

With Australia describing it as invasive and Hawaii PIER ' s risk
assessment rejecting it; I hope this plant never crosses the ocean to
North America.

With a wide range of tolerances including frost and arid conditions,
could they actually confine it and guarantee no escape?

Unlikely

As someone who works with disturbance areas like roadsides, I truly
hope they reconsider. This plant has characteristics of invasives
that cost us greatly in parklands, farmlands, wetlands, woodlands,
and more. I suspect that economics will win; but we will all pay the
price eventually.

Sincerely, Bonnie Harper-Lore

Restoration Ecologist

Federal Highway Administration, USDOT
Bonnie.Harper-Lore@...


IN REPLY TO

Pankaj Oudhia (http://www.pankajoudhia.com/) is seeking comment from
the GISIN members regarding the promotion of Jatropha [Jatropha
curcas L.] as a biodiesel plant.

Hi,
As you know Jatropha is under promotion as a biodiesel plant. Alone
India is
in the process of planting Jatropha in over 30 million hectares. It
is under
promotion in other countries also. In many countries like Australia
Jatropha
holds a status of invasive. I am eager to know the comments of GISIN
members
regarding this monoculture. If this plantation cause any impact on
native
biodiversity then we have to manage it like a weed. For this large
scale
plantation clearance from weed management and biodiversity experts is
needed.

regards
Pankaj Oudhia
<pankaj.oudhia@...>

Please respond directly to Pankaj < pankaj.oudhia@...> with your
comments.

Best regards, Liz

Elizabeth Sellers
Assistant Theme Coordinator
Invasive Species Information Node
National Biological Information Infrastructure
USGS - National Program Office
12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, Mail Stop 302
Reston, VA 20192 USA
Ph 703.648.4385 | Fax 703.648.4224 | esellers@...
USA

Invasive Species Information Node <http://invasivespecies.nbii.gov>
National Biological Information Infrastructure <http://www.nbii.gov>
Global Invasive Species Information Network
<http://www.gisinetwork.org>