Assessing the risk of gene flow from plantation to native eucalypts: a long-term partnership in biodiversity management

The large-scale translocation of species for agricultural, forestry or fisheries purposes has created numerous environmental issues world-wide that require management for industry sustainability and certification purposes. One such issue is ‘exotic gene flow’, where translocated ‘industrial-species’ can alter the gene pool of indigenous species through hybridisation and introgression. This exotic gene flow could have flow on effects to dependent native communities, especially where foundation species such as forest trees are involved (Potts et al. 2003; Whitham et al. 2006).