Introduction ofEucalyptusspp. into the United States with Special Emphasis on the Southern United States

Abstract

Introduction ofEucalyptusspp. into the United States from Australia on a significant scale resulted from the gold rush into California in 1849. Numerous species were evaluated for fuel, wood products, and amenity purposes. The first recorded entry of eucalyptus into the southern United Stated was in 1878. Subsequent performance of selected species for ornamental purposes caused forest industry to visualize plantations for fiber production. That interest led the Florida Forestry Foundation to initiate species-introduction trials in 1959. The results were sufficiently promising that a contingent of forest products companies formed a cooperative to work with the USDA Forest Service, Lehigh Acres, FL, USA, on genetic improvement of selected species for fiber production. The Florida initiative caused other industrial forestry companies in the upper South to establish plantations regardless of the species or seed source. The result was invariably the same: failure. Bruce Zobel, Professor of Forestry, North Carolina State University, initiated a concerted effort to assess the potential worth of eucalyptus for plantation use. The joint industrial effort evaluated 569 sources representing 103 species over a 14-year period. The three levels of testing, screening, in-depth, and semioperational trials led to identification of some species and sources that offered promise for adaptation, but severe winter temperatures in late 1983 and early 1984 and 1985 terminated the project. Despite the failed attempt valuable silvicultural practices were ascertained that will be beneficial to other researchers and practitioners when attempts are again made to introduce the species complex into the US South.

Ecosystem Services of Woody Crop Production Systems

“…Researchers at the Stoneville and Rhinelander locations have been intimately involved in developing material and systems for SRWC. Research on eucalypts for pulpwood, begun in 1959 by the Florida Forests Foundation, was the origin of the research program begun in 1968 by the USDA FS and the Florida Division of Forestry at Lehigh Acres [70].…”

“…The history of Eucalyptus in the continental USA dates back to the California Gold Rush of the mid-1800s [70], but [80][81][82]. A sustained interest developed in the Southern USA, specifically in Florida [70,83]. Industry-funded cooperative research programs provided support for the USDA FS Lehigh Acres Laboratory [84].…”

“…), and forest red gum (Eucalyptus tereticornis Sm.) were also selected and received lesser levels of genetic improvement [70,84]. Commercial plantations persist today in southern Florida and Hawaii [21,85].…”

“…Commercial plantations persist today in southern Florida and Hawaii [21,85]. In the past, deployment of Eucalyptus in the South north of lower Florida has been limited by severe freezes [70]. Nevertheless, a renewed search has begun for freeze-tolerant species and provenances [86], as well as development of transgenic E. grandis × E. urophylla [8,20].…”

“…Short rotation systems in Peninsular Florida using E. grandis and cabbage gum (Eucalyptus amplifolia Naudin) can produce up to 67.0 green Mg ha −1 year −1 in multiple 3-year rotations [83]. Appropriate sites are likely on soils of sandy clay loam and clay loam textures and moderately well-to well-drained soils, avoiding sites with imperfect or excessive drainage [70]. Managing competing vegetation and developing appropriate fertilization regimes are needed to achieve high levels of productivity [70].…”