DURHAM, North Carolina -- When forest biologist Claire Williams boards ferries bound for North Carolina's Outer Banks, the barrier islands that line the NC coast, ferry captains call her the "Pollen Lady."
Each spring from 2006 to 2009, Williams traveled back and forth from the islands to the mainland, collecting pine pollen blown far offshore. She wanted to find out if pollen from the loblolly pine the most commonly planted tree in the southern United States can still germinate after drifting long distances.
The answer could have profound implications if and when the USDA approves transgenic trees. "Long-distance dispersal of transgenic pine pollen is a potential problem only if that pollen is viable," said Williams, currently at the Forest History Society and the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center in Durham, N.C.
The loblolly pine, Pinus taeda, grows on nearly 60 million acres in the southern U.S. and provides more than 15% of the world's timber. "Roughly one billion loblolly pines are planted in the American South each year," Williams said. "But right now, none are genetically modified."
During peak pollen season in late March and early April, loblolly pines shed millions of pounds of pollen into the air. Although the majority of that pollen lands nearby, a fraction floats far from the source, she explained.
Once windborne, pollen is exposed to extreme cold, UV radiation, and moisture from clouds and rain. "Pine pollen can travel up to 1800 miles in a short amount of time," said Williams. "But is it viable?"
To see how far, and how high, pine pollen can travel and still germinate, Williams and her colleagues used a hand-held device called a spore sampler to capture and analyze pollen found miles from the mainland. Sampling by helicopter and by ferry, they found viable pine pollen as far as 2000 feet in the air and 25 miles offshore.
"Until then, the highest pine pollen had ever been
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| Contact: Robin Ann Smith rsmith@nescent.org 919-668-4544 National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent) Source:Eurekalert |
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