Uploaded on 2014-10-19 by sbratton

[1]: https://edxuploads.s3.amazonaws.com/14137454433905477.jpg The globalization of building materials has encouraged inter-continental exchange of species thought to be highly productive in terms of fiber content or wood volume. Many of these introductions have spread plant diseases or insect pests. The US has lost thousands and thousands of hectares of standing timber to chestnut blight and other fungal diseases, conifer adelgids, wood borers and similar problem species brought from Europe or Asia. This is of course a two way street, and problem species from North America have ended up everywhere from New Zealand, to Japan to Russia. The concept of sustainability must incorporate the environmental impacts of planting, cultivation and harvest. The golden bamboo in the photo is invading a public city park in Texas. The bamboo eliminates native wildflowers via shade, and can kill canopy height oaks and elms via root competition. I thought the course concept of making new materials from bamboo was imaginative and appropriate to reducing fiscal cost. And within their native ranges the various species of bamboo potentially are of low concern in terms of negative impacts on biodiversity or displacing indigenous forests or grasslands. Once a material becomes popular, though, the temptation is to move the production source to new areas. Of Asian origin, the bamboo in the photo was probably originally planted to produce fishing poles or to provide a decorative border on private property. In building future cities the cost of material production must consider potential loss of ecosystem services, and collateral damages, such as species invading natural areas or overwhelming a riparian corridor. Some potentially problematic strategies are introducing new invasive species, establishing mono-cultures, and removing regional flora and fauna to establish plantations to produce wood or fiber.