Report on Workshop on Possible Ecological and Evolutionary Impacts of Bioengineered Organisms Released into the Environment Author(s): James H. Brown, Robert K. Colwell, Richard E. Lenski, Bruce R. Levin, Monte Lloyd, Philip J. Regal, Daniel Simberloff Source: Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America, Vol. 65, No. 4 (Dec., 1984), pp. 436-438 Published by: Ecological Society of America Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20166409 . Accessed: 22/06/2011 12:43 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp. JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use provides, in part, that unless you have obtained prior permission, you may not download an entire issue of a journal or multiple copies of articles, and you may use content in the JSTOR archive only for your personal, non-commercial use. Please contact the publisher regarding any further use of this work. Publisher contact information may be obtained at . http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=esa. . Each copy of any part of a JSTOR transmission must contain the same copyright notice that appears on the screen or printed page of such transmission. JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact
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growth and yield result. In the case of oilseed rape, the yield "penalty" for using the herbi cide-resistant is ?10-20%. Does genotype this penalty mean that the resistant genotype is less valuable agronomically than its sus This question ceptible parental genotype? poses a decidedly ecological problem. Oilseed rape normally is sown so that ?150 If, for ex seedlings/m2 become established. ample, an equal number of wild oat (Avena then fatua) plants establish simultaneously, rape cultivars yields of herbicide-susceptible are reduced by ?50%. This yield reduction is far greater than the 10-20% penalty suffered by the farmer who planted herbicide-resistant oilseed rape and also used the appropriate herbicide. However, the important question infes is, at what intermediate level of weed tation does the economic reduction caused interference to a susceptible crop by weed match the combined costs of herbicide appli cation and yield penalty of the resistant crop? Only plant competition experiments, the kinds by plant population habitually conducted can answer this question satis ecologists, are per factorily. Until such experiments formed, large amounts of money and chemi cals may be wasted. As more and more crop for herbicide resis species are engineered tance, the more important an understanding of the clearly ecological herbicide/weed/crop relationship becomes. Although the examples of research proj in the preceding paragraphs ects described reflect
my
own
narrow
research
interests,
biases, and limitations, I hope these exam ples will give some indication of the intent, scope, and possibilities of ecological biotech nology. Ialso hope that Ihave helped to make readers of this Bulletin aware that the poten tial accomplishments of ecologists inbiotech nology are too many, too great, and too nec essary to be calculable. Of course, we cannot and should not abandon our more traditional It is the patterns and research. ecological processes found in such research, both in the past and in the future, that provide much of the theoretical framework from which we make ecological decisions. Yet Ibelieve that we are now obliged to take a leading role in a new activity, and thereby, govern its direc tion in the future. Accordingly, a good deal of our time and energy must be spent in devel opment of new skills and in consideration of new and exciting problems. Lastly, in an era Iwish to impart to of apparent pessimism, how my ecological colleagues refreshing it is to see a new branch of science that is intel and lectually creative, highly applicable, through which we can look forward to the future with gusto. Frank Forcella1 Division of Plant Industry, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Canberra, A.C.T. 2601 Australia
1Present address: 15 Lavoie Avenue, chusetts 01056 USA.
Ludlow, Massa
REPORTONWORKSHOPON POSSIBLEECOLOGICAL AND EVOLUTIONARY OF BIOENGINEERED IMPACTS ORGANISMS RELEASEDINTO THE ENVIRONMENT On 28-31 August 1984, seven ecologists and evolutionary biologists from academic in stitutions participated in an important work shop on the possible risks associated with release of biologically engineered organisms into the environment. The workshop was sponsored by the United States Environmen tal Protection Agency (EPA) and the Council for Research Planning. Other participants in cluded academic geneticists, scientists from the biotechnology industry, and representa
436
tives of Federal regulatory and granting agencies (EPA, OTA, FDA, USDA, USDHHS, NIH, and NSF). The following position paper, and adopted unanimously by the ecologists the work evolutionary biologists attending their concern about possi shop, expresses ble ecological and evolutionary hazards as sociated with deliberate or accidental release of genetically engineered organisms and rec ommends initialsteps be taken to assess and minimize these risks.
Of particular interest to ESA members is the fact that the EPA is currently developing risk and regulating procedures for assessing release of genetically engineered organisms. The EPA proposal, which is expected to be completed soon, should appear in the Fed eral Register and be mailed to many ecolo gists. Concerned members should watch for re this document and make whatever sponses they feel appropriate. The text of the position paper is as fol lows:
can have potentially (6) Engineered organisms deleterious environmental the impacts by affecting outcomes of direct interactions among species (in the natural and managed regulation of pests and pathogens), the indi by predators by altering rect relationships the among species, by influencing that support all ecosys processes geochemical cluding
the rate and direction of the tems, and by changing to each of species other responses evolutionary and to their physical and chemical environments. of these Because the introduc considerations, tion of novel genotypes produced by genetic engi careful of possible requires neering investigation adverse
tential can
in biotechnology offer the po new varieties of organisms that benefits for health, agriculture, On the other management.
advances
Recent
for producing enormous
have
and
environmental
hand, there are serious ble effects of deliberate netically engineered ment. release Such
concerns
and agricultural ing reasons:
the possi release of ge
or accidental into
organisms
for natural
consequences
about
urban)
the
environ
adverse poses potential and human-modified (e.g., for the follow ecosystems
raise the pos (1 )Genetic techniques engineering new varieties of microbes, sibility of creating plants, and animals or quantita that may be qualitatively from the vast majority of variants tively different that are
found
by conventional
or
in nature
that can (e.g.,
biotechnology
be produced artificial selec
(2)The results of introductions of exotic species show and
in the roles of native species changes that natural communities are not saturated, new genotypes inwhich there are many ways
historical
can become
into the trophic web. incorporated in communities evolution of species led to perfection or saturation.
continual not
of biotechnology (3) Products ferent from those of nonliving released into the environment terial has can
the capacity in numbers increase
The has
dif pose problems substances that are because
to replicate and spread
genetic
neered
organisms beneficial
that
have
effects
be
The
unintended
possible concern will
are
to
developed transmitted
in
or other means to viruses, by plasmids, fectiously other organisms inwhich have adverse they may effects.
(5) Since the goal of many applied genetic engi is to produce of novel neering programs organisms structure can be ex and function, these organisms
depend
on
of most consequences the particular kind of or the specific characteristics
in question, and ganism of its intended release. the natural envi Although ronment is so complex that itwill not be possible to predict all the adverse effects of this (or any and evolutionary other) technology, ecologists to design sufficient possess expertise ologists to execute assessment these procedures. will
these
though
not assure
zero
reduce the likelihood substantially that would be costly or impossible impacts
to implement program. Steps be initiated immediately and it is our
While must
be
potential ered:
conviction
these
pathogens.
modify microenviron tolerance of physical to predators
should
activities
a case
on
the following basis, by case be consid effects should always
adverse
i) Rate netic
and
nature
of horizontal
(infectious)
and
ge
transmission.
ii)Stability of the engineered genetic change(s) (role of movable
genetic
elements).
2) Evolutionary i) Likelihood
and
nature
of host
range
shifts,
ii) Likelihood of unregulated propagation, iii) Likelihood of changes invirulence (parasites and
pathogens).
3) Ecological i) Effects
resistance
to mit
pursued vigorously. that risk assessment
ii) Effects on prey/hosts/symbionts.
and confer
Al
to deal responsibly with the wide spec trum of possible and evolutionary con ecological of anticipated sequences biologically engineered a minimum the following constitute organisms,
and and aca relatives. Commercial progenitors demic research are attempting programs presently new varieties to develop that use new substrates
conditions,
bi and
risk, they should of unanticipated
pected to play different ecological roles than their
for growth and development, extend the limits of ments,
genetic of con
will be experimental procedures concerns in each case. specific
to evaluate
needed
unintended effects
1) Genetic
organisms into new areas.
been
may
ecological
ma
and
(4) It is possible that traits of genetically engi produce
unanticipated cern. Quantitative
igate. In order
tion). and
Both
consequences.
and
on competitors.
iii) Effects on predators/parasites/pathogens. of as introduced iv) Role organism pathogens, on ecosystem v) Effects chemical effects), vi) Effects
processes
vector
of
(biogeo
on habitat.
437
In addition of
the
for a priori assessments the release of geneti
to the need
risks
associated
research is also (5) More movable elements genetic
with
there should also be cally engineered organisms, an effort to so modify these organisms that the are minimized. hazards This can be ac potential in one
complished to "disarm"
of two ways,
the novel
(a)When
organisms
so
that they will not be likely to spread beyond the to be effective, range where they are intended (b) of characters that will facili By the incorporation tate recall (leases), to broad classes e.g., sensitivity of antibiotics
and phage for bacteria. of release should be followed program by a continuous of monitoring for changes in process the released and the community. organisms The
biology
using there
plines, and for a
can
risk assessment
Although with present
personnel available is a need
and
knowledge for further
basic
in these
and the species are knit together
existing species nities.
increased
areas. for as
among
co
rules
of groups by which commu into functioning
(2) Ecologists and evolutionary biologists with on the taxon proposed for release and in must be types of target communities in the study. They also can advise volved genetic on the design inways of new genotypes engineers that can facilitate the study, and can help to reduce the probability need and
(3) There
of adverse for
effects.
increased
Thus,
graduate
research (4) More basic fer of genetic information fective
and other
organisms.
438
there
is a
training
in
ecology. is a particular need for enhanced train in certain ecological and evolutionary
ing programs such as microbial and soil areas, crease the corps of specialists who in these studies.
to in ecology, can participate
is needed between
nonreproductive
on
adap re
the possible induction of genomic and evolutionary volatility.
Department of Ecology Evolutionary Biology University of Arizona Tucson, AZ 85721
and
Robert K. Colwell Department of Zoology University of California Berkeley, CA 94720
re
of
expertise on the
general evolution
role of
Richard E. Lenski Department of Zoology University of Massachusetts Amherst, MA 01003
disci
research
level of basic
interactions
organization
the and
molecular
in certain larger body of experts there is a sound foundation (1) Although the potential adverse consequences sessing lease, there is need for an research into the nature of
now
instituted
be
in ecology
and
on
James H. Brown
possible,
ecologically,
tation,
needed
in evolution
the
trans
species by in means in higher
Bruce R. Levin Department of Zoology University of Massachusetts Amherst, MA 01003 Monte
Lloyd Department of Biology University of Chicago IL60637 Chicago,
Philip J. Regal Department of Ecology and Behavioral Biology University of Minnesota Minneapolis, MN 55455 Daniel Simberloff of Biological Department Sciences Florida State University FL 32306 Tallahassee,
